Autumn winds swept through King's Landing as Varys watched the withered leaves drift across the courtyard. They reminded him of the fading flame of his own life.
Bound tightly to a heavy oak chair, Varys felt like a pig awaiting slaughter.
The cunning Spider...
The oldest member of the Small Council...
The true king of shadows in King's Landing...
Had fallen this low.
"I lost to Gendry."
"This is the fate I deserve."
"Such is the Game of Thrones."
In his mind, he almost saw Littlefinger's ghost smiling mockingly from the darkness.
"I warned you to be careful, Lord Varys."
"Fool..."
"Fool!"
"Fool!"
Varys cursed himself repeatedly.
He had failed Illyrio.
He had failed Young Aegon.
Most of all...
He had failed himself.
He cursed everyone involved.
Gendry.
Lothor Brune.
The Red Priestess.
Even the woman disguised as a Silent Sister.
His once-plump body had grown thinner beneath endless beatings and torture.
He had underestimated the young king.
He had underestimated Melisandre.
Like a desperate gambler, he had wagered everything on a single throw...
And lost it all.
The wounds in his palms had long since stopped bleeding.
The dried blood had turned black, while crushed Myr fire-grass had been applied to keep the injuries from becoming infected.
The pain hadn't disappeared.
It had simply been drowned beneath even greater agony.
Every inch of his body burned as though countless crabs were tearing at his flesh.
The Kingsguard had shattered both of his legs.
Gendry had pierced his palms.
His entire body screamed in torment.
"Mercy..."
"Please..."
"Let the Storm end my suffering..."
"Gods..."
"Have mercy..."
His voice was hoarse.
Even his tongue felt swollen, making every word slurred.
---
Lothor Brune stood nearby beside the beautiful blonde woman disguised as a Silent Sister.
Both silently observed the once-powerful Spider.
This man had nearly plunged the Seven Kingdoms into chaos once more.
He had ignited wildfire beneath Flea Bottom.
He had attempted to assassinate Gendry.
Everything had been designed to start another civil war.
Lothor folded his arms.
"Lord Eddard Stark will appreciate this gift."
He wore a well-used leather breastplate.
Not because he lacked money...
But because frugality had become second nature.
Looking down at Varys, he said coldly,
"You won't die so easily."
"The Storm still needs that clever tongue of yours."
Tyene Sand smiled faintly.
Disguised as a Silent Sister, her blue eyes remained calm.
"My father will appreciate this gift as well."
"That tongue once stirred countless storms."
"Now..."
"It can do nothing but beg."
The sweet-smelling poison she had prepared had already numbed Varys' mouth.
He could still speak.
But he no longer had the strength to bite off his own tongue.
Even his teeth felt weak.
The Dornish knew little of Varys' deepest conspiracies.
But they knew one undeniable truth.
The destruction of King Aerys' relationship with Prince Rhaegar had been fueled by Varys' constant manipulation.
During Robert's Rebellion, Aerys had taken Princess Elia Martell hostage.
He forced Prince Lewyn Martell to lead ten thousand Dornish soldiers into battle.
Varys had almost certainly played a role in that cruel scheme.
---
"Lothor..."
Varys stared at him weakly.
"My great plan..."
Lothor's expression never changed.
"A beautiful plan."
"Destroyed in an instant."
"You prepared wildfire beneath Flea Bottom."
"You intended to lure His Highness into Grand Maester Pycelle's chambers."
"Your Little Birds would have emerged from hidden tunnels with crossbows and daggers."
"You've planned this for years."
Varys slowly closed his eyes.
"My mistake..."
At last...
He understood the fatal weakness shared by himself, Littlefinger, and Illyrio.
None of them truly possessed an army.
One had been Master of Whisperers.
Another, Master of Coin.
The third, a wealthy merchant prince.
Their followers served only for gold...
Or deception.
But men like Lothor Brune...
Could never be bought.
A true warrior only followed someone worthy of admiration.
"No amount of clever words..."
Varys whispered sadly,
"...can ever defeat a sharp sword."
That realization had come far too late.
It was precisely because they lacked military strength that they had devoted everything to Young Aegon...
The Dothraki...
And countless other long-term plans.
Now...
Those dreams had vanished.
---
"Don't fall asleep just yet, Lord Varys."
Lothor raised a hand.
His eyes were ice cold.
"Assassination is the weapon of cowards."
"You disgust me."
Two soldiers stepped forward.
Their heavy flails crashed into Varys' broken body.
