"What did you do..." Varys asked, holding his breath.
"Start a war. You see, I'm good at it..." I could see my reply left him even more stunned.
The room was deathly silent. Littlefinger's lifeless body slumped against the chair, his throat sliced clean. Blood pooled beneath him, staining the fine carpet.
Varys sat frozen, his breath shallow. His fingers clenched tightly around the dagger hidden beneath his robes. His instincts screamed at him to run.
Then, just as he tensed to move, my voice stopped him.
"You are a madman."
"Aren't we all?" I shrugged.
"Do you think Ned Stark will protect you after what you've done?" Varys said. He was more worried about his own life than the dead Petyr Baelish.
"Of course. The honorable fool can't protect himself and his kids, let alone me or this realm." I replied, a little frustration leaking out at Ned Stark's actions, even after repeatedly warning him from doing anything foolish.
"What do you want?" Seeing that he wasn't dead yet, Varys asked hesitantly.
"War. I wish for a war."
"Seven hells, you're mad." Varys, realizing that talking sense with this person would only cost him his life, bolted, ready to escape.
However, just as he was very close to the gate, he heard me say this:
"Illyrio Mopatis."
Varys stiffened. His eyes darted back to me, who now stared at him with an unsettling calm.
"Who is that?" He didn't lose his composure and asked.
"Daenerys Targaryen."
His grip on the dagger tightened.
"Viserys Targaryen."
"I have no recollection of how those names affect me." Varys still tried to play it cool.
"Of course you don't. After all, all of them are just chess pieces anyway. Expendable. But what about the other one?" Only now did I slowly get up from my seat and make my way toward Varys, who had a pale face.
"What are you..."
"Young Griff... or should I say Aegon Targaryen."
At this, Varys finally knew that he was cornered. His feet, which had been ready to flee, remained rooted in place. His mind raced.
"How does he know?"
I slowly stepped toward him. "You see, Spider," I started, my voice low and serious, "I know many things I shouldn't for someone who has nothing to do with this land. I'm not interested in that monstrosity of a throne the people of this land worship or in ruling here.
I wish for none of it."
Varys swallowed hard, forcing a weak smile. "Then what do you want?" he asked carefully.
"Exactly what you want, Peace. But you see, for peace to exist, one must first pay an adequate price for it, or the peace would be meaningless, cheap, and definitely not long-lasting."
Varys just stood there, the Seven knows what was going on in his bald head.
"I wish to take Ned Stark and his children back to the North. Unharmed and unscathed. I wish that the queen's wrath, which would sooner or later fall on Ned Stark or the North if we succeed in reaching there, be blocked."
I saw Varys acting like he didn't understand a thing, as if he knew nothing.
"Don't act like that, Lord Varys. I have enough confidence in your ability to presume you know what I'm talking about."
His face stiffened.
"What do you want?"
"Five names, five lives. Life can only be paid for with life. You get what I mean, right?"
"Five?" Varys asked in confusion.
"Are you not counting your own name, my lord?" I smiled. I saw his face morph, and then he asked,
"Whose lives?"
"Don't worry, I'm not asking you to kill anyone. I can do my own killing, as you can see." I glanced at the very dead body of Petyr Baelish.
"I'd rather have you save some lives instead."
"Whose lives? The Starks?"
"No, no... leave them for later. Before trying to protect others, we should think of ourselves first. So the first lives you're going to save are ours." I smiled, to which he looked baffled.
"Hurry, sooner or later someone's going to show up. If they catch me, you know what will happen, right?"
"By the Seven, you're a devil." Varys cursed.
"For my enemies, I couldn't describe myself better."
And then a wild goose chase started. I saw Varys trying to shut those whores' mouths and get us out of the brothel undetected. This was also a reason I asked for a meeting at night—fewer eyes or ears to worry about.
I thought of this plan after the faceless man brought the news about who really sent that assassin. For a killer, he would make a really good spy, gotta give him that.
I wished to kill Littlefinger on principle for what kind of man he was, but him being the one who sent the assassin just solidified that plan. The assassin might not have been for me, but ultimately, I found this dagger, so Baelish had to go.
But just killing him wouldn't do. Even if somehow we hid this matter, it wouldn't solve much of anything for me. No, I intended to embrace Littlefinger's philosophy here this once. Chaos is a ladder, and I intend to climb it.
As for why Varys? Well, he was the only one I had some dirt on. Especially Young Griff. I only remembered this name from fanfictions—I wasn't even sure that guy was canon. Good for me.
Soon, Varys used all of his channels to get us out. Then I asked him to follow me, which he did reluctantly.
"Where are you taking me?"
"To meet a friend of mine." I just replied with a smile until we reached a house on the outskirts of the city.
Knock Knock.
"Who is it?"
"Strongest Avenger."
And then the gate opened, revealing the face of one Ser Hugh, the same one who used to be Lord Arryn's squire and should have been dead long ago.
"I would have introduced both of you, but you're a famous man, Lord Varys, and due to your trade, I presume you already know who this is..."
Varys nodded.
"What's going on?"
"We are saving your life, friend... Lord Varys, this is the third person you have to save. Take him out of King's Landing and make sure he reaches the Vale unharmed."
Varys looked like he was contemplating something before he finally nodded.
"Great, that only leaves two more names. Do yourself a favor and visit the castle dungeon one of these days. Name's Jaqen H'ghar. Tell him the God of Thunder sends his regards." I smiled before showing the baffled man a way out.
Seeing Varys looking like his entire world had shifted was amusing before I finally looked back at Hugh.
"Thor, what's going on?" Hugh asked. After learning the queen had really sent people to kill him, he became more obedient.
"I'm sending you back to the Vale, my friend. You'll be safe there..."
Hearing this, he sighed in relief.
"But there is one more thing I wish you could do for me. For our friendship." I asked with a knowing smile, to which he looked at me with hesitation. That smile hadn't brought good news to him all this time.
"What?"
"Here, go back to the Vale and tell Lysa Arryn, 'The Lannisters always pay their debts.' She'll understand." I said as I tossed the bloodied dagger to him.
Now, I'm officially a player in this game.
xxx
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