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Alternative rethinking Sansa


AliceRose

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I will just say one thing: You do not get taught to be compassionate. You are compassionate or you aren't. It is that simple.

It isn't that simple :)

Obviously Sansa has always had an emotional character, that is her nature.

1)But lack of experience of the real life and an idealized view of the world make her underestimate the damage Joffrey and Cersei did to the poor boy and to his family. Sansa had an superficial perception of the other's suffering. Her being shallow about such important questions like threatening and killing innocents is the proof of bad influence of septa Mordane. In this case i can't see good influences from her family. Sansa might don't care for Mycah much, but she SHOULD realize who is right and who is wrong and if she doesn't realize it by herself Ned should explain the matter. Joffrey had no right to hurt an unarmed boy who was just playing with Arya. It's nice to be naive about tourneys, but it isn't acceptable to be shallow in regards of human life and health.

So-called moral code presumes judging any situation not in base of what you are feeling at the moment, but in base what is objectively right and objectively wrong.

According to Eddard’s moral code Joffrey's behaviour at the Trident was entirely wrong.

Eddard could not teach Sansa to be compassionate, but he should teach her to respect the commoners. The "law" of seven kingdoms does not allow to kill commoners without trial, the king should give to Mycah the chance to take the black. Honourable men of seven kingdoms don't abuse commoners, they protect them. Sansa wasn't among honourable people according to Eddard's mentality.

2) You do not get taught to be compassionate. You are compassionate or you aren't.

It's half true..

An insensitive egoist can't become an compassionate altruist, you are right.

But a sensitive person who experience an intense suffering reaches a deeper understanding of the other's suffering. Eddard's death has changed Sansa, you can't argue she is the same before and after this tragic event. Sansa has always been compassionate, but earlier she didn't pay attention to the other's pain.

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It isn't that simple :)

Obviously Sansa has always had an emotional character, that is her nature.

1)But lack of experience of the real life and an idealized view of the world make her underestimate the damage Joffrey and Cersei did to the poor boy and to his family. Sansa had an superficial perception of the other's suffering. Her being shallow about such important questions like threatening and killing innocents is the proof of bad influence of septa Mordane. In this case i can't see good influences from her family. Sansa might don't care for Mycah much, but she SHOULD realize who is right and who is wrong and if she doesn't realize it by herself Ned should explain the matter. Joffrey had no right to hurt an unarmed boy who was just playing with Arya. It's nice to be naive about tourneys, but it isn't acceptable to be shallow in regards of human life and health.

So-called moral code presumes judging any situation not in base of what you are feeling at the moment, but in base what is objectively right and objectively wrong.

According to Eddard’s moral code Joffrey's behaviour at the Trident was entirely wrong.

Eddard could not teach Sansa to be compassionate, but he should teach her to respect the commoners. The "law" of seven kingdoms does not allow to kill commoners without trial, the king should give to Mycah the chance to take the black. Honourable men of seven kingdoms don't abuse commoners, they protect them. Sansa wasn't among honourable people according to Eddard's mentality.

2) You do not get taught to be compassionate. You are compassionate or you aren't.

It's half true..

An insensitive egoist can't become an compassionate altruist, you are right.

But a sensitive person who experience an intense suffering reaches a deeper understanding of the other's suffering. Eddard's death has changed Sansa, you can't argue she is the same before and after this tragic event. Sansa has always been compassionate, but earlier she didn't pay attention to the other's pain.

Actually, it is. Sansa shows the compassionate nature even before her father is beheaded. We had instance with Sandor, we have her thoughts about Jon. So, she is compassionate person, and no one has taught her that. She is simply, compassionate person by nature. She did changed, but you obviously confuse in what way she was changed.

You continue to speak about moral-code but here is what Ned behavior spoke about whole thing "Oh, Sansa, he is your fiancee, and I continue to look other way even though he is going to be your husband" We see Ned's thoughts, but he never shares it with Sansa, and he continues with the engagement, so her conclusion can easily be that her father has nothing against her marrying that person.

