“I have only loved one woman… your sister.”
These were the last words Lysa Arryn ever heard from the man she had loved obsessively since she was a girl.
The next moment she was falling through the Moon Door — pushed by the same man she had just married.
Few moments in the entire Game of Thrones series are as cold, as calculated, and as perfectly revealing of a character’s true nature as this one.
Petyr Baelish’s spouse was Lysa Arryn (née Tully). Their marriage was short. Violent. And one of the single most consequential political moves in the entire War of the Five Kings.
Most casual viewers remember the shock of the Moon Door. Far fewer people truly understand why Littlefinger ever married Lysa in the first place, what he sacrificed to make it happen, how long he had been setting up this exact moment, and just how many major plotlines of the entire series were born directly or indirectly from this one deeply cynical marriage.
In this extremely detailed guide we are going to dissect every layer of Petyr Baelish’s marriage to Lysa Arryn — from childhood obsession to teenage pregnancy, from political assassination to the wedding night, from the most famous confession scene in the show to the complete remaking of the political map of Westeros.
If you have ever wondered:
- Why on earth would Littlefinger marry someone like Lysa?
- Did he ever feel anything real for her?
- How much of the entire war was actually Littlefinger’s design?
…then this is exactly the deep-dive you have been looking for.
Let’s go all the way back to the beginning.
Who Was Petyr Baelish’s Spouse? Meet Lysa Arryn
Lysa Arryn’s Background and Early Life
Lysa was born Lysa Tully — the youngest of three children of Lord Hoster Tully of Riverrun.
- Elder sister: Catelyn Tully (later Stark)
- Younger brother: Edmure Tully
Even as a very young girl, Lysa was noticeably different from her composed, responsible older sister.
Where Catelyn was dutiful and politically aware, Lysa was emotional, needy, and — from a very early age — completely fixated on one person:
Petyr Baelish
Petyr had been fostered at Riverrun as a very young boy. Although he was of much lower birth (a very minor lord of the Fingers), Hoster Tully allowed the friendship because Petyr was clever and charming.
Lysa fell in love with him hard — the kind of all-consuming teenage obsession that would define the rest of her life.
Her First Marriage to Jon Arryn
After the rebellion began, Hoster Tully famously refused to join Robert’s cause until he received very significant marriage alliances:
- Catelyn → Brandon Stark (later Ned after Brandon’s death)
- Lysa → Jon Arryn, Lord of the Vale, Warden of the East → one of the most powerful men in the kingdom
Jon Arryn was already old when he married Lysa — more than thirty years her senior.
The marriage was never happy.
Lysa suffered multiple miscarriages and stillbirths — something that caused her enormous emotional pain and probably contributed significantly to her later mental instability.
Eventually she gave birth to one surviving child: Robin Arryn (called Robert Arryn in the books) — a sickly, weak, spoiled boy who would become the new Lord of the Vale after Jon’s death.
The Secret History That Made Everything Possible
Very few people in Westeros knew the most important truth about Lysa Tully:
She had already lost her virginity — and become pregnant — by Petyr Baelish when she was still a girl at Riverrun.
When Hoster Tully discovered the pregnancy, he forced Lysa to drink tansy tea (a very dangerous abortifacient).
Worse — he forced Petyr to watch while she drank it.
This single traumatic event created two things that would last for decades:
- Lysa’s desperate, pathological need to be loved and protected by Petyr
- Petyr’s absolute certainty that he could use Lysa’s feelings whenever he needed to
This childhood trauma + teenage pregnancy + forced abortion is the invisible foundation that makes the entire Lysa–Littlefinger marriage arc possible.
Without understanding this backstory, almost nothing that happens later makes emotional sense.
The Path to Marriage – Littlefinger’s Long Game
Orchestrating Jon Arryn’s Death
Most viewers remember that Jon Arryn was poisoned.
Very few remember who supplied the poison and who had the perfect motive to help make it happen.
Petyr Baelish gave Lysa the rare poison called Tears of Lys.
He also helped her understand exactly why it was in her interest to kill her husband:
Jon Arryn had started talking about sending Robert (their son) to be fostered at Casterly Rock — exactly what Ned Stark had done with his own children.
Lysa was hysterical at the thought of losing her baby.
Result:
Lysa poisoned her husband Petyr supplied the poison + the plan Lysa then wrote a letter to her sister Catelyn blaming the Lannisters for the murder
That single letter is the spark that eventually ignites the entire War of the Five Kings.
And the marriage that comes afterward… is the second act of the same plan.
The Tragic End – Littlefinger’s Betrayal and the Moon Door
The Confrontation at the Eyrie
The marriage lasted only days — perhaps a week at most.
Lysa’s paranoia had been growing since Sansa (disguised as Alayne Stone) arrived at the Eyrie. She saw the beautiful young girl as a direct threat — not just to her marriage, but to her dream of having more children with Petyr.
In one of the most memorable and chilling scenes of Season 4, Episode 7 (“Mockingbird”), Lysa drags Sansa to the throne room and begins screaming accusations:
- That Petyr wants Sansa instead of her
- That he has been kissing and touching Sansa
- That he never loved her at all
Petyr enters calmly, almost soothingly. He tells Lysa to send Sansa away so they can talk privately.
What follows is one of the greatest character reveals in the entire series.
Lysa’s Death and Immediate Aftermath
Petyr steps behind Lysa, holds her gently for a moment, and says:
“I have only loved one woman, Lysa. Only one. Your sister.”
He pushes her.
She falls screaming through the Moon Door — the same execution method she had used on countless others who displeased her.
Sansa watches in frozen horror.
