5 AGOT Eddard I: The King is Dead

After visiting Lyanna's grave in Winterfell's crypts, King Robert proposes Ned be the new Hand, and wed his eldest daughter to the crown prince. Ned would say no but, not wanting to offend the king, asks for time to consider.

Robert Might Kill Ned

Cersei Rules Through Robert

Eddard's story focuses on the concern that Robert will disbelieve and kill Ned if he accuses Cersei of having killed Jon Arryn to cover up the high treason of her having cuckolded the king. The early omen of the direwolf who traveled unusually far south of the Wall killed by the antler of a stag seems a clear symbolic warning that Robert might kill Ned. Knowing accusations may lead quickly to swords, Ned intends to bring conclusive proof to Robert, only once he knows the truth.

However, where an impartial judge might be able to hear a case made against Cersei or the Lannisters generally, Robert is not impartial. Though he seems to loathe Cersei, her words come out of his mouth. This is most obvious in this chapter when King Robert is irked that Lysa stole her son away to the Eyrie, but his arguments are Cersei's:

Ned paused a moment. “Catelyn fears for her sister. How does Lysa bear her grief?”

Robert's mouth gave a bitter twist. Not well, in truth,' he admitted. 'I think losing Jon has driven the woman mad, Ned. She has taken the boy back to the Eyrie. Against my wishes. I had hoped to foster him with Tywin Lannister at Casterly Rock. Jon had no brothers, no other sons. Was I supposed to leave him to be raised by women?"-45

“Six, and sickly, and Lord of the Eyrie, gods have mercy,” the king swore. “Lord Tywin had never taken a ward before. Lysa ought to have been honored. The Lannisters are a great and noble House. She refused to even hear of it. Then she left in the dead of night, without so much as a by-your-leave, Cersei was furious.” He sighed deeply. “The boy is my namesake, did you know that? Robert Arryn. I am sworn to protect him. How can I do that if his mother steals him away?"-45

Ned then offers to ward Arryn, himself.

“I will take him as ward, if you wish,” Ned said. “Lysa should consent to that. She and Catelyn were close as children, and she would be welcome here as well.”

But Robert says it's too late. Tywin has offered and to refuse is an affront.

"A generous offer, my friend," the king said, "but too late. Lord Tywin has already given his consent. ostering the boy elsewhere would be a grievous affront to him."

"I have more concern for my nephew's welfare than I do for Lannister pride," Ned declared.

"That is because you do not sleep with a Lannister."

This situation reveals that Cersei, or possibly Tywin through Cersei, is heavily influencing Robert's decision making.

It's revealed that Jon Aryn was ruling the Seven Kingdoms. Robet has no interest in ruling, though king. His rage at Rhaegar took Westeros from the Targaryens, but Robert still nurses that rage despite having taken revenge. Robert's only role seems to be as a puppet of Tywin Lannister via Queen Cersei. Robert's request to see the crypts on arrival seems as much to remove himself from the Lannisters as to pay homage to Lyanna, who he cannot have known well. Were Ned to accept Robert's offer of the Handship, he'd rule the Seven Kingdoms. It raises the question of why Tywin doesn't want to be Hand and why Robert wants so singularly for it to be Ned. It seems Robert misses the man he used to be.

Robert Has Changed; Ned Has Not

Being king has not served Robert well. He comes to Ned in a state that can be read either as defeated and running to drink to compensate or as having lived it up. From what Robert himself says about life in the south, it's clear he indulges heavily and not only to suffer Cersei. The bags under his eyes could as easily come from nights up late partying as from nights up late worrying.

The Others

Repeated mentions raise the expectation the Others will venture south, casually to Winterfell with its summer snows. Observation the Wall is eight thousand years old. That's the last time the Others were seen. Did the Wall stop them? We'll later learn the Wall was built to stop the Others from coming again.

Emotional Sequence

Ned's exasperation that Robert brought three hundred men

Ned's bewilderment at not recognizing Robert

Ned's concern at the bags under Robert's eyes

Confusion at the queen's objection to Robert visiting the crypts

Glad for Jaime's diffusing

Amusement at Robert's love of the good life in the south

Observation that Ned is like the crypts: orderly, supportive, serious

Robert's wish that Lyanna's statue was out in a place of beauty

Lyanna's relief when Ned promised

Robert's rae at Rhaegar

Ned's disdain for Tywin Lannister

Ned's astonishment Robert has removed the title warden of the east from Lord of the Eyrie.

Eagerness for Ned to be Hand

Amusement at Robert's hilarity

Ned's foreboding

References

Previous chapter tells story of Robert's Rebellion differently.

Cersei's influence over Robert sets up for Catelyn's over Ned that we see in 7 AGOT Catelyn II.

Sets up the Mystery of Sweetrobin's Warding. It seems Lysa's motive in departing King's Landing in the night was to prevent her son's warding by Tywin Lannister.

This is the first time the story of Brandon and Rickard Stark's deaths is told. Ned thinks Brandon was ordered strangled and Rickard was made to watch. It will be revealed, when Jaime tells Catelyn in 129 ACOK 56 Catelyn VII that Rickard was burned alive while Brandon strangled himself trying to reach his sword to free himself to save his father.

Page by Page

The King Eats

39 The king's large party arrives, but Robert is unrecognizable. His men are going to deplete Winterfell of reserves meant for winter.

40 Introductions, then Robert asks to pay respects in the crypts.

41 Robert complains of summer snow and sells the south as one big party.

Proposals in the Crypts

42 Ned leads down through rows of tombs, ghosts contained by swords.

43 Lyanna's tomb and memory of Brandon, then Lyanna's request

44 Description of Robert killing Rhaegar at the Trident for love of Lyanna. The Others can take Cersei.

45 Talk of Jon Arryn. Lysa & son left in night to avoid warding at Casterly Rock with the Lannisters.

46 Robert pussyfoots around the offer and Ned does too. Must see the Wall.

47 Robert complains ruling is tedious and begs Ned to be Hand.

48 When Ned hedges, Robert sweetens the pot by adding marriage of Sansa to crown prince Joffrey. Feeling a terrible foreboding, Ned asks for time to consider.