"That is indeed good news, Lord Varys."
Domeric pondered for a moment. For the time being, he could not quite grasp what this eunuch meant by telling him this news.
"You're not expecting me to send a wedding gift, are you?"
"Of course not!"
Varys shook his head, his eyes carrying a fanatical gleam.
"Our opportunity has come. Khal Drogo commands a hundred thousand soldiers. We can borrow his army and restore the glory of House Targaryen."
"But those barbarians have no ships. They fear the boundless sea as much as they dread it. What use is even a million soldiers?"
Domeric was clearly somewhat disdainful of these Dothraki.
"But the Free Cities have plenty of ships!" Varys said hurriedly.
Domeric glanced sideways slightly, his eyes narrowing. It was impossible to tell what he was thinking.
To be honest, he had no fondness for the dragon-blooded siblings across the Narrow Sea. The former would soon be crowned with molten gold and die, while the latter was about to become the widow of a Dothraki horselord.
"Lord Varys, just say it plainly. What do you need me to do?"
Varys handed Domeric several pieces of parchment.
"A small matter. I have heard that Lord Eddard has always been troubled by Lord Arryn's death. These are reports gathered by my little birds. I hope you can pass them to Lord Eddard on my behalf. I imagine he will be very interested in them."
Domeric swept his eyes over the parchment and roughly understood what was going on.
The intelligence did not mention that Littlefinger, Petyr Baelish, had manipulated Lysa Tully into poisoning Lord Arryn. He did not know whether Varys was deliberately concealing it, or whether Varys simply did not know.
It merely stated that Lord Arryn had died from a poison called the Tears of Lys, directing the conflict toward House Lannister. At the same time, using the book The Lineages and Histories of the Great Houses of the Seven Kingdoms, it pointed out that Cersei's three children were not Robert Baratheon's trueborn offspring…
"Why should I help you?" Domeric put on a smile and asked with narrowed, smiling eyes.
Speaking of which, Varys could be considered one of Domeric's early investors in the "ironware trade."
At that time, Domeric's ironware business had not been well received. Aside from House Manderly of White Harbor, which had lent him a hand, all he had received were cold looks.
Later, he had accidentally met the Spider, Varys. The latter had not only helped him open up underground sales channels in King's Landing, but had also introduced Domeric to Magister Illyrio of Pentos, solving the urgent problem of his ironware sales channels during the early days of his venture.
However, because of the "trade barriers" of the Free City of Pentos, that portion of the business had not grown large. At present, it accounted for only about ten percent of the total "ironware trade."
Even so, it could not be denied that it had been of tremendous help to Domeric in the early stages.
After becoming acquainted with Varys, in order to make use of the Spider's intelligence network and grasp the situation in King's Landing, Domeric had repeatedly shown nostalgia for the former dynasty—the Targaryen dynasty. He had even asked someone to send several thousand gold dragons to the dragon-blooded siblings living in Magister Illyrio's mansion, so they could maintain their livelihood.
All so that poor Viserys Targaryen would no longer be called the "Beggar King."
Therefore, in Varys's eyes, Domeric was also a supporter of restoring the Targaryen dynasty—a kindred spirit!
Now, what was Varys's intention in asking him to reveal "Lord Arryn's death" to Eddard Stark?
Domeric looked the Spider up and down, guessing Varys's purpose.
In the Game of Thrones storyline, Varys was born in the Free City of Lys. He had once been a slave, sold to a mummer's troupe as an apprentice. The troupe's master owned a small boat and took them between the Free Cities to perform. Sometimes, they also went to Oldtown and King's Landing.
Once, while they were staying in Myr, a mysterious man paid a large sum to buy Varys. The amount was so large that the troupe master could not refuse.
Varys, who had heard of how certain men enjoyed little boys, was terrified of that mysterious man. But he had not expected that the man needed his beep-boop to complete a blood magic ritual.
The mysterious man gave Varys a potion that left him unable to move or speak, but still able to feel everything.
Then the man cut off Varys's beep-boop and threw it into the flames.
After the ritual ended, the mysterious man tossed Varys, now useless to him, into the streets and left him to fend for himself.
Varys began a life of begging and stealing. Very quickly, he became a well-known thief in Myr. His competitors began to push him out and drove him from Myr. After that, he came to Pentos.
In Pentos, Varys became friends with an assassin named Illyrio Mopatis.
