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Chapter 547
🕑 Added 2025-01-29 17:29:03 +0000 UTCThe tense night had finally passed.
Exhausted and sleep-deprived, Varys sat in his chambers, and for the first time in years, he had the overwhelming urge to slap himself for his carelessness.
He had made a mistake—a subtle yet dangerous one. A mistake so critical it had nearly unraveled decades of careful planning and scheming.
It all started with his recent string of setbacks.
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As his plan to place young Aegon on the Iron Throne neared its final stages, things began spiraling out of control. The closer they came to their goal, the further the situation deviated from the script.
When he had followed Daenerys to the North, his purpose had been to observe and recalibrate. But seeing the Gifted Lands army’s strength and its lightning-fast conquest of Winterfell had shocked him. Speaking with Daenerys had only deepened his concerns.
The once-innocent girl he had protected and nurtured—the Targaryen heir he had planned to use as a shield and queen for Aegon—was now rapidly growing into something far more dangerous. Her political ambition and military strength had swelled to such a degree that they were quickly becoming unmanageable.
If left unchecked, the likelihood that she would one day stand as Aegon’s enemy far outweighed the chance of her submitting as a dutiful ally.
Varys knew he had to act.
There were two choices: eliminate her before she became a threat, or break her wings and drag her back onto the path he had set for her.
Killing her would solve everything. Once Stannis was dealt with, there would be no other male Baratheons or Targaryens to challenge Aegon’s claim. But while removing Daenerys might be simple in theory, the consequences were far too severe.
Her Unsullied, her Meereenese fleet, her newly trained Free Folk militia—together, they formed a formidable force. This force was meant to be Aegon’s greatest asset in uniting the Seven Kingdoms. However, if Daenerys were to die before recognizing Aegon’s legitimacy, her armies would never follow him.
Without her dragons and military power, Aegon would become nothing more than a pawn, a tool for other regions like the Reach to use against Stannis. Even if Aegon emerged victorious in the end, the price would leave him weakened and isolated, ruling little more than King’s Landing and its immediate surroundings.
This was unacceptable.
The decades of effort, the vast sums of money, the intricate web of alliances—none of it was for a hollow throne. Varys and Illyrio had envisioned Aegon ruling a united Westeros.
Which meant Daenerys could not die. At least not yet.
If killing her wasn’t an option, then he needed to cripple her.
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To that end, Varys turned his attention to her closest allies.
Petyr Baelish, as cunning as he was dangerous, had outlived his usefulness. He had helped bring Daenerys to Westeros, but now his schemes were a liability.
And then there was Aegor Wyst—the Night’s Watch Commander. His influence over the Gifted Lands army and his dangerously idealistic philosophies had emboldened Daenerys, filling her with dreams of a united kingdom.
Both men needed to go.
With them gone, Daenerys would be forced to face reality. She would have no choice but to accept the future Varys had planned for her.
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The plan was clear.
But its execution was another matter entirely.
Winterfell was nothing like the South. Its population was sparse, its movements easy to track, and Varys had precious few agents in the region.
Aegor’s decision to replace the castle staff with Gifted Lands soldiers had only made things worse. It had cut off potential avenues of espionage, leaving Varys with a meager handful of resources to work with.
To make matters worse, both Aegor and Baelish were extraordinarily cautious. Their personal security was airtight.
Killing them would require precision and subtlety.
And then, there was the aftermath to consider.
Petyr was expendable—his death wouldn’t upset the balance of power. But Aegor? His death could plunge the Gifted Lands army into chaos. Without a leader, the army could devolve into a lawless mob. In such close quarters, that chaos could spill over into Winterfell itself, endangering everyone—including Daenerys.
The ideal scenario was to find a replacement leader. Someone who could step in after Aegor’s death and bring the army under control.
But after extensive research, Varys realized that was impossible.
Every report he received confirmed the same thing: only Aegor could command the Gifted Lands army. His authority was absolute, his reputation unmatched. If he died, there would be no one capable of holding the army together.
This forced Varys to confront a grim reality. Any attempt to remove Aegor would have to account for the possibility of a complete military breakdown.
And yet, despite the daunting challenges, Varys had found a solution.
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Robb Stark was on his way to Winterfell, bringing a third of the North’s armies to swear fealty to Daenerys. On that day, the castle would be filled with lords, knights, and retainers. The celebration would be the perfect cover.
The influx of Northern nobility would create a chaotic, crowded environment. Robb Stark himself would serve as a convenient scapegoat. And with the Northern armies camped outside the walls, they could counterbalance the Gifted Lands army, preventing any rash actions.
Three problems solved with one stroke.
Petyr thought the Northern lords’ submission would mark his victory. He had no idea it would be the end of his story.
The timing and strategy were set.
But Varys wasn’t about to underestimate his opponents.
To keep Petyr and Aegor distracted, he had bombarded them with minor provocations—delays to the southern campaign, incriminating rumors, and the carefully orchestrated arrest of Arya Stark. Each move kept them focused on the present, leaving them blind to the larger game.
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But despite his careful planning, Varys had made a critical miscalculation.
He had underestimated the bond between Aegor and House Stark.
What was meant to be a minor irritation—a pebble tossed into the water—had landed directly in a hornet’s nest.
When Aegor publicly confronted Daenerys over Arya’s arrest, Varys was momentarily pleased. His minor scheme had caused a massive uproar, further dividing his enemies.
But Daenerys’ uncharacteristic response—choosing to de-escalate rather than punish Aegor—was a red flag.
And when Varys learned that Aegor had immediately sought out Melisandre and Maester Coburn afterward, the alarm bells started ringing.
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Melisandre, the shadowbinder who had killed Renly Baratheon, and Coburn, the disgraced maester with expertise in poisons and alchemy—both summoned in secret by Aegor.
The implications were clear.
For the first time, Varys felt a genuine flicker of fear.
Aegor was not a man of idle threats. If he decided to act, no amount of planning could stop him from using brute force to destroy everything.
Paranoia consumed Varys.
He swapped his food with the Unsullied guards, fearing poison. He lit every candle in his room to watch his shadow for any signs of movement. He stationed spies to monitor the Gifted Lands barracks, ready to sound the alarm at the first sign of mobilization.
And yet, as dawn broke, nothing happened.
It seemed Aegor had cooled off.
Perhaps his fears had been unfounded.
But just as Varys began to relax, a messenger arrived with an invitation.
"Lord Varys, the Lord Commander has requested your presence for lunch at the guardhouse dining hall. The Queen has already approved."
And just like that, the game had shifted again.
