"My little birds informed me that the rumor you have heard is true, Your Grace. Viserys Targaryen is indeed dead."
Stannis studied the man Ser Barristan had once called the source of the rot during the Mad King's reign. Stannis meant to get rid of him from the Small Council too, but he needed him for one last task – to confirm Doran Martell's claim about the death of Viserys Targaryen.
"How did he die?"
Varys made a show of hesitating. "May I ask how Your Grace heard of it in the first place?"
"No," Stannis replied curtly. "How did he die?"
"Killed with a crown of gold, with not a drop of his blood spilled." Varys seemed to be taking pleasure in his enigmatic answer. Stannis had no patience for his games.
"Riddles and puzzles are not what I need from my Master of Whisperers, Lord Varys. I need answers, news, facts. Perhaps you should be more mindful of your duty."
"Oh, but I am, Your Grace," Varys replied with wide-eyed innocence. "That is indeed how Viserys Targaryen died. He threatened the lives of his sister and her unborn child, and her husband the horselord poured molten gold on his head. They were in the Dothraki city of Vaes Dothrak, where it is forbidden to shed a man's blood. I suppose he chose a more … interesting method."
"Did he not sell his sister to this Dothraki horselord to gain an army? Why would he threaten her life, and the life of her child?"
Varys smiled. "Apparently the Dothraki horselord has been less than forthcoming about fulfilling the … terms of the sale, shall we say? The Dothrakis are afraid of water, and crossing the ocean to fight for a throne on the other side of the world … well …"
And no wonder, Stannis thought. Crossing an ocean and fighting a war to put a brother-in-law on the throne must have seemed like a less enticing prospect to this horselord than doing so to put his wife on the throne, and himself ruling next to her. As long as Viserys Targaryen was alive, he would have a stronger claim to the throne than his sister, in the eyes of the remaining Targaryen loyalists.
Not that any Targaryen had any claim to the throne now, Stannis scoffed. Doran Martell would have supported Viserys Targaryen's war for the throne, for the price of his daughter as Viserys' queen, but would he extend the same support to Daenerys Targaryen and her Dothraki husband?
"I do not think that the Targaryen threat is something we need to worry about, Your Grace. I doubt Daenerys Targaryen's husband has any interest in fighting a war in the Seven Kingdoms. And without his army, she has nothing."
In ordinary times, perhaps not. But this was no ordinary time, Stannis knew. With the kingdom at war, the time was ripe for outsiders to take advantage of the situation.
They had thought that Viserys Targaryen had nothing too. The Beggar King, people had called him. But Doran Martell had all but confirmed to Stannis that Viserys would have had Dorne's support.
"Not something we need to worry about? And yet you were the one who informed my late brother about Daenerys Targaryen being with child. You did not think it was something we need not worry about at the time. What has changed, Varys? My brother was king then, and I am king now?"
"I am merely a purveyor of information, Your Grace. It is my duty to inform the king of anything that might threaten the realm."
"And you do not think the Targaryen is a threat now?
"No, I do not, Your Grace. And there is a more disturbing piece of news that could prove to be a greater threat."
"And what is that?"
"I am reliably informed that Lord Baelish has been spotted at the Eyrie."
"The Eyrie?" Stannis could not keep the surprise out of his voice. "What is he doing there?"
Petyr Baelish had vanished from King's Landing before Stannis had announced his removal from the Small Council. Stannis suspected that Baelish had known of his intention, but how that could be the case was still a mystery to him. He had not conveyed his intention to anyone but Ned Stark.
"Wooing and marrying Lady Arryn, according to my little birds," replied Varys. "And delivering the Vale to Lord Tywin's side." He paused. "If I may speak with complete candor, Your Grace?"
When have you ever done so?
"Why, have you not been truthful so far?"
"It is quite a delicate matter, and I do not wish to offend Your Grace. But I do believe it was a grave mistake, removing Lord Baelish from the Small Council. As long as he has a position, you could be sure of his support. Lord Baelish has no care for wars and kings, except for how it might benefit him personally. But now -"
"I have no need for his support! And Baelish vanished suddenly from King's Landing, without asking my leave. Without asking his king's leave. That is not the kind of man I need in my council."
"I was under the impression that Your Grace had informed Lord Baelish that he would be replaced as Master of Coin, and that is the reason for him leaving King's Landing."
Now how did you know I was planning to do that? And were you the one who informed Littlefinger?
"As you well know, the announcement was made only after Baelish had abandoned his duty and his office."
"Forgive me, Your Grace, I was mistaken. But perhaps Lord Baelish saw the writing on the wall? After Your Grace demanded to see all the records from the treasury, going back to when he was first made Master of Coin. And of course the two of you … did not always see eye to eye when Your Grace was in the council yourself."
Neither did we, Varys. Only you were always better at hiding your contempt than Litttlefinger.
Stannis had never bothered hiding his contempt for both men.
Robert was surrounded by fools and pretenders. I'd not make the same mistake. Varys must go too.
