Chapter 15: A harsh awakening

298 AC

Eddard:

He woke up with a headache and felt really dazed. He slowly opened his eyes and looked around the room and saw Sansa sitting next to him, looking outside of a window.

He didn't know where he was, but he was happy to see his eldest daughter. He tried to speak but noticed that he had difficulty doing so. The sound he made, although not being able to be considered as speech, was enough for his daughter to turn around.

As she saw him awake, she jumped around his neck and starting crying. "Father, you're wake!" she cried out. After a while of gathering his thoughts and trying to speak, he noticed it was partly the dryness in his mouth that made speaking so hard. "W-wa-water", he managed to whisper with difficulty.

She immediately got a cup water from a nearby table and slowly fed him the liquid. At the same time, she called for the guard at the door to get the maester. As the water was slowly making its way down his throat, he felt the pain there ebbing away. "S-Sansa, what happened?"

"You were attacked, father!" she said, again starting to cry. "Ser Jaime Lannister severely injured your leg and hit you on the head, you have been asleep for almost seven days."

After hearing her words, he remembered everything, "Jory …" he whispered. Sansa heard and whispered, the tears freely flowing across her cheeks "It is so unfair, what did Jory ever do to anybody? Little Martyn and Lyanne are without a father anymore. Why would a knight ever do such a thing?"

He looked at his daughter, as she stroked the fur of her direwolf. "Sometimes life isn't fair, Sansa. Besides, knights aren't like in the stories. You have good knights and bad ones, just the same as any man. The only difference is that a knight usually knows how to swing a sword." He replied, with a sad smile, as he thought on his lost friend. It was important however that Sansa learned to understand the real world now. They were in danger and these childish fantasies would get her killed.

"Neither are princes" Sansa mumbled to herself.

"What was that?" he asked, suddenly alerted. Had the prince mistreated her?

"It was Prince Joffrey, …" she said, whilst looking at the floor.

"What about him? I thought you liked him?" he asked concerned.

"I do, well I did. I don't know anymore. He was always so handsome and so gallant, a golden prince from out of the stories! All I always wanted, growing up. However, Barbrey thought me that you can only really know who a person is and what he thinks, when you hear things he didn't expect you to. So, three days ago I saw him talking to the Hound and some Lannister men. He hadn't seen me, and he said horrible things about you and how you deserved your injuries after trying to limit the expenses and power of him and that of his mother. He … he said that his uncle made a mistake by letting you live, he said they should make an example out of you and be done with it." She said, the pain and disgust obvious in her voice.

"Oh Sansa, come here" And he tried giving her a hug, his injuries severely limiting what he wanted to do.

"I, I just want to leave, father. Everybody is mean here and nothing is as I thought. The Prince slanders you behind our back, the King is a drunk and the Queen, who was always so gallant, refuses to see me and says horrible things to the King about you." She cried in his neck.

He felt greatly for his daughter, although always acting like the full grown lady she was only twelve years old. He tried to console her, until her words hit him. "What has the Queen been saying, Sansa? And where are she and the Kingslayer?"

She looked up towards him, because of the use of the degrading nickname he used, before sighing and saying "Ser Jaime has fled West, the King has sent Ser Mandon Moore and a few dozen guards after him, but they haven't returned yet. The Queen has told the King and half the court about how Jory took out live steel against her and Ser Jaime and how that is high treason. She says that after Ser Jaime and her guards went to protect her, a fight broke out where you joined in with your men."

She looked away for a second before continuing "She says that Jory and our guards slaughtered her guard and that only through Ser Jaime's famous skill she came out unharmed. She tells that he was forced to wound you by the threat of their lives and that he left you alive because of your position, although you committed high treason."

He thought about his daughter's words. It was a great story the queen spun with at least some truth in it. It was true that Jory and his guards had been the first to fully take out their swords, however only after threats made against him and his family. The big lie in the story was the fact that she omitted that it was the Kingslayer who had attacked first. He had tried to calm down the emotions of both groups, when the Kingsguard had suddenly attacked.

