Lord Eddard Stark
It had been nine years since Ned had last seen his friend and king Robert Baratheon, the last time had been during the Greyjoy Rebellion when they had ridden together to put down Balon Greyjoy's rebellion. Back then Robert had been big and muscular every maiden's fantasy, and so Ned had been shocked to see just how fat and bloated his friend had become when he had ridden through the gates of Winterfell three weeks ago. His friend had become so fat that Ned had had trouble distinguishing him from the rest of the motley crew that had come riding in through the gates of Winterfell with him, it was only his big booming laugh and that famous Baratheon hair that had given it away at all. As he and Cat had thought Robert had offered Ned the handship during the evening feast of his arrival in Winterfell and Ned had accepted the offer, much to the delight of the king and those present in the hall, also announced was the betrothal of his daughter Sansa to Prince Joffrey to eldest son and heir to the King. Ned was not entirely sure whether or not he was completely comfortable with either decision, after all the last time a Stark had gotten too involved with the south it had ended with his father and brother dying in King's Landing and his sister dying in a bed of blood. But after they had received a raven from Cat's sister informing them of her suspicions that the Lannisters were behind her late husband and Ned's foster father Jon Arryn's death, Cat had urged him to accept Robert's offer and head south to investigate the matter further and to try and end the hold the Lannisters seemingly had on Robert. When Ned had brought up the letter that Wallace had brought back from his mother Anya a few moons ago that detailed her suspicions about King's Landing Cat had replied. "As much as I respect and admire your cousin Ned, she does not know the true intricacies of court politics, Lysa and I have been speaking to one another through raven for many years. You are much better prepared than she thinks to handle court life. You have to go and find out what has happened Ned and our daughters will need someone there to help protect them."
Ned had been sceptical but then had eventually been won over by that argument, especially when Maester Luwin had told him and Cat that Jon intended to take the black, Ned had been surprised by that decision after all Jon was only a boy still the same age as both Robb and Wallace and had his whole life ahead of him. And yet he knew what Cat would say before she had even say it and so he was not surprised when she encouraged him to let Jon take the black. "Jon knows what he wants my love, there will be nothing here for him with you in the south. He does not need to take the black just now but at least pay heed to his concerns." And so Ned had relented and agreed to that though he had spoken to Jon and told him he need not take the Black just now, though just like Benjen had fourteen years ago his son who was not his son had been adamant that this was what he wanted to do and what he felt he needed to do. Then there was the whole matter of the direwolves that they had found after the execution of the deserter from the Night's Watch. The deserter had been raving mad talking about White Walkers and all kinds of things that Old Nan had told him and his siblings and his children when they were all still children to frighten them, and yet finding that direwolf and her pups had been a very strange matter. There had been no direwolves south of the wall since the days of King Jaehaerys I, when dragons still roamed the earth and now there were seven direwolves, all of which belonged to his children and to his cousin Wallace. The children had been ecstatic to find them, even more so when Ned had allowed them to keep them and had promptly gone about naming them. Robb had named his Grey Wind, Sansa had given hers the name Lady, Arya his little spitfire of a daughter had named hers Nymeria, and Rickon had given his the name Shaggydog, whilst Jon had named his Ghost. Bran had not known what to name his direwolf and Wallace had named his Thunder for the streak of yellow that went across his direwolf pup's fur.
Thinking about his second son Bran, Ned could not help but feel sorrow and pain, his son had fallen from the broken tower where he had been climbing and had not woken up from his fall. Maester Luwin had done all he could to make sure that Bran survived and had said that the worst of whatever it was that was ailing him was over, and that it was up to the gods and to Bran now as to whether he survived. Bran's fall had torn their family apart, Cat spent her days and nights beside Bran's bedside refusing to leave his side for even an instant, Robb and Jon had grown moody pacing the yard and getting into all kinds of trouble, Arya disappeared to gods alone knew where with Wallace for company and Rickon little Rickon knew not what was happening, and Sansa, well she seemed too caught up in her betrothal to worry not that he was angry about that. He had asked Robert for some time to spend with his family and Robert had granted it, but his friend had never been a very patient man, and now he was demanding that they leave as soon as possible and so Ned had come to say his goodbyes to his son and his wife, having already said his goodbyes to Robb, Wallace and Rickon. He had just gotten to the doorway when he heard Cat say in a voice laced with venom. "I prayed you know, gods know how I prayed for his survival, and yet he might not live and you still live. It should have been you. It should have been you." And as Ned pushed open the door he saw Jon standing there looking ashen faced and angry, he turned round looked at Ned and then stormed out of the room. When Cat saw him she wiped her eyes and said. "Have you come to say goodbye as well then my love? Even though I have begged and begged you to stay?"
Ned sighed then and walked forward coming to stand beside where his wife was sat. "I have to go Cat. You know I do, I gave Robert my word that I would go south and serve as his hand. I intend to keep that promise, and I intend to find out what happened to Jon Arryn and how his death could be related to Bran's fall. You know this Cat."
His wife merely looked at him and said. "All I know is that men use their word to get away from things that they do not wish to face. They use their honour as a shield to remove themselves from fault. You do not have to go south Ned, you do not have to. You are Robert's best friend, he might rage at you and he might yell, but in the end he would forget and forgive and move on. The south is not safe for you or for our girls Ned. Lysa's letter and Bran's fall are all proof of this, I was a fool not to see it sooner. You can't go south Ned, you can't."
Ned sighed then and said. "If there is something happening in the south then I have to go south Cat. It is my duty as Robert's friend and his bannerman, to go south and find out what it is or who it is that is causing him trouble. And I must warn him as well, he is my friend as well as my king Cat, and I am honour bound to help, I swore an oath to always help him Cat, I must go."
"And what of the vows and oaths you swore to me and our children? What of the protection and love and care you swore to always give us? How can you do that if you are all the way in the south Ned? They are called vipers for a reason my love. Please do not go." His wife pleaded.
Ned sighed and said. "You know I must Cat. I do not want to go, I have to go. And I will be back soon for a visit as well my love. I will not forget you or our children."
His wife rubs a tear from her and says. "Well then, if that is the case I bid you farewell my lord. I wish you good tidings on your journey, and I hope you find whatever answers it is that you are looking for."
Ned recognises the dismissal and merely kisses his wife on the head and then kisses Bran on the cheek and walks out of the room. He walks towards Wallace's chambers, stopping before the door to hear his cousin and his daughter talking about something or the other, he smiles briefly and stands back when the door opens. "Arya, go back inside I have something I need to tell both of you." His daughter nods and then walks back in. Ned walks into the room and says in his most lordly voice. "I have decided that you shall remain here in Winterfell Arya, your brothers and your mother will need your company. Sansa will have her friends in Jeyne Poole and Beth Cassel with her." His daughter hugs him then and then he says. "I shall also make arrangements for you to travel to Iron Oaks at some point with Wallace so that you can meet his family."
"Why father?" Arya asks.
Ned looks at his daughter and then at Wallace and he prays he is making the right decision. "Because I intend to have the two of you betrothed to one another soon."