Petyr's face was filled with sorrow. " Cat, I love you. I'd rather bear your hatred myself than let you spend your life in pain... That was all I could do, Lysa... She's insane... She won't let you go. This is the Eyrie, and she's the Lady of the Eyrie. 💘😂 🌷💲"
Catelyn's hand gripping the dagger trembled slightly. "No, it can't be. I might argue with my sister, but I would never hurt her. I love her."
Petyr's eyes were filled with deep love. " Cat, think back to the situation... You had no other choice, Lysa was insane."
"No... impossible... how could this be..." Lady Catelyn weakly refuted Petyr's "malicious" deduction.
Petyr raised a hand and gently grasped Catelyn's hand, which was gripping the dagger's hilt tightly, and whispered comfortingly, " Cat, don't be sad. You didn't hurt your sister. I shouldn't have said those things. I'm so sorry."
Lady Catelyn's blue eyes trembled.
Yes, Lysa went mad; she was terrified, which led her to pull out the dagger.
And then... if Petyr hadn't shown up... would Lysa have stopped her madness under her threats?
If Lysa disregards her threats and insists on pushing her down the Moon Door... what choice will she ultimately make?
"No... no... no..." Catelyn couldn't bear the fact that it had never happened.
Petyr reached out his hand with heartache, trying to comfort Cat who was lost in grief, but just as his fingertips were about to touch her body, she suddenly slapped his hand away.
Catelyn shouted angrily, " Petyr, that's all an excuse! You're a cunning fox!"
She pressed the dagger back against Littlefinger's neck. " Lysa is insane, so she's even less likely to lie. You made Lysa poison Jon Arryn! You killed her husband!"
Petyr pleaded painfully, " Cat, I beg you, please don't force me."
Lady Catelyn said coldly, "Finally out of good excuses? Petyr, the facts are the facts. It has already happened, and no matter how good your excuse is, you can't escape it."
Petyr opened his mouth and said, " Cat, the truth is often cruel. I beg you, let me take it with me."
A faint tear glistened in his eyes. "This is the best outcome. I beg you once more, Lady Catelyn Tully of Lady of Winterfell."
Catelyn stared unblinkingly at Petyr, whose face was pale and who seemed to be hiding something.
Could there really be a truth she didn't know?! Regardless of what she was thinking, Catelyn didn't let her guard down.
" Petyr, you used Lysa for your own power, you really are..."
Petyr angrily interrupted Catelyn: "She loved me, and I couldn't reciprocate, so I chose to kill Jon Arryn. He deserved to die."
He finished speaking in one breath, but then paused, and a look of regret quickly appeared on his face.
Catelyn exclaimed in shock, "What did you say? Why did you say Lysa's husband deserved to die?"
Why did Catelyn want to know the answer? It wasn't just because of the precious bond from their childhood; she also wanted to find a "good excuse" for her sister's mental breakdown—that was her selfish motive.
Family, responsibility, honor.
The Tully daughter who poisoned her husband is dead, and she hopes there's a reason behind her sister's madness that can convince her, not just that she's insane.
"That's quite unexpected..." Petyr shook his head with a self-deprecating laugh.
Catelyn sheathed her dagger and said, " Petyr, tell me the truth, no matter how cruel it is, I want to know."
"Sigh..." Petyr sighed deeply.
His voice was weary as he said, "More than a decade ago, Jon Arryn married Lysa to gain the House Tully's army... Even knowing she had lost her virginity, Jon Arryn, who cherished his honor, still married her. Jon Arryn was very responsible, but his pride would never allow him to fall in love with Lysa, yet what she needed most was warmth..."
After a moment of silence, he said sadly, "This is what I owe him."
He paused, then continued, " Jon Arryn, though he married her, blamed her for tarnishing the honor of the House Arryn... Ah... As High as Honor..."
Petyr's Adam's apple bobbed, and his gaze shifted until he saw the silver flask and walked toward it.
With a splash, Petyr filled a glass with wine, reached out, picked it up, and took a big gulp.
" Lysa isn't a fool; she has the pride of the Tully family, and naturally, she wouldn't want to sleep with him."
