The Bastard

This chapter mostly serves to introduce the royal family and the rest of the Lannisters, although Jon's exchange with Benjen is significant too. Picking up from the previous chapter, Jon sees Robert the same way Ned does, but doesn't pull his punches in describing him - a fat man, red-faced and sweating. Joffrey's doucheface also makes an appearance, as does Tyrion's white-blond hair and his mention that his father does not really consider him his own - fodder for the Tyrion Targaryen theory, which I think is absurd.

This chapter seemed more clumsily written to me, than did some of the others. I can't exactly say why, but something about the writing style comes off as amateurish. I'd bet that GRRM wrote this one quite early in the process.

Benjen's conversaton with Jon seems odd. First he raises the idea of Jon going to the wall, but then begins discouraging him almost immediately. This may be because he wasn't expecting Jon to be so enthusiastic about it, but in any case, the seed is obviously planted. It's too bad Jon didn't have the chance to talk to Tyrion about the Wall during their conversation at the end of this chapter; maybe Tyrion's take on the sorry state of the Night's Watch might have given Jon second thoughts, if he'd heard it before becoming so emotionally committed to the idea.

Also touched on is the expectation that each younger son of a Great House will inherit a holdfast and serve as his older brother's bannerman, which relates to my complaint about the sparse size of noble families in ASOIAF - what happened to all of the Stark uncles, aunts, cousins, and so on, in the generations before Ned and Benjen's? Few of the other nobles families seem to be any more sizeable. But I've complained about this elsewhere. In a story of this scope, some things have to be abstracted and written unrealistically. In this case, we have problems with distances and the size of Westeros, and with missing nobles throughout the realm. Whatever - at least the political intrigue is developed more deeply, and that's what matters.

Finally - does anyone think it's significant that Ghost distrusts Tyrion initially? Is that an omen, or just a leftover from GRRM's early stages of writing, when he didn't put as much thought into things?

Also, what the hell is up with Tyrion backflipping down off walls?

Promise Me, Ned

Given that all of us are probably R+L=J believers, if not zealots, I feel safe in saying that, re-reading this chapter, we probably fixated on the characters' implied relationship to Lyanna.

So what do we have? To see her crypt is Robert's first wish, and it inspires in Cersei what might be seen as jealousy (though I doubt this, given the insight we get later into her feelings about Robert - perhaps she is trying to control his foolish behavior here? It is a pretty absurd thing for a king to do in this public occasion).

"Ned loved him for that." So whatever else Ned thinks about Robert's obsession with his sister, he appreciates it as something genuine and doesn't scorn it. But Ned is reticent in the rest of the conversation, or silent. He certainly doesn't openly share in Robert's continued hatred of Rhaegar, one hint that he knows more about that dead prince than he's letting on. And this chapter is the first appearance of "promise me" - here it implies she was begging to buried at Winterfell, though it's perfectly plausible to doubt this. I don't think this chapter is heavy with foreshadowing of Lyanna's story, and certainly not with clues, but it's the first thing that came to my attention while reading.

There's more going on than just clues for a theory, though. Throughout the chapter, Ned notes, and Robert demonstrates, the degree to which the king has gone to seed; it's a sign of the state of the kingdom: In thrall to Lannister wealth; grown weak and sloppy and corrupt; incapable of withstanding the pressures on it.

This being an epic fantasy novel, it would be too much to expect political strife or civil war not to be looming, but here there are only signs of it - Ned's mistrust of Tywin; the mention of a rebellion nine years previous, from which Ned still holds a hostage; the surprise offers-that-can't-be-refused of a promotion to king's regent and of a Baratheon-Stark marriage alliance; the tension between Cersei and Robert (and by extension, their houses); and Robert's total disinclination to deal with the demands of ruling a fragile new dynasty. Having read the series, I know how ominous each of these mentions are, but none of the characters seem to have any notion of how badly things are about to go wrong.

The characters of Ned and Robert seem incompatible as close friends, as well. Ned is solemn and stark, if you will; Robert is sanguine and apparently a buffoon. Both, we'll learn, are completely unprepared for the game of thrones, though for wholly different reasons. I wonder if their youthful friendship did not resemble Robert's character more than Ned's current one - behind the rigid, honorable face of Lord Stark could be a well-hidden past full of drinking, whoring and carefree hedonism. It's certainly conceivable, but it's also possible their differing personalities have always been so. If Ned was more like Robert in his younger days, it's easier to imagine him fathering a bastard. Although I believe R+L=J, I never bought the argument that said Ned's current emphasis on honor means it's too hard to believe Jon would be his son - it could just as well be that Jon's existence led him to become so conspicuously scrupulous.

