Catelyn and Ser Rodrik approach King’s Landing on Storm Dancer, captained by Moreo Tumitis. Ser Rodrik has been sick for most of the voyage, and finally had to shave his whiskers after befouling them one too many times. Once ashore, they plan to contact Ser Aron Santagar, master-at-arms for the Red Keep, whom they hope can identify the dagger. Ser Rodrik emphasizes the need for secrecy and that there are those at court who would recognize Catelyn on sight. Catelyn realizes he means Littlefinger, Lord Petyr Baelish. He had been a ward to Catelyn’s father and a brother to Catelyn herself. He wanted more than that, however, and when he learned that Catelyn was to marry Brandon Stark, he challenged the older man to a duel. Brandon was twenty, Petyr scarcely fifteen, and there was no hope that he could prevail. Catelyn begged Brandon to spare his life, so he left Petyr with only a scar. Catelyn’s father sent him away after that. He wrote Catelyn a letter after Brandon was killed, but Catelyn did not read it. Rodrik mentions that Petyr is now on the small council, and Catelyn responds that she always knew he would rise high. They decide that Ser Rodrik will go to the castle and fetch Ser Aron while Catelyn waits for him in a safe place.

Upon going ashore, Catelyn and Ser Rodrik choose an inn recommended by Captain Moreo, and Ser Rodrik departs for the Red Keep. Catelyn falls asleep and wakes to pounding on her door. She opens it to discover men of the City Watchwho are under orders to escort her to Lord Petyr. When she arrives, Petyr informs her that he learned of her arrival from Lord Varys, who will join them shortly. Varys went to Petyr because he is master of coin, and most of the small council is gone, with Ser Barristan and Lord Renly off escorting King Robert and Lord Stannis gone to Dragonstone. Also, Varys knew that Petyr was friends with Lysa. Petyr asks why Catelyn is there and is not convinced by her explanation that she wanted to see her husband, as the Tully words are “Family, Duty, Honor,” and Catelyn would never leave her assigned post. Varys arrives and asks after the dagger, which he discovered through the “whispering of little birds” after Ser Rodrik met with Ser Aron, both of whom left the castle and are waiting for Catelyn at the inn. She pulls the dagger out, and Petyr reveals it was his until he lost it at the tournament held on Prince Joffrey’s name day when Ser Loras Tyrellunhorsed Ser Jaime Lannister. He says he lost the dagger to Tyrion Lannister.

Quotes…

“How could you know all that?”

“The whisperings of little birds,” Varys said, smiling. “I know things, sweet lady. That is the nature of my service.” He shrugged. “You do have the dagger with you, yes?”

“Yours?” It made no sense. Petyr had not been at Winterfell.

“Until the tourney on Prince Joffrey’s name day,” he said, crossing the room to wrench the dagger from the wood. “I backed Ser Jaime in the jousting, along with half the court.” Petyr’s sheepish grin made him look half a boy again. “When Loras Tyrell unhorsed him, many of us became a trifle poorer. Ser Jaime lost a hundred golden dragons, the queen lost an emerald pendant, and I lost my knife. Her Grace got the emerald back, but the winner kept the rest.”

“Who?” Catelyn demanded, her mouth dry with fear. Her fingers ached with remembered pain.

“The Imp,” said Littlefinger as Lord Varys watched her face. “Tyrion Lannister.”

 

by Mel

We meet Peter Baelish (Littlefinger) and Lord Varys. I would call them the gossip girls of King’s Landing. We are not sure if we trust either of them at this point. Littlefinger used to be in love with Catelyn, actually, he still is. But we have quite the twist here. Littlefinger claims to have lost the dagger to Tyrion Lannister at the tournament of Joffrey’s last name day, or his birthday. NOT the imp!!!

Book to HBO

Catelyn arrives after Ned (it’s noted that she was last in the royal capital 9 years before, something not at all mentioned in the novels), and she and Rodrik are on horse back, rather than arriving by sea, and we do not receive any reminescene about Littlefinger’s connection to Catelyn, such as how they grew up together and how he loved her. Ser Rodrik stays with her rather than going to find the master-at-arms, Ser Aron Santagar, to question him about the dagger; Santagar is never mentioned, nor Ser Rodrik’s plan to ask questions. They’re both brought to Littlefinger, rather than Catelyn being led to him after having slept a few hours at an inn. When she arrives, she’s much more visibly angry at Littlefinger, throwing his missive at him. Prostitutes are also introduced to the scene, in some cases with clients. Varys’s introduction plays much the same, though he doesn’t cut himself on the Valyrian steel dagger, as in the book. Littlefinger’s revelation that it belonged to him seems to be played rather differently, with much more apparent amusement and gloating that he knows something Varys does not. Finally, Littlefinger doesn’t throw the dagger into the wall.