Game of Thrones Recap: The Wolf and The Lion

The healers work on the man cut down from by the mountain, who didn’t quite die, but he might as well had. Ned hears that the king plans to joust, and goes to him. The king is too fat to get into his armor, and Ned tries to talk him out of it, tells him that although he wants to, the others will let him win.

The knight of the flowers, Loras Tyrell, gives Sansa a flower before facing the Mountain. Littlefinger insinuates that the King’s brother Renly is gay. The Mountain is unhorsed when his saddle slips. The mountain beheads his horse and attacks the knight of flowers. When he goes to deal a death blow to the knight, the hound intervenes, and the two fight until Robert stops them. The knight raises the hounds hand in victory before a cheering crowd.

Tyrion tells Catelyn that her sister has changed, when he figures out that they are headed towards her. He proclaims his innocence when their group is ambushed. Catelyn unties him during the attack, and even with freedom so close he chooses to save her by bludgeoning one of the attackers with a shield.

Bran goes over his lessons, learning family mottos, upset that his mother was not there when he awoke.

Arya goes about chasing cast with little luck. The eunuch Varys comes to Ned, telling him of duplicity of the kingdom now that he trusts that he’s a good man. He confirms that John Arryn was indeed poisoned, because he started asking questions. Arya’s cat chasing leads her down to the dungeons. She hears that her father is in danger, and that plans for war in the works.

Varys and Baelish banter about appetites and the kings laws. Both point fingers, casting doubts about loyalties and it  seems that Varys was one of the men Arya overheard in the dungeon. Arya makes her way back to the palace, the guards try to send her away thinking she’s a beggar. She stands before Ned telling him all she heard. A member of the Night’s Watch has come with news. He is imformed that Catelyn has captured the Imp, Tyrion.

Catelyn makes it to the Vale, the home of her sister, anearly impregnable fortress.

Stark looks for the King, who is at the council meeting. He orders the death of Daenerys, her unborn child and Viserys. Ned reminds him that an ocean still lies between them. Varys and the rest of the council are in favor of killing her now to prevent the deaths of innocents in the future. Ned cannot go along with this dishonorable plan. King Robert threatens to find a new hand if he will not stand for the plan, and Ned gives up his position, quickly packing. Baelish comes, asking where Ned will go, tempting him with the last person John Arryn spoke with before his death.

Catelyn stands before her raging sister Lyssa, breastfeeding her old child, spouting out accusations against Tyrion. Even the child is delusional. There is doubt in Catelyn as she stands before Lyssa, and Lyssa orders Tyrion to be placed in a prison on the edge of a cliff.

Loras shaves Renly, speaking of knightly prowess. Loras offers him a chance at the throne, with the help of his father’s money. He tells him that people loves him, and that Stannis would be as bad a choice as Joffery.

Cersei comes to console her husband over the loss of Stark as Hand. She’s not convinced that losing Ned over the Targaryens is worth it, but Robert sees the bigger picture and the danger that the Dothraki truly hold. And though they outnumber them, Robert knows that one united army is stronger than the five divided ones that he has. The kingdom is built on hate and backstabbing. Cersei asks about Robert’s first love, Lana Stark for the first time ever. And Robert confesses that he can’t even remember what she looks like, but the there is still a hole in his heart. Cersei wonders if there was ever a chance for them, and Robert says no. Cersei claims his admission makes her feel nothing.

Stark meets another of Roberts bastards, a little girl this time. He assures the mother that the girl will want for nothing. He goes to see Littlefinger, asking what he knows about all the king’s bastards. Baelish claims he doesn’t know, that maybe the king was overcome with fatherly love. Jaimie confronts Ned outside of Baelish’s brothel, inquiring about his brother. Ned tells him that the Imp was  taken to answer from his crimes. Jamie orders Ned to be taken and his men killed. All of Ned’s guards are quickly dispatched, but Ned does not give up so easily, taking on the kingslayer. Ned holds his own until one of Jaimie’s men stabs Ned from behind. Jamie takes care of the offending man, and tells Ned that he wants his brother back.