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[THE VALE]
[PETYR BAELISH, LORD ROYCE AND LADY ANYA are talking]
Jon Arryn smiled at the familiar faces. They were friends of his, man and woman loyal to him. They will help Sansa.
But only if she reaches out to them.
"You have foreign blood, don't you, Baelish?"
"A great-grandfather from Braavos, yes. I suppose all of our ancestors came from somewhere else originally."
"Our forebearers settled the Vale thousands of years ago. We've fought off invaders ever since."
"And before that, they came from somewhere else. Lord Baelish wasn't wrong" Shereen pointed out.
Robert grunted and Stannis nodded.
"The beauty of the Vale is matched only by the nobility of its great Families. Lady Arryn often told me you were her rock, Lord Royce."
"Ass licker" Lyanna muttered.
"She told me nothing about you, Baelish. But I didn't need to hear from her. Moneylender. Whoremonger. You've been licking Tywin Lannister's boots so long, it's a wonder your tongue's not black."
Tyrion snorted. The man wasn't wrong in his assessment.
"And when Jon Arryn named you Master of Coin, no one cared. Always been a grubby job. Why not let a grubby man do it? But when I heard you were lurking here, fawning over the Lady Arryn..."
"Lady Arryn invited me. She and I have been close since childhood."
"Yes, we all know how close you were."
Jon Arryn shifted in discomfort. His counsel had advised him not to take Lysa as his wife, that her past would sully him in one way or the other. But Jon was desperate then for the Riverlands army to join their cause. He had little choice.
"Lady Arryn's predilections were her own affair. Her death is our affair."
"Of course. Her suicide shattered us all."
Catelyn snorted. She may still be angry with her sister, but the audacity of the man...
"She was an odd fish. Everyone knew that. But suicide? She adored that boy of hers. I don't see her abandoning him. Not by choice."
"Strange that within days of your arrival, you've married Lady Arryn and she's fallen through the Moon Door."
"She was always prone to melancholy. My lady wasn't meant for a world as brutal as ours.'
"We were told there was a witness. A girl."
"A niece of yours, I believe."
"A girl with no learning and scattered wits. I assure you, she would be of no help."
Sansa was affronted to be even considered as such.
"We'd like to speak with her."
"Let me fetch her."
"No need. We prefer to hear her testimony unadulterated."
[Sansa Stark enters the room]
Robb smirked. The opportunity was now. All Sansa had to do was reach out.
"Come closer, child. You have nothing to fear from us or him. Lord Baelish here is your uncle? Your name is Alayne? Perhaps you would feel more comfortable if Lord Baelish left the room.:
"My lady..."
"I wasn't asking you."
"Good, shut him up" Arya whispered. Sansa will speak up now, she's learned what lying would mean. These people can help her if she's truthful.
"Speak up, girl, you're not a damn kitchen mouse. Tell us what you saw."
[SANSA turns to LORD BAELISH]
"I'm sorry, Lord Baelish. I have to tell the truth."
"Please, Alayne, leave nothing out."
"My name is not Alayne. It's Sansa Stark, the eldest daughter of Lord Eddard Stark. Lord Royce, we met when you came to Winterfell. You were escorting your son Ser Waymar to the Wall."
"Sansa Stark? You tell lies right to my face, you little worm?"
"Lord Baelish has told many lies."
"Yes!" Arya cheered. Sansa would tell the truth and that man would finally get what is coming to him.
"All to protect me."
The girl's smile fell. She wasn't.
"Since my father was executed, I have been a hostage in King's Landing. A plaything for Joffrey to torture or Queen Cersei to torment. They beat me, they humiliated me, they married me to the Imp. I had no friends in King's Landing...except one. He saved me. Smuggled me away when he had the chance. He knew I'd be safe here in the Eyrie with my own blood, my Aunt Lysa. The Lannisters have friends everywhere. Even the Vale. He made me swear not to tell anyone my true name."
"You could have told them the truth," Arya said stubbornly, her eyes flashing with anger and disappointment.
"In Sansa's defence, she wasn't there when Father was taken prisoner in the Throne Room" Jon whispered to Arya.
"And? The man confessed to having a hand in Joffrey's murder, killed our Aunt Lysa and told Sansa that he was doing everything for himself, and that he loved Mother. He was supposed to be father's friend in the capital but he did nothing and was still in Joffrey's good graces after."
