Game of Thrones: Viserys the Three-Headed Dragon

What came to Illyrio was a stout man wearing a hard leather coat, armor, and a leather half-cloak. Even though he was wearing heavy boots, his feet seemed to slide silently across the stone steps. Beneath his steel helmet was a round, scarred face and a short beard. A dagger and a short sword were tied around his waist.

Illyrio's breathing became easier. He waved his hand and said with a smile: "I thought that you, a guy as capable as a wizard, could do anything, but I didn't expect that there was a loophole in the Beggar King's information."

"I am not a wizard." The stocky man's voice was rough and without any fluctuation, as if he was stating a fact, "The king and I are separated by an ocean, and I tell the truth about the messages brought by the little birds. It’s a fact. You and the king of the Seven Kingdoms got the same information, even more.”

Just looking at the appearance and voice at this moment, it is difficult to imagine that the person in front of Illyrio is the most well-informed person in the Seven Kingdoms, the kingdom's intelligence chief, the eunuch Varys.

Even though he was disguised, Illyrio knew it was him.

Illyrio complained: "I know for the first time that you will make mistakes."

"Human beings make mistakes," Varys replied. "Old friend, don't you know that I am not omnipotent?"

Illyrio spread his hands: "What should we do now? Do we need to revise the plan?"

Varys asked: "I want to know first, are you sure about your guess, old friend?"

Illyrio was almost rested, and they began to climb up the rotating stone steps. Although both of them were not light in weight, they both walked lightly and made no sound as their feet walked on the stone steps.

"Who else could it be besides them?" Illyrio asked, "Shouldn't I use your information to help me confirm my guess?"

Varys replied: "The fact is that I have read the whereabouts of those two people from the Free Trade City. At least there is no record of meeting the Dornish people in these years. They should not have the opportunity to conspire.

Going back further, it can be traced back to when William Darry was alive. Oberyn Martell went to Braavos and made a secret agreement with Sir Darry in the presence of the Sea King of Braavos. Although I don’t know what the secret agreement is, it must have something to do with raising an army to take back the Iron Throne. And this was within our plan.

But after Ser William Darry's death, seeing the new dynasty's position becoming more and more stable, the Dornish people ignored them and allowed the king and princess to drift across the narrow sea. And the king probably didn't know about it. Sir William said personally that the king deliberately was not informed of all this, lest he prematurely ask Dorne to raise an army and cause the Iron Throne to be dissatisfied with Dorne. Ser Darry went into the coffin with the secret. However, it's hard to say now. "

"That king may have reconnected with Dorne and made a plan!" Illyrio asked, "Isn't there any news from Dorne that can't be used to support our speculation?"

Varys sighed: "There are poisonous insects in Dornd, and the living environment for the little birds is terrible."

In fact, outside of King's Landing, in the sphere of influence of many great nobles, Varys's ears and eyes cannot reach the core. But even so, Varys is undoubtedly the most well-informed person in the Seven Kingdoms.

They climbed to the top of the deep well and were in the middle of a stone tunnel.

Illyrio said angrily: "It seems that your little birds will lose sight if they are too far away." After climbing a long distance, he stopped to take a breath.

Varys pushed something, and a low rumble sounded. Then, a huge stone slab slowly slid out from the well mouth, turning bright red under the firelight. It made a loud rumble in the space. When the sound subsided, there was only a smooth, hard stone with no cracks where the wellhead had been.

Wallis asked softly: "You had close contact with the king. Is there no other conclusion other than speculation?"

Wallis led the way and they started walking in one direction of the stone corridor.

"So I came to ask you, and I was hoping to get an answer from you." Illyrio said, "To be honest, if they are really taking action, we may not be able to seek cooperation. At least we shouldn't restrict each other. I doubt that rejecting the Dothraki The king made his own decision after knowing Dornish's support, otherwise the Dornish people would definitely think that the more troops, the better."

Illyrio had accepted the speculation as fact. "I would say they should not be in a hurry to contact the king because they don't know what the king will decide on his own."

