Lysa Arryn

"What wife would do the things I've done for you? What wife would trust you the way I trusted you? When you gave me those drops and told me to pour them into Jon's wine. My husband's wine. And you told me to write a letter to Cat telling her it was the Lannisters..."

- ―Lysa Arryn to Petyr Baelish.

Lady Lysa Arryn, née Tully, is a character from A Song of Ice and Fire and Game of Thrones. Lysa is the daughter of Lord Hoster Tully and Lady Minisa Whent. She is the younger sister of Catelyn and the older sister of Edmure. She was married to Lord Jon Arryn during Robert's Rebellion. After her husband's death she was the Lady Regent of the Vale of Arryn, ruling on behalf of her young son Robert Arryn (Robin in the TV series). She pursued a policy of isolationism since the death of Jon Arryn.

She was portrayed by Kate Dickie.

Personality
Lysa was a temperamental and extremely bitter woman of deep resentment. During the years she became extremely unfriendly towards others. She also reacts aggressively when she sees Tyrion. Throughout the first book and season, she is shown to be exceptionally prejudiced against him, giving him a repeatedly one-sided trial for murder and attempted murder.

Lysa suffers from unspecified delusions, and dotes constantly on her son Robert, believing him to be beautiful and strong (whilst he may be the former he is certainly not the latter). On that note, Lysa is not really a good mother and spoiled her son his entire life into becoming a vicious, sadistic, weak and gullible brat who hysterically enjoyed watching people fall through the Moon Door, believing that all cities should have a Moon Door or they are useless.

Lysa was obsessively in love with Petyr Baelish since her childhood, but he had eyes only for Catelyn. She loved him so much to such an extent that she would refer to anyone who was against her love for Baelish (Or so she thought) in diabolical terms. She was also prone to fits of violence and rage when experiencing the bitterness for not being able to be with Petyr - she would abandon logic and reason completely to such an extent that she nearly pushes Sansa out of the Moon Door.

Early life
Lysa was born into House Tully and was the second child of Lord Hoster Tully. She had an older sister, Catelyn and a younger brother, Edmure. Her mother Minisa Whent died giving birth to a fourth son, who also died.

Lysa grew up in Riverrun with Catelyn, Edmure, and Petyr Baelish. The Tully sisters used to kiss Littlefinger for fun. Catelyn was subtle about it, while Lysa and Littlefinger also used the tongue. Eventually Lysa fell in love with Petyr but he was in love with her older sister who rejected him, laughing. Then Lysa gave comfort to a drunk sad Littlefinger and that night he took her virginity. Later Lysa nursed Littlefinger after he was wounded by Brandon Stark for the hand of Catelyn and they had sex again, resulting with Lysa being pregnant with Petyr's child. Littlefinger was sent back to the Fingers by Hoster Tully, but Lysa wanted to wed him and revealed her pregnancy to her father, but Lord Tully didn't show any interest in that and forced her to abort the child. Hoster failed to betroth Lysa many times until he was finally discussing a marriage with Jaime Lannister, but Cersei pushed her twin brother to join the Kingsguard. Lord Tywin Lannister then offered his younger son, Tyrion but Hoster refused, not wanting to have his daughter married to a dwarf.

So during Robert's Rebellion the young Lysa was finally married to Jon Arryn, the Lord of the Vale and the leader of the rebel faction fighting to overthrow the Mad King. The rebels forged a useful alliance with House Tully through marriage, with Lord Eddard Stark married to Catelyn and the then-elderly Jon to the still young Lysa. Also, Jon needed a new wife as his former wives either failed to give him living sons or died before they could, and his last heir Ser Denys Arryn died during the Battle of the Bells at the Stoney Sept. Lysa married Jon in Riverrun in the same day and the same room with Ned and Catelyn.

The rebels won the war, and Robert Baratheon became King and appointed Jon as his Hand. So Jon had to stay in King's Landing with Lysa.

Her uncle Ser Brynden Tully left the Riverlands to avoid his feuding with his brother Hoster. Lysa allowed him to serve House Arryn as Knight of the Gate.

