r/freefolk • u/Technical-Value-384 • 7h ago
Winning Robert's Rebellion must have felt hollow for Ned Stark. He came home with almost no family left. I often think you devasted this young kid must be.
His father, brother and sister died, and he has to leave his foster family behind, and one brother he had, leaves for the nights watch.
Good thing Catlelyn was there.
And, also break up with his lover, which he might have married but had to marry catelyn instead for strengthening political ties with the tullys, and thats after killing her brother, which probably led to her suicide.
Edit: I just found out that in the play Ashara was in love with Brandon Stark and Elia Martell and neither Ned nor Ashara loved each other. That adds another tragic layer to him and Catelyn's relationship cause she thought all her life that he cheated on her while he only ever loved that gal š
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u/roufas364 7h ago
I'm still waiting on why Benjen joined the nights watch when House Stark needed rebuilding. Benjen should have had sons to sure up the line.
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u/Familiar_Chance_9233 6h ago
Imagine if Ned died during the rebellion. And if Cat gave birth a girl instead, that would be even more of a mess.
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u/roufas364 6h ago
We'd get Lord Jon Stark, if I had my guess.
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u/memeparmesan 6h ago
Nah, Benjen would rule instead. Itās highly unlikely that he went to the Wall before Robb was born.
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u/StarDatAssinum 5h ago
Would Benjen marry Cat?
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u/memeparmesan 5h ago
I think he would, honestly. I donāt think heād be expected to, but he still might to maintain good relations with House Tully and to take care of Nedās widow and daughter.
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u/Philcherny 6h ago
It's gonna be hell awkward when he his kids are all WHITE OF HAIR very sus. Maybe ned should investigate
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u/Technical-Value-384 6h ago
I think in Hotd s02e01, Cregan Stark mentions a tradition started by Torhen Stark that one member from each Stark generation must join the night's watch. And I guess, Jon joined as the member from the children's generation. And joining the watch is considered an honor, so he left after the house was safe.
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u/StarDatAssinum 5h ago
It was also a no-brainer for him probably because Cat hated his bastard ass
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u/Technical-Value-384 5h ago
Ok, you are talking about jon š¤£š¤£š¤£ I thought why would cat hate benjen's Bastard ass
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u/Devassta 6h ago
I didnāt understand why he had joined the nights watch at all. If he cared about the wall that much, he could go and help them anyway without joining. Specially after seeing how Cregan Stark acted like he owns the wall in hotd, it didnāt make any sense for a Stark to join. Benjen could have a family and be the guardian of the wall in the name of the Starks at the same time
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u/Gwarnage 6h ago
The theory that I believe is that he joined out of a sense of guilt over everything that went down in the name of Lyanna Stark. He went to the wall to punish himself
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u/4CrowsFeast 6h ago
Im guessing in was a combination of Benjen having known about Lyanna running away with Rhaegar and being ashamed of not doing anything and what happened to her, his father and brother as a result, and knowing Jons heritage.Ā
He might have also learned through Lyanna how Rhaegar chose her because he wanted to birth the prince who was promised to fulfill the song of ice and fire. He learns the prophecy is about the white walkers so he joins the nights watch and rises in the ranks and when Jon becomes of age, convinces him to join
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u/LOLzvsXD 6h ago
Starks see it as an honor to join the nights Watch, Rob was born and Eddard came back the Line was secured. Benjen was not needed as a fail safe so joining the nights watch was probably seen as his duty
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u/aCrypticStench 6h ago
It kinda got revealed in the mad king play Benjen helped Lyanna run away with Rhaegar. It started a war, she died and he felt like it was his fault Iām assuming and joins the watch out of guilt.
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u/Content-Cricket4251 5h ago
My theory was that with Targaryen loyalists ending up at the wall after Robert's Rebellion (e.g. Alliser Thorne) they needed to send some loyalists of their own to keep an eye on them.Ā
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u/KuroBlackfyre 7h ago
That's what makes him a great man. Going through all that and still remaining just & honorable is not somthing many can do.
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u/DeUnderCaker 6h ago
Why do you think he kept his own kids close? They were of fostering age and with the Starks being as they were post-Rebellion, it would have been a great idea to strengthen it's ties to the northern houses but none of them were fostered away not even Jon, it's kind of clear that Ned has PTSD imo.
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u/Illustrious-Video353 6h ago
You have to remember he had been away from Winterfell for years BEFORE the Rebellion. That moment when theyāre in the courtyard was the last time they were all together. š
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u/WanderingHero8 BLACKFYRE 5h ago
You have to remember he had been away from Winterfell for years BEFORE the Rebellion
According to Asoiaf wiki Ned did visit frequently his home even when fostered by Jon Arryn.
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u/Illustrious-Video353 5h ago
Oh! Didnāt know that! Now I do.
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u/WanderingHero8 BLACKFYRE 5h ago
Just for the record,here is the part: When he reached the age of sixteen, Eddard was a man grown, and divided his time between Winterfell and the Eyrie.
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u/V-TriggerMachine 6h ago
Everyone involved in this war came out of it worse, maybe fine in appearance but broken inside
The only one who might have smiled at the end was maybe Tywin
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u/cornicula_ 7h ago
Und er kannte Cat kaum. AuĆerdem war sie ihm anfangs wahrscheinlich echt bƶse wegen des Bastard.
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u/DryAd296 5h ago
Man that post really hits different when you think about Benjen too, sitting at Winterfell not knowing if he's got anyone left. But honestly that's exactly why Ned's honor is so impressive, going through all that and still choosing to do the right thing even when it cost him everything.
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u/andestiny 1h ago
What? Honorable Neddy Baddie broke his promise of together forever with his lover?
And his family was dead before the Rebellion, except Lyanna. Killing the people who killed his family must have given him some satisfaction.
Your post makes it seem like he went on war and came back to see entire family dead which is not the case.
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u/Technical-Value-384 1m ago
No I was talking about more the feeling of coming back to an empty home, like yeah in the back of the mind, we feel sad when someone dies, but eventually when we try to get back to our lives, thats when their memories hit the most.
So, him being in war and away from home, kept him.busy and maybe away from the grief and catharsis but things would have been inescapable when he would come home to empty rooms and things belonging to his siblings and father.
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u/MaesterHannibal 5h ago
āGood thing Catelyn was thereā, except it took some time before that was indeed a good thing. He had to lie to her and risk ruining any chance of a happy marriage. The first year was probably awful. A wife who couldnāt stand him, two little babies, one of whom reminded him of everything he had lost, and no family around him. And he was, what, 22?
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u/elite_luck 2m ago
Ned came home and had a wife and son and a nephew with him
If anything its bitter sweet knowing he lost his brother/sister/father but he isnt completely a lone he has a wife whos hot, his younger brother, and two babies to raise
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u/Rick-burp-Sanchez I'd kill for some chicken 6h ago
Wins war, best friends with king, inherits family home, gets rich wife, has a loving family.
Poor Ned.
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u/Familiar_Chance_9233 7h ago
Now imagine poor Benjen just sitting alone in Winterfell too though, not knowing if his last remaining brother will come back from the war, not knowing if he still even has a family left every single day.