A Game of Thrones Reread - Part 14

Greetings, Singers of Ice and Fire. Welcome back for another installment of South of the Wall's Game of Thrones reread! Today we will see Eddard begin his investigation of the death of Jon Arryn. I'm pretty exhausted typing this up, so just the one chapter today.

Spoilers for all the Song of Ice and Fire books and novellas are fair game, so forearmed is forewarned. Everybody ready? Let's go.

EDDARD

Summary

Ned was in Grand Maester Pycelle's rooms, looking for more information on Jon Arryn's death. Pycelle was the one who treated Jon during his illness. It was very hot in King's Landing, and Maester Pycelle sent for cool beverages before they began to talk. Pycelle said that Lord Arryn had not seemed himself for some time before his death. He had thought Lord Arryn just melancholy or tired, but in retrospect perhaps it was an illness. Close to the end, Lord Arryn had borrowed a book from Pycelle. At the time he had seemed hale and hearty, but the next day he was in pain. Grand Maester Pycelle sent away Lord Arryn's own Maester and tended Arryn personally.

Ned asked Pycelle if Lord Arryn said anything before he died. Pycelle told him that he called for Robert, but Pycelle didn't know if he was calling for the king or for his son. Lysa would not allow their son to see his father, fearful that the son would catch the father's sickness. The king did visit, and spent hours beside the sickbed. His last words, spoken to the king and to his wife, was the seed is strong. Ned asked Pycelle if the death seemed natural, suggesting the possibility that the former Hand was poisoned. Pycelle agreed that it was possible, but felt it unlikely. Before Ned took his leave, he asked if he may borrow the book that Lord Arryn had been reading before his death. Pycelle told him it was an onerous tome, detailing the lineage of the great houses, but that he would send it to Ned's rooms. As a final point, Ned asked if the queen was near the sickbed when Lord Arryn died, but was told that she and the children were journeying towards Casterly Rock.

On his way back to his apartments, Ned found Arya on a stairwell, standing on one foot. Arya told him that Syrio Forel was teaching her to be a water dancer, and that a water dancer could stand for hours on just one toe. She then asked Ned about Bran, what he would do now, since he could never be a knight. Ned told her that he could be the lord of a holdfast, a member of the king's council, be like Brandon the Builder and raise castles, sail a ship across the sunseat sea, or even join his mother's faith and become High Septon.

Arya cocked her head to one side. "Can I be a king's councillor and build castles and become the High Septon?"

"You," Ned said, kissing her lightly on the brow, "will marry a king and rule his castle, and your sons will be knights and princes and lords and, yes, perhaps even a High Septon."

Arya screwed up her face. "No," she said, "that's Sansa." She folded up her right leg and resumed her balancing. Ned sighed and left her there.

 Once Ned reached his rooms, he found Littlefinger waiting for him. Ned could not bring himself to trust Littlefinger, whom he felt was too clever. Littlefinger informed Ned that Lysa had not taken all of Lord Arryn's servants with her back to the Eyrie, that there were four still in the city - including Lord Arryn's squire. Ser Hugh of the Vale, knighted by the king himself after Lord Arryn's death. Ned was excited to talk to Ser Hugh, but Littlefinger advised Ned to send one of his men. He pointed out the window, and showed Ned how many people were watching Ned's rooms, including men reporting to Varys and men reporting to the queen. Ned agreed to send one of his trusted men. Littlefinger turned to leave the room.

"Lord Petyr," Ned called after him. "I . . . am grateful for your help. Perhaps I was wrong to distrust you."

Littlefinger fingered his small pointed beard. "You are slow to learn, Lord Eddard. Distrusting me was the wisest thing you've done since you climbed down off your horse." 

My Thoughts

The plot, she does thicken. Ned wasted no time in beginning his investigation into Jon Arryn's death. By this point it is clear that foul play was involved. Jon Arryn discovered Cersei's dirty little secret and died for it. Now, maybe you readers can help me out, was it ever explicitly stated who poisoned him? Was it Cersei? Was it Pycelle on orders from Cersei? Varys? Cersei wasn't there when he died, as she was traveling, but she could have administered the poison before she left.

It still seems sloppy of her. What would have happened if she didn't kill him. One assumes he would have went to Robert, but Jon Arryn wasn't struck mute, he can get out 'the seed is strong' but he can't say 'they aren't your kids?' And did Stannis know at this point? As bad as things go for the Starks, I think Cersei would have been better off with Jon Arryn as the Hand, and Ned back up in Winterfell minding his own business.

I love the short scene with Arya. We see how seriously she is taking her training with Syrio Forel, practicing it in her free time. Right now she can barely stand on one leg, but she will improve. And the exchange between her and Ned regarding what Bran's options are and what hers are. Bran, even though crippled, has many more avenues open to him than Arya does, just because she is a woman. When Ned tells her what she could do, Arya just scoffs and says thats her sister. Arya isn't there to be a Lord's wife, Arya makes her own way. Very cool moment, and a fun part of her character path.

And of course, we have Littlefinger, playing his own games. Ned, despite telling himself otherwise, totally buys into Littlefingers act, and does trust him. One of the many, many, many errors of judgment Ned makes over the course of the rest of the book. Should we keep a tally? Number one: not being subtle AT ALL when asking Pycelle if Jon Arryn was poisoned. Come on man, like he's not going to tell someone that the Hand thinks the previous Hand was murdered?

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And that's all folks! Let me know what you thought in the comments.