Viserys tapped lightly on the heavy oak table. The deep sound made the atmosphere in the hall grow a little more somber.
He looked up at Varys, his tone calm but brooking no argument. "Three or four hundred rebels certainly pose no real threat, but Jaime Lannister has been hiding for so long that it is time to put an end to this. Besides, letting him cling to life will always leave us with a potential threat."
As he spoke, Viserys seemed to think of something that pleased him, and the corners of his mouth lifted slightly despite himself.
Then his gaze shifted to Duke Arthur, who stood beside the long table in a dark red formal outfit. He tapped the map of Westeros spread across the table and said, "Duke Arthur, take your five-hundred-man Knight Company through the Riverlands and go to the Golden Tooth yourself to find these rebels."
"If it really is Jaime Lannister, bring him back to King's Landing, dead or alive. Of course, if Jaime is willing to lay down his weapons and surrender, I would rather like to meet this famous Kingslayer in person."
When Jaime had served in the Kingsguard, Arthur had taken him under his wing and instructed him in swordsmanship, so Jaime held him in very high regard. Never mind that Jaime now had only three or four hundred ragtag followers who posed no real threat-even if he still commanded the full strength of the Westerlands, Arthur was entirely confident he could defeat him.
It was precisely that old connection between Arthur and Jaime that had prompted Viserys to put him in command. He wanted to see how things would finally end between the two men.
Of course, the most important reason was that Arthur was the only person around him