Warning: potential spoilers on "Game of Thrones" may follow! In the fourth episode of "Game of Thrones" season 7, Petyr Baelish gives Bran the dagger used in the young Stark's murder attempt. Who really ordered the assassination is still unclear to most of the fans. Many think it was Cersei or Petyr Baelish to pay the assassin, but that's not true. Luckily for us, George R.R. Martin's books series features several hints to who really was the "very wealthy" person that wanted Bran dead.
Who gave the dagger to the catspaw?
This is the most important question: who gave the Valyrian steel dagger to the assassin?
In "A Game of Thrones" Littlefinger claims he had once owned the weapon, but then he bet and lost it to Tyrion Lannister during the tourney on Prince Joffrey's name day. While being prisoner of Catelyn Stark, Tyrion insists he never owned the blade.
Things get interesting when Jaime is captured by the Stark. Tyrion's brother confesses to Catelyn that he pushed Bran Stark out of the window, but also claims that what Littlefinger said to Catelyn was a lie: his brother would never have made a bet against him during the tourney.
There is more: Jaime Lannister says that he saw the dagger displayed by King Robert Baratheon during a banquet. According to what Jaime claims, Littlefinger won the bet against Robert, not Tyrion, which means that Baelish lied to Catelyn Stark about the bet.
Who can be so cruel to order a child's assassination?
Robert Baratheon would never have hired someone to kill his best friend's son. In the "A Song of Ice and Fire" book series Tyrion realizes that the person who ordered the murder should have been someone who knew the King. Tyrion thinks that the only one who could have done such a thing is prince Joffrey.
The young and cruel prince could have hired the catspaw in the camp that followers attached to Robert Baratheon's party, which arrived at Winterfell, and he also could have stolen the dagger from King Robert's personal stash.
We're also told in the novels that Robert once said in front of Prince Joffrey that people are too weak to give a child the same mercy they give to an injured horse.
When Jaime knows about what Robert said in front of Joffrey, he suddenly realizes (just like Tyrion) that his son may really have hired someone to kill Bran as a misguided attempt to impress "his father."
Don't forget! The sixth episode of "Game of Thrones" season 7, titled "Beyond the Wall", airs on August 20th, on HBO.
