Morton Waynwood

Ser Morton Waynwood is a knight of the Vale, a son of the widowed Lady Anya Waynwood. He appears at the Eyrie during the crisis following Catelyn Stark's capture of Tyrion Lannister, where he is among the suitors and lords who surround Lady Lysa Arryn. His presence marks him as part of the noble faction that hopes to wed Lysa and thereby rule the Vale, a competition that includes Lord Eon Hunter and Ser Lyn Corbray.

Role in the Trial of Tyrion Lannister

When Catelyn Stark argues against the folly of a trial by combat, warning that killing Tyrion will bring Lannister vengeance, Ser Morton dismisses her concerns with the conventional wisdom of a knight. He asserts that women do not understand such matters, claiming that Ser Vardis Egen is a doughty fighter who will make short work of the sellsword Bronn. His confidence reflects the Vale's underestimation of Bronn's skill and the gravity of the political consequences. Later, when Lysa Arryn rejects Catelyn's pleas and stalks off, Ser Morton and Ser Lyn Corbray follow her, demonstrating their alignment with her will and their role as her courtly attendants.

Narrative Significance

Ser Morton Waynwood's function in the narrative is to embody the reflexive, honor-bound assumptions of the Vale's knighthood. His brief appearances serve to highlight the gap between the Vale's insulated chivalric culture and the harsher realities of the wider conflict. He is a flat character, defined by his social position and his unquestioning adherence to the codes of his class, and he disappears from the story after the trial by combat concludes.