Littlefinger's Downfall

[Morgul-Blade]

At this point, Sansa needs Petyr. I think she'll use him until his usefulness is gone. He's a pretty damn useful guy, but he also needs Sansa. They'll continue to work together until Harry the Heir kills him. Maybe.

[SacredOrderOfGreenMen]

I'm...surprised at how much confidence people seem to have that Petyr is going to win, considering he's checked off every box on the "character foreshadowed to die" list.

1. He's a non-pov.

2. He just described in detail a brilliant plan to bring the LD to his side. Brilliant plans that are said aloud in ASOIAF fail every time.

3. He's delivered himself and the lord of the Vale (his only bargaining chip) into the physical power of another whose job he stole: Nestor Royce.

4. He' s a "player" and the time for games is over: it's Winter, and political manipulations, gold, and offices mean nothing in the face of brute reality.

5. He's a deconstruction of an archetype: the man from the down the social ladder who rises to power and wins based with great skills, and instead of being noble and good-intentioned, he's an asshole.

Why should Baelish win? This isn't his story. It never was. He's not a POV. Half of ASOIAF is the story of the House Stark's rebirth and the coming of age of Arya, Sansa and Bran. Where does he ultimately fit into the picture once the Others invade and reach the Vale? What use is a master of coin, a sex slaver and embezzler when millions of people face starvation or being murdered by ice zombies? (or becoming one). No one can eat LF's gold, it won't keep you warm, you can't make it into a weapon. And moreover, who cares if Baelish is around if his gold and lies becomes irrelevant.

Baelish and the Game of Thrones he wants to play are ultimately useless. His time has nearly passed. A well-timed and well-written death on his part will do wonders for Sansa's character arc; remembering her true father and name while contributing to her false father's death.

[Bironic]

As for their father , why would he rat out Littlefinger? of all the people in Westeroes who does he think has the best chance of saving his sons? he's seen what Littlefinger is capable of so his best chance is putting his trust in Littlefinger. If he decided to rat out Littlefinger who would he do it to ? nobody in the Vale has the power to save his sons and Kings Landing is a mess and nobody there would listen to him (they would think that's he's just a desperate father) and even if they did, what could they do ? Not to mention the fact that ratting out Littlefinger is pretty dangerous , he may seem like a easygoing guy to the rest of Westeroes but the people that work for him know that he's completely ruthless and would have them killed without blinking an eye.

If the father learns that his sons have been put to death, he could seek his revenge on LF, because it was Littlefinger who sent them there in the first place. And the father has certainly the possibility to harm or even kill LF(If Lothor Brune is distracted). He was the one who hired the dwarfs for Joffreys marriage, he knows who Alayne Stone really is, he knows why LF sent his sons to KL, perhaps he does know something about Dontos and the hairnet.

[Blackfish Tully]

If the father learns that his sons have been put to death, he could seek his revenge on LF, because it was Littlefinger who sent them there in the first place. And the father has certainly the possibility to harm or even kill LF(If Lothor Brune is distracted). He was the one who hired the dwarfs for Joffreys marriage, he knows who Alayne Stone really is, he knows why LF sent his sons to KL, perhaps he does know something about Dontos and the hairnet.

The Kettleblacks are in trouble because they went way above anything that Littlefinger asked them to . They let Cersie manipulate them into doing all kinds of horrible things that had nothing to do with what Littlefinger wanted . Why would Kettleblack want revenge on Littlefinger ? his sons are grown men who made their own decisions , he may want revenge but it would be on Cersie , the Tyrells and the High Septon instead of Littlefinger.

[Blackfish Tully]

I'm...surprised at how much confidence people seem to have that Petyr is going to win, considering he's checked off every box on the "character foreshadowed to die" list.

1. He's a non-pov.

2. He just described in detail a brilliant plan to bring the LD to his side. Brilliant plans that are said aloud in ASOIAF fail every time.

