chapter 107 part 1
Chapter 107: Targaryen 2
Illyrio's Manse.
Viserys Targaryen spoke with a distinct lack of interest. "Who could it be? No matter who it is, you are to deal with them at once! This is a critical moment, a pivotal time that future historians will write of and remember. I do not want any accidents!"
"Your Grace," Illyrio said bluntly, "this man commands an army."
Viserys scoffed. "Since he can be commanded by the Usurper, he must be some minor noble. When I take back the Iron Throne, I will have every last one of these pretender's lackeys hanged."
"That would be most appropriate, Your Grace," Illyrio replied respectfully. "Traitors should indeed be punished. However..."
Illyrio continued in a pleasant tone, "This House has never betrayed us. They fought valiantly alongside Prince Rhaegar. Even after Prince Rhaegar fell and everyone else bent the knee in surrender, they fought on to the very end, until their last man was slain."
Illyrio glanced at the agitated Viserys, sighed, and added, "After the Usurper seized the Iron Throne, he pardoned this loyal old vassal of the Dragonlords on the surface, only because the House was survived by a single unborn child. But for the past dozen years, he has been suppressing them. One can only imagine the hardships they have faced."
Fury flashed in Viserys's pale purple eyes. "Illyrio, I can assure you that the assassins hired by the Usurper are always watching me. I am the last true dragon. As long as I live, the Usurper will never know a moment's peace."
"So what if they were loyal? In the end, didn't they still become the Usurper's dog? A pity. If only they had held out a little longer, they might have received my compensation after I reclaim the Iron Throne. But now..."
With that, Viserys sneered. "What's his name? I certainly won't be pardoning his House."
Illyrio replied, "Glynn Crabbe, Lord of The Whispers, the de facto ruler of Crackclaw Point, and the premier military noble of the Crownlands."
As Illyrio's words fell, Viserys, who had been lounging in his chair, suddenly sat bolt upright. "The premier military noble of the Crownlands?" he asked urgently. "How many soldiers does he have?"
Illyrio smiled faintly. "Crackclaw Point may be barren, but every man there is a qualified warrior. If you were to gain the loyalty of Lord Glynn, you would have an army of over ten thousand warriors. When you lead your grand army back to Westeros, he would make an excellent agent from within."
Viserys latched onto the number of troops. To him, an army of ten thousand soldiers was all he needed to immediately march and reclaim the Iron Throne.
"You must not kill him!" Viserys said, his tone frantic. "Where is he now? The descendant of a loyal House deserves a personal audience with me. I must see him at once!"
Without waiting for Illyrio's reply, Viserys stood and began to pace excitedly, muttering to himself, "An army, an army, an army of over ten thousand!"
A flicker of helplessness crossed Illyrio's face as he remained silent.
Viserys suddenly stopped pacing, turned his head to stare at Illyrio, and said, "My treasurer, why do you not answer?"
"Your Grace, Lord Glynn is on a ship bound for Pentos. Also, I must remind you, I have heard that the nobles of Crackclaw Point have a unique tradition?"
Viserys furrowed his brow, his voice full of irritation. "What tradition? Another one of those queer customs?"
Illyrio patiently replied, "Your Grace, I've heard that Crackclaw Point has a tradition of swearing direct fealty to the Queen."
At this, Viserys's memory was a bit fuzzy. "It seems... yes, that's right. So what of it? Do I have to conjure up a Queen right now just to win the allegiance of the Lord of The Whispers? Well then..."
He paused, then said excitedly, "Daenerys! I still have Daenerys!"
Illyrio sighed inwardly, feeling a little weary. "Your Grace, Daenerys is not a pawn. Her value is far greater than this. She can be traded for an army of ten thousand Dothraki riders for you."
Viserys said angrily, "Do you take me for a fool? I only need ten thousand soldiers to reclaim the Iron Throne. Why would I give my future Queen to a savage?"
"I will command Daenerys to secure the loyalty of The Whispers for me. Even if... it's still much better than serving some stinking savage, wouldn't you agree? Hah, a half-wildling is better than a savage!"
