Re-reading Song of Ice and Fire

Chapter 25, Eddard
Summary
Ned visits Grand Maester Pycelle to question him about Jon Arryn’s death. Pycelle believes that Jon died of sickness, that his death was in no manner special. Afterwards Ned is visited by Petyr Baelish, who brings him information about last remaining in Kings Landing servants of Jon Arryn.

Quotes

“The gods are merciful.” Pycelle bowed his head. “Come to me as often as you like, Lord Eddard. I am here to serve.”
Yes, Ned thought as the door swung shut, but whom?

“Lord Petyr,” Ned called after him. “I . . . am grateful for your help. Perhaps I was wrong to distrust you.”
Littlefinger fingered his small pointed beard. “You are slow to learn, Lord Eddard. Distrusting me was the wisest thing you’ve done since you climbed down off your horse.”

Commentary

Ned is trying to get to the bottom of Jon Arryn’s death. Everyone offers their help, but Ned doesn’t know who he can trust. Pycelle seems to offer evidence that Jon died a natural death and that Queen was not involved. Littlefinger warns Ned about spies everywhere and warns him, that he should not trust even him.

From the first time reader’s perspective things get complicated. Now we’re entering a phase where the knowledge of future events helps to appreciate little things like Pycelle covering Queen’s tracks or Petyr’s warning. And it’s a good time to complicate the plot. First time reader already knows the main characters, has a general idea of the plot and should not be lost, while people coming back to the series are able to understand the story better. I have to say, I’m impressed with the book again.

Chapter 20, Eddard
Summary
Ned and the girls finally reach Kings Landing. They come ahead of the King and his escort. Before Ned has time to do anything he is summoned to Little Council meeting, where he meets Lord Petyr, Varys and Maester Pycelle. He finds out that Robert has sent Renly with an urgent message: they are supposed to prepare King’s Hand Tourney. Ned finds out a couple of things he did not know about how Robert is running Seven Kingdoms. After the Council meeting Ned is taken by Littlefinger to see Catelyn, who is hidden in one of his brothels. Cat tells him about events that happened in Winterfell.

Quotes

“I have hoped to meet you for some years, Lord Stark. No doubt Lady Catelyn has mentioned me to you.”
“She has,” Ned replied with a chill in his voice. The sly arrogance of the comment rankled him. “I understand you knew my brother Brandon as well.”

“What Lord Varys means is that all this business of coin and crops and justice bores my royal brother to tears,” Lord Renly said, “so it falls to us to govern the realm.”

Grand Maester Pycelle shook his great bald head, his chains clinking softly.
“Lord Arryn was a prudent man, but I fear that His Grace does not always listen to wise counsel.”

Sansa cried herself to sleep, Arya brooded silently all day long, and Eddard Stark dreamed of a frozen hell reserved for the Starks of Winterfell.

What was it that Jon had said when they found the pups in the snow? Your children were meant to have these pups, my lord. And he had killed Sansa’s, and for what?

That was the most dangerous part, Ned knew. “All justice flows from the king,” he told her. “When I know the truth, I must go to Robert.” And pray that he is the man I think he is, he finished silently, and not the man I fear he has become.

Commentary

Ned enters the “game of thrones”. With his arrival in Kings Landing a new world opens in front of him. A world of spying, deceit, lies and double-crossing. Ned is having difficulty fitting in, he’s being mocked and looked down upon. Turns out that Robert was not joking, he really does intend to party while Ned is running the kingdom, surrounded by flatterers, fools and secret enemies.

The big event in this chapter though is not the Council meeting, but Ned’s meeting with Catelyn. Stark finds out about the attack on Bran and supposed Lannister involvement. Ned is very worried. He’s afraid that if it comes to exposing the Queen, Robert is not going to be his ally. The war is mentioned for the first time.

Chapter 16, Eddard
Summary
Arya, Nymeria and Mycach are still missing. For four days parties of both King’s and Stark’s men have been searching the woods for them. On the fourth day one of Ned’s men, Jory Cassel, comes back with Arya. She is brought in front of The King and Queen immediately. Arya tells everyone her story. Joff tells his, how Arya, Mycach and Nymeria attacked him together. Sansa, when asked to point, who’s version is true says she can’t remember. Robert, unable to get to the bottom of the story decides that both kids will be disciplined by their fathers. Queen is not pleased with that, she demands the skin of the wolf that attacked her son. Nymeria is nowhere to be found, so Queen demands that Sansa’s direwolf is killed instead.

