"I wonder who among us might have inherited such a trait," Ned asks, pretending as though it nothing more than a simple question, such as the state of the air outside in the village. He knows they can exist like this, living amongst conjecture and hypothetical situations, but what good could come of it? They at least seem to agree about the traits of their eldest sibling, even in retrospect. Ned thought he had long since put that guilt to rest, though talking of it with his sister seems to stir it up again, like mud clouding a clear river. One thing remains constant in regards to their brother, Brandon, however: Ned still believes that he would have met his end in King's Landing, with or without a raven from Lyanna, and he's grateful for the opportunity to have voiced such an opinion to her. He lifts a brow to consider her as she begins to suggest Ned playing messenger to Robert, but he's satisfied to see her reach the same conclusion on her own; there was no stopping Robert, once he knew what - or whom - he wanted.

The muscles of his body stiffen slightly at the proclamation of love that falls so quickly from her lips, but it isn't long before he's eased back into a more relaxed (and exhausted) state. He does not have the energy to try to imagine a Targaryen falling in love with a Stark, but - he hears the earnestness in her voice. He knows she speaks her truth, and he will not disregard it or try to dismiss it as nothing.

"You know it hard for me to condone it all, given the importance of oaths and promises - but knowing that you were at least happy, and that you truly loved him - makes it easier to accept. I do not harbor anger or resentment towards you now, just as I never had back then. You were always the better part of me, Lyanna."