Viserys rose, walked to the window, and gazed out at Blackwater Bay in the distance.
"House Darry," he finally said evenly. "Duke William and Earl Jon both belong to House Darry. They have followed me for over a decade, and Earl Jon nearly died at an assassin's hands to save Dany."
"Yet their house has been pushed aside in the Riverlands for all those years. I think it is time they reclaimed what belongs to them."
"A wise decision, Your Majesty." Varys bowed again. "House Darry was always among the royalists. Supporting them would reassure the houses that remain loyal to the Targaryens while also counterbalancing House Tully's influence."
"Moreover, House Darry and House Frey have been linked by marriage for years, and their ties are close. House Frey is powerful, and its interests do not align with House Tully's. Through the Freys, House Darry could establish a firm foothold in the Riverlands as well."
Viserys turned and walked over to the map hanging on the wall.
Varys had commissioned this new map, which was fully twice the size of the old one. It marked every castle in the Seven Kingdoms, even the small keeps belonging to knightly houses.
Viserys had circled the Riverlands, and a little flag bearing a silver trout marked Riverrun.
"Have my two ministers from House Darry reached King's Landing?" he asked Varys, keeping his eyes on the map.
"Duke Willem Darry has just finished settling the Empire's fleet and is now on his way to King's Landing. He is expected to arrive tomorrow. Earl Jon Darry left the Valyrian Peninsula a week ago and should reach King's Landing in another week."
Viserys nodded, then fell silent. He could not help reflecting on how quickly time had passed. More than a decade had slipped by since