AGOT Chapter Summary - Eddard XIII Ned is dreaming again, this time he is in the crypts at Winterfell and the Kings of Winter are watching him. He finds himself in front of his father’s tomb with Lyanna and Brandon beside him. Lyanna’s statue speaks to him, ‘promise me, Ned’ it says, she wears a garland of pale blue roses and her eyes wept blood. And then he wakes, someone is hammering on his door. He opens it and find the king’s own steward. Robert is back and wants to see him. Ned goes to the royal apartments in Maegor’s Holdfast, Ser Boros Blount is guarding the far end of the bridge and Ned passes Ser Preston Greenfield at the bottom of the steps and Ser Barristan Selmy is outside the king’s bedchamber. The sight of three white cloaks gives him a strange chill and Ser Barristan’s face is pale, Ned knows something is wrong. The royal steward opens the door, announces him and Robert calls, his voice strangely thick. The heat in the bedchamber is suffocating. Robert is lying on a canopied bed. Pycelle is at his bedside, Renly is at the window, servants are moving back and forth and Cersei is sat on the edge of the bed. Her eyes follow him as he is helped across the room. The king is still wearing his boots and Ned notes that the room smells of smoke, blood and death. Robert whispers his name, asks him to come close. Ned has to steady himself on the bed post. ‘What?’ He asks but can’t continue. Renly says a boar. Robert says a devil, his own fault, too much wine, missed his thrust. Ned asks where Renly was, Barristan and the kingsguard. Renly says Robert commanded them to stand aside. Ned lifts the blanket, Robert is torn from groin to nipple. His bandages are soaked with blood and the smell is hideous. Robert says it stinks, that he knows he’s dying, he smiles and says that he paid it back in kind, tells Ned to ask them if he didn’t. Renly agrees, says they brought the carcass back at Robert’s command. For the feast Robert whispers. He then tells everyone to leave. Cersei speaks, calls Robert my sweet lord. Why does she bother with the falseness? Robert tell her to leave with a hint of his old fierceness, asks her what part of that she doesn’t understand. She leaves and the rest follow. Pycelle offers Robert milk of the poppy but he knocks the cup away. Ned is in pain and sit down on the bed, says damn you Robert, why do you have to be so headstrong? Robert says I killed it didn’t I? As if that matters! He glares at Ned, says he ought to do the same for him, not leaving him to hunt in peace. Pain hits him and then he talks about Daenerys, says Ned was right, that the gods sent the boar to punish him for it. He says Varys, Littlefinger and Renly are all worthless. He then asks Ned to get paper and gets him to write that he names Ned as Lord Regent and Protector of the Realm until Joffrey comes of age. Ned wants to tell him that Joffrey is not his son but he cant so instead of writing ‘my song Joffrey’ he writes ‘my heir’. Ned feels soiled by the deceit but hopes the gods forgive him. Ned asks Robert not to die (it’s not like he has a choice at that moment but he could have not gone hunting or not gone hunting drunk or not allowed himself to be surrounded by his wife’s family when they hate each other so much). Ned says the realm needs him. Robert takes his hand, squeezes hard, tells him he’s such a bad lair, that he’s been a wretched king, as bad as Aerys. Ned tell him no, not as bad as Aerys. Robert smiles but it’s weak, tells Ned at least he’s done the right thing now, that Ned will rule well even though he’ll hate it. Robert signs the paper Ned has written on, tells him the seal should be witnessed. Robert asks him to serve the boar at his funeral feast, says ‘promise me Ned’ and once again Ned hears Lyanna saying the same thing to him. Robert tells Ned to try and stop the assassination on Daenerys, asks him to help his son. Robert says he ought to laugh being killed by a pig but it hurts too much. Ned calls everyone back in although Cersei has gone. Ned thinks if she has any sense she has gone to take her children away, that she has lingered too long already. Oh Ned, did it not click right there that she hadn’t left after your talk so clearly had no intention of doing so? Pycelle and Renly witness the seal and then Robert asks for milk of the poppy, asking Pycelle if he’ll dream. Ned tells him he will and he says to Ned he’ll give Lyanna his love, to take care of his children for him. Ned’s stomach twists, he did not want to lie and then he remembers all of Robert’s bastards and says that he’ll look after them as if they were his own. Robert falls asleep. Ned asks Pycelle how long he’s got, Pycelle says he should be dead already, that he’s never seen a man cling to life so fiercely. Renly says Robert was always strong, not the wisest but the strongest. Ned