It's funny to say that without the knowledge of Viserys, the Beggar King, two groups of people had prepared plans for him to restore his kingdom.

One group was William Darry, a trustee, and Prince Oberon of Dorne. They secretly arranged for Viserys to marry Princess Arianne Martell of Dorne in order to plan for Dorne to raise an army to support Viserys in regaining the Iron Throne. , but as King Robert's throne became increasingly secure, Viserys had made no progress in the Eastern Continent, and the Dornish people had done nothing for many years.

The other group was a secret agreement between Varys, Illyrio and the former head of the mercenary group the Golden Company. They agreed to support Viserys and prepare to trade Daenerys for Dothraki troops to counterattack Westeros.

Viserys in front, the Golden Company behind.

But this plan was not implemented until the death of the former leader of the Golden Company. It is now led by Varys and Illyrio. Its real purpose is not to help Viserys restore his country, but to help the "Little Aegon" hiding behind it. . (Viserys hosted a banquet for the commanders of the Golden Company in the hope that they would assist him in regaining the throne, but they laughed at him after enjoying the feast and hearing Viserys' request. This suggests that only a few within the Golden Company were aware of the plan. )

These two groups of people have their own plans, and it is difficult to say that they are not aware of each other's existence. But even so, the two groups of people are not communicating with each other and do not cooperate with each other. They just incorporate variables into their own plans.

The Dornish people were happy to see Viserys lead an army to counterattack Westeros, because they believed that they would face the other six kingdoms after raising their troops, and the more troops Viserys brought back, the better.

Varys and Illyrio are also happy to promote cooperation between Viserys and the Dornish people, because Viserys is just the leader, and his political legacy will eventually fall on "Little Aegon".

"Perhaps we should pay close attention to what is going on over there. Dorne is raising wind and sand, but we didn't even hear the wind." Varys did not agree to Illyrio's proposal to cooperate with Dorne, nor did he refuse to agree. He only said, "I need At least twenty birds."

They came to a spacious and tall space, surrounded by skeletons. The bones of those huge skeletons were as black as agate, shining with a breathtaking black light under the firelight.

They are keels, the big one is as big as a hill, the small one is bigger than a fishing boat, one after another opens its hungry mouth, with rows of teeth as high as ridges, like spears, like swords. Their empty skeletal eyes watched Varys and Illyrio passing by as if no one was watching.

"You want that much? It's not easy to find what you want. You have to be young and literate." Illyrio's voice weakened, ". If you were a little older, you wouldn't be so easy to die?"

Wallis refused: "No, the younger ones are safer. Be nice to them."

Illyrio bargained: "Keep your tongue?"

Varys only replied softly: "You know what's right, old friend."

Illyrio suddenly said: "Perhaps we can make arrangements in advance and secretly propose marriage for him in the name of Aegon. The Dornish people only want a Targaryen king, but they don't necessarily want that one, let alone that is Aegon?"

Varys responded: "It's nothing but risk."

Illyrio couldn't help but said with regret: "But what to do over there? It would have been a bargain to exchange a worthless princess for tens of thousands of roaring warriors. Now it's better, the king opened his mouth and lost tens of thousands of soldiers and horses. Then our budget Are the troops too small, just one Dorne and the Golden Company?"

"There are fewer troops, but that doesn't necessarily mean they are weak. Their plan, 'Three Crown Princes,'" Wallis suddenly said, "It's obvious that they are looking forward to the 'Dance of the Blood Dragon' in the new dynasty and don't want to be the first to do so." ”

"Isn't that rumor alone enough?"

"Of course it's not enough, so the birds sent out have to figure out their movements. The same goes for you, the king is in your hands."

"Is there enough time?" Illyrio worried, "How is the old Prime Minister's health?" He had already acquiesced that the death of the old Prime Minister Jon Arryn would be an important node.