The news of the marriage between Lysa Arryn and Littlefinger sounded incredible to Stannis. But not as unbelievable as the news that Littlefinger could deliver the Vale to Tywin Lannister's side. Lysa Arryn would never support the people she believed murdered her husband. Not even for the sake of her new husband. Stannis wondered if Varys knew about it too, the letter Lysa Arryn had smuggled to her sister accusing the Lannisters of poisoning Jon Arryn. There seemed to be very little the man did not know.
Or pretended to know, at any rate.
"The Tullys and the Starks are on the throne's side. She will not fight against her father and her sister," Stannis was adamant.
"Lady Arryn has no love lost for her father, Your Grace. For preventing her from marrying the man she has always loved, and making a match with a much older man instead," Varys replied serenely.
"The man she has always loved?"
"Why, Lord Baelish, of course. He was a ward of Lord Tully, he grew up with Lady Arryn and Lady Stark and their brother. So you see, Your Grace, you cannot count on Lady's Arryn's support, and the Vale's. Best case scenario, they will stay neutral. Worst, they will fight for the Lannisters."
"I am still king, I will remind her of her duty to be loyal to the rightful king."
"The Eyrie is impenetrable, your threats will not scare her. If you had kept Lord Baelish by your side, perhaps you could have ensured Lady Arryn's support for the throne, Your Grace."
Was this a not-so-veiled threat? To keep Varys himself in the council.
"Of course," Varys continued, "it is a pity that the late Lord Arryn's intention, for his son to be fostered at Dragonstone, was not fulfilled before his death. If you have Robert Arryn in your hands now …" Varys ended with an exaggerated flourish of his hands.
Of course Varys would have known about that too. Nothing surprised Stannis anymore, when it came to the spider.
Stannis recalled his conversation with Jon Arryn about the matter. Lord Arryn had been concerned for his son's safety, and wanted the boy to be far from King's Landing.
"With what we are trying to uncover, our lives could be in danger. And our families. The queen will not stand still and do nothing," Jon Arryn had said.
"Why not send the boy and Lady Arryn back to the Eyrie? It is further away from King's Landing than Dragonstone," Stannis had asked.
Jon Arryn had looked uncomfortable. "I suppose it is presumptuous of me, to assume that you will agree to foster my son. He is … not very strong, and can be quite difficult at times."
No, not at all. It is an honor that you have chosen me to foster your son, Stannis knew he was supposed to say.
"Dragonstone is a very lonely place for a child," he said bluntly instead. "He will have no friend or companion except my daughter. And Shireen is a very shy child. I thought you should know the truth of it, before you make the final decision."
"Perhaps they can make things less lonely for each other, your daughter and my son. And a period of separation from his mother might do him some good. The boy is … too close to his mother. I blame myself, to be honest. I was too busy with my duties as Hand, trying to reign in Robert, I left most of little Robert's care to my wife. Lysa has had many miscarriages and stillbirths. I thought it is only natural that she would be very attached to our only surviving child. But she has grown too attached to little Robert, and it is not healthy for both of them."
The sudden storm of personal revelations from Jon Arryn was making Stannis uncomfortable. He did not know how to respond. Was Jon Arryn expecting reassurances? Comforting words? Absolution?
"Will Lady Arryn agree to it?"
"She will have to," Jon Arryn had replied resolutely.
But Jon Arryn had died before the plan could be put into motion, and Lysa Arryn had fled King's Landing with her son for the safety of the Eyrie. If she truly suspected the Lannisters of murdering her husband, would she side with them now? Or was her letter to her sister merely the ramblings of a grieving woman?
Or perhaps, Stannis wondered why this had not occurred to him before, she had seen her husband's death as a release. From the threat of being separated from her son.
He would have to ask Ned the exact wording of her letter to Catelyn Stark.
Varys' voice interrupted Stannis recollection of the past. "Lord Tyrell seems to be quite put out that Your Grace has snubbed his offer for the loan."
"I have not decided." They had gone with the cost-cutting measures first. And increasing the tax on certain establishments – brothels, whorehouses, alehouses. He wanted nothing more than to shut all those places down, but the reality of the situation meant he would have to wait.
"And you have not decided on the wedding as well?" Varys continued.
Stannis knew which wedding Varys was referring too. "I suppose you think I should consent to it right away? To keep the Tyrells on my side?"
Varys shook his head vigorously. "On the contrary, my lord. Under no circumstances should you allow Margaery Tyrell to wed Lord Renly. It would a very dangerous alliance. Very dangerous indeed."
"Very dangerous? For whom?"
Varys was looking at Stannis as if he could not believe that Stannis did not know the answer to the question already. "Why, for you, Your Grace. Lord Tyrell is very ambitious, why would he be content with his daughter marrying a king's brother, instead of a king?"
"Because the king is already married," Stannis replied.
