Jon Snow is sitting near the back of the great hall in Winterfell during the welcome feast for King Robert. Earlier, he got a good look at the royal family as they came in. Eddard escorted in Queen Cersei, followed by Catelyn and Robert, then Rickon, Robb and Princess Myrcella, Arya and Prince Tommen, Sansa and Joffrey, Jaime and Tyrion, and, finally, Benjen Stark and Theon Greyjoy.¹ Jon has been drinking for the entire feast, and is now quite drunk. Ghost peeks his head up from under the table looking for food, and Jon gives his direwolf half a chicken to devour. A dog comes up to challenge Ghost for a share, but all it takes is a baring of his fangs to make the dog slink away. Ben Stark comes over to see Ghost. He remarks on how quiet the wolf is, and Jon explains that he never makes a sound, which is how he got his name. Ben admires Jon's keen skills of observation and remarks that he could use a man like him on the Wall. Jon, drunk, asks to join the Night's Watch. Ben tells him the Wall is a hard place for a boy, but Jon protests that he is nearly a man and that bastards have to grow up faster than other children. He also talks of Daeron Targaryen, who conquered Dorne at the age of fourteen, but Ben points out that the conquest only lasted a summer and that he had lost ten thousand men conquering the place and another fifty thousand trying to hold it. Furthermore, he was dead at eighteen. Jon still wants to join, knowing there is no place for him at Winterfell in the long run as a bastard. Ben tells him that the members of the Watch are not allowed to marry or father children and that he should know what he is giving up and father a few bastards of his own first. Jon hotly states he will never father a bastard, which draws all eyes to him. Jon runs out of the hall in tears. Outside, he runs into Tyrion perched on the ledge above the door. He has drunk too much wine and come out for air. As Jon watches, he vaults down from the ledge and comes over to see Ghost. Ghost bares his fangs at Tyrion at first, but on Jon's command lets Tyrion pet him. Tyrion tells Jon that he should make being a bastard his strength so that fact cannot be used against him by his enemies. When Jon asks what he could possibly know about being a bastard, Tyrion replies that all dwarfs are bastards in their fathers' eyes. His mother² died giving birth to him and his father ³ treats him terribly for it. Tyrion goes on to say that all dwarfs are bastards, but that all bastards need not be dwarfs. As he walks back into the hall, the light throws Tyrion's shadow across the yard, and for an instant, he looks as tall as a king.