Prediction: Jaime's fate

[Castellan]

Ah well I have posted before just to put my views on the record and I'll do it again. There will be some sort of trial at the BWB, and Brynden seems likely to be there because seeking out the BWB would be an obvious step after escaping from Riverrun (and letting him escape was Jaime's fatal error).

Jaime would rather die by the sword than hang so he will likely seek a trial by combat. But I think Catelyn will then have second thoughts - perhaps in the course of pleading his case to her she has half believed him despite her transformation to a being dedicted to vengeance. She will revive him, and die.

Sometime after that, Jaime will sacrifice himself reviving Brienne.

This is based on a post years ago where someone pointed out that the symbolism of their houses equated to the different ways AA tried forging Lightbringer - in fire, in water, in the breast of a lion, and then in the breast of a beloved. I can't remember if he projected the beloved would be Brienne, but that's how I see it.

 

 

[Gilbert Green]

3 hours ago, Castellan said:

Ah well I have posted before just to put my views on the record and I'll do it again. There will be some sort of trial at the BWB, and Brynden seems likely to be there because seeking out the BWB would be an obvious step after escaping from Riverrun (and letting him escape was Jaime's fatal error).

Jaime would rather die by the sword than hang so he will likely seek a trial by combat. But I think Catelyn will then have second thoughts - perhaps in the course of pleading his case to her she has half believed him despite her transformation to a being dedicted to vengeance. She will revive him, and die.

Sometime after that, Jaime will sacrifice himself reviving Brienne.

This is based on a post years ago where someone pointed out that the symbolism of their houses equated to the different ways AA tried forging Lightbringer - in fire, in water, in the breast of a lion, and then in the breast of a beloved. I can't remember if he projected the beloved would be Brienne, but that's how I see it.

Death by the sword was exactly what Stoneheart ordered for Jaime.  There was never any talk of hanging him.

[Angel Eyes]

9 hours ago, Gilbert Green said:

Death by the sword was exactly what Stoneheart ordered for Jaime.  There was never any talk of hanging him.

Do you see anyone else receiving a death by sword from the Brotherhood? They seem to have given up the trial by combat practice and go to the hanging.

[Gilbert Green]

6 hours ago, Angel Eyes said:

Do you see anyone else receiving a death by sword from the Brotherhood? They seem to have given up the trial by zcombat practice and go to the hanging.

Anyone else?  Who knows.  Who cares.  This is not a hypothetical.  We were there.  We saw Stoneheart order Jaime killed by the sword.  If he's the only one, then so be it, but he is at least, one.  Nor is it accidental.  It connects with the whole oathkeeper theme.  Stoneheart knows the name of the sword.

The BWB does have swords, you know.  I assume they occasionally use them.  I imagine they are not ready to beat them into plowshares just yet.

She said nothing about trial by combat.  Just Brienne killing Jaime with the sword.

[Corvo the Crow]

He'll be a shining beacon for humanity. Yes, he'll burn.

[EggBlue]

Jaimie will either die by Cersei's hands whilst strangling her (romantic stuff)

OR he'll die fighting the Others alongside Brienne (his wierdwood dream)

OR Stoneheart will order his death by Lem Lemoncloak aka. Richard Lonmouth .

I might be old fashioned , but I like the first theory the best 

[Curled Finger]

On 3/13/2021 at 3:35 PM, Angel Eyes said:

So this grew out of a post on the Comeuppance for Jaime and Cersei thread, with addendums from the Jaime's Hand thread:

• Jaime's arc revolves around oaths, making, breaking, and keeping oaths. For example he's disliked in-universe for breaking his Kingsguard oath by killing the Mad King to save King's Landing, upholding his oath as a knight to protect the innocent. Jaime muses about the various oaths made by knights and how they conflict with each other.
• As of ADWD, Jaime is with Brienne and they are heading towards Lady Stoneheart. Lady Stoneheart, as Catelyn, made Jaime promise to bring Sansa and Arya back from King's Landing, a promise she believes he broke because the sword Brienne carries is made from Ice, Ned Stark’s sword.
• Brienne swore to prove her loyalty to Lady Stoneheart by killing Jaime.
• Logical result: Because of the promise Lady Stoneheart believes he broke, the promise Brienne made to Lady Stoneheart, the newfound sense of honor Jaime has, his trust in Brienne, the fact that he can't fight his way out of a problem due to the loss of his hand, and GRRM's tendency to show the consequences of one's actions since he's not one for miracles, Jaime will receive a short drop and a sudden stop. And so ends the short, undistinguished career of Ser Jaime Lannister the Kingslayer.

