chapter 182 part 2
Glynn took the wine cup Varys offered him and said, "Lord Varys, why do you say that?"
Varys made a gesture of invitation and said slowly, "The child did something very curious before he left."
He took a light sip of wine and continued, "That child was asking about some old affairs in various taverns. He is very clever, but his experience is clearly lacking. My little birds soon noticed his unusual behavior."
"Essos's..."
Glynn tasted his wine and then refuted his own idea. He looked at Varys. "If it were really like that, you wouldn't have called it an abnormality."
Varys smiled. "Lord Glynn, you are very clever. My little birds would naturally not be drawn in by such a thing."
He paused, his voice seemingly tinged with emotion, and then continued, "He specifically sought out older drinkers, and he was generous enough to pay for their wine. That child was like someone searching for parents lost since childhood. It was truly heartbreaking."
Glynn's eyes shifted. "Jon is looking for his birth mother?"
He thought for a moment, then added, "Could it be... his mother was the daughter of some noble house?"
Varys's eyes observed Glynn's every expression and movement. "The child is very clever. The person he was truly asking about was hidden among many other names, but the names of two people were truly too conspicuous."
"Whose names?"
"One is Lyanna Stark. And the other is..."
Varys met Glynn's gaze and said, enunciating each word, "Rhaegar Targaryen."
As Varys's words fell, Glynn seemed to suddenly connect the dots and whispered to himself, "How could it be..."
Varys withdrew his gaze from Glynn. He stared at the wine in his cup and said with feeling, "Yes, it's truly unbelievable, isn't it..."
Glynn looked at the round window inside the house. The lingering sunlight poured in, casting a faint layer of gold.
Glynn spoke, "Lyanna, Rhaegar, a bastard."
Varys continued, "The year of the false spring, the Tower of Joy in Dorne, a bastard."
Glynn's gaze turned back to Varys. "Without your hint, even with all these clues laid before me, I doubt I would have made any other connection. Your wisdom is truly admirable."
Glynn placed a hand on his chest. "And... thank you very much for your candor with me, Lord Varys."
"It is merely a small trick in intelligence gathering..."
Varys nodded slightly, revealing an amiable smile. "We are allies. It is only natural that we should watch over and help each other."
...
Outside the door, Glynn looked up at the sky. The clouds on the horizon were dyed in rich, warm colors—gold, crimson, deep purple... like an exquisite painting.
Glynn nodded to the clansman carrying the greatsword standing beside him and then strode away.
Ever since the last riot in King's Landing, Varys had naturally developed a new hobby: tasting fine wines from all over the world.
When Varys met him privately, he was always eager to share his newly collected wines, each one different from the last.
Not including today, Glynn had already tasted three wines from Essos at Varys's place: the first was a yellow wine from Ghiscar, the second an apricot wine from Meereen, and the third a sweet wine from Volantis.
Varys was subtly and skillfully creating a moment of relaxation, letting him grow accustomed to this ease without realizing it... Would the wine in the cup be replaced with poison one day?
Glynn looked around. The evening breeze brushed across his face, bringing with it a hint of coolness... The corners of his mouth twitched slightly... One day, this place would be a good place to bury people.
...
When Glynn returned to his party and mounted his horse, the sky had gradually darkened. The deep blue canopy of night was dotted with a multitude of stars.
"Move out."
Glynn sat on his horse and looked toward the distant, hazy silhouette of the Red Keep... Since Varys's little birds had already set their sights on Jon, it would be very difficult for him to escape the Spider's grasp.
*Have the four Targaryen descendants finally gathered?* At this thought, Glynn's brown eyes flickered.
Glynn pulled on the reins, adjusting his horse's direction... The food crisis in King's Landing was growing more severe. Soon, it was highly likely that order could only be maintained through suppression.
King's Landing... Essos... Targaryen... The Vale...
Lord Glynn was incomparably nostalgic for Robert I, and unwaveringly loyal. He did not dare forget the great responsibility the former king had entrusted to him.
...
...
The Vale, the Eyrie.
By the time Catelyn Tully arrived at the Eyrie, the sun was already high in the sky.
The gaunt and anxious Maester Colemon, who had too little hair and a neck that was too long, helped Catelyn out of the winch basket.
Maester Colemon wiped the nervous sweat from his forehead with his sleeve and said, "Lady Catelyn, your arrival is a pleasant surprise. Your sister was overjoyed when she heard the news of your visit."
Catelyn glanced back at the winch basket and said, "I never thought I'd have to make the ascent this way one day."
She looked at Maester Colemon and continued, "Maester Colemon, where is this sister of mine who is so eager to see me?"
Maester Colemon's face grew tense. He said respectfully, "Lady Catelyn, I have already brought word to your sister. She instructed me to wake her as soon as you arrived."
Catelyn tightened the brown cloak around her shoulders and said, "She must have slept very sweetly last night."
...
Catelyn and Maester Colemon left the winch room and stopped just as they approached the spiral stairs.
Seeing the figure before her, Catelyn blinked in disbelief, wanting to confirm it wasn't a hallucination.
She saw Petyr Baelish, impeccably dressed, standing before her with his hands behind his back and a gentle expression on his face.
"Littlefinger?"
Petyr waved a hand at Maester Colemon. His voice was both raspy and elegant. "Maester Colemon, I will take it from here."
Hearing this, Maester Colemon looked at Catelyn. Seeing no objection from her, he bowed slightly and departed.
Petyr took a step forward, approaching Catelyn who remained rooted to the spot.
"Catelyn, it has been too long. How many years has it been, I wonder?"
Catelyn looked at the Petyr before her. In her memory, Petyr had been a skinny boy; now he had become a skinny man. He was a bit shorter than her. He had a small beard on his chin, and there were a few strands of silver in his black hair, but his features were as sharp as she remembered, as were his playful, grey-green eyes.
Catelyn ignored the intimacy in Petyr's words. "Why are you here?"
"I am Lady Lysa's reinforcements..."
Petyr first answered Catelyn casually, then added with concern, "You look very pale. You need to rest."
Petyr gazed at the Catelyn he had longed for. Her eyes, like the sapphire sea, had grown more beautiful, more elegant, and all the more captivating.
Petyr's hand slowly reached towards Catelyn's cheek. She frowned and took a step back. His hand stopped in mid-air, trembling imperceptibly.
(end of chapter)