The True Dragon Emperor

Littlefinger is dangerous, and so is Varys.

But they were very useful in the palace, extremely useful.

Tyrion tried everything he could, but still couldn't figure out how to restore the Iron Throne's former prosperity.

Today's income has shrunk to one-tenth of what it was back in the Littlefinger era.

Varys goes without saying; his intelligence network covers the Seven Kingdoms. Compared to that, Littlefinger's small market is like a small wight meeting a giant White Walker.

The people Cersei raised didn't even qualify for comparison.

But Joffrey is about to go to war.

It may be a long time before I leave King's Landing.

He couldn't let a spider slowly spin its web in the city while he was away fighting.

Even if he pledged allegiance immediately upon Joffrey's accession, even if he had done his best in the previous war, even if he had not made any mistakes during that time.

Joffrey also wants to get rid of him completely.

Having learned his lesson from Littlefinger, Joffrey understood that one cannot be greedy when dealing with such people; the more you plan, the easier it is to make mistakes.

So the final method is very simple.

The king has something to discuss; let's have a meal together.

Varis walked in happily.

The hunting dog covered the mouth from behind, struck the neck, and knocked the dog down on the spot.

They stuffed a sack into the dark cell, transported it to a dark cell, and tied it to a chair.

Live together.

Joffrey had already completely emptied the dark dungeons deep within the Red Keep several days ago.

There were no jailers, no prisoners, only the deathly silent stone walls and flickering candlelight.

The hounds were hidden in the shadows, silently guarding the only exit.

Silence, like the dampness from underground, slowly seeps up.

Finally, Varis spoke first.

"Hehehe... Your Majesty has really chosen a good place." His voice was still soft, but it lacked its usual smoothness.

"This servant really thought I was invited to dinner."

Joffrey did not respond.

Varys waited a while, and the smile on his face began to freeze.

"Your Majesty...aren't you going to ask anything?"

Joffrey remained silent, wanting Varys to speak first.

Because he really wanted to ask something, but now he didn't know what to ask.

Varys closed his eyes and thought for a while.

When he opened his eyes again, a hint of relief was on his face: "The assassin was indeed one of my men."

Joffrey's expression darkened.

Which assassin?

"Robert takes anyone into the team; it's as easy as stuffing a few people in."

"He also stuffed several little fingers in, but unfortunately he didn't hide them as well as I did."

Bran.

Joffrey remembered.

"A child far away in the North," he began slowly. "Why do you perceive him as a threat?"

"He poses no threat to anyone, Your Majesty," Varys spat out a mouthful of blood. "Killing him is to help you."

"help me?"

"I see your hostility toward Littlefinger perfectly well," Varys smiled.

"A person like him, in order to climb the ladder, would drag the entire continent into the deepest hell."

"You want to get rid of him, and I want to get rid of him too."

“But you know perfectly well that the Lannisters and Starks are not on good terms,” Joffrey disagreed. “This will only stir up trouble between the two families.”

“I didn’t instruct him to do that,” Varys argued. “I told him to act according to the situation.”

"But he chose the most dangerous way, and that's why he lost his life."

"Your Majesty, you know that Littlefinger is a man who loves to take advantage of any opportunity. A dagger that used to belong to him, and now a dagger that belongs to the King."

"What kind of lies could he possibly come up with? Even the servant's burned-out penis could guess it."

Joffrey remained silent for a moment.

"Are you telling me this now to beg for your life?"

Varys looked up, his eyes filled with nothing but exhaustion.

"Your Majesty, will my pleading do any good?"

"I just want to know how I lost and who betrayed me."

Joffrey remained silent for a while.

How would I know who betrayed you? I just know you're bad.

So, to prevent any trouble, they arrested you in advance.

In the end, he simply put on a mysterious expression.

"The dragon is a symbol of emperors."

"I have found the true master to whom you serve."

After hearing this, Varys's expression changed twice.

"Dragon." He repeated the word.

"Daenerys Targaryen."

"The storm is born, the one who does not burn, the mother of dragons."

"The true dragon has returned, Your Majesty. Do you know what this means?"

Joffrey shook his head.

"She's just a little girl. By the time her three dragons were old enough to ride, more than a decade had passed."

"You've never even met her, so why do you think she's necessarily better than me?"

Varys also shook his head.

"A strong person is not necessarily a good king."

"King Aerys was very strong; he burned countless lives, yet no one dared to defy him."

"King Robert was stronger; he instigated the War of the Usurper, which ended the Targaryen dynasty."

"But were they good kings?"

Varys looked up, and the candlelight behind Joffrey flickered in his eyes.

"When the strong and the wicked gain power, the good people die. When the good people who are not strong gain power, the good people still die."

"I've seen too many tragedies: madness, war, famine..."

"Every change of power results in the deaths of ordinary people."

"So I'm looking for someone... someone who can truly bring peace to the seven kingdoms."

Joffrey tapped his knee lightly with his fingers, showing no expression.

"So you chose Daenerys instead of me?"

"Can't I bring peace?"

Varys coughed twice.

"Your Majesty, I did not choose her and abandon you; I simply need time to observe."

"Does Your Majesty know my background? Do you know how I got to this point?" He awkwardly changed the subject.

"An orphan, an apprentice in a theatrical troupe," Joffrey thought for a moment, "whose manhood was bought by a wizard and burned as a spellcasting material."

Varys sighed.

"It seems nothing can be hidden from you, Your Majesty."

"From that day on, I hated magic and all those who practiced magic."

"So I will help you. I want Melisandre dead. I want Stannis dead."

Joffrey pondered for a moment.

"Then why can't you continue to help me? Isn't my behavior considered benevolent?"

Varys smiled.

"Your Majesty, you are a good king."

"Better than the Mad King, better than Robert, better than your father and mother. Better than any king I have ever seen, more wise."

"But the Mad King was also very wise when he was young."

"Who knows if your current wisdom might turn into an even more terrifying madness in the future?"

Joffrey stared at him coldly.

"If I would do this, wouldn't Daenerys do the same? Two sides of the same coin, that's the Targaryen."

Varys did not answer.

"And what about that boy? Won't that boy do the same thing?"

"Little Egan, Little Griffin."

"Red dragon? Black dragon?"

"Rega's son? Or Illyrio's son?"

Varis's face froze.

In that instant, all of Varys's expressions froze.

It wasn't a feigned shock, nor a deliberately staged accident; it was genuine and completely unexpected.

Varys suddenly laughed, like a broken bellows sucking in air.

"Ho, ho, ho, ho..."

Finally, just as Joffrey was wondering why it hadn't stopped yet, he stopped.

"He is young, intelligent, and kind; he will be a good king." Varys' eyes reddened slightly.

"I believe he will be a good king."

"Griffin taught him military strategy, Raleigh taught him martial arts, Sister Lemore taught him faith, and Halton taught him languages ​​and history."

"But your teacher is better than his, and you have more hope than him."

"Robert needs to live to keep the Seven Kingdoms at peace, until he grows up."

"Robert needs to die, throw the Seven Kingdoms into chaos, and return to the throne as the hero who ended the war."

"But Robert didn't die, and you immediately seized the situation."

"I cannot let Stannis sit on the throne, so I will help you."

"But I can't let you end the war so easily."

"Because you will truly become a good king."

Varys's tears flowed down his cheeks.

"Your Majesty, I am so sorry."

"I know your habit; you like to drink alone under the moonlight at night."

"So, for him."

"I'm in the wine in your room."

"Poisoned."