Have read through twice.  Argued and agreed where I felt appropriate and warn you upfront I don't make predictions based upon the usual things.  My predictions on those I deem heroes are based upon the swords and therefore their usefulness in the Battle for Dawn.  This means they will survive in one form or another stabbing, hanging, awful fathers, Mereen and the Brotherhood Without Banners among other interesting people and places.  Jamie Lannister will most definitely be there.  A sword was specifically made for him as he was fashioned specifically for it in his maiming.  It is impossible to miss if you are looking for these things.  

Jamie is a polarizing character as is evidenced in this conversation.  Self-entitled wise ass or deepening character of honor?  I think he's both, beautifully, masterfully both.  While I wouldn't be caught dead pulling some of the things Jamie's pulled I have to admire some of the things he has done without thinking, out of reflex.  I don't know that it would occur to me to run my king through were we alone together after he's burned people to death in front of me, threatened my father and seemed to fall completely apart.  I think I would be terrified, but I've never been in that type of crisis either.  Just swipe, stab, gone--all problems solved, take a break and wait for the cavalry to come.  Or all that bravado with Brienne.  All he wanted was a good fight with her, knock her smug face down a peg or 2, just some sport between an uppity wench and a real knight in chains.  They are taken prisoner and she's too stupid to understand they are going to rape her.  He tries to talk the captors down and buy his freedom and loses his hand.  Bloody Hell.  This isn't even the great break in character or Jamie's comeuppance.  He is weak and depleted in the hot baths and goes straight for the woman he wanted to fight and protect to bare his soul.   Wow.  

We got 2 books to loathe and get a huge kick out of Lannister then we got a chance to give him a deeper look.  Take it or leave it, there is much more to Jamie Lannister because of what happens to him while in captivity, while with Brienne and after losing his hand.  These are all traumatic, moving events in his life beyond Casterly Rock and Kings Landing, beyond Cersei and Tywin and the Kingsguard.  This is the first time in Jamie's life his is on his own, without his posse and failing hugely, having only a tall blonde woman who can kick his ass to believe in. 

This bit with LSH is about oaths and the Stark girls.  Just so happens Jamie and Brienne are oath crazy and prone to fall right in line with whatever hair brained scheme the revenant has planned.  Jamie's face and name will grant an awful lot of access to places the BwB will want to be early in Winds and so they will.  Brienne may even be the one to point this out to LSH and that is how Jamie may survive.  

Once Jamie has fulfilled his oath to Cat and Brienne has a Stark girl safely in tow or sight he will likely return to Kings Landing.  Whatever the reason, he does have business there.  Some say Cersei, I say a sword.  Whatever happens there he will be leaving with his sword to head north.  He had a dream once of he and Brienne with twin swords of blue flame.  And he does still have unsettled debt with Bran. 

 

[Angel Eyes]

On 2/26/2023 at 4:41 PM, Curled Finger said:

Have read through twice.  Argued and agreed where I felt appropriate and warn you upfront I don't make predictions based upon the usual things.  My predictions on those I deem heroes are based upon the swords and therefore their usefulness in the Battle for Dawn.  This means they will survive in one form or another stabbing, hanging, awful fathers, Mereen and the Brotherhood Without Banners among other interesting people and places.  Jamie Lannister will most definitely be there.  A sword was specifically made for him as he was fashioned specifically for it in his maiming.  It is impossible to miss if you are looking for these things.  

Jamie is a polarizing character as is evidenced in this conversation.  Self-entitled wise ass or deepening character of honor?  I think he's both, beautifully, masterfully both.  While I wouldn't be caught dead pulling some of the things Jamie's pulled I have to admire some of the things he has done without thinking, out of reflex.  I don't know that it would occur to me to run my king through were we alone together after he's burned people to death in front of me, threatened my father and seemed to fall completely apart.  I think I would be terrified, but I've never been in that type of crisis either.  Just swipe, stab, gone--all problems solved, take a break and wait for the cavalry to come.  Or all that bravado with Brienne.  All he wanted was a good fight with her, knock her smug face down a peg or 2, just some sport between an uppity wench and a real knight in chains.  They are taken prisoner and she's too stupid to understand they are going to rape her.  He tries to talk the captors down and buy his freedom and loses his hand.  Bloody Hell.  This isn't even the great break in character or Jamie's comeuppance.  He is weak and depleted in the hot baths and goes straight for the woman he wanted to fight and protect to bare his soul.   Wow.  

