He then considered other families that might have conspired to murder Joffrey. Prince Oberyn of Dorne, who harbored a deep hatred for the Lannisters and was a master of poisons, was a strong suspect.
The Queen of Thorns of Highgarden might also have preferred Margaery to marry Tommen instead of Joffrey.
As for himself, though he detested his nephew and had even slapped him a few times, he had never considered killing him.
Just as he was analyzing the possibilities, the cell door suddenly burst open. The tall, handsome Jaime, Valyrian steel sword at his hip, strode in.
That longsword had been forged from the melted remains of Ice, the ancestral blade of House Stark of Winterfell. Tywin had scoured the continent to find Tobho, a blacksmith capable of working with Valyrian steel, and split Ice into two: a greatsword for his son Jaime and a smaller sword for King Joffrey.
Tywin had long regretted his family's lack of a Valyrian sword. After killing Eddard and seizing Ice, he had finally achieved his desire.
"Cersei and Father plan to try you for the murder of the king," Jaime said, looking at Tyrion, whose hair was disheveled and beard untrimmed.
"They know I wouldn't kill Joffrey!" Tyrion retorted, his mismatched eyes blazing with fury.
"I told them that, but they wouldn't listen," Jaime said helplessly.
Hearing this, Tyrion gnashed his teeth in hatred. "They've always wanted me dead. Now that they've found an excuse, they won't let it pass."
He then recalled what his father, Tywin, had told him recently when he'd asked for a reward.
It was laughable that he had once aspired to reclaim his position at the center of power in King's Landing through his status as Minister of Finance. He had scrambled to raise gold for Joffrey's wedding, only to end up in a dungeon.
"Sansa has left King's Landing. We don't know where she's gone," Jaime said, dropping another bombshell that shocked Tyrion.
"Sansa's gone?" Tyrion's heart sank. Joffrey had just died, and now Sansa had vanished. It was impossible not to connect the two. As his husband and the man who had poisoned Joffrey's wine, Tyrion knew the suspicion would be impossible to shake.
"I'll ask Father to show you mercy. Don't worry too much," Jaime said, seeing the despair on Tyrion's face.
Tyrion held little hope for Jaime's words. If his father could be so easily persuaded, he wouldn't be Tywin Lannister.
His father would be delighted to see the shame of the Lannister family disappear before his eyes. How could he pass up such an opportunity? Tyrion could already picture his trial.
And Shae... He was locked away in the dungeon. He didn't know what had become of her. Tyrion worried more about Shae's safety than Sansa's. Without him to protect her, his sister Cersei would surely move against her. He wondered if Varys had managed to persuade her to flee.
Seeing Tyrion lost in thought, Jaime patted his shoulder and told him to wait for news before leaving the dungeon.
***
Varys arrived at Flea Bottom the same day Drogon left. On his way, he received a message from Littlebird in Yunkai, informing him that Queen Daenerys intended to establish an Academy.
Unlike the Citadel, joining this Academy required no oaths. Any man, woman, or child—noble or commoner—who met the entry requirements could enroll.
Varys was astonished that Daenerys, once a timid and frail Targaryen princess, possessed such boldness. He felt as though he saw hope for realizing his ideals in her, which made his stout body move with renewed vigor.
The only regret in Littlebird's message was the continued lack of news about the mysterious figure. Daenerys remained surrounded by her usual companions—Jorah, Baristan, and the others—with Daario being the only addition.
Based on Varys's understanding of these individuals, none of them could be the mysterious figure who inspired both his fear and admiration.
After carefully taking Drogon's message, he returned to his residence before unfolding it. He was startled to discover that the mastermind behind Joffrey's poisoning was none other than the Queen of Thorns Olenna and Littlefinger Petyr.
During their previous conversation, Varys had warned Olenna about Petyr's treacherous nature. He couldn't believe she would still collaborate with him.
Holding the letter, Varys fell into deep thought. The Queen of Thorns Olenna had poisoned Joffrey for a simple reason: she didn't want her granddaughter to marry that volatile, inbred product of incest.
After Joffrey's death, the young King Tommen would marry Little Rose Margaery. Everyone knew that Tommen, as both a king and a husband, was several times better than Joffrey.
As for why Littlefinger Petyr had conspired to kill Joffrey, Varys didn't want to guess, yet he couldn't help but try. He truly loathed dealing with this greatest schemer in the Seven Kingdoms.
From the moment Eddard arrived in King's Landing, Varys had been secretly watching Littlefinger's every move. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that he had single-handedly orchestrated the War of the Five Kings.
Just as others didn't know Varys's true purpose, he likewise couldn't fathom the ultimate goal behind Littlefinger's series of actions.
His shadow loomed over most conspiracies in King's Landing. The scheme against House Stark of Winterfell could be attributed to his inability to win Catelyn's heart. In his vengeful fury, he would stop at nothing to ignite a civil war across the Seven Kingdoms.
But what was the reason for this latest conspiracy with the Queen of Thorns to poison Joffrey?
He had seen Littlefinger gazing quietly at the Iron Throne several times. Could his true ambition be the throne itself?
But how could that be? Though he held the position of Minister of Finance and sat on the Small Council, his true background and connections weren't much stronger than Varys's—he just had one crucial advantage.
Even if the Seven Kingdoms descended into chaos and the great noble houses clashed violently, it would never fall to Petyr to claim the Iron Throne.
The rulers of the Seven Kingdoms had always been those with the strongest fists, but they were invariably from ancient noble houses with millennia-old lineages. Even if Petyr raised an army, the great houses would never submit to a lord from a small island.
Just as Varys had always wished to establish a peaceful realm where his people could live in prosperity, he had never considered claiming the Iron Throne himself. He knew it was impossible, and so he had always sought a wise and virtuous ruler who could realize his ideals.
Regardless of Petyr's motives for plotting to poison Joffrey, this information was a valuable bargaining chip against him, and Varys would exploit it to the fullest.
With Riverrun under siege, Petyr's taking Sansa would never lead them to Riverrun itself. They had likely gone to the Eyrie in the Vale. But what was his purpose in taking Sansa? Varys frowned deeply.
***
Yunkai was only half the distance from Astapor as it was from Meereen, yet the journey took just as long.
The route consisted mostly of narrow mountain paths, forcing the nearly ten thousand-strong army to march in three columns. Although over thirty large ships from Astapor had arrived in Yunkai after the rebellion was quelled, this fleet, combined with Yunkai's own twenty vessels, still proved insufficient for the army's needs.
Each ship could carry only one hundred soldiers, in addition to its crew.
When Drogon returned to the army, they were traversing a mountain path. The ten thousand-strong force stretched five to six kilometers long, with some sections so treacherous that even cavalry struggled to pass.
The center of the army, burdened with supplies and equipment, fared even worse. Some catapults required over a dozen men working together to move them.
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