Across the Narrow Sea

In Pentos, across the Narrow Sea, we meet Daenerys of House Targaryen. Dany, as many call her, is one of the last known living Targaryens. Her father, "The Mad King" was stabbed in the back by Jaime Lannister and killed. Robert Baratheon took the throne and since then, Dany and her brother Viserys have been running and hiding to stay alive. 

When we meet her, she is a meek girl but as we know, she develops into a strong character.

At this point in they story she is a poor child at the mercy of her older brother Viserys. Through Dany's eyes we see the monster in Viserys. He touches her inappropriately; he plans to marry her off for an army and doesn't even seem to feel an ounce of

guilt or shame about it. 

Viserys remembers everything they went through since their family was butchered. Unfortunately, he seems like a sick twisted boy who is incapable of ruling a kingdom. He controls Dany, while he is controlled by Illyrio Mopatis. Illyrio is an obese man of many talents and business endeavors. As Dany mentions, they have lived in his home for a year, yet Illyrio has never asked anything of them. 

In this chapter Martin certainly emphasizes that Daenerys mistrusts Illyrio. We already know Illyrio has some schemes brewing. What we know now really makes me question why he had this plot with Dany, Viserys and the Dothraki. Obviously, raising a kid to be Aegon or raising Aegon in secret isn't exactly a plan B. 

Daenerys mistrusts him for a reason. It seems like he possibly planned to betray her and her brother all along. Dany notices the words he speaks to Viserys. For example, he tells Viserys that "in holdfasts all across the realm, men lift secret toasts to [his] health while women sew dragon banners and hide them against the day of his return." Those words seem very empty and Dany senses that Illyrio is misguiding her brother. 

Daenerys at this point just yearns for a home. Not necessarily in Westeros but she is definitely curious about her "homeland". She doesn't share her brother's rage or need to conquer. We can see that she is controlled by her brother. The poor girl is upset that she is going to marry a rich and powerful horse-lord because she always assumed she would marry her brother.  

Dany is extremely worried about meeting Khal Drogo, and she gives protest to her brother despite the fact that she is very afraid of Viserys. Her protest does nothing but anger Viserys. The chapter ends with Dany in tears, right before she is about to meet the ruthless horselord that will be her husband and give her brother an army to conquer Westeros and reclaim the Targaryen throne. 

The Old Gods and the New

In this chapter we are introduced to Catelyn of House Tully of Riverrun, Ned Starks southern wife. Martin uses her to give us a crash course on religion and practices in the North and South. We learn that they are as different as spring and winter. We also learn that Jon Arryn, a character that was like a second father to Ned Stark, is dead.

From the news of Jon's Arryn death we learn a few very important things. We learn that the King, Robert of House Baratheon is headed to Winterfell. Ned Stark mentions that he finds it strange that the widow of Jon Arryn, Lysa Tully, went to the Eyrie rather than Riverrun. As we now now, Lysa had specific plans and thus traveled to the impregnable land where the Eyrie sits.

During this reread I find myself paying a lot more attention to the gods in this world. The north, as we are told in this chapter, follows the old gods. The old gods of the children of the Forrest have no names. We know through Catelyn that Lord Stark sits before the weirwood in the godswood after taking a man's life. "The heart tree", as Ned calls the weirwood, makes Catelyn uneasy because she senses that the face carved by the long gone children of the forest watches her. Catelyn's southern family worships the new gods. She feels like an outsider in the north. We can truly see that Catelyn views the north as a dark place compared to her southern home. 

Her southern traditions are very different from the practices in the north. Her religion, The Faith of the Seven seems more complicated. She describes that worshiping involves a septon, incense, a seven sided crystal, and song. Worshipping the old gods involves praying before the weirwood tree in the godswood. No priests, no song, just the worshiper and the tree. 

 In the North, the children of the forest carved the faces in the trees long before the arrival of the First Men. During a war, between the Children and the first men, all the trees in the south were cut down. The only place in the south where weirwoods still exist is in the isle of faces. This caught my attention because I don't exactly remember this from my first read. Maybe this isle will come to play in future books. Perhaps a Howland Reed/knight of the laughing tree/Green Seer Bran connection. 

As we now know, the weirwood trees are a sort of network. A network that greenseers use to see visions of the past and present. Since there are no weirwoods in the south we no that greenseers have no sight there. 

