Wedding of Tyrion Lannister and Sansa Stark

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Sansa Stark and Tyrion Lannister, by algesiras ©

The wedding of Tyrion Lannister and Sansa Stark takes place in 299 AC during the War of the Five Kings. Tyrion Lannister is married to Sansa Stark to prevent her from marrying Willas Tyrell.[1]

Prelude

Margaery Tyrell, Olenna Tyrell, and Sansa Stark, by Drazenka Kimpel © Fantasy Flight Games

Sansa Stark is betrothed to Prince Joffrey Baratheon when her father, Lord Eddard Stark, becomes the new Hand of the King for Joffrey's father, King Robert I Baratheon.[2] Joffrey becomes king after Robert dies,[3] and he soon orders the execution of Lord Stark for treason.[4] King Joffrey I begins mistreating Sansa,[5] and he intensifies his cruelty after her brother, Robb Stark, is declared King in the North.[6][7]

As part of an alliance between Houses Lannister and Tyrell negotiated by Lord Petyr Baelish, Joffrey breaks his betrothal with Sansa and agrees to instead wed Lady Margaery Tyrell.[8]

Margaery's grandmother, Lady Olenna Tyrell, plots to wed Sansa to Margaery's brother Willas, the heir to Highgarden.[9] Sansa confides in her friend Dontos Hollard, but the fool advises her against trusting the Tyrells.[10] Unbeknownst to Sansa, Dontos is secretly in Petyr's employ,[11] and Petyr informs Joffrey's grandfather, Lord Tywin Lannister of the Tyrells' intentions.[12] To forestall the Tyrells, Tywin decides that his own son Tyrion will marry Sansa instead. Tyrion can then claim Sansa's ancestral home, Winterfell in the north.[12]

Wedding

Sansa, unaware of the Lannisters' scheming, tries out the new gown she expects to wear when she weds Willas. The gown, ivory samite and cloth-of-silver, has long dagged sleeves and is lined with silvery satin. Its bodice plunges almost to Sansa's belly, with the vee covered with dove-grey Myrish lace. Sansa's smallclothes are all silk, and she is also given new slippers of soft grey doeskin.[1]

Cersei arrives while Sansa is being fitted by the seamstress, and the queen has the girl wear moonstones previously given to her by Joffrey. Cersei informs Sansa that she is to be married to Tyrion immediately, and Sansa is upset to learn she will wed a dwarf disfigured from the Battle of the Blackwater and a member of the hated Lannisters. Sansa is given a maiden's cloak in the colors of House Stark, white velvet with pearls and embroidered with a direwolf in silver, and then taken to the royal sept by Ser Meryn Trant and Ser Osmund Kettleblack of the Kingsguard.[1]

Tyrion, meanwhile, wears a doublet of black velvet decorated with golden scrollwork and a chain of rubies and lions' heads. The dwarf has high-high boots which add three inches to his height. The huge bride's cloak he brings for the ceremony is crimson velvet decorated with lions and brdered with gold satin and rubies.[1]

Since Eddard had been executed and Robb has been attainted, King Joffrey insists on acting as Sansa's father for the day. Tyrion apologizes to Sansa before they enter the sept. A small group of nobles and other guests witness the ceremony, although no Tyrells are present, and Sansa cries during the proceedings. Joffrey squeezes her breast when he removes her maiden's cloak. Sansa refuses to kneel when the much shorter Tyrion has difficulty placing the bride's cloak on her, so Joffrey orders his new fool, Dontos, to kneel instead so that Tyrion can stand on his back. The septon presiding over the ceremony has the new couple kiss before proclaiming them wed.[1]

Feast

Sansa Stark dancing with Jalabhar Xho, by Amuelia ©

The Small Hall in the Tower of the Hand hosts the feast for the wedding. There are about fifty guests present, mostly Lannister retainers although the displeased Tyrells are now present. Tyrion drinks heavily and eats llttle, and Sansa does not touch her food at all.[1]

Tyrion refuses Sansa's offer to begin the dance, so Joffrey and Margaery begin the dancing instead. Elinor Tyrell is paired with Alyn Ambrose, Megga Tyrell dances with Joffrey's brother Tommen, and Lord Mace Tyrell dances slowly with his wife Alerie. Ser Kevan Lannister begs the honor of Janna Fossoway, Meredyth Crane joins Jalabhar Xho, and Lady Taena Merryweather's provocative dancing catches the eyes of the men in the hall. Cersei dances with Lord Paxter Redwyne, Lord Mathis Rowan, and then her own father, Tywin.[1]

Tyrion allows Sansa to dance with the courteous Garlan Tyrell and then Lord Tyrell, Lord Orton Merryweather, Tommen, Kevan, Jalabhar, Paxter, and then Joffrey. The king shocks Sansa by telling her he will sleep with her at his discretion, despite her marriage to Tyrion and his betrothal to Margaery. After they separate, Sansa then dances with Mathis, Ser Tallad the Tall, Alyn, and lastly Garlan again.[1]

