EDDARD
"I've never heard that a royal party arrive at some place and slept without the feast." Catylen had said the same concern over a hundred times in a row now, only in different versions of sentences.
"Maybe the king is still furious and that is why he did not command his royal party to have the proper meal." This was another version. Ned can understand her fears. He had the same sort of fears but never acknowledged them with words. He had commanded his wife and servants to prepare for the royal feast, and the many of the king's guards and other companions were at the feast, but not the king himself, not his sister or brother. Prince Viserys had ordered a meal and a Northerner whore in his chambers. On the other hand, the king and the princess never said a word.
He had invited them himself and both of them smiled and said that they are tired and do not have the strength to join them. They had thanked him too, but that was all.
"Maybe the king is worried about his son." Catylen had thrown a guess.
"He did not seem to be that much worried." Ned said while staring to the roof.
"What you mean he did not seem to be? His son has gone to the North of the wall. I would have ripped that wall from its ground if any of my sons would have gone there for six weeks." Ned smiled on that comment. The truth has never been told like this. He kissed his beloved lady wife on forehead, which was placed on his broad shoulder.
Next day, however the things were different. King and his siblings broke their fast with the Stark family and although there was no feast but everyone was in a happy mood. In their own version of happiness. Prince Viserys had complained about cold and dampness. Princess Dany asked Cat about the ways of Northerner ladies and King smiled thoughtfully at their conversation.
The five of the Stark children have never been seen so obedient. They were sitting, eating and talking. All of them, without a single phrase of fight. There were no complaints about climbing or 'Arya horse face' comments. Lord Eddard was relieved beyond exception.
"Was there any word from your searching party last night Dany?" King asked with the same thoughtful look.
"Yes brother, it seems like they are having some trouble in bringing him back. But don't worry. I'm making special notes for them." Dany said with her consistent nice speech. But Ned was anything but satisfied. There were no ravens last night, also no riders. How she would have received that word? Ned asked to himself and saw the same question on his wife's face.
"Your Grace, I think we should send a raven to Lord Commander Mormont. May be he will help with his ranging party." Ned said because he could not have just trusted on that 'searching party' and was actually worried about that damned crown prince, who somehow felt that it is safe to be on that land. Prince Jon Targaryen was of ten and four years and lads of that age try to do stupid stunts of bravery. Ned would not have given a single thought about any usual lad from seven kingdoms. But it was the prince for damned's sake. He had a little knowledge about the lad, if some say so.
When he had arrived at Kings Landing, he received a lot of news about the war. The first one was about the battle of trident. Rhaegar Targaryen had won that and now was coming back to Kings Landing, where his father was murdered by Kingslayer, his Lannister guard in front of Ned's eyes. After the arrival of the Prince or soon to be King, was the news of his sister's death. Nobody had known the cause of the death, but Ned was certain that is not the prince himself. Layana had left a note to her beloved brother about her willingness in that abduction. She was in love with the Prince Rhaegar. The prince was in love with her. "A fever took her" said one of the maids, who were appointed for taking care of her. He was furious at that time, but being furious was all he could do.
The coronation happened in front of him. King Rhaegar pardoned Kingslayer and declared that his father was actually mad and nobody could have helped him. For one, because he was the king. For two , because nobody can tell the king that he is mad. Things ran swiftly afterward. Prince, No, King Rhaegar asked him how he wanted to end it. "Enough of the lives had lost Lord Stark. If you want revenge of your father and brother from a son of their murderer, then you can continue this war. Your friend Robert had asked me for pardon and I have given him that. It is my turn now. I am asking pardon for what my father did to your father and peace of the seven kingdoms in return? And if you cannot give me what I am asking then we can end this in single combat." Ned had looked for a longer time on the new king.
A king, who was asking pardon.
A story of pain was written across his face. The Lannister guard, the mountain had killed his wife and children. And the Lannisters swore that they had nothing to do with it. King Rhaegar had sentenced the mountain death and swung the sword. There should be some relief on his face. Ned thought deliberately at the moment. He had taken the revenge. But there was not any kind of relief.
The king was offering him the same kind of false relief.
He was asking to kill someone for taking the revenge. At that time Eddard Stark calculated his options. He was not sure about the fate of that single combat. He knew that the King is fearsome fighter, but he also knew about his own fighting skills.
There would have been tough match. Eddard thought at this moment on the dining table while looking at the consistent sad smile across the face of the King. The same face, he had seen all those years back. And he could tell without a single doubt that the pain had not been lessened. He had tried to hide his pain on that day and he is still trying. Ned also had wondered about the main reason of that pain. It was surely about his lost children and wife, but there was something else too.
That was the toughest decision of his life. And it was right. After returning to the North, he had received many raven about the news on the Kings Landing, that how after his departure, Lord Tywin Lannister suggested of his daughter's hand for him, which the king refused instantly. The king never got married again. Someone asked about the heir of the iron throne and he declared his newly born son, who he named Jon Targaryen, as the crown prince of the seven kingdoms.
"I am not sure about that Lord Stark. Prince Jon will come to this side of the wall, as soon as he will know about our arrival." Dany replied in place of her brother.
Eddard had never given much thought about why king chose a Northerner name for his only surviving son, but now he was thinking about it. Why that prince is on the North of the wall? Another disturbing thought. Why would he care to come back after getting the news of the arrival of the royal party in North? Eddard nodded on the comment of Princess and focused on his meal.