Another wrong thing is that Sansa doesn't know how to treat commoners, which has been proved time after time. Sansa continues throughout the series to show that she is someone who cares for smallfolk in terms that she wouldn't bring them any harm, and that she (just like them, as seen with Arya's rude awakening in ASOS) is well-aware that they are not the same. Is that fair? No. But the social standards are like that, and behaving like they don't exist is just being naive. Which Arya did and was hurt when they basically told her "you are Stark of Winterfell, we are nobodies. We are not the same". We see her in KL, we see her in Vale, basically there is no one whom Sansa treats with some great snobbish behavior. And even in AGOT, she didn't like one boy (and one even could argue that Mycah's status was the least of why she didn't like him) and she was being dismissive once to Jeyne. And these are basically childish things that doesn't even portray her character completely.

Sansa wasn't honorable according Ned's mentality? LOL... I suppose her taming Joffrey to give money to poor people of KL or saving Dontos is against what Ned's mentality is.

At the end, Ned's death changed Sansa that is for certain. But it certainly didn't make her compassionate and there is no logic behind that, especially since we have seen her being compassionate before Ned died.

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You continue to speak about moral-code but here is what Ned behavior spoke about whole thing "Oh, Sansa, he is your fiancee, and I continue to look other way even though he is going to be your husband" We see Ned's thoughts, but he never shares it with Sansa, and he continues with the engagement, so her conclusion can easily be that her father has nothing against her marrying that person.

In my honest opinion Eddard was an incoherent idiot. I hope Sansa will never become like him. The thing Ned didn't have any reaction about the Trident incident does not make Sansa's behaviour more morally acceptable. I blame Ned for his being absent in so serious situation.

This is exactly why i tell Sansa had no Eddard's moral code, because this fool let her believe Joffrey behavior was ok, hurting innocents was ok, Lannisters were ok. The same fool has denied to Sansa basic explanation of justice for Mountain's victims. Sansa idolizes her father, she would never go against him deliberately, but she had no way to understand him.

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ok iam the first to admit that sansa us my least favorite character in all the books. Which is why I read this hoping to get some insight from a different point of view. but I do have one question. You kept pointing out Ned never explained himself, yet we have so many other instances of Ned explaing things to bran, rob, arya, and jon. Why do you think he never tried to explain anything to sansa.

Thank you by the way I enjoyed reading it.

There are some evidences of this..

Primary evidence is lack of dialogues between father and daughter. Eddard speaks with Sansa to tell how displeased he is about the tourney and that he didn't want her to go, then he speaks with her to command not to quarrel with Arya and then to command to go back to Winterfell, he didn't tell her nothing more. When it's too late he tries to tell to Sansa that Joffrey isn't the prince she has dreamed about, but it is exactly too late when Sansa has already done all her magnificent plans about her future happy life.

More subtle evidence is the fact Sansa had no ideas about her father's point of view, i think everyone in the realm knew lord Eddard was an honorable man and everyone knew the Lannisters aren't honourable. It's simple to point out the why Ned despises Lannisters. Tywin, Cersei, Jaime are egoistic, cruel, arrogant, dishonest, power hungry (Ned wrongly believes Jaime is power hungry). The Lannister's song is an hymn of cruelty and arrogance (Rains of Castamere). It's a really weird fact that Sansa was eager to marry a Lannister. Her naivete isn't her fault, it is evident Ned has never spoken with Sansa about this matter. She is a good girl, she would never do something might displease her father, she loves him and when she can she tries to imitate him.

She desperately tries to convince Ned to leave her in KL by telling she will be like the Lannister Queen. Poor girl do her best to please her father, but she can't even imagine his real thoughts. I have already spoken about the misunderstanding regarding the tourney, Ned didn't explain himself, he is just against the tourney, but Sansa doesn't know why.

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It's a really weird fact that Sansa was eager to marry a Lannister.

She didn't want to marry a Lannister, I suppose you know people believed Joffrey was a Crown Prince of House Baratheon.

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She didn't want to marry a Lannister, I suppose you know people believed Joffrey was a Crown Prince of House Baratheon.

I'm sure you know the text better than i do,why are you asking for the quotes? Sansa wanted to marry a lion.

AGOT 44 SANSA

“I don’t want someone brave and gentle, I want him. We’ll be ever so happy, just like in the songs, you’ll see. I’ll give him a son with golden hair, and one day he’ll be the king of all the realm, the greatest king that ever was, as brave as the wolf and as proud as the lion.”

Arya made a face. “Not if Joffrey’s his father,” she said. “He’s a liar and a craven and anyhow he’s a stag, not a lion.”

Sansa felt tears in her eyes. “He is not! He’s not the least bit like that old drunken king,” she screamed at her sister, forgetting herself in her grief.

