The King's convoy returned to King's Landing in separate groups. Lancelot naturally rode on horseback, while Bran traveled by ship.
Bran had awakened, but his lower body was paralyzed. The fact that he could feel pain, however, indicated he still had sensation.
After this accident, he developed a fear of climbing high places.
"I will never climb again! It nearly killed me this time!" Bran told his mother and sisters.
"By the way, where is Lancelot? I haven't thanked him for saving me yet!" Bran asked.
"Bran, you should have less contact with Lancelot in the future. Playing with him is dangerous," Catelyn said sternly.
"Why? I think he's a pretty good person!" Bran didn't understand why his mother was hostile toward Lancelot.
Could it be just because he's a Lannister?
Jon Snow didn't take the ship with Catelyn and the others. Instead, he rode with Lancelot.
"Lancelot, I feel like your red horse must be a dragon-horse. It surely has dragon blood in its veins; otherwise, why would it breathe fire?" Jon looked at Lancelot's mount with envy.
"Jon! What do you plan to do once we reach King's Landing? Become a squire to a Kingsguard? Join the Gold Cloaks? Or maybe become Prince Joffrey's squire?" Lancelot asked.
"I haven't decided yet, but are there any other jobs? I want to stay far away from Lady Catelyn," Jon said.
"Alright! You can come work at the North Sea Kindergarten and Nanshan Nursing Home. Teach the kids how to fight. Consider it working for me! How about it?" Lancelot offered.
"I am at your service! Ser Lancelot," Jon Snow agreed.
"What about me? Lancelot, what can I do?" Ygritte rode up on a chestnut mare, sandwiching Lancelot between herself and Jon Snow.
"You? File down your sharp teeth, put on a lady's dress, and go do needlework with Myrcella and the others! Didn't Lady Catelyn tell you already?" Lancelot teased.
"I won't go!" Ygritte shook her head.
"I am a warrior woman of the Free Folk. Now that I'm in the 'civilized world,' surely I can be a knight, right?"
"I'm sorry, Ygritte. Westeros has never had a true female knight. There have been female warriors, though. For example, Aegon the Conqueror's sister, Visenya."
Lancelot suddenly paused. Wait, my mother's name is Visenya too! He shook his head, chasing the thought away.
"Then I'll be the first female knight in history! When the time comes, the honor of knighting me will be yours, Lancelot!" She looked at him expectantly.
"Currently, no knight in Westeros dares to risk universal condemnation by knighting a woman," Lancelot said.
"What? You don't dare either? You're not cowardly as a mouse, are you, Lancelot?" Ygritte goaded him.
Lancelot didn't fall for it.
"If you can make it to the top sixteen in the tourney, I will knight you in front of everyone! Deal?" Lancelot proposed.
"Deal! Then I'll show you civilized people the power of a primitive! Hahaha!" She laughed heartily.
"Remember to wear a mask!" Lancelot reminded her.
"I know, I know!"
Ygritte happily spurred her horse, overtaking Lancelot and Jon Snow.
"Jon, your wife is going to participate in the tourney. Don't you want to join?" Lancelot asked.
"I want to, but I'm afraid Lord Eddard and Lady Stark will be angry. So I'd better not," Jon Snow said.
"You certainly consider everything and everyone's feelings, but what about your own? Don't you really want the crowd cheering for you?"
"Don't you want to hear thousands of people chanting your name?"
"Jon! Jon!"
"The White Wolf Knight! White Wolf! Awoooo!!"
Jon Snow fell into a daydream. Ahead, a tree branch blocked the path.
Lancelot dodged it, but Jon Snow was still lost in his fantasy. With a thwack, the branch knocked him off his horse.
"Hey, Jon, you okay?" Lancelot circled back to ask.
"I'm fine, really, I'm fine!" Jon Snow felt as if he saw six black crows flying overhead.
---
Back in King's Landing, Robert took Eddard Stark to meet the other members of the Small Council.
Grand Maester Pycelle, over ninety years old, looked ancient but was actually quite spirited.
The eunuch Varys, Master of Whisperers, from across the Narrow Sea, a remnant of Aerys's reign.
Littlefinger Baelish, Master of Coin. Responsible for borrowing money and running many brothels.
Renly, Master of Laws, whom Eddard had already met.
The Lord Commander of the Kingsguard, whom Eddard had also met.
"Where is Lord Stannis?" Eddard Stark asked.
"He went back to Dragonstone, Ned. I think he's angry because you took the position that rightfully belonged to him! Hahaha!" Renly laughed.
Although Renly looked exactly like a young Robert, he lacked Robert's youthful martial prowess.
As for Stannis, he looked nothing like Robert or Renly. Tyrion sometimes told Lancelot he suspected Robert and Renly were full brothers born of Lord Steffon, but Stannis wasn't.
Implying that Robert and Renly's mother had secretly cheated.
Lancelot didn't explicitly refute Tyrion's guess, as Stannis indeed looked different from his two brothers.
Although Eddard Stark didn't want to offend Stannis, more important matters were at hand, so he put the issue aside for now.
"Ned, from now on, you are my Hand of the King!"
Robert pinned a solid silver hand brooch onto Eddard Stark's chest.
"Ned, I leave the rest to you! I'm off!"
Robert wasn't going hunting; he was going to train, as he intended to participate in the tourney as well.
Eddard Stark held the records Lancelot had made about the Wall.
"Ahem, my lords, Winter is Coming! We have big trouble! Now is the time for unity!"
The others looked at Eddard Stark as if he were a fool.
"Eddard Stark, what exactly are you trying to say?" Varys asked.
"Ser Lancelot brought back a black coffin from the Wall. I believe Lord Renly and Ser Barristan saw it!"
"The contents will be revealed after the tourney concludes. Then, everyone will understand! For now, we need to put aside past prejudices and conflicts and join hands to face a greater enemy, an enemy from the far North!"
"Wildlings?" Baelish asked. He was from the Vale, where mountain clans (wildlings) would come out to raid in winter.
"More terrible than wildlings. White Walkers!" Eddard Stark said solemnly.
"White Walkers! Forgive my bluntness, Lord Eddard, but White Walkers exist only in legends. Their reality remains to be proven!" Grand Maester Pycelle argued.