The wedding of Petyr Baelish and Lysa Arryn takes place in 300 AC amid the War of the Five Kings. Lord Petyr Baelish marries the widowed Lady Lysa Arryn at his tower at the Fingers.[1]
Prelude
Wounded after dueling Brandon Stark for the hand of Catelyn Tully, Petyr Baelish impregnated Catelyn's younger sister Lysa while she helped him to recover. Lord Hoster Tully forced Lysa to take tansy tea to abort the child,[2] and he arranged for her to wed Lord Jon Arryn during Robert's Rebellion.[3] Under Lysa's recommendations, Jon first gave customs appointments to Petyr at the port of Gulltown[1] and later at King's Landing.[2] According to a semi-canon source, Petyr and Lysa began a secret affair.[4][5]
When Lysa learns that Jon planned to send their son, Robert Arryn, away to be fostered at Dragonstone with Lord Stannis Baratheon, Petyr provides her with poison she uses to murder her husband.[2] The widowed Lysa is pursued by many suitors at the Eyrie.[6][1]
During the War of the Five Kings, Petyr, now master of coin and Lord of Harrenhal, offers to marry Lysa and thereby bring the Vale of Arryn to the side of House Lannister.[7]
Petyr and Lady Olenna Tyrell conspire to have King Joffrey I Baratheon choke to death at his royal wedding.[1] Petyr also arranges for Sansa Stark, daughter of his childhood infatuation Catelyn, to escape the crownlands with him.[8] Petyr and Sansa sail on the Merling King to the Fingers, where they wait for Lysa's arrival at Petyr's unnamed tower. To protect Sansa's identity, Petyr claims her to be his bastard daughter, "Alayne Stone".[1]
Wedding
Eight days later, Lysa arrives at the Fingers from the Eyrie with a small retinue of three maids, a dozen household knights, her own septon (possibly the plump septon), and the singer Marillion. Petyr expects for them to wed at the Eyrie with her whole court in attendance, but Lysa insists they marry that day at the Fingers.[1]
Petyr and Lysa saw their vows beneath a sky-blue canopy at sunset, and a feast is held at trestle tables beneath the Petyr's tower. They enjoy quail, venison, and roast boar, as well as a fine light mead brought by Lysa's retinue. Marillion performs "The Vow Unspoken", "Seasons of My Love", and "Two Hearts That Beat as One". The newlyweds dance to music, and several young knights dance with "Alayne" as well.[1]
The knights carry Lysa up the tower for the bedding custom, and Lysa's three ladies have "Alayne" aid them with Petyr. Sansa can hear the married couple as they have sex upstairs, with Lysa's screams being louder than Marillion's performance of "Milady's Supper".[1]
Sansa goes outside for a time, and the hall is dark when she returns. Several men have passed out from drinking, and another is sick in the privy. Sansa sees one of Lysa's maids kissing a knight. While Sansa scratches an old blind dog beneath the steps, a drunken Marillion tries to seduce the frightened girl. Ser Lothor Brune, tasked by Petyr with protecting Sansa, interrupts and sends the singer away. Sansa has nightmares of her late brother Robb dying in the same manner as Joffrey and of Sandor Clegane replacing Tyrion Lannister on her own wedding night.[1]
The next morning, Sansa learns that Petyr has revealed her identity to Lysa, and that they intend to leave for the Eyrie that afternoon. Lysa tells Sansa that she plans to secretly marry her niece to her son, young Lord Robert Arryn.[1]
Aftermath
The travelers visit the Gates of the Moon during the journey to the Eyrie,[9] and Sansa meets Lord Nestor Royce.[10] The bannermen of the Vale resent Lysa's marriage and that she has named Petyr as Lord Protector of the Vale.[2]
While helping Sansa build a snow castle of her family's ancestral home, Winterfell, Petyr kisses the girl in the godswood of the Eyrie. A jealous Lysa accuses Sansa of initiating the encounter, however, and threatens her niece by the Moon Door. Petyr temporarily soothes Lysa, assuring her that he has only ever loved one woman. He then adds "only Cat" and shoves Lysa out the Moon Door to her death. The killing is then blamed on the singer Marillion.[2]
Attendees
Lord Petyr Baelish
Lady Lysa Arryn- Alayne Stone (disguised Sansa Stark)
Ser Lothor Brune
Oswell Kettleblack- Bryen
- Bryen's old blind dog
- Grisel
- Kella
- Umfred
- Marillion
- three maids
- a dozen household knights
- a septon (possibly the plump septon)
Quotes
Petyr: My lords, with your leave, I propose to travel to the Vale and there woo and win Lady Lysa Arryn. Once I am her consort, I shall deliver you the Vale of Arryn without a drop of blood being spilled.
Mathis: Would Lady Lysa have you?
Petyr: She's had me a few times before, Lord Mathis, and voiced no complaints.[7]
Lysa: I want to share your bed tonight, my sweet. I want us to make another child, a brother for Robert or a sweet little daughter.
Petyr: I dream of that as well, sweetling. Yet there is much to be gained from a great public wedding, with all the Vale—
Lysa: No. I want you now, this very night. And I must warn you, after all these years of silence and whisperings, I mean to scream when you love me. I am going to scream so loud they'll hear me in the Eyrie![1]—Lysa Arryn and Petyr Baelish
Mead and marriage had taken years off Lady Lysa. She laughed at everything so long as she held her husband's hand, and her eyes seemed to glow whenever she looked at him.[1]
—thoughts of Sansa Stark
All night I have been making songs for you in my head. A lay for your eyes, a ballad for your lips, a duet to your breasts. I will not sing them, though. They were poor things, unworthy of such beauty. Let me sing to you with my body instead.[1]
References
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 A Storm of Swords, Chapter 68, Sansa VI.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 A Storm of Swords, Chapter 80, Sansa VII.
- ↑ A Storm of Swords, Chapter 2, Catelyn I.
- ↑ George R. R. Martin's A World of Ice and Fire, Petyr Baelish.
- ↑ George R. R. Martin's A World of Ice and Fire, Lysa Arryn.
- ↑ A Game of Thrones, Chapter 40, Catelyn VII.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 A Storm of Swords, Chapter 19, Tyrion III.
- ↑ A Storm of Swords, Chapter 61, Sansa V.
- ↑ A Feast for Crows, Chapter 41, Alayne II.
- ↑ A Feast for Crows, Chapter 10, Sansa I.