12. Eddard : The Kingsroad

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Location: Kingsroad on the way to King's Landing
Characters: Eddard Stark, Robert Baratheon

Ned and Robert were talking, reminiscing old times.
Robert asked Ned about his bastard son's mother, to which Ned told, her name as Wylla and requested to not ask anything about her. He was ashamed he dishonoured himself and his wife. Who was this Wylla?

Robert told Ned that he received a message from Varys (Master of whisperers) in Kings Landing. Varys served Aerys Targaryan before Robert. The source of information mentioned in the message was Jorah Mormont. Jorah had sold poachers to a Tyroshi slaver which was a crime and Ned Stark wanted to bring him to justice but Jorah escaped and went in exile. He offered to be a spy for Robert in exchange for a Royal pardon so that he could return from exile.
The message said that Daenerys had wed some Dothraki horselord. Robert wanted to send killers to kill Dany as he did not want her children to be threat to his kingdom.
Robert hated the Targaryans. Rhaegar Targaryan raped Lyanna Stark who was betrothed  to Robert.
Tywin Lannister had ordered to kill Rhaegar's wife and children and presented their corpses to Robert as a token of fealty. Ned had condemned the killings as they were innocent children. But Robert in hate justified the killings.
Aerys Targaryan was responsible for deaths of Ned's father and brother.
All these years, a Pentoshi merchant - maybe Illyrio - was protecting Viserys and Dany and Robert could not do anything to get rid of them. Robert fears that if the Targaryans attacked the seven kingdoms, many houses will join them against him.
Ned counsels Robert that Dothraki will never cross the narrow sea. They don't have any ships and they hate and fear the open sea.

Ned talks about appointing a Warden of the East if its not Robert Arryn, Jon Arryn's son after his death. Ned reveals that he has already appointed Jaime Lannister as the Warden of the East.
Ned is not in favour of this as Jaime's father, Tywin Lannister is already the Warden of the West. This gives control of half the armies to the Lannisters.
Ned does not trust the Lannisters as Jaime killed the King Aerys despite being under the oath of the Kingsguard to protect him. Moreover, after battle of the Trident where Robert killed Rhaegar and the Targaryan army fled to Kings Landing. The Lannister men had taken the city by treachery. The war raged for close to a year. Rebel lords supported Robert and other loyal lords remained loyal to Targaryans. But the Lannisters remains aloof, ignoring calls to arms from both rebels and loyalists. That time Tywin appeared at the gates of Kings Landing with an army professing loyalty. So Aerys opened the city gates for him. But Tywin captured the city for himself. There was no honor in that conquest.

Ned feels helpless as he couldn't curb Robert's wildness. Robert would do what he pleased and nothing Ned could say or do would change that.

What was that war about?

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