After the dancing ends, King Joffrey announces it is time for the bedding custom,. Tyrion refuses to allow Sansa to be publicly undressed, however, and he threatens to geld his uncle if Joffrey commands it. Tywin, Joffrey's Hand, allows Tyrion and Sansa to depart the Small Hall for a chamber high in the Tower of the Hand.[1]

Alone in their bedchamber, Tyrion tells Sansa he was once briefly married to Tysha. When they undress to consummate the marriage, Tyrion realizes that Sansa is petrified at the thought of losing her maidenhood to him. He tells her that he will not touch her until she wants him to.[1]

Aftermath

Lord Gyles Rosby is dispossessed of his spacious apartments atop the Kitchen Keep so that Tyrion and his household can move into them from Maegor's Holdfast.[13] Tyrion and Sansa leave their marriage unconsummated, which upsets Lord Tywin. The Hand's plan to have his widowed daughter, Queen Cersei, marry Willas, is refused by Lord Tyrell.[14] Tyrion continues to sleep with Shae, his secret lover, and he takes the prostitute into his household as one of Sansa's maids.[13] Sansa often goes to the godswood of the Red Keep, where she conspires with Dontos about escaping King's Landing, or to the royal sept.[15]

When Joffrey chokes to death during his wedding feast, Cersei accuses Tyrion of having murdered the boy king.[16] Sansa flees the Red Keep with Dontos, and Lord Baelish has Dontos killed out in Blackwater Bay.[11] Petyr later reveals that he had conspired with Olenna Tyrell to assassinate Joffrey.[17] During Tyrion's trial for murder, Shae lies by saying that Tyrion and Sansa had plotted Joffrey's death together.[18]

Attendees

Tyrion Lannister by Jake Murray © Fantasy Flight Games

Royal House

Royal Household

From the north

From the westerlands

From the Reach

From the crownlands

Other guests

Perfomers

  • flutists
  • pipers
  • harpers
  • drummers

Quotes

Tyrion: His Grace the royal pustule has made Sansa's life a misery since the day her father died, and now that she is finally rid of Joffrey you propose to marry her to me. That seems singularly cruel. Even for you, Father.
Tywin: Why, do you plan to mistreat her? The girl's happiness is not my purpose, nor should it be yours. Our alliances in the south may be as solid as Casterly Rock, but there remains the north to win, and the key to the north is Sansa Stark.[12]

—Tyrion Lannister and Tywin Lannister

Cersei: I understand your reluctance. Cry if you must. In your place, I would likely rip my hair out. He's a loathsome little imp, no doubt of it, but marry him you shall.

Sansa: You can't make me.

Cersei: Of course we can. You may come along quietly and say your vows as befits a lady, or you may struggle and scream and make a spectacle for the stableboys to titter over, but you will end up wedded and bedded all the same.[1]

—Cersei Lannister and Sansa Stark

Tyrion: I know I am not the sort of husband young girls dream of, Sansa, but neither am I Joffrey.

Sansa: No. You were kind to me. I remember.

Tyron: Come, then. Let us do our duty.[1]

—Tyrion Lannister and Sansa Stark

Garlan: A bride at her wedding should be more than well. You seemed close to tears.

Sansa: Tears of joy, ser.

Garlan: Your eyes give the lie to your tongue. My lady, I have seen how you look at my brother. Loras is valiant and handsome, and we all love him dearly . .. but your Imp will make a better husband. He is a bigger man than he seems, I think.[1]

—Garlan Tyrell and Sansa Stark

Tyrion: On my honor as a Lannister, I will not touch you until you want me to.

Sansa: And if I never want you to, my lord?

Tyrion: Never? Why, that is why the gods made whores for imps like me.[1]

—Tyrion Lannister and Sansa Stark

References

  1. ↑ 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 1.13 A Storm of Swords, Chapter 28, Sansa III.
  2. ↑ A Game of Thrones, Chapter 15, Sansa I.
  3. ↑ A Game of Thrones, Chapter 57, Sansa V.
  4. ↑ A Game of Thrones, Chapter 65, Arya V.
  5. ↑ A Game of Thrones, Chapter 67, Sansa VI.
  6. ↑ A Clash of Kings, Chapter 2, Sansa I.
  7. ↑ A Clash of Kings, Chapter 32, Sansa III.
  8. ↑ A Clash of Kings, Chapter 65, Sansa VIII.
  9. ↑ A Storm of Swords, Chapter 6, Sansa I.
  10. ↑ A Storm of Swords, Chapter 16, Sansa II.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 A Storm of Swords, Chapter 61, Sansa V.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 A Storm of Swords, Chapter 19, Tyrion III.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 A Storm of Swords, Chapter 58, Tyrion VII.
  14. ↑ A Storm of Swords, Chapter 32, Tyrion IV.
  15. ↑ A Storm of Swords, Chapter 53, Tyrion VI.
  16. ↑ A Storm of Swords, Chapter 60, Tyrion VIII.
  17. ↑ A Storm of Swords, Chapter 68, Sansa VI.
  18. ↑ A Storm of Swords, Chapter 70, Tyrion X.
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