Catelyn walked over, her cold voice laced with sarcasm, and said, "Is this your reason for hiding around Lysa?"
Petyr gave a bitter smile and said, "Before giving birth to Little Robert, Lysa suffered five miscarriages, twice at the Eyrie and three times King's Landing Eyrie. She suspected those around her of plotting against her, and her primary suspect was her husband, Jon Arryn."
He looked at Catelyn: "She's very sensitive, and getting more and more sensitive. She needs someone to confide in, she needs the care of family, but the proud Lord Arryn shows absolutely no concern for her abnormality."
He sighed softly, "Can I leave? The answer is no, because I owe her."
His fingers traced the rim of the wine glass. "The Duke of Riverrun's daughter... the Duke of the Eyrie's wife... She possesses the most prestigious status in the Seven Kingdoms, yet lives under her husband's constant neglect... Fortunately, she has her Little Robert."
Petyr took a sip of his drink and said bitterly, " Hand Jon Arryn, without Lysa's consent, suddenly made a decision to send Little Robert to Dragonstone to be raised by Stannis. This news drove Lysa completely mad. She could tolerate her husband's indifference, but she absolutely could not accept someone taking her son away. She would do anything for Little Robert."
Catelyn asked incredulously, "Why is Duke Arryn forcibly separating mother and child? Could it be...?"
"Yes, you guessed it, Jon Arryn thinks Lysa will ruin his heir."
Catelyn's pupils contracted. "So..."
Petyr nodded slightly and said, "So I found Lysa a reason that could convince herself. I secretly obtained the Tears of Lys and also found the real culprit to take the blame for her. Unfortunately, your husband still found out the so-called truth."
"What are you doing...?"
"Shh, let me finish, Cat."
Petyr spread his hands and continued, "You know Eddard Stark better than I do. How did he manage to find the so-called truth so soon after arriving in King's Landing? Without my behind-the-scenes maneuvering, could a Direwolf from the North, who only knows how to rampage, have possibly traced me back to him?"
He smiled. " Lannister? That was a reminder to my beloved woman's husband that the Lannister were his enemies, but it seemed to have had little effect; he nearly died at their hands, breaking your heart."
→
He held up one finger. "I only had one wish at the time. When I was Direwolf and thrown into the Black Cells, I was prepared to take all the blame so that Lysa could raise Little Robert in peace. That's what I owe her."
The truth was indeed cruel. Catelyn couldn't help but sigh. Although her sister had her reasons, what she did... still couldn't be "glorified." Poor Lysa.
Petyr's sincere words offered Catelyn a small measure of comfort. After all, they had grown up together in Riverrun, a wonderful time, and she had always considered Petyr her younger brother... Though she didn't show it on her face, she harbored a sliver of hope that he wasn't a cruel person.
Catelyn snapped out of her reverie, gazed at the weary Petyr for a moment, and said, " Petyr, the army besieging the Eyrie was sent by the Lannister, and my eldest son has declared himself King in the North. You should know very well that I cannot protect Little Robert here."
"Thank you for Duke Direwolf's sense of honor..."
Petyr rubbed his temples and said, " King Joffrey's army commander is Gryn Crabb, a nobleman of the Crownlands. Over a decade ago, during the war, it was Lord Eddard who saved his pregnant mother, who happened to be in her womb. Because of this favor, he is grateful to the Stark, which at least guarantees your safety. If you're lucky, you can also protect Little Robert, Cat."
Catelyn frowned. "I know Ned. If he knew I had taken advantage of his honor, he wouldn't forgive me easily. Besides, Gryn Crabb is still a child; I can't take advantage of his kindness."
She paused, then continued, "Even if he were willing to help me, I must refuse. Because if the Lannister knew about this, they would never forgive him, the Gods would certainly not forgive me."
Petyr shrugged and said, "When Lord Eddard was in the Red Keep, he treated Lord Gryn like his own son; they were very close. Cat and Crabb are also descendants of the First Men; they're both stubborn. As long as you're here, you can't stop him from helping."
Stubborn as Ned?! Thinking of Ned's personality, Lady Catelyn couldn't think of a good solution for the time being.
