Editing Petyr Baelish (section)

==History==
===Early Life===
[[File:Sardag littlefinger.jpg|thumb|350px|Littlefinger by Sardag ©]]
Petyr's [[Baelish (sellsword)|great-grandfather]] was a [[Braavosi]] [[sellsword]] in the service of Lord [[House Corbray|Corbray]]; when his [[Baelish (hedge knight)|son]] became a [[hedge knight]], he took the stone head of the [[Titan of Braavos]] as his sigil. Petyr's [[Baelish (lord)|father]], in turn, was the smallest of small lords of a few rocky acres on the smallest of the [[Fingers]],{{Ref|ACOK|17}} Petyr's mother was named [[Alayne Baelish|Alayne]].{{ref|ASOS|68}} Petyr's father once took him to a hermit's cave to see a man said to have the gift of [[prophecy]]. Lord Baelish gave the hermit a skin of [[wine]] after he groped the boy a bit and said he would be a great man.{{ref|ASOS|68}}

Petyr's father befriended [[Hoster Tully]] during his service in the [[War of the Ninepenny Kings]], and this friendship led to Petyr being sent to be fostered as a [[ward]] at [[Riverrun]].{{Ref|AWOIAF|Petyr Baelish}}{{ref|SSM|1381}}

===Riverrun===
Petyr was raised alongside Lord [[Hoster Tully]]'s children, [[Catelyn Stark|Catelyn]], [[Lysa Arryn|Lysa]], and [[Edmure Tully|Edmure]]. Because of Petyr's family holdings and his short stature, Edmure gave him the nickname "Littlefinger," by which he is still called.{{Ref|AGOT|18}} Petyr grew close to the Tully children,{{Ref|ACOK|17}} and he played with Edmure{{Ref|AFFC|44}} and his sisters. Catelyn recalls how she and Lysa once made mud pies, which Petyr ate, resulting in him being sick for a week.{{Ref|AGOT|28}} When he had a problem, Petyr went to Lord Hoster's brother, Ser [[Brynden Tully]], just as Lord Hoster's children were wont to do.{{Ref|AGOT|34}} Petyr and Edmure once built a castle out of blocks in Hoster's solar.{{Ref|AFFC|44}}

When Catelyn was twelve, Petyr accompanied the Tullys on a journey to [[Seagard]]. They camped at [[Oldstones]], where Catelyn pretended to be [[Jenny of Oldstones]] and Petyr her [[Prince of Dragonflies]].{{Ref|ASOS|45}} Catelyn and Lysa became separated from the rest of their party while riding back from Seagard, but Petyr rode back and found the girls in the fog.{{Ref|ACOK|55}}

As the children grew older, Petyr fell in love with Catelyn,{{Ref|AGOT|29}} who was several years his elder. Catelyn did not reciprocate Petyr's feelings, loving him as a brother instead.{{Ref|AGOT|18}}{{Ref|ACOK|55}} Catelyn's younger sister, Lysa, on the other hand, fell in love with Petyr.{{Ref|ASOS|80}} Petyr would play at kissing with both Catelyn and Lysa in the [[godswood of Riverrun]], attempting to stick his tongue into their mouths. Catelyn stopped Petyr, but Lysa both allowed and enjoyed it.{{Ref|AGOT|71}}

When Lords [[House Bracken|Bracken]] and [[House Blackwood|Blackwood]] were at Riverrun to settle a feud with Lord Tully's help, Catelyn and Petyr danced six dances. However, when he tried to kiss her, she pushed him away and laughed at him. Petyr, wounded by the rejection, got drunk, passed out at the table, and was brought to his bed by Brynden Tully. Lysa snuck in after him, and gave Petyr her [[maiden]]head that night. Still drunk, Petyr believed he was having sex with Catelyn, and he called Lysa "Cat" and told her he loved her before falling asleep.{{Ref|ASOS|80}}{{refn|group="N"|The app ''[[A World of Ice and Fire]]'' provides a different time frame, stating that Lysa and Petyr had sex on the night Catelyn's betrothal to [[Brandon Stark]] was announced.{{Ref|AWOIAF|Petyr Baelish}} However, it seems unlikely and inaccurate, as Catelyn was 12 at that time, and thus Lysa and Petyr would have been only 10 and 9.{{Ref|AGOT|6}}{{Ref|AWOIAF|Catelyn Tully}}}}

In {{Date|282}}, when the date of Catelyn's [[wedding]] was announced,{{Ref|AWOIAF|Petyr Baelish}} Petyr, scarcely fifteen years old, challenged the twenty-year-old Brandon Stark to [[duel between Brandon Stark and Petyr Baelish|a duel for her hand]].{{Ref|AGOT|18}} Petyr arrived with only a helm, breastplate and mail, leading to Brandon taking off most of his own armor. Petyr asked Catelyn for her favor to wear, but she refused, giving it to Brandon instead.{{Ref|ASOS|80}}{{Ref|AGOT|40}} Catelyn begged Brandon not to kill Petyr, to which he agreed. While Brandon offered Petyr multiple chances to yield, Petyr refused to give up. In the end, Petyr was staggering and bleeding from a dozen wounds, when Brandon ended the battle with a backhand cut so brutal Catelyn was convinced it was mortal.{{Ref|AGOT|40}}