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I'm sure you know the text better than i do,why are you asking for the quotes? Sansa wanted to marry a lion.

AGOT 44 SANSA

“I don’t want someone brave and gentle, I want him. We’ll be ever so happy, just like in the songs, you’ll see. I’ll give him a son with golden hair, and one day he’ll be the king of all the realm, the greatest king that ever was, as brave as the wolf and as proud as the lion.”

Arya made a face. “Not if Joffrey’s his father,” she said. “He’s a liar and a craven and anyhow he’s a stag, not a lion.”

Sansa felt tears in her eyes. “He is not! He’s not the least bit like that old drunken king,” she screamed at her sister, forgetting herself in her grief.

LOL, you prove nothing. We have seen that Sansa despises Jaime for what he has done to her father's men, so to say that she loved Lannisters is plainly wrong. She loved Joffrey and she didn't see him as a Lannister, she saw him, well, as Crown Prince.

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LOL, you prove nothing. We have seen that Sansa despises Jaime for what he has done to her father's men, so to say that she loved Lannisters is plainly wrong. She loved Joffrey and she didn't see him as a Lannister, she saw him, well, as Crown Prince.

Mladen you're twisting my words again and you are accusing me for something i have never told.

I welcome english practice, a particular kind of exercise: explain the same matter in as many ways as you can, but i fear the others readers might be tired of our pointless discussion. Let's be productive please.

I dont want someone brave and gentle, I want him. Well be ever so happy, just like in the songs, youll see. Ill give him a son with golden hair, and one day hell be the king of all the realm, the greatest king that ever was, as brave as the wolf and as proud as the lion.

Arya made a face. Not if Joffreys his father, she said. Hes a liar and a craven and anyhow hes a stag, not a lion.

Sansa felt tears in her eyes. He is not! Hes not the least bit like that old drunken king, she screamed at her sister, forgetting herself in her grief.

This quote could not means anything else than the fact Sansa sees Joffrey like a Lannister and she is eager to marry him.

Sansa also sees Cersei like a fine, noble and courteous woman and she wants to and imitate her.

Send Arya away, she started it, Father, I swear it. Ill be good, youll see, just let me stay and I promise to be as fine and noble and courteous as the queen.

Fathers mouth twitched strangely.

These two quotes don't evidence that Sansa loves Lannister's arrogance and Lannister's cruelty. These quotes demonstrate Sansa's genuine love for the royal family and they also demonstrate Sansa's absolute misunderstanding of who are the Lannisters.

I wasn't speaking about Sansa's love for the Lannister, i was speaking about deficit of communication between Eddard and Sansa, her idealized view of the Lannisters is an direct evidence of lack of communication between father and daughter, he should warn her about the true nature of people who surround her.

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There are some evidences of this..

Primary evidence is lack of dialogues between father and daughter. Eddard speaks with Sansa to tell how displeased he is about the tourney and that he didn't want her to go, then he speaks with her to command not to quarrel with Arya and then to command to go back to Winterfell, he didn't tell her nothing more. When it's too late he tries to tell to Sansa that Joffrey isn't the prince she has dreamed about, but it is exactly too late when Sansa has already done all her magnificent plans about her future happy life.

More subtle evidence is the fact Sansa had no ideas about her father's point of view, i think everyone in the realm knew lord Eddard was an honorable man and everyone knew the Lannisters aren't honourable. It's simple to point out the why Ned despises Lannisters. Tywin, Cersei, Jaime are egoistic, cruel, arrogant, dishonest, power hungry (Ned wrongly believes Jaime is power hungry). The Lannister's song is an hymn of cruelty and arrogance (Rains of Castamere). It's a really weird fact that Sansa was eager to marry a Lannister. Her naivete isn't her fault, it is evident Ned has never spoken with Sansa about this matter. She is a good girl, she would never do something might displease her father, she loves him and when she can she tries to imitate him.

She desperately tries to convince Ned to leave her in KL by telling she will be like the Lannister Queen. Poor girl do her best to please her father, but she can't even imagine his real thoughts. I have already spoken about the misunderstanding regarding the tourney, Ned didn't explain himself, he is just against the tourney, but Sansa doesn't know why.

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  • 1 month later...

I don't limit myself to tell Sansa isn't a Stark, i'm trying to be precise and explain all the points when Sansa is different from her family.

1) She does not consider hurting an innocent like something wrong.