We got 2 books to loathe and get a huge kick out of Lannister then we got a chance to give him a deeper look.  Take it or leave it, there is much more to Jamie Lannister because of what happens to him while in captivity, while with Brienne and after losing his hand.  These are all traumatic, moving events in his life beyond Casterly Rock and Kings Landing, beyond Cersei and Tywin and the Kingsguard.  This is the first time in Jamie's life his is on his own, without his posse and failing hugely, having only a tall blonde woman who can kick his ass to believe in. 

This bit with LSH is about oaths and the Stark girls.  Just so happens Jamie and Brienne are oath crazy and prone to fall right in line with whatever hair brained scheme the revenant has planned.  Jamie's face and name will grant an awful lot of access to places the BwB will want to be early in Winds and so they will.  Brienne may even be the one to point this out to LSH and that is how Jamie may survive.  

Once Jamie has fulfilled his oath to Cat and Brienne has a Stark girl safely in tow or sight he will likely return to Kings Landing.  Whatever the reason, he does have business there.  Some say Cersei, I say a sword.  Whatever happens there he will be leaving with his sword to head north.  He had a dream once of he and Brienne with twin swords of blue flame.  And he does still have unsettled debt with Bran. 

 

Well @Curled Finger, my thought process is that in Lady Stoneheart's mind, Jaime has already broken his word to her since Brienne now wields one of the swords made from Ice. She's not likely to grant clemency now.

[BlackLightning]

On 3/9/2023 at 3:40 PM, Angel Eyes said:

Well @Curled Finger, my thought process is that in Lady Stoneheart's mind, Jaime has already broken his word to her since Brienne now wields one of the swords made from Ice. She's not likely to grant clemency now.

Not unless something catastrophically important happens.

Bran using greenseer magic to interfere in Jaime's execution definitely falls within that category. As does:

• the fall of the Wall (which will likely cause a massive earthquake)
• a sudden sharp drop in temperature and the disappearance of the Sun (i.e. the Long Night's beginning)
• the sound of the Horn of Winter being blown (which, given its magic properties, will be heard).

Even so, Stoneheart will be forced to recognize that the accomplishing of her goals would be easier with Jaime's help than without it. For one, Jaime knows the itinerary set for Edmure's prison escort. Two, Jaime can get them close to the Twins. Three, Jaime can get do more than get them close to Riverrun...he can get them inside. And by the way, doesn't Jaime have King Tommen's seal with him as well? Jaime also can confirm that the Arya at Winterfell is a pretender whose placement there was arranged by Littlefinger of all people.

I don't think Stoneheart is some mindless killing machine. She's still Catelyn. And Jaime knows too much to be killed right away.

She probably will still kill him though. But not until after she's been able to take him for everything he's worth.

[Curled Finger]

On 3/14/2023 at 6:44 PM, BlackLightning said:

Not unless something catastrophically important happens.

Bran using greenseer magic to interfere in Jaime's execution definitely falls within that category. As does:

• the fall of the Wall (which will likely cause a massive earthquake)
• a sudden sharp drop in temperature and the disappearance of the Sun (i.e. the Long Night's beginning)
• the sound of the Horn of Winter being blown (which, given its magic properties, will be heard).

 

