Roland Arryn

Sitting upon a great throne of weirwood beneath the moon-and-falcon banners of house Arryn, sat a handsome young man. His hair fell softly on either shoulder in a tangle of blonde curls. His eyes were as blue as the sky above, and they seemed to hold intelligence beyond its years.

The young man's name was Roland Arryn, son of Jon and Lysa Arryn.

Roland Pov.

Roland looked down at his aunt and her captive with intrigue.

"Aunt Catelyn, it's good to see you again. How fares my cousins down there in the dreary and cold North." Roland spoke with a polite smile.

Catelyn smiled politely as well pleased that Roland had asked her about her children. "They are well, Lord Arryn." She replied.

"That's good, my Lady. Also please call me Roland, you are after all my family. We should not act so formal with one another." Roland insists.

Catelyn felt her heart warm at her nephews words. "Very well, Lord Roland, I shall do so." Even though he bid it, Catelyn still knew her manners. He was a Lord of a great house, and despite him being her nephew, she still had to treat him as such.

"Now, Aunt Catelyn. Could you inform me of the reason you had brought Tyrion Lannister before me?" Roland knew the reason they were here, but he wanted all to hear of her accusations.

"I brought him here to answer for his crimes." Catelyn answered with her chest puffed out and her head held high.

"What crimes may they be, Aunt?" Roland asked.

"He conspired to murder my son, your cousin Brandon Stark, while he lay in bed recovering from a terrible fall." She explained, and Roland could make out the heartbreak in her eyes at what happened to her son.

Her words caused the lords and ladies of the vale to gasp in shock. They could scarcely believe someone would murder an innocent child.

Roland looked at his aunt with pity. No mother should suffer as she had. It pained Roland that he could not have saved his cousin. "I see. I am sorry for your pain, Aunt Catelyn. I wish Brandon a swift recovery." Roland then turned to Tyrion Lannister first, examining him. It was truely Tyrion Lannister, with his stunned stubby legs, massive head, and cartoonish features that looked quite grotesque when compared to most. Roland, who had always envisioned Tyrion Lannister as Peter Dinklage, was surprised to find that he fit the description of his book counterpart instead. In his past life, Roland had been a massive Game of Thrones fan, up until the 8th season, but he watched the series about 5 or 6 times. He read the books as well, but he was more into the show than the books.

He knew Tyrion was innocent thanks to his previous life knowledge, but he had to play his part.

"How do you plead, Lord Tyrion Lannister?" Roland asked.

Tyrion looked up at Roland. "I may be guilty of numerous crimes, but I had no part in her child's attempted assassination." He said with certainty.

'You most certainly are little man.' Roland thought.

"Liar!" Aunt Catelyn spat venomously. Her face contorted with rage. "The man was armed with your dagger imp!" She said furiously.

"Pray tell what idiot would arm an assassin with his own dagger!" Tyrion yelled incredulously. Roland agreed with him inwardly

"I've told you before. The dagger was not mine, I never bet against family." Tyrion insisted.

"Aunt Catelyn, as much as it grieves me to say this. I agree with Lord Tyrion. Only a fool would arm his assassin with something that could be traced back to the person who hired him." Rolands words caused an uproar within the high hall. Most of the lords agreed with his words. "Tell me, Aunt Catelyn, who told you the dagger belonged to Lord Tyrion?" Roland enquired.

Aunt Catelyn's face was pale. She knew that things were not in her favor. Catelyn's voice became slightly colder as she spoke. "One of your bannermen, my Lord. Lord Petyr Baelish." She answered.

Roland had to do everything in his might to stop himself from bursting out into a fit of laughter. He took a deep breath to calm himself before he spoke. "Aunt, you should not believe everything you hear. Lord Baelish may be my bannermen, but trusting him is a mistake. A mistake that I have no doubt your Lord Husband Eddard Stark will undoubtedly pay for." Roland looked at her with sympathy. She had no idea her actions would cause a massive war, one that the Vale would partake in this time around, most likely.

