Eddards Confession

[TheSmilingKnight11]

Cersei had the Hound on her side....chances of Ned winning would have been VERY slim.

Ned could of beaten the hound in single combat if his leg was healthy. Even if it wasn't 100 percent he could beat Sandor Clegane. Ned was a great warrior. Seriously the hound?

[Victarion Chainbreaker]

He didn't beat Arthur Dayne in single combat, or any combat for that matter.

I never said he beat him in single combat, Ned had help from a midget with a frog spear. Ned did defeat Arthur Dayne in combat though.

[N/A]

Ned himself was in no condition to fight anyway. He would have needed a champion. Syrio was dead or in hiding at this point, and I am not sure he would have risked it.

I think it depends if the champion is given time to travel to King's Landing or not. If yes, Ned might send for someone from the North, there would be plenty of people who would accept, but this also means that Cersei would send for the Mountain (in the Riverlands at this point), so he would probably still lose.

Probably the only thing he could do was invoking Trial of Seven himself. Then he would presumably be up against Sandor, Gregor, Jaime, Barristan and three other Kingsguard. He would lose, of course, but it would be awesome.

Cersei:I name gregor clegane as my champion, we well await his arrival from the riverlands, name your champion Lord Eddard .

Ned:send a raven to the last hearth, and inform the Greatjon to sharpen his greatsword- the room grew silent

[Crowford]

Its Cersei. She doesn't care about divine rights. She killed her universe's pope equivalent.

Covertly.

If Ned demands Trial by Combat in court, it would be granted. And I have no doubt that his trial would be public. Tyrion's was. You can't make a point of executing a traitor if you do it behind closed doors.

Probably the other thing would happen, there would be no trial at all and Ned just stays in the Black Cells until he either confesses of someone finds out what to do about him. If he goes on trial he will reveal what lead him to the conclusion that Joffrey is not Robert's son, because this is the only defense he has. And while he would still be found guilty in a show trial, a lot of people would hear the evidence and be convinced by it.

[CrashBreaker501]

Ned had Syrio.

As far as we know, Syrio was killed.

[Sansa_Stark]

Ned could of beaten the hound in single combat if his leg was healthy. Even if it wasn't 100 percent he could beat Sandor Clegane. Ned was a great warrior. Seriously the hound?

Nope. Ned can't even handle an old man in Yohn Royce. The Hound has been confirmed to be one of greatest living swordsmen alive according to GRRM.

And the Hound is in his late twenties. If Ned cannot handle Yohn who is probably 40-50s +, then he cannot handle a younger, stronger, and faster Sandor.

Ned was an average warrior.

[Sansa_Stark]

Covertly.

If Ned demands Trial by Combat in court, it would be granted. And I have no doubt that his trial would be public. Tyrion's was. You can't make a point of executing a traitor if you do it behind closed doors.

Probably the other thing would happen, there would be no trial at all and Ned just stays in the Black Cells until he either confesses of someone finds out what to do about him. If he goes on trial he will reveal what lead him to the conclusion that Joffrey is not Robert's son, because this is the only defense he has. And while he would still be found guilty in a show trial, a lot of people would hear the evidence and be convinced by it.

But when he was in front of the crowd, couldn't he have asked for a trial and accused Cersei of being an adulterer?

The people would talk and if he was refused a trial/killed or if Sansa was killed, people would believe Ned true.

[Victarion Chainbreaker]

Nope. Ned can't even handle an old man in Yohn Royce. The Hound has been confirmed to be one of greatest living swordsmen alive according to GRRM.

And the Hound is in his late twenties. If Ned cannot handle Yohn who is probably 40-50s +, then he cannot handle a younger, stronger, and faster Sandor.

Ned was an average warrior.

Ned defeated the greatest swordsman the Seven Kingdoms has seen in recorded history, Arthur Dayne with the Sword of the Morning. Yes, he had help from a frogman with a frog spear, but really? Ned must have been a superlative swordsman in his prime.

[Little and Less]

I know this sounds stupid and crackpot, but couldn't Ned request a trial by combat with Jaime Lannister as his champion? At the time he was (the disgraced) Hand of the King - isn't he allowed to ask for a Kingsguard to defend him? King Robert also made him Regent to the King. Could he not command Jaime to fight? Isn't what the Hand/Regent says, others must follow? I know Cersei would shoot this down - but you never know what the small council might do.....

Sorry but I would have loved Ned to finally use something against Cersei - even if it is highly unlikely. Jaime couldn't lose, thus Ned would win.

