Jon Arryn

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Jon Arryn
Monarch
Predecessor Jasper Arryn
Heirs
Successor Robert Arryn
Personal Information
Born 225 AL
Died 297 AL
King's Landing
Family
Spouses
Issue Robert Arryn
Father Jasper Arryn

Jon Arryn (225 AL - 297 AL) was Lord of the Eyrie, Defender of the Vale and Warden of the East. He served as Hand of the King to Robert Baratheon from 283 AL until his death in 297 AL.

Life

Youth

Jon was born in 225 AL the son of Lord Jasper Arryn. Not much is known about his youth or his parents. He had a younger brother, Ronnel, and a sister, Alys, who married Elys Waynwood. Jon was Keeper of the Gates of the Moon while his father lived and after his fathers death he named his brother Ronnel and later his cousin Denys.

Robert's Rebellion

Jon fostered Eddard Stark and Robert Baratheon as his wards in the Vale. As they grew, the two boys became close companions and regarded Jon as a second father. After Aerys II demanded that Jon turn them over for a likely execution, Jon refused and raised his banners in revolt. After fighting with several lords who resisted the rebellion, Jon fought in the Battle of the Bells and the Battle of the Trident. When Robert Baratheon ascended to the Iron Throne, he appointed Jon as his Hand.

As Hand of the King

The first task Jon undertook was making peace with Dorne. Dorne was incensed by the deaths of Lewyn and Elia Martell during the war. Oberyn Martell tried to raise the kingdom to support Viserys Targaryen, the surviving son of Aerys. In response, Jon returned the bones of Lewyn and was able to broker a peace with Doran Martell.

To strengthen Robert's hold on the throne, Jon negotiated Robert's marriage with Cersei Lannister. Robert left Jon with much of the responsibility of running the Seven Kingdoms, but Jon could not stop Robert from spending huge amounts of money on tournaments and excess, putting the nation in serious debt.

Before his death, Jon worked with Stannis Baratheon to discover that Cersei Lannister's children were fathered not by Robert but by the Queen's brother, Jaime Lannister. Before he could publicly reveal this information, he died. In a letter to her sister, Lysa accused the Lannisters of poisoning him, but it was later revealed that she poisoned him herself on the instigation of Petyr Baelish.

Marriages and heirs

Jon Arryn was married three times, first to Jeyne Royce, and then to Rowena Arryn a cousin. Neither marriages produced a child. Because he had no children, he had appointed a number of heirs who died one after another. First his nephew Elbert Arryn, the son of his younger brother Ronnel. After Elbert was executed by Aerys II, Denys Arryn became heir. He was of a lower branch of House Arryn from Gulltown and had married Jon's niece. He was killed in the Battle of the Bells.

During the Rebellion, Jon married a third time to Lysa Tully, the daughter of Hoster Tully. This helped gained the support of the Riverlands for the war, however their marriage was loveless. Lysa found Jon to be too old and hated his bad breath. After several miscarriages Lysa gave Jon a sickly son and heir, Robert Arryn.