Cersei is no fool. She knows a tame wolf is more use to her than a dead one.
Ned StarkYou want me to serve the woman who murdered my king, who butchered my men, who crippled my son?
I want you to serve the realm! Tell the Queen you will confess your vile treason, tell your son to lay down his sword and proclaim Joffrey as the true heir! Cersei knows you as a man of honour. If you give her the peace she needs, and promise to carry her secret to your grave, I believe she will allow you to take the black and live out your days on the Wall, with your brother and your bastard son.
Ned Stark
You think my life is some precious thing to me? That I would trade my honour for a few more years of...of what? You grew up with actors, you learned their craft and you learnt it well. But I grew up with soldiers. I learned how to die a long time ago.
Pity. Such a pity. What of your daughter's life, my lord? Is that a precious thing to you?
Ned Stark
I am Eddard Stark, Lord of Winterfell and Hand of the King. I come before you to confess my treason, in the sight of Gods and men. I betrayed the faith of my King, and the trust of my friend, Robert. I swore to defend and protect his children, but before his blood was cold I plotted to murder his son, and seize the throne for myself. Let the High Septon and Baelor the Blessed bear witness to what I say...Joffrey Baratheon is the one true heir to the Iron Throne. By the grace of all the Gods, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms and Protector of the Realm.
As we sin...so do we suffer. This man has confessed his crimes in sight of Gods and men. The Gods are just! But beloved Baelor taught us they can also be merciful. What is to be done with this traitor, Your Grace?
My mother wishes me to let Lord Eddard join the Night's Watch. Stripped of all titles and powers, he would serve the Realm in permanent exile. And my Lady Sansa... has begged mercy for her father. But they have the soft hearts of women. So long as I am your King, treason shall never go unpunished! Ser Ilyn! Bring me his head!
[Bran and the Three-Eyed Raven watch a young Ned and five others approach the Tower of Joy]
TEThree-eyed Raven
And that man beside him is Howland Reed, Meera's father.
[Ser Gerold Hightower and Ser Arthur Dayne walk past Bran]
TEThree-eyed Raven
The Sword of the Morning.
My father said he was the best swordsman he ever saw.
[Hightower and Dayne confront Ned and his group]
ADArthur Dayne
Lord Stark.
Ned Stark
I looked for you on the Trident.
ADArthur Dayne
We weren't there.
GHGerold Hightower
Your friend, the Usurper, would lie beneath the ground if we had been.
Ned Stark
The Mad King is dead. Rhaegar lies beneath the ground. Why weren't you there to protect your prince?
ADArthur Dayne
Our prince wanted us here.
Ned Stark
Where's my sister?
ADArthur Dayne
I wish you good fortune in the wars to come. And now it begins.
Ned Stark
No. Now it ends.
[The two sides draw swords and clash]
[about Dayne] He's better than my father.
TEThree-eyed Raven
Far better.
TEThree-eyed Raven
Did he?
I know he did. I heard the story a thousand times.
[Dayne disarms Ned. As he is about to finish him off, Howland stabs Dayne in the back of the neck. Dayne falls to his knees, mortally wounded.]
He stabbed him in the back.
[Ned grabs his sword and kills Dayne. Screams are suddenly heard from the tower. Ned runs towards it.]
TEThree-eyed Raven
That's enough for one day. We visit again another time.
I want to see where he's going.
TEThree-eyed Raven
Time to go.
Game of Thrones · 356 quotes
