"You'll need allies from Westeros itself. Only by joining forces with them will you be able to rule Westeros. Besides, King's Landing shouldn't be your first objective after crossing the Narrow Sea."
"My sister, Queen Regent Cersei, commands the Lannister army, along with the private forces of many great noble houses and even more powerful allies throughout the Seven Kingdoms."
"King's Landing is not an isolated city. If you attack it directly, you'll find yourself surrounded on multiple fronts. Even if you manage to take the capital by force, holding the Iron Throne will be extremely difficult."
Tyrion's words poured cold water over Daenerys's enthusiasm.
Feeling dejected, she asked, "Then who in Westeros would be willing to become my ally?"²
Seeing the disappointment on Daenerys's face, Tyrion couldn't help but stare in surprise.
The mysterious figure had Varys save Lady Stark and her son, warned Prince Oberyn of Dorne... Surely none of that was done for nothing?
But the moment the thought crossed his mind, he suddenly realized something.
Daenerys might not even know that mysterious person existed.
The realization gave him a splitting headache.¹
The mysterious figure had recruited Varys, instructed him to save Lady Stark and her son, save Oberyn, and later persuade Tyrion himself to pledge his service to Daenerys.
After doing so much for her...
She didn't even know that person existed.
Tyrion desperately wanted to tell her everything about the mysterious benefactor, but remembering Varys's warning, he forced himself to remain silent.
He was willing to bet that even Varys—the Spider with a thousand eyes—had no idea that Daenerys herself knew nothing about the mysterious figure.
Tyrion suddenly wanted to tell Varys the truth, just to see the expression on that ever-composed Spider's face when he learned that the person who had recruited him into Daenerys's service and directed him to accomplish so many things was someone so utterly impossible to grasp.
After arriving in Meereen, Tyrion had subtly questioned Shireen, hoping to learn something about the mysterious figure from her.
Shireen had only said that someone had asked Drogon to deliver her a letter, telling her she would be taken away from Dragonstone.
Although he hadn't gotten the answers he wanted, it hadn't been a complete waste.
His instincts told him that Shireen had hidden something from him.
And whatever she was hiding was very likely connected to the mysterious figure.
Yet judging from her expression at the time, she herself didn't seem to know who that person was.
Tyrion's gaze shifted to Drogon, who was perched on Daenerys's shoulder, quietly listening to the conversation.
At this point, only Drogon knew the mysterious figure's identity.
Unfortunately, there was no way to ask.
The dragon could understand human speech, but he couldn't speak.
After asking her question, Daenerys waited a long time without receiving an answer.
She assumed that no noble house intended to ally with her, and that Tyrion simply didn't know how to tell her.
Her spirits sank even lower.
Naturally, Tyrion couldn't read anything from Drogon's face.
When he finally turned back, he noticed Daenerys's crestfallen expression and realized he had never answered her question.
What he didn't know was that his momentary distraction had already led her to the wrong conclusion.
"Westeros is on the verge of collapse. Every great house is searching for allies. But only a handful are truly qualified to compete for the Iron Throne."
"And you are one of the strongest contenders."
"Someone will inevitably choose your side."
Daenerys had thought Tyrion's silence meant she had no suitable allies.
Now she realized he'd simply been lost in thought.
Immediately cheered up, she asked eagerly,
"Who could become my ally?"
"The Starks of the North and House Martell of Dorne. Those are the two alliances you should pursue."
"The Starks?"
To Daenerys, House Stark had always been loyal supporters of the Usurper Robert.
She had never imagined Tyrion would suggest making them her allies.
When Tyrion first arrived in Meereen, he had already learned of her hatred toward the Starks.
He no longer wanted to dwell on why the mysterious figure had helped the Stark family while Daenerys still hated them.
If he kept trying to make sense of it, he'd end up smashing his head against a wall.¹
So he patiently explained,
"The Starks and King's Landing now share an irreconcilable hatred. Reconciliation is impossible."
"They're in desperate need of allies as well."
"But aren't they trapped inside Riverrun?" Daenerys asked.
"If they have to wait for me to rescue them, won't they be starved into submission before I ever get there?"
Although she hated House Stark, she hated the Lannisters—especially Jaime the Kingslayer—and House Baratheon of the Usurper Robert just as much.
Yet both Tyrion and Shireen came from families she despised.
And now they both served her.
She finally understood Tyrion's point.
This was no longer the time to cling to the grudges of Robert's Rebellion.
Winning allies mattered more than settling old scores.
"Riverrun is easy to defend and difficult to capture," Tyrion replied. "The Starks won't be wiped out that easily."
"However, although Robb calls himself King in the North, the moment he broke his marriage pact with House Frey, he lost any chance of competing for the Iron Throne."
"Ramsay Snow—the Bastard of Bolton—has all but annihilated the remaining Northern army."
"Even if Robb manages to break through the siege, returning to the North will be nearly impossible."
"Whether he'll even survive this war is uncertain."
There was one thing Tyrion chose not to say.
In his opinion, Robb's personality simply wasn't suited to ruling from the Iron Throne.
As for Jon—Eddard Stark's other bastard son—he resembled Ned even more than Robb did.
And that made him even less suitable for the throne.
Like Eddard, Jon was fit for war—but not for kingship.¹
"Could Dorne really become my ally?" Daenerys asked.
Knowing the Starks were already struggling for survival, there was little she could do for them from across the sea.
She turned her attention to Dorne instead.
"Dorne bears a deep grudge against the Lannisters," Tyrion answered.
"And separated from the other kingdoms by mountain ranges, they're unlikely to support King's Landing in this war."
"You have a real chance of winning them over."
Since Daenerys knew nothing about the mysterious figure's aid to Prince Oberyn, that was the only answer Tyrion could give.
As for Princess Myrcella—his niece, who had been sent to Dorne—
Tyrion didn't believe her presence alone was enough to preserve the alliance between House Lannister and House Martell.
"Tell me about the other noble houses and factions in Westeros as well," Daenerys said.
"I want to understand Westeros better while I have the chance."
"The Northern army has been annihilated by Ramsay Snow," Tyrion began.
"You could say Ramsay has effectively become the true Warden of the North."
"And he has no choice but to side with King's Landing."
"As for the Vale, the Eyrie is effectively ruled by Catelyn's sister, Lysa."
"Her intentions are difficult to predict."
"Given the Eyrie's nearly impregnable defenses, remaining neutral is probably the most likely course she'll take."¹
"Catelyn is trapped in Riverrun," Daenerys said, puzzled.
"Wouldn't Lysa send troops to rescue her own sister?"
Only moments ago, they had concluded that even if Daenerys wanted to ally with the Starks, Lady Stark and her son might not survive long enough for her to reach Westeros.
Now Tyrion's explanation reminded her that Catelyn's sister had married Lord Arryn.
She should be capable of sending an army to rescue her sister.
The moment the question left her lips, Daenerys couldn't help feeling ashamed of how little she knew about the noble houses of Westeros.
I really need to study the history of Westeros—and the great houses—with Shireen.
"I once stood trial at the Eyrie after being accused of murdering Bran," Tyrion replied.
"I witnessed the argument between Catelyn and her sister with my own eyes."
"Based on what I saw, I don't believe Lysa will send an army to rescue Catelyn."
As he recalled Lysa—the somewhat unhinged Lady of the Vale—and her seven- or eight-year-old son who still hadn't been weaned, Tyrion quietly reached his conclusion.