After his talk with his Lady Mother , Ned spent following days in deep thought when he was not with his siblings . His fosterage was not just to create bonds , it's ultimate goal is to use those bonds to help make North stronger , bonds he creates are assets for his House and his homeland . And that epiphany made uncomfortable . It is his duty to his House to be useful . And him being useful made him happy . But he didn't know what is making him uncomfortable . As he was thinking these thoughts during his meal his Lord Father spoke , " Eddard , join me in my solar after the meal "

Ned started a little at that and replied , " Yes , Father "

After the meal he joined his father in Lords solar , it is a plain room with a Stark Banner behind his Father's desk and their Ancestral Greatsword Ice hanging above Father's chair .

" You have been preoccupied these past few days my son , I want to know what's on your mind "

To his Lord Fathers question he answered a bit stuttering about his conversation with his mother and finally about feeling happy for being useful for House Stark and feeling uncomfortable for reasons he cannot fathom .

After that his Father remained silent for awhile before starting , " Ned , I am very proud of you for understanding your mother's explainations and I think I know where you get the uncomfortable feeling from . Before your mother's talk with you , you thought your fosterage is about Honour and Friendship , now you see that as politics and business , am I right my son ? "

Neds face grew solemn and he replied nodding , " Yes , Lord Father "

With a slight smile Father replied , " I didn't think of this side effect of your fostering at Vale , but it is good indeed that it has come to my attention , Ned you have spent your last three years in Vale and these are your formative ,so your emulation of its culture is inevitable , but we have different culture and ultimately you will be a Northern Lord , not a Vale Lord . Yes , your fostering is about politics and business ,but it's about Honour and Friendship too , I have a genuine friendship with Lord Jon , we were comrades in a war , we share the same burden of responsibilities as Lord Paramounts , and I honoured him by trusting my son's safety and education to him . Do you understand ? "

For this Ned slowly nodded , " Yes , Father "

" These things I thought to teach you and Brandon when you were little older , but I suppose you are farther away than Bran from home and we might not have better time as we are here now anyway . Being honourable is good , son . Honour gives our word weight , it gains us trust with people we have not even met , it helps rule over our smallfolk . And being honourable is just what any decent person should do . But Honor is not what songs and chivalry make it out to be either . It is not rigid , it does not have to dictate everything you do . We Northerns don't put honor on the same pedestal Knights of Vale do , because we have greater things to worry about , such as survival , for all his honor Lord Jon knows very well of benifits of fostering you , that doesn't make him any less of good man or any less of my friend . I know these ideas and concepts are difficult to understand at this age . But I want you to keep them in mind and think about them . "

" I will , Father , yes these things are difficult to understand but I will think on them . "

Now smiling little wider , " Good , good . Before you go I have few words that I think will make decisions easier for you before you understand everything else . As a Stark your first priority is the survival of the Pack ,of House Stark , your second priority is survival of the North , third is happiness of the Pack , fourth is happiness of yourself , as you yourself are part of the Pack , and final fifth should be duty and honor . Be mindful of these priorities as a Stark you could do no wrong , this as your father and Head of House Stark , I promise you "

With those words his Father dismissed him .