3. He's delivered himself and the lord of the Vale (his only bargaining chip) into the physical power of another whose job he stole: Nestor Royce.

4. He' s a "player" and the time for games is over: it's Winter, and political manipulations, gold, and offices mean nothing in the face of brute reality.

5. He's a deconstruction of an archetype: the man from the down the social ladder who rises to power and wins based with great skills, and instead of being noble and good-intentioned, he's an asshole.

Why should Baelish win? This isn't his story. It never was. He's not a POV. Half of ASOIAF is the story of the House Stark's rebirth and the coming of age of Arya, Sansa and Bran. Where does he ultimately fit into the picture once the Others invade and reach the Vale? What use is a master of coin, a sex slaver and embezzler when millions of people face starvation or being murdered by ice zombies? (or becoming one). No one can eat LF's gold, it won't keep you warm, you can't make it into a weapon. And moreover, who cares if Baelish is around if his gold and lies becomes irrelevant.

Baelish and the Game of Thrones he wants to play are ultimately useless. His time has nearly passed. A well-timed and well-written death on his part will do wonders for Sansa's character arc; remembering her true father and name while contributing to her false father's death.

I don't think that Littlefinger is going to "win" but I also do not think he will go down as easily as some posters believe. There is a lot more "game of thrones" to be played before the zombies come south (if they ever do.

[John Suburbs]

I'm...surprised at how much confidence people seem to have that Petyr is going to win, considering he's checked off every box on the "character foreshadowed to die" list.

1. He's a non-pov.

2. He just described in detail a brilliant plan to bring the LD to his side. Brilliant plans that are said aloud in ASOIAF fail every time.

3. He's delivered himself and the lord of the Vale (his only bargaining chip) into the physical power of another whose job he stole: Nestor Royce.

4. He' s a "player" and the time for games is over: it's Winter, and political manipulations, gold, and offices mean nothing in the face of brute reality.

5. He's a deconstruction of an archetype: the man from the down the social ladder who rises to power and wins based with great skills, and instead of being noble and good-intentioned, he's an asshole.

Why should Baelish win? This isn't his story. It never was. He's not a POV. Half of ASOIAF is the story of the House Stark's rebirth and the coming of age of Arya, Sansa and Bran. Where does he ultimately fit into the picture once the Others invade and reach the Vale? What use is a master of coin, a sex slaver and embezzler when millions of people face starvation or being murdered by ice zombies? (or becoming one). No one can eat LF's gold, it won't keep you warm, you can't make it into a weapon. And moreover, who cares if Baelish is around if his gold and lies becomes irrelevant.

Baelish and the Game of Thrones he wants to play are ultimately useless. His time has nearly passed. A well-timed and well-written death on his part will do wonders for Sansa's character arc; remembering her true father and name while contributing to her false father's death.

Lol, I agree with your overall thought, but I'll quibble with a few points:

1. being a POV in no way guarantees your survival

2. His plan might fail, but LF more than anyone else has shown a talent for the fast-pivot when situations change

3. Nestor is still a man of his word, and LF has a year, during which all kinds of things will happen

4. The game never ends. No matter how bad things get, there will always be governments and seats of power. And as long as the seas themselves don't freeze, gold can always be traded for food and fuel.

5. There is no literary justice in aSoIaF, so even assholes win sometimes.

But in the end, valar marghulis applies to LF too. The only question is, what sort of a world will it be when they put the coppers over his eyes?

[SacredOrderOfGreenMen]

I don't think that Littlefinger is going to "win" but I also do not think he will go down as easily as some posters believe. There is a lot more "game of thrones" to be played before the zombies come south (if they ever do.

If they don't come south, then the Long Night just doesn't happen at all, and all the talk about the Horn of Joruman and the entire purpose for which Winterfell was built is negated. The Wall falling is a certainty.

Consider that we have 2 books left, and Baelish is removed from where fAegon, Dany, Tyrion and Euron about to clash: in KL and Oldtown. That's where what's left of the Game of Thrones is happening, and he's not there.

