The story opens in Winterfell, Eddard Stark, also known as Ned, is the lord of Winterfell. At the beginning of the story, Eddard must execute a deserter from the Night's Watch and takes his three sons and his bastard Jon Snow, along with him as witnesses. On their journey back to Winterfell, Eddard's sons discover six direwolf cubs, which are entrusted to Eddard's five sons and his bastard. (The direwolf, the sigil of House Stark). After the death of Lord Jon Arryn, previous "Hand of the King", King Robert asks Eddard to become the new Hand of the King. Eddard agrees, but also agrees to investigate Lord Arryn's death, after Catelyn Stark (Eddard Stark's wife) had suggested that perhaps he had been poisoned. Before Eddard and his two daughters depart for King's Landing in southern Westeros, Eddard's young son, Bran Stark, witnesses it. Cersei Lannister commits incest with her twin brother Jaime, who throws Bran from a tower to hide the secret. Bran survives the fall, but is placed in a coma. While recovering Bran, an assassin attempts to kill him; whereupon Bran's direwolf kills the assassin. Catelyn, on the grounds that only terrible intrigue with Bran would make it necessary to kill him, secretly visits King's Landing to warn Eddard of the failed assassination, leaving Eddard's eldest son, Robb Stark, to rule Winterfell. Not long after Catelyn leaves for King's Landing, Bran awakens from a paraplegic coma, with no memory of Jaime pushing him off the tower. In King's Landing, Sansa (daughter of Eddard and Catelyn Stark) is engaged to King Robert's son, Joffrey, the heir to the throne. Joffrey takes Sansa out for a picnic, seeing Arya and Mycah play sword fighting. When Joffrey sees Mycah fencing with a... medium of paper... the Dothraki, in exchange for using Drogo's army to reclaim the Throne for House Targaryen. Magister Illyrio, who hosts Viserys and Daenerys, gives Daenerys a wedding gift of three petrified dragon eggs; and Ser Jorah Mormont, an exiled knight from Westeros, joins Viserys as an advisor. When Drogo shows little interest in conquering Westeros, Viserys initially tries to intimidate Daenerys into coercing him; but Daenerys, encouraged by her position, refuses to be bullied. Initially, Drogo tolerates Viserys and punishes his outbursts with public humiliation; but when Viserys publicly threatens a pregnant Daenerys, Drogo executes him by pouring a pot of molten gold over his head and, ironically, giving him the "golden crown" that he had been promised in exchange for Daenerys. As the last Targaryen, Daenerys undertakes her brother's quest to regain the throne in King's Landing.