Petyr Baelish the Fallen Angel

[AliceRose]

During the war of Ninepenny Kings Peter's father befriended lord Hoster Tully. House Baelish were the smallest and poorest of all the Vale. Hoster promised to his new friend a great honor, to foster his eventual child at Riverrun. The war ended in 261. There are some imprecisions regarding Petyr’s age, but ASOIAF wiki establishes he was born in 268. Seven years has passed since the end of the war, Hoster's promise was still valid. We don't know when little Petyr arrived at Riverrun, it's reasonable to think Petyr's father sent his son away as soon as he could, he might be afraid Hoster will forget his promise after so many years.

The first memory of the young Petyr at Riverrun (271)

AGOT 28 CATELYN

She remembered the godswood, drooping branches heavy with moisture, and the sound of her brother’s laughter as he chased her through piles of damp leaves. She remembered making mud pies with Lysa, the weight of them, the mud slick and brown between her fingers. They had served them to Littlefinger, giggling, and he’d eaten so much mud he was sick for a week. How young they all had been.

Making mud pies is a game for children of 4/6, maximum 6 years old.

Catelyn(born in 264) was the oldest, i think she was 6/7 years old

Lysa(born in 266 or 267) should be 4 or 5

Petyr was the youngest (born in 268) he was 2 or 3 years old. Only a child of three is unconscious enough to eat mud pies, a little bit older child wouldn't do it.

This nice scene demonstrates that has had a close relationship since the very young age with Tully girls. He was treated like an equal. A child of three can't see the social differences, he genuinely loved his little friends and thought he is loved in the same way. At age of three people generally have first memories, Petyr's first memories are in Riverrun, he belonged to a great noble house, he was loved, he played like an equal with young lords and ladies. A child should have a family, the Tullys were Petyr's only true family, a little boy needs genuine affection, a child can’t follow the rules of hierarchy with his own family. Young Petyr considered Riverrun his only home, he has never seen the fingers in his conscious life, neither he has ever known his parents.

Our parents, our origins, our education, our experience create personality. The childhood is fundamental for character development. Both Hoster and Brynden Tully were father figures for Petyr. He was raised by Family Duty Honor motto. Petyr wanted with all his heart to belong to the Tullys, he had no choice but love his adobtive family.

AGOT 34 CATELYN

Nonetheless, during all those years of Catelyn’s girlhood, it had been Brynden the Blackfish to whom Lord Hoster’s children had run with their tears and their tales, when Father was too busy and Mother too ill. Catelyn, Lysa, Edmure... and yes, even Petyr Baelish, their father’s ward... he had listened to them all patiently, as he listened now, laughing at their triumphs and sympathizing with their childish misfortunes.

Theon Greyjoy was able to love the Starks, even if he knew to be a hostage, he knew his real family is Stark's enemy and that he may be killed in any moment. Friendship with Robb helps Theon to get over his precarious position. Theon has lived an eternal conflict with the Starks, he loved them, he wanted to be one of them, but he was an Ironborn, son of Baelon Greyjoy, his two personalities fighted each other, in ADWD Theon realize he should have died with Robb.

Unlike Theon, Petyr hadn't any conflict with the Tullys, he was completely devoted to them. Songs of gallant knights, true love and honour were his inspiration, Family Duty Honor was his credo. He knew nothing else but the fairy tale life of Riverrun. (Heaven)

Little Petyr hadn't resentments toward Tullys, they obviously have never considered Petyr one of them, he got an mocking nickname that highlighted his poor origins. Littlefinger should remember all the time that he is insignificant, little and poor, he isn't comparable to the young lords.

Given the circumstances it's clear why little Baelish has forgotten who he truly is, because he has never knew that. He only knew love, loyalty, respect and trust and all those things that Tully's family was supposed to be.

AGOT 18 CATELYN

“Littlefinger,” she murmured. His face swam up before her; a boy’s face, though he was a boy no longer. His father had died several years before, so he was Lord Baelish now, yet still they called him Littlefinger. Her brother Edmure had given him that name, long ago at Riverrun. His family’s modest holdings were on the smallest of the Fingers, and Petyr had been slight and short for his age.