Only then did Viserys recall that the nobles of Crackclaw Point were called half-wildling nobles. He didn't care if they were wildlings or half-wildlings; he only cared about the army that could win him back the Iron Throne.
"The Beggar King" Viserys currently had nothing to his name. Could he truly rely on personal charisma to make a military noble from across the Narrow Sea submit to him? Varys's intelligence report had mentioned that Lord Glynn was living quite well... Thus, Illyrio held no such fanciful delusions.
So what was Illyrio's reason for bringing up the Crackclaw Point tradition of loyalty to the Queen and subtly shifting the topic to Daenerys?
Illyrio and Varys were laying the groundwork for their own scheme. For besides the Targaryen in the open, they had another, hidden "Targaryen."
Under their joint conspiracy, Viserys's "high profile" and "madness" were sufficient to draw everyone's attention, which was one of his primary values.
Illyrio's lips curled into a barely perceptible smile. Daenerys was indeed one of the candidates for Queen.
The prerequisite was that Daenerys possessed corresponding value. Everything depended on her final "price."
Therefore, the troops from Crackclaw Point should not be controlled by Viserys, but by Daenerys, who was more easily controlled by him.
Illyrio and Varys already had a comprehensive plan.
...
"Your Grace, you must first have an army of your own, rather than relying directly on the private armies of nobles. The army of The Whispers is loyal first and foremost to House Crabbe.
"Forgive my blunt counsel, but the Usurper's War was only a little over a decade ago. As wise as you are, you must still guard against the ambitions of your subjects. These are my heartfelt words."
Viserys had thought he could set off for Westeros within days, but some of Illyrio's patient persuasion managed to sink in.
Viserys could not hide the disappointment in his expression. "Illyrio, I naturally understand this principle. It's just a pity to use so many soldiers merely as an inside agent. Let's keep him for now, then. We can talk again when I am ready to raise my army."
Illyrio gave a theatrical shrug. "According to my sources, the Usurper used some scheme to force this mission upon Lord Glynn. That is why I say the Usurper is a fool. This is tantamount to indirectly guaranteeing your safety."
Viserys raised an eyebrow. "How so?"
"Your Grace, Daenerys is already your choice for Queen. According to the centuries-old tradition of The Whispers, this status is more than enough to win their loyalty."
Viserys frowned. "Isn't Daenerys about to be married to a Dothraki Khal? What happens then?"
"After Daenerys is married, you can legitimately take control of The Whispers in her stead. House Crabbe is a noble house of the Crownlands. If they serve you, their role will be far greater than just that of an inside agent."
...
...
The Red Keep, Tower of the Hand.
Inside the Hand's solar, Jon Arryn dismissed the servants, leaving only himself and Varys.
Varys glanced at the closed door and bowed his head. "Lord Arryn, it is my honor to serve you. I await your command."
The Hand of the King coughed a few times, then spoke in a gentle tone. "Varys, please, sit. There are indeed some matters I need you to handle for me."
Varys first expressed his thanks, then sat lightly on the edge of a chair.
"Varys, a few days ago... you were also present when Queen Cersei recommended Lord Mace as a candidate for Hand of the King... cough, cough."
Before he could finish, the Hand of the King couldn't help but start coughing.
Covering his mouth as he coughed, the Hand of the King stopped Varys from rising.
Under Varys's worried gaze, the Hand of the King finally stopped coughing.
His face was pale. "Cough, cough, Varys, I need you to sound out the Reach and the Westerlands."
Varys first nodded without hesitation, then hesitated for a moment before speaking, "Lord Arryn, are you suspecting something?"
Lord Arryn stared intently at Varys. "This matter came about too suddenly. I cannot help but be suspicious. I want you to investigate secretly. I want to know... if House Lannister and House Tyrell are plotting something."
Varys's tone was solemn. "Lord Arryn, my Little Birds will help you gather the information you require. Please, take care of your health. The Realm cannot afford to lose you."
"Varys, thank you for your concern."
The Hand of the King shook his head slightly and continued, "The Realm can do without me, but it cannot be unstable. I must truly be getting old. I always feel that the Realm is on the verge of turmoil once again."