Pycelle is tending to Eddard's leg. He tells Eddard that Lord Tywin has sent a letter to Cersei expressing discontent over the Gregor situation. Eddard says that if Tywin interferes, he will have Robert to answer to, and Pycelle hurries off, probably to report to Cersei. Eddard now realizes thanks to Sansa that Joffrey, Myrcella, and Tommen are not Robert's children, and he believes this is the secret Jon died for.¹ Lord Petyr stops by and reports that sellswords and freeriders are gathering at Casterly Rock. Robert continues to hunt, but some of the party, including Joffrey, Sandor, Ser Balon, Lord Yohn, and Ser Robar, have returned. Petyr says that Sandor is probably not happy at the moment because he does not want any one but himself killing his brother. After Petyr leaves, Eddard returns to his musings. He trusts Petyr only a little and Varys not at all. He feels that Pycelle is certainly a Lannister creature and that Ser Barristan is too old and rigid to help. He knows he must speak to Robert upon his return. Vayon has arranged for Eddard's daughters to leave on the Wind Witch out of Braavos, captained by a man named Qos, in three days. Eddard remembers how Lord Tywin presented the bodies of Rhaegar's children to Robert and wants to make sure that Cersei's children do not suffer a similar fate. Eddard summons Tomard, who now commands the guard with Alyn off hunting Gregor, and has him and Varly take him to the godswood and has Tomard deliver a message to Cersei.

Cersei arrives at sunset, and Eddard accuses her and Jaime of being lovers, which she does not deny. He brings up Bran's accident, and she confirms that Jaime pushed him. He asks if all three of her children are Jaime's, and she says yes. Eddard figured this must be the case. Jon Arryn's last words that the "seed is strong" apparently referred to the dominance of dark hair color in Baratheon children. All of Robert's bastards have dark hair, yet Cersei's children are all blond. The book of lineages by Grand Maester Malleon records the last marriage between a Lannister and a Baratheon ninety years before in which Gowen Baratheon, third son of the lord at the time, wed Tya Lannister who gave birth to a boy who died in infancy that had black hair. Thirty years before that, a male Lannister wed a Baratheon who bore three daughters and a son that all had black hair. Eddard could find no Lannister-Baratheon marriage in the book resulting in a blonde-haired child. Eddard asks Cersei how she avoided getting with child from Robert, and she explains that she did once but had an abortion. After that, she found other ways to please Robert, and he was usually to drunk to care anyway. She says she has hated him since their wedding night when he called her Lyanna in his passion. Cersei tries to seduce Eddard, but fails. Eddard says he will tell Robert the truth when he returns and that Cersei and her children should have fled Westeros by then or face full punishment. Cersei tells him that he should have taken the throne fifteen years ago and that he should fear her wrath.