On the way to King's Landing, Illyrio thought about many strategies, such as continuing to persuade Viserys to trade Daenerys for the Dothraki army, and even setting up a trap to force him, but he rejected them all.

Because if Viserys and the Dornish people really have a plan and can make a situation, then Daenerys's value will rise with the tide. Even if they want to change troops, they will give priority to the local nobles of Westeros. Not Dothraki barbarians.

You know, when the Usurper first broke out, how many wealthy and distinguished families raised armies to fight for the Targaryen family?

When it was determined that there were supporters behind Viserys and that Viserys had other agendas, the plan to replace the Dothraki army with Daenerys was irreversible.

"Although he is old, he will not die of old age yet." Varys replied, "However, the Sea Secretary has been actively contacting him recently. I think this is a danger signal."

The Sea Lord Varys refers to is Stannis Baratheon, King Robert's eldest brother, the current Duke of Dragonstone, and one of the "three crown princes" mentioned by Viserys.

"What has Stannis found out? Why didn't he report it to the king but go to the Prime Minister?" Illyrio felt his head grow bigger. "We can't have a war break out before we are completely prepared. We don't know who the king is and who he is." The Dornish people may not be going as fast as we hope. Moreover, the old Prime Minister is still alive, and the deer, eagle, wolf, fish and lion may make King Robert's rule more stable. "

"It's better to ask me to pause time. Do you think I'm a wizard?" The situation is complicated, and Varys is also feeling stressed.

Illyrio chuckled and said, "I thought your ability would definitely be as good as that of a wizard."

Wallis said: "Didn't I just leak the Beggar King's information?"

Illyrio: "Human beings will make mistakes. But I have always believed that you can do anything."

They walked through the huge room where the dragon skeletons were stacked, and came to a heavy wooden door. Varys went up and pulled the heavy iron ring. The door resisted for a while, and then slowly opened, making a scary creaking sound. They continued along the corridor.

"The situation in the Seven Kingdoms is very complicated." Varys began to list the situation he was facing. "The old Prime Minister wanted to give his child to Stannis as an adopted son, and before he died, he would give the burden of guarding the East to Stannis; but the king had other plans. He wanted to give the Prime Minister's child to Lord Tywin as an adopted son, and then let Jaime Lannister take off his white robe and become the Guardian of the East."

"Is your king confused?" Illyrio couldn't believe it. "The power of the East and West was given to Lannister. Why does he trust the queen's family so much?"

"Alas, the king just doesn't like his own brother more." Varys said, "His other brother is also not quiet, Lord Renly and Baihua The knight intends to persuade Lord Tyrell to send Margaery to the palace. She is a 14-year-old virgin, beautiful and obedient. They plan to let Robert favor her, then marry her and make a new queen. "

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Varys continued: "What makes me particularly uneasy is the recent actions of the Sea Lord. I suspect that he has found out the secret of the Lannister siblings, and he is in contact with the Prime Minister."

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Varys said worriedly: "And now, you come to me again and tell me that the Dornish and your king have conspired and made plans without my knowledge. You know, the king has asked me if there is any news from across the narrow sea recently. "

Illyrio finally answered: "What did he notice?"

Varys said bitterly: "He just can't stand the lack of news about the remnants of the dragon. I don't know who let him hear the name of 'Usurper'. The king hates to hear others call him that. I'm thinking about whether to let him know about the king and Dorne."

Illyrio: "How can this be?"

Varys restrained his expression: "I am the chief of intelligence. If there is no news, wouldn't it be incompetent? Incompetence will make it difficult for me to move forward in King's Landing."

Illyrio said: "This is speeding up the war. We are not ready yet. Dorne is our potential ally."

Varys led him into another corridor: "You asked me to delay, but I want you to speed up Action, when is planning ready? Even the best juggler can't keep so many balls in the air forever. "

"Old friend, you are not just a juggler, you are a real magician. I just ask you to do more tricks for a while."

Varys changed the subject: "You need to pry information out of the king over there as soon as possible, even if you can't, you must be prepared. He said there are wildfire pots under the Seven Kingdoms, which is absolutely true."

