Sansa Stark

Castellan Hauberk
(10-06-01):

In very clear terms Sansa identifies her age as 13.

The chapter opens with Sansa remembering a time when an old minstrel came to Winterfell and stayed for a long while. When I finally left she tried to get Ned to force him to stay regardless of the fact that he had played his entire list of songs at least three times. Ned promised that other singers would come... none did for a very long time.

Much time is devoted to Marrillion singing and playing from a sky cell. The music is almost ever-present and has caused both Sansa and Robert to lose much sleep.

She wonders why the gods gave such a voice to one as wicked as Marrillion.

She has seen Littlefinger dispatch hundreds of letters in the wake of Lysa's death.

Lord Nestor Royce, Keeper of the Gate and High Steward of the Vale is coming to investigate Lysa's death. This truly scares Sansa - what if Nestor values his honor more than profit?

While Sansa is going under the guise of Elaine Stone she believes that she is still a Stark in her heart.

It was Sansa that told Robert of his mother's death.

Sansa is very concerned that when Nestor arrives that Marrillion may tell the truth. Littlefinger corrects - if he lies.

Sansa questions the lies "When I lied to Robert is was to spare him." Littlefinger responds "And this lie will save us leaving by the same door."

Sansa the most recent events the sacking of Winterfell, Joffrey's murder and realizes "I have no place but here, no friend but Petyr." She ponders her new dual identity and recognizes a similar duality in Littlefinger.

She also recognizes who her protectors have been - Tyrion, the Hound and Garland Tyrell and that in each case it was not Littlefinger. She then goes on to contemplate Marrillion and briefly considers saving him (no details on how), and realizes that Littlefinger HAS saved her twice - once from King's Landing and once from rape at Marrillion's hand.

Marrilion has lost his eyes and some of his fingers.

(Serves the bastard right. Rememeber Tyrion's kidnapping in Book 1? -- Murray)

Nestor Royce arrives with his son Alba (sp?), 12 knights and 20 guards. Littlefinger and Maester Coleman (pronounced kohl-uh-mun) are there to greet him. Littlefinger is solemn.

Sansa is sent to bring Robert. She finds him teary eyed and snot covered with a bloody lip from having chewed it. She notes that Robert at 8 is smaller than most 5 year olds. Sansa gently cleans him up. He complains that he was locked in his room the night before and Sansa thinks about having ordered Lothor Brun to do so... since Lysa's death he has wandered the halls at night looking for a bed to sleep in (often Sansa's where he would end up trying to nuzzle her breasts and at times wet the bed).

Sansa doesn't like the High Hall - the skinny columns are like skeletal fingers, the blue veined marble like an old persons legs and the hall is poorly lit, only 12 of 50 torches lit.

Robert declares that Marrillion hurt his mother. Ser Marwin Belmore asks if Robert witnessed the attack.

Petyr coaxes Sansa into telling her story. As she tells the story she begins to cry and realizes to herself (good student of the EVIL Littlefinger that she is) that the tear is good and will add credence to her story. As she finishes the story Robert has a shaking spell (epilepsy?).

The Royces and Belmore disliked Marrillion - he mocked and japed them once writing a song about pigs rutting around feeding on the droppings of a falcon. He would the hide behind Lysa who, in turn, showered him with gifts including Jon's favorite falcon.

Much to Sansa's dismay (and the amusement of the audience) Petyr declares that he killed Lysa... by persuading her to send Marrillion away.

The jailer brings Marrillion before Royce and his retinue and confesses to Lysa's murder.

Ser Belmore and Alba Royce demand his death but Littlefinger instead returns him to his sky cell - the blue eventually calls.

Petyr and Nestor retire to the solar Sansa comes to serve the wine (and Arbor Gold).

Nestor informs Littlefinger that Bronze Yohn is coming , that he means to question Marrillion and to strip Littlefinger of the title Lord Protector. He's bringing with him no small force - Templeton, Waynwood, Belmore, Egin and Lyn Corbray.

Nestor indicates that where he can raise 20 Bronze Yohn can raise 20,000.

