Tyrion Lannister rode out of the Red Keep, escorted by ten Lannister Red Cloaks wearing lion-crested half-helms and deep red cloaks.
Tyrion turned his head to look at his new attendant, a quiet and shy boy.
Tyrion often teased him for fun: "Pod, raise your head, be more imposing, you are the attendant of the Lannister Lion."
Tyrion's new attendant came from a vassal family of Lannister, named Podrick Payne, a distant cousin of the late Ser Ilyn Payne.
Podrick was twelve years old, with a slender build, brown hair, and blue eyes.
Podrick quickly raised his head and puffed out his not-so-sturdy chest, an action that made Tyrion laugh heartily.
The laughter made Podrick somewhat flustered, and he could only maintain his "imposing" posture.
Tyrion suppressed his laughter and pretended to be serious: "That's enough, look sharp, my attendant."
Podrick stammered a bit when he spoke: "Yes, Prime Minister."
Tyrion turned his head and glanced at the Red Cloaks following behind him, saying: "Pod, come closer."
"Yes, Prime Minister," Podrick lightly kicked his horse's flank and rode abreast with Tyrion.
Tyrion slightly lowered his voice: "Pod, have you found any good swordsmen?"
Podrick also lowered his voice: "Prime Minister, I found a few, and one of them is very skilled, but I'm a bit uneasy about that person."
Tyrion again lowered his voice: "How so?"
Podrick whispered: "I... I think he only cares about gold, he... he... he has no sense of honor."
Tyrion was intentionally teasing the boy, and he cackled: "Don't be so quiet, my attendant."
Tyrion wanted to pat the stunned boy's shoulder to encourage him, but found... he couldn't quite reach... so he snapped his fingers.
"Pod, well done, I like realistic people. Gold is a good thing, I love my father, praise Lannister."
Tyrion had specifically brought the ten guards Jaime left him today; the new Prime Minister's purpose today was to inspect King's Landing.
...
After the last riot in King's Landing, Gold Cloaks in pairs were everywhere, patrolling the streets and alleys in black chainmail, their iron rods never leaving their hands.
The streets of King's Landing were usually bustling with people and horses, but now they seemed desolate.
The market was full of ragged people selling their possessions; they would sell if someone offered a price... but there were almost no farmers selling meat and vegetables, and the few stalls that did display food charged three times last year's prices.
Tyrion led his attendant and the Red Cloak guards on an inspection tour, his expression growing heavier. The new Prime Minister realized that King's Landing's food crisis was already quite severe; if it couldn't be resolved quickly, the next riot wouldn't be far off, and its scale would only be larger.
"Fresh rats! Fresh rats!" a peddler shouted along the street, selling roasted rats skewered on a fork.
Every shop door on Flour Street had guards standing by; in King's Landing now... the price of a Sellsword was cheaper than bread.
Tyrion frowned, shifting uneasily in his saddle... The food crisis had to be resolved quickly, or Lannister would soon be torn apart by the starving populace.
...
In front of a small tavern, Varys stood with his arms folded, a gentle smile on his lips.
Tyrion stopped his horse, then dismounted with the help of his attendant.
"Lord Varys..."
Tyrion looked up and surveyed the unpretentiously decorated small tavern, continuing: "I didn't expect to meet you here... Are you waiting for me?"
Varys nodded slightly: "My dear Prime Minister, it's a pleasure to see you. Please forgive any intrusion."
Tyrion grinned: "Care for a couple of drinks with me?"
Varys nodded again: "It would be an honor."
...
Inside the tavern, after Tyrion climbed onto a chair and sat down, Varys first bowed slightly before slowly taking his seat.
"Has Lord Varys brought good news?" Tyrion said, swirling the wine in his cup.
Tyrion smiled, but inwardly he was wary of the Master of Whispers who knew his movements.
"Lord Tyrion, lately my little birds have only brought bad news, alas!"
He paused, then continued: "It truly saddens me... It's very difficult for me to please the Queen Regent now, which deeply troubles me."
Tyrion grinned: "Perhaps you haven't found the right method."