His daughter looked upon his silence differently and suddenly asked "Is it true, father?"

He looked up confused, before realizing what she had said. "No, no it isn't Sansa. The Queen and her brother threatened our House and me in that instance, when Jory took out his sword to protect me. I tried to calm everyone down, but suddenly Ser Jaime attacked with some wicked grin on his face and it all went down from there. The man is an exceptional swordsman. Even with Ice and a bigger number of men, we didn't stand a chance." He answered sadly, his mind again drifting towards Jory.

Sansa looked relieved at this and suddenly her direwolf jumped on his bed and started to lick his face. He tried to pet the wolf as best he could, but his movement was severely restricted by his injuries. He seemed to have also gotten a nasty wound on his left arm, remembering the strike, he was sure it would heal in time but now it hurt like hell.

The beast, that also adorned his family's crest, gave him some weird sense of comfort. He didn't know how to explain it, but it seemed like the Old Gods were looking over him and his children. He looked into her intelligent yellow eyes and was glad all his children had gotten those magnificent beasts.

His daughter came and joined him and shared in the weird hug he shared with Lady. It was like this that they were found by the Grandmaester Pycelle and Robert. Seeing the look on Robert's face, he asked Sansa to leave the room. She looked between him and the King in hesitation but obeyed dutifully. Lady however, made herself comfortable at his feet on the bed as she proceeded to silently watch the new entries into the room.

Robert looked annoyingly at the direwolf but said nothing. After making sure he was okay and seemed clear enough in his mind, he let Pycelle look at his wounds. After a while the Grandmaester stated his verdict. "The wounds on his head and left arm will heal without a problem. The first one will heal itself completely in the next week, the latter may take a little more time and will scar but no lasting damage has been done. You will be able to carefully start using the arm for small movements again in a week. It will take some time though, before your whole strength returns." Then the man paused.

"And his leg, get it out Pycelle!" Robert boomed.

"His leg is a lot more serious, your grace. Both bone and muscle tissue were heavily damaged. It looks like the bone will heal in time, which is a miracle on itself, but the muscle seems more difficult. Lord Stark will be able to walk again, but it seems likely that a cane will be needed for the rest of his days." The information hit him hard. How would the Northern lords look at him, if he was a cripple? Would he lose the authority he had established for himself in the Rebellion and the Greyjoy one? How would his children look upon him, if he couldn't walk unaided anymore?

He felt his whole world collapse, as he thought of how Bran would look at him when he next saw him. Would he think his father was a cripple and useless old man now? He, who wanted to be a knight and was obsessed with martial prowess and reputation. Would Cat be ashamed of him, if she saw him again? Would everything be the same, or would she pity or shame him instead? This and many other thoughts came to his mind.

His thoughts were disturbed when he suddenly heard Robert scream "OUT!" and that turned him again to the present. "No, wait Grandmaester." He said. The man looked anxiously at the King, who waved his hand as to say that it was fine. "Will I still be able to ride a horse?" he asked desperately. Pycelle looked at him in thought. After a while he carefully said "That depends on the damage your muscles have taken, but it isn't impossible. A young new horse that is trained on your movements may help a lot. However, you will not be able to sit a horse for many weeks at least".

He nodded thankfully at the Grandmaester as the man left. He could still lead his vassals and accompany Robb to their holdfasts or visit Jon in White Harbor or Bran in Riverrun, when he could ride a horse. If he could ride, he wouldn't be useless. Soon all his hope clung on to the idea of him on a horse and he swore to himself he would do everything in his power to make it work.

He was so absorbed in his own thoughts that he hadn't noticed Robert staring at him. After a while the man got him out of his thought again with his booming voice "Ned!". He turned his head, "Yes, Robert?".

"Don't you think you owe me an explanation?" his old friend asked, the furrow on his brow visibly clear.

At once his mind turned back to the event that got him in this bed in the first place and he sighed. Without any more encouragement, he started to tell his side of the story. Robert was quiet in between of it, which was completely unlike him. After he had finished his friend and King just looked at him and seemed lost. "What do you want me to do now, Ned? On the one side your man bore live steel in front of my Queen and one of my Kingsguard, on the other my Queen threatened my Hand of the King and her brother and my Kingsguard attacked him and his man on the street! What am I supposed to do about this?" he growled angrily.