Curious so many folks have ideas about Bran interfering in what awaits Jamie and this is a cool idea for many reasons.  Deepen Jamie's er, descent into further decency.  I dunno.  Lot of ways this bit with Stoneheart can go.  As @Angel Eyes says, LSH sounds like a wraith with her mind set.  It will take a miracle to fix this.  I don't think Brienne can say anything to sway her.  She is unreasonable.  I have hoped that remnants of her life will visit her, she's got some reminders, but more, maybe Blackfish, I dunno, just more reminders of her living.  Even through Beric's many changes he was essentially the same man though lessened and I realize Stoneheart has been through a longer um down time between life and death.  And dammit all, she is not wrong.  Not with the Freys.  I hate what she does to them.  She doesn't like it.  It's just ice justice; she's trying to kill them all for killing Robb. Dude, I want to hang 3 more of them.  The Red Wedding was dirty.  I hope she gets a Bolton.  Just one of them.  Just Roose.  Just Once.  Yah, I want to read that.  Ice justice, hell yes.  Then I will come back here and tell you how much I hate myself.  Gads the Red Wedding was dirty.   Still I have to think that under all that Mother Merciless if she knew even one of her children survived it would impact her heart and actions.  She died pitiably believing her children were all lost or dead or even worse in Sansa's case, a prisoner of war.  Watching her eldest son killed in front of her after she begged for his life.  Yah, I get LSH a lot more than I ever got Catelyn Stark.  

Jamie Lannister is more valuable alive than dead.  Again, alive this woman was a political player.  One hopes she recalls this in her afterlife so that it may serve her.  He makes every major decision being made in the entire Riverlands these days in the name of The Crown.  I do hope Lady Stoneheart is savvy.  

[sweetsunray]

7 hours ago, Curled Finger said:

Curious so many folks have ideas about Bran interfering in what awaits Jamie and this is a cool idea for many reasons.  Deepen Jamie's er, descent into further decency.  I dunno.  Lot of ways this bit with Stoneheart can go. 

Cat learned Bran and Rickon were dead at Riverrun. She went down to Jaime's cell (with Brienne) and had him confess he threw Bran from the tower, though he denied being behind sending an assassin to kill the boy while in a coma (IIRC it's the first time he hears of this... He attacked Ned without knowing why Cat had arrested Tyrion and left to be of service to his father's armies in the RL, besieged RR and ended up in a cell). Instead of killing Jaime as he expects Cat to do, she frees him and has him vow to get her daughters back and Brienne as escort.

So, on the one hand it's logical in a circular way for Cat to behead Jaime in front of the weirwood of Riverrun's godswood with the sword of the husband who ended up beheaded to make Jaime's son with Cersei king, but also for Bran to reach out via the slender weirwood and extend mercy.

The slender weirwood trees are typically associated with Bran, because he's still a boy: in Jon's dream in aCoK in the Frostfangs and at the Nightfort a slender weirwood grows out of the well through the roof.

Riverrun is a reference to Finnegan's wake. It's a word of the sentence that ends at the start of the novel, and begins at the end. The book's story is circular.

And for people with some Arthurian quest background, you surely recognize Gawain and the Green Knight plotline. Here Bran is the Green Knight, and his beheaded father was the prior Green Knight. And the beheading was done with a sword, instead of an axe. It would definitely impact Jaime, Brienne but also Lady Stoneheart. To hear the voice of her son or see his face in the weirwood tree appear would be the "needed miracle".

[Back in Black-Snow]

I have no clue how it will happen, but I think both Jaime and Brianne will survive their encounter with Lady Stoneheart. I think Brianne alerted Jaime of the present danger when she touched her sword as she approached him.

[BlackLightning]

On 3/19/2023 at 7:08 AM, sweetsunray said:

And for people with some Arthurian quest background, you surely recognize Gawain and the Green Knight plotline. Here Bran is the Green Knight, and his beheaded father was the prior Green Knight. And the beheading was done with a sword, instead of an axe. It would definitely impact Jaime, Brienne but also Lady Stoneheart. To hear the voice of her son or see his face in the weirwood tree appear would be the "needed miracle"

I love that story. Did you see the recent movie that came out?

 

Besides, Bran always had been Catelyn's favorite. His survival and his interference would make all the difference. Especially once she receives confirmation from Jaime that the Arya in Winterfell is a pretender and that the real one is still alive out there somewhere.

[sweetsunray]

9 hours ago, BlackLightning said:

I love that story. Did you see the recent movie that came out?

Already my standard Christmas / NY movie past 2 years, and I watched it in the movie theaters when it came out.

9 hours ago, BlackLightning said:

Besides, Bran always had been Catelyn's favorite. His survival and his interference would make all the difference.

Exactly

[Nevets]

If Bran is going to communicate through the weirwoods he is going to have to improve his skills noticeably.  Right now, he can barely manage a brief whisper; that's not going to cut it.

If Bran does manage to save someone it's mostly likely going to be Theon.  He's accused of murdering Bran, so if it turns out he's alive, it makes executing Theon more difficult. 