Aunt Catelyn's face paled, and her mouth dropped. "Wh...what are you saying, my Lord? My husband is Hand of the King. No one can bring him harm. He is the second most powerful man in the realm."

Roland shakes his head at her naivety. "My father was hand of the king, and look at what befall him." Roland reminds her.

Roland notices the tears starting to poole on the edges of her eyes. It was as though she realized the grave mistake she had committed.

"Do you have any other proof of his guilt, aunt Catelyn?"

His aunt looked down both defeated and ashamed. He could see that she was realizing the severity of her actions, that her actions might have jeopardized her Lord Husband, who was currently surrounded by Lannisters, who by their own words, always paid their debts. No doubt Tywin and Jamie Lannister would make the Starks pay for the slight inflicted on their house.

"Lord Tyrion, I feel that you are innocent of your crimes. There is not enough evidence to suggest that you were the one who sent the assassin after my cousin. In the name of Robert of the house, Baratheon, King of the seven kingdoms and protector of the realm, I declare you, Lord Tyrion Lannister, to be innocent of your crimes. You would be free to go." Roland turned to his aunt with a sorrowful smile, gracing his lips. He felt sorry for her and what would happen to her family. Though with Roland here, he would do his best to ensure the Starks do not suffer too severely. However, he would not do so at the expense of the Vale. The Starks may be his family, but so was the Vale. In fact, he valued the Vale more as he was its Lord. "Aunt Catelyn, I know my verdict was not to your liking, but I will not sentence an innocent man to death, and if your Lord Husband were here, neither would he."

His aunt smiled wryly. She knew he was right. "It is as you say, my Lord, I was too hasty in my actions." She admitted her face ridden with guilt.

Roland could see the undisguised glee on Tyrions' face at Rolands words, but suddenly, as though he had eaten a rotten apple, Tyrion's smile fell from his face, replaced by despair. "Wait, you said 'you would be free to go.'" Tyrion uttered.

Roland smirked victoriously. "I see you caught that. You really are quite clever, Lord Tyrion."

"Ser Vardis, escort Lord Tyrion to one of our guest rooms. Make sure he is guarded day and night." Roland ordered.

"Yes, my Lord!" Ser Vardis, the captain of house Arryns household guards, yelled in response.

Tyrion glared up at Roland with his mismatched eyes. "You are making a mistake, my Lord, making an enemy of House Lannister is a terrible idea. You do not want to do this." Tyrion spoke quickly and with desperation.

Roland narrowed his eyes at Tyrion. "Spare me, Lannister. As things stand, we will be enemies soon enough."

Tyrion said nothing in response as he was dragged away by Ser Vardis because he knew that Roland spoke true.

"Everyone leave, I need to speak with my aunt and uncle in private." Roland ordered.

All the lords and knights who were previously in the high hall scattered until it was only Roland, his aunt Catelyn, and his great uncle, the blackfish.

Roland left his throne and walked towards his uncle and aunt.

"What is it that you needed to talk about Roland?" His uncle Brynden asked, curious.

"I know the truth of my father's passing." Roland said his expression grave and his blue eyes narrowed in seriousness.

Brynden raised his eyebrows, curious about what Roland was about to say, but his aunt looked at him strangely. "He was killed by the Lannisters." She stated confidently. "Was he not?" She asked, unsure, seeing Roland shaking his head at her statement.

"No, Aunt Catelyn. It was my mother. She had him killed." Roland speaks his voice steady and stern.

Brynden and Catelyn audibly gasped at his shocking reveal.

"This is not the time for jests, my Lord. Your mother is not capable of such a vile deed. Tell him uncle." However, when his aunt looked over to the blackfish, she seemed ill at ease by the look on his face. "Uncle, surely you don't believe Lysa to be capable of murdering her own husband."