After that, we have the return of the Stark kids to handle: Sansa, Bran and Arya met their first teachers or fell more under their sway in AGOT: Maester Luwin, Septa Mordane, and Syrio, and then in ASOS all had departed to meet their next round of mentors and would meet them soon (Baelish, KM, and Bloodraven). It only makes sense for them all to make their big returns right about the same time. Once Sansa Stark is revealed and assumedly a guest of Nestor Royce who has no use for her really because Winterfell is snowbound KL in chaos, Baelish officially has no function.

Baelish exists to be a plot device for Sansa's growth: first by causing her father's arrest and execution, and second by grooming her as a political actor in the Vale under the guise of Alayne Stone. Once she no longer needs him and thus to pretend to be Alayne, the story doesn't either, and that will, I believe, come early or half way in the TWOW, because then we have a whole apocalypse to fight and then wrap up. His time is short.

Lol, I agree with your overall thought, but I'll quibble with a few points:

1. being a POV in no way guarantees your survival

2. His plan might fail, but LF more than anyone else has shown a talent for the fast-pivot when situations change

3. Nestor is still a man of his word, and LF has a year, during which all kinds of things will happen

4. The game never ends. No matter how bad things get, there will always be governments and seats of power. And as long as the seas themselves don't freeze, gold can always be traded for food and fuel.

5. There is no literary justice in aSoIaF, so even assholes win sometimes.

But in the end, valar marghulis applies to LF too. The only question is, what sort of a world will it be when they put the coppers over his eyes?

Baelish believes that Nestor is a man of his word. We don't know him outside of Sansa's chapters, and now he has the Vale's true lord, the man they all have suspicions actually killed Lysa, and the witness who testified as such in his physical power. And they know that "Alayne" is Sansa. Myranda Royce effectively fished out that info:

Oh, and the Night’s Watch has a boy commander, some bastard son of Eddard Stark’s.”

“Jon Snow?” she blurted out, surprised. “Snow? Yes, it would be Snow, I suppose.”

Myranda's line reads as "Oh, so you know his first name do you?" Bronze Yohn did a double take at her and asked if they had met, a stupid question. And they had in fact. Bronze Yohn has visited Winterfell. Littlefinger shows up with beautiful 13 year old daughter after Sansa Stark goes missing, wanted for regicide? Everybody knows.

It's the apocalypse, will the gold matter? Baelish has a small guard and little else. If somebody wants his gold, anyone with the swords necessary can just take it.

The whole point of the Others really, is for GRRM to show us that the Game doesn't matter. In fact, the Game has made everything worse. The Riverlands is already lawless, the North utterly wild and snowbound. And the major armies are all occupied. There's no one to enforce law and order.

And doesn't it make so much more sense, really, for LF to first sense Nestor's betrayal, and then send Sansa off to gather some key ally for her: Myranda perhaps, or Bronze Yohn, or Lady Waynwood, and in the process trust her with vital information. And when he does, she betrays him in the exact same manner that Baelish did Ned. She sees the writing on the wall and refused to go down with him. Baelish is put to death of course, for Lysa's murder, and in that moment Sansa finally recounts to us Ned's decapitation (she never did, and that's where her habit of memory repression began). Littlefinger dies, and with him the identity of Alayne Stone.

[the Scorpion Knight]

At this point, Sansa needs Petyr. I think she'll use him until his usefulness is gone. He's a pretty damn useful guy, but he also needs Sansa. They'll continue to work together until Harry the Heir kills him. Maybe.

does she? SR is imho a better ally

The Kettlebacks are under his payroll but he would not given them any vital information, why would he?

They have nothing to tell the High Septon and even if they sang some incriminating things about Littlefinger why would the High Septon care?

