Stuart Reads A Game of Thrones – Chapter 04

Don't worry, I don't smoke soap bubbles in real life. That would be silly.

Chapter 4 – Eddard

Okay, I’m getting a chapter from Lord Tony Stark’s perspective. Nice!

Over their heads a dozen golden banners whipped back and forth in the northern wind, emblazoned with the crowned stag of Baratheon.

Ah, the sigil of the king is a deer, err, stag. So I’m going to call it right now — the slain direwolf with the antler in its throat was foreshadowing for Eddard’s death at the hands of the king. I mean, sure, I’ve already been spoiled that Eddard dies, so this isn’t a particularly harebrained prediction, but I’m going with it nonetheless.

Among the arriving Lannisters is an “Imp” named Tyrion. I’m almost 90% sure this is Peter Dinklage’s character, who I’ve heard is pretty interesting. We’ll see.

Hmm, King Robert doesn’t seem like the kind of guy who would betray his oldest friend. He just runs straight up to Eddard and hugs him. Eddard notes this of his aging friend while reminiscing about their past adventures:

In those days, the smell of leather and blood had clung to him like perfume. Now it was perfume that clung to him like perfume.

Among Eddard’s reminiscence he mentions Theon Greyjoy is technically a hostage of his. Theon was the snooty, trigger-happy guy advocating the immediate death of a litter of direwolf puppies a few chapters ago. Is he going to be a problem?

After the formalities of introduction are past, King Robert decides to go down to the Stark tombs and pay his respects to . . . somebody. On their way down there he and Eddard get to talking about stuff, although I’m not sure how much of it is critical and how much is simply worldbuilding. Apparently Robert rules over Seven Kingdoms — which I assume is also called Westeros — and Eddard is the lord of one of those seven kingdoms, but it is by far the largest, and the only one covered in snow as early as the summer. Meanwhile, according to Robert, his own kingdom of Storm’s End is so hot this time of year that there are actually naked women chillin’ in the castle moat. I’m not entirely sure I believe him.

They made it to the tombs: Robert wants to pay his respects to Lord Richard Stark, Eddard’s father, and his two children (Eddard’s brother and sister), one of whom was sentenced to death by Mad King Aerys Targaryen. I’m going to assume that was Dany and Vissy’s father.

Then who’s Rhaegar Targaryen? King Robert loved Eddard’s sister, who was killed/raped/something by Rhaegar, who was in turn slain by Robert in some kind of epic battle. Really nice line here:

The king touched her cheek, his fingers brushing across rough stone as gently as if it were living flesh. “I vowed to kill Rhaegar for what he did to her.”

“You did,” Ned reminded him.

“Only once,” Robert said bitterly.

Love it. Anyway . . .

Sounds like King Robert has something important to say to Eddard, but first Eddard makes a casual joke about the Wall and Robert points out it’s been around for eight thousand years. I’m still not even sure what the Wall is, but that’s a massive number. You don’t just go throwing around a number like that without a purpose to it.

But back to the present matter: with Jon Arryn dead, his title of Hand of the King falls to his son, who’s only six-years-old, so Robert is here to give it to Eddard instead.

The Hand of the King was the second-most powerful man in the Seven Kingdoms. He spoke with the king’s voice, commanded the king’s armies, drafted the king’s laws. At times he even sat upon the Iron Throne to dispense king’s justice, when the king was absent, or sick, or otherwise indisposed.

So, it’s like being the Steward of Gondor. This is funny to me because lol Eddard is Sean Bean who played Boromir who was Denethor’s son and he’s a Steward get it?

Err, well, Eddard doesn’t want to be the Hand of the King for some reason. I guess he’s too modest? I don’t know enough about any of these characters, their motivations or their culture to feel much of anything right now. Maybe I just don’t get them yet. I mean, I don’t dislike them — I’m seriously digging Eddard’s dauntless stoicism, for example. The King cracks an uncouth joke, but when Eddard doesn’t even smile he asks him why he never laughs:

“They say it grows so cold up here in winter that a man’s laughter freezes in his throat and chokes him to death,” Ned said evenly. “Perhaps that is why the Starks have so little humor.”

Look at the wit on this guy. Dry enough to roast a sheep. Or something. I got my metaphors confused.

Ahh, Ned’s upset because becoming the Hand of the King demands he leave Winterfell and live in the south — plus, you know, the crazy responsibility of it all is sure to break his nerve. King Robert also suggests that his son marry Eddard’s daughter Sansa, who’s only eleven. This kinda freaks Ned out, but Robert’s only half-serious. I think.

Eddard tells Robert to give him time to talk this over with his wife Catelyn, but I’m guessing he’ll say yes. The chapter basically ends here, though.

For a moment Eddard Stark was filled with a terrible sense of foreboding. This was his place, here in the north. He looked at the stone figures all around them, breathed deep in the chill silence of the crypt. He could feel the eyes of the dead. They were all listening, he knew. And winter was coming.

Got a good feeling about this. Yup. Just rainbows and sunshine from here on out. Calling it now.

Summary Time: King Robert and the Lannisters arrive at Winterfell, and Eddard is offered the prestigious role of Hand of the King. Huh — when summarized it’s like barely anything happened at all.

The pacing of this book so far is intriguing. Every chapter starts in medias res and usually ends on some kind of cliffhanger, in addition to being relatively shorter than I’m used to. For example: back two chapters ago, when King Robert’s arrival was first mentioned and anticipated, I was left with the impression that a substantial amount of time would be spent waiting and preparing for him and his family. Instead, the book doesn’t even bother explaining that part of the plot — the next time I see the Starks they’re meeting with their guests. I can only assume a fair amount of time has passed, maybe even a month — how old are the direwolf puppies? When the POV switches back to Dany (which I’m positive it will), will an equal amount of time have passed for her? Kinda reminds me of Stephen King’s writing style. (That tells you how often I read books. He’s, like, the only author I feel comfortable applying here.)

Anyway, I’m enjoying the story well enough, but what’s really pulling me forward right now is the knowledge that it gets better. The series wouldn’t have been made into a TV show — wouldn’t be as popular as it is — if it didn’t pick up at some point. These early chapters are most likely all setup.

See you next time and thanks for reading.

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EDIT: Check out Ian’s drawings for this chapter here.

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