Eddard prepares to leave the brothel, run by Chataya, with Lord Petyr, Jory, Heward, and Wyl. He found another bastard ofRobert’s at the brothel, a baby girl named Barra, who has fine dark hair. They begin the ride back to the Red Keep. Eddard thinks of Lyanna. She once told him that Robert would never keep to one bed, and when Eddard protested that Robert loved her, she responded that love could not change a man’s nature. Eddard asks Petyr what he knows of Robert’s bastards. Petyr does not know how many Robert has, but says there is one acknowledged bastard that he begot with a Florent on the night Stannis wed his wife. When the boy was born, Robert shipped him to Renly at Storm’s End. There are also rumors that he had twins with a serving girl at Casterly Rock three years ago when he attended Lord Tywin’s tourney and that Cersei had the babies killed and the mother sold into slavery. Eddard asks Petyr why Lord Jon would take an interest in Robert’s bastards and why someone would kill him for it. Petyr finds the idea preposterous. Eddard suddenly thinks of Rhaegar and wonders if the prince ever visited brothels. He believes the prince did not. Suddenly, Eddard and Petyr are surrounded by twenty Lannister house guards led by Jaime. Jaime asks after Tyrion, and Eddard says he has been taken at his order to answer for his crimes. Jaime tells Petyr to leave, and Petyr promises to bring the City Watch. Jaime prepares to kill Eddard, but Eddard reminds Jaime that this would lead Catelyn to kill Tyrion. Jaime realizes this is so and tells the commander of his guards,Tregar, to make sure Eddard comes to no harm. He then orders Tregar to kill Eddard’s men and takes his leave. Eddard rushes to their aid and delivers a serious blow to Tregar, but he falls from his horse and breaks his leg. Jory, Heward, and Wyl are killed. The City Watch arrives some time later and brings him back to the Red Keep, where Grand Maester Pycelle prepares to treat his wounds.
by Mel
Even for a short chapter, we learn a lot of information. Shall we discuss?
We get a lot of information just through Ned’s thoughts, for some reason the trip to the brothel has brought back some not so pleasant memories for Ned.
“Robert will never keep to one bed,” Lyanna had told him at Winterfell, on the night long ago when their father had promised her hand to the young Lord of Storm’s End. “I hear he has gotten a child on some girl in the Vale.” Ned had held the babe in his arms; he could scarcely deny her, nor would he lie to his sister, but he had assured her that what Robert did before their betrothal was of no matter, that he was a good man and true who would love her with all his heart. Lyanna had only smiled. “Love is sweet, dearest Ned, but it cannot change a man’s nature.”
We know of Robert’s undying love for Lyanna but for the first time we get a glimpse of how Lyanna felt about her betrothed. She knew of his frequenting of brothels and of his bastard child at the Vale. Hmmm, didn’t we just meet a Mya Stone last chapter? Lyanna must have known that her marriage to Robert wasn’t going to be the happiest of ones if she was to endure a marriage of visits to brothels and embarrassment of bastard children.
“I named her Barra,” she said as the child nursed. “She looks so like him, does she not, milord? She has his nose, and his hair …”
“She does.” Eddard Stark had touched the baby’s fine, dark hair. It flowed through his fingers like black silk. Robert’s firstborn had had the same fine hair, he seemed to recall.
Eddard meets the youngest, we think, of Robert’s bastard children and her mother who is still holding out that he will come back to her. He remembers that Robert’s first child that died had the same black hair as this baby. It has to be hard for someone honorable as Ned to know that Robert will more than likely forget both of them.
He thought of the promises he’d made Lyanna as she lay dying, and the price he’d paid to keep them.
Again, we get a glimpse into the promise that Ned made Lyanna and what it had cost him. We don’t exactly know what the promise was besides bringing her back to Winterfell when she died. I can’t really see him paying a price for this.
He wondered if Rhaegar had frequented brothels; somehow he thought not.
So far, the only opinion we have of Rhaegar, is a very negative one from Robert. Ned seems to think of him as an honorable man and would an honorable man really kidnap and rape a woman? I think not. If you would like to hear my Rhaegar and Lyanna theory come and discuss with me at my forum. *Warning, there will be spoilers so if you haven’t read the whole series you may want to wait*
Riding through the rainy night, Ned saw Jon Snow’s face in front of him, so like a younger version of his own. If the gods frowned so on bastards, he thought dully, why did they fill men with such lusts? “Lord Baelish, what do you know of Robert’s bastards?”
“Well, he has more than you, for a start.”
“How many?”
Ned is thinking about Jon Snow and wonders why men are filled with such lusts. To me, he wonders, because he does not know and doesn’t understand it. So if this is the case, then is he really Jon Snow’s father? Again, check my forum.
We know of 6 bastards so far, the girl in the Vale (Mya Stone?) Gendry and the Barra in Kings Landing. We also find out about an Edric Storm at Storm’s End with Renly that was conceived on his brother’s wedding day, in his wedding bed. Littlefinger also tells Ned about twins in Casterly Rock that Cersei was said to have killed because Casterly Rock was a little too close to her families home. Ned still can’t figure out why Jon Arryn cared about all of this and why it would have gotten him killed for it. Have you figured out the big secret yet? Ned hasn’t, but he’s getting closer!
Jaime Lannister smiled. “Quite true. I’m looking for my brother. You remember my brother, don’t you, Lord Stark? He was with us at Winterfell. Fair-haired, mismatched eyes, sharp of tongue. A short man.”
“I remember him well,” Ned replied.
“It would seem he has met some trouble on the road. My lord father is quite vexed. You would not perchance have any notion of who might have wished my brother ill, would you?”
“Your brother has been taken at my command, to answer for his crimes,” Ned Stark said.
When he opened his eyes again, Lord Eddard Stark was alone with his dead.
Littlefinger and the City Watch found him there in the street, cradling Jory Cassel’s body in his arms.
As Cartman would say from South Park… OMG they killed Rory! Damn Jaime Lannister! I guess I’m not sure why Ned could not have tried to smooth it over with Jaime. I know he was protecting his wife, which I guess is what bugs me because I am still irritated with Catelyn for not being home with Bran and Rickon. He could have been like, “Dude, I know! My wife is CRAZY sometimes! Let me send a raven I’ll fix this whole damn mess!” No, that’s why George RR Martin is the author and I am not! LOL!
Books to HBO
The prostitute has been aged up, it seems (in the novel, Ned’s afraid to ask how old she is, because she’s so young), and she’s given a name (Mhaegen, though it’s never stated). As already noted, some substantial changes here, with Jory dying at the hands of Jaime, and Ned and Jaime going toe-to-toe. We also do not get the thoughts inside Ned’s head concerning Robert, Lyanna and Rhaegar, which dissapointed me. Without getting inside his head, I feel like we are missing a whole lot information.
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