notes that Renly could have been Robert’s ghost standing there, so young, dark and handsome. Renly says he slew the boar even though he was dying. Ned goes outside, tells Selmy that no one is to disturb the king without his leave. Ser Barristan seems to have aged and tells Ned he has failed his sacred trust. Ned tells him that no one can protect Robert from himself. He says Robert loved to hunt boar, that he has seen him take down thousands of them. Ned says Robert blamed the wine. Selmy says he was reeling in his saddle when they flushed the boar out of its lair. Varys, who has appeared from nowhere, asks who gave the king his wine. Selmy says his squire and Varys remarks on how dutiful the boy is, making certain Robert didn’t run out and then asks which squire, is told Lancel. Varys says ah, yes Kevan Lannister’s son. Ned finds he has a bitter taste in his mouth. He tells Varys that Robert had a change of heart about Daenerys. Varys says it’s too late, those birds have flown but he shall do what he can. Ned is on the bridge when Renly appears. Renly asks if the letter was about the regency, has Robert named him Protector, offers him thirty men from his guard and says within an hour he could have a hundred. Sounds like a good offer Ned since you’re so short of men yourself but of course Ned doesn’t think so, asks Renly what he’d do with a hundred swords. Renly tells him to strike now while the castle sleeps. He tells him that they must get Joffrey away from his mother and take him in hand. He says they must seize Tommen and Myrcella too. Ned doesn’t like that though, says Robert is not dead yet and he won’t dishonour his last hours by shedding blood and dragging children from their beds. Renly is annoyed at that, rightly so, it was a good plan, tells Ned every moment he delays give Cersei time to prepare, that by the time Robert dies it may be too late. Ned says they should pray Robert does not die. What??? It’s obvious he’s going to die. Ned gets back to his own chambers, feeling weary and heartsick. He wonders if he has done the right thing refusing Renly. NO NED, YOU HAVEN’T! He thinks he has no taste for intrigues, that there is no honour in threatening children. He sends for Littlefinger. He asks Fat Tom about the ship, the one that is sailing this evening, tells them he wants twenty men to go with his daughters and he’ll be in command. He says he wants him to stop at Dragonstone and take a letter to Lord Stannis, no one else, not his steward, the captain of his guard, his wife, only Stannis himself. Fat Tom says he understands. Ned feels grief overwhelm him, he thinks men will whisper that he betrayed Robert and disinherited his sons. He just hopes that Robert learns the truth of it beyond the grave. He starts writing a letter to Stannis, signs it and puts his seal on it. He thinks his regency will be short, that the new King will want his own Hand. Ned wants to go home to Winterfell. Littlefinger appears, congratulates him which irritates Ned, asks him how he knows that Robert named him Protector of the Realm. He says Varys hinted as much. Ned damns Varys, says he doesn’t trust him. GODS NED, VARYS IS THE ONLY ONE YOU CAN TRUST. Littlefinger says he’s learning. Ned then goes on to tell Littlefinger about Cersei and Jaime and all the children being Lannister bastards. Littlefinger says that’s shocking, obviously not shocked. Ned tells him that the throne by rights passes to Lord Stannis. Littlefinger say unless and Ned says there is no unless, Stannis is the heir. Littlefinger tells Ned to let Joffrey take the throne, that Stannis is not their friend, that his brothers can’t stomach him, that if he takes the throne there will be a war. He says Joffrey is only twelve and you have the regency, all he has to do is make peace with the Lannisters, wed his children to theirs. In four years when Joff comes of age he’ll look to you as a father. He says four years is a long time, long enough to get rid of Stannis and if Joffrey is trouble they can crown Renly. Ned tells him that is treason. Littlefinger says only if they’re found out. Ned tells him they killed Jon Arryn, his men and tried to kill his son. Littlefinger asks what it is he wants of him then. Ned says he needs help, that the world think Joffrey is the true son and heir and the queen has many men, that Jaime could be riding to Kings Landing now with a Lannister host. Littlefinger plays with the dagger on the table, tells Ned there are many Lords at court who are not friends of the Lannisters. Ned tells him its not enough, that he must have the gold cloaks and Littlefinger says they follow the person who pays them the most and tells him six thousand gold pieces should do it while giving Ned back his dagger.
Posted on: Mon, 24 Nov 2014 10:01:00 +0000
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