"That would not automatically make him guilty, killing Joffrey and Lysa, and saving his skin. Baelish played it well that Joffrey needed to die and knew Sansa would not question it because she hated Joffrey. Lysa was threatening Sansa and Baelish played it as if he came in and saved her. And everyone in the capital played at saving their skins rather than helping Father."
Arya only glared at her brother and looked away fuming. Sansa had lied. These men and women were Lords of The Vale who put honour overall. Their father knew them too and they knew him! They would have helped her if she had just tried!
Jon Arryn too sighed in disappointment.
"Your father grew up right here in these halls. We hunted together many times. He was a fine man."
Ned smiled slightly. His time in the Vale had him knowing all its Lords and Ladies, befriending them as well. He thought the best of them all and it warmed him that they thought the same of him.
"Tell us what happened to your aunt, Sansa."
"You knew her well, my lords, my lady. You knew she was a troubled woman. She always loved Lord Baelish. She told me herself. From the moment he arrived at the gates of Riverrun, a boy of eight carrying everything he owned in a little sack. She confessed to me she never loved Lord Arryn. She did as her father commanded, as so many of us have. When the gods finally allowed her to be with Lord Baelish, she was so happy. For a time. My aunt was a jealous lady. She was terrified that Lord Baelish didn't love her anymore. That he would abandon her for a younger woman. And then...one day she saw him kiss me. It was a peck on the cheek and nothing more. Lord Baelish is my uncle now, in truth, by marriage. He's always been so kind to me. I was so happy to be here, to be free. All because of him. But my aunt turned on me. She cursed me. Called me a whore. Promised to throw me through the Moon Door. When Lord Baelish tried to calm her, she struck him. She said she didn't want to live anymore. She stood on the edge of that Moon Door. He tried to reason with her. Promised her she was the only one he had ever loved, but she stepped through those doors and she was..."
[SANSA begins sobbing]
Arya rolled her eyes. Her sister was acting, she knew it well enough. No doubt the idea was Baelish's and Sansa was going along with it because she was an idiotic fool!
[LORD ROYCE, LADY ANYA, and PETYR BAELISH walk down the stairs]
"You could see it in the way she raised that boy. Feeding him from her own teats when he was 10 years old."
"Lord Royce! This is hardly the time."
"No. But it needs to be addressed" Jon Arryn whispered darkly. He needed to get his son away from Lysa before she ruined him completely.
"Apologies, my lady. And to you as well, Baelish. We treated you a bit harshly."
"You want justice, Lord Royce. I can hardly complain about that. I want the same."
"Not much justice to be meted out in suicide, is there?"
"For Lysa, no. But for her son? Only 20 years ago, the knights of the Vale rode behind Jon Arryn, Ned Stark, and Robert Baratheon. They fought together to overcome the Mad King. And since then, Arryn, Royce, Corbray, Waynwood, and all the great houses of the Vale watched from the corner. A timid boy at a tavern brawl."
"Are you questioning our courage?"
"No. But he is using your outrage against you" Oberyn hummed. This Petyr Baelish, as deplorable as his character was, was a smart man. A shame he wasn't Dornish and that he had true loyalty. It was easier to turn people from true loyalty than from none.
"I want to know which side you're on. Do you support the Lannisters, the house that executed your friend Ned Stark?"
"Of course, we don't support the damn Lannisters."
"No? Catelyn Stark begged her sister for support and Lysa refused. By staying out of the fray, you've allowed Tywin Lannister to destroy his rivals on every compass point. Who stands against him now?"
"Who would you have us back, Lord Baelish? Robb Stark is dead."
"I'd have you back Robin Arryn, Lord of the Vale."
"Robin Arryn is a sickly little boy."
"And sickly little boys sometimes become powerful men."
"No doubt he says it about himself" Catelyn scoffs. "He wasn't much of a healthy boy growing up either."
"Wouldn't it be funny if Robert Arryn was secretly Baelish's considering how much Lysa only wanted him and he used her" Lyanna murmured.
She did not voice it out, thinking about poor old Jon Arryn. The man was betrayed by his wife, no use put any such seeds in his mind that he'd throw his son aside.
"I adored Lysa with all my heart. But she loved her son so much, that she became overprotective. He needs to learn how to swing a sword. How to ride a horse."
"Aye, it's time."
"Yes, it's time. Time for him to tour the Vale, to visit all the castles in his domain. Time for Robin to leave the nest."
Jon Arryn mused. Petyr was not wrong, and perhaps it should happen sooner this time. Jon was already thinking about it, now he was certain to do so. Now he just needed to think about what House to reach out to.