An inside demonstration of how close Petyr was with Cat. Catelyn dreamed of him when she was hopelessly searching the right way after Bran and Rickon's deaths. Petyr saved the sisters from the fog, he WAS the one Cat could rely on.

ACOK 55 CATELYN

“Last night I dreamed of that time Lysa and I got lost while riding back from Seagard. Do you remember? That strange fog came up and we fell behind the rest of the party. Everything was grey, and I could not see a foot past the nose of my horse. We lost the road. The branches of the trees were like long skinny arms reaching out to grab us as we passed. Lysa started to cry, and when I shouted the fog seemed to swallow the sound. But Petyr knew where we were, and he rode back and found us...

“But there’s no one to find me now, is there? This time I have to find our own way, and it is hard, so hard.

[AliceRose]

Petyr, Cat and Lisa were almost siblings, they have grew up together from the very young age, but they have played unusual games for siblings.

AGOT 71 CATELYN

How young they all had been-she no older than Sansa, Lysa younger than Arya, and Petyr younger still, yet eager. The girls had traded him between them, serious and giggling by turns. It came back to her so vividly she could almost feel his sweaty fingers on her shoulders and taste the mint on his breath. There was always mint growing in the godswood, and Petyr had liked to chew it. He had been such a bold little boy, always in trouble. “He tried to put his tongue in my mouth,” Catelyn had confessed to her sister afterward, when they were alone. “He did with me too,” Lysa had whispered, shy and breathless. “I liked it.”

At some point when the children were old enough, weird things happened. Petyr fell in love with Cat and Lysa fell in love with him, that is odd and slightly incestuous.

ASOS 80 SANSA

“Did you come with Lord Bracken and Lord Blackwood, the time they visited to lay their feud before my father? Lord Bracken’s singer played for us, and Catelyn danced six dances with Petyr that night, six, I counted. When the lords began to argue my father took them up to his audience chamber, so there was no one to stop us drinking. Edmure got drunk, young as he was... and Petyr tried to kiss your mother, only she pushed him away. She laughed at him. He looked so wounded I thought my heart would burst, and afterward he drank until he passed out at the table. Uncle Brynden carried him up to bed before my father could find him like that.

You enticed him, just as your mother did that night in Riverrun, with her smiles and her dancing. You think I could forget? That was the night I stole up to his bed to give him comfort. I bled, but it was the sweetest hurt. He told me he loved me then, but he called me Cat, just before he fell back to sleep. Even so, I stayed with him until the sky began to lighten. Your mother did not deserve him. She would not even give him her favor to wear when he fought Brandon Stark. I would have given him my favor. I gave him everything. He is mine now. Not Catelyn’s and not yours.”

“If you were anyone else, I would banish you. Send you down to Lord Nestor at the Gates of the Moon, or back to the Fingers. How would you like to spend your life on that bleak shore, surrounded by slatterns and sheep pellets? That was what my father meant for Petyr. Everyone thought it was because of that stupid duel with Brandon Stark, but that wasn’t so. Father said I ought to thank the gods that so great a lord as Jon Arryn was willing to take me soiled, but I knew it was only for the swords. I had to marry Jon, or my father would have turned me out as he did his brother, but it was Petyr I was meant for. I am telling you all this so you will understand how much we love each other, how long we have suffered and dreamed of one another. We made a baby together, a precious little baby.” Lysa put her hands flat against her belly, as if the child was still there. “When they stole him from me, I made a promise to myself that I would never let it happen again.

The timeline of those years is dreadful. It's hard to understand when did it happen. We know that the real reason for Petyr's exile was Lysa's pregnancy, but the official reason was his duel with Brandon. It's likely to suppose that Lysa hid the pregnancy as long as she could because the late abort gave her complication. I'm not expert of the matter, i don't know how long it's possible to hide a pregnancy and at which point an abortion becomes dangerous for the mother. I guess it takes about three month, correct me if i'm wrong.

So there are about three month between Lysa/Petyr sex and the duel/Petyr's exile.

