He remembered what Robert had told him in the crypts below Winterfell. I am surrounded by flatterers and fools, the king had insisted. Ned looked down the council table and wondered which were the flatterers and which the fools. He thought he knew already.
AGOT 20 – EDDARD IV (GRRM)
POV character Eddard Stark 4
Chapter (AGOT) 21 / 73
Chapter (ASOIAF) 21 / 344
Summary
Eddard arrives at the Red Keep and is instantly summoned to attend a meeting of the small council. He changes his clothes and rushes there – tired and exhausted. Four council members are waiting for him: Vary, Littlefinger, Grandmaester Pycelle and Renly, the youngest of the Baratheon brothers. The last one resembles Robert in his heyday and Ned gets nostalgic. There is a little bantering between the court members, but Ned has not the patience for these “games”, he wants to do business. He greets the grandmaester and sits down, although he thinks he does not belong here. When Ned asks he is told, that Robert never attends the meetings as he is bored by matters of coins and crops and justice.
Then Renly presents a letter from Robert that includes his orders to stage a tournament in the hands name, with exorbitant high prices. Pycelle asks Littlefinger if the treasury will cover for that and Ned learns that the crown is in debts – 6 million gold pieces, the half of it by the Lannsisters, the other half from different sources: Lord Tyrell as well as the Braavosi bank and Tyroshi trade cartels. Even the church is lending money to Littlefinger. Ned can not believe it as the treasury was full of gold when Robert became king, nevertheless the others assure him, that Robert gave all of it away. When Ned states that he will talk to Robert not to stage the tourney, Renly predicts that it will not have an effect. Ned ends the meeting at that point.
When stepping in the court he remembers the misery of the journey and the fights Arya and Sansa fought. Suddenly Littlefinger appears and tells him to come with him as his wife waits. Eddard does not believe him, but follows the master of coin who leads him out of the castle to the city. When they stop at a brothel Ned takes it as an insult, but Ser Rodrick stops him from killing Littlefinger.
Inside really Catelyn is waiting for her husband and Ned first thinks Bran died. When Catelyn has told the whole story, Ned is shocked and does not understand Tyrion’s intentions. Littlefinger points to Tyrion’s family and puts even more distrust into Ned’s heart. although he makes clear that Robert surely was not part of it, as he is not interested in such things. He instructs them that it would be better to forget as the knife will not hold as proof and better throw it away but Eddard tells him that this insult can not be forgotten.
Littlefinger assures Eddard his help to find the murder of Lord Arryn and says that he may help to avoid Vary’s learning too much. Ned also thinks that the bigger problems stem from the Lannisters and tells Catelyn to return home as he fears more assassination attempts. When they ask Petyr Baelish for some privacy he leaves the room. Eddard orders Caetlyn instantly to muster the forces of House Tallhart and Glover to man the old castle at Moat Cailin and send word to Lord Manderly to strengthen the defenses of Whiteharbor. He – more or less – tells her to prepare for a war although he hopes to avoid it. His plan is to find proof about Arryn’s murderers (the Lannisters) and afterwards that Robert will listen to him (and help).
Thoughts
- Ned looked down the council table and wondered which were the flatterers and which the fools. He thought he knew already.
The problem for Ned here: All of the attending councilmen are flatterers, but only one (Renly) could even remotely considered a fool. Littlefinger, Pycelle and Varys are much but not fools. Eddard is a fool thinking he knows them. - “Though much better dressed,” Littlefinger quipped. “Lord Renly spends more on clothing than half the ladies of the court.”
A very “subtle” hint to Renlys sexual orientation, although “being a well dressed man” is playing not very nicely with stereotypes. - On one hand Littlefinger seems to try to calm Ned and Catelyn, on the other hand he (indirectly) pushes Ned nearer to the edge. Excellently done by him. I still do not know what his intentions are, but destabilization is surely one of his goals.
- “Leave Lord Varys to me, sweet lady. If you will permit me a small obscenity—and where better for it—I hold the man’s balls in the palm of my hand.”
Does he really, I can not remember.
My Song of Ice and Fire 
