Assisted by the enigmatic Littlefinger, Lord Eddard Stark delves deeper into the death of his predecessor as King's Hand, but the answers he finds only cast a wider net of suspicion over a royal court already reeking of corruption and treachery. Meanwhile, in the icy environs of Castle Black, the bastard Jon Snow learns a lesson in bravery and brotherhood from a self-confessed coward, Samwell Tarly.