The air still carried the scent of Sansa's dinner. And a faint trace of girlish perfume.
Lynn closed the door. Turned to face his uninvited guest.
Varys. Master of Whisperers. The Spider.
His smile was harmless. Like a plump neighborhood merchant.
But his eyes—hidden beneath folds of fat—were bottomless wells. They reflected nothing. Revealed nothing.
"Lord Lynn."
Varys's voice was silk. It didn't match his bulk.
"You must be exhausted."
He walked to the table uninvited. Picked up Lynn's cup. Poured himself water.
As if he owned the place.
"After all, saving a prince in the blink of an eye... that's no ordinary magic."
Each word was a needle. Probing. Testing.
Lynn said nothing. Just watched the performance.
He knew the moment he'd entered King's Landing, the Spider had been watching.
But there was no point hiding.
Secrecy would only make Varys more curious.
Varys swirled the water in his cup. Watched the ripples.
"My little birds sang me quite the show today."
"A lone direwolf from the North wandered into King's Landing."
"The young wolf should've been the first victim under the golden lion's claws."
"But who could've guessed? The web that spider in the shadows had spun so carefully... the wolf tore it apart in two moves."
"Not only that. The wolf saved a little stag."
Varys looked up. His smiling eyes locked onto Lynn's.
"I'm curious. How did the wolf do it?"
"I don't know what you're talking about, Lord Varys." Lynn smiled.
"I only know I saved the prince. The assassin failed to kill the king. Then blamed the queen."
"That's all."
"Is it?"
Varys chuckled.
The sound rolled in his throat. Oddly hollow.
He set down the cup. Folded his hands back into his sleeves.
"My little birds told me something else."
"His Grace made you a promise. In the council chamber."
"Bring him the head of that Targaryen boy across the Narrow Sea, and he'll make you a true lord."
Varys finally showed his hand.
He stared into Lynn's eyes. Searching for even the smallest ripple.
"Only three people know about this. His Grace. Lord Eddard. And me—someone who shouldn't."
"So, Lord Lynn. Do you understand why I'm here?"
The air froze.
Lynn finally understood.
The Spider wasn't here to ask how Lynn had ruined Littlefinger's scheme.
He was here to protect the Targaryen orphans.
"You're here to stop me?"
Lynn's tone cooled. Just enough.
"Stop you?"
Varys shook his head. His smile widened.
"No, no. How could I stop His Grace's champion?"
"I'm here to make a deal."
"A deal that benefits us both."
He leaned closer. His voice dropped to a whisper.
"Today. Someone wanted Prince Joffrey dead. Aren't you curious who?"
"You don't really think Queen Cersei was stupid enough to send an assassin after her own son, do you?"
Lynn stayed silent. He already knew about Littlefinger's plot. But he played dumb.
Varys looked satisfied.
Lynn was interested. Good.
And this proved Lynn had nothing to do with it.
He really had saved Joffrey by chance.
"A mutual friend of ours. Lord Petyr Baelish."
Varys's voice was soft. The name came out cold as ice.
"He wanted Joffrey dead. To turn the Lannisters and Starks against each other. To plunge the realm into chaos."
"And you. You've ruined his plans twice now. Lord Baelish hates you for it."
Lynn knew what those two times were.
First, he'd saved Bran. Stopped the Lannisters and Starks from colliding.
Second, he'd saved Joffrey. Shattered Littlefinger's scheme again.
Two moves. Same man destroyed them both.
Too much of a coincidence.
Petyr wouldn't be naive enough to think it was an accident.
Lynn had expected this.
"He doesn't like seeing you so close to Lord Eddard. So naturally, you're on his list."
Every word Varys spoke matched what Lynn had seen through greensight.
"Why should I believe you?"
Lynn finally spoke. Still playing ignorant.
"You're the king's spymaster. But you ignore the Master of Coin's treason. You even want to trade this secret with me."
"Your loyalty is cheap, Lord Varys."
Varys had been sold to a sorcerer as a boy.
Imagine it. A desperate child. No way to fight back. His manhood cut away.
That kind of pain. That kind of despair.
Varys didn't want any commoner to suffer that fear.
Everything he did was for the people. For the realm.
As long as the kingdom didn't bleed, whoever's rule benefited the people most—Varys would support them for the Iron Throne.
Simple as that.
Lynn's mockery didn't anger him.
"Loyalty?"
Varys's smile vanished for the first time.
What replaced it was something complex. Almost pitying.
"My loyalty belongs to the realm itself, Lord Lynn."
"To the common people crushed like ants in the game of thrones."
"Petyr's chaos would set the entire kingdom ablaze."
"As for why I allowed his earlier moves... you don't need to know."
"But you, Lord Lynn."
"Your appearance broke the balance."
Varys's smile returned.
"You see, I've placed my fatal weakness in your hands. That shows my sincerity."
"So, in exchange..."
"You only need to spare that poor girl when you cross the Narrow Sea."
"You want a knighthood. Land. I can give you both."
"If you want, I can help you erase Lord Baelish from the board entirely."
"All you have to do is spare one insignificant Targaryen remnant."
"A good deal, isn't it?"
Lynn studied Varys. The eunuch's eyes gleamed with calculation.
He knew Varys wasn't protecting Viserys.
Viserys was too mad.
Varys would never back a king like that.
So the one he truly hoped for... the true dragon who hadn't hatched yet.
Varys had been helping the siblings in secret all along.
He was afraid Lynn would be ruthless enough to kill Daenerys too.
And all of this fit perfectly into Lynn's plan.
Their goals were the same.
Lynn needed an excuse to cross the Narrow Sea and recruit an army.
Varys wanted Lynn to spare Daenerys.
Now Varys had handed him the excuse on a silver platter.
"How do I explain this to the king?"
Lynn's voice was heavy. Like he was weighing the offer.
"His Grace wants a Targaryen head to soothe his hatred."
Varys had the answer ready.
"But that head must be Viserys's."
"Between Pentos and Braavos, the disputed waters are crawling with pirates."
"One of the pirate lords is a woman. She happens to have silver hair."
"I imagine a head bloated by seawater... His Grace won't know the difference."
"If you bring him two heads..."
"His Grace will be very pleased."
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