Quotes

The king was in no mood for more argument. “Enough, Ned, I will hear no more. A direwolf is a savage beast. Sooner or later it would have turned on your girl the same way the other did on my son. Get her a dog, she’ll be happier for it.”

“Lady,” he said, tasting the name. He had never paid much attention to the names the children had picked, but looking at her now, he knew that Sansa had chosen well. She was the smallest of the litter, the prettiest, the most gentle and trusting. She looked at him with bright golden eyes, and he ruffled her thick grey fur.

Commentary

If anyone had doubts about what kind of series Song of Ice and Fire is going to be, they should be gone now. There are no happy endings here. Two chapters earlier Martin made sure we understand how important to the lives of Ned’s children are their direwolves. And now he kills one for no good reason.

This chapter is particularly heart breaking, because in such a small amount of time there is so much injustice being done. Sansa stabs her sister in the back by covering the lies of “her prince”, Robert yields to the Queen and agrees to kill Sansa’s wolf, which had nothing to do with the incident, and finally Ned has to kill the direwolf himself because Robert has had enough of this. No one ends up happy, not even the Queen, who was refused the punishment she demanded for Arya.

Chapter 12, Eddard
Summary
King Robert wakes up Ned, he has some important news he needs to share with him. They both ride and talk. King gets the word from Ser Jorah Mormont, who’s spying on Daenerys. He sends the word that Targaryen princess has wed a Dorthaki horselord. Robert is concerned that this may allow Targaryens to come back to Seven Kingdoms and challenge him. King wants to send a killer after Dany, Ned is against it. Eddard reveals the secret he kept since the battle for Trident, that Jaime Lannister was sitting on the Iron Throne as if he wanted it for himself. Robert seems unmoved by the news.

Quotes

“Daenerys Targaryen has wed some Dothraki horselord. What of it? Shall we send her a wedding gift?”
The king frowned. “A knife, perhaps. A good sharp one, and a bold man to wield it.”

“Unspeakable?” the king roared. “What Aerys did to your brother Brandon was unspeakable. The way your lord father died, that was unspeakable. And Rhaegar . . . how many times do you think he raped your sister? How many hundreds of times?”

Commentary

Ned starts to doubt his decision to leave Winterfell. He begins to see that Robert has not changed over the years. He was still stubborn man not willing to heed anyone’s advice. He always did how he pleased and the years of being a king have not changed that. Ned is not certain if he can get through to him.

We also get another piece information about Jon’s mother. Robert tries to get Ned talking about her, but Ned refuses. Not before revealing her name though: Wylla. This stands in contradiction to the gossip from the previous chapters when Catelyn heard that Jon’s mother is Lady Ashara Dayne.

Chapter 4, Eddard
Summary
Robert and his party reach Winterfell. Right after the introduction King went to pay his respects to the dead, not paying any attention to his wife’s protests. Ned and Robert talk in the crypts reminiscing the old times. Robert asks Ned to become The Hand of the King and offers him marriage between his eldest son and Ned’s daughter, Sansa.

Quotes

Lyanna had only been sixteen, a child-woman of surpassing loveliness. Ned had loved her with all his heart. Robert had loved her even more. She was to have been his bride.

“I vowed to kill Rhaegar for what he did to her.”
“You did.” Ned reminded him.
“Only once.” Robert said bitterly.

“Your Grace,” he said. “I am not worthy of the honor.”
“If I wanted to honor you, I’d let you retire.”

Commentary

Very moving chapter. Another key characters (including POV characters from later on) are introduced. King Robert is the key character in the history of Seven Kingdoms. He is the usurper that overthrew the House of Targaryen with the help of Ned Stark.

The main event in this chapter is the proposition Robert makes: Ned is to become the Hand of King, the second most powerful man in Westeros. He’s supposed to leave his home and follow his old friend to the life he does not want. Ned is clearly torn between the loyalty to his King and friend and his own life, his family. He is also not sure if his old friend is still the man he knew from the times when they grew up together.