2) She does not consider offending her sister like something wrong

3) She does not consider threatening her sister with real sword like something wrong

4) She does not consider being rejected when she try to help her betrothed like something wrong.

Sansa does not share Starks moral values, but i love Sansa i am sure she have an incredible character. I hope i will be able to demonstrate that Sansa has a strong personality, she gained her strength with hard lessons, when she was with the Stark family she wasn't strong.

She would have helped her sister from anyone else. At the moment she was in love with Joffrey and love makes people blind to many things. This was temporary; it doesn't mean that she has no moral compass.

I will just say one thing: You do not get taught to be compassionate. You are compassionate or you aren't. It is that simple.

So you say that parents don't have an impact on how compassionate their children are? Is compassion inborn or something?

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Mladen, I would agree that some people are born with an innate sense of empathy. Compassion is something that develops over time based on your experiences and your thoughts about them. Sansa is 11 in AGOT. She hasn't quite figured out how to be compassionate because her experience in the world has been limited.


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Actually, it is. Sansa shows the compassionate nature even before her father is beheaded. We had instance with Sandor, we have her thoughts about Jon. So, she is compassionate person, and no one has taught her that. She is simply, compassionate person by nature. She did changed, but you obviously confuse in what way she was changed.

Do you remember well the situation with Sandor?

She was scared by him, she wasn't thinking about compassion when she saw Sandor burns. She had no idea of how painful his injury was, she didn't even think how bad he feels.

One can be compassionate only through understanding of the other's suffering.

Sansa from GOT was completely lacking of understanding.

The Hound forced her to listen his story, he forced her to look at him and to understand him. After the story Sansa realized how bad he feels, she realized the mountain was a monster. Sansa needed to know Sandor's pain to be compassionate with him.

She did changed and i didn't confuse the way she changed.

AGOT 29 SANSA

She had never seen a man die before. She ought to be crying too, she thought, but the tears would not come. Perhaps she had used up all her tears for Lady and Bran. It would be different if it had been Jory or Ser Rodrik or Father, she told herself. The young knight in the blue cloak was nothing to her, some stranger from the Vale of Arryn whose name she had forgotten as soon as she heard it. And now the world would forget his name too, Sansa realized; there would be no songs sung for him. That was sad.

One could argue that it is natural not to be compassionate with a stranger, but the older Sansa disagree. She saw the death for the first time at the tourney, but she understood the death for the first time during the massacre of Stark's men, when she was closed Maegor's tower. When Sansa realized men are really dying outside, she changed her mind about proper lady-like behavior, it is normal to cry for the other's painful death.

AGOT 51 SANSA

Sansa had wept too, the first day. Even within the stout walls of Maegor’s Holdfast, with her door closed and barred, it was hard not to be terrified when the killing began. She had grown up to the sound of steel in the yard, and scarcely a day of her life had passed without hearing the clash of sword on sword, yet somehow knowing that the fighting was real made all the difference in the world. She heard it as she had never heard it before, and there were other sounds as well, grunts of pain, angry curses, shouts for help, and the moans of wounded and dying men. In the songs, the knights never screamed nor begged for mercy.

ASOS 16 SANSA

“He says he shouted her name for his battle cry, isn’t that ever so gallant? Someday I want some champion to wear my favor, and kill a hundred men.” Elinor told her to hush, but looked pleased all the same.

They are children, Sansa thought. They are silly little girls, even Elinor. They’ve never seen a battle, they’ve never seen a man die, they know nothing. Their dreams were full of songs and stories, the way hers had been before Joffrey cut her father’s head off. Sansa pitied them. Sansa envied them.

Sansa herself realizes how silly she was, she did not approve pointless killing because she know what the death means. Sansa in the tourney of the hand wasn't conscious of Hugh's harm, he lost his live for nothing. Compassion for the unfair death is the direct result of the understanding of the brutality of the real word.

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At the end, Ned's death changed Sansa that is for certain. But it certainly didn't make her compassionate and there is no logic behind that, especially since we have seen her being compassionate before Ned died.

I have the opinion someone who has suffered an intense emotional pain could be more sympathetic to the others suffering. Tragic experiences make us grow. I get my opinion by the literal interpretation of definition of compassion.

Compassion is an emotion that is a sense of shared suffering, most often combined with a desire to alleviate or reduce the suffering of another; to show special kindness to those who suffer. Compassion essentially arises through empathy, and is often characterized through actions, wherein a person acting with compassion will seek to aid those they feel compassionate for.

