Chapter 6 – Catelyn

Catelyn again, huh? Is it time to rotate through the POV characters now?

[quote]Of all the rooms in Winterfell’s Great Keep, Catelyn’s bedchambers were the hottest. She seldom had to light a fire. The castle had been built over natural hot springs, and the scalding waters rushed through its walls and chambers like blood through a man’s body, driving the chill from the stone halls, filling the glass gardens with a moist warmth, keeping the earth from freezing.[/quote]

Like, for real? That sounds amazing. Very little so far has tempted me into wishing I lived in this universe — and I still don’t — but this comes closest. What a cool-sounding place.

Apparently Catelyn wants yet another baby, but I doubt she’s going to voice this out loud to Eddard, who still seems hung up on the whole “the King just asked me to become his right-hand man” issue. He wants to refuse Robert, but Catelyn is still haunted by the image of the slain direwolf, and she believes Robert will turn on them if Ned doesn’t take the job.

Catelyn brings up Ned’s deceased brother Brandon and this annoys him:

[quote]”Brandon. Yes. Brandon would know what to do. He always did. It was all meant for Brandon. You, Winterfell, everything. He was born to be a King’s Hand and a father to queens. I never asked for this cup to pass to me.”[/quote]

Interesting choice of words at the end there. I’m wondering if the “my troubles in a cup” idiom comes straight from the Gospels (Agony in the Garden), or if it’s a common enough phrase. With my spoiler knowledge warning me of Ned’s eventual death, however, I can’t help but feel George R.R. Martin phrased things here to intentionally recall the Agony in the Garden. Hmm. There’s something to consider: is Eddard going to become some sort of Christlike figure? For what purpose? Can’t be coincidence, though. (Great, now I’ve talked myself into a theory that’s likely to be utter horse radish.)

Somebody named Desmond just knocked, saying a Master Luwin — sorry, Maester Luwin — requests an urgent audience with Ned and Catelyn. I think Luwin was mentioned in the prologue? Back to Desmond: it’s interesting to me that this one-off character (assuming he is, but either way) is simply named without introduction. I like it — coupled with G.R.R. Martin’s tendency to start his chapters in medias res, this helps give the impression that each of these characters have been living their own stories off-screen/off-page. This may only be the second chapter I’ve read from Catelyn’s POV, but from an in-universe perspective her book has been going on for a long time, and this Desmond guy has probably been a part of her story for more than just this one appearance.

Sorry for the brain-fart, what was going on? Right, Luwin:

[quote]Luwin was always tucking things into [his] sleeves and producing other things from them: books, messages, strange artifacts, toys for the children. With all he kept hidden in his sleeves, Catelyn was surprised that Maester Luwin could lift his arms at all.[/quote]

What a lovely descriptor. A couple characters have gotten charming little introductions like this — I’m really digging it.

So, Luwin found a lonely wooden box waiting outside his room and inside was a lens, I guess? More than that was a hidden message meant only for Lady Catelyn’s eyes, so Luwin gives it to her. She gets pretty freaked out when she deduces it’s from her sister Lysa, and worse, it’s been encoded in a playtime language only she and her sister would know. Once she’s read it, she immediately burns the message, startling Ned and Luwin, but at least she tells them what it said:

[quote]”Lysa says Jon Arryn was murdered.”

[Ned’s] fingers tightened on her arm. “By whom?”

“The Lannisters,” she told him. “The queen.”[/quote]

Kinda saw something like this coming, although not this specific turn of events. And now I’m remembering something King Robert said a few chapters ago:

[quote]”I have never seen a man sicken so quickly. We gave a tourney on my son’s name day. If you had seen Jon then, you would have sworn he would live forever. A fortnight later he was dead. The sickness was like a fire in his gut. It burned right through him.”[/quote]

Now that I recall it, I’m kind of amazed I didn’t suspect he was murdered before. Doesn’t that sound like the most stereotypical description of a poisoning ever? I feel a little dense, but props to G.R.R.

