As evening approached, the sunset painted the sky crimson, and the afterglow of the setting sun dyed the white clouds drifting in the blue sky.
The sunset over King's King's Landing is mesmerizing.
In front of a secluded house, Gryn Crabb, dressed in a veiled Gold Cloaks, dismounted from his horse.
The house was located in a secluded spot with a wide view, making it the secret meeting place for Gryn and Varys (Chapter 181).
As he entered, Varys, who was sitting at the table, looked over. He glanced at Gryn's black armor and gold robe, smiled slightly, and said, " Lord Gryn, you are a pleasant surprise."
With a smile in his eyes, Gryn removed the face mask from his face and sat down.
Varys seemed to be saying with a sigh, "I must admit, you are very cautious."
He was referring to Gryn's action of not removing his face mask until he went inside.
"Lord Varys, King's Landing isn't just about Little Bird..."
Gryn nodded in greeting, then said, "Now that I've seen you, I feel at ease. I believe that no one else is watching where you are."
Varys smiled and shook his head, holding up his wide sleeve with one hand and pushing a glass of wine toward Gryn with the other, saying, " Lord Gryn, a red wine from Lys."
Gryn's eyes flickered almost imperceptibly, his slender fingers tapped the rim of his wine glass, and he chuckled softly, saying, "Lord Varys, why did you bring me back?"
Upon hearing Gryn's words, Varys concealed the dark glint that flashed in his eyes by pretending to drink.
He set down his wine glass, paused, and sighed, " Lord Gryn, I must admire your keen insight, or perhaps I should..."
He looked directly at Gryn: "I'll address you as the Chess Player, Gryn Crabb."
Varys's gaze was icy, but Gryn calmly leaned back in his chair, pointed to the wine glass in front of him, and said, "Lord Varys, you are quite perceptive; you seem to have sensed my wariness towards it."
He raised an eyebrow slightly. "Something... Tears of Lys Lys has been added to Ries's wine?"
Gryn sighed softly, his fingers tracing the rim of the wine glass as he said, "Ever since you developed a taste for fine wine, I've become more wary of you."
He smiled slightly. "That's a hunter's sense of smell, Lord Varys."
Varys's answer was... he drank both of their drinks.
Varys gently wiped his mouth and said, "Excessive suspicion blinds one, my Lord Gryn."
Looking at the "angry" Varys, Gryn's eyes revealed undisguised surprise.
After a moment of silence, Varys ' expression gradually returned to calm, Gryn spoke up, "The Chess Player... Lord Varys, are you referring to Daenerys Targaryen?"
Lord Gryn did not think that Varys thought too highly of him... that he saw the Seven Kingdoms as his chessboard.
He was just a minor Crownlands, and even if Gryn himself revealed his true thoughts, probably no one would believe him.
But... one has to admit, when Varys addressed Gryn as the chess player, though he didn't show it on his face, his heart skipped a beat.
Varys first picked up the jug and poured himself a drink, then raised his glass and took a sip, saying, "My Little Bird told me that three True Dragon died that night, and now... Princess Daenerys is the only Targaryen still alive."
He added, "You hold the only True Dragon in your hands, Lord Gryn."
Gryn's eyes flickered slightly as he said, "Many people did die the night I arrived in City-state of Kantes, but as far as I know, only two Targaryen perished in the fire, not three."
Varys's expression turned cold once more, his fists clenched tightly beneath his wide sleeves.
He began, " Lord Gryn, I hope you will be frank. With your keen perception, you must have discovered something..."
His eyes narrowed slightly. "My Little Bird told me that a young man named Little Gryphon acted as your guide, and together you went to the chaotic Kantus (Chapter 202)."
After Varys finished speaking, Gryn for a moment and said, "Oh, you mean that blue-haired guide who's obsessed with playing the role of a nobleman?"
Varys stared at Gryn for a moment, then said, "He is a true nobleman, the noblest blood flows in his veins, he is a true True Dragon."
