Eddard (page 153-159)

          Eddard's chapter sets in a castle south of Trident, and in this section it is all about the aftermath of the dispute between Joffrey and Arya. Throughout the chapter, Ned is trying to protect Arya from the wrath of Cersie and Joffry. In the beginning/middle, Joffrey claims that Arya and the butcher boy beat him with clubs, let Nymeria chew him, and that Arya threw the sword into the lake. Later, Sansa came into the room and said that Joffrey was telling the truth, even though he clearly wasn't. Both Robert and Ned come to the conclusion to punish both Arya and Joffrey by their own standards, however, Cersie is still hungry for justice and says that she will pay, "A hundred golden dragons for the man that brings me its skin." Robert then decides that he will not partake in her endeavors. After their banter, Cersie claims to have a wolf, but it's not Nymeria, it's Sansa's wolf Lady. Robert is leaves the hall unable to kill the direwold himself, so Ned takes it upon himself to kill Lady with ice and give her a proper burial. At the very end of the scene, as Eddard heads to his room to sleep, he sees riders carrying a cloak covered in blood over their shoulders. Ned thinks it is Nymeria, but it is actually the butcher's boy Mycah.

          While Arya doesn't hold much significance to the plot as of now, Eddard does and this shows the fatherly side of him. From the short time that we've seen Ned, he's usually serious and we haven't seen much interaction between him and his children. I feel this chapter is significant because it demonstrates the true personality of Eddard: that he is willing to do anything for his children. Eddard's chapter also displays the harsh personality of Cersie that we have heard about on several occasions, while also showcasing Joffrey's similar personality. For the record, I now hate Joffrey, but I had a feeling he wasn't going to stay sweet for long. Eddard's personality is serious, but he definitely has a good heart. I love how his character is developing and hope to see much more of him in our future readings.