A Song of Ice and Fire - A Chapter a day discussion

Things are getting so intense! They've been for a while, but I believe this is the point where everything starts to get really crazy.

1-Ned is dreaming again, he's in Winterfell. In the crypts to be exact. Kings watched him pass, direwolves snarled (interesting!). He sees Lyanna with a garland of pale blue roses, and her eyes wept blood. Everytime he has dreams about her, we get more little details.

2-Robert called him, he's back from hunting. The moment ned saw Ser Barristan's face he knew something was wrong, really wrong. A lot of people was in the room, Pycelle, Renly and the Queen. A board hurt him really bad, and he brought it with him. This happened because he was too drunk and ordered all the people who were with him to stand aside. The way his wound is described, it must be so painful and look so bad. He knew he was about to die soon. I remember I was sad the first time I read this, I liked Robert a lot. I don't like him that much now, but it's still sad. It almost made me smile he wants the board to be served in his funeral.

3-It seems Ser Robar gave his Gregor's head while they were in the woods, but he didn't show it to Sandor. I wonder why, maybe because he didn't want Sandor to lost it? I think it is pretty known he hated his brother.

4-He is sorry about the Daenerys situation. I know it's late and there is probably a killer in the way, but I am glad he finally saw how wrong it was. Even if it took him all this time, and knowing he was about to die.

5-He made Ned wrote his will. It must have been so hard for Ned not telling him the truth. A fight between his honor and hurting his friend. I guess I would have done the same, it's not like Robert could do a lot in that state, and it would have made him feel even more hurt.

6-I really appreciate the fact that Robert recognized he was a bad king. I liked even more Ned told him he wasn't as bad as Aerys. I think so too. Robert was a king who didn't do shit, but he wasn't cruel.

7-Robert wants Daenerys to live. Again, he realized his mistake really late, but he did it at last and that counts for something I guess.

8-Ned says he will take care of Robert's children, and thinks about the bastards. I liked that, we know it's hard to be a bastard in this realm.

9-The whole conversation Ser Barristan and Ned have was really good. Ser Barristan feels really bad about what happened, but hw couldn't refuse a direct order. I adore Ser Barristan, and this shows how much honor he has and how he would have given his life for his King. I like how Ned replies "even the truest knight cannot protect a king against himself".

10-With Varys "asking" Ser Barristan, we find out his squire Lancel gave him all the wine. Lancel is Kevan Lannister's son, Cersei's cousin. I remember the first time I read this I thought he killed him inderectly by giving him the wine because of Robert's humiliations. But then I thought it a little more and thought Cersei told Lancel to give him the wine.

11-Renly wants to take the castle and make Joffrey Ned's ward. It seems he doesn't know he is not Robert's son. Ned refuses, not wanting to have the same thing that happened 14 years ago all over again, but wanders if Cersei will fight or flee. He knows the men will follow her commands, and he has just a few men left.

12-The ship that will take Ned girls back to Winterfell will sail in the evening tide. Pretty sure it seems. Ned wants Tom to go with them, to take care of them and to take a letter to Stannis, telling him he is the rightful heir and to take his place in the throne before the Lannisters attack. I don't think this has a lot of future, even if the ship gets fast to Dragonstone, and the time it would take Stannis to get in a ship and go to King's Landing is more time that the one it would take Cersei to say attack.

13-Of course Littlefinger knew about Cersei and Jaime.He thinks Ned shouldn't send the letter, he should let Joffrey be the King and pretend nothing happened. War will come if Stannis takes the throne. I think he has a point here, he is no fool. But he is talking to Eddard Stark, so there is no point here. He says he can give him to City Wacth, so this would mean Ned has a chance. Petyr says it will cost him 6000 gold coins to buy the men he needs to buy. It's so sad Ned is trusting Littlefinger, even Petyr himself has tell him not to. You can't trust anyone in King's Landing.

Have to type all of this up in a short amount of time...

1. AGAIN Ned has a dream of the crypts and of Lyanna. With pale blue roses. She tells him, "Promise me, Ned." Obviously this is important, sets us up to want to know what that promise is, and of why the crypts in Winterfell are so mysterious.

2. Maegor's Holdfast is a castle-within-a-castle inside the Red Keep. Three kingsguard stand watch, and it reminds Ned of the Tower of Joy, interesting. He's having a lot of flashbacks lately. The king's bedchambers are here. This is where he's summoned. The king is dying.

3. Pycelle, Renly, and the queen are there, among other servants. Renly seems restless and Cersei doesn't look tired at all, though her hair is tousled from sleep, odd.

4. Now it's Ned's turn to visit Robert in bed, though Robert appears beyond healing. The boar tore him up. He'd apparently been very drunk and insisted on killing it on his own...of course...It had tore him from groin to nipple, fuck. Ned is clearly upset. The look and stench is terrible. Even Robert knows he's doomed. Killed the boar in the end, though.

5. Robert tells them all to leave so he can speak with Ned alone. Cersei pleads to stay, but Robert yells at her again, which makes me feel a little sad for her...but this seems too coincidental...as just last night Ned was telling Cersei Robert will try to kill her and her kids when he finds out, so it seems very suspicious at this point that he would ironically be killed so soon after.