I don't see any reason for Bran to get involved with Jaime.  Catelyn impliedly forgave Jaime for Bran's fall when she released him.  She's after him now because she thinks he was involved in the Red Wedding and that he sent Brienne to find Sansa for Cersei's benefit.  Neither is true, of course, but it will be up to Jaime and Brienne to convince her of that, if they can.  Bran won't come into it.

The only reason I'm convinced he's not dead is because his body hasn't shown up yet.  Which suggests they are saving him for something.  He won't help with Red Wedding 2.0, though they may not realize that. My guess is that he has offered to arrange the release and freeing of the Frey prisoners taken at the Red Wedding.  I think it might work; it could also get him killed.  I have a suspicion he dies early in the next book.  We're overdue for an unexpected, impactful death.

[Mithras]

Bran talking through the trees and interacting with the plot is just Monty Python levels of bad writing at this point. GRRM originally had such ideas but he is moving away from them. Recently we saw an example of this process in an early version of the Brienne chapter. Originally, a murder of crows would appear at the last moment and save Brienne from hanging but GRRM dropped that and had Brienne save herself. A similar process is taking place for the glass candles. In the original drafts of AFfC Prologue, glass candles were much more prominent but GRRM cut down a lot of stuff about them and wrote to his editor that he is "losing confidence in the whole concept of glass candles".

[BlackLightning]

14 hours ago, sweetsunray said:

Already my standard Christmas / NY movie past 2 years, and I watched it in the movie theaters when it came out.

I watched it in theaters too. It was masterfully filmed; the colors were incredible

But I do want to know what you thought about the actual story. There are a few different ways to tell the story and the last 15-20 minutes of the film takes a lot of interesting liberties.

11 hours ago, Mithras said:

In the original drafts of AFfC Prologue, glass candles were much more prominent but GRRM cut down a lot of stuff about them and wrote to his editor that he is "losing confidence in the whole concept of glass candles".

But the concept of glass candles is confusing.

Like it appears to be a cross of telephones, FaceTime and CCTV and the whole point of its creation was to eliminate the need for additional POVs.

I don't know. I don't have that much confidence in glass candles as a concept as a reader so I don't blame him. Over-relying on the glass candles would put the books in show territory: case in point, Varys' teleporter and Littlefinger's jetpack.

13 hours ago, Nevets said:

If Bran is going to communicate through the weirwoods he is going to have to improve his skills noticeably.  Right now, he can barely manage a brief whisper; that's not going to cut it.

If Bran does manage to save someone it's mostly likely going to be Theon.  He's accused of murdering Bran, so if it turns out he's alive, it makes executing Theon more difficult. 

I don't see any reason for Bran to get involved with Jaime.  Catelyn impliedly forgave Jaime for Bran's fall when she released him.  She's after him now because she thinks he was involved in the Red Wedding and that he sent Brienne to find Sansa for Cersei's benefit.  Neither is true, of course, but it will be up to Jaime and Brienne to convince her of that, if they can.  Bran won't come into it.

The only reason I'm convinced he's not dead is because his body hasn't shown up yet.  Which suggests they are saving him for something.  He won't help with Red Wedding 2.0, though they may not realize that. My guess is that he has offered to arrange the release and freeing of the Frey prisoners taken at the Red Wedding.  I think it might work; it could also get him killed.  I have a suspicion he dies early in the next book.  We're overdue for an unexpected, impactful death.

I do think that Bran will play a much bigger role in saving Theon and turning the tide of the battle for Winterfell in favor of Stannis than in redirecting his mother's wrath and saving Jaime. But I don't see any reason why Bran would not lend his assistance. Not only is Jaime is innocent of what he is being accused of, but he likely would prefer it that his mother pay more attention to the Boltons.

I don't think Catelyn had ever forgiven Jaime for trying to kill Bran. There was just nothing that any of them could have done at that point and she needed his help more than she hated him.

But you're right in this: the fact that no one knows where Jaime is (on top of the fact that the Riverlands have gotten very quiet) means that something important is going on behind-the-scenes.

[sweetsunray]

1 hour ago, BlackLightning said:

But I do want to know what you thought about the actual story. There are a few different ways to tell the story and the last 15-20 minutes of the film takes a lot of interesting liberties.

