Once upon a time there was a boy named Petyr Baelish who lived in the Vale. One night, when he was going to bed, his mother told him a bed time story. This story was about Addam Velaryon. Addam wanted to defeat his enemies. So he went to see the little green men on the eye of God. With their help, Addam was able to defeat his enemies. You see, it is known that the green men on the eye must help any person who asks.
Little Petyr was totally enthralled by the story, and he would spend his free days learning more about the Green men. He learned to read, and went to the library and starting reading the legends and historical records about the Green men and the eye of God. He learned as much as he could about communicating with the Green men. He learned that they live on the Isle of Faces in the Eye of God, but didn’t know what that meant.
When Petyr was eight, he was sent to be a ward with Mr. Tulley in the Riverlands. Petyr was to be raised as a gentleman. He learned that he was different than Mr. Tulley’s children. They were clear to tell Petyr that he was of “low birth” while they were of “high birth.” The children called him names. Petyr could see how unfair the world was; he didn’t choose a low birth. He continued learning about his childhood story. It was there he learned that the Eye of God was a lake not far from where he was living. So he journeyed to the lake. He stole a boat at Harrenhall and found his way onto the island, The Isle of Faces. On the island there was a white tree forrest. All the trees in the forest had a face carved into it. The little finger knew that these were called Weirwoods and that the Green men were watching with them. So he called out, “I have come to seek the aid of the Green Council” and he waited. For eight days he waited in the Weirwood forest. The trees seemed to change their expression slowly. Or maybe there were so many, that Petyr couldn’t tell the difference of one to another. Twice each day, at dawn and twilight, he called out, “I have come to seek the aid of the Green Council.” On the eighth day, a young child appeared. The child had green skin and antlers like a deer.
The child said, “You have come to seek the aid of the Green Council. We have heard your heart and have seen your countenance. What council do you seek?” But Before Little Petyr could reply, the child began to walk away and disappeared into the forest. This gave Petyr time to think about what he would ask of the Green Council. He thought about what could be done to make the world a better place to live in. He thought of the unfair laws of the kingdom that make people of low birth, like himself, to be unequal to those of high birth. He thought that it would be best if he could shape the laws to suit everyone and allow everyone to be equal. He thought of who creates the laws, the King, who had lost his mind. That night, he determined what he will ask of the Green Men.
The next morning, at dawn, a different child appeared, shorter, but still with green skin and antlers. The child asked, “What council do you seek?” and Petyr replied, “I seek council on becoming King of the kingdom so that I may make laws and govern the land so that all men and women are treated equally with respect.” He said it this way because it is the way you speak to the Green Council. When he had finished his request, the child departed without a word and disappeared into the forest as the one before.
Petyr waited for seven more days, and upon the twilight of the seventh day, a tall girl appeared and said, “If you wish to become King of the kingdom, you must marry a fish. For we have heard that the husband of the fish will be offered the iron throne and rule as king.” Little Finger was not sure what was meant by marry a fish, but he knew that it was enough information for now. The Green Council speak in riddles that are easy to solve. The girl continued, “You must make the fish fall in love with you, for the father of the fish will not let you marry her unless she loves you and when you are stronger than a wolf. You will need the strength like a wolf to be king, but it is not the only path.” Then she turned and walked away and disappeared into the forest.
On his journey back to the Riverlands, Petyr thought about the words of the Green Council. It was an easy puzzle, the fish and the wolf were the house sigils for Tulley’s and Starks. He knew what he must do – he began to pretend to fall in love with Caetlyn Tulley, Mr. Tulley’s oldest daughter. He tried everything. For seven years he tried to make Caetlyn fall in love with him. But alas, it was announced that the houses Stark and Tulley were set to be joined soon with the marriage of Brandon Stark to Caetlyn Tulley. On the day of the engagement announcement – the moment after Mr. Tulley made the announcement – Petyr stood up and challenged Brandon to a duel for the chance to marry Caetlyn!
He lost the duel.
When he was healed, he went back to the Isle of Faces. But in the boat while crossing the lake, the Green Council met him upon the water. Two children upon a raft tied their boat to his, and in the lake, they spoke to him.
“We have seen that you have failed to marry the fish. Take heart, for there is another way to become King of the kingdom. But we must not speak in front of the weirwood this way.”
“To become King of the kingdom, you must do three things: first you must accumulate the wealth of the lands. But do not tell any person your wealth or they will want it for themselves. When you have control of all the wealth in the land, return to us.”
And that is what Petyr set out to do. In the same way he learned about the Green Council, he set about learning everything about money and wealth and commerce. He learned that the person with the most debt owed to them is the most powerful. He learned that it was the Bank of Braavos that had the most people indebted to them. He made it his goal to rival the Bank of Braavos. He convinced the one who loved him (who was married to the lord of the Vale) to give him a position of some power in customs. Petyr now knew the comings and goings of all the supplies and money being exchanged between the kingdom and the free cities, and the trade with the southern lands.
It’s only a matter of time
And then there was a rebellion in the land. The Stormlord Robert formed a rebellion against the Mad King. Little Finger used the war to his advantage. He became very rich by supplying the army with weapons and food. Upon the end of the war, three men were offered the throne, including the husband of the fish. After the war, with the wealth he accumulated recognized by the new King Robert, he was soon Master of Coin in the castle. When he was Master of Coin, he used his knowledge with the currency, gold dragons, to indebt the castle. He was sneaky because the money went from one place to the other, but ended up with him. A person who could read his account books would find out quickly his scheme, but no one cared to look. He became secretly rich.
Feeling he had accumulated the wealth necessary, Petyr returned to the Isle of Faces. The same two children met him upon the water. They had not aged at all, but Little Finger had aged 13 years.
“We have seen that you have control of the wealth of the land. To become King of the kingdom and make the laws that will have all men and women equal, you must now be the leader of young lords.”
“The young lords will listen to you, for you have the wealth of the land. To make young lords, the old lords must fall away. You must make a war in the land.”
“You must also stop one of us. A greenseer named Brandon Stark will try to stop you. You must stop him.”
And so, Little Finger, motivated by making the world right and equal, set out to make a war. He who does war, he thought, does not deserve the world I will make when I am King. With his great wealth, he began a plan to depose the current old lords of the kingdom and replace them with their children.
First, he poisoned the Hand of the King. This left the lord of the Vale a young boy. He created war by poisoning the mind of the next Hand of the King, Eddard Stark against the Lannisters. Further to this, Little Finger framed the Lannisters as he tried to slay the young Brandon Stark. Next, he arranged the death of the King, by telling the Queen the best way to kill him. Petyr knew that Robert would put his young son as the new king. He practiced his influence over this young king. He convinced the young king to behead Lord Eddard Stark, leaving Eddard’s children as little lords of their castle. Little Finger then began to control Eddard’s daughter Sansa. Then, as war started again in the land, Little Finger’s wealth grew more.
During the war he once again went to the Isle of Faces in the Eye of God. The Green Council said,
“We know you have failed to stop the young Brandon Stark. But we have seen that he will be slayed during the war. The third and last thing you must do is wait out the long winter to come.”
“During the long winter, you will use the wealth of the land to help the little lords. The little lords will be indebted to you. Then you will have the power to be King of the Lands. We will help you and guide you.”
And so, Little Finger continues to have the aid of the Green Council, as he waits to be King after the long winter, and after all is done. He will be seated as the leader among the young lords, and he will make equal and fair laws for all the people in the land.
The End.
Ross Grandel 