Westeros Notorious Rulers and Families

Robert Arryn

Lord Robert was also known as Lord of the Eyrie, Defender of the Vale, Warden of the East, True Warden of the East, Sweetrobin, he is the son of Jon Arryn and Lysa Tully, born 292 AC.

History: Robert has been sick all his days. Prince Joffrey Baratheon calls him cruel names and once slapped Robert with a wooden sword. The boy was brought to the Vale of Arryn from King's Landing at the age of six.

Recent Events: Robert became Defender of the Vale upon the death of his father, Lord Jon Arryn, but does not receive his father's title of Warden of the East, as King Robert I Baratheon grants it instead to Ser Jaime Lannister. The court at the Eyrie instead refers to Robert Arryn as the True Warden of the East. Before his ascension, Lord Tywin Lannister offered to take young Robert as his ward, something he had never offered to anyone else. Lord Eddard Stark suspects Tywin made this offer to seize Robert Arryn as a hostage. King Robert planned to accept the offer but Lady Lysa Arryn fled from King's Landing to the Vale with her son to avoid this.

Robert's mother, Lady Lysa, rules the Vale as regent in his name but makes no effort to school him in the governance of his realm. He presides over the trial of Tyrion Lannister for the attempted murder of Bran Stark. He is upset when Bronn defeats Ser Vardis Egen in Tyrion's trial by combat as he wants to "make him fly" through the Moon Door. Lysa refuses the offer of her sister, Catelyn Stark, to foster Robert at Winterfell for a few years.

Tywin, the Hand of the King, agrees to restore the title of Warden of the East to House Arryn, in return for Petyr Baelish marrying Robert's widowed mother, Lysa, and bringing the Vale to the king's peace. Marillion sings Robert to sleep each night.

Following the death of King Joffrey I Baratheon at his royal wedding, Petyr smuggles Sansa Stark to the Fingers, where he marries Lysa. Lady Arryn tells Sansa that she intends to marry her to Robert once Sansa's husband, Tyrion Lannister, is executed for Joffrey's murder. At the Eyrie, Robert uses his doll to destroy the snow castle replica of Winterfell made by his cousin, Sansa, in her guise of Alayne Stone. When Sansa rips the doll, Robert has a fit and is taken away by Maester Colemon. After an altercation between Sansa and Lysa, Petyr pushes Lysa through the Moon Door and blames Marillion.

Upon the death of Robert's mother, Petyr Baelish assumed the position of Lord Protector of the Vale, claiming the rule of the Vale of Arryn and the guardianship of Lord Robert through his brief marriage to Lysa. Robert has become even more emotional and unstable after his mother's death and has become highly attached to Alayne, who has taken on a surrogate maternal role for him. Robert states he is unable to sleep because of the singing of the maimed Marillion. At Petyr's suggestion, Maester Colemon has been using sweet sleep to treat Robert's seizures, although he is also worried about the potentially fatal side effects of using it too often. Robert is now fearful of blades, so Petyr allows the boy's fine hair to grow as long as a girl's. Robert becomes fond of lemoncakes, possibly because they are a favorite treat of Alayne.

Seated on the weirwood throne, Robert hosts Lord Nestor Royce. When Sansa, disguised as Alayne Stone, tells Nestor that Lysa has been killed by Marillion, Robert has another fit. Ser Lothor Brune is kicked in the face during the boy's spasms.

Several of the more prominent nobles of the Vale sign a declaration to oust Petyr from the Eyrie and assume the rearing and training of Robert, calling themselves the Lord's Declarant. When they come to the Eyrie, Robert objects to the arrival of Ser Lyn Corbray and flings his porridge, which strikes Colemon. The Lord Declarant wants Robert to be fostered with Lord Yohn Royce at Runestone, where Robert can be taught by Ser Samwell Stone and Septon Lucos, healed by Maester Helliweg, and befriended by his cousin, Harrold Hardyng. Petyr convinces his rivals to grant him a year, however, and Robert later is a gracious host to Benedar Belmore, Gilwood Hunter, Horton Redfort, Symond Templeton, and Anya Waynwood.

Petyr invites Gyles Grafton and Terrance Lynderly to be companions and squires for Robert. With the approach of winter, the Arryn court descends from the Eyrie to the Gates of the Moon. Sansa and Mya Stone help the sacred Robert down the Giant's Lance. Once at the Gates of the Moon, however, Petyr tells Sansa he intends to marry her to Harry the Heir once the sickly Robert inevitably dies.