Varys was slightly stunned, then his face broke into a wide smile: "You and the Queen are siblings, so naturally you understand each other more. I am merely a timid servant, and daring to guess the preferences of great figures is a crime in itself."
"A crime?"
Tyrion took a sip of wine while observing the smiling Varys.
"I once secretly wished for my kind father to die, and I've had similar thoughts about my sister, I mean our beautiful and gentle Queen Regent. Lord Varys, is that a crime?"
As Tyrion's words fell, Varys frantically looked left and right in fright. Seeing no one else, he let out a breath.
Tyrion laughed happily: "Lord Varys, you are too cautious, I was just joking. The Lannister are a loving family, everyone knows that."
Tyrion kept joking, but he secretly observed Varys's expression.
Varys's face was still very pale: "My Prime Minister, please don't joke with me..."
Varys was still shaken; he patted his rapidly beating chest and added: "I served the Mad King and Robert I, and it took me a long time to finally realize that common people should never reason with great figures... So, caution is the safest way to preserve one's life."
Tyrion chuckled: "Hmm, my little chicken tells me that's good advice."
Varys sighed helplessly: "Be more careful when you go out, my Prime Minister! The current situation is chaotic, King's Landing isn't very safe lately, outlaws are rampant, their swords are cold, and their hearts are even colder."
Tyrion understood Varys's meaning; today it was the harmless Varys who sought him out, but others could certainly come knocking with swords in hand.
Tyrion winked one eye and said: "My sister loves me very much, because I am now her Prime Minister... Hmm, the Queen Regent's errand-boy Prime Minister."
Varys said seriously: "Lord Tyrion, my little birds told me that after you left yesterday, Queen Cersei summoned Lord Kleber."
Tyrion's eyes flickered, and he scratched his head in annoyance: "My sister is truly simple and straightforward..."
Tyrion was reflecting... Many times, his mouth was faster than his brain, and he really needed to change that habit.
A slight smile appeared on Varys's plump face: "Queen Cersei trusts Lord Kleber greatly; she feels more at ease with the Gold Cloaks in his hands."
Tyrion picked up the wine jug; his entire small body almost had to lean over the table to pour wine for Varys.
As he poured, he said: "Lord Varys, do you have a solution?"
Varys shook his head slightly, his smile deepening: "Lord Tyrion, do you think the Queen controls King's Landing with the 6,000 swords of the Gold Cloaks?"
Tyrion propped himself up with one hand, holding the wine jug with the other, and clumsily sat back down in his chair.
He poured wine into his own glass, his eyes downcast.
Tyrion put down the wine jug, stopped his thoughts, and said with a smile: "Lord Varys, do you have a different perspective?"
Varys picked up his wine glass, took a small sip, and said: "Besides the 6,000 Gold Cloaks, King's Landing also has 2,000 of Cleber's Blue Cloaks."
He paused, then remarked with emotion: "The Lioness possesses extraordinary courage, truly admirable."
Tyrion was actually feeling anxious inside, but on the surface, he appeared confident, grinning: "It seems I've misunderstood the direction for solving things."
Varys's voice contained a hint of concern: "Lord Kleber possesses a knight's compassion, but his most commendable quality is loyalty. Since things have come to this, you are already the Hand of the King envied by everyone, and therefore I want to advise you to act cautiously. You are, after all, Queen Cersei's brother, and I believe she will not make things overly difficult for you."
Tyrion shrugged; he had considered simply dealing with the Prime Minister's duties casually, but he was truly eager... To prove his ability to his father? To become the Dwarf hero who saves the kingdom? To shut the mouths of all who mocked him? There were many other reasons.
Tyrion scoffed inwardly, perhaps he just wanted to taste the flavor of power.
Tyrion swirled the wine in his glass, his tone becoming serious: "Lord Varys, thank you for your reminder, a Lannister always pays his debts."
Varys shook his head slightly: "Actually, I did nothing, and I dare not do much. I only hope that rare good people can have a slightly better time."
Having said that, he sighed softly.
Varys rose from his chair: "Prime Minister, I shall take my leave."
