I know there is some discussion regarding why we do not see Eddard using Ice in the battle before the Tower of Joy (ep. "Oathbreaker"), so it should probably be clarified here.
Ice would have been in the hands of the head of House Stark, Rickard, when he went south to answer the Mad King's summons after imprisoning Eddard's older brother, Brandon.
As Rickard and Brandon were both killed in King's Landing, Ice would have remained there until the forces of Robert's Rebellion took the city. Eddard was fighting with Robert at the Trident, and was then sent to look for Robert's fiance (Eddard's sister), Lyanna - to the Tower of Joy, in northern Dorne.
Eddard doesn't reach King's Landing until the Rebellion has been won, as he enters the throne room to find Jamie Lannister sitting on the Iron Throne, having just recently stabbed the Mad King through the heart from behind.
This would have been the first opportunity Eddard had to find and reclaim Ice for his house and family.
- After the Trident Eddard directly marched to King's Landing and only then he went looking for Lyanna, so he would have recovered the sword if it had been there. I guess the reason he didn't fight with Ice was that it's mostly used as ceremonial sword (and for beheadings). The Sword of the Morning (talk) 18:16, 25 November 2021 (UTC)