"Are you kidding, Robert?" He replied, his own anger quickly rising. "My family was threatened with extermination. My most trusted man, whose wife educates my daughter in Winterfell and whose children play with my youngest son every day, was cut down in the streets before my eyes. Besides that, you heard the Grandmaester, I will probably be crippled for life! You ask me what you need to do? I'll tell you, now! You get Jaime Lannister. You strip him of his Kingsguard title and offer him the Wall or the axe!"

Robert looked at him in shock. "You know I can't do that, Ned. Tywin would never stand for it. That would mean war with my own family-in-law"

"Then so be it, we have won two wars together, what is a third?" he said grimly.

"You are not yourself, Ned. I am glad you're back and I will be sure this is answered, but I cannot execute Jaime Lannister. However, much I hate that cocky golden shit, he is my brother-in-law for fuck's sake! Some would consider that kinslaying, do you understand? I have sent Ser Mandon and over two dozen men after him as to bring him to justice, and he will be punished. The same goes for my 'Queen', believe me." He continued as he said the title with disdain.

I even hit the damn woman! Can you believe it? She tried spinning all of this on you while you were asleep and couldn't defend yourself. She just wouldn't shut up. I will punish her, and the Lannister family severely, but I cannot execute any of them without a war." He finished.

"Besides, you have been seen by witnesses whilst threatening Baelish openly on the street with a dagger, the same day of the incident. You will have had your reasons, I'm sure and I care not. You have to understand though, that having a conflict with the Queen, having a fight with a Kingsguard and being seen threatening a Small Council member on the same day doesn't look good on you, whatever the truth may be and I believe you. However, you have not made many friends here."

He looked at Robert in anger, as he didn't expect him to be this dismissive. As he looked at his friend, it seemed he just wanted to be done with this and leave. "What will you do then?" he demanded to know and he noticed a small growl from Lady, backing him up.

"I don't know yet." His friend said and it was clear Robert didn't want to anger him anymore, as he glanced at Lady. "I will publicly denounce the Kingslayer's actions. I might send him as my representative to negotiate with the Iron Bank or Tyroshi cartels or something. Sort of an unofficial banishment for a few months. Besides that, he will not be allowed to represent me in tourneys anymore. I will also send back some of the Lannister's in the court here, to show Tywin I mean it. Beginning with that idiot squire of mine! A monetary fine with Tywin might be worked out as well."

He couldn't believe his eyes. "Really? After all I have just told you, your solution is to send him on a nice trip to Essos, barter Tywin for some money and not allow him to fight tourneys? I will never be able to fight a battle ever again and he is isn't allowed to play in your mock duels anymore? That is what you call justice for the death of Jory?" he said, his voice raising with every sentence he spoke.

Robert just looked at him, before saying "I can't kill the man and I can't throw him out of the Kingsguard either, as that would just give Tywin what they always wanted. Moreover, your man and your guards killed four of theirs as well. Call it a fair exchange. You have my permission to demand Tywin for compensation for your man, but that will be all. I will not have a war between my two strongest allies. That would rip the Kingdom apart."

As he stared coldly at his friend, the man continued. "It has been seven days and Ser Mandon hasn't returned yet. I don't expect him to catch the Kingslayer anymore. He is alone on a quick horse, while Ser Mandon's group is far larger and will go much slower. Lannister was seen fleeing west and will likely be able to flee unhindered towards Casterly Rock by the lords of the West. I already sent a letter to Lord Tywin to demand Ser Jaime to come to the capital, when he arrives. There is nothing that can be done anymore, and I am sick of this problem that I have been needing to deal with for the last six days. I will go on a hunt tomorrow with Ser Barristan in the Kingswood. When I come back, I will deal with the Lannisters as I told you, as I expect the Kingslayer to be on his way back then."

He couldn't believe his ears. "You will just leave?" he asked in surprised anger.