Compassionate acts are generally considered those which take into account the suffering of others and attempt to alleviate that suffering AS IF IT WERE ONE’S OWN. In this sense, the various forms of the Golden Rule are clearly based on the concept of compassion.

AGOT 15 SANSA

Mycah stood there, frozen with fear.

Joffrey walked toward him. “Go on, pick it up. Or do you only fight little girls?”

“She ast me to, m’lord,” Mycah said. “She ast me to.”

Sansa had only to glance at Arya and see the flush on her sister’s face to know the boy was telling the truth, but Joffrey was in no mood to listen. The wine had made him wild. “Are you going to pick up your sword?”

Mycah shook his head. “It’s only a stick, m’lord. It’s not no sword, it’s only a stick.”

“And you’re only a butcher’s boy, and no knight.” Joffrey lifted Lion’s Tooth and laid its point on Mycah’s cheek below the eye, as the butcher’s boy stood trembling. “That was my lady’s sister you were hitting, do you know that?” A bright bud of blood blossomed where his sword pressed into Mycah’s flesh, and a slow red line trickled down the boy’s cheek.

These situations are incredibly similar, Joffrey is abusing and threatening a stranger person with whom Sansa isn't particularly attached. In the first case Sansa doesn't feel Mycah's suffering as if were her own. In the second case she admits in her thoughts that she recognize Joffrey's threat to Dontos like the same Joffrey did to her father. Dontos is stranger to her but she shares his suffering with him as if it was her own suffering. She clearly identifies herself with all Joffrey's victims.

ACOK 2 SANSA

By then the crowd was howling with laughter... all but the king. Joffrey had a look in his eyes that Sansa remembered well, the same look he’d had at the Great Sept of Baelor the day he pronounced death on Lord Eddard Stark. Finally Ser Dontos the Red gave it up for a bad job, sat down in the dirt, and removed his plumed helm. “I lose,” he shouted. “Fetch me some wine.”

The king stood. “A cask from the cellars! I’ll see him drowned in it.”

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Sansa wasn't honorable according Ned's mentality? LOL... I suppose her taming Joffrey to give money to poor people of KL or saving Dontos is against what Ned's mentality is.

There is the main difference from being just empathetic and being honorable.

Sansa grew in the most peaceful castle of seven kingdoms. She was used to see only kindness around her. She is the textbook definition of sweet summer child. She had an idealized view of life. Sansa grew in an functional family, she obviously disapprove pointless cruelty. She has never seen hunger, indigence, poverty at Winterfell. She can't bear to see unfair abuse, she isn't used with famine and war.

"All she wanted was for things to be nice and pretty, the way they were in the songs."

Morality (from the Latin moralitas "manner, character, proper behavior") is the differentiation of intentions, decisions, and actions between those that are "good" (or right) and those that are "bad" (or wrong). Morality can be a body of standards or principles derived from a code of conduct from a particular philosophy, religion, culture, etc., or it can derive from a standard that a person believes should be universal.

I'm contestesting the fact Sansa has no understanding of responsibility. The honorable decision is mostly the most arduous, the right thing to do isn't always simple, nice and enjoyable.

A honorable person acts because it the right thing to do regardless of own feelings. Mycah wasn't a pleasant person, neither the situation was pleasant, Sansa should have a moral compass that indicates who is right and who is wrong. Moral code does not depend on the mood.

She acts compassionate when it please her, she isn't a vengeful person by nature, but she has no a strong moral rule against vengeance.

She pity Lancel Lannister, her enemy, but wishes for the death of Slynt's son, the boy did nothing to her, he isn't guilty for his father's crimes.

ACOK 2 SANSA

“Morros of House Slynt, heir to Lord Janos of Harrenhal.”

“Look at that upiumped oaf,” Joff hooted, loud enough for half the yard to hear. Morros, a mere squire and a new-made squire at that, was having difficulty managing lance and shield. The lance was a knight’s weapon, Sansa knew, the Slynts lowborn. Lord Janos had been no more than commander of the City Watch before Joffrey had raised him to Hanrenhal and the council.

I hope he falls and shames himself, she thought bitterly. I hope Ser Balon kills him. When Joffrey proclaimed her father’s death, it had been Janos Slynt who seized Lord Eddard’s severed head by the hair and raised it on high for king and crowd to behold, while Sansa wept and screamed.