Lysa and Jon lived in King's Landing. Due to their age difference and Lysa's soiled state, there was not much love between them, though she also didn't have anything against him. Lysa had two miscarriages in the Eyrie and three in King's Landing along with two dead stillborn children. She finally managed to have a living son, Robert Arryn, named after King Robert Baratheon, also known as "Sweetrobin". Sweetrobin however is a sickly weak child who suffers the "shaking sickness". Lysa became paranoid and overprotective thinking about enemies plotting everywhere. Jaime sees the same problem in Cersei and compares the two women as "crazy mothers". Lysa never denied anything to Robert and spoiled him without limits, even breastfed him until he was six.

Jon Arryn was seriously concerned for his son's weakness that he thought he needed to be fostered somewhere else with somebody strong. So Jon arranged to foster Sweetrobin with Lord Stannis Baratheon on Dragonstone.

Lord Stannis knew that King Robert's children weren't his, but didn't want to tell about it to his older brother. There was no love between Robert and Stannis, so the latter thought it would just appear as self-serving and possible lie. So Stannis confided his suspects to Lord Arryn, who starts to investigate about Robert's bastards (along with them are Gendry, Edric Storm, Mya Stone, and Bella). Then Jon Arryn finds the truth and sooner or later he would have talked with Robert about it. In the meantime Lysa maintained a relationship with Petyr Baelish, who was the Master of Coin thanks to Lysa who convinced her husband, at the time. Littlefinger manipulated Lysa's feelings and used the situation to start a conflict between the Lannisters and Eddard Stark. He didn't want the young Robert Arryn to go with Stannis Baratheon, who was an enemy to him so he easily persuaded Lysa to poison Jon Arryn and accuse the Lannisters for the murder.

Jon died, sparking King Robert's search for a replacement. King Robert wanted wanted Robert Arryn to become a ward to Tywin Lannister at Casterly Rock, fearing that the name of House Arryn would weaken with Lysa. An angry Lysa refused, ignoring the fact that Robert was the king, and after he goes to the North for his friend Ned, she fled King's Landing for the safety of the Eyrie with Sweetobin, who's the titular Lord Paramount of the Vale. During the same time Stannis leaves the capital as well for Dragonstone.

Season 1
Lysa's husband Jon Arryn, the Hand of the King, dies of an apparent fever. Lysa flees the capital and returns to the Eyriewith her son Robin. She sends her sister Catelyn a letter claiming that the Lannisters murdered Jon Arryn for unknown reasons. This news convinces Catelyn's husband, Lord Eddard Stark, that he must accept King Robert's offer to become the new Hand so he may investigate further. During the king's visit to Winterfell, Catelyn's own son Bran Stark is badly injured in suspicious circumstances.

Catelyn apprehends Tyrion Lannister on suspicion of trying to kill Bran. She brings him to the Eyrie to be questioned. Lysa is furious with Catelyn for exposing her to the wrath of House Lannister. She and Robin hold Tyrion in contempt, ignoring his threats that his house will repay them for any harm they visit upon him. Lysa orders Tyrion sent to Mord, the castle jailer. Tyrion and Catelyn are both disturbed by Lysa's excessive coddling of Robin, including still breast-feeding him despite him being several years too old for it.

Tyrion convinces Lysa to give him a trial, only to protest his innocence. He demands the right of trial by combat, supported by the mercenary Bronn. Bronn wins the battle, killing Lysa's champion, Ser Vardis Egen. Lysa chides Bronn for not fighting with honor, but reluctantly releases Tyrion.

Lysa receives a letter from King's Landing announcing that Robert has died and Eddard has been arrested as a traitor. She delays showing the letter to Catelyn, to Catelyn's great annoyance. Catelyn asks that the knights of the Vale join House Tully and House Stark in fighting the Lannisters for his freedom, but Lysa refuses. Lysa insists that the Vale knights must remain at home to defend Robin. Catelyn leaves, frustrated and annoyed.