Another big problem with the timeline is the fact that we don't know when Lysa got pregnant. That first time she described, or they had sex in other occasions. Did Petyr really dare to fuck Hoster's daughter when he wasn't drunk?

Petyr claims that he took both maidenhoods, but it isn't clear if he actually had sex with Lisa at Riverrun knowing it was her.

Before the duel Petyr was a too much idealistic and in love with Cat to bang Lysa, neither he has ever been interested in her. He was going to kill himself for Catelyn, unlikely he would agree to have sex with Lysa in the meantime.

In my opinion it happened only once when Lysa pretended to be Cat, she got pregnant in that one time.

Everything is open to discussion.

[AliceRose]

According to Catelyn's words at the duel Brandon was 20 and Petyr was scarcely 15, means he was 14.

The year of the duel had to be 282, several month later the Tourney of Harrenhal, Brandon was still alive at this moment and he hadn't known about the "abduction" yet.

AGOT 18 CATELYN

“He was my father’s ward. We grew up together in Riverrun. I thought of him as a brother, but his feelings for me were... more than brotherly. When it was announced that I was to wed Brandon Stark, Petyr challenged for the right to my hand. It was madness. Brandon was twenty, Petyr scarcely fifteen. I had to beg Brandon to spare Petyr’s life. He let him off with a scar. Afterward my father sent him away. I have not seen him since.” She lifted her face to the spray, as if the brisk wind could blow the memories away. “He wrote to me at Riverrun after Brandon was killed, but I burned the letter unread. By then I knew that Ned would marry me in his brother’s place.”

Petyr challenged Brandon because he thought Catelyn loves him and that she gave him her maidenhood, Lysa misled him and he was more than willing to believe it was Cat. He truly loved her, he was ready to lose his life for her. He acted with courage and honor to win his beloved lady. Petyr was sure Cat loves him, and he have to save her from a loveless arranged marriage. He thought he took her virginity, he had to protect her honour. He was an idealistic, romantic dreamer like Sansa.

AGOT 40 CATELYN

They met in the lower bailey of Riverrun. When Brandon saw that Petyr wore only helm and breastplate and mail, he took off most of his armor. Petyr had begged her for a favor he might wear, but she had turned him away. Her lord father promised her to Brandon Stark, and so it was to him that she gave her token, a pale blue handscarf she had embroidered with the leaping trout of Riverrun. As she pressed it into his hand, she pleaded with him. “He is only a foolish boy, but I have loved him like a brother. It would grieve me to see him die.” And her betrothed looked at her with the cool grey eyes of a Stark and promised to spare the boy who loved her.

That fight was over almost as soon as it began. Brandon was a man grown, and he drove Littlefinger all the way across the bailey and down the water stair, raining steel on him with every step, until the boy was staggering and bleeding from a dozen wounds. “Yield!” he called, more than once, but Petyr would only shake his head and fight on, grimly. When the river was lapping at their ankles, Brandon finally ended it, with a brutal backhand cut that bit through Petyr’s rings and leather into the soft flesh below the ribs, so deep that Catelyn was certain that the wound was mortal. He looked at her as he fell and murmured “Cat” as the bright blood came flowing out between his mailed fingers. She thought she had forgotten that.

That was the last time she had seen his face... until the day she was brought before him in King’s Landing.

A fortnight passed before Littlefinger was strong enough to leave Riverrun, but her lord father forbade her to visit him in the tower where he lay abed. Lysa helped their maester nurse him; she had been softer and shyer in those days. Edmure had called on him as well, but Petyr had sent him away. Her brother had acted as Brandon’s squire at the duel, and Littlefinger would not forgive that. As soon as he was strong enough to be moved, Lord Hoster Tully sent Petyr Baelish away in a closed litter, to finish his healing on the Fingers, upon the windswept jut of rock where he’d been born.

Tragical, tragical, tragical, tragical duel.

Just read it carefully, Brandon was hurting Petyr and he was forcing him to yield. Even after dozen bleeding wounds Petyr did not yield, if it isn't true love i don't know what it is. He kept fighting till the end, the final wound maight have killed him.

