Game of Thrones Page #6

JOFFREY BARATHEON (13), the crown prince, tall for his age,

and haughty. Beside him:

SANDOR CLEGANE (35), “The Hound,” Joffrey’s bodyguard.

Terrible burn scars cover half his face.

A huge man approaches, flanked by knights in snow-white

cloaks. A black beard covers his double chin, but nothing can

hide the belly that threatens to burst his doublet’s buttons.

This is KING ROBERT BARATHEON (40s). He vaults from his

warhorse and gives Ned an imperious once-over.

ROBERT:

You’ve gotten fat.

Ned tries to maintain his stony decorum, but it’s hopeless.

For the first time, we see him laugh -- and it becomes clear

that Ned and the King are actually old friends.

Robert joins in, engulfing him in a bone-crunching hug. He

finally releases Ned, who takes a moment to catch his breath.

ROBERT:

Nine years! Why haven’t I seen you?

Where the hell have you been?

NED:

Guarding the north for you, your

Grace. Winterfell is yours.

As the king’s party dismounts, an ornate wheelhouse pulls

into their midst. QUEEN CERSEI LANNISTER (32) emerges with

her younger children, TOMMEN (7) and MYRCELLA (8).

Ned kneels to kiss her ring; her smile is pure formality.

Robert, on the other hand, embraces Catelyn like a long lost

sister. As the children on both sides are brought forward and

introduced, Robert steps back to Ned.

ROBERT:

Take me down to your crypt. I want

to pay my respects.

CERSEI:

We’ve been riding since dawn.

Surely, the dead will wait.

28.

Robert gives her a hard look. Cersei stares back at him,

uncowed. Finally Robert turns and walks away. After an

awkward glance at the Queen, Ned leads Robert toward one of

Winterfell’s old towers.

INT. WINTERFELL - CRYPT STAIRS - DAY

Ned holds a lantern as he leads Robert down the narrow,

winding stone steps.

ROBERT:

I thought we’d never get here. All

the talk about my Seven Kingdoms...

a man forgets your part is as big

as the other six combined.

(disbelief)

It snowed on us! Snow!

As they descend, their breath becomes more and more visible

from the cold, and Robert’s becomes more and more labored.

ROBERT:

How will you stand it, man, when

winter finally comes? Your balls

frozen right up into your guts for

the next twenty, thirty years?

NED:

The Starks will endure. We always

have.

ROBERT:

You need to come south, get a real

taste of summer before it’s gone.

Everyone is fat, drunk and rich.

And the girls, Ned! Women lose all

modesty in the heat. They swim

naked in the river, right beneath

the castle...

The king laughs happily, but his laughter trails off as the

staircase ends.

INT. WINTERFELL - CRYPT - CONTINUOUS

Ned sweeps the lantern in a semicircle; shadows lurch along a

procession of granite pillars that recede into the dark.

NED:

She’s down at the end, your Grace.

Side by side they proceed, their footsteps ringing off the

stones as they walk among the dead of House Stark.

29.

Between the pillars on either side: granite sculptures of the

deceased sitting on thrones, their backs against their own

sepulchres. Great stone direwolves curl around their feet.

Ned stops at the last tomb and lifts the lantern. The crypt

continues on into the darkness ahead of them, but beyond this

point the tombs are empty, waiting for him and his children.

In front of him, illuminated by the lantern, a beautiful

young woman stares out at them with blind, granite eyes:

Lyanna Stark, Ned’s sister.

ROBERT:

She was more beautiful than that.

Silently, Robert kneels and bows his head. Ned joins him.

Robert’s voice is hoarse with remembered grief.

ROBERT:

Did you have to bury her in a place

like this? She should be on a hill

somewhere, with the sun and the

clouds above her.

NED:

She was a Stark. This is her place.

The king rises to touch her cheek, his fingers brushing the

rough stone as gently as if it were living flesh.

ROBERT:

In my dreams, I kill him every

night.

NED:

It’s done. The Targaryens are gone.

The warrior Robert used to be surfaces in his face, pitiless.

ROBERT:

Not all of them.

NED:

We should return, your Grace. Your

wife will be waiting.

ROBERT:

To hell with my wife.

That said, he starts back the way they came. Ned follows.

30.

ROBERT:

And if I hear “your Grace” one more

time, I’ll have your f***ing head

on a spike. We’re more to each

other than that.

NED:

I haven’t forgotten.

(beat)

Tell me about old Jon.

ROBERT:

(shakes his head)

One moment he was fine, and... It

burned right through him, whatever

it was.

(stops walking)

I loved that man.

NED:

We both did.

ROBERT:

He never had to teach you much. But

me? You remember me at sixteen? All

I wanted to do was crack skulls and

f*** girls. Old Jon showed me what

was what.

Ned gives the king a sidelong, skeptical look, barely

suppressing a smile.

ROBERT:

Don’t look at me like that. It’s

not his fault I didn’t listen.

He puts a massive arm around Ned’s shoulder and walks on.

ROBERT:

You must wonder why I’ve finally

come north, after all these years.

NED:

Your inspection of the Wall is long

overdue.

ROBERT:

The Wall’s stood for eight thousand

years. It can keep a while longer.

Robert stops walking and turns to face Ned.

31.

ROBERT:

These are dangerous times... I need

good men around me, men like Jon

Arryn.

(beat)

Men like you. I want you down in

King’s Landing, not up here where

you’re no damn use to anybody.

(stops walking)

Lord Eddard Stark, I would name you

Hand of the King.

Ned drops to one knee, not at all surprised.

NED:

I’m not worthy of the honor.

ROBERT:

I’m not trying to honor you. I’m

trying to get you to run my kingdom

while I eat, drink and whore my way

to an early grave. You know the

saying...

NED:

The King shits, and the Hand wipes.

Robert laughs. Still on one knee, Ned can’t help but join him.

ROBERT:

Damn it, Ned, stand up.

(Ned does)

You helped me win the Iron Throne,

now help me keep the f***ing thing.

We were meant to rule together.

(beat)

If your sister had lived, we’d have

been bound by blood. Well, it’s not

too late. I have a son, you have a

daughter... my Joff and your Sansa

will join our houses.

This does surprise Ned. After a moment he shakes his head and

smiles.

NED:

How long have you been planning

this?

ROBERT:

How old is your daughter?

Both men laugh. Robert’s face grows serious.

32.

ROBERT:

I never loved my brothers. A sad

thing for a man to admit, but it’s

true. You were the brother I chose.

We were meant to be family.

NED:

(moved by these words)

I don’t know what to say.

ROBERT:

Say “Yes”!

NED:

If I could have some time to

consider these honors...

ROBERT:

Yes, of course, talk it over with

Catelyn, sleep on it if you must.

He claps his hands roughly on Ned’s shoulders.

ROBERT:

Just don’t keep me waiting too

long. I’m not the most patient man.

Ned smiles-- but his glance drifts over Robert’s shoulder to

the dead of Winterfell, who watch with disapproving eyes.

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