Petyr immediately turns to the shocked witnesses (including the singer Marillion) and frames the entire incident:
- Lysa had grown mad with jealousy
- She attacked Sansa
- Petyr heroically saved his “niece” by pushing Lysa to her death
Marillion is later tortured into confessing to the murder and is executed. The official story becomes: Lysa Arryn died tragically, and Petyr Baelish saved the day.
Becoming Lord Protector of the Vale
With Lysa dead and Robin Arryn still a child, Petyr becomes Lord Protector of the Vale — exactly as he had planned from the beginning.
He now controls:
- The richest granary region in Westeros
- One of the strongest and most intact armies in the realm
- The strategic fortress of the Eyrie
All of it gained through one short, loveless marriage and one cold-blooded murder.
Why This Marriage Changed Everything in Game of Thrones
Political Ramifications for the Vale
The Vale had remained neutral for most of the War of the Five Kings — a deliberate policy set by Jon Arryn and continued by Lysa.
Littlefinger’s marriage and subsequent murder of Lysa ended that neutrality forever.
Later in the series:
- The Knights of the Vale arrive at the Battle of the Bastards (Season 6) — a direct result of Littlefinger’s control
- They play a role in the fight against the White Walkers
- They are present during the final seasons in King’s Landing
One marriage → one murder → one of the most powerful military forces in Westeros becomes available to the highest bidder.
Impact on Major Characters and Plot Arcs
- Sansa Stark — The time in the Eyrie under Littlefinger’s “protection” is formative. It teaches her manipulation, politics, and survival. It also gives her the Vale as an eventual power base.
- The War of the Five Kings — Jon Arryn’s murder (orchestrated by Littlefinger via Lysa) and the letter blaming the Lannisters directly ignite the conflict between the Starks and Lannisters.
- Littlefinger’s own arc — From a low-born lordling to Master of Coin, to Lord of Harrenhal, to Lord Protector of the Vale — the Lysa marriage is the single biggest upward leap in his entire rise.
Thematic Insights – Love, Power, and Manipulation
The marriage perfectly embodies Littlefinger’s famous philosophy:
“Chaos isn’t a pit. Chaos is a ladder.”
Lysa’s love was real, desperate, and tragic. Petyr’s was nonexistent — only a weapon he wielded with surgical precision.
The contrast between unrequited love and calculated exploitation is one of the darkest recurring themes in the entire series.
Book vs. TV Show: Key Differences in Petyr Baelish’s Spouse Arc
| Aspect | Books (A Song of Ice and Fire) | HBO Series (Game of Thrones) |
|---|---|---|
| Wedding Location | The Fingers (Petyr’s small castle) | The Eyrie |
| Witnesses | Marillion, a few servants, septon | Mostly Lysa, Petyr, Sansa, and household |
| Sansa’s Presence | Present at the wedding (as Alayne) | Present, but wedding happens after arrival at Eyrie |
| Lysa’s Death Timing | Occurs shortly after wedding, similar confrontation | Slightly later, more dramatic buildup |
| Aftermath | Petyr consolidates power more gradually | Faster transition to Lord Protector |
| Lysa’s Portrayal | More unhinged, breastfeeding Robin even at older ages | Unhinged but slightly less extreme |
Both versions arrive at the same outcome, but the show condenses the timeline for dramatic pacing.
Expert Insights and Fan Theories on Littlefinger’s Marriage
Among longtime readers and re-watchers, the Petyr–Lysa marriage is frequently cited as one of the clearest windows into Littlefinger’s true character.
Popular fan theories and debates include:
- Did he ever feel anything for her? Most experts lean toward no — his actions show pure exploitation. However, some argue there may have been a flicker of genuine affection in childhood that was crushed by Hoster Tully’s cruelty.
- Was the marriage always intended to end in murder? Almost certainly yes. Petyr needed Lysa alive long enough to marry her and legitimize his claim as Lord Protector — but no longer.
- How much of the entire series is Littlefinger’s fault? Directly or indirectly, he is responsible for: Jon Arryn’s death, the Stark–Lannister war, Sansa’s trauma, the Vale’s late entry into the wars. The Lysa marriage is the hinge point.
Conclusion – The Legacy of Petyr Baelish’s Spouse
Petyr Baelish’s spouse was Lysa Arryn — a woman who loved him desperately and paid for it with her life.
Their brief marriage was never about romance. It was a meticulously planned step in one of the greatest power climbs in Westerosi history.
It gave Littlefinger an army, a castle, a title, and the perfect cover to continue manipulating every major player in the realm.
It also gave readers and viewers one of the most unforgettable character moments in the entire saga — the moment when Littlefinger finally reveals that the only person he ever truly loved was already dead, and that love had long since turned into something colder and far more dangerous.
Understanding this marriage is essential to understanding Littlefinger. And understanding Littlefinger is essential to understanding half the major events of Game of Thrones.
FAQs
Who did Petyr Baelish marry in Game of Thrones? Petyr Baelish married Lysa Arryn (née Tully), widow of Jon Arryn and Lady of the Vale.
Did Littlefinger love Lysa Arryn? No. He explicitly states he only ever loved one woman — Catelyn Stark. Lysa was a tool, never a partner.
How did Lysa Arryn die? Petyr Baelish pushed her through the Moon Door after she became hysterical and threatened Sansa.
What happened after Petyr Baelish’s wife died? He became Lord Protector of the Vale, consolidated power over the Knights of the Vale, and continued grooming Sansa while manipulating the larger political landscape.
Why did Littlefinger marry Lysa? To gain control of the Vale, its wealth, and its army — a crucial step in his long-term plan for power.
Was the marriage shown in the books? Yes — though the ceremony takes place at the Fingers rather than the Eyrie, and some details differ.
If you enjoyed this deep dive into one of the most under-discussed yet pivotal relationships in the series, check out our other guides on Littlefinger’s schemes, Sansa’s Vale arc, and the politics of the Vale.
Thank you for reading.