He's dealing with High Treason , putting Queens on trial , restoring the Faith , do you think he has time to worry about what a "nobody" like Littlefinger is scheming?

they work for LF all three and he orded them to do the queen biding. THAT alone raises questions.(the highsparrow and qyburn aren't idiots) not to mention the fact that alle three are under his payroll and questionend. sharply. by people who know what to do.

As for their father , why would he rat out Littlefinger? of all the people in Westeroes who does he think has the best chance of saving his sons? he's seen what Littlefinger is capable of so his best chance is putting his trust in Littlefinger. If he decided to rat out Littlefinger who would he do it to ? nobody in the Vale has the power to save his sons and Kings Landing is a mess and nobody there would listen to him (they would think that's he's just a desperate father) and even if they did, what could they do ? Not to mention the fact that ratting out Littlefinger is pretty dangerous , he may seem like a easygoing guy to the rest of Westeroes but the people that work for him know that he's completely ruthless and would have them killed without blinking an eye.

two questions to you:

what do you think the kettleblack values more? LF empty words or the lives of his three sons?

In whose hands is the life of the kettleblack's son certainly not LF

the small council or the most devout might listen to him the moment he starts insering following details: dontos hollard and his death

and isn't the bold part a reason more to betray him/rat him out

[John Suburbs]

Baelish believes that Nestor is a man of his word. We don't know him outside of Sansa's chapters, and now he has the Vale's true lord, the man they all have suspicions actually killed Lysa, and the witness who testified as such in his physical power. And they know that "Alayne" is Sansa. Myranda Royce effectively fished out that info:

Oh, and the Night’s Watch has a boy commander, some bastard son of Eddard Stark’s.”

“Jon Snow?” she blurted out, surprised. “Snow? Yes, it would be Snow, I suppose.”

Myranda's line reads as "Oh, so you know his first name do you?" Bronze Yohn did a double take at her and asked if they had met, a stupid question. And they had in fact. Bronze Yohn has visited Winterfell. Littlefinger shows up with beautiful 13 year old daughter after Sansa Stark goes missing, wanted for regicide? Everybody knows.

It's the apocalypse, will the gold matter? Baelish has a small guard and little else. If somebody wants his gold, anyone with the swords necessary can just take it.

The whole point of the Others really, is for GRRM to show us that the Game doesn't matter. In fact, the Game has made everything worse. The Riverlands is already lawless, the North utterly wild and snowbound. And the major armies are all occupied. There's no one to enforce law and order.

And doesn't it make so much more sense, really, for LF to first sense Nestor's betrayal, and then send Sansa off to gather some key ally for her: Myranda perhaps, or Bronze Yohn, or Lady Waynwood, and in the process trust her with vital information. And when he does, she betrays him in the exact same manner that Baelish did Ned. She sees the writing on the wall and refused to go down with him. Baelish is put to death of course, for Lysa's murder, and in that moment Sansa finally recounts to us Ned's decapitation (she never did, and that's where her habit of memory repression began). Littlefinger dies, and with him the identity of Alayne Stone.

I am not sure if anyone in the Vale has Sansa/Alayne figure out yet, but it probably won't be long. And I think gold will matter. Humans survived the last Long Night, so it's not really an apocalypse, and with no way to grow crops the only way to feed yourself is to buy food. Since LF has the vast portion of his fortune in a vault in the Iron Bank, it isn't likely to get stolen, unless the IB were to suddenly find itself insolvent...

So there are all kinds of ways things could play out. The Mad Mouse is now in the Vale and he is looking for Sansa as well. He could very well snatch her and drag her back to KL to stand trial.

If one thing is clear with Martin, it's that people don't "win" or "lose" just because they are "good" or "bad" or even relevant or irrelevant to any part of the story. Death comes when it comes regardless of whether it conforms to any kind of literary romantic symmetry or the reader's expectations of justice.

[Blackfish Tully]

they work for LF all three and he orded them to do the queen biding. THAT alone raises questions.(the highsparrow and qyburn aren't idiots) not to mention the fact that alle three are under his payroll and questionend. sharply. by people who know what to do.

two questions to you:

what do you think the kettleblack values more? LF empty words or the lives of his three sons?