Anyway, Catelyn takes this news as an endorsement for Ned’s becoming the King’s Hand (he’ll be close enough and powerful enough to do some proper sleuthing) while he reacts in opposite (get as far away from these people as possible and hold down the fort). I’m gonna guess that Catelyn will bring him around to her side of things in a minute.

Yeah, damn, even Maester Luwin is against Ned. Dude can’t catch a break. He reluctantly agrees to go south, but only if Catelyn stays in Winterfell and governs there, teaching Robb and caring for Rickon (the toddler). Eddard wants to take the other children with him, though: Sansa and Arya (the other daughter, I guess) must learn some “ladylike ways,” and as for Bran:

[quote]”Ser Rodrik tells me there is a bad feeling between Robb and Prince Joffrey. That is not healthy. Bran can bridge that distance.”[/quote]

Ah, make Bran The Heart, then? Sounds good in theory — even Catelyn agrees with Ned here, despite her sorrow of parting with her son — but I really doubt this is gonna work out. And this is all dandy and stuff, but what about Jon Snow?

Oh, yikes, that’s a sore spot for Catelyn. Apparently Eddard sired Jon while away for a year on a campaign, and his decision to raise Jon like a trueborn son — plus his refusal to tell Catelyn who the mother was — really disturbs and hurts her. The extra bit of salt on the wound for her is that, out of all the Stark children, Jon resembles Eddard the most. So, obviously she takes this opportunity to insist Jon leave with Ned, which infuriates him.

[quote]He might have said more, and worse, but Maester Luwin cut in. “Another solution presents itself,” he said, his voice quiet. “Your brother Benjen came to me about Jon a few days ago. It seems the boy aspires to take the black.”

Ned looked shocked. “He asked to join the Night’s Watch?”[/quote]

Wait, what? Oh yeah. Sweet, I totally called it. (Kind of. More or less.)

End chapter. Well, now we’re getting somewhere.

Summary Time: Catelyn wants Eddard to become the Hand of the King, while Eddard does not. Spousal  squabbling ensues, but is interrupted by Maester Luwin, who has an urgent message for Catelyn. The message is a warning from her sister and reveals that Jon Arryn — Eddard’s mentor — was murdered by the Queen, possibly with help from the other Lannisters. Catelyn and Maester Luwin convince Eddard to become the King’s Hand and root out this royal betrayal, and the life courses of many characters are decided: Eddard will return south with King Robert and the Lannisters, but he’ll bring his children Bran, Arya and Sansa. Catelyn will be left behind with Robb and Rickon, the oldest and youngest of her children, to govern Winterfell in her husband’s stead. Meanwhile, Jon Snow will be put into the Night’s Watch with his uncle Benjen just like he wanted.

Whew.

This was a nice chapter and it got a lot of things done, but what’s especially exciting to me is how this is the first inkling I’ve had of a potentially good Enneagram. I think this chapter was the Three, in particular the revelation of Lysa’s encoded message to her sister. The Two was probably the arrival of King Robert and his offering Eddard the position of King’s Hand, which perturbed him but did not truly ruin his day, so here comes something unforeseen — classic Three — to cast a new light on the information given in the Two. Even better, it redirects the course of multiple characters, including Jon, who’s Two moment was most likely his failure to convince Uncle Benjen of his worth as a Night’s Watchman.

If I’m right about this, then the Six should mirror this chapter in some way, so I’m going to make an Enneagram Prediction: late in the story, either the truth behind the Lannisters’ betrayal will finally be revealed to everyone, or Lysa will give yet another critical and mind-blowing message. Fingers crossed.

Hmm, can’t forget about Dany back in Dothrak, though. I don’t see how she can possibly be affected by this chapter’s content, so I’m going to guess something unexpected will happen to her in a later chapter, most likely the next one. We’ll see.

Thanks for reading.

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EDIT: See Ian’s hand-drawn perspective on this chapter here.