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Let's Talk About Marillion


Alaynsa Starne

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Seriously. His alleged suicide is at least ten times more sketchy than Ashara Dayne's. Let's go over the facts: Marillion meets Cat and Tyrion at the Crossroads Inn in AGOT and follows them to the Eyrie. There he stays, where he quickly becomes a favorite of Lysa. He is such a favorite, in fact, that even after being accused of rape multiple times, Lysa refuses to send him away. When Sansa comes to the Eyrie in ASOS, Marillion attempts to rape her but is stopped by Littlefinger's guard Lothor Brune. Sansa later thinks about his continued presence around her, how she can never really seem to be free of him, and how he often looks at her in a sexualized way. Marillion is told by Lysa to play music during her assault on Sansa so that others will not hear the altercation over the sound of his voice and harp. Littlefinger arrives, throws Lysa out the Moon Door, blames Marillion, and ASOS ends. In AFFC, Marillion is allegedly tortured, confesses to killing Lysa, and is left in a Sky Cell until he apparently walks into the sky to his death.



So what's the problem with this? Pretty much everything.



Let's start with when we first meet him. Marillion tells Cat and Rodrik Cassel that he is headed to King's Landing: "The Hand's tourney means rich lords with fat purses. The last time I came away with more silver than I could carry... or would have, if I hadn't lost it all betting on the Kingslayer to win the day." (AGOT, Catelyn V) But then he changes his course after Cat kidnaps Tyrion: "'There is a great song to be made from this, and I'm the one to make it' he told Catelyn Stark when he announced his intention of riding with them to see how the 'splendid adventure' turned out." (AGOT, Tyrion IV) Now, maybe we can chalk this drastic change in course up to youthful stupidity. But on the other hand, how stupid would someone have to be to pass up a huge opportunity to perform at the biggest party of the year in favor of going on one of the most dangerous trips ever? Everyone knows that the Mountain Clans raid throughout the Vale. The journey certainly would not be comfortable, and even without the chance of being murdered by a Mountain Clansman, there's still the possibility of having major accident on the High Road which is notably more treacherous than the King's Road. Marillion mentions losing all his silver at a recent tourney due to Jaime not winning the day. This is probably a reference to Joff's 12th name day tourney, which (and I'm no timeline expert) I believe happened only a couple of months before the opening of the AGOT which means Marillion is likely still strapped for cash. And yet he still follows Cat to the Eyrie, which is one of the most isolated places in Westeros and is also the seat of a widely known madwoman. This is a bizarre decision for a talented young singer in need of funds, but on the face of it and without further insights to his own actions as well as the plots of other major actors, it is not an inherently suspicious act.



But now let's fast forward to ASOS. Marillion has been in the Eyrie for some time by this point, and appears to be nearly inseparable from Lysa. Lysa has banished two maids and a page, presumably because they accused him of rape. Marillion's behavior towards Sansa corroborates the rumors that have spread about him. When he tries to rape Sansa, Lothor Brune stops him. This is where things get very strange. Brune is Littlefinger's man, Littlefinger is obsessed with Sansa both a replacement for Cat and as an instrument for his own plans. Brune must have told LF, especially considering his words to Sansa immediately after wounding Marillion: "'Lord Petyr said watch out for you.'" So then why does Marillion hang around the Eyrie long after that to leer at Sansa? If LF knew, as he most assuredly would have, that Marillion attempted to rape Sansa, then why didn't LF get rid of him knowing that a second attempt would likely happen? Sure, Marillion is a favorite with Lysa and she's Queen of the Castle, but she's also spent, what, 2 decades, being totally obsessed with Petyr. He convinced her to murder her own husband, I'm sure he'd be up to the task of convincing her to kick Marillion to the curb and yet he chooses not to.