Petyr's eyes flickered almost imperceptibly as he said, " Cat, I never intended to make things difficult for Lord Gryn. I plan to tell him that I am the one who poisoned Hand of the Hand Jon Arryn, King Joffrey will have no excuse to invade the Vale, and I think Little Robert will be safe."
Catelyn looked at Petyr, a hint of emotion in her eyes. "You will die."
Petyr gave a weak smile and said, "I should have died when I pushed Lysa off the Gates of the Moon for you. I've lived in constant agony. Perhaps... this is a relief for me."
He murmured sadly, "It's a pity I couldn't keep my promise and raise Little Robert to adulthood. I'm such a useless man."
Catelyn's eyes reddened; she hadn't yet recovered from the grief of losing her sister, and now she was about to lose her childhood playmate, who was like a brother to her?
" Petyr, let me think..."
Petyr seemed not to hear Catelyn's voice, and continued, " Cat, your matter is even simpler; Lord Gryn can pretend he never saw you."
Catelyn repeated, "Let me think... you..."
Petyr suddenly hugged Catelyn tightly and whispered in her ear, "Take care of yourself. Goodbye, Cat."
Petyr quickly released Cat, whose body had stiffened, and smiled with pleasure, "How I miss it..."
After saying that, he strode towards the door without looking back.
As Petyr stepped through the doorway, Catelyn's slightly anxious voice rang out. " Littlefinger! Stop!"
Without stopping, Petyr finally breathed a sigh of relief; he was saved.
At Gates of the Moon, Gryn Crabb pulled out the map left behind by Roland Arryn I and had it spread out on the long table.
Gryn looked it over and said, "Rumor has it that the map he left behind is the most detailed... Hmm, it really is."
Roland was the fourth King of Arryn. After witnessing the grandeur of Hightower, Casterly Rock, and the many First Men fortresses along the Trident, he deemed Gates of the Moon too shabby to be the ancestral home of House Arryn.
Roland then decided to build a new clan castle. He originally intended to destroy Gates of the Moon and rebuild it on its site, but the harsh winter and the raids by the Mountain Clans made him abandon this plan.
At the suggestion of his wife, Tiora Hunter, Roland decided to build the highest castle in Westeros, which is now the Eyrie.
After gazing for a moment, Lord Gryn slowly said, " Amparo, we don't need to conquer Eyrie. Whether it's six months or a year, let our soldiers hold firm at Gates of the Moon and wait for the people in Eyrie to come down and surrender."
He paused, then announced, "From now on, we can call it Eagle's Nest Prison, or the White Prison."
"Yes, Lord Gryn."
When he abandoned the plan to storm the Eyrie, he ordered the old map to be put away and a new one to be laid out.
After a pause, Gryn pointed and said, " Coldwater Burn, Snakewood, Strong Song, Heart's Home, and Longbow Hall —these places still retain a certain amount of military strength."
Amparo Thorns examined the area Gryn had pointed to on the map and said, "Lord Gryn, the Vale is very large."
Gryn nodded slightly and said, "Remember, Crabb's soldiers cannot be wasted in the siege. We must make good use of the siege of the Eyrie to lure the soldiers from those places over."
He pointed to a passage in the valley. "For example, we can prepare here in advance and launch a surprise attack when the army supporting the Eyrie arrives. The Eyrie and Duke Arryn the Younger, who is inside, are the bait to lure them to keep coming to support us. We can use this method to wipe out the last bit of courage of the Vale people."
Gryn raised his eyes, glanced at the dozen or so people standing around the long table, and said, "I'll repeat myself, our objective is to eliminate all the Vale reinforcements that have come to Eyrie."
The crowd replied in unison, "Yes, Lord Gryn!"
After the war council concluded and everyone had left, Gryn sent someone to bring over the scholars from Gates of the Moon.
The Gates of the Moon Scholar, trembling, bowed and said, "Good day, benevolent Lord Crabb."
Gryn raised an eyebrow and asked, "How many cawing birds are there in the crow house at Gates of the Moon?"
"There are 102 in total, esteemed sir."
"I want you to choose to serve me. I want to hear your answer now."