In whose hands is the life of the kettleblack's son certainly not LF

the small council or the most devout might listen to him the moment he starts insering following details: dontos hollard and his death

and isn't the bold part a reason more to betray him/rat him out

The High Sparrow and Qyburn have enough on their hands that they are not going to bother with a "nobody" like Littlefinger.

Who cares about Dontos Hollard ? sadly nobody cares.

You act like that if the Kettlebacks say that Littlefinger sent them to spy on the Queen it would be bad for Littlefinger but really what would or could anybody in Kings Landing do to Littlefinger at this point?

pretty much nothing

[Blackfish Tully]

If they don't come south, then the Long Night just doesn't happen at all, and all the talk about the Horn of Joruman and the entire purpose for which Winterfell was built is negated. The Wall falling is a certainty.

Consider that we have 2 books left, and Baelish is removed from where fAegon, Dany, Tyrion and Euron about to clash: in KL and Oldtown. That's where what's left of the Game of Thrones is happening, and he's not there.

After that, we have the return of the Stark kids to handle: Sansa, Bran and Arya met their first teachers or fell more under their sway in AGOT: Maester Luwin, Septa Mordane, and Syrio, and then in ASOS all had departed to meet their next round of mentors and would meet them soon (Baelish, KM, and Bloodraven). It only makes sense for them all to make their big returns right about the same time. Once Sansa Stark is revealed and assumedly a guest of Nestor Royce who has no use for her really because Winterfell is snowbound KL in chaos, Baelish officially has no function.

Baelish exists to be a plot device for Sansa's growth: first by causing her father's arrest and execution, and second by grooming her as a political actor in the Vale under the guise of Alayne Stone. Once she no longer needs him and thus to pretend to be Alayne, the story doesn't either, and that will, I believe, come early or half way in the TWOW, because then we have a whole apocalypse to fight and then wrap up. His time is short.

Baelish believes that Nestor is a man of his word. We don't know him outside of Sansa's chapters, and now he has the Vale's true lord, the man they all have suspicions actually killed Lysa, and the witness who testified as such in his physical power. And they know that "Alayne" is Sansa. Myranda Royce effectively fished out that info:

Oh, and the Night’s Watch has a boy commander, some bastard son of Eddard Stark’s.”

“Jon Snow?” she blurted out, surprised. “Snow? Yes, it would be Snow, I suppose.”

Myranda's line reads as "Oh, so you know his first name do you?" Bronze Yohn did a double take at her and asked if they had met, a stupid question. And they had in fact. Bronze Yohn has visited Winterfell. Littlefinger shows up with beautiful 13 year old daughter after Sansa Stark goes missing, wanted for regicide? Everybody knows.

It's the apocalypse, will the gold matter? Baelish has a small guard and little else. If somebody wants his gold, anyone with the swords necessary can just take it.

The whole point of the Others really, is for GRRM to show us that the Game doesn't matter. In fact, the Game has made everything worse. The Riverlands is already lawless, the North utterly wild and snowbound. And the major armies are all occupied. There's no one to enforce law and order.

And doesn't it make so much more sense, really, for LF to first sense Nestor's betrayal, and then send Sansa off to gather some key ally for her: Myranda perhaps, or Bronze Yohn, or Lady Waynwood, and in the process trust her with vital information. And when he does, she betrays him in the exact same manner that Baelish did Ned. She sees the writing on the wall and refused to go down with him. Baelish is put to death of course, for Lysa's murder, and in that moment Sansa finally recounts to us Ned's decapitation (she never did, and that's where her habit of memory repression began). Littlefinger dies, and with him the identity of Alayne Stone.

If Littlefinger was afraid of people figuring out Alayne is Sansa then he would have hidden her away. Since he's not afraid to just have her out there mingling with everybody it's because he does not care if they figure it out because he's going to reveal her identity anyways so if they figure it out it will not matter.

