Game Of Thrones: Why Sansa's Old Letter Rattled Arya

Littlefinger’s making a play to sow some major discord between the Stark sisters in the latest episode of Game of Thrones Season 7, “Eastwatch.” What’s in the message that he clearly wants Arya to see?

Lord Baelish has been in an awkward position at Winterfell since Jon became King in the North. It’s pretty clear Sansa’s only barely tolerating his presence to ensure the continued support of the Vale, and she can’t seem to stop herself from rolling her eyes at his fortune-cookie wisdom. Littlefinger’s sphincter-clench reactions to stumbling Bran’s omniscience and Arya’s talent for killing gave fans reason to chuckle, but they also forced his hand. He’s got to make a power play, soon, or else he’s completely toast.

Littlefinger knows that Arya’s tailing him. He’s doing it on purpose. Remember how he conspicuously said “Lady Stark thanks you for your service” when the scroll was passed to him? He wants Arya to think that Sansa’s trying to keep the contents of this old correspondence a secret.

Showrunner D.B. Weiss confirms as much in a post-episode featurette. “[Arya] gets roped into spying on somebody who is actually leading her by the nose. He’s looking for a way to prevent this sister bond from developing further, because the tighter they are, the more definitively he is caught on the outside of it.” Arya should be canny enough to consider that Littlefinger’s actions might be more complex than they seem, and maybe we’ll see more evidence of that in episode 6 “Death Is The Enemy.” (Update: While "Death Is The Enemy" was the rumored title for episode 6 earlier this week, Entertainment Weekly has since been confirmed the title to be "Beyond The Wall.")

Anyway, what’s in the letter? Redditor fearthemuggles posted a screenshot to the GoT subreddit, which reveals that the message dates back to Season 1, back when old Ned Stark was still alive and kicking. In King’s Landing, Cersei and the small council (including Varys, Pycelle and Littlefinger) convinced Sansa to write a letter to Robb, in which she denounces her father as a traitor and begs her brother to pledge House Stark’s fealty to her “beloved” Joffrey.

Here’s the full content of the message, if you can’t parse it out from freeze-framing “Eastwatch”:

Robb, I write to you with a heavy heart. Our good king Robert is dead, killed from wounds he took in a boar hunt. Father has been charged with treason. He conspired with Robert’s brothers against my beloved Joffrey and tried to steal his throne. The Lannisters are treating me very well and provide me with every comfort. I beg you: come to King’s Landing, swear fealty to King Joffrey, and prevent any strife between the great houses of Lannister and Stark. Your faithful sister, Sansa.

If you need a little refresher, here’s the scene from way back Season 1, with Cersei and her goon squad putting the pressure on saucer-eyed little Sansa. (What a contrast to the pragmatic Lady of Winterfell in Season 7!)

Back when Robb received the letter from Sansa, he knew exactly what he was seeing: Cersei’s words written by his sister’s hand. Will Arya see it the same way, even if Sansa gets a chance to explain? Probably not at first, despite the fact that Arya knows well enough what it's like to keep her head down to survive in hostile territory. (Remember her stint as a servant for Tywin Lannister in Harrenhall?) Fair enough that Arya wanted a more full-throated defense of Jon from her sister, but jumping straight to the conclusion that Sansa's mad for power in Winterfell now because she was essentially Cersei's prisoner in King's Landing several years ago feels hasty and unearned. Sure, Arya doesn't have the political acumen of her sister or Littlefinger, but she really isn't this stupid.

Even so, the showrunners seem really keen to push this “feuding sisters” storyline a little longer, as evidenced by how abruptly Arya reverted to her old harsh perceptions of Sansa in “Eastwatch,” basically accusing her of rooting for Jon’s demise and eagerly camping out in Ned and Catelyn’s old room. Presumably, the discovery of this letter only amplified Arya's concerns.

Admittedly, Sansa could have done a better job of explaining the whole room situation to Arya. Jon basically insisted that Sansa take the room, despite her misgivings. Why not mention that? Also, perhaps one of the Stark sisters should consider chatting with Bran, Winterfell’s resident omniscient oracle. Surely he could help the sisters get some clarity about each other, or Littlefinger. Hopefully they’ll get to this next week, or in the Season 7 finale. Even Littlefinger seems to know Bran could send all his hopes of ascending the ladder of chaos straight down the toilet, so why aren’t the Stark sisters using the clearest advantage they have?

Do you think the Starks will figure out Littlefinger’s scheme in time to thwart him? Will Lord Baelish succeed in turning Arya against Sansa? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.