Let's analyze. Petyr's only fault in this situation was to fall in love with Catelyn, she was older, very beautiful and charming, he spent his whole life with her. He challenged Brandon because of his unrealistic expectation about honour and true love. Tullys themselves have raised him with those ideals.

..Family ..Duty ..Honour

Family betrayal Petyr

Edmure chose to be the squire for the stranger who was going to kill Petyr.

Baelish spent his whole conscious life thinking Edmure is his friend, his brother.

A vile betrayal from people he has always loved and trusted hurts more than Brandon's steel.

Catelyn didn't give to Petyr her favor to wear, neither she visited him after the duel. There are no hits that he was disappointed with Cat, he might think she was forced to act like this by her father.

Some theories say that Petyr had sex with Lysa after the duel when he was injured. I'm not quite sure if it is possible to perform with an vast and deep wound on the chest. His recovery wasn't fast, after two weeks Petyr wasn't able to walk and to ride a horse, he could be only moved. Hoster moved him in a closed litter and sent him to the fingers to finish his healing. In those two weeks, even move him was impossible, a sex act is pretty unlikely.

A summary of all the things Petyr lost in the duel:

Beloved woman, he was sure she loves him.

His family

His home

His brother

His father figure Hoster/Brynden

His Maester

His Septon

Any trust in people, trust in love, honour, loyalty..

His drama isn't about friendzone. He lost everything he has ever known and loved. He lost the place he belongs and any hope to gain it back. Brandon opened boy's chest and everything Petyr has ever been has left him through the wound. The boy was gone, Petyr was killed. He was just an injured body full of hate, his affection toward Tullys turned into ashes. Bitter, painful disillusion owns Baelish's mind. There is no honour to kick out an adoptive son.

[Merunka is the Fury]

Great job putting the new perspective on LF. not much to add, but I read all that and had to compliment the effort.

[Bright Blue Eyes]

Another big problem with the timeline is the fact that we don't know when Lysa got pregnant. That first time she described, or they had sex in other occasions. Did Petyr really dare to fuck Hoster's daughter when he wasn't drunk?

Petyr claims that he took both maidenhoods, but it isn't clear if he actually had sex with Lisa at Riverrun knowing it was her.

Before the duel Petyr was a too much idealistic and in love with Cat to bang Lysa, neither he has ever been interested in her. He was going to kill himself for Catelyn, unlikely he would agree to have sex with Lysa in the meantime.

In my opinion it happened only once when Lysa pretended to be Cat, she got pregnant in that one time.

Actually we know: Lysa got pregnant when she "nursed" LF after his duel with Brandon.

LF never knew that he didn't sleep with Cat this first time. Well, willful ignorance maybe, at least up until Lysa screamed about it at the top of her lungs in Storm. But he did truly believe for fifteen years that Cat had given him her maidenhood.

[AliceRose]

Actually we know: Lysa got pregnant when she "nursed" LF after his duel with Brandon.

LF never knew that he didn't sleep with Cat this first time. Well, willful ignorance maybe, at least up until Lysa screamed about it at the top of her lungs in Storm. But he did truly believe for fifteen years that Cat had given him her maidenhood.

Lysa had to be already pregnant at the duel. Hoster kicked Petyr out of Riverrun for Lysa's pregnancy.

After the duel Lysa nursed him, but was he really able to have sex?

He had a deep, almost mortal wound on the chest.

I don't think he believed all this time that he slept with Cat, at some point Lysa should have told him, may be she told him about their child and then he discovered it was Lysa and not Cat that night.

[Bright Blue Eyes]

Lysa had to be already pregnant at the duel. Hoster kicked Petyr out of Riverrun for Lysa's pregnancy.

Nope. Definitely not. By the way, Hoster kicked him out way later, after he had mostly recovered from a very serious wound. Meaning several months of recovery time.

After the duel Lysa nursed him, but was he really able to have sex?

He had a deep, almost mortal wound on the chest.

Yes. Probably about six months before being able to travel, give or take.

I don't think he believed all this time that he slept with Cat, at some point Lysa should have told him, may be she told him about their child and then he discovered it was Lysa and not Cat that night.

