BRYNDEN
The unctuous former Master of Whispers said he wanted to speak to Ser Brynden and King Robb privately about Petyr Baelish. Brynden wondered what he would say, and whether any of it would actually be true. "I trust that you have heard the news that Lord Petyr Baelish has married Lady Arryn and made himself Lord Regent of the Kingdom of the Mountain and the Vale?" he asked.
"Yes," Robb said, "we already knew that. Do you have any new information for us?"
"Oh, I do," the eunuch simpered. "It involves Lord Baelish's role in the deaths of Lord Stark and Lord Arryn." Could this possibly be true? Had the boy his brother had fostered grown into a traitor?
"Let me start with the death of Lord Arryn," Vary said. "Some time before Lord Arryn's death, Stannis Baratheon had come to suspect that King Robert's children were not, in fact, his. He knew that if he went to his brother the king he would only be accused of trying to usurp the throne from his nephew, so he went to Lord Arryn instead. Lord Arryn and Lord Stannis studied Grand Maester Malleon's tome The Lineages and Histories of the Great Houses of the Seven Kingdoms, where they discovered that all previous marriages between Baratheon and Lannister had resulted in black-haired children. They also visited some of King Robert's many bastards in King's Landing and found that all of them clearly bore their royal father's features. It was then that I urged Lord Arryn to employ a taster, but he refused and died after being poisoned with Tears of Lys. When Lord Stark arrived to serve as Hand of the King I told him that Lord Arryn had been poisoned. He then took up Lord Arryn's investigation and discovered the shocking truth about the Queen and her brother."
"We know all of this," Robb said impatiently.
"Lord Baelish was aware of both Lord Arryn and Lord Stark's investigations. He offered to help Lord Stark discover who had poisoned Lord Arryn. When King Robert was mortally wounded in a hunting accident, he named Lord Stark Regent and Lord Protector. Lord Baelish urged Lord Stark to not to reveal to anyone what he knew about the Lannisters. When Lord Stark refused, Lord Baelish promised that the Gold Cloaks would back him." The eunuch then sighed ostentatiously. "Lord Stark, decent, foolish man that he was, had told the Queen that he knew the truth and would tell King Robert when he returned from hunting. He wanted to spare the lives of the children, you see, from the notorious Baratheon fury. This foolish act of mercy was shortly followed by King Robert being mortally wounded by a boar. A strange coincidence, as his grace has slain countless boars before while remaining unscathed." Brynden saw how upset Robb looked. If what the eunuch said was true, then Ned's famed decency had helped bring about his death.
"This is very interesting, if any of it is actually true, which I will reserve judgment on for now," Brynden said, "but how is this proof of Lord Baelish's treachery?"
"Because Lord Stark acted as he did because he thought, as Littlefinger had assured him, that he would have the support of the Gold Cloaks. Instead, Littlefinger betrayed Lord Stark and had the Gold Cloaks back the Lannisters and take Lord Stark prisoner while the new king declared him a traitor. Lord Stark died because he, like so many others, made the mistake of trusting Littlefinger."
"My lord brother raised Petyr Baelish alongside his own children," Brynden said incredulously. "He was like a brother to my nieces and nephew. Why would he ever seek to harm Lady Stark with such a foul act of treachery? I watched them grow up together; I know how much they cared for each other."
"And when was the last time you saw Littlefinger, Ser Brynden?" the eunuch asked.
"Not since he left Riverrun," Brynden admitted.
"You say that Littlefinger was like a brother to your nieces and nephew," Varys said silkily, "but surely you must remember that Littlefinger did not regard Lady Catelyn as merely a sister?" How could Brynden forget? Petyr, foolhardy with youth and love, had challenged Brandon Stark to a duel for Catelyn's hand. Brandon won handily, as any fool could have predicted, any fool except young Petyr, and the fierce young Stark heir would have killed his challenger if Cat had not begged him to spare his life. Cat had stopped talking to Petyr after that, compounding the boy's humiliation and misery even further.
"If what this eunuch says is true," Brynden turned to Robb, "then Petyr Baelish betrayed your lord father to avenge himself on House Stark and on your lady mother as well."
"I doubt that was his only motive," the eunuch said, "but I'm sure it played a large role. The lengths men go to out of spite and pettiness! Apparently a man scorned is as dangerous as a woman scorned," he sighed with mock sanctimony, "not that I have any personal experience in the matter." He tittered, and then continued, "Littlefinger would sometimes claim to have taken the maidenheads of both Tully sisters." Robb looked as outraged as Brynden felt.
"If Littlefinger did indeed say that then he is a foul liar," Brynden said vehemently. He then remembered that Catelyn had told him that Hoster had given Lysa moon tea while she was at Riverrun. Gods be good. Was Littlefinger the father of her babe?
"Or perhaps he is a half-liar," the eunuch said, interrupting Brynden's thoughts. "As we all know Lady Catelyn rejected him, but Lady Lysa…well, she did end up marrying him." Who else could Lysa have soiled herself with? Littlefinger certainly seemed like the most likely candidate, Brynden remembered how fond Lysa had been of him and how upset she had been when he was sent back to the Vale. Brynden started to wonder whether he really knew his niece at all. She was half-mad now, as anyone could see, but that was after years of a loveless marriage to a man older than her father, and many miscarriages and stillbirths to boot. And she had refused to help Robb in the war. Lysa had been such a sweet and innocent girl—but then she had soiled herself…
"Why should I believe a word that you say?" Robb asked. "By your own admission you have served many masters with no regard for loyalty, including Joffrey and the Mad King."
"The master I serve is the greater good," the eunuch replied. "I knew of the prophecy that the Others would return and bring the Endless Night if the three-headed dragon was not there to defeat them. That is why I spirited the babe Prince Aegon to safety when Robert's Rebellion began, and worked with Magister Illyrio Mopatis of Pentos to protect Daenerys Targaryen and procure the dragon eggs for her. Littlefinger is my complete opposite; he serves only the interest of his own power and pride. That is why I do not wish to see him remain Regent of the Kingdom of Mountain and Vale, especially with that weakling boy-king and his madwoman of a mother." Brynden was angry to have his niece and great-nephew insulted so by a eunuch of no honor, but he knew that Varys spoke the truth.
Robb turned to Brynden. "Uncle, you and Brienne and half of the men I brought with me will sail for Maidenpool immediately and from there go directly to the Gates of the Moon. I am sending a raven about our suspicions to Lord Yohn Royce of Runestone and telling him to mobilize his forces. During the war with the Lannisters Lord Royce urged Aunt Lysa to join forces with House Stark and House Tully; I hope he will back us now if need arises. I will go with the princes and the rest of my men to Dragonstone to try to negotiate with Selyse Baratheon so that the Night's Watch can obtain the dragonglass it needs. I will send ravens to King Kevan, King Mace and Prince Doran asking them to help in my attempts to secure the dragonglass of Dragonstone for the Watch."
Brynden was once again impressed by the leadership shown by his young great-nephew. "An excellent plan, your grace. I only have one question: is my squire Elmar Frey to accompany me to the Vale?" Robb smiled at that.
"Yes, he will serve as squire to both you and Brienne. My apologies to you both."
