Viserys's question struck at the heart of the matter, and the atmosphere in the room instantly grew heavy. The smile on Varys's face finally faded a little. He fell silent for a moment, seemingly weighing something in his mind.
"Your Grace." At last, he spoke slowly, his voice a little lower than before. "My loyalty will always belong to rulers who can bring peace and justice to Westeros. Under Aerys, I saw fear and destruction. Under Robert, I saw indulgence and decay. In Joffrey and Cersei, I saw cruelty and oppression. But in you, Your Grace, I see wisdom and strength, and a kingly bearing I have not seen in a long time."
He raised his head, sincerity shining in his eyes. "I wish to serve you because I believe you can end this age of chaos and bring true peace and stability to the people of the Seven Kingdoms. That is the only 'benefit' I seek."
Viserys watched him quietly. Only after a long while did he slowly nod. "I hope you mean what you say, Lord Varys. The Dragons of House Targaryen can bring fire and salvation, but they can also bring destruction and punishment. If you choose to betray me later..."
He did not finish, but the flicker of coldness in his deep violet eyes was enough for Varys to understand what he meant.
Varys stiffened slightly, then recovered. "Rest assured, Your Grace. From this day forward, my life rests in House Targaryen's hands. I will use my intelligence network, those Little Birds, to clear every obstacle from your path until the Seven Kingdoms are fully reunited and the threat of the Others has been utterly eliminated."
As he spoke that last sentence, he kept his eyes fixed on Viserys, hoping to see how he would react