Well, the Pearl poet's version leaves out much of the adventures of his journey and goes almost straight to the nearby castle with the seductive wife and passing on her kisses to her hunting husband, and it does include a moment of doubt when kneeling for the Green Knight, who ends up only nicking him and forgives him, revealing it was a game and indeed created by Arthur's sister. That Gawain of course was a far more chivalrous knight (counted amongst the best, but not spiritual enough to get the Grail). The gap for his adventures along the way at the time of course allowed other storytellers to fill in the gaps with their "fanfic".

In much later tellings and portrayals, Gawain became a bit of a scapegoat and less chivalrous.

They went with the later lout portrayal, but I find it really good, and I love the trip in his head to flee and what would be the result of it. I also love the final image of his daughter picking up his crown, foreshadowing that ultimately he just doesn't become a "good man", just because he was brave enough in that moment to put down his girdle. That moment may be his best moment in his life, the most important, and why don't need to see the outcome of whether he keeps his head or not. So, as a modern telling I find it perfect: we all can have our moments where we are victorious over our own flaws, are brave and face the consequences... it still doesn't make us perfect.

BTW the last 20 mins trick before facing death, reminds me of The Last Temptation of Christ.

[BlackLightning]

2 minutes ago, sweetsunray said:

Well, the Pearl poet's version leaves out much of the adventures of his journey and goes almost straight to the nearby castle with the seductive wife and passing on her kisses to her hunting husband, and it does include a moment of doubt when kneeling for the Green Knight, who ends up only nicking him and forgives him, revealing it was a game and indeed created by Arthur's sister. That Gawain of course was a far more chivalrous knight (counted amongst the best, but not spiritual enough to get the Grail). The gap for his adventures along the way at the time of course allowed other storytellers to fill in the gaps with their "fanfic".

In much later tellings and portrayals, Gawain became a bit of a scapegoat and less chivalrous.

They went with the later lout portrayal, but I find it really good, and I love the trip in his head to flee and what would be the result of it. I also love the final image of his daughter picking up his crown, foreshadowing that ultimately he just doesn't become a "good man", just because he was brave enough in that moment to put down his girdle. That moment may be his best moment in his life, the most important, and why don't need to see the outcome of whether he keeps his head or not. So, as a modern telling I find it perfect: we all can have our moments where we are victorious over our own flaws, are brave and face the consequences... it still doesn't make us perfect.

BTW the last 20 mins trick before facing death, reminds me of The Last Temptation of Christ.

I don't remember the scene with the girl picking up the crown. It must've been a post-credits scene. Was that really his daughter? If so, what does that mean. Does that mean that everything that he imagined came true? He lived, became king and died after all?

And you know what; now I think about it....a lot of ASOIAF is directly inspired (and works to subvert) the Arthurian legends. And as far as I'm concerned, I believe a large portion of the Arthurian legends actually happened.

Jaime's story is a mixture between that of Lancelot and that of Gawain. Cersei's appears to be an interesting, evil mixture of Ingraine, Morgause, Morgan le Fey and Guinevere. Melisandre is another depiction of Morgan le Fey. Joffrey's chief inspiration is Mordred. Excalibur becomes Dawn and every other Valyrian steel sword in the series. And Jon Snow has King Arthur written all over him as does Rhaegar with Uther Pendragon.

Our beloved Brandon Stark appears to be Brân the Blessed, the Fisher King and maybe even Galahad with the evil Irish witch-kings who can resurrect the dead being the Others.

Didn't Gawain meet the Fisher King in his travels?

 

Back to Jaime, it is interesting with the whole "I'm going to lose my head" part of Gawain's and Lancelot's story are now dovetailing with the fact that Jaime is going to be meeting his maker. With Gawain, the first time was a fakeout but the second time, he takes a head wound that kills him.  I would LOVE to see a Fisher King movie though. I know there was a very loose appropriation of the story back in the early 90s with Robin Williams.

Come to think of it, I don't know what the difference is between Brân the Blessed and the Fisher King is

[sweetsunray]

13 minutes ago, BlackLightning said:

Back to Jaime, it is interesting with the whole "I'm going to lose my head" part of Gawain's and Lancelot's story are now dovetailing with the fact that Jaime is going to be meeting his maker.

And no doubt with the thread that nicked off Ned Stark's head off, who kneeled and bared his neck without resistance...like the Green Knight.