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Heroes and monsters.



AGOT 44 SANSA


Her father’s decision still bewildered her. When the Knight of Flowers had spoken up, she’d been sure she was about to see one of Old Nan’s stories come to life. Ser Gregor was the monster and Ser Loras the true hero who would slay him. He even looked a true hero, so slim and beautiful, with golden roses around his slender waist and his rich brown hair tumbling down into his eyes. And then Father had refused him! It had upset her more than she could tell. She had said as much to Septa Mordane as they descended the stairs from the gallery, but the septa had only told her it was not her place to question her lord father’s decisions.

That was when Lord Baelish had said, “Oh, I don’t know, Septa. Some of her lord father’s decisions could do with a bit of questioning. The young lady is as wise as she is lovely.” He made a sweeping bow to Sansa, so deep she was not quite sure if she was being complimented or mocked.


Septa Mordane had been very upset to realize that Lord Baelish had overheard them. “The girl was just talking, my lord,” she’d said. “Foolish chatter. She meant nothing by the comment.”


Lord Baelish stroked his little pointed beard and said, “Nothing? Tell me, child, why would you have sent Ser Loras?”


Sansa had no choice but to explain about heroes and monsters. The king’s councillor smiled. “Well, those are not the reasons I’d have given, but...” He had touched her cheek, his thumb lightly tracing the line of a cheekbone. “Life is not a song, sweetling. You may learn that one day to your sorrow.”


Sansa had a sweet and naive view of life, she was only twelve. But she was in the right age to learn according to westerosy tradition, medieval life is hard and winter is coming . She went to King's court to see King's justice, a lady should know well the laws and rules of the realm. She was supposed to be the next queen.


Ned was dealing with Mountains victims. It was a really controversial question. Gregor must be punished. Tywin must be punished. Ned can't lead the men because his duties are in KL.


He doesn't choose the King's headsman because ser Ilyn might be loyal to lord Tywin.


Loras Tyrell offered himself for this mission, Ned didn't choose him because, Loras is young and inexperienced. Ned knew Loras wants to go against the Mountain for revenge. Gregor humiliated the young Tyrell at the tourney. Eddard's decision to not send Loras in western lands is highly honorable in several aspects.



1) Ned recognize the difference between justice and vengeance, his moral code does not approve the vengeance, he firmly believes in values of justice


2) Loras is young, he isn't his son but Eddard is worried about his destiny. Ned doesn't want to send a boy as young as Robb to a suicidal mission.


3) Eddard decision to not send Loras is incredibly politically inconvenient, Ned puts in the first place the outcome of the mission, safety of his men and he does not consider his own needs. Ned does not accept Varys’s opportunistic advice.


AGOT 43 EDDARD


“Do we have your leave to take our vengeance against Ser Gregor, then?” Marq Piper asked the throne.

“Vengeance?” Ned said. “I thought we were speaking of justice. Burning Clegane’s fields and slaughtering his people will not restore the king’s peace, only your injured pride.” He glanced away before the young knight could voice his outraged protest, and addressed the villagers. “People of Sherrer, I cannot give you back your homes or your crops, nor can I restore your dead to life. But perhaps I can give you some small measure of justice, in the name of our king, Robert.”


Every eye in the hall was fixed on him, waiting. Slowly Ned struggled to his feet, pushing himself up from the throne with the strength of his arms, his shattered leg screaming inside its cast. He did his best to ignore the pain; it was no moment to let them see his weakness. “The First Men believed that the judge who called for death should wield the sword, and in the north we hold to that still. I mislike sending another to do my killing... yet it seems I have no choice.” He gestured at his broken leg.


“Lord Eddard!” The shout came from the west side of the hall as a handsome stripling of a boy strode forth boldly. Out of his armor, Ser Loras Tyrell looked even younger than his sixteen years. He wore pale blue silk, his belt a linked chain of golden roses, the sigil of his House. “I beg you the honor of acting in your place. Give this task to me, my lord, and I swear I shall not fail you.”


Littlefinger chuckled. “Ser Loras, if we send you off alone, Ser Gregor will send us back your head with a plum stuffed in that pretty mouth of yours. The Mountain is not the sort to bend his neck to any man’s justice.”


“I do not fear Gregor Clegane,” Ser Loras said haughtily.