What's even more odd is that Sansa is suspicious about the extent of Marillion's torture, and even his supposed death. And when we look at the details laid out in Sansa's AFFC chapters, a lot of things don't match up. For instance, Sansa notes that during Marillion's coerced confession, "The singer's voice, so strong and sure by night, was cracked and whispery now." How is Marillion able to sing strongly enough for the entire castle to hear at night, but can barely speak at his trial? This is also suspicious: "Sansa stared at his hands while he spoke. Fat Maddy claimed that Mord had taken off three of his fingers, both pinkies and a ring finger. His little fingers did appear somewhat stiffer than the others, but with those gloves it was hard to be certain. It might have been no more than a story. How would Maddy know?" So, maybe he was tortured, maybe he wasn't. All supposed evidence of torture is covered by a blindfold and gloves, and he's strong enough to sing all night, every night. It's assumed that LF allowed Marillion to keep his tongue because it was needed for confession. But then why wasn't Marillion just executed after he admitted to killing Lysa? LF said he made a promise to Marillion and that he must keep his word, which is supposed to be an explanation for the allowance of Marillion's non-stop singing. Except since when has LF's word ever been worth a damn? After confessing, Marillion is nothing more than a liability, and yet LF keeps him around. Furthermore, Sansa never sees Marillion's body which shows that there is no affirmative confirmation of his death.



I think these suspicious circumstances combined as well as what we know about LF's plans throughout ASOIAF point to a fairly compelling case which indicates that Marillion has been a spy for LF all along and is actually still alive. I believe Marillion was actually following Cat from KL under LF's orders to keep and eye on her -- much like Lothor Brune keeps an eye on Sansa. If there was a purpose beyond this besides information gathering, I can't say. However, it would explain why Marillion follows Cat all the way through the Vale rather than going the much safer and more lucrative route to KL. Once in the Eyrie, he was poised to keep an eye on Lysa, and LF gave him the orders to stay put. Because Lysa and LF are working together, she may have been fairly reluctant to send away the servant of her co-conspirator which would explain her adamance that Marillion remain near her and her banishment of those who spoke out against him. Furthermore, once imprisoned, Marillion apparently sings only at night. Why? Wouldn't that be more inconvenient for him also? The songs that Marillion does sing seem to be directed at Sweetrobin: The Day They Hanged Black Robin, The Mother's Tears, The Rains of Castamere, and On a Misty Morn all stand out as things that would directly affect SR. The Day They Hanged Black Robin almost sounds like a threat towards SW, The Mother's Tears would make him miss Lysa more, The Rains of Castamere would remind SR of Tyrion who is a "bad man" and perhaps make him feel even more insecure, and On a Misty Morn is an explicitly feminine song about a mother who has lost her son. Each of these songs play into SR insecurities and fears, and seem to fuel his insomnia and his sickness even more. What's even more strange is that SR swears that he hears Marillion singing in the night even after the man supposedly killed himself.



Now, maybe Marillion really is dead. Maybe SR is just haunted by the traumatizing memory of the man who he thinks killed his mother and while he is half asleep he imagines that he still hears him. It would be quite a task to get SR to hear Marillion without the rest of the castle being woken by his songs. But Sansa's sample chapter from TWOW shows that

SW is fairly perceptive and picks up on the intentions of the people who surround him.

He's a sick kid, and he's a bit weird, but I don't think he has hallucinations and I wouldn't be surprised if he were actually right about Marillion still being alive and well, singing to him at night. I think Marillion has been kept alive by LF with the intention of using him to further terrify SR, likely to an early grave should his sickness and the efforts of the Maester not prove to be working. It's possible that Marillion is actually the key to the entire plot in the Vale.



TL;DR: Marillion may have been a spy of LF's from the beginning and is actually still alive, waiting to be used by LF to further the Vale plot and kill SR.


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Interesting stuff.

The only thing I can complain about right now is that this requires pretty fanatical Marillion's loyalty towards LF - he is willing to undertake dangerous journey and even play a scapegoat in the murder of Lady of the Vale. But all of this is not outside realms of probability.

Not the first one Marillion=alive theory I've seen, but yours is well elaborated and offers some new insights (the point about Marillion's Choice of songs is great). Kudos.

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Marillion's story about losing his money also served to remind Cat of LF's lie about the dagger. The standard feeling on the forum is that the catnapping was a result of a very unlucky coincidence. However with Cat going north and Tyrion going south along the same road it is actually quite possible that their paths would cross, you only need someone to make sure they see each other.


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Hm... a minor nitpick for now, but since when was Lysa a "widely known madwoman"?

I don't think she was widely known to be mad, though I'm sure she had a reputation in King's Landing for being obsessive about her son.