Gryn's brown eyes swept over Varys, and he said, "Lord Varys, you look like an avenger now."
Varys froze for a moment, sitting motionless. After a long while, he first let out a long sigh, then leaned back in his chair.
Varys clasped his hands together, his voice tinged with regret. "He was noble, but a poor child; he should have had everything wonderful..."
He looked at Gryn: "Before he learned to walk, he had already begun learning how to be a good ruler. He received knightly weapon training, he is fluent in multiple languages, and he has studied history, law, and poetry. Since he was old enough to understand, a nun has taught him the mysteries of faith. He lived with fishermen, earning a living through his own labor; he swam in the river, mended nets, and washed his own clothes. He not only knows how to fish, cook, and treat wounds, but more importantly, he knows the fear of going hungry and being hunted. 👽♛ 🐸♡"
He paused for a moment, then continued, "For Joffrey, the crown was a given and a matter of course... but for him, the crown was a responsibility; he knew that a true king must put the people of the kingdom first and think of them throughout his life."
His voice suppressed rage. "You destroyed all of this. You destroyed the king I painstakingly raised for this kingdom. You destroyed Seven Kingdoms."
After patiently listening to Varys's words, Gryn first murmured, "Carefully nurtured?"
He continued, "If the person you're talking about is that blue-haired guide, unfortunately... all I see in him is inexplicable arrogance and hypocritical kindness. To be precise... I think..."
Gryn thought about it seriously for a moment, then continued, "He's a fairly competent performer."
Lord Gryn was very frank; he tried his best to make an objective assessment and used gentle language.
Varys's brows were furrowed, his expression frozen, his eyes fixed on Gryn, his body motionless, as if he were trying his best to control his emotions and prevent himself from exploding.
After a long while, Varys suddenly closed his eyes in pain, then took a deep breath.
He said sadly, "We taught him how to be brave, but we didn't teach him how to stay away from danger."
us?
Gryn raised an eyebrow slightly; was this a hint from Varys?
So... was he trying to tell me, or warn me, that he wasn't alone?
Varys slowly opened his eyes and said wearily, "Now, I'm like a knight who has lost his king's oath. Have I become the wandering knight everyone talks about?"
Shaking his head, Varys said with a bitter smile, "I am a eunuch, and eunuchs have no honor. How can a eunuch be worthy of the title of knight? I should call myself a despicable wanderer."
After a pause, Varys picked up the jug and, barely managing to control his trembling hands, poured wine into his glass.
Then, he leaned forward to pour wine into the empty glass in front of Gryn.
Varys tilted the flask in his hand slightly, and the red wine from Lys flowed out of the flask in a graceful arc, like a silky stream, slowly flowing into the glass.
With a splash, he was pouring wine when he seemed to recall something sad, and his movements paused.
Varys forced a smile and continued pouring wine.
Varys poured the wine, set down the golden jug, and said sincerely, "Lately, I've been dreaming every night of my childhood, begging everywhere. It's a terrible nightmare... Lord Gryn, a despicable servant needs a master to serve."
"Lord Varys, "Gryn asked. "Is your unwillingness to serve King Joffrey wholeheartedly because he is not a fit king?"
Varys shook his head slightly. "I don't care about Joffrey. The Iron Throne in the Red Keep was forged by Aegon the Conqueror himself. Only those with true True Dragon blood can inherit that chair. Even if someone else sits on the Iron Throne, no matter how wise they are, they can never change their identity the Usurper."
After listening to Varys's words, Gryn looked at the man's bald head and a thought suddenly occurred to him: Could the reason Varys shaved his head be to hide his silver hair?
Gryn snapped out of his thoughts and said, " Varys, we're allies, your request is reasonable."
Varys looked grateful, smiled slightly, and raised his glass in a gesture of respect. " Lord Gryn, for Princess Daenerys..."
Gryn interrupted Varys by raising his hand and slowly pushed his glass towards Varys.