The blackfish closed his eyes and sighed heavily. "She's changed since living in Kings Landing Cat. Lysa Tully may not be capable of such a feed, but Lysa Arryn is a different person, Cat. She's unstable, temperamental, and paranoid." Ser Brynden admits his voice grave.

"I have proof of her crime. My father's squire, Hugh, now Ser Hugh poisoned my father on my mother's orders. He admitted it himself." Roland explained.

"But... but why would Lysa murder her husband, then tell us the Lannisters were behind it?" His aunt asked her watery eyes filled with many emotions and thoughts.

"She did it at the behest of someone else. Of that, I am certain. However, she will not tell me who her co-conspirator is." Roland admits his voice filled with frustration.

"What will you do with her." His aunt asked, her voice distraught with sorrow.

"I am uncertain what to do with her. She is my mother, and I can not find it within myself to bring her to justice." Roland answered. His voice shook slightly as he spoke. He truly had no idea what to do with his mother. Despite her vile deeds, Roland still loved her. She coddled him since his birth, catering to his every need and ensuring that Roland knew she loved him. Her motherly love provided him warmth in this new life of his, a warmth that he enjoyed wholeheartedly.

"That is why you have her confined to her room." The blackfish suddenly spoke.

"Indeed. The only other solution would be her death." Roland laments, his blue eyes filled with confusion and sorrow. He was truly unsure about what he should do with his mother. She had killed his father, but he knew that she had been minupulated by a man far smarter than herself.

For sure, Roland attempted to warn his father to he careful. To hire a taste tester, but he refused, saying no one had reason to want his death. His father was a good man, but he was foolish to ignore the dangers of the vipers nest, which is Kings Landing.

"No, you cannot!" His aunt cried horrified.

Roland smiled wryly. "I wouldn't dare aunt Catelyn. However, I must do something. I can not keep her locked up forever." Roland sighed, exhausted. He was tired. Since his reincarnation, Roland had worked tirelessly, whether it be with the sword or the improvement of the Vale. Thanks to his work, the Vale has probably amassed enough wealth to compete with both the prideful Lions of House Lannisters and the flamboyant Roses of House Tyrell. It was rather easy to ammass such wealth. You see, the mountain in which the Eyrie resides is filled with diamonds as pure and clear as the rivers in the Vale. Roland sells these diamonds to a trader in Bravos who distributes them to the rest of Essos. The trader pays quite handsomely for them, believing them to be rare. In truth, however, the Vale was overflowing with these diamonds. Roland deliberately hid the true rarity of these diamonds in order to inflate the price. It worked splendidly. Roland was making over 200 000 gold dragons per shipment, sometimes even double that.

"Perhaps sending her away from the Vale would be the best solution. Maybe back to Riverrun to stay with her Lord father." His aunt suggests. "Maybe he'd be able to talk some sense into her once again." She continues.

'Hmmm, that could have worked. However, the Riverlands will soon be attacked, and even though his mother in this life was crazy, she still loved him with all her heart. Honestly, Roland had no love for his father truly. He respected the man, but he did not love him. Lord Yohn Royce was more a father to him than his own, who spent all his time in Kings Landing ruling the seven kingdoms.

"No, I fear the Riverlands will not be safe for much longer." Roland said.

"Why's that?" His aunt asked.

Before he could answer, the blackfish spoke up, his voice filled with worry. "Because the Lannisters will start repaying their debt."

"Indeed uncle. They will most likely start gathering their armies to prepare for war. Unfortunately for the Riverlands, they lay in between the Westerlands and the North. You're also a Tully aunt, Catelyn. They will likely attack Riverrun as part of the debt owed to you." Roland explained.

Catelyn layed her head in her hands wracked with grief. "What have I done." She utters heartbroken.

"Uncle, we too must prepare for war. Call the banners and tell them to get ready for war!" Roland orders, his eyes lit up with confidence.