The two began a new business. Varys would steal items from pickpockets, while Illyrio would return them to their owners in exchange for rewards.
If there was no "demand," then they would create "demand"!
One had to admit, they had indeed created a new kind of business.
Besides that, the thieves of Pentos also sought them out. Half wanted to kill them; the other half wanted their help fencing stolen goods.
Before long, Varys and Illyrio had accumulated a considerable fortune.
Varys realized that the value of intelligence was far above gold and jewels. He began training a team of "little birds."
Varys bought orphans to serve as his "little birds." He chose the youngest, the quietest, and the nimblest. Varys taught them to climb walls, slip down chimneys, and also taught them to read and write.
The little birds would find intelligence, letters, ledgers, or charts. After reading them, they would leave them exactly where they were, so no one would notice anything.
The gathering of intelligence caused Varys and Illyrio's wealth to grow many times over. Varys's reputation also became famous because of it.
His special talent even crossed the Narrow Sea and reached the ears of the king of the Seven Kingdoms, Aerys Targaryen.
That king happened to trust no one, whether it was his son, his wife, or his Hand.
Thus, Varys began his career as Master of Whisperers in Aerys II's court. Aerys relied heavily on the eunuch's intelligence network. All kinds of hearsay and rumors made him increasingly paranoid and suspicious…
After the Targaryen dynasty fell, Varys continued serving Robert Baratheon, while seemingly holding a deep obsession with restoring the Targaryen dynasty.
Together with Magister Illyrio of Pentos, he plotted in secret, attempting to place Targaryen blood back on the Iron Throne.
If Littlefinger, Petyr Baelish, aimed to use "chaos as a ladder" in order to climb the ranks of nobility, then the Spider, Varys, aimed to restore the Targaryen dynasty. To that end, he constantly sought ways to create chaos and subvert the rule of the Baratheon dynasty.
Although Varys and Littlefinger had different goals, both wanted to create chaos. Therefore, he and Littlefinger had always coexisted peacefully, each keeping to his own well.
…
"Because it benefits you. It benefits House Bolton as well." Varys revealed a sweet, cloying smile.
"Oh? How so?" Domeric neither confirmed nor denied it.
Eddard had already come into conflict with House Lannister because of Tyrion's public trial.
If Lord Arryn's death was also fully blamed on House Lannister, would that not be adding fuel to the fire?
"Lord Varys, you want Lord Eddard and House Lannister to fight to the death, so that the dragon-blooded siblings in Pentos can take advantage of the situation and return to the Iron Throne, don't you?"
"That is exactly what I am thinking."
Varys laughed like a woman.
"Once the matter is done, I will advise King Viserys to make House Bolton the new Lords Paramount of the North!"
"You truly are a loyal servant of the Targaryen dynasty, Lord Varys."
Domeric could not help complaining inwardly.
"It is not only that. In truth, it is also for self-preservation."
Varys suddenly raised his face at a forty-five-degree angle as though gazing at the stars, his expression filled with melancholy as he spoke of his woes.
"King Robert has always used me, but he has always felt ashamed of it.
After all, he is a mighty, swaggering warrior. A man of such masculinity looks down most on petty thieves and eunuchs.
If one day someone whispers in his ear, 'Kill that eunuch,' Ilyn Payne will turn around and take my head. And then who would mourn poor Varys?
From one end of the world to the other, no one would sing for the Spider."
Varys stretched out a soft, limp hand and touched Domeric.
"So I must find myself a new master before that happens…"
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🏰🩸 GAME OF THRONES: SECRETS BENEATH THE DREADFORT
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🚨 SOMETHING IS BURIED BENEATH THE DREADFORT...
And perhaps it was buried for a reason.
The North is a land of old blood, older grudges, and secrets hidden beneath snow and stone.
But few places inspire more fear than...
The Dreadfort.
30+ chapters ahead are already available.
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🩸 THE DREADFORT HIDES MORE THAN BONES
🏰 Dark northern secrets
⚔️ Political intrigue
🐺 Westerosi power struggles
🩸 Bloodlines & betrayal
❄️ The brutal North
👑 Ambition & survival
💀 Mysteries best left forgotten
The North remembers.
But the Dreadfort?
🩸 The Dreadfort hides.
🔥 30+ CHAPTERS AHEAD.
👉 Go beneath the Dreadfort before the public readers reach the door.
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❄️ Winter may be coming. The secrets are already here.