Chapter 104: The Former Knight of the Bloody Gate
"An interrogation?" Arya froze for a moment, then quickly asked, "Is it the interrogation of the murderer who killed my aunt? I have to see what he looks like—I want revenge for her!"
As she spoke, Arya drew the slender sword Needle, the blade Jon Snow had given her. Her face burned with anger.
Donnel—honest-faced and plainspoken—could see that Arya's fury was genuine, not an act. That only made things more difficult for him. Yet when he considered the current situation inside the Eyrie, he still shook his head.
Arya hadn't expected that even after going this far, Donnel would still refuse her entry. She couldn't help but suspect that conditions inside the Eyrie were far from stable.
In truth, she had come to the Eyrie with little confidence to begin with—she only wanted to try her luck at borrowing troops.
Now that she had learned of her aunt's death, and seeing Donnel's troubled expression, it was clear the castle was entangled in something complicated. If anything, that meant there might be an opportunity for her—making her even more unwilling to give up her chance to enter.
At that moment, Arya suddenly remembered something her mother, Catelyn, had once told her.
Her great-uncle Brynden "Blackfish" Tully had quarreled with her grandfather years ago and gone to serve Lady Lysa as the Knight of the Bloody Gate.
Seizing on that memory, Arya said quickly,
"Do you remember Brynden Tully—the Blackfish? He's my great-uncle. He once served as Knight of the Bloody Gate. Please report my arrival to the Eyrie. If they still refuse to let me in, I'll leave at once."
The moment Donnel heard the name Brynden Tully, his demeanor changed entirely.
Brynden had been the previous Knight of the Bloody Gate—Donnel's predecessor, and in many ways, his mentor.
It was Brynden who had taught him formidable combat skills, as well as battlefield strategy and the art of commanding troops.
Donnel knew Brynden hailed from House Tully of Riverrun, and he was generally aware of the Tully–Stark alliance. But he had never imagined that Brynden was Arya's great-uncle.
After a brief hesitation, Donnel said,
"I can report your presence. Whether you are allowed to enter will depend on their decision."
Arya nodded eagerly, silently praying that whoever now ruled the Eyrie—or her aunt's son, Robin—would permit her entry.
As long as she could get inside, she had no intention of leaving again until she had secured aid.
The situation within the Eyrie was unlike anything before. Donnel feared that sending a messenger might not be taken seriously, so he decided to go in person.
Seeing Donnel ride through the Bloody Gate toward the Eyrie, Arya shot Sandor a smug look, lifting her brow slightly. Sandor immediately turned his head away.
Even though he hadn't expected Arya to persuade the Knight of the Bloody Gate, he had no desire to see her looking pleased with herself.
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Inside a chamber of the Eyrie, members of the Lords Declarant—the alliance formed by the heads of the Vale's three great houses—were interrogating Petyr Baelish.
The former Lady of the Vale, Lysa Arryn, had fallen through the Moon Door in the center of the High Hall at the summit of the castle, her body shattered beyond recognition.
According to the servants, the only people present in the hall at the time were Petyr Baelish and Sansa, who had entered the Eyrie under the false name "Alayne."
The Lords Declarant suspected that Lysa's fall had not been an accident. They believed it far more likely that Petyr had murdered his newly wedded wife in order to seize control of the Eyrie.
Young Lord Robert Arryn was still a child and suffered from severe seizures. With Lysa dead, her new husband Petyr would naturally become Robert's guardian—and thus acting Protector of the Vale.
Coupled with the Lords Declarant's long-standing contempt for Petyr Baelish's character, their suspicions only deepened. In their minds, he was the most likely culprit—the man who had pushed Lysa through the Moon Door, hundreds of feet above the ground.
As the only witness, Sansa—still known to most as Alayne—had been brought in to identify Petyr.
By now, Sansa had already confessed her true identity as Sansa Stark, daughter of Eddard Stark, which had caused a wave of astonishment among the Lords Declarant.
Eddard Stark had once been fostered in the Vale alongside King Robert, both raised by the old Lord Arryn. The members of the alliance knew him well.
Yohn Royce, in particular, had often hunted with Ned and deeply admired his character.
Learning that Sansa was the daughter of their old friend filled them with both surprise and joy. Many of them had mourned Ned's death for years and never imagined that the daughter he'd lost in King's Landing would one day appear at the Eyrie.
Now convinced of her identity, they accused Petyr of deceiving them and placed even greater trust in Sansa's testimony. They encouraged her to speak freely, assuring her she had nothing to fear from Petyr—justice would be done.
After revealing her identity, Sansa continued,
"Lord Petyr does indeed lie often, but—"
Knock. Knock. Knock.
The sudden rapping on the door interrupted her.
Yohn Royce frowned. The guards outside should have known that a crucial interrogation was underway—why interrupt now?
He rose and opened the door, only to find Donnel standing there. A trace of concern crossed Yohn's face.
"Ser Donnel," he asked, "is there trouble at the Bloody Gate?"
Donnel glanced into the room at Petyr and Sansa, then lowered his voice.
"The Bloody Gate is secure, my lord. However, there is a young lady outside who claims to be Arya Stark. She requests entry to the Eyrie."
"Arya Stark?" Yohn exclaimed in surprise. He had only just learned of Sansa's identity—now another of Ned Stark's daughters had appeared.
"Arya?" Sansa cried out. "Did you just say Arya?"
She stood close enough to the door to hear Yohn's reaction, even if she hadn't caught Donnel's words.
"Yes," Yohn replied honestly. "Your sister Arya is outside the Bloody Gate."
"It's really Arya… I thought… I thought she was…"
Sansa's voice broke, and she covered her mouth as tears spilled down her cheeks.
Since her father's execution, she had heard nothing of Arya. Even Cersei had failed to find her.
Sansa had feared the worst—that Arya, alone and helpless, had died somewhere unknown. Otherwise, how could even the City Watch have failed to locate her?
She never imagined that shortly after reaching the Eyrie herself, Arya would arrive as well.
In King's Landing, Sansa had endured Joffrey's cruelty and terror, nearly been violated by a mob, and been forced by Tywin Lannister to marry Tyrion.
She didn't know what Arya's life had been like on the road—but she could only assume it had been no easier than her own.
Thinking of her father's severed head displayed on a spike, her mother and brother nearly slaughtered at the Red Wedding, and the suffering she and Arya had endured, Sansa's sobs grew uncontrollable.
Lady Anya Waynwood rose from her seat, went to Sansa's side, and gently wrapped her in an embrace, murmuring words of comfort.
"Let Arya into the Eyrie at once," Yohn declared.
Watching Sansa's grief, Yohn felt a deep sorrow for his old friend Ned Stark and his shattered family. At least the Red Wedding had not fully succeeded—otherwise, House Stark would have suffered an even darker fate.
As Sansa wept, Petyr Baelish stared in disbelief.
He had never expected Arya Stark to arrive at the Eyrie at this exact moment—nor to interrupt Sansa just as she was about to deliver her testimony.