"I will get out to clear my head to be able to deal with that forsaken family Jon made me marry into. After that I will punish them and that is final. You have control of the Kingdom on all matters except House Lannister. If you're indisposed because of your injury, I have asked the small council to run things for me here instead. I will talk to you before I depart tomorrow morning, now you must rest."

He looked at his friend in anger and shock but said no more. Robert looked back for a while, before turning around and leaving him alone. Lady tuned around and climbed close to him before she started to muzzle his hand. He petted her, glad for the unusual comfort the intelligent beast was giving him.

He didn't know how much time had passed, but at some point Sansa reentered. He had fallen asleep with Lady nuzzled up against him, enjoying the creature's warmth. He saw his daughter smile at the sight, as he opened his eyes at the sound of the door opening.

The direwolf, seeing Sansa, quickly jumped of the bed and went to her. Whilst combing her hands through the beast's hair, she asked him how it had gone with the King.

He looked at her seriously, before saying. "The King will not do much, oh he will publicly denounce Ser Jaime's actions, but he will take next to no action." He said with contempt.

Sansa surely hadn't expected that. Before she could say anything, he waved his hand to the chair next to his bed and bid her to sit. "We need to talk, Sansa."

She looked at him strangely but obeyed as always, Lady loyally taking place at her feet. "King's landing isn't safe anymore. I plan to send you back to Winterfell by ship as soon as I can. The Queen has proven that she can't be trusted, and I will not let my beautiful daughter live here in danger." He said seriously, intensely looking at how his eldest daughter would react.

He saw her gulp before she said, "And the betrothal to the Prince?".

He sighed, feeling compassion for his young daughter. "The betrothal will have to be cancelled. The Prince is too much like his mother's family for you to be safe and this city is dangerous. I will have you safe with our family in Winterfell, or you can go back to Barrowton if you wish it. In time, I will find you a good and loyal husband from the North. A lord, so you will never want for anything. If you think like your mother and you would want a Southern husband, I will allow and arrange it. There are many good and noble men in the Vale with handsome knightly sons. If they are not to your liking, similar candidates can easily be found in the Riverlands."

He saw his daughter smile hesitatingly and he grabbed her hand. "I only want the best for you, Sansa. You are one of the most beautiful girls in the North and even the Realm and the eldest daughter of its Lord besides. You deserve much better than Prince Joffrey, no real man says things about that behind someone's back. He talks about killing people, but do you think he could ever manage the skill to do it himself? You remember the sparring he did against Robb in Winterfell? Your brother would put him flat on his back any day and so will most noble boys of his age. Let him talk and we will look for a man that can really love and protect you and isn't just big talk and fancy words."

"It was true then, what Arya said about Joffrey back home? That he didn't have a chance against Robb and made a complete fool of himself?" his daughter asked him.

He grinned, "Oh everything your sister said was true and more, I saw one of the matches myself. He was soundly defeated by Robb and then started to insult him and all Northern fighters. A lot of the man that came from the South laughed, so Torrhen challenged a young very vocal knight, who had been supporting Joffrey. He defeated the man in less than a minute and declared that not all Southerners seemed as strong as his Kingly father. After this, Joffrey stormed off cursing Torrhen and Robb and demanding the Hound to show them a lesson. I must say Torrhen and Robb's victorious grins were a sight to see, although it was a little much."

At this Sansa started laughing as well. After the laughter died down, she looked seriously at him again. "When will I leave?"

"As soon as possible." He responded. "I will have a ship take you to White Harbor. From there, Jon and an escort provided by Lord Wyman will escort you, Bethany and Jeyne to Winterfell."

"Good", she smiled at the mention of Jon and her friends. "Can I ask you something, father?" she suddenly turned serious. "Of course, anything you want." He smiled reassuringly.

"Can I go back to Barrowton with Bethany?" his daughter asked timidly.

