Theon's Dream: Feast of the Dead

I just got into they debate not eh W and so had to look a bunch of stuff up.

Martin makes it VERY clear that Ned fears Robert will massacre children if he feels betrayed. That this, and this alone, drives his desire to kill Dany, no matter what else Robert says. Ned stays VERY firm in this belief.

And it's the same belief he uses when he thinks he must save Cersei's children. Says that Robert can forgive a lot, but not such a betrayal.

So, I think Martin's telling us flat out that Ned fears Robert would hate any child of Lyanna's that wasn't his. Perhaps even hate Lyanna if the sex was consensual. Whether that's actually what Robert would do, Ned clearly fears it. And that perception seems to be significant.

Why Ned would then hide Jon if Robert was his father. . . I don't know. But if the father were anyone else, Martin's made Ned's fear very clear. I just missed it.