It's not clear from the OP, but just making sure you are aware that Marillon committing suicide was never more than a cover story, right? It's quite obvious (IMO) that after confessing - when his usefulness is overshadowed by how much of a liability he is - Littlefinger has him thrown from the skycell, and calls it a suicide. I don't even think it's widely believed in-story, but nobody can really prove anything, so for now it's the official story.

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Hm... a minor nitpick for now, but since when was Lysa a "widely known madwoman"?

Lysa spent 13-14 years at court. Her odd tendancies and obsessiveness over her son must have been noted by other members of court. Marillion having just been to KL recently for Joff's nameday tourney would probably have heard rumors about her. But I suppose "widely known madwoman" is a bit strong. She's certainly offbeat and strange, and I think most people would notice that.

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I don't think she was widely known to be mad, though I'm sure she had a reputation in King's Landing for being obsessive about her son.

It's not clear from the OP, but just making sure you are aware that Marillon committing suicide was never more than a cover story, right? It's quite obvious (IMO) that after confessing - when his usefulness is overshadowed by how much of a liability he is - Littlefinger has him thrown from the skycell, and calls it a suicide. I don't even think it's widely believed in-story, but nobody can really prove anything, so for now it's the official story.

Sure, that's what I thought at first. But on a reread, I noticed the whole character of Marillion is just fairly weird. Why was he so adamant to go to Eyrie? Why was Lysa so intent to keep him near her? Why didn't LF dispose of him earlier when it was clear he posed a threat to Sansa? Why does Sansa question the legitimacy of his torture? Why does Marillion sing only at night with the apparent intent to disturb the whole castle and disrupt SR's sleep? Why is SR so insistant that he hears Marillion even after he's been sedated to sleep?

These might just be things that are easily explainable or just things that GRRM overlooked, but I think taken together they add up to mean that Marillion is implicated in LF plots and that he may not be dead at all -- either from suicide or LF-sanctioned murder.

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Hm... a minor nitpick for now, but since when was Lysa a "widely known madwoman"?

I don't think she was widely known to be mad, though I'm sure she had a reputation in King's Landing for being obsessive about her son.

Blackfish also warns Cat about Lysa being... bonkers. Myranda makes a sarcastic comment about Lysa being the epitome of sanity or something like that. People in KL and the Vale were very aware and gossip flies like wind.

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Good catch. I think there are still rich veins to be mined over who is spying for whom. I've always assumed that Missendei and Satin are both spying for somebody. And Taena is obviously working for the Tyrells.



Realistically, every major court in Westeros has at least 2 moles. One working for Varys and the other serving LF. Then there's Cersei, Doran, Mance, Olenna, etc. Who else is telling tales? Gage, Pia and Moon Boy for all we know.



If Marillion is LF's man, then the whole attempted rape was a farce designed to make Sansa grateful for LF's protection.



For the record, If you're actually trying to seduce a young maiden, don't punch an old dog. It's bad game.


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Honestly, I think he's alive. Your theory about him being LF's agent would explain some things like his desire to go the Vale despite all dangers. Let's say he is LF's agent. But if he is, I don't think Lysa knew about it. Maybe LF told Marillion how to become Lysa's favorite in order to have someone to keep an eye on her.



This is probably a bit of reach but could Marillion be the Blue Bard? LF's spy in KL, more precisely in the court. But I admit that I don't remember if his confession that he had killed Lysa happened before or after Tommen's and Margaery's wedding (where the Blue Bard sang, if I remember correctly).


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Honestly, I think he's alive. Your theory about him being LF's agent would explain some things like his desire to go the Vale despite all dangers. Let's say he is LF's agent. But if he is, I don't think Lysa knew about it. Maybe LF told Marillion how to become Lysa's favorite in order to have someone to keep an eye on her.

This is probably a bit of reach but could Marillion be the Blue Bard? LF's spy in KL, more precisely in the court. But I admit that I don't remember if his confession that he had killed Lysa happened before or after Tommen's and Margaery's wedding (where the Blue Bard sang, if I remember correctly).

At some point, LF tells Sansa that singers are very useful. So KL seems like a good place for a singer.

But here's a crackpot theory. Edmure Tully gave Lord Baelish the nickname "Littlefinger." Could LF have used a singer to hang the title "Floppy Fish" on Edmure?

