[ Ned is gazing at his hands, his palms upturned. ]

You can't imagine how many times your mother and I argued about it. The small victories I had to take. But the greatest loss - a mother's love that he would never know.

He deserved better. And I tried, Sansa. Wherever I could, I treated him as one of you. It was still a hard childhood, and a harder path into manhood.