Once darkness had fully fallen, Tyrion changed into a relatively fine black coat. It would help him move unseen, while also preserving his honor as a Lannister in front of Viserys.
He brought no guards, only a Valyrian steel dagger tucked at his waist for protection. He had won it from Petyr in a wager some time ago. Still, rather than protection, it offered him little more than a scrap of comfort.
Varys guided him personally. They passed through the silent Red Keep and finally reached a secluded corner. After Varys manipulated something, the entrance to a pitch-black passage appeared before Tyrion.
"My lord, this is one of the entrances to the Red Keep's legendary secret passages. If we go down here, we can easily reach the outskirts of the city," Varys explained to the stunned Tyrion.
The sight of the dark entrance made Tyrion shiver, as though the path ahead offered no return. Even so, he said, "The Red Keep's secret passages. Now that is something I would like to see for myself."
With that, he took a deep breath and stepped inside. Varys followed close behind with an oil lamp, then moved ahead of Tyrion and deftly led the way.
The air inside the passage was colder and damper than outside, with a faint smell of mildew.
Tyrion could not help curling his lip. "What a 'respectable' way to hold a meeting. It feels as though we're off to do something that cannot bear the light of day."
"Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures, my lord," Varys replied with a smile.
The ground beneath their feet was uneven in places. For Tyrion, whose legs gave him trouble, the slightest lapse in attention could send him falling.
"How old are these passages?" Tyrion asked as he walked with care.