He looked at her for a few seconds. "Yes, you can. I will send a few letters with you for your mother. I will make sure to mention that you are supposed to go to Barrowton again. However, I will not take your mother's time with you away from her. So, you will probably stay a few weeks at Winterfell first before going back." He finally said, not wanting to limit his daughter's happiness. She would be without him for a big voyage on the ship, the least he could do is give her what she wanted at the end of it. He also needed to admit that Lady Dustin had had a good influence on Sansa, so why not?

"Thank you, father!" she said as she hugged him. "I fully understand, and I would like to see mother, Robb, Arya and Rickon again so that's perfect!" she said as she let him go.

He smiled at his daughter, truly happy that their family was this close. "I will send someone to the docks to look for a ship in a moment. It is very impossible you tell nobody, do you understand? The King is leaving on a hunt tomorrow and who knows what that Lannister woman will do when he leaves.

She looked at him in surprise and fear, "Do you think something will happen?".

"No, I don't but it doesn't hurt to be cautious." He said as reassuringly as he could.

At this she nodded. "Now I have a lot of things to do, would you ask someone to send Alyn here? I plan to name him captain of the guard here now."

"I will! Thank you again, father." She said as she kissed his cheek and left the room.


He had awoken early in the morning and awaited Robert's visit. Despite his injuries, he had gotten a lot done yesterday. He had named Alyn captain of the guard and had sent him with Vayon to the docks to procure a ship for Sansa's voyage with a signed letter from him. He had also talked with Vayon and the man agreed to also send his own daughter back on the ship.

They had found the merchant from White Harbor, who he had dealt with before, docked in the port, ready to leave on the morrow. Vayon had convinced the man to wait one more day and to take Sansa, Bethany and Jeyne with five guards on board. He would pay the man two hundred golden dragons for the voyage as well as the promise that they would go straight towards White Harbor, instead of stopping at Gulltown as was their usual route.

He only had fifty dragons to give to the man now, but he personally wrote a letter to Lord Wyman asking him to give it to the man upon arrival. He firmly stated that the man could ask Robb for a refund from Winterfell's treasury and that he would appreciate the effort. The letter would be given to Sansa, so she could deliver it to the lord directly.

He also wrote a bunch of letters, for his wife and all his children, explaining what had happened in more detail and wishing them well. He also added some proposals for the North's defense in Robb's letters. He hoped they wouldn't be necessary, but years of experience had thought him that it was best to be prepared.

This morning he was left to his thoughts. For some reason they kept going to his conversation with Littlefinger, that had happened before the confrontation with the Lannisters. The man had openly admitted bedding Catelyn's sister Lysa. He asked himself if Jon had known? He didn't think so, as he thought it was Jon who had brought the man to the capital.

The man had said he had never been with Lysa after her wedding to Jon, but for some reason he wasn't so sure. The man had been in King's Landing with them for years, could it be? He had heard tales of how Lysa had supposedly become unstable and how she was very protective of her sickly son Robert, the new Lord of the Vale and his nephew by marriage.

He had heard descriptions of the boy, sickly and pale with a mop of brown hair on his head. He was very frail and small in stature, he was told. He milled about the Arryn's and Baelish for a while, until suddenly a thought struck his head. How did the boy get his brown hair? Jon had been blond, as all Arryn's were and Lysa, just like his wife, had the auburn colors the Tully's were known for.

All his children had either his, or the majority his wife's coloring. So was the case with most family's that he knew, how did the boy get the brown hair? His mind soon envisioned Baelish, with his mop of dark brown hair. It couldn't be, could it? No, surely not!

Suddenly a story, his wife had told him in the early years of their marriage, hit him. She had told of how Littlefinger, or Petyr as she called him, had always been short for and frail for his age when he was younger. She had told of how it had gotten somewhat better with time, but it was still idiotic for him to challenge his brother Brandon. Knowing the man, he knew he was everything but impressive physically. Again, he asked himself, could it be?

He needed evidence to test this theory and decided to ask Robert about him. He had definitely seen the boy at court before and he could trust his friend's judgement on this, as long as he didn't know the true reason he asked.

These thoughts continued to swirl in and out of his mind for the next hour, without bringing him any new insights or conformations.