Season 4
Petyr Baelish, acting under his own promises to both Lysa and her niece Sansa Stark, arrives at the Vale, bringing Sansa to the Eyrie with him. Lysa greets Sansa enthusiastically, introducing her to her son Robin. She conveys her pity for Sansa's unfortunate marriage with the dwarf Tyrion Lannister, and asks if he ever forced himself on her, to which she replies "no". Lysa agrees not to refer to Sansa by her true name in the presence of anyone else, and has Robin show her around the castle. Sexually eager, Lysa has her and Littlefinger wed immediately, promising to "scream" as he makes love to her. She also references poisoning her own husband's wine and framing the Lannisters in his presence, using these actions as proof of her love for him.

The following day, Lysa dotes over Sansa in petty conversation, and she shares her childhood memories about Catelyn. However, she grows angry when Sansa almost mentions that Littlefinger loved Catelyn, something which has irked Lysa for years. She starts grilling Sansa, wondering why Littlefinger cares so much for her, and if he has ever forced himself onto her. Sansa is shocked and denies this, and complains that Lysa, clenching her fingers tightly, is hurting her. Seeing Sansa scared, Lysa returns to a nurturing state, drawing her close and comforting her.

Lysa witnesses Littlefinger kissing Sansa in the Eyrie's gardens, and goes mad with jealousy. She summons Sansa to the High Hall of the Arryns, threatening to push her out the Moon Door to her death, but is interrupted by Petyr. ​Emotionally distraught and torn over Littlefinger's infatuation with Sansa, Lysa falls into a fit of tears, shoving her to the floor. Littlefinger feigns an apology, embraces her and reassures her that he only ever loved one woman. To Lysa's horror, he utters "your sister", and then shoves Lysa through the Moon Door to her death, as a shell-shocked Sansa looks on. With Sansa's help, Littlefinger convinces the lords of the Vale that Lysa committed suicide so that the Lords of the Vale will never know the fact Lysa was murdered by Lord Bealish.

In the books
In A Song of Ice and Fire, Lysa is Catelyn's sister, who is distrustful of the Lannisters. She dotes on her son excessively. In the books her son's name is "Robert Arryn", but this was changed for the TV series to avoid confusion with Robert Baratheon and Robb Stark. Lysa married Lord Jon Arryn to tie three of the Houses involved in Robert's Rebellion - the Starks, Tullys, and Arryns - more closely together. Given the large age difference between her and Jon, their marriage was not a happy one.

She is noted as overweight in the books, as a result of suffering two stillbirths and four miscarriages. The stress from these many pregnancies which ended in tragedy, combined with her distant relationship with her elderly husband, wore heavily on Lysa's mental state. This is also why she dotes so excessively on Sweetrobin, her only surviving child.

In her youth, Lysa fell in love with Littlefinger, but her feelings were not reciprocated. One night Petyr tried to kiss Catelyn, and she rejected him, laughing. Petyr got drunk because of this, and Lysa climbed into his bed that night to "give him comfort". Petyr took her virginity that night, telling her he loved her, but called her "Cat" before falling asleep. Lysa became pregnant with Petyr's child as a result of this. Her father forced her to abort the child instead, that he could marry her to Jon Arryn. The whole episode had great negative effect on Lysa's spirit.

Lysa's marriage to Jon Arryn was very unhappy. She did not love the much older man she was forced to marry; she had five miscarriages, twice in the Eyrie and three at King's Landing; the only child who was born alive turned to be mentally and physically ill.

During the War of the Five Kings, Robb Stark sent letters to Lysa, asking her to let his army pass through the Vale and provide ships at Gulltown to take them north. Had Lysa agreed, Robb could have landed at White Harbor, flanked Moat Cailin and driven the Ironmen from the north in half a year. But Lysa did not respond, and kept the Bloody Gate closed.

When Lysa drags Sansa to the Moon Door, she blurts out the whole truth about her first pregnancy, the abortion and Jon Arryn's death. The singer Marillion is present when Lysa struggles with Sansa (and he sings loudly to drown out Sansa's screams). Littlefinger appears and consoles her before telling her he only ever loved Catelyn (in the books, he says "only Cat" instead of "your sister"), shocking Lysa so much that when Littlefinger pushes her out she does not even scream but continues to look at him in disbelief as she falls. Littlefinger blames the murder on Marillion, who confesses after being tortured by Mord. Since the singer is despised throughout the Vale for his mocking songs and obnoxious behavior, the Vale bannermen readily believe his guilt.