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Lysa spent 13-14 years at court. Her odd tendancies and obsessiveness over her son must have been noted by other members of court. Marillion having just been to KL recently for Joff's nameday tourney would probably have heard rumors about her. But I suppose "widely known madwoman" is a bit strong. She's certainly offbeat and strange, and I think most people would notice that.

Blackfish also warns Cat about Lysa being... bonkers. Myranda makes a sarcastic comment about Lysa being the epitome of sanity or something like that. People in KL and the Vale were very aware and gossip flies like wind.

Brynden was close family and the Knight of the Gate. Myranda, judging from her familiarity with Sweetrobin, was a reasonably close acquaintance. What's a public secret in the inner circle, can be a real secret to the outsiders, was my point.

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Brynden was close family and the Knight of the Gate. Myranda, judging from her familiarity with Sweetrobin, was a reasonably close acquaintance. What's a public secret in the inner circle, can be a real secret to the outsiders, was my point.

Yeah, that's definitely a fair point. I would, however, point out that relationships between high-profile members of court and rumors about nobility are spread fairly rapidly. Consider how Ned is fully aware of Gregor's family situation even though he lived in a completely separate region and wouldn't be overly concerned with the actions of a landed knight not under his purview. I think it's fair to assume that at least the nobility in King's Landing who would have been around her on a daily basis would at least be speculating about Lysa's mental health and smallfolk seem to both catch onto and revel in any rumor, even extrapolating one to the point of absurdity.

Honestly, I think he's alive. Your theory about him being LF's agent would explain some things like his desire to go the Vale despite all dangers. Let's say he is LF's agent. But if he is, I don't think Lysa knew about it. Maybe LF told Marillion how to become Lysa's favorite in order to have someone to keep an eye on her.

This is probably a bit of reach but could Marillion be the Blue Bard? LF's spy in KL, more precisely in the court. But I admit that I don't remember if his confession that he had killed Lysa happened before or after Tommen's and Margaery's wedding (where the Blue Bard sang, if I remember correctly).

I haven't looked at the timeline, but I think it might be stretching it too thin to connect Marillion with the Blue Bard. Though I wouldn't find it at all surprising if LF used a network of singers deliberately because they have a prime profession to either collect or spread desired information.

Interesting theory, never considered it. Marillion is definitely slimy enough to still be alive...

Thanks! The dude is definitely a creep. He's also a perfect candidate to spy on nobles. He's young, handsome, talented, and has a singular expertise for schmoozing.

If Marillion is LF's man, then the whole attempted rape was a farce designed to make Sansa grateful for LF's protection.

I actually hadn't considered that aspect of it, but it would certainly make sense. LF's game with Sansa is clearly to develop her dependence on him, both by implicating her in the murders of Joff and Lysa and by creating an emotional attachment wherein he is her provider and protector.

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The guy tried to force himself onto the virgin daughter of his patron's new husband and an influential man besides.



I'm going to say he's not very bright, and certainly not in Littlefinger's employ.



The entire purpose of the sky cells is to drive its occupants to confession or suicide. Keep in mind that its not just a room without a fourth wall. It is prison also exposed to the elements, which due to high elevations are quite severe. Furthermore, he was getting his 3 hot meals a day. Probably just bread and water. So, malnourishment would soon be a factor. This explains his voice, and weakness and a sloped floor explains his eventual fall.



I think Sweet Robin's "perception," if it is a real thing, is that his mother's killer is still alive. Not that Marillion is still alive.


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Blackfish also warns Cat about Lysa being... bonkers. Myranda makes a sarcastic comment about Lysa being the epitome of sanity or something like that. People in KL and the Vale were very aware and gossip flies like wind.

True enough. I wouldn't say that the Blackfish - who worked closely with Lysa - saying something to Cat, who could be trusted to keep it private, qualifies as it being widely known. But the fact that Myranda knows... is quite telling indeed.

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I haven't looked at the timeline, but I think it might be stretching it too thin to connect Marillion with the Blue Bard. Though I wouldn't find it at all surprising if LF used a network of singers deliberately because they have a prime profession to either collect or spread desired information.

I checked the timelime and Tommen's wedding happens 2 chapters after Marillion confession. Which doesn't really say anything. There could be 2 days, 2 weeks, 2 months between the Cersei and the Sansa chapters... In times like that I wish there was a date in each chapter so it would be much easier to know how much time passed.

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