SORROW AND POLITICS

LYSA ARRYN

She waited hours for Petyr to show up, but he did not and she could not go looking for him. So she went to bed angry. It was the following morning that Lysa Arryn learned that Petyr Baelish suffered a heart attack and died. She mourned him in private and would see no one. The King and Jon Arryn returned early from the hunt when they heard the news.

Jon came to comfort Lysa with words, but she paid little to know interest in what he said. Later she learned that Petyr had no will and so the King would decide what would become of his businesses. To ease her pains Lysa began drinking. One night she was so drunk that she went to Jon Arryn's bed and as she had sex with him she called out Petyr's name. When she awoke Jon was sitting beside the bed.

"Here drink this." He commands in an angry voice.

"What is it?"

"Maester Pycell calls it bright eye. Helps with wine sickness."

"By the gods!" She says clearing her throat and coughing as the stuff goes down.

"It takes a few seconds."

While he waits he stares at her, "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Last night while we were having sex, you called me Petyr. Why?"

Her head started to clear up and she remembers last night, "I…I was thinking about my friend…I miss him. I meant nothing by it."

"I don't know if I believe you…You also said oh please Petyr do that trick you do to me." She tries to hide her nervousness and think of a way to appease Jon. "Have you been intimate with Baelish?"

"I…use to have a crush on him. He took my virginity. I have often dreamed of our first time…That is all. I swear it." Jon stands up and leaves. "Jon…Jon!" She does not see him all day nor does he answer her requests for an audience. This goes on for a few days. Then she summons her maid, "Tell Lord Arryn that I am with child."

At sunset Jon comes to her, "I do not believe you are with child. I do believe that you and Baelish were lovers behind my back. You were not a virgin when we married and I did not hold that against you. Do you want out of this marriage?"

Returning to her father's House was repugnant, "Is that what you want?"

"Answer my question woman!" Jon angrily demands raising his voice.

"I do not wish to return to my father's House. "Jon walks away and as he does, she remembers the Queen's secret. A few days later Lysa requests an audience with Queen Cersei. "Thank you for seeing me your Grace."

"Your maid said it was urgent."

"It is…Um do you know if the King has decided what to do with Lord Baelish's wealth?"

"I do not nor do I care."

"Do you care about being Queen?"

"What do you mean? Why ask me that question?"

"Because I know about you and your brother." The Queen does not react to her statement. "I also know that all three of your children were fathered by your brother." Cersei takes a drink but remains silent. "When the King goes hunting or is with a woman you and your brother meet up." She pauses to see if she would speak, but Cersei does not.

"Aren't you going to deny it?"

"I don't need to…I want to see how big a fool you are."

"I am no fool…And if anyone points out the obvious things about your children…well…"

That is when Cersei starts singing the rains of Castamere. "And who are you? The Proud Lord said that I must bow so low…"

"Ah yes the infamous rains of Castamere…If anything happens to me a letter will be delivered to the King explaining why I died."

Cersei sighs, "What do you want bitch?"

"Gold. Five million gold dragons. My husband is annulling our marriage and I have no desire to return to my father's home."

"And how soon do you want this gold?"

"A week's time."

"And I have your word that your mouth will remain shut."
"Yes."

CERSEI

Cersei's father Lord Tywin Lannister had said many times that anyone who was not a Lannister is an enemy. For Lysa Arryn she had sealed her doom. The first thing Cersei does is summon Grandmaester Pycel and makes a plan with him to rid herself of Lysa Arryn. But first she had to find the person she entrusted the letter to. This did not take long as her spies paid gold to Lysa servants.

"The woman's name is Bethel…A commoner from the Vale serving House Arryn." Pycel says. He hamds her a letter, "She had this on her."

The letter is unopened. Cersei breaks the seal and reads in silence. "Where is she now?"

"The dungeons in the Lannister Mansion in the city."

"Are there anymore letters."

"None Your Grace."