Petyr was given a fortnight to recover at Riverrun, during which time Lysa helped care for him. Catelyn did not go to see him, and Petyr refused to see Edmure, who had served as Brandon's squire during the duel.{{Ref|AGOT|40}}{{Ref|ACOK|45}} During this fortnight, Petyr slept with Lysa again.{{Ref|AWOIAF|Petyr Baelish}} He would later claim to have taken the maidenhood of both Tully sisters, due to his belief that his first encounter with Lysa had actually been with Catelyn.{{Ref|AGOT|31}}{{Ref|ACOK|17}}{{Ref|ACOK|55}}{{ref|SSM|1172}}

When the fortnight had passed and Petyr was strong enough, Lord Hoster sent Petyr away from Riverrun. Catelyn did not say goodbye to him.{{Ref|AGOT|40}} However, Lysa had become pregnant with Petyr's child as a result of their second sexual encounter. After Petyr had been sent away, Lysa revealed her pregnancy to her father, hoping he would relent and allow Lysa and Petyr to marry. Instead, Hoster, who had believed Petyr to be too lowborn,{{Ref|ASOS|68}} forced Lysa to drink [[moon tea]] to abort the pregnancy.{{Ref|ASOS|2}}

Back at the [[Fingers]], Petyr sent Catelyn a single letter after the death of her betrothed, Brandon. However, she burned the letter without reading it.{{Ref|AGOT|18}} Catelyn and Lysa married Lords [[Eddard Stark]] and [[Jon Arryn]], respectively, in a [[Weddings of Catelyn and Lysa Tully|double wedding at Riverrun]] during [[Robert's Rebellion]],{{Ref|AGOT|2}} and Catelyn went north to [[Winterfell]] after the conclusion of the war.{{Ref|AGOT|6}} Petyr used to dream about Winterfell, always imagining it as a dark and cold place.{{Ref|ASOS|80}}

===Gulltown and King's Landing===
[[File:Littlefinger.jpg|thumb|350px|Littlefinger by Mike Capprotti © Fantasy Flight Games]]
[[Lysa Arryn]] convinced [[Jon Arryn]], her new husband and [[Lord of the Eyrie]], to give Petyr the customs at [[Gulltown]]{{ref|ASOS|68}} as his first post{{ref|ASOS|80}} to please her,{{ref|ASOS|68}} and the young man had control of the city's port.{{ref|ASOS|68}} According to Lysa, Petyr increased incomes tenfold.{{ref|ASOS|68}} Lysa convinced Jon to bring Petyr to court in [[King's Landing]].{{ref|ASOS|80}} According to [[Tyrion Lannister]], in {{date|289}} Jon gave Petyr a minor sinecure in customs, where Petyr brought in three times as much as other royal collectors.{{ref|ACOK|17}} Lord Arryn, also the [[Hand of the King]] for [[Robert I Baratheon]], rewarded Petyr with other appointments.{{ref|ASOS|68}} Within three years of coming to the capital, Littlefinger had become [[master of coin]] and a member of the [[small council]].{{ref|ACOK|17}}

Petyr increased his influence by moving his own people in place, such as the four [[Keeper of the Keys|Keepers of the Keys]], the [[King's Counter]], and the [[King's Scales]], as well as harbor masters, toll collectors, and [[wine]] factors.{{Ref|ACOK|17}} Meanwhile, he also developed a complex web of loans, transactions, and investments, as to supply the king and the Hand with enough [[Currency|gold]],{{Ref|ACOK|17}} and he bought a number of establishments (including several [[Prostitution|brothels]]).{{Ref|AGOT|20}}{{Ref|ACOK|15}} The crown's revenues have increased tenfold compared to Littlefinger's predecessor as master of coin, although the royal debts of King Robert are vast as well.{{ref|ACOK|17}} The last [[Chief Gaoler]], a former cloth merchant, purchased his position from Petyr.{{ref|AFFC|27}}

Petyr bet on Ser [[Jaime Lannister]] during the [[tourney on Prince Joffrey's name day]] in {{Date|298}}, but he lost [[Littlefinger's blade|his blade]] of [[Valyrian steel]] to King Robert when Jaime was unhorsed by Ser [[Loras Tyrell]].{{ref|ACOK|55}}{{ref|AWOIAF|Petyr Baelish}} Littlefinger has also boasted at court of having taken [[Catelyn Stark]]'s virginity.{{ref|AGOT|31}} [[Oswell Kettleblack]] has been in Petyr's service for a long time,{{Ref|AFFC|10}} and according to a semi-canon source, Oswell's three sons [[Osmund Kettleblack|Osmund]], [[Osfryd Kettleblack|Osfryd]], and [[Osney Kettleblack|Osney]] have known Petyr since they were children.{{ref|AWOIAF|Osmund Kettleblack}}{{ref|AWOIAF|Osfryd Kettleblack}}

Living in the capital with the elderly Lord Arryn for years with Petyr nearby has been difficult for Lysa.{{Ref|ASOS|68}}{{Ref|AWOIAF|Petyr Baelish}} She and Petyr started planning a life together,{{ref|ASOS|80}} and according to a semi-canon source, they have begun a secret affair.{{ref|AWOIAF|Petyr Baelish}}{{ref|AWOIAF|Lysa Arryn}} When Lysa learned that her husband planned to send their son, [[Robert Arryn]], away to be fostered at [[Dragonstone]] by Lord [[Stannis Baratheon]], Petyr provided her with the [[Tears of Lys|poison]] she used to kill Lord Jon. He also convinced Lysa to send a message to her sister Catelyn at Winterfell, in which she falsely accused Queen [[Cersei Lannister|Cersei]] and [[House Lannister]] of the murder of her husband.{{Ref|AGOT|6}}{{Ref|ASOS|80}}