[N/A]

Nope. Ned can't even handle an old man in Yohn Royce. The Hound has been confirmed to be one of greatest living swordsmen alive according to GRRM.

And the Hound is in his late twenties. If Ned cannot handle Yohn who is probably 40-50s +, then he cannot handle a younger, stronger, and faster Sandor.

Ned was an average warrior.

I never read anything like this, all George ever said was that sandor had all the skills of a knight and was good with a sword, nothing about him being one of the greatest IIRC

Also, ned wasn't terrible, I bet he could beat boros and trant

[Sansa_Stark]

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/more/news/20130306/george-r-r-martin-game-of-thrones-sports-podcast/

Its based more off the show but he claims that Sandor is arguably the best swordsmen alive

[N/A]

I know this sounds stupid and crackpot, but couldn't Ned request a trial by combat with Jaime Lannister as his champion? At the time he was (the disgraced) Hand of the King - isn't he allowed to ask for a Kingsguard to defend him? King Robert also made him Regent to the King. Could he not command Jaime to fight? Isn't what the Hand/Regent says, others must follow? I know Cersei would shoot this down - but you never know what the small council might do.....

Sorry but I would have loved Ned to finally use something against Cersei - even if it is highly unlikely. Jaime couldn't lose, thus Ned would win.

This is lovely,I just love it, it makes ned so cunning, cersei will have to choose between her power or what she thinks is her love

But also the counsel had no interest in ned winning, it will mean the end of most of them since ned already made it clear that stannis was the man he was putting on the throne

[N/A]

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/more/news/20130306/george-r-r-martin-game-of-thrones-sports-podcast/

Its based more off the show but he claims that Sandor is arguably the best swordsmen alive

I think he was just throwing names, mainly because he mentioned gregor as well, and well, gregor isn't really on the same level as the rest of these guys

[no_payne_no_gain]

I know this sounds stupid and crackpot, but couldn't Ned request a trial by combat with Jaime Lannister as his champion? At the time he was (the disgraced) Hand of the King - isn't he allowed to ask for a Kingsguard to defend him? King Robert also made him Regent to the King. Could he not command Jaime to fight? Isn't what the Hand/Regent says, others must follow? I know Cersei would shoot this down - but you never know what the small council might do.....

Sorry but I would have loved Ned to finally use something against Cersei - even if it is highly unlikely. Jaime couldn't lose, thus Ned would win.

While this is probably the most cunning thing Ned would have ever done, (besides r+l=j) and I am totally down for it, that doesn't seem like Ned. I don't know.

Even so, I think that Jaime would have needed to agree to being Ned's champion, which he would not have done.

[Victarion10]

If he had demanded a trial by 7 he would most likely have the best fighters in the Vale, North, Riverlands and Baratheon loyalist (if he accused Cersei of killing Robert too). Ser Barristan Selmy may have also stood for him since Joffrey techincally isn't King, if Gregor Clegane is chosen Oberyn Martell might want to get in on the action and would The Hound fight alongside his brother?

[King Tam Stark]

was it just tv ned that said to Jaime "I don't fight in tournaments because when I fight a man for real, I don't want him to know what I can do" and are tournys more a southern thing?

[KingInTheCave]

As far as we know, Syrio was killed.

Yes, the timeline got messed up in my head a little.

[TheSmilingKnight11]

Nope. Ned can't even handle an old man in Yohn Royce. The Hound has been confirmed to be one of greatest living swordsmen alive according to GRRM.

And the Hound is in his late twenties. If Ned cannot handle Yohn who is probably 40-50s +, then he cannot handle a younger, stronger, and faster Sandor.

Ned was an average warrior.

I disagree. But everyone has their opinions. He did hold his own with Arthur Dayne. I know he had help from Howland Reed. But I'm pretty sure he fought him for a while before Reed steps in. And Arthur Dayne was the best swordsman in the history of westeros.

[TheSmilingKnight11]

I disagree. But everyone has their opinions. He did hold his own with Arthur Dayne. I know he had help from Howland Reed. But I'm pretty sure he fought him for a while before Reed steps in. And Arthur Dayne was the best swordsman in the history of westeros.

And you can survive a war like Roberts Rebellion where you are leading the van without being a great warrior.

[TheSmilingKnight11]

Nope. Ned can't even handle an old man in Yohn Royce. The Hound has been confirmed to be one of greatest living swordsmen alive according to GRRM.

And the Hound is in his late twenties. If Ned cannot handle Yohn who is probably 40-50s +, then he cannot handle a younger, stronger, and faster Sandor.

Ned was an average warrior.

Didnt the hound almost lose to Berric Donndarion?