"And you held on long enough to make certain that he could," Jon said. He could be as willful and stubborn as she could, given the right motivation, and he would not let her bear guilt for something that was in no way her fault. She had done the most important thing on his behalf: she had given him a father and a family. She'd given him the love of Ned Stark and his brothers and sisters and that was something that Jon cherished above all else.

"Please don't take this on yourself. I couldn't stand it if you did. It's not your fault and you weren't selfish."