6. Pycelle seems genuinely upset.

7. Robert suddenly now has a change of heart and doesn't want Daenerys killed, says that Ned was right all along. :) Robert's last redemption. He thinks the gods sent the boar to punish him. He realizes Ned was the only one who gave him honest council, everyone else he says was useless. That's kind of sweet. :)

8. Ned writes out Robert's will and testament upon request of the king. He wants Ned to be the Regent until Joffrey comes of age, and it's heartbreaking how Ned wants to so very badly tell him that Joff's not his' -- but he can't because he's dying and it'll break his friend's heart to give him so much bad news and he has so little time left on this earth... this whole situation is just shitty all around.

9. The part in the will that Robert says "My son Joffrey" Ned writes in "my heir" instead, just to be safe, though he feels guilty. Ned doesn't often use deceit, but he knows it's for the good of the realm.

10. I like that Robert calls Ned out on saying the realm needs him...ha! Robert says he's as bad as Aerys, but Ned tells him not so bad. Robert's finally seeing sense, but it's a little too late. I like that he tells Ned he'll do well, though he'll hate it. :)

11. Also like that Robert really wants them all to eat the damned boar for dinner, lol. But then he says, "Promise me, Ned." And it reminds Ned of Lyanna all over agin. So sad.

12. They call in the servants again but Cersei is gone. Ned is relieved because he thinks she's run off with her kids already. :(

13. I think Robert is handling his death bravely, stark contrast to Viserys just the previous chapter ago. I'd be so scared of dying...

14. He tells Ned he'll give Lyanna his love...and tells him to take are of his children for him...so very sad...Ned once again is conflicted. He wants to tell him but he just can't hurt his friend in his last moments. He can't lie, but when he thinks of all his bastards, Ned promises -- OMG THE FEELS!!! He'll take care of them as if they were his own... gah!

15. I like that Renly stood in wonder at his brother, that the king's entrails were dangling out of him but he still slew the board. Ned thinks Renly looks like a young Robert.

16. Selmy feels he failed the king but Ned says, "Even the truest knight cannot protect a king against himself." Very true.

17. Varys mentions he wonders who offered that wine to the king before he attacked the boar. Good question! It's interesting the eunuch would suggest the wine was tampered with as poison is commonly a woman's weapon, as well as an eunuch's. Varys nondirectly suggests Robert's squire may have done it -- giving his king the wine. And his squire is a Lannister...hmm. Lancel Lannister is son of Ser Kevan Lannister, Tywin's brother.

18. I like that Ned doubted Varys had ever been innocent, even in his youth, lol.

19. Interesting Renly privately urges Ned to strike now; take Joffrey as hostage so Cersei can't work her magic on anyone with him, and the other kids as well. Make Joffrey Ned's ward. Ned doesn't like this one bit. It's deviant, and Robert's not even dead yet. Renly seems very threatened by Cersei, as Ned should too. He says the Lannisters are not merciful. Ned's honor is making him a sitting duck. :( Poor Ned! Not sure if he should take Renly's advise or not.

20. Ned has a servant send a letter to Dragonstone, to Stannis.

21. Ned is full of grief. He knows soon the world will hear of Cersei and her bastard childre, and may think of Ned as betraying his friendship with the king and disinheriting his sons, but he knows his gods know better. Ned is telling Stannis in the letter that the king is dead and he is the rightful heir, and wants him to come to King's Landing at once to stop the Lannisters from taking the throne before he does.

22. It's so sad...Ned is looking forward to going home. He is sure Stannis will choose another Hand and free Ned to go back to Winterfell. :( Strange he doesn't think of Jon, now, though...

23. Oh no, why did he ask for Littlefinger? When he tells Littlefinger the truth, Petyr doesn't look shocked. Of course. He shows his true colors; he suggests Ned keeps Joffrey on the throne. He says Stannis will raise war with the Lannisters -- which the realm doesn't need. Instead, he proposes Ned use his regency to train Joffrey to be a good king -- they have four years to do it -- but if he's hopeless by the time he turns 16, then reveal his secret and dispose of him, after they've gotten rid of Stannis, who is too unyielding to make a good king. It is dirty and dishonorable, though. He must know Ned would never do it. Then he says put Renly on the throne if Joffrey doesn't work out. Ned calls it treason. Littlefinger calls it wisdom. Though I can understand not wanting war to break out. In this situation, honor will get a lot of people killed, from the war. Is honor really worth it? Stannis is the rightful heir...after Robert, the Usurper... Does Ned still believe the Targaryen's must not rule? *SPECULATION ON WHO SHOULD BE KING* (view spoiler)[And what of Jon, if R+L=J is true? (hide spoiler)]

24. Ned called Littlefinger here because he wants him to secure the City Guard, in case Cersei Lannister tries to fight for regency. Littlefinger assures Cersei has lots of enemies at court who would love to help him, but Ned wants to secure the gold cloaks, who are 2,000 strong. Littlefinger says they will follow the man who pays them, who would be Petyr. (I would worry about this logic, since the Lannisters are the richest family in Westeros...). Littlefinger calls Ned out and says he'll bribe them to fight for him, not because it's honorable, but for the gold. That's depressing. He'll need 6,000 gold to secure them, too.

Your point 13 is interesting. Robert and Viserys are nothing alike, even they die in a different way. I wasn't super happy Viserys died, but I wasn't mad either. While with Robert.. it made me sad. He realised so many things so late...