The first time Lysa told him was in her jealous rage when she tried to kill Sansa. Never before.

Of course he could have thought twice and discovered the truth way earlier, but wilful blindness goes a long way to explain that.

[Cas Stark]

Nice job pulling this together, I had totally forgotten about him sending her a letter that she never read.

It does make a strong case that his love for Cat was real, and that he thought it was Cat who came to him the night he was drunk. I do think though that later he knew it wasn't, even if he pretended to himself it was, and must have had sex w/Lysa on subsequent occasions to get her pregnant, though probably only a h andful.

[AliceRose]

A fortnight (2 weeks) passed before Littlefinger was strong enough to leave Riverrun, but her lord father forbade her to visit him in the tower where he lay abed. Lysa helped their maester nurse him; she had been softer and shyer in those days. Edmure had called on him as well, but Petyr had sent him away. Her brother had acted as Brandon’s squire at the duel, and Littlefinger would not forgive that. As soon as he was strong enough to be moved, Lord Hoster Tully sent Petyr Baelish away in a closed litter, to finish his healing on the Fingers, upon the windswept jut of rock where he’d been born.

After two weeks Petyr was strong enough to be moved, but not to have sex.

And yes, Hoster was eager to get rid of his fostered son as soon as it was possible.

He didn't even cared to finish his healing, he didn't give him time to be strong enough to walk, he moved him like a corps.

[Bright Blue Eyes]

A fortnight (2 weeks) passed before Littlefinger was strong enough to leave Riverrun, but her lord father forbade her to visit him in the tower where he lay abed. Lysa helped their maester nurse him; she had been softer and shyer in those days. Edmure had called on him as well, but Petyr had sent him away. Her brother had acted as Brandon’s squire at the duel, and Littlefinger would not forgive that. As soon as he was strong enough to be moved, Lord Hoster Tully sent Petyr Baelish away in a closed litter, to finish his healing on the Fingers, upon the windswept jut of rock where he’d been born.

After two weeks Petyr was strong enough to be moved, but not to have sex.

And yes, Hoster was eager to get rid of his fostered son as soon as it was possible.

He didn't even cared to finish his healing, he didn't give him time to be strong enough to walk, he moved him like a corps.

Strong enough to be rocked over a mountain range in a litter, a voyage lasting one to three months, but not strong enough to have sex?

I've got no idea how rough your sex life is, but intercourse while bungee-jumping isn't the least straining way.

[Cas Stark]

It seems totally reasonable that he and Lysa were able to have sex while she was "nursing" him. He doesn't need to do anything other than get an erection.

[Rhaegar Estellion]

First of all: Excellent summery!

Personally I really like the parallel of his story to Sansa's. She grew up believing in fairy tales of gallant knights defeating monsters and saving the princess so they can live happily ever after. She then found out that her Lion was a little monster and that "in the real world" the monsters win.

Petyr grew up with the same beliefs. Following your excellent analysis, lets look on it from his perspective:

His beloved Cat, his "princess" is to be forcefully married to a northern brute called "The Wild Wolf". I am just gonna assume that Westerosi fairy tales also include wolves as bad (Westerosi version of Little Red Riding Hood and the like).

So young and naive Petyr thought a warrior driven by true love could beat any monster, because, well that's how it is in the stories.

Well, we know how wrong he was ...

Still, this can be another reason to care for Sansa. She reminds him of his younger self.

[myhousigilisthehousecat]

His back story is even sadder than that- It took me a couple of rereads to realize that young drunk LF actually got raped by Lysa, not an exaggeration. Blackfish dragged him up to bed when he was drunk, too wasted to give enthusiastic sexual consent. Lysa tells Sansa (and only Sansa) in aSoS: "That was the night I stole up to his bed to give him comfort. I bled, but it was the sweetest hurt. He told me he loved me then, but he called me Cat, just before he fell back to sleep. Even so, I stayed with him until the sky began to lighten."

So LF thought that he slept with Cat, woke up the next morning, saw Lysa in his bed and instead of considering the unthinkable decided, "dang, I must have banged BOTH of them, crap!"

