Game Of Thrones Season 6: 8 Ways Battle Of The Bastards Will Be Different In The Books

As expected, the Littlefinger and the Knights of the Vale rode in to save the day, their huge numbers massively overwhelming the Bolton forces to secure victory for Jon and Sansa.

In the books, it is still possible that the Knights of the Vale will play a part in an upcoming battle, but the circumstances surrounding it will be rather different. The big reason for this is Sansa, who rather than being married to Ramsay, tortured, and then escaping to the Wall, only writing to Littlefinger for help, has actually been in the Vale with him all along.

The notion of Littlefinger using the Knights of the Vale to take Winterfell is there in the books, as he plans to marry Sansa to Harrold Hardyng. Known as the Young Falcon, he's the presumptive heir to the Vale should something happen to Robert Arryn (Robin on the show), and Littlefinger's plan involves him becoming the Lord of the Vale, and commanding the army to take back Winterfell for Sansa (who at this point most in the Vale still think is Alayne, Baelish's bastard daughter).

If Jon Snow were to march on Winterfell to take it back from the Boltons, there's no doubt Littlefinger would get wind of it, and from there he could expedite his plans in revealing Sansa's identity to have the Knights of the Vale ride to Winterfell themselves (or, of course, it might be that by this stage in the book Sansa and Harrold are already married, and Robert is dead). There would be no letter sent to them - there's no reason for anyone else to think of writing to Littlefinger for help - and that means their arrival would be different too, rather than swooping in during the battle.