Finally, Robert entered the room. "Your Grace", he said respectfully. "Oh, piss off with your titles, Ned! How are you feeling? His friend replied in his usual manner.

"Better, Robert." He answered honestly, eating went well and his headache was a lot less know. Knowing his daughter would soon be gone from this dreadful place, also eased his heart.

"Good, very good!" the man boomed, a smile coming up on his face. "Pycelle tells me you'll mostly have to stay in bed for the next two days at least. He says that after that you may start to slowly try to put weight on your leg. He will check on you twice a day, if he doesn't tell me and I will kick him back to the citadel! I have also spoken with Renly and he will lead the Small council for the next few days, until your return."

He nodded, having expected this. He appreciated his friend's concerns, although he was still very mad about the irresponsible move to go hunting now. He had been like this since they were kids. When things got sticky and he couldn't fight his way out of it, he either left on an adventure or disappeared to a brothel for two days. He remembered several times were Jon had been furious with him, but Jon had loosened a bit after the death of Robert's parents.

So, he knew there was nothing he could do to dissuade his friend. Instead he tried to get the information he wanted, but first he would need to tell an ugly truth. "Robert, I will be sending Sansa back home in the next coming weeks. I don't feel that's save here at all. She will go back to Winterfell, her mother misses her and she Catelyn will be very scared about her fate if she hears what happened to me. Sansa herself has also been shaken by the attack and a time with her mother and siblings will do her good."

His friend looked at him for a long time. "You plan to break the betrothal?" he finally asked. "It is an option, but I haven't decided yet." He lied, as he saw in his friend's face that he would never allow it to happen. He would be dammed before he let Sansa's fate be decided by the fact that Robert wasn't man enough to stand tall against the Lannisters. He would inform his friend of his intend to break it when he had heard news that she had safely arrived in Winterfell.

"Your daughter will marry Joff, Ned. If not, all our agreements are over and you go North as well, never to return. After that, I will appoint Lord Tywin as my hand, be sure of it!" Robert replied angrily.

"I understand Robert, will you allow her to visit Winterfell and to ease my wife's heart?" he asked, hating himself for the way he had to lie to his friend. How would his wife explain it? Family, Duty, Honor, she was right, he thought. Screw my duty and honor, if it means I can get Sansa safely out of here. That didn't mean he liked it though, it would break Robert's heart if he found out, but it had to be done.

Robert looked him over for a while before relenting. "Yes, she can. I expect her to be back in less than six months though. By then this whole business will be finished anyway and there will be no reason for her not to be here."

He nodded, "Thank you, Robert. Catelyn will very much appreciate it."

as I lay here, I have been thinking a lot about family and about Jon. Is there anything you can tell me about my nephew, your namesake Robert Arryn? Could you describe him a bit, I have never seen him myself."

"You want to know about Jon's kid? Sure, the boy has big eyes and a mop of brown hair on his head. He was unusually frail and small for his age. He apparently has some kind of sickness that gives him seizures. Whatever the case, it is spoiled little boy. His mother was even worse with her than Cersei with Joff. Stannis told me Jon had plans to foster him at Dragonstone, so he could be gone from his mother's influence. That of course didn't happen as both Lysa and the lords of the Vale want the boy in the Eyrie now." His friend said as he shrugged, not seeing any problem with the question.

"Was that all you wanted to know?" Robert asked. "Yes, thank you. I do have another completely different question though, how did Baelish come to King's Landing?"

"Littlefinger? Jon brought him with him a few years back. He told me that he was a favorite of Lysa and because of that he had given him control over customs in Gulltown. According to Jon he increased the profits tenfold, so after a time he brought the man with him to King's Landing and after a few years named him Master of Coin." Robert explained. "Any other strange questions for me, before I leave? I'll be gone for a couple of weeks so make sure of it." He added.

"No, no that's all Robert. Thank you! I wish you good luck on your hunt and hope you will see the truth of things with the Kingslayer when you return." He responded.

His friend just looked at him and said "Get well soon, Ned. You have a Kingdom to rule." After this, he left him to his thoughts.