Ned eased himself slowly back onto the hard iron seat of Aegon’s misshapen throne. His eyes searched the faces along the wall. “Lord Beric,” he called out. “Thoros of Myr. Ser Gladden. Lord Lothar.” The men named stepped forward one by one. “Each of you is to assemble twenty men, to bring my word to Gregor’s keep. Twenty of my own guards shall go with you. Lord Beric Dondarrion, you shall have the command, as befits your rank.”


The young lord with the red-gold hair bowed. “As you command, Lord Eddard.”


Ned raised his voice, so it carried to the far end of the throne room. “In the name of Robert of the House Baratheon, the First of his Name, King of the Andals and the Rhoynar and the First Men, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms and Protector of the Realm, by the word of Eddard of the House Stark, his Hand, I charge you to ride to the westlands with all haste, to cross the Red Fork of the Trident under the king’s flag, and there bring the king’s justice to the false knight Gregor Clegane, and to all those who shared in his crimes. I denounce him, and attaint him, and strip him of all rank and titles, of all lands and incomes and holdings, and do sentence him to death. May the gods take pity on his soul.”


When the echo of his words had died away, the Knight of Flowers seemed perplexed. “Lord Eddard, what of me?”


Ned looked down on him. From on high, Loras Tyrell seemed almost as young as Robb. “No one doubts your valor, Ser Loras, but we are about justice here, and what you seek is vengeance.” He looked back to Lord Beric. “Ride at first light. These things are best done quickly.” He held up a hand. “The throne will hear no more petitions today.”


“You are a bolder man than I, my lord,” the eunuch said softly.


“How so, Lord Varys?” Ned asked brusquely. His leg was throbbing, and he was in no mood for word games.


“Had it been me up there, I should have sent Ser Loras. He so wanted to go... and a man who has the Lannisters for his enemies would do well to make the Tyrells his friends.”


“Ser Loras is young,” said Ned. “I daresay he will outgrow the disappointment.”



Sansa is so passionate about chivalry songs and stories, that she isn't able to appreciate Eddard's decision. She is a child and she sees the world in childish way.


Eddard's choice is on so many levels deeper and fairer, than a twelve years old Sansa could understand. Ned denied to Sansa the explanation on the matter, he was angered to see her in the throne room.


AGOT 43 EDDARD


He caught a glimpse of Septa Mordane in the gallery, with his daughter Sansa beside her. Ned felt a flash of anger; this was no place for a girl. But the septa could not have known that today’s court would be anything but the usual tedious business of hearing petitions, settling disputes between rival holdfasts, and adjudicating the placement of boundary stones.



It wasn't the first time when someone forbidden to Sansa to think, to make questions, to participate in important decisions, to express herself. Septa Mordane has always oppressed Sansa's intellectual development. Sansa evaded reality because she was sheltered from the most of it, and the rest was forbidden to her.


She had said as much to Septa Mordane as they descended the stairs from the gallery, but the septa had only told her it was not her place to question her lord father’s decisions.


“The girl was just talking, my lord,” she’d said. “Foolish chatter. She meant nothing by the comment.”



“Septa, will Lord Beric spike Ser Gregor’s head on his own gate or bring it back here for the king?” She and Jeyne Poole had been arguing over that last night.


The septa was horror-struck. “A lady does not discuss such things over her porridge. Where are your courtesies, Sansa? I swear, of late you’ve been near as bad as your sister.”



Sansa cried as Septa Mordane marched them down the steps. They were going to take it all away; the tournaments and the court and her prince, everything, they were going to send her back to the bleak grey walls of Winterfell and lock her up forever. Her life was over before it had begun.


“Stop that weeping, child,” Septa Mordane said sternly. “I am certain your lord father knows what is best for you.”



Sansa looked up from her food. “If she can have a dancing lesson, why won’t you let me say farewell to Prince Joffrey?”


“I would gladly go with her, Lord Eddard,” Septa Mordane offered. “There would be no question of her missing the ship.”


“It would not be wise for you to go to Joffrey right now, Sansa. I’m sorry.”


Sansa’s eyes filled with tears. “But why?”


“Sansa, your lord father knows best,” Septa Mordane said. “You are not to question his decisions.”


“It’s not fair!”


Tragical events brought Sansa to be disillusioned with chivalric values, since her father has never allowed at Sansa to understand his values, what kind of morality will Sansa have? Her family and her mentor lied to her for all her life, there is no true knights and all songs are lies. What will be the fundament of her personality without a strong family influence and without false illusions?


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