Hi, do you think if Ned had any power to distance himself from Robert post-RR? Ned didn’t *have* to reconcile with Robert? (the guy just shrugs off the butchering of an innocent woman & her “babes” as a necessary sacrifice) I suppose Ned didn’t want to draw attention to himself or family, but I think he would have saved himself so much grief had he told Robert that their friendship was over. Tbc

To add insult to injury, Robert also marries daughter of the man who sack the city through betrayal and deceit, and kept the young Jaime in the KG unpunished? Isn’t this a contradiction with Ned’s righteous & honorable personality? Couldn’t Ned say ‘no’ to a marriage between Joffrey and Sansa? I know it could have risen suspicion but could have Ned asked for some time to know Joffrey ‘the boy’ rather than blindly accepting it? Ned didn’t want to rush marrying off Sansa? Thanks. 🙂

Well, I think he did distance himself after the Sack of King’s Landing. But then one of his two remaining family members – the woman Robert was betrothed to and cared about, even if in the abstract – died and I think Eddard needed a friend in that moment. 

I don’t think Ned was thinking they’d get married right away – I think he intended a somewhat lengthy engagement and toward the end was certainly willing to cancel it when he saw what Joffrey was.