The problem brought by Illyrio's crossing the narrow sea returned to himself: "But the king doesn't plan to do anything, he is waiting for the old prime minister to die."

"He is in your hands." Varys replied.

Illyrio suddenly said: "When he tried to win me over, he said he wanted me to collect dragon bones and dragon eggs for him."

"He wants to hatch dragons?" Anyone who heard this would have the same idea.

Illyrio said, "He is a Targaryen after all."

"The blood of Aegon V." Varys warned, "We should not give fire to children who play with fire and burn themselves."

Aegon V was Viserys' great-grandfather, the 15th king in the history of the Targaryen dynasty, also known as "Egg", "the king who should not be king".

During his reign, dragons had become extinct. In his later years, he was fascinated by the legends and information of dragons, and even sent people to Asshai to collect information about dragons. When his great-grandson Rhaegar was born, he summoned relatives and friends to celebrate at the summer palace, Summerhall. At the same time, he also found a pyromancer to try to hatch a dragon. The attempt to hatch a dragon eventually turned into a fire. The king himself, his eldest son Prince Duncan, and his captain of the Kingsguard, Ser "Tall" Duncan, died in the fire known as the "Tragedy of Summerhall".

Then the throne went to Viserys' grandfather Jaehaerys II, and then to Viserys' father Aerys II, also known as the "Mad King".

Illyrio agreed: "I don't want my courtyard to become the king's Summer Hall."

The corridor finally came to the end, a room that looked like a secret room.

Varys handed Illyrio several pieces of intelligence that were obviously newly sorted: "This is the information of Melario of Norvos, and this is Quentin Martell. In recent years, Quentin Martell has been to Norvos twice, saying that he was looking for his mother. One time he took the Pentos route, passing through the Stepstone Islands, and the other time he took the Tyrosh route. The exact information still needs to be found out by the little birds in the east, but it is best not to have too much hope. The ignored information is usually not the truth when you want to find it again."

Norvos is one of the nine free trade cities. Lady Melario was born in a noble family of Norvos merchants and is the wife of Doran Martell, Prince of Dorne.

Quentin Martell is the second child of Lady Melario and Prince Doran.

Lady Mellario and Prince Doran were married out of love, but their marriage was not happy, and half of their marriage was spent in quarrels and separation.

This is also closely related to the fall of the Targaryen dynasty. The Yronwood family was a powerful noble family in Dorne, but the former head of the family had a dispute with Prince Doran's brother Oberyn, and was injured and died after a duel, so the two families had a quarrel.

When Robert rebelled, in order to integrate local forces and mobilize Dorne troops to participate in the war of the royalists, Prince Doran sent his eldest son Quentyn Martell to the Yronwood family as an adopted son to resolve the grievances between the two families. Lady Mellario had a big quarrel with Prince Doran and left Dorne in anger and returned to Norvos.

It wasn't until Quentin Martell grew up in the Yronwood family, learned martial arts, and had a close relationship with Yronwood's peers that he seemed to have resolved the grudges of the previous generation and gained considerable say in the Yronwood family. More than ten years later, I went to Novos to see my biological mother twice in recent years.

Nowadays, it is suspected that Viserys and Dorne are on the line. In addition to suspecting the elusive Prince Oberyn, the most likely reason is Quentin Martell's two trips to Norvos.

Although the news from Varys was not completely confirmed, Illyrio's expression was not very good: "He is indeed a Dornish man."

Varys was noncommittal and just said: "No matter what the truth is, old friend, you should know that it is only right for us to be well prepared. Don't blame me for urging you. It's you, are you ready to face the storm?"

In the original work, Illyrio always had a hint of a scholarly rebellion and failed to achieve success in ten years, so that the brothers of the Golden Company finally got fed up with Illyrio's changing plans and directly abandoned the plan to land in the Stormlands and the Stepstone Islands to counterattack West. Luo.