It's interesting that Catelyn Stark, despite believing in the faith of the seven, is so afraid of the weirwood trees. She is also afraid of The Others. One would think that her faith would put her at peace. According to Ned Stark, The Others and the children of the forest have been gone for thousands of years and Maester Luwin doesn't even believe the Others ever existed. Catelyn Tully obviously believes in all of these otherworldly entities. She is very uneasy about the dead direwolf in the snow with the antler it's throat. Foreshadowing that George RR Martin throws at us right at us from the beginning. This is definitely one of the more obvious omens in the books. Direwolf and Stag, representing the Starks and Baratheons. 

Finding and reinterpreting all of the omens and prophecies is something I'm really looking forward to. I'm sure Martin has foreshadowed the end of the series already. I hope that as we read the last two books we can say, "Whoa, that was spelled out all along!"  Or maybe we'll be completely blindsided. As "boy" says in season 3 episode 6 of A Game of Thrones "If you think this has a happy ending, you haven't been paying attention." I'm definitely paying attention to omens/prophecies throughout this re-read and I think the Children of the forest storyline will give us many clues.


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Our Way is the Older Way

The morning dawns and the air is crisp and smells of fall. Now, quickly, follow the horses, we're on the way to a beheading. 

George R.R. Martin introduces us to Westeros and the Starks of Winterfell in the midst of a procession on their way to see a man beheaded. So, if the prologue wasn’t enough of an indication, the reader should now be aware that this book doesn’t end with hobbits, dwarves and wizards sitting for a meal.

The chapter is told through the point of view of Bran Stark, second youngest of the Stark children, who at the age of seven has finally been ruled old enough to see his father, Eddard Stark, Lord of Winterfell, “deliver the King’s justice.” Bran assumes that the condemned man must be a wildling based on his eldest brothers rumors; a man serving Mance Rayder, the-King-beyond-the-Wall. We learn that wildlings are a sort of boogie man to the children of Westeros, lawless people living beyond the Wall, cruel and criminal.

At the execution we meet Robb Stark, the eldest Stark child and heir to Winterfell and Jon Snow, the Stark bastard of an age with Robb. We are also introduced to Theon Greyjoy, Eddard’s ward, and several of the Stark servants and laborers.

The condemned man is not a wildling. Based on his description we, the readers, recognize Gared, the old ranger of the Night’s Watch from the prologue. It appears that he survived the encounter with the Others only to be killed as a deserter in Winterfell.

His death marks the death of the only living person in Westeros, that we are aware of, who may know for a fact that the Others are real and active. Does he manage to deliver a warning to Eddard Stark before he dies? We don’t know as Bran does not remember what questions and answers preceded his death. We know he may have been too far gone to make sense based on Jon Snow’s observation that his eyes looked like those of one already dead from fear.

On the ride back to Winterfell, Ned has a side conversation with Bran which grants us the first look into his character. First, Bran asks him about the debate Jon and Robb were having about whether the man died bravely. Bran asks his father if one can be brave if they are afraid to which Ned replies that that is the only time one can truly be brave. Ned also explains to Bran why he had to personally deliver the sentence.

Bran’s initial nervous excitement on the way to the execution suggests that death is rather commonplace and cheap in Westeros. Ned explains that the Starks keep to the old ways and that the one who ordered justice be done must be the one to deliver it, lest he forget what sentencing a man to death means. Here we see that Ned is a ruler who is steadfast in his ways and in keeping with tradition and we get a glimpse of his sense of honor.

The most important event in the chapter is, of course, the discovery of the dead direwolf and the Stark children’s adoption of her litter of pups. A defining moment for all of the children that will carry weight throughout the series.

The symbolism of the direwolf pup’s is pretty obvious, and basically explained in the text by Jon Snow. There is a pup of the right gender for each of the Stark children, including the outcast runt of the litter that Jon finds at the last second, and the direwolf is their house sigil.

The other hinted at symbolism comes from the manner in which the mother died, she choked on the horns of a stag. The stag is the sigil of House Baratheon to which Ned’s old friend and current King, Robert, belongs. The direwolf choking on the stag it tried to kill is an inauspicious omen at best. The other fact, that all of the characters seem to overlook, is that the wolf pup’s who fate has deemed represent the Stark children have been orphaned by fate.

In introducing us to Winterfell through Bran, Martin has used the freshest eyes available. The first time Bran sees his father behead a man is the first time we see his father. When Ned opens up to Bran to explain concepts of bravery and honor Martin is opening his character up to us. We first hear of the wildlings through Bran’s memories of an old woman’s stories, ones that meet the expectations of a typical fantasy reader. But those stories are somewhat shattered by the bleak reality of the matter and by Ned’s very human explanation of things.

This is a world of honor and blood and death and like Bran we have just begun to learn that.