As for Lysa's death , does anybody suspect Littlefinger? the singer confessed to the Lords Declerant and why would he do that if he did not kill her? I don't tthink anybody suspects Littlefinger mostly because he had nothing (from their point of view) to gain and everything to lose from her dying so why would he kill her?

[TheNinjaDC]

Sansa either directly or indirectly will be his downfall. He's a political genius with only 1 weaknesses, Cat(& Cat 2.0).

Sansa is his chekov's gun ready to go off. Its not a matter of if, but when.

As for what will be the trigger, I believe it will be when Sansa figures out it was LF who caused her father's death. She puts up with LF because it is mutually beneficial, but once she find that out, She Will Snap.

Not explosively, but with a sliver of a smile as a bottle of nightshade disappears.

[SacredOrderOfGreenMen]

If Littlefinger was afraid of people figuring out Alayne is Sansa then he would have hidden her away. Since he's not afraid to just have her out there mingling with everybody it's because he does not care if they figure it out because he's going to reveal her identity anyways so if they figure it out it will not matter.

As for Lysa's death , does anybody suspect Littlefinger? the singer confessed to the Lords Declerant and why would he do that if he did not kill her? I don't tthink anybody suspects Littlefinger mostly because he had nothing (from their point of view) to gain and everything to lose from her dying so why would he kill her?

He wasn't afraid, and now they know. He also, of course, wants to groom Sansa as an accomplice and a sexual object. If he hid her and she was discovered, then she could plea for refuge, but involving her in his schemes in many ways makes her more dependent on him. (And in any case, where would he hide her where nobody would learn of her?)

The LD, of course, have their suspicions, but at the time Baelish had his sole and most important bargaining chip: Sweetrobin, in the Eyrie, and because of that their 20,000 men-at-arms outside were useless in the situation. (And of course it was obvious that the Singer had been tortured in the Sky Cells, because that's what they are designed to do, and even one of the Lords noted that the "blue would call to him" soon). Lysa was dead, of course LF was going to pin it on somebody else. What else could they expect him to do?

When Baelish goes out, and he is going out, then it has to be in grand style (for the sake of Sansa's character arc it does anyway, in the same way Tywin had to die in a dramatic confrontation for Tyrion's arc), and at the Gates of the Moon where all these plot elements: SR's sickness and likely death by poisoning, Nestor and the Bloody Gate's past, Sansa and this (red herring) Harry the Heir plot, all coming together is the perfect time and place.

Baelish simply, is unnecessary: to the Royces, to the other LD, but most of all to Sansa and the story. What else is supposed to happen if Baelish lives while SR dies? What's their left to do? Have more genteel sinister bantering with Vale lords over spiced wine, while everyone pretends that the Princess of Winterfell isn't sitting in the room, or that herds of ice zombies aren't heading for them? Baelish is already a minor (albeit previously plot important) character that we actually only see snippets in the books: a chapter here where's he in a conversation, a chapter there, until he kidnaps Sansa. A drawing out of any drama in the Vale would have to involve a host of fairly new characters we care nothing about, even the Royces.

That Harry the Heir plot is hogwash: for one thing, we've had it all laid out, which means it'll fail in ASOIAF or not happen (remember Willas?), and the Vale lords aren't going to march to conquer a kingdom they don't even share a land border with, on the onset of winter, and with the North itself snowbound and in fact guarded by Moat Cailin, on unconquerable holdfast from the south. So even if she marries Harry the Heir, it would trapping her in the Vale for possibly ever, which would defeat the purpose of her Stark identity narrative. Harry could die later, but what's the point.

There's two books left, and if Sansa's growth is to keep pace with her sister Arya and her brother Bran, then she has to leave her current mentor soon as well (i.e. betray him), she has to do it in TWOW.

