NFL
By: Rick O’Donnell
Despite the slow reluctance of George R.R. Martin to finish A Song of Ice and Fire, there’s always more Game of Thrones to talk about. After a recent watch of the series, I started to see the signs we already knew. He wasn’t Jon Snow, or even Jon Sand; he was Aegon Targaryen, and we knew Ned Stark knew that from the beginning. Yet somehow the story seems complete despite the show (and books) not being finished. It’s an important question to know just how much Ned Stark was hiding and protecting his family.
One of the things that stuck with me the most is that Ned was told by Lyanna that Jon was a Targaryen, but knowing his sister’s affairs might change a few things. We know her marriage to Robert was annulled, but does Ned know that? Knowing everything we know about his character might change the story a bit depending on how much he knows. Does he believe Robert’s tale, and Jon is a Targaryen bastard, or does he know the truth that Jon is the rightful heir to the seven kingdoms?
What seems like a minor detail might actually carry some weight when you consider Eddard Stark’s character. His best defining traits are his loyalty, his honor, and his family-first attitude. He’s loyal to Robert and his wishes. He does what’s best for the realm to uphold his honor. Above all, his family means more to him than anything else.
Whether or not he knows Lyanna married Rhaegar could change the story and his motives before he was murdered by the Lannisters, mainly Joffrey. Before he leaves, one of the last things he says to Jon is, “I’ll tell you about your mother when I get back,” and that sticks with you. There are plenty of threads to pull that say Ned doesn’t know Jon as the rightful heir.
But Ned was a smart man; he knew how to play the game. Now that the show has ended and the books are yet to be published, we may never know. When you first watch Game of Thrones, it’s easy to think that Ned didn’t know. After all, he is loyal to the Baratheons, his best friend Robert, but also backed Stannis after Robert’s death. He could very well still think he’s a Sand, that Robert’s story about Lyanna being kidnapped would make Jon the bastard of Rhaegar and Lyanna, but because he’s so honorable, he kept his sister’s dying wish to protect him.
But stories like this love a good twist. What if Ned knew of his sister’s marriage? Would he then know that Jon is the true heir to the Iron Throne? That would make one hell of a story. What if Ned Stark, an honorable man who always did the right thing for the realm, and put his family above all, was playing the game all along? If Ned knew Lyanna had married Rhaegar, Jon would be his top priority.
Would he put Robert on the throne until Jon came of age? Would he really double-cross his closest friend because it was the right move for the realm? Also, since Jon is family, would he not want him to take his rightful place? They may have usurped the Mad King, but the Starks have had allegiance to the Targaryens before backing Rhaenyra’s rightful claim in the Dance of Dragons. It would go a long way to putting what’s right for the realm.
He couldn’t have known, right? That’s a whole bunch of what-ifs for one man. Plus, there’s no way he would make the decisions he did and still live up to his honor and loyalty, so it’s probably highly unlikely that Ned knew the truth all along. I mean, why else would he send Jon off to the wall? He knows the northerners better than anyone, and no one is more respected. But the Night’s Watch didn’t meddle in the realm’s affairs. Still, if only we had a book (or two) that could answer our biggest questions.
