Catelyn and Eddard are in their bedchamber after making love. Catelyn’s bedchamber is always warm thanks to the hot springs that run under Winterfell and course through the walls. The warmth reminds her of Riverrun and days spent withLysa and Edmure. Eddard states his firm resistance to becoming Hand of the King, but Catelyn cautions him that he must, for Robert may come to suspect his loyalty if he says no. Eddard is still not convinced, saying that Robert would never harm him and Sansa is too young to be betrothed. Catelyn points out that she was twelve when she was betrothed toBrandon, and Eddard wishes that Brandon was there, as he was the one raised to rule. Desmond interrupts and says Maester Luwin is waiting for an audience. He enters and explains that someone left a small box with a Myrish lens and a note in his chambers. He suspects a member of the King’s party. The message is for Catelyn from Lysa, written in a secret language she and Catelyn invented as children, and claims that Cersei murdered Jon. Catelyn says that Eddard must become the Hand now so he can investigate the murder, and he reluctantly agrees. He laments that his father went south at the summons of a king too and never returned.

Eddard orders Catelyn to stay and rule the North in his stead and prepare Robb to rule one day. He will also leave Rickon, as he is still a baby, but Arya, Sansa, and Bran will go south with him. Catelyn begs Eddard to leave Bran, her favorite, as he is only seven, but Eddard points out that he was eight when sent to foster at the Eyrie. Furthermore, Ser Rodrik has informed him of bad blood between Robb and Joffrey, and Eddard feels Bran can help bridge the gap by becoming close to the royal family. Maester Luwin asks what is to be done with Jon Snow. Catelyn has always hated her husband’s bastard and resented him for it. She has forgiven him for fathering a bastard, as they were apart for their first year of marriage while Eddard fought in the war and she remained at Riverrun pregnant with Robb. What she cannot forgive is how Eddard treated him like a trueborn son and brought him to live at Winterfell. She heard rumors that Eddard fathered Jon onAshara Dayne when he went to Starfall to return the sword of Ser Arthur Dayne, the deadliest knight of the Kingsguard, after slaying him in single combat. Catelyn asked him about those rumors once, and it was the only time Eddard ever frightened her. He told her never to ask about Jon again and all she needed to know was that Jon was of his blood. Eddard also wants Jon to remain at Winterfell, but Catelyn refuses to have him. Maester Luwin mentions that he had asked Ben about joining the Night’s Watch, and Eddard agrees that this is the best solution.

Quotes…

Catelyn softened then, to see his pain. Eddard Stark had married her in Brandon’s place, as custom decreed, but the shadow of his dead brother still lay between them, as did the other, the shadow of the woman he would not name, the woman who had borne him his bastard son.

“My father went south once, to answer the summons of a king. He never came home again.”

“Never ask me about Jon,” he said, cold as ice. “He is my blood, and that is all you need to know.”

Whoever Jon’s mother had been, Ned must have loved  her fiercely, for nothing Catelyn said would persuade him to send the boy away. It was the one thing she could never forgive him. She had come to love her husband with all her heart, but she had never found it in her to love Jon. She might have overlooked a dozen bastards for Ned’s sake, so long as they were out of sign. Jon was never out of sight, and as he grew, he looked more like Ned than any of the trueborn sons she bore him. Somehow that made it worse. “Jon must go,” she said now.

by Mel

So, as I was reading this chapter the first time, I was feeling a little uncomfortable the Maester Luwin was even in the room while she was naked in bed, but then she threw back the covers and goes and throws a log on the fire. Even Ned was like, ‘What are you doing?’ and she’s like, ‘Maester Luwin has delivered all my babies, it’s nothing he hasn’t seen before’ OK, I’ve had 3 babies and I still wouldn’t be walking around the room naked in front of my OBGYN. He’s a nice guy, but seriously.

Catelyn get’s a coded letter from her sister saying that her husband Jon Arryn’s death wasn’t because he turned sick, he was poinsoned and she suspects the Lannister’s. Then Catelyn tells Ned that he really needs to go and protect the king and find out what is going on. He’s still not excited but agrees to go.

Again, Catelyn’s attitude toward Jon really makes me mad. It is not his fault that he is Ned’s bastard child and kudos to Ned for raising him like he raises his other children. Regardless, he is not allowed to stay at Winterfell after Ned leaves and Ned decides the best place for him is on the wall with his Uncle Ben.

Book to HBO

Besides Catelyn’s increased sense of humor, various aspects of the scene to begin with are tweaked. She and Eddard are having a quiet domestic moment, whereas in the novel they’ve just made love. She does not rise naked from bed, a sign of her pragmatism and lack of vanity, but instead both of the Starks are fully clothed. She immediately argues against Ned going south, even after receiving word of Jon Arryn’s alleged murder and the implied danger to the king. This is perhaps the most significant change to any chapter covered in this episode, as in the novel, Catelyn and Luwin join together to convince Ned to go, with Catelyn seeing too much opportunity for her family and for Ned in receiving such honors. Also, Jon Snow’s request to join the Watch is not brought up, nor does Catelyn speak up in support of the plan.