For GRRM as a writer, letting LF live through TWOW is pointless. He's stated his need, and intention, to cut down on POV's and subplots in TWOW. He can't afford to open up more just somehow justify the notion that LF is exactly as master a "player" as he pretends to be. There's only two books left.

[SacredOrderOfGreenMen]

I am not sure if anyone in the Vale has Sansa/Alayne figure out yet, but it probably won't be long. And I think gold will matter. Humans survived the last Long Night, so it's not really an apocalypse, and with no way to grow crops the only way to feed yourself is to buy food. Since LF has the vast portion of his fortune in a vault in the Iron Bank, it isn't likely to get stolen, unless the IB were to suddenly find itself insolvent...

So there are all kinds of ways things could play out. The Mad Mouse is now in the Vale and he is looking for Sansa as well. He could very well snatch her and drag her back to KL to stand trial.

If one thing is clear with Martin, it's that people don't "win" or "lose" just because they are "good" or "bad" or even relevant or irrelevant to any part of the story. Death comes when it comes regardless of whether it conforms to any kind of literary romantic symmetry or the reader's expectations of justice.

I had totally forgotten about the Mad Mouse! That's interesting.

I think there's plenty of symmetry and meaning for our characters with all the major deaths we've had so far, and they have purpose:

1. Robert Baratheon: well, he had to die for the War to happen.

2. Viserys and Khal Drogo had to die for Dany to have her queen-arc, because otherwise she wouldn't grow into a truly self-reliant leader.

3. Renly: had to die for Stannis, and thus the story at the Wall, to unfold the way that it did.

4. Ned Stark: mentor who had to die for Bran, Arya and Sansa to have their coming of age stories.

5. Same for Robb and Cat. Nothing happens for Arya if she can just take refuge with Robb.

6. Tywin: had to die for Tyrion's character arc.

7. Kevan Lannister: has to die for Cersei to go completely crazy in KL and get burned by all the wildfire she stored underneath it.

8. Joffrey: His death was essential to Tyrion and Sansa's character arcs.

9. Same for Oberyn, and he died in the pursuit of vengeance, which made a point about how those quests usually work out.

10. Quent: Oh Quenton. You sad, sad boy. His death was just great for drama.

Anyone I'm missing? Notice how few of these characters had POV's and the ones that do are mentors to the main protagonists, excepting the Sun's Son.

The only thing with the Mad Mouse: if she gets back to KL, what's then? It's about to be invested with Dragons: Aegon and Dany, and maybe Ironborn. What do they care? If he did manage to grab her, is that how she ends up being saved by Brienne or Sandor on the nearby Quiet Isle? That certainly explain why went living on at all, and Brienne has been looking for Sansa. Would the Faith, by determining her maidenhood, absolve her marriage to Tyrion and Joffrey's murder? (not that those things are gonna matter to anyone for much longer).

Interesting to ponder, though.

[the Scorpion Knight]

The High Sparrow and Qyburn have enough on their hands that they are not going to bother with a "nobody" like Littlefinger.

Who cares about Dontos Hollard ? sadly nobody cares.

You act like that if the Kettlebacks say that Littlefinger sent them to spy on the Queen it would be bad for Littlefinger but really what would or could anybody in Kings Landing do to Littlefinger at this point?

pretty much nothing

the "nobody" is lord protector of the lord paramount of the vale and lord paramount of the riverlands. so he becomes quite a high priority

.dontos hollard was a royal fool and a member of the nobility who was killed the night joffrey was killed and sansa disappeared.

wrong. the iron throne can say to the lords paramount :"he's yours." and declare him open season.

[SacredOrderOfGreenMen]

the "nobody" is lord protector of the lord paramount of the vale and lord paramount of the riverlands. so he becomes quite a high priority

.dontos hollard was a royal fool and a member of the nobility who was killed the night joffrey was killed and sansa disappeared.

wrong. the iron throne can say to the lords paramount :"he's yours." and declare him open season.