Littlefinger gives Nestor a scroll bearing the Arryn seal but Petyr's signature. An order prepared by Lysa just before her death, thus she never had the opportunity to sign it, that grants Nestor and his line hereditary title of the Gates of the Moon. Littlefinger signed the decree as Lord Protector after her death because he knew her wishes.

After Nestor retires to his rooms, Littlefinger explains to Sansa that not all that he told Nestor was lies and that a man like Nestor would be prickly about his honor if openly asked his price.

He then points out that Nestor had immediately noticed Petyr's signature on the decree and would realize that he stands to gain the Gates of the Moon at Littlefinger's discretion and that if Bronze Yohn succeeds in removing Littlefinger it is likely that Nestor's claim will be made invalid.

Petyr implores Sansa to become Elaine even in her heart and she does so. The chapter closes with her indicating that she recognizes that this is something Petyr wants to hear and so she lies to him.

Trebla
Lord of House Mata
(10-06-01):

NEWS - Littlefinger is plotting w/ Nestor Royce and has promised him the Keeper of the Gate. Bronce Yohn Royce(he does not appear in the chapter)is bringing many of the other Lords to the Eyrie to dismiss Littlefinger. Nestor will help him. It is apparent that Sansa is Littlefinger's confidant and he may be teaching her how to play the game! MUCH MORE later including Robert's bed habits!

Trebla
Lord of House Mata
(10-07-01):

Redfort is specifically mentioned as one of the men coming with Bronze Yohn.

Marrilion sings several songs during the chapter, 3 of note are "The Rains of Castamere", "High on Misty Morn(mourn?)"and one about Duncan, Prince of Dragonflies.

During a moment of thought, Sansa thinks of her family and what happened to them: Ned's beheading, Bran and Rickon murdered by Theon, Cat and Robb at the Red Wedding. Once again she fails to think of Arya.

Little Robert is apparently a bed hopper. He always slept with Lysa and now has gravitated to Sansa. She dislikes that he likes to nuzzle her breasts and that he sometimes wets the bed. Robert complains to Sansa when she comes to collect him that someone had locked him in his room that night. We find out that in was in fact Sansa that made that little arrangement.

Any thought that the Royces might believe Marrilion are shattered when we hear that had made some rather unflattering songs about them. Marrilion confesses to killing Lysa because he had professed his love for her but she had spurned him. Marrilion also claimed that Lysa had said she was pregnant. Littlefinger seems not have know this.

During their conversation, Littlefinger and Nestor Royce disagree on who is more dangerous, Yohn Royce or Lyn Corbray. Littlefinger sees Bronze Yohn as the real danger while Nestor sees Corbray as the one more dangerous.

The kings of the Vale were said to have worn the Falcon Crown.

Throughout the chapter, Littlefinger confides in Sansa his plans and thoughts. He knows he can use Nestor because of him being of junior branch of the Royces. He feeds Nestor lies and Arbor gold. He also tells her that Lothor Brune and Osmund Kettleblack are his men. Sansa asks if he trusts them. He tells her that he had once told her father not to trust him. He tells her that he has Kettleblack watch Brune and vice versa.

Littlefinger tells Sansa, "With my wits and cat's beauty the world be yours."

Trebla
Lord of House Mata
(10-07-01):

Sansa was terrified that Nestor Royce might not believe her story. However, when Nestor arrives, he starts up on how Marillion had made up those pig songs about him and his son. So basically he would have believed anything he heard that would condemn Marrilion.

I don't recall the specifics of Nestor's argument about Corbray. Do any of you other guys recall?

AND..........I wouldn't start waving the "Sansa Stark: Player for the Good Guys" banners yet. During dinner, we talked about the wolves and symbolism. Sansa no longer has a wolf. GRRM gave us a cryptic answer on that. Basically, we should keep in mind that all she no longer has her wolf. 

Terra Prime
(10-08-01):

The songs that Marillion sang were all mournful and sad songs. One of them (I think Mist of the Morn/Mourn ?) was about a mother going out to the battlefield looking for the corpse of her son. Martin actually had three lines of lyrics, but I don't recall it word for word.

