Eddard was deeply shaken, not by Robert's complaints about Stannis—he knew the two brothers didn't get along—but by the mention of the Dragons.
He had intermittently heard rumors of the Dragon King of the East, but he had never imagined Robert would be so worried about it. After all, news in The North was relatively isolated; besides White Harbor, there were few other places to gather intelligence, so he wasn't very clear about the power of the Dragons.
If the Dragons were truly that terrifying, the threat facing the Seven Kingdoms was far greater than internal strife.
Robert noticed his hesitation. "Think of Lyanna. If she were still alive, would she want you hiding in Winterfell, watching the Seven Kingdoms descend into chaos, only to have the Targaryens return with Dragons for revenge? Come and help me."
Eddard felt a moment of suffocation, surprised that Robert would use the deceased to plead with him. He looked at the stone statue of his sister, thinking that if she were alive, she might personally return with the Targaryens and Dragons to seek revenge on Robert.
But he wouldn't say it aloud, and because of his knightly honor, he felt that he and his family owed Robert.
"I can't play the games of The South, Robert. You know that."
"I don't need you to understand those damned games."
Robert said urgently, "I just need you to sit there and watch them with your damned sense of honor. Let those maggots know that the King has an honest Northman by his side. I'm not asking you, I'm ordering you, as your King, and as your brother."
Eddard looked at the face before him, both familiar and strange, and because of his inner guilt towards Robert, he finally agreed to serve as the hand of the king.
A relieved smile appeared on Robert's face. "Good brother, I knew it."
He laughed loudly and tried to slap Eddard's shoulder again, but this time Eddard subtly turned away, avoiding it.
"But I must first settle the affairs of The North, and I will need time to prepare," Eddard added.
"Of course, of course." Robert was in high spirits. "Just don't make me wait too long. I don't want to spend another day in this cursed place—nothing but cold and stone."
He took one last look at Lyanna's statue, turned, and left. "Come on, let's go up and have a drink, for the Warden of the North, and for the hand of the king."
Eddard did not follow immediately. He stood before Lyanna's statue, silent for a moment. Then he reached out, his fingertips tracing the name carved into the base of the statue.
"I did my best, Lyanna," he whispered, in a voice only he could hear. "I will always do my best."
Then, he turned and followed Robert's footsteps. The stone steps stretched upward, leading as if to an unknown world.
At the feast, relieved, Robert began to eat and drink heavily, telling crude jokes, seeming to revert to the man Eddard was familiar with. After all, he hadn't been in the mood for entertainment these past few days, but now that he was on Eddard's territory, he could truly relax.
However, when Eddard discussed these matters with Catelyn that evening, Catelyn strongly opposed him going south.
"How did your father and brother die?" she demanded of her husband in the bedroom. "They went to The South and never returned. Brandon Stark was beheaded by 'The Mad King,' and your father was burned alive by him. Now you want to go to that place?"
Catelyn was truly afraid.
"Robert needs me, Cate."
"What Robert needs is someone who can help him stabilize the realm, but that person doesn't have to be you." Tears welled up in Catelyn's eyes. "Besides, my father hasn't been well lately, and I was planning to take the children to Riverrun to see him."
Eddard took her hand. "I know the risks involved. But if the situation is truly that dangerous, House Stark cannot remain unscathed in the end."
"What about the children? How will you arrange things?"
Eddard pondered for a moment. "Sansa has always wanted to see The South, and Arya should also see King's Landing. As for Robb, he must stay in Winterfell to learn how to rule The North. Bran and Rickon are still young; they should come with us to King's Landing."
He didn't mention Jon, because he knew his wife strongly disliked him, so he never brought him up in front of her. Furthermore, Jon had half Dragon Lineage blood, so he didn't really want to take Jon to King's Landing.
However, just three days after they made their decision, an accident occurred.
Bran loved climbing the Abandoned Tower in Winterfell. The seven-year-old boy had a great talent for climbing, able to reach places most adults couldn't. Eddard and Catelyn had warned him about the danger many times before, but Bran could never resist.
That afternoon, Bran began climbing the Abandoned Tower again. As usual, he gripped the stone cracks with his fingers and stepped on the protruding bricks with his feet. But just as he reached halfway, he suddenly felt a dizzy spell.
The feeling was strange, as if his brain had been struck by something, and the scene before his eyes suddenly blurred. Bran's hand slipped, and his body fell backward.
He heard the distant cry of alarm from Ser Rodrik and felt himself falling.
Then the entire world plunged into darkness.
Fortunately, there was a pile of fresh hay that had just been transported below, and he miraculously survived.
Now Bran lay in his own bed. Maester Luwin was examining his injuries, his face filled with worry. Catelyn guarded the bedside, her eyes red and swollen, while Eddard stood by the door, his hands clenched into fists.
"How is he?" Eddard asked.
Maester Luwin shook his head. "Three broken ribs, and some internal injuries. But the most troubling thing is the severe damage to his legs, and he also injured his head. Whether he wakes up is still a question."
Catelyn held her son's hand, tears streaming down her face uncontrollably. Eddard walked to the bedside, knelt on one knee, and gently stroked Bran's forehead.
This accident completely disrupted their plans. Catelyn could not leave Winterfell while her son was gravely injured, much less go to King's Landing with Eddard.
After hearing the news, Robert also came to visit several times.
"He'll get better, Catelyn." Robert offered clumsy comfort. "Stark people are strong."
Bran remained unconscious for three days and three nights before finally waking up, but he had completely lost feeling in his legs. The lively Young Wolf would likely spend the rest of his life confined to a bed or a wheelchair. This was just like the Original Novel, but this time, Jaime and Cersei were not found coupling in the tower.
The entire Winterfell was enveloped in an atmosphere of sadness.
Robert stayed in Winterfell for another week, waiting for Bran's condition to stabilize. He couldn't deprive his good brother of his right as a father at a time like this.
Finally, Eddard temporarily entrusted the affairs of Winterfell to Maester Luwin and Ser Rodrik, the Castle Master-at-Arms.
He instructed Robb to study diligently with them, assist his mother in managing The North, and look after his younger brothers. Because Catelyn was staying behind, the youngest, Rickon, also remained in Winterfell.
Before leaving, Eddard went to the sickroom to see Bran one last time. The boy's pale little face was sunken into the pillow, his breathing shallow. Eddard gently touched his forehead, his heart heavy with guilt and sorrow.
He also went to see Jon Snow.
This so-called bastard seemed more silent and sensitive than his peers.
Although Catelyn had never physically abused him, the cold distance and the occasional look of disgust had accompanied Jon throughout his growth, making him constantly feel like an outsider.
For Jon, Eddard's journey south was an opportunity for him to leave Winterfell and escape that invisible oppression.
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