Ned nods in agreement; that much is certain. His heart always ached for the boy, so desperate for love and acceptance, whenever he attempted to seek it from Catelyn. For as much as Ned tried to encourage her to be kinder, warmer to the boy - with a consistent reminder that the boy did not ask to be born but had been born all the same - he knew that, for as long as he clung to the lie he'd told, she could never see Jon as anything but a reminder of her husband's betrayal. There would be no warmth or love spared from Catelyn to Jon, no matter how Ned might have pleaded.

"There were many a time where the words sat precariously at the tip of my tongue. It was not that I worried about my marriage, Jon. Although it had been difficult when I'd first returned, I had faith in our ability to persevere." Ned falls quiet for a moment, considering Jon's features for a moment. The relief Ned had felt when the boy maintained his northern features, the fear he carried at the thought of Targaryen bleeding through .. He can remember it all with as much intensity as he'd felt back then. "No, what pained me was her treatment of you and your well-being. When I'd see the hurt in your face at her rejection, those were the moments in which I was most tempted to tell. I hope you understand now, as a man grown, why I needed to keep your identity concealed. Not only to keep the promise to my sister, but also to keep you safe. I did not mean to make your life harder because of it."