Coud Shae Have Been Working for Littlefinger?

[Pod The Impaler]

I think Shae may have turned sides to Tywin's, but that was most likely her rattng Tyrion out because she was threatened.

And perhaps Littlefinger was instrumental in leading Cersei or Tywin to her for the trial, but I do not think she was one of his.

[Modesty Lannister]

Thank you for pointing this out OP. I do not think your theory is weak at all. These are good indications that she had another reliable source of information. I always thought Shae was planted by Tywin from the start, but your theory does not negate that option. Since she was found in Tywin's bed, that puts into question all Tywin's moral ramblings. If he had history with whores (and why wouldn't he, he was a long-term widower), the best way for Baelish to spy on Tywin would be to plant a whore he would grow to trust and like. How Tywin later chose to use the whore (plant her into Tyrion's camp) could only help Baelish control events further. Varys has his little birds, LF has his whores.

I disagree with the posters who say the hairnet was not important. It was important to have a handmaiden who would make sure Sansa goes along with a plan.

Also, Shae's testimony that is implicating Sansa is working in Baelish favour, because in order to control Sansa, LF has to have firm legal accusations against Sansa in court, so that he can continue to keep her in the Vale. Otherwise, she might have grown restless or decided to join Jon Snow on the Wall.

Finally, I think there is one small piece of information that is telling us Shae is not working for Tywin. Shae went to Cersei to ask for financial compensation for her testimony. Had she been working for Tywin, she would have gone to him directly. Why bother with Cersei?

So, again, thank you for shedding light onto a potentially valuable piece of information.

[Devaki Khanna]

My evidence is weak, but I'll give this a shot:

First, we have that backward 'ae' configuration in their names: Shae and Baelish. This shows up in a lot of Targaryen names as well, but I don't think they are secret targs. But it could indicate some kind of common connection to Old Valyria, given that some of the Velaryons used it as well. Then again, the Dothraki use it too, as do the Mereenese.

Secondly, we have two unusual events preceding the Purple Wedding. First, Shae knows all about Tyrion's betrothal to Sansa, most certainly before Sansa finds out and possibly before Tyrion as well. Her story is that she had it from the cook, who had it from the livery boy who is tumbling one of the maids... But that is quite a long chain of sources on which to base a certainty on -- and she is absolutely certain the story is true. I would imagine that the household staff is a veritable font of rumor and gossip, so for her to pick this one story that affects her personally and then have no doubt as to is veracity is unusual.

As well we have the fact that as Sansa's new handmaiden, she is in the perfect position to make sure she wears the hairnet for the wedding feast, and even makes a point of saying she wants to see pigeons fly out of a pie, which, as we know, was the cue for the poisoning. Just a coincidence? Or is she angling to make sure Sansa enters the feast with the hairnet?

Finally, we know Shae is a master seductress and Petyr has trained more than a few girls in the ways of the seven sighs, or the Westerosi equivalent. Jeyne Pool mentions her training several times and she was handed over to Petyr shortly after the Tower of the Hand was sacked.

Also interesting is that Cersei ordered the one of the Kettleblacks to dispose of the body, and the Kettleblacks were planted in King's Landing by, Petyr Baelish.

Frankly, I can't help wondering if Shae was Varys' agent, not Littlefinger's. Varys makes every attempt to befriend Tyrion in KL (ACoK) and in doing so, gets acquainted with Shae, who recognizes him for what he is. On the surface, since we're seeing this from Tyrion's POV, it seems innocuous--but what if Varys was using these meetings to get information from Shae and give her instructions? After all, it is Varys who helps Tyrion escape KL at the end of ASoS and meet up with Aegon and his company (ADwD), after he has been wrongfully convicted of murdering Joffrey and after he has killed his father and Shae.

Tyrion met Shae whilst fighting in the Riverlands; Bronn took her off a Lannister bannerman--she tells some story about having run away from her father, who treated her like a servant and tried to sexually abuse her. What if she had come from Essos (Pentos/Illyrio)? Saltpans, a part of the Riverlands, was still functioning as a port, till it was destroyed by Rorge and Biter (post-ASoS/pre-AFfC). She could have come via Braavos, with instructions from Illyrio to get to KL. It seems unlikely that Littlefinger (if she was his agent) would have been able to pass on information to her, whereas Varys made it his business to support Tyrion.

[Narvi]

Everybody works for Littlefinger. They just don't know it.

[Hos the Hostage]

When did Shae manipulate Tyrion?

I didn't say she did manipulate him. I only said she was in a position to do it if she wished. She makes him get her a good job in Red Keep, where Tywin could easily spot her and scold Tyrion for disobeying him. She also increases the tension between Tywin and Tyrion by scoffing at him for being afraid of his father. These are little things, but Lord Baelish is known to take advantage of such things. (The songs about the dragonknight got Loras into KG).

[Colonel Green]

I disagree with the posters who say the hairnet was not important. It was important to have a handmaiden who would make sure Sansa goes along with a plan.

How exactly would Shae make sure Sansa goes along with the plan if for some reason she decides she doesn't trust Dontos' gift of the necklace? Moreover, Shae would never have even been a position to do that if Sansa hadn't been forced to marry Tyrion, which wouldn't have happened if not for the Tyrells going off-script (and it's clear from Dontos' reaction that this wasn't part of the plan).

Also, Shae's testimony that is implicating Sansa is working in Baelish favour, because in order to control Sansa, LF has to have firm legal accusations against Sansa in court, so that he can continue to keep her in the Vale. Otherwise, she might have grown restless or decided to join Jon Snow on the Wall.

No, Littlefinger most definitely doesn't need "firm legal accusations". Sansa is a fugitive whether or not she's a regicide, as a valuable strategic asset. People seriously overstate the role of her being wanted for regicide in her staying with Littlefinger. The Lannisters would demand her return wherever she went, regardless, and the charge doesn't isolate her from anybody who wouldn't already be favourable to handing her over. And Shae's testimony really isn't that significant regarding Sansa, anyway -- basically nobody doubts that she was involved, based on her escape during the assassination. Shae's only really significant in that she confirms that Tyrion supposedly conspired with her.

[new djinn]

Shae was Tywin's agent, keeping an eye on the Imp. Genna told me.

[Lord Damian]

If Shae was anyone's spy, she was Doran Martell's. She is somewhat Dornish looking and her moving from one Lannister power player - tyrion - hand of the King to Tywin - hand of the King is smacks of Doran telling either Arianne of one of the Sandsnakes that he and Prince Oberyn had been working for years to bring house Lannister down. I think she was a Dornish spy if not, just a tallented whore.

[John Suburbs]

Interesting. Got any text to back it up?

[Rhaenys' kitten]

If Shae was anyone's spy, she was Doran Martell's. She is somewhat Dornish looking and her moving from one Lannister power player - tyrion - hand of the King to Tywin - hand of the King is smacks of Doran telling either Arianne of one of the Sandsnakes that he and Prince Oberyn had been working for years to bring house Lannister down. I think she was a Dornish spy if not, just a tallented whore.

I thought the same thing and suspected she was Sarella, until I saw the Sarella/Alleras theory.