CRACK!
His scream echoed throughout the chamber.
The pain dragged him back into consciousness.
"Curse..."
"Curse Gendry..."
"Curse Lothor..."
Lothor grabbed Varys by the chin.
"You already know what we want."
"How did you help Cersei escape?"
"You possess maps of King's Landing's underground tunnels."
"What remaining caches of wildfire still exist?"
"Where are your surviving Little Birds?"
"And your remaining spies?"
Varys simply remained silent.
He noticed something.
Neither of them had mentioned Eddard Stark.
That meant...
They had already found the former Hand beneath the brothel where he had hidden him.
Everything...
Had been exposed.
Every agent.
Every secret.
Every escape route.
Destroyed in a single stroke.
---
"You'll live long enough to witness the Storm's coronation."
Lothor's voice became almost fanatical.
"King's Landing will become greater than ever."
"One world."
"One king."
"One voice."
"The Seven Kingdoms..."
"The Triarchy..."
"Volantis..."
"All will one day sing beneath the Storm's banner."
"The glory belongs to the Storm."
"Not to you."
"Not to Petyr."
"You creatures of the shadows are nothing but insects."
Looking into the soldiers' eyes...
Varys saw absolute devotion.
These men had become completely loyal to Gendry.
Soldiers were simple.
They followed only the warrior who led them to victory.
Just like Robert once had...
Gendry inspired unwavering loyalty.
Even former enemies willingly followed him.
Compared to that...
Varys' defeat seemed pitiful.
With Aegon's secret exposed...
He had become a knight stripped of his armor...
Waiting only to be slowly carved apart.
---
Elsewhere, inside the Tower of the Hand...
Eddard Stark slowly awakened from a long, dreamlike darkness.
Servants helped him into clean gray velvet clothing.
Though neat...
It couldn't hide how thin he had become.
His cheeks were hollow.
Gray hairs had appeared among his dark locks.
His beard had grown unevenly across his face.
Eddard Stark had never been considered handsome.
But he had always been known as a man of honor.
Now...
He simply looked old.
"When the king dies..."
"The Hand is buried with him."
For a long time...
He truly believed he had already died beside Robert.
The darkness of the Black Cells had become his entire world.
Cold stone walls.
Fading memories.
Occasional light whenever food arrived.
Nothing more.
As war consumed the realm...
Everyone had forgotten him.
The North lay too far from the main battlefield.
The great struggles centered around Stannis...
Gendry...
The Vale...
And King's Landing.
Then...
One night...
Varys had appeared disguised as a jailer.
He offered Eddard drugged wine.
When Eddard awoke...
He had been moved into a hidden tunnel beneath the city.
Whenever he regained consciousness...
He demanded answers.
Varys never gave any.
He simply disappeared again.
All Eddard could do was endure.
He missed Catelyn.
He missed Sansa.
Arya.
Robb.
Bran.
Rickon.
He prayed someone would eventually find him.
---
"Lord Eddard."
A familiar voice called softly.
Eddard slowly opened his eyes.
Standing before him...
Was Ser Barristan Selmy.
His white hair had grown longer.
His back remained perfectly straight.
His white armor gleamed like polished ice.
His cloak flowed behind him.
"Ser Barristan..."
Eddard stared blankly.
"Is this..."
"The afterlife?"
Barristan smiled gently.
"No."
He opened the curtains.
Warm sunlight poured into the room.
"This is the Tower of the Hand."
"Varys has been captured."
"And you have been rescued."
Eddard blinked.
"The war..."
"We won."
Barristan nodded.
"We won the Battle of King's Landing."
"Joffrey died during the riots."
"I came to see you before anyone else."
"Once you've recovered..."
"You'll see your family and allies again."
"Jon Snow."
"Roose Bolton."
Eddard quietly repeated their names.
"Jon..."
"Roose..."
It felt unreal.
After a long silence, he asked,
"Who commanded the army?"
"His Highness Gendry commanded the land forces."
"Lord Stannis commanded the fleet."
"I fought beside them."
"So did Bronze Yohn."
"Lord Mace Tyrell also brought the armies of the Reach."
"Our enemies weren't only the Lannisters."
"Volantis and Slaver's Bay sent a massive army across the Narrow Sea."
"Your son and your goodbrother cut the Lannisters' western supply lines."
"While the eastern front decided the war..."
"Their contributions were indispensable."
"Volantis..."
Eddard whispered.
The scale of the conflict suddenly became clear.