Not to mention that the word of the Crown is irrelevant outside KL at this point.

Cersei is disgraced, but its implied by Mercy's chapter that she won her trial and so in back in power. Kevan is dead, the Tyrells have besieged the city over Margaery's trial and if she loses who the hell knows what could happen and of course Aegon has landed. The Lannister armies are disbanded and there's not clear liege lord to rally them again, Dorne is simply ignoring the Crown and plotting against it, the Riverlands is burned, the North is freezing and I think a King of Winter is about to sneak back into Winterfell to hold against the Others' invasion.

The Vale lords, by staying neutral, have basically withdrawn themselves from the King's Peace. They can do whatever they like with Littlefinger given the state of affairs. He's nobody's close relative, and not essential to any powerful house.

[Blackfish Tully]

the "nobody" is lord protector of the lord paramount of the vale and lord paramount of the riverlands. so he becomes quite a high priority

.dontos hollard was a royal fool and a member of the nobility who was killed the night joffrey was killed and sansa disappeared.

wrong. the iron throne can say to the lords paramount :"he's yours." and declare him open season.

Nobody and I mean absolutely nobody cares about poor Dontos Hollard, his death means nothing and nobody is looking for his killer.

The Tyrells and Lannisters are tearing each other apart . The Iron Born and Golden Company are invading , Stannis is still alive in the North . Kevan Lannister has just been murdered and both Queens are going on trial and you think anybody is going to worry about Littlefinger and what he is doing?

[Blackfish Tully]

The Vale lords, by staying neutral, have basically withdrawn themselves from the King's Peace. They can do whatever they like with Littlefinger given the state of affairs. He's nobody's close relative, and not essential to any powerful house.

why would the Vale Lords do anything to Littlefinger ? they have given him a year and he's working on getting them on his side . this belief that for some reason the Vale Lords hate Littlefinger is mistaken. Bronze Yohn doesn't like him but we have no idea how the rest of the Lords feel about him.

[Blackfish Tully]

The LD, of course, have their suspicions, but at the time Baelish had his sole and most important bargaining chip: Sweetrobin, in the Eyrie, and because of that their 20,000 men-at-arms outside were useless in the situation. (And of course it was obvious that the Singer had been tortured in the Sky Cells, because that's what they are designed to do, and even one of the Lords noted that the "blue would call to him" soon). Lysa was dead, of course LF was going to pin it on somebody else. What else could they expect him to do?

why would the LD have any suspicions ? Why in their minds would they ever suspect Littlinger of killing Lysa.? He has everything to lose and nothing to gain by killing her. He's the last person they would suspect .

[SacredOrderOfGreenMen]

why would the Vale Lords do anything to Littlefinger ? they have given him a year and he's working on getting them on his side . this belief that for some reason the Vale Lords hate Littlefinger is mistaken. Bronze Yohn doesn't like him but we have no idea how the rest of the Lords feel about him.

why would the LD have any suspicions ? Why in their minds would they ever suspect Littlinger of killing Lysa.? He has everything to lose and nothing to gain by killing her. He's the last person they would suspect .

Lyn Corbray, according to LF himself, is the only mentioned as having any friendliness towards him.

They have use for him now that Sweetrobin is in the Gates of the Moon and not under LF's power under the Eyrie.

And as I've talked about before, having Baelish survive for much longer is a waste of time: it either it opens up more subplots when GRRM has promised to cut down on those (ADWD was drowning in them), or have the Harry the Heir go in a complete and meaningless circle for Sansa by dying and definitely not marching on Winterfell (the Vale lords are not marching on Winterfell).

And of course they have their suspicions: they showed up with an army of twenty thousand and demanded to know what Littlefinger thought he was doing, and more importantly spend the entire trial being very hostile to him. He made an obvious gain by being made Lord Protector and gaining custody of Sweetrobin. Add on top of that that Myranda has figured out for Nestor that he has Sansa Stark with him as well. He's up to obvious shenanigans.