A Game of Thrones: Chapter 47: Eddard Summary & Analysis

Ned awakens from a dream to the sound of a knock on the door. King Robert has returned from hunting and wants to see Ned at once. When Ned goes to see Robert, he finds that Robert has suffered a fatal wound from a boar he faced. Those who were with Robert tell Ned that a Lannister had been supplying him with wine. Robert seems to be breathing his last breaths. He tells Ned to take down dictation for his final will. He names Ned the protectorate of the kingdom and says that he will rule until his son, Joffrey, comes of age. Ned knows that Joffrey isn’t Robert’s son, so he struggles to write down Joffrey’s name. He feels guilty about changing Robert’s words, but he writes down “heir” instead of “Joffrey.”

Robert also tells Ned to do what he can to call off the planned murder of Daenerys. Ned passes that message along to Varys, who says it may be too late to stop the plan, but he will do what he can. Robert then drinks milk of the poppy to help him rest while his body tries to heal. It’s unlikely that he’ll ever wake up again. Renly then talks to Ned. He tells Ned that they should kidnap Cersei’s three children. As long as they have the kids, Cersei won’t dare defy them, Renly says. Ned refuses to take part in that scheme. Instead, Ned writes a letter to Robert’s brother, Stannis, telling him to come to King’s Landing at once and to bring an army. Since Joffrey is not Robert’s rightful heir, the crown should rightfully go to Stannis, Robert’s oldest brother.

Ned says he wants to see Littlefinger. Littlefinger says that Ned should make peace with the Lannisters and take his seat as the king in Joffrey’s stead for four years until Joffrey comes of age. He should marry Sansa off to Joffrey, have Arya marry Tommen, and Myrcella marry Robb. By the time Joffrey comes of age, Ned will be like a father to him. And if Joffrey doesn’t seem like a good person to rule at that point, they can reveal the secret that he is Cersei and Jaime’s child and has no rightful claim to the crown. Ned tells Littlefinger that he’s forgetting that the Lannisters killed Jon Arryn and tried to kill Bran.

Ned knows that Cersei, as the queen, will say that Joffrey is the rightful king—while Ned, as the Hand of the King, will say that Stannis is the rightful heir. With that in mind, Ned knows he needs to ensure that the relevant forces in King’s Landing will recognize his authority. Littlefinger proposes a method to ensure that Ned’s plan will work. Littlefinger will pay the City Watch 6,000 gold pieces to make sure they follow Ned. Ned thinks the scheme is dishonorable, but he doesn’t see any other options and agrees to go ahead with it.