Sansa noticed that Marillion is now singing with a better voice, which seems to have more emotions in it.

Indirectly, we learned that Petyr had told Sansa what to say about the situation and had made her rehearse it several times.

One recurring thing with the chapter was Sansa thinking that "a lie is not bad if it is meant kindly, surely?" as in the case when she had to lie to Robert about the circumstances of his mother's death.

It was not clear (least to me) whether Marillion lost his eyes and fingers at the beginning of the chapter or not. We also didn't see his broken fingers. Rather, it was implied because he was wearing gloves and his fingers looked stiff in there. He also thanked Petyr for letting him keep his voice so he can sing. It appeared that Petyr had allowed him to live and continue to sing if he would lie to Nestor.

As Sansa told the story, she appeared genuinely scared and she cried. At the end, one of the lords asked Sansa a question (forgot what it was) that implied that he had doubts about Sansa's story. Robert started screaming about seeing Marillion fly and then he went into a shaking fits and had to be carried out by the guard and attended by the Maester.

The Jailor had a mouthful of gold teeth. I believe he's the same guy who watched over Tyrion when he was in the sky cell.

When Petyr presented the scroll to Nestor Royce, Royce mentioned that the Gate has always been held in name by the Arryns. There's also something about the Eyrie being actually a summer house and that the Gate was the real castle where the King of the Vale resides regularly (murky memory here). Royce mentioned that he served dutifully as the steward as Jon commanded.

He felt slighted by Lysa because she didn't seem to value his work and dedication to the Arryn house. Littlefinger (lied, I think) said that Lysa had always thought of him as a great Lord. Petyr also said that Lysa had often called him "a rock," though later on we see Petyr thought that Lysa didn't meant that as a compliment. 

I confirmed with my partner over lunch that indeed, the Eyrie was originally the summer palace for the Arryns.

At the end of the conversation with Royce after Royce had left, Petyr told Sansa that the best lies are the ones that the target want to hear. They will believe it knowing that it's a lie because they want to believe that it's true. That applies to what Petyr told Royce of Lysa's praise of his work. Royce knows that Lysa didn't like him, but he accepts Petyr's lies to the contrary because it is what he wants to believe.

In the chapter, there's a lot more Petyr-the-father than Petyr-the-stalker sense. He did kiss Sansa, but it was on her cheek and very chaste. He told Sansa that if they were to survive, they must keep the secret of her identity an utter secret, something that they should not speak aloud even when they are alone.

He then tapped her chest and said something like "but can you be my daughter, here, too?" (meaning, I think, that she needs to convince even herself if the ruse is to hold up to scrutiny, though with Petyr, I think there might be other meanings, as well). And Sansa said, "But what else would I be, father?" as she thought that that's what Petyr wanted to hear.

Then, later that night, Robert found his way to her bed and Sansa chided herself for not telling Brune to lock his door again. Resigned, she let him into the bed. He asked Sansa "My mother is dead. Are you my mother now?" Sansa thought, then said, "Well, I suppose I am." That's quite portentous, imo.

As for why Nestor thinks Lyn Corbray is dangerous, no, I don't recall him giving any detail.

On the part where Hauberk reported the 20 men to Bronze Royce's 200, it's actually from Petyr. It's during the conversation and Nestor told Petyr that there are lords who would like to see him gone. Petyr said "I keep 20 guards at the household, and I know your cousin and raise 200 (was it 2000?) to my 20. I am at the mercy of his might (something like that)."

My impression is that it was Sansa's resolution to become Robert's surrogate mom, to protect him and educate him. If Petyr had designs to kill off little Robert (which I don't think he does, yet), it would now be more difficult now with Sansa on Robert's side.

Also, this seems to put a damper on the speculation that Sansa might marry Robert when he gets older to become Lady of the Vale. This will also secure her a place at the court as something other than Petyr's bastard daughter. She seems to be able to handle little Robert very well, from the chapter, so some of the court might feel grateful to her if she can make Robert into a more decent human being.