After leaving the chair, Varys rubbed his powdered hands and said: "Lord Tyrion, before I go, may I pose a riddle to you?"
Without waiting for Tyrion's answer, he began: "Three great men sit in a room: a king, a priest, and a rich man. A Sellsword stands among them, a man of humble birth and mediocre talent. Each great man commands him to kill the other two. The King says... 'I am your lawful king, I command you to kill them.' The Priest says... 'In the name of the gods above, I demand you kill them.' The Rich Man says... 'Kill them, and all my gold and jewels are yours.' You tell me... who lives and who dies?"
Having finished, Varys nodded slightly, and hurried out of the tavern in his soft-soled slippers.
Tyrion leaned back in his chair and took a sip of wine.
The riddle was easy to guess... The one with the sword kills whoever he wants; the great men could all die, but the one with the sword would not.
Tyrion stared at the wine in his glass... Varys's kindness came suddenly, yet subtly.
What was Varys planning?
Did Varys want to tell him that they could become allies?
Tyrion felt that Varys was definitely not as timid as he appeared... He had served the Mad King and Robert, and was now still serving the new King as a powerful minister... The eunuch was not simple.
None of that mattered; he was currently weak and desperately needed to win over people who could stand on his side.
Tyrion took a sip of wine... He wasn't in a position to be picky yet; now it was only about whether someone was worth winning over, or if they could be won over by him.
...
Bang, bang, bang!
The sudden noise not only interrupted Tyrion's thoughts but also startled him.
Was that the sound of a window closing?! Tyrion grabbed the back of the chair, standing entirely on its seat.
The candlelight flickered, and the tavern became somewhat dim. Only then did Tyrion realize he was alone.
Tyrion didn't hesitate for a moment; his guards were outside, and he had to reunite with them as quickly as possible.
Tap ~ tap ~ tap ~ tap ~ As footsteps approached, a tall figure gradually became clear in Tyrion's line of sight.
Tyrion's eyes widened slightly: "Green?"
Tyrion sat back down in his chair. The person sitting opposite him, who had been Varys just now, had turned into Green.
Green spread his hands and said: "Prime Minister Tyrion, doesn't it seem like Varys deliberately led you here?"
Tyrion's expression was serious: "Where are my little attendant and guards?"
Green slowly raised one hand and made a throat-slitting gesture.
Tyrion's gaze sharpened; he stared at Green, whose expression remained unchanged. The two exchanged glances, and the atmosphere was heavy.
After a moment of silence, Tyrion narrowed his eyes slightly and said, word by word: "Green, has Cersei slept with you?"
The heavy atmosphere was instantly broken, and Green threw his head back and laughed.
Tyrion grinned: "If you don't mind, tell me every single detail, one by one."
Green rubbed his ink-black hair and said helplessly: "No wonder Queen Cersei always wants to hang your head on the city walls."
Tyrion first let out a hearty laugh, then said seriously: "Green, I'm sorry, my mouth sometimes likes to get ahead of my brain... Hmm, especially in front of my dear sister."
Green's long fingers tapped lightly on the table: "Tyrion, in the name of the Queen Regent, I have some questions for you."
Tyrion said with a smile: "Hey, I haven't done anything to displease my sister. Her brother is well-behaved and obedient; she's definitely a lucky sister."
Green prompted: "The Mountain's head."
Tyrion's smile froze; he thought for a moment, then suddenly said: "You guessed that?"
Green nodded slightly.
Tyrion scratched his hair, complaining: "Green, I hate your cleverness."
He paused in his action, then added: "What did you guess?"
Green's eyes were smiling: "The marriage alliance."
Tyrion's voice held a hint of expectation: "Cersei shouldn't know, right?"
Green shrugged: "In the name of the Queen Regent, I am kindly interrogating you."
Tyrion leaned back weakly in his chair, holding his forehead, and said: "I can explain... My dearest sister... I was doing it for..."
Tyrion suddenly straightened up, gripping the table with both hands, and said: "What else did you tell my beautiful, charming, gentle, and kind sister Cersei?"