Barristan's expression darkened.
"The North now faces another crisis."
"Balon Greyjoy has rebelled once again."
Pain crossed Eddard's face.
"Balon..."
"And Theon?"
"He escaped."
"He fled Seagard and returned to the Iron Islands."
Eddard lowered his eyes.
"So..."
"He never truly forgot that he was Robert's hostage..."
After a long silence, he sighed.
"It seems..."
"I've missed an entire lifetime."
Barristan nodded.
"Many people are gone."
"Jaime Lannister lost a hand and was terribly disfigured."
"Joffrey is dead."
"Lysa Arryn."
"Petyr Baelish."
"Rickard Karstark."
"Several members of House Frey."
"All dead."
"Tyrion."
"Old Walder Frey."
"Grand Maester Pycelle."
"And now Varys..."
"All prisoners."
"Renly proclaimed himself king."
"He failed."
"And has been sent to the Wall."
Eddard's eyes widened.
"So many..."
"So many are gone..."
Barristan nodded slowly.
"After your imprisonment..."
"The wars never stopped."
"His Highness Gendry gathered forces from the Vale and Crackclaw Point."
"We liberated the Riverlands."
"Defeated Jaime."
"Relieved Riverrun."
"Freed the Vale."
"Won Storm's End."
"Then came Blackwater..."
"And finally..."
"King's Landing."
Eddard sighed heavily.
"It feels as though I merely slept..."
"And when I awoke..."
"The entire world had changed."
"Robert is gone."
"Three kings have already fallen."
He looked toward the window.
"I truly left everything in your hands."
"Robert's brothers remained at Dragonstone and Storm's End."
"His eldest son commanded armies across the Narrow Sea."
"I sent my own men after Gregor Clegane."
"I trusted Catelyn to rally the North..."
"The Riverlands..."
"And the Vale."
Barristan smiled faintly.
"It happened almost exactly as you hoped."
"There was simply..."
"Only one true protagonist."
---
Barristan continued,
"You should consider yourself fortunate."
"Lady Sansa has been rescued."
"She's safe with her mother."
"As for Lady Arya..."
"We still haven't found her."
"But she's a strong child."
"I'm certain she's alive."
"You should rest."
"If your recovery goes well..."
"You'll witness both the coronation and the royal wedding."
"His Highness Gendry will be crowned."
"And he'll marry his beautiful fiancée."
"The union of House Baratheon and the True Dragon."
"It will be one of the greatest celebrations in Westerosi history."
Eddard nodded quietly.
"And the Small Council?"
Barristan answered,
"Lord Stannis serves as Hand."
"Lord Mace Tyrell is Master of Coin."
"Bronze Yohn is Master of Laws."
"Ser Selwyn serves as Master of Whisperers."
"I remain Lord Commander of the Kingsguard."
"And there are many capable advisors besides."
Eddard finally smiled.
"New faces."
"Good."
"At least..."
"The council is filled with honorable men."
"No Lannisters."
"No flatterers."
"I'll finally be able to sleep peacefully."
Barristan hesitated.
"According to King Robert's will..."
"You are still entitled to serve as Regent and Protector of the Realm."
Eddard answered without hesitation.
"I decline."
"Robert entrusted me with that responsibility because we were brothers."
"I return it now..."
"Out of gratitude for that friendship."
"Gendry should govern with his own hands."
"He already has Lord Stannis."
"And you."
"He has no need for me."
"My place..."
"Is not here."
"It's in the North."
"At Winterfell."
Barristan looked genuinely surprised.
"You refuse?"
Eddard smiled wearily.
"I miss the North."
"Winter is coming."
"My people need me."
"The Ironborn threaten our shores."
"The wildlings gather beyond the Wall."
"I should never have remained in King's Landing for so long."
"I came only because Robert asked..."
"And because Catelyn persuaded me."
"The game is over."
"The politics of the South..."
"Were never meant for a Stark."
"If a Stark must enter this game..."
"He should come quickly..."
"And leave just as quickly."
Barristan slowly nodded.
It was the wisest decision.
A powerful king had no need for a regent.
Especially one like Gendry.
His authority was already absolute.
Keeping a Regent would only create unnecessary conflict.
Eddard had made up his mind.
He would never again reach for such glittering positions.
They were beautiful...
Like blooming roses.
But hidden beneath every petal...
Were thorns sharp enough to draw blood.
Advance Chapters avilable on patreon (Obito_uchiha)