Chapter 105 – Sisters Reunited
At this point, Petyr had no choice but to wait helplessly for Arya's arrival and the renewed interrogation by the Lords Declarant.
With the questioning interrupted—and seeing that Sansa was clearly in no condition to give testimony—Yohn announced that the interrogation would be postponed. Petyr was escorted back to his chambers, his movements restricted to a limited area.
After crying for a while, Sansa gradually calmed down and remained in the room with Yohn and the others, waiting for Arya.
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More than half an hour later, Arya and Sandor were brought into the Eyrie.
Arya's eyes were red as she walked, murmuring softly, "Aunt…"
Sandor followed behind her, glancing around from time to time. For the sake of the ransom, he could only endure Arya's continued performance.
Hearing footsteps outside, Sansa hurried out of the room—and immediately saw Arya in her ragged clothes, eyes reddened, muttering under her breath.
Arya was still looking for the chamber where the decision-makers were gathered when she turned her head and saw Sansa staring at her, eyes brimming with tears.
"S–Sansa? What are you doing here?" Arya never imagined that instead of seeing her aunt's body or witnessing an interrogation, she would be reunited with her sister.
Her eyes reddened for real this time. She ran toward Sansa, and the two sisters—so different in temperament, once constantly at odds—threw their arms around each other and held on tightly.
Their father had been executed, their house shattered. The petty childhood grievances between them had long since faded, leaving only the overwhelming joy of family reunited after long separation.
Seeing Arya dressed in filthy, tattered clothes, Yohn and the others couldn't help but feel pity for the Stark sisters.
They had already heard Sansa recount her suffering in King's Landing. Though she had lived in fine clothes and comfort, the psychological torment she endured was no less severe than Arya's harsh life on the road.
The sisters cried openly in each other's arms for a long while before finally calming down.
Yohn arranged a room for Arya right next to Sansa's, allowing the sisters—long separated—to talk freely.
Seeing the situation in the Eyrie, Sandor knew it wasn't the time to ask for a ransom. He was assigned a room as Arya's companion and settled in temporarily.
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After bathing and changing into clean clothes brought by the servants, Arya hurried straight to Sansa's room.
Their brief exchange earlier was far from enough after so long apart.
Sitting on the bed, the sisters told each other everything that had happened since their father's death.
Sansa was stunned to learn that Arya had been present at the Red Wedding. Hearing about Arya's encounter with their great-uncle Brynden "Blackfish" Tully that night, Sansa felt deep sorrow for their mother and brother—and immense relief that they had escaped alive.
When Sansa learned that Arya had once served as Tywin Lannister's cupbearer without being discovered, she couldn't help but marvel at her sister's quick wit.
Hearing that Sansa had nearly been assaulted by a mob in King's Landing—and had been saved by Sandor—Arya felt a surge of gratitude toward him.
She hadn't known that beneath his burned, terrifying exterior there was such a decent side.
And Sandor had never once mentioned saving Sansa. Arya decided she should treat him better from now on—maybe even increase his ransom.
At the mention of the humiliation and beatings Sansa suffered at the hands of Joffrey and Cersei, Arya clenched her teeth in fury. Joffrey was already dead, but Cersei remained on her list. Arya swore she would never forgive her.
When Arya learned that her beautiful sister had been forced by Tywin to marry the Imp, she immediately cursed Tyrion's shamelessness—how dare a toad lust after a swan?
She was about to add him to her list when Sansa, blushing slightly, told her that the marriage was in name only—never consummated.
Arya stared at Sansa in disbelief. Her sister had grown into a true red-haired beauty—how could the Imp possibly restrain himself? Was there something wrong with him?
After a flurry of wild thoughts, Arya asked hesitantly,
"So… you're still a maiden?"
Sansa, uncomfortable under Arya's gaze and annoyed by the question, shot her a glare and said with mock indignation,
"Of course I am!"
Arya hadn't expected that under the claws of that little monster Joffrey, Sansa had not only remained untouched—but even after being forced into marriage with the Imp, had still managed to keep her chastity. Calling it sheer luck would not have been an exaggeration.
After finishing their exchange of experiences, Arya asked about Aunt Lysa's death and the current situation in the Eyrie.
Sansa, of course, didn't hide anything from her sister and told her everything from beginning to end.
After Sansa and Petyr Baelish arrived at the Eyrie, Petyr—acting with King's Landing's tacit approval—married Lysa, who had loved him since childhood.
Their marriage was relatively stable at first, until a few days ago, when Lysa accidentally saw Petyr kissing Sansa. Already fiercely jealous by nature, Lysa flew into a rage, dragged Sansa to the edge of the Moon Door in the Great Hall, and nearly pushed her through it.
Petyr stopped Lysa in time, sparing Sansa—but after calming Lysa down, he suddenly pushed her through the Moon Door himself.
The lords of the Vale could not allow the Lady of the Eyrie to die under such suspicious circumstances, which was why Petyr was now being interrogated.
Arya had never liked Petyr Baelish to begin with. Hearing that after marrying their aunt he had still forcibly kissed Sansa—who had been trapped by circumstance—only deepened her contempt.
"How far has the interrogation gone?" Arya asked. "Will Petyr be found guilty?"
Sansa thought for a moment.
"Petyr told the Lords Declarant that Aunt Lysa killed herself out of jealousy toward me. They don't believe his story—or his character—and they asked me to explain why Aunt Lysa jumped through the Moon Door."
"And what did you say?" Arya pressed.
"I don't know whether the Lords Declarant would help me send troops to save Mother and Robb," Sansa said quietly.
"So I planned to give false testimony—to help Petyr escape the charge of murder."
"That way, after Aunt Lysa's death, he would become Robin's temporary guardian and the Lord Protector of the Vale… and then he could send troops to save Mother and Robb."
Sansa finally voiced her plan.
Knowing that Sansa hadn't yet given the false testimony, Arya frowned.
"Are you sure Petyr would help us?"
"I'm not sure," Sansa admitted after hesitating. "But I don't understand the Lords Declarant. I had no choice but to—"
Arya thought for a moment, then looked directly at her sister.
"I don't think Petyr will help us. He watched Father die in King's Landing without lifting a finger. Why would he now risk angering the Lannisters to save Mother and Robb?"
"But Aunt Lysa said Petyr always loved Mother," Sansa argued.
"Maybe he loved her once," Arya replied, then glanced at Sansa.
"But now…"
She left the rest unsaid.