"You've done well…Now leave me." After Pycel leaves Cersei sends a message to Lysa Arryn.

"Do you have my gold?"

"Its on the way…" She hands Lysa a letter, "From my father about the gold." The letter is a fake. "Where do you want your gold delivered?"

"Aboard a ship called the Red Fish." A few days later Lysa is given an annulment. On the day she boards her ship the Red Fish the Captain takes her prisoner. He and the crew had been paid the five thousand to sail Lysa Arryn to Volantis and sell her into slavery.

BLAKE

Blake Hardell is an agent working for House Targaryen and was suggested as the New Master of Coin. It is he who suggests that Baelish's businesses go to Tyrion Lannister. Blake is blonde of hair, blue of eyes, with a runners build. He has a full beard. A native of Myr his job is to buy the loyalty of the Gold Cloaks, an easy job considering who was in command.

"My Lord…" His assistant says, also an agent for House Targaryen. "…A man from the Iron Bank is here to see you."

"Show him in."

"My name is Tycho Nestaros…Banking Lord of Braavos. Are you Petyr Baelish?"

"No I am his replacement, Blake Hardell. Lord Baelish died a few weeks ago of a heart attack. How may I help you?"

"Lord Baelish contacted us about making a loan. I have the loan contract with me if you would like to go over it."

Blake takes the contract and reads in silence. "An open end contract with a clause to borrow more gold if necessary. These interests rates are outrageous."

"I am sure we can negotiate."

"I would like to present this to the king first. In the meantime would you remain in the palace as my guest?" A takes a few days, but eventually Jon Arryn is able to convince Robert to attend a small council meeting. "I advise you your grace not to take this loan." Blake says in the council meeting.

"But you said that the crown is broke." Robert replies.

"We are almost broke…Which is why I made a budget for the King and the royal family. I also sent some men to search for gold on the King's lands…The crown lands, and the King's Wood."

"Hah! A budget! That wife of mine gets a monthly allowance from her father."

"Your Grace we can use the loan as a fallback for more gold, if the mining operations don't turn up anything. But with all due respect, you must reign in on your spending."

LYSA

Upon learning she was to be sold as a slave. Lysa begs and pleads with the Captain, but he refuses. A tattoo of a tear drop is placed on her face. This means that Lysa is to be sold as a sex slave. As they disembark from the ship a man is waiting. "Greetings good sir."

"Who be you?" The Captain asks.

"My name is Karter…My master sends me to the docks to keep an eye out for redheads…My Master loves Redheads and will pay a lot pf gold for one…How much for her?"

Lysa would speak, but her mouth is gagged, "Four thousand."

"Done!"

Lysa is taken to an in, her gag is removed, "Please sir I am no slave…I am a free woman of Westeros…"

"I know who you are Lady Tully…Formally the wife of Jon Arryn"

"Who are you?"

"Jon Longmouth…and I am to sail you to White Harbor and from there deliver you to Winterfell."

"Winterfell? My sister is married to Lord Eddard Stark…What do they have to do with all this?"

"You will have to wait and see."

After a month at sea Lysa and Jon reach White Harbor. They travel by land to Winterfell and Lysa is given her own room. Not long after her sister Cat comes to see her. "Cat."

She raises her hand, "We are sisters and until this moment I did not know how I would feel when I saw you. I wanted to look into your eyes and tell me that were not plotting to poison your own husband! That you were not conspiring with Petyr Baelish to start a war between Houses Stark and Lannister."

"Where did you hear these things from?"

"Tell me the truth."

"What can I say? It sounds like you have already made up your mind."

"If not for me you would be a sex slave in Volantis." Lysa bursts into tears and out of compassion Cat hugs her.

"Why do the gods hate me? Why does father despise me?"

"The gods don't hate you and father…well you just fell in love with the wrong man." Cat replies hugging her.

"I want revenge on the Queen."

"I know…and you will see her fall."