Jeyne Arryn's Designation of Joffrey Arryn as Heir

Lady Jeyne Arryn's Designation of Joffrey Arryn as Heir made Ser Joffrey Arryn, Knight of the Bloody Gate, her chosen successor and linked her succession decision to the Vale's later political settlement. The account establishes him as Jeyne's intended heir, then records his recognition as liege after the Vale's rival claimants were made to submit; it does not state that Jeyne had died or that Joffrey had already succeeded her as ruler.

Designation and Standing

The relationship is stated explicitly in the account of the Vale campaign: Ser Joffrey Arryn is identified as Lady Jeyne Arryn's chosen successor. His position as Knight of the Bloody Gate placed him at the Vale's entrance, but the evidence does not explain when or why Jeyne selected him, nor does it specify a family relationship between them. His designation is therefore clear; its personal or legal basis is not.

The Bloody Gate

When Bloody Ben Blackwood's surviving men reached the Bloody Gate, their force had been weakened by wildling attacks, cold, and hunger. Ser Joffrey saw that the survivors were unfit to fight and would be a burden rather than assistance in the war. This moment places him in a position to judge the arriving force, but the account does not describe him as fighting alongside it or directing the campaign that brought the Vale's factions to heel.

Recognition in the Vale

Later, the account records Lord Alyn Velaryon and Bloody Ben Blackwood forcing the Gilded Falcon, the Mad Heir, the Bronze Giant, and their supporters to bend the knee and do homage to Joffrey Arryn as their liege. Joffrey's place in this settlement gives public political consequence to Jeyne's choice: he is no longer mentioned only as her intended successor, but as the liege acknowledged by defeated rivals and their followers. The passage does not say that this homage marked Jeyne's death or Joffrey's accession, so the distinction between designation and succession remains important.