Lysa Lannister (Lord Tywin's Gift)

## Lysa Lannister

Lady **Lysa Lannister**, also known as **Lysa Tully**, is the wife of Ser Tyrion Lannister, the second son of Lord Tywin Lannister. Together they have three children; Tybolt, Lelia, and Lanna. She is the youngest daughter of Lord Hoster Tully of Riverrun and his wife Lady Minisa Whent.

## Appearance and Character

Lysa is a pretty and slender lady, high-breasted with dimples and a delicateness to her. She, much like her older sister Catelyn Stark, resembles their mother, Minisa Whent. She has the blue eyes and beautiful auburn hair of House Tully.

Lysa wanted nothing more than to marry the man of her dreams as a young girl at Riverrun. She idolized her older sister Catelyn for her betrothal to the heir of Winterfell, Brandon Stark, and hoped to one day marry a man as noble and handsome as him.

Lysa had been a soft, shy, and timid girl in her youth, prone to tongue-tied silences and fits of giggles. Though she matured in her later years, Lysa would retain much of her good-nature, especially as her husband Tyrion enjoyed encouraging her laughter.

## History

### Early life

Lysa was born in 268 AC to Lord Hoster Tully and Lady Minisa Whent as their second daughter, she had an older sister, Catelyn, and two older brothers; Edmure, and Patrek. Her mother, who had already given birth to two sons before Lysa and her sister but who died in their infancy, passed away giving birth to her youngest brother Patrek.

Lysa was raised at Riverrun alongside her three siblings and her father's young ward, Petyr Baelish. As a young girl, Lysa would run and hide whenever she had done something wrong, so her father could not find her. Just as her siblings and her father's ward, Petyr, were wont to do, Lysa always went to her uncle, Ser Brynden Tully, with her tears and tales, whenever Lord Hoster was too busy, and Lady Minisa too ill. Lysa and Catelyn played together and even had a secret language. Once they made mud pies in the godswood of Riverrun and served them to Petyr, who was sick for a week after eating them. On one occasion, Lysa and Catelyn accompanied their father to Seagard, but on their way back to Riverrun, the sisters became lost due to the mist and Lysa started to cry. Petyr, who had accompanied Lord Hoster as well, eventually found the girls.

Being raised alongside Petyr, Lysa fell in love with him, but her feelings were not reciprocated. Instead, Petyr fell in love with Lysa's older sister Catelyn. When they were still young Lysa and Catelyn had first learnt to kiss by taking turns kissing Petyr, making Petyr the first man Lysa ever kissed. Catelyn recalls it as having been innocent, though Petyr attempted to kiss them with tongue, which Lysa allowed.

On the night Catelyn's betrothal to Brandon Stark was announced, Petyr, after having danced with Catelyn, tried to kiss her, and she rejected him, laughing. Petyr became drunk because of this, and after the boy had been brought to bed, Lysa followed and climbed into his bed to "give him comfort." Petyr took her virginity that night, telling her he loved her whilst he drunkenly believed that she was Catelyn, going as far as calling her "Cat" before he fell asleep. Despite this, Lysa stayed with him until sunrise, and would later come to remember the night fondly.

When Catelyn's wedding date to Brandon was eventually announced in 282 AC, Petyr challenged the northman for Catelyn's hand. Brandon ended up mortally wounding Petyr, who died later that night while Lysa soothed his passing. Lysa blamed Brandon for killing Petyr on purpose and Catelyn defended the Stark, causing a fissure in their relationship that wouldn't be healed for many years.

### War of the Usurpers and Widowhood

Lysa was betrothed to Ser Elbert Arryn during the War of the Usurpers, he was the heir to the Eyrie after Lord Jon Arryn and the marriage was designed to create an effective wartime alliance for House Tully. However her marriage to Elbert was put on hold after the death of Lord Jon Arryn and Elbert was forced to remain in the Vale dealing with House Grafton. Thus her sister Catelyn was married to Brandon Stark while Lysa had to wait until her betrothed could travel up the high road to Riverrun.

Lysa's betrothal didn't last long however as Elbert was slain in the Second Battle of Riverrun alongside Catelyn's husband Brandon Stark. Her newly single status was immediately thrown into question however as her father began looking to wed her to Ser Stannis Baratheon. Nothing came of these proposals however as the war turned increasingly in the Targaryen's favour.

Instead, at the wars end, many of the Great Houses of Westeros married into one another to secure the peace, and Lysa was betrothed to Tyrion Lannister, the second son of Lord Tywin Lannister who was five years her junior. The young Lannister, whose liege had been slain in the war, was fostered at Riverrun and became the squire to Ser Brynden Tully, Lysa's nuncle.

As Lysa's betrothed grew older the pair became closer and closer, and while initially she struggled with moving on from Petyr Baelish, Tyrion proved to be a caring and doting partner, as well as a handsomely dashing one, who got along well with the Tully's who remained in Riverrun.

### Marriage

In 290 AC the brief Greyjoy's Rebellion broke out, a conflict which saw the Riverlands fighting alongside the Crown and Westerlands against the Ironborn. This conflict saw Lysa's uncle Brynden go to war, as well his squire and Lysa's betrothed - Tyrion Lannister. After what had happened to her first betrothed Ser Elbert Arryn who died in the War of the Usurpers Lysa spent every night crying that he was gone for until news came of their victory. Her betrothed returned to the Westerlands a knight and soon after she travelled to Lannisport where the pair were wed in a ceremony attended by King Rhaegar I Targaryen.

After the wedding a large tourney was held by Lord Tywin Lannister in Lannisport to celebrate both the victory over the Greyjoy's and the wedding. Her new husband took part in the jousting and came very close to winning, losing only in the penultimate tilt to Ser Arthur Dayne of the Kingsguard who went onto lose to Ser Jaime Lannister, Lysa's brother-in-law.

After the wedding Lysa missed her first moon-blood and was indeed pregnant, giving birth in 291 AC to a healthy boy, Tybolt Lannister. Over the next six years she had two daughters from him; Lelia and Lanna.