The aftermath was what really screwed him over though. If Lysa had just quietly snuck away and gotten some baby-be-gone tea, all would have been rainbows and sunshine. But no. Lysa had to march up to her dad like "I LOVE HIM AND I HAVE HIS BABY MARRY US NOW". Bitch ruined his life. No wonder he shoved her out the moon door.

I'm pretty sure he never actually slept with Cat at all, but I don't think he knows that. I think Sansa will drop this particular bomb on him since she's one of the only ones who heard this whole conversation and knows what's going on. When he finds out, it's going to destroy him.

[AliceRose]

I'm pretty sure he never actually slept with Cat at all, but I don't think he knows that. I think Sansa will drop this particular bomb on him since she's one of the only ones who heard this whole conversation and knows what's going on. When he finds out, it's going to destroy him.

He knows that he has never slept with Cat, he knows about the child he and Lysa conceived the night he mistook her for Cat.

“You can’t want her. You can’t. She’s a stupid empty-headed little girl. She doesn’t love you the way I have. I’ve always loved you. I’ve proved it, haven’t I?” Tears ran down her aunt’s puffy red face. “I gave you my maiden’s gift. I would have given you a son too, but they murdered him with moon tea, with tansy and mint and wormwood, a spoon of honey and a drop of permyroyal. It wasn’t me, I never knew, I only drank what Father gave me...”

“That’s past and done, Lysa. Lord Hoster’s dead, and his old maester as well.” Littlefinger moved closer. “Have you been at the wine again? You ought not to talk so much. We don’t want Alayne to know more than she should, do we? Or Marillion?”

[Red Wedding Cake]

Wonderful posts as usual Alice.

[Pod The Impaler]

:devil: Lucifinger Baelzebub \m/

[AliceRose]

:devil: Lucifinger Baelzebub \m/

Casted down from the Heaven Riverrun

Because he wanted to be like the Most High a noble lord.

Then becomes Satan the adversary.

Uses slander, corruption, temptation, deception to archive his ends.

It fits :devil:

[AliceRose]

Strong enough to be rocked over a mountain range in a litter, a voyage lasting one to three months, but not strong enough to have sex?

I've got no idea how rough your sex life is, but intercourse while bungee-jumping isn't the least straining way.

It doesn't seems like Hoster really cared will Petyr survive the journey or not.

I'm still skeptical about the possibility of an intercourse with an deep wound on the chest that wasn't cured with antibiotics.

You might be right, may be Petyr agreed to please Lysa when she nursed him. May be it was his first act of revenge.

[Petyr's Little Finger]

Wonderful post.

Petyr Baelish is a tragic character. It is interesting that young Petyr is so similar to Sansa, the girl he is "mentoring". Young Petyr would have been like a Sansa, idealistic, fond of songs, innocent and naive. When Petyr was a ward at Riverrun, he was treated exactly the same as the Tully kids. He wasn't treated any different because he was "lowborn". I think Catelyn recalls that Petyr rode with the Tully kids to Seagard, again showing that he was treated equally. Petyr himself knew very deep down that he was considered "lowborn". The Tully kids also knew it deep down, but they ignored that. It was only after the whole duel and Petyr sleeping with Lysa fiasco, did Petyr realise fully that Hoster, his foster father considered him lowborn and then treated him as such by kicking him out of Riverrun. Coming after so many years of being treated like an equal by all the Tullys, that would have really stung him, probably as much as being rejected by Catelyn. This killed Petyr Baelish, the young innocent boy who nursed an unrequited love, and replaced it with LF the cunning, scheming, sociopathic Master of Coin.

LF's back story is really tragic, unrequited love, losing probably the only home and family he ever knew, its more than just Catelyn friend zoning him as the OP pointed out.

[AliceRose]

LF's back story is really tragic, unrequited love, losing probably the only home and family he ever knew, its more than just Catelyn friend zoning him as the OP pointed out.

He didn't just lost his family, he was betrayed by it. People he has always loved and trusted betrayed him.

Ned, Sansa, Bran, Arya lost their family, but they have never lost in their hearts. Love, trust, affection that they have for each other has never died.