A Game of Thrones, Chapter 49, Eddard
Summary
The king dies. Ned summons the small council to read the will. Before he’s accepted by the members of the council as the Protector of the Realm they are summoned by Joffrey. Cersei’s son demands their oaths of fealty. Ned is forced to reveal that Joffrey has no claim to the throne. He commands the Golden Cloaks commander to take the queen and their children into custody. The Golden Cloaks attack his men instead.
Quotes
“King Robert is gone. The gods give him rest.”
“No,” Ned answered. “He hated rest. The gods give him love and laughter, and the joy of righteous battle.”
The queen glanced at the words. “Protector of the Realm,” she read. “Is this meant to be your shield, my lord? A piece of paper?” She ripped the letter in half, ripped the halves in quarters, and let the pieces flutter to the floor.
“Those were the king’s words,” Ser Barristan said, shocked.
“We have a new king now,” Cersei Lannister replied.
As his men died around him, Littlefinger slid Ned’s dagger from its sheath and shoved it up under his chin. His smile was apologetic. “I did warn you not to trust me, you know.”
Commentary
All I can say is: poor Ned. His honor would not allow him to do what had to be done.
One of the biggest selling points for the Song of Ice and Fire series is the moral ambiguity ever present in the books. It’s for the reader to decide who’s good and who’s bad. Who’s right and who’s wrong. What was the right thing to do and what was a mistake.
This chapter is a prime example. Ned refuses to bend the rules, make alliance with the forces without who’s support he’s going to lose. He’s obviously not doing the right thing. He’s betrayed by one of his allies and the other seeing futility of all this, runs away. He should have followed their advice, right?
I can’t stop thinking about what would happen if Ned actually agreed to Renly’s proposition. Would things have been better? Probably yes. But at what cost? Heeding his advice was not an honorable thing to do. It would have been *wrong*. This begs the question: are we allowed to do bad things in the name of greater good? This is a very slippery path. Once you step on it, it’s hard to stop…
Tags: Eddard
