Viserys nodded slightly and tapped his fingertips against the edge of the table. His voice betrayed no emotion as he said, "Lord Arthur has always been dependable. I'm not worried about him wiping out the rebels. He knows what to do and when."
He paused, straightened the letter spread out on the table, then looked up at Varys below him. "As for Jaime, whom you mentioned earlier, your Little Birds have been searching for so long. Surely they're close to finding something?"
Varys hastily bowed, his somewhat plump body bending into what looked like a perfect curve. His customary gentle smile had already returned to his face.
He knew that, at least for now, Viserys had no intention of taking action against him directly, so he said, "Your Grace, I do indeed have a tentative lead. Not long ago, my Little Birds spotted someone who might be Jaime at a remote ferry crossing in the Riverlands. He appears to have slipped into a group of refugees and is heading toward the Vale."
"The Vale has been untouched by war, making it the first choice for many refugees from the Riverlands and the Westerlands. Had a Little Bird who had seen Jaime before not sent word, we might well have missed this lead. But that Little Bird sent no further messages afterward. We've lost contact with him."
Viserys raised an eyebrow at this, the rhythm of his tapping slowing a fraction. "The Vale? What, would that old bastard Yohn Royce dare hide House Lannister's Kingslayer and use him as a bargaining chip to make trouble for us? Or is there some other house in the Vale with close ties to the Lannisters that we've failed to uncover?"
Varys rose and bowed again, his tone as humble and gentle as ever. "Your