Gryn stared at Varys and said, "Lord Varys, this cup of wine is truly yours."
The red wine from Lys swirled gently in the glass, revealing a deep and captivating red hue.
The candlelight flickered, and the glass shimmered with an alluring glow.
Varys's face instantly turned ashen, and a strange smile appeared on his fat face, " Lord Gryn, the Well of Wisdom of Westeros truly favors you."
Gryn laughed, looking up at me, and said, "Lord Varys, wasn't all your previous performance just to get me to drink it...?"
He pointed to the wine glass he had pushed in front of Varys and continued, "This glass of wine?"
Varys put down his glass and said coldly, "I underestimated your wariness of me, and I misjudged your keenness."
Gryn shook his head slightly, his tone seemingly comforting. " Varys, you just told me that excessive suspicion can blind you. Perhaps... the fire of revenge in your heart has also blinded you, or perhaps you are too eager for revenge."
Varys said coldly, " Gryn Crabb, you might be better suited to stay in the Citadel."
Gryn gripped the scabbard of " Lady Forlorn " with his Left Hand and said, "Lord Varys, you have shown me a murder plot against me, yet you seem unconcerned about your own safety?"
His tone was as if he were joking with a friend. "Didn't your Little Bird tell you about the traditions of the Half-Wildling aristocracy?"
Varys ' smile deepened, "That's because I know you somewhat. You're not reckless; you're a wise man."
Gryn smiled and gestured with his eyes: Please continue.
Varys first clasped his hands together, then continued, "When I was a child, I stole to survive and quickly became a notorious thief in Myr. But as I grew older, I discovered that the contents of people's letters were often more valuable than the contents of their purses, which allowed me to amass a great many Gold Dragon, so many that even the Iron Bank of Braavos was tempted."
The Iron Bank was the most important bank in Braavos ( the Free Cities of Essos ). It was rumored that although all the Free Cities had their own banks, the Iron Bank was richer and more powerful than all the other banks combined.
His smile deepened, "I've entrusted most of my wealth to the Iron Bank, and I have only one condition: if anyone takes my life, they must, as agreed, hire Faceless Men to avenge me."
The Faceless Men are a renowned assassin group that worships Many-Faced God, and they are rumored to possess the magical ability to change their appearance at will.
Rumors suggest that hiring Faceless Men for an assassination is prohibitively expensive, indirectly demonstrating the Faceless Men' terrifying assassination abilities.
Varys said slowly, " Earl lord, before coming here, I sent thirteen messenger ravens to the Iron Bank of Braavos, telling them that if I suddenly disappeared, I must have been murdered, and the murderer was Gryn Lord Crabb of Crackclaw Point."
Seeing Gryn's hesitant expression, he added, "Trading a despicable eunuch for a noble Earl is not a good deal... You are a wise man, my Earl."
Lord Gryn frowned slightly; the Faceless Men ' assassination attempt was indeed a problem.
Hmm... I have to say... Varys's words seem to make some sense.
But... keeping Varys here... would be a bigger problem for him, Lord Gryn was certain of.
Drawing the sword, swinging it, sheathing it—all in one fluid motion.
With a flash of cold light, Varys ' head was neatly severed, as cleanly and efficiently as slicing cheese.
Blood gushed from the severed neck, splattering the ground like a fountain, while Varys's face still bore the smile he wore in life.
In the night sky, a bright moon hangs high, its pure light shining on the Red Keep, draping it in a mysterious silver glow.
The Prime Minister 'Hand's Study the Tower of the Hand.
The candlesticks on the desk cast a soft glow, illuminating the words on the book in Tyrion Lannister's hands.
He would sometimes frown in deep thought, and sometimes smile and nod, completely absorbed in the book.
A knock suddenly sounded at the door. After a pause, Tyrion, without looking up, casually said, "Come in."
The door was pushed open, and a masked man in a Gold Cloaks entered, carrying a wooden box in one arm.