"But how long would he be content? And how long would the king's brother be content to wait his turn? If indeed his turn will come at all? I know the general consensus among the chattering class seems to be that the king and queen are not in good terms, and a son and heir might be a … distant possibility, shall we say. But I also know that the king is very diligent about doing his duty. If he considers it his duty to provide an heir for the throne, I am certain he will do whatever is necessary to achieve that. What of Lord Tyrell and his dream of his daughter as queen and his grandson as king then? Might he not be tempted to be a kingmaker himself, putting the might of his House behind her daughter's husband, behind the king's brother? Or perhaps he might choose a more … subtle method. If the king were to die suddenly, before a son is born to him, Lord Renly will be king, and Margaery Tyrell will be queen."
"You're trying to drive me mad with doubts and suspicions, like Aerys," Stannis scoffed. "Seeing enemies everywhere, from His Hand to his own son, all because of the poisonous words you whispered in his ears."
"Lord Tywin did betray him in the end, did he not? And it was Lord Tywin's own son who killed Aerys. Like I said before, Your Grace, I am merely a purveyor of information. You have other ways of confirming the information I provided you, I am sure. You are a suspicious man by nature, you would not believe merely in any one person, or rely on any one person."
"Do not try to flatter me, Varys. I am not my brothers."
"No, Your Grace, you are not. Which is why you must see the truth of what I just said, regarding Lord Tyrell, and Lord Renly."
He refused to hear more, and dismissed Varys from his study. And promptly summoned Renly, telling him the gist of Varys' warning. Renly's expression was indecipherable. Stannis had expected him to laugh it off, to say what a ridiculous notion it was.
"If I am trying to wage a war for the throne, would I have stayed at King's Landing? Where you could have me arrested at any time? I would have been gone as soon as Robert was dead, calling my banners," Renly replied instead.
Was this something you had considered? He was not certain he wanted to know the answer to that question.
"And Mace Tyrell is content to wait until you are king for his daughter to be queen?" He asked instead.
"That's something you will have to ask him."
"Selyse might still give me a son."
"Then he will be your heir," Renly replied, but his expression showed that prospect was not something he was truly concerned about.
"Do you think Mace Tyrell would be content with that? His daughter married merely to the uncle of a king, instead of a king?"
"Is Varys making you paranoid, like he did with Aerys? What do you think Mace Tyrell will do? Poison you so I can be king? Poison your son so I can be king?" Renly's expression stiffened. "Or do you think it is me that will be doing that?"
"No, of course not. But Mace Tyrell, that's another story."
"You need the Tyrells on your side. You need their gold for the throne not to go bankrupt, you need his men to fight the war, and most of all, you need them not to side with the Lannisters. Lord Tywin has offered Joffrey for Margaery."
This changed everything. "Did Mace Tyrell tell you that?"
"No, it was Loras. His father did not want it known by us, but Loras is worried for Margaery, if she is married to Joffrey. Let's just say he has heard countless stories about the boy and his … peculiarities."
"From you?"
"From me, and other people."
"And he would rather that you marry his sister?"
"For her sake, as well as mine. And ours."
"Ours?" Does Renly mean he and Loras? Stannis wondered.
"The Baratheons."
"If she marries you expecting something, expecting you to be king, expecting herself to be queen, if it doesn't happen …"
"Margaery is not Selyse."
"My wife never expected me to be king."
"She married you expecting to be the lady of Storm's End, not Dragonstone. I can handle Margaery, and her … expectations."
Can you? But Stannis had decided.
"Fine, I will discuss the terms with Mace Tyrell himself."
"The terms?"
"He's getting what he wants, the throne must get what it wants too."
Renly seemed shocked for a minute, but then he laughed. "You're just like Robert, using your brother's marriage for your own benefit."
"But you want to marry Margaery Tyrell," Stannis pointed out. He wondered why Renly was so adamant on the Tyrell alliance.
Renly shrugged. "I guess that's the difference, you didn't want to marry Selyse. Or anyone, really."
"You don't know anything about my marriage," Stannis snapped.
Renly did not reply. He changed the subject and started asking about their parents, suddenly. "Were they happy? Did they love each other?"
Stannis pondered the question. "They … grew to love each other. Father married Mother after only seeing her twice, she was the daughter of one of his bannermen. Mother's grandmother tried to warn her off the match, saying Father is half-Targaryen, and the Targaryens are all mad."
Renly smiled. "Loras said his grandmother was supposed to marry a Targaryen, but she did everything she could to get out of it. Did Mother try to get out of it too?"
"No," a ghost of a smile passed Stannis' lips. "She said she liked the look of him, from the first time she saw him."
"Do you ever wonder? How things would have been different, if they had lived?" Renly asked.
Stannis sighed. "It's pointless to wonder about that."
"Maester Cressen used to tell me stories about them, when I was a boy. You would never talk about them, and Robert was barely around."
"You were too young to understand."
"Too young to understand what? Grief? Loss? Never knowing my own mother and father?"
Anger. Hatred. Bitterness.
"What it is to lose faith in everything."