Immediately his mind went back to Littlefinger, Lysa and Robert Arryn. Gods, the man even got his appointments through Lysa. Robert called him a favorite of her. He thought grimly. As he went over all the information he had had in his head, he came to the conclusion that there was a real possible chance that his nephew wasn't Jon's son. The lord of the Vale a bastard without Arryn blood, this could plunge the Vale into war.

He still didn't know for certain though, but this could easily be true. As such, he realized, Robb and Cat would need to know this. He quickly called for one of the guards outside of his door to enter and hand him the quill, some paper and his official seal. He quickly read its content once more, satisfied he closed the letter and let the wax dry. He would give it to Sansa to hand to Cat, as no raven could be trusted with a secret like this. Especially because he didn't know for certain if he was right.


(A few hours later)

He had assigned Fat Tom and four others to secretly accompany his daughter to the ship, the Northern Tide it was called.

He said goodbye to her and give her all the letters, making sure she understood that the one special one could not be opened by anyone except her mother. He also gave Fat Tom Ice, with the direct order to give it to Robb. He was coming to grips with the fact that he would never wield a two-handed greatsword again, so it was useless for him to keep Ice and as such it belonged to Robb. He hoped to once again be able to wield a sword from atop a horse in a few months, but Ice wasn't made for that. If Robb started to train with it now, it would serve him well later on.

He kissed her face and she left, after Lady licked his hand once more. He didn't sleep much that night. Only when Vayon entered his room on midday, with the message the ship had officially set sail, did his worries leave him as he knew his daughter was safe.


This is all for this chapter!

For questions about chapter 14, I will explain parts under the Review part.

For this chapter, we see the changes that the former chapter brings. A lot of changes to cannon start to take place, Sansa and Ice are both on their way to safety and Ned starts only now to lose trust in Robert in his role as a friend (in his role a ruler he has lost faith already). A thing that, in canon, already partly happens at Darry when he makes him put down Lady.

Due to the fact that Catelyn didn't capture Tyrion, Tywin hasn't started raiding the Riverlands. As such the departure of Beric Dondarrion and Thoros of Myr that would happen a few days after this, will not happen. This will chronologically happen between this chapter and the next, but might not be clear so therefore my mention.

For people who will criticize the fact that Robert is still going hunting, he goes hunting in canon after Jaime's guards action makes Ned break his leg as they kill all his guards. At the same time, the wife of his Hand of the King has captured his brother-in-law and Tywin openly threatens Ned and the Riverlands with war. The situation now (in Robert's perception) is less bad than it was canon with jaime not expected to return in the next three weeks, Cersei already 'punished' and Ned, although crippled still alive. So, the man will just do as he always does and run away from responsibility to have fun.


Reviews:

- Fahri Uchiha: The man is sadly just too good for a world like Westeros.

- HaywireEagle: I am really looking forward to the chapters after the next one. For me this is all still build up, so I'm with you on the conflict part!

- Peregrine Prince: I won't nerf anyone, as I too dislike all those stories. Yeah, Jory actually made me sad, but the Cassel family will still be making cameo's after this at least with Jory and Jorelle's children.

- Pavook: Yeah, Ned's back is looking like a practice target for the half of KL right about now. Yeah, I like the paradox, him not trusting Baelish does not make his position that much better.

- KingOfSummer245: Great economic suggestions! However, Ned has a lot on his might right now but I could definitely see him thinking about that.

- Emsee: Yes the population might be similar to those, but they are hugely spread out. My comment was about a 'small area' of 450 miles². People who are way smarter than me have managed to calculate the North's size at 1,132,154 miles², so those 450 are a very small regional phenomenon. My gueses would be that most people would live in the lower parts, around the coasts, the huge White Knife valley and in hundreds of small towns spread everywhere, the North was based on Scotland by GRRM so I take some inspiration from there.

I agree with your plan, but not with the duration of it. Unless he imports people from the South (which would upset many Northern lords especially Lady Dustin), it would take generations to reach a big population density there with natural growth in the area combined with vast streams of migrants from elsewhere in the North.

- Guest: Here is more!