Game of Thrones: One Ned Stark's Choice Sealed Arya's Grim Future

Summary:

• Though ultimately good-natured, Ned Stark once put his House ambitions beyond his beloved daughter’s wishes.
• By taking Arya to King’s Landing, Ned hoped she’d become a proper lady and find a suitor to strengthen House Stark.
• After Ned’s death, Arya set off on the most dangerous and terrible years-long journey which wouldn’t have happened had she stayed in Winterfell.

In Game of Thrones, no one’s plan ever works out, especially, in the long run. Lord Eddard Stark definitely had different fates in mind for his family, but most members of House Stark suffered terrible consequences of his decisions. Arya, his youngest daughter, was particularly set up for a very grim future by her own father.

Ned Stark Put His House Above His Daughter

We often speak ill of Tywin Lannister for being solely obsessed with his House’s power and legacy and ignoring his children’s needs and desires; but as it goes in medieval societies, the absolute majority of lords and ladies thought that way. Even Ned Stark, the least orthodox of them, put his House above his daughter’s wishes.

At the start of Game of Thrones, Ned takes Arya and Sansa with him to King’s Landing. Sansa is betrothed to Prince Joffrey, so that makes sense; Arya seemingly has no business in King’s Landing, away from the rest of her family. But Lord Stark has ulterior motives for her, and those motives are not particularly pretty.

Unlike her sister, little Arya was Nymeria incarnated: she cared little for courtly affairs and didn’t want to be part of the game of thrones. Ned Stark specifically took her to King’s Landing, where she would be unhappy, in hopes that Arya would step over herself, learn to be a lady, and find an appropriate suitor to strengthen House Stark.

Ned Stark’s Choice Had Dire Consequences for Arya

Of course, Lord Stark couldn’t have anticipated the turn of events where his head leaves his body and his daughters become captives of an insane young king. But what he did know is that by taking Arya to King’s Landing, he went against both her nature and her wishes; and in the end, it did the girl a terrible service.

After Ned’s execution, Arya was left alone in a foreign land, and thus began her years-long journey. It was obvious that in a dire situation, Arya would not run to lords and ladies for their protection, and that’s what happened.

Ned’s youngest daughter had to endure years of challenges he’d never wished upon his little girl, growing more tough and brutal, and in the end, she became the exact opposite of what he’d wanted her to be: an unhinged assassin instead of a good-mannered lady.