This morning's breakfast was a thick vegetable broth, soft bread, and a thick slice of roasted venison. The servant set the tray down and bowed out of the tent without a word.
"Go catch me a dog or a chicken—any animal, doesn't matter," Leo ordered.
Varyn caught on instantly. His eyes widened at the untouched food on the table. "You don't think… they actually…"
Leo's mouth twisted. "Back home we have a saying: better safe than sorry. Go. Fast and quiet—no one sees you."
"Yes, my lord!"
Varyn slipped out and returned minutes later with a filthy little stray dog tucked under his arm.
"You do it."
Leo sat back on the bed and jerked his chin at the table. Varyn grabbed a plate, poured some broth onto it, sliced off a small chunk of venison, and set the plate in front of the dog.
The stray dove in, wolfing everything down and licking the plate spotless. Then it looked up at Varyn and barked for more.
Varyn didn't feed it again. He just waited.
"My lord—look! Monkshood!"
A moment later Varyn's voice dropped to an angry hiss.
The dog started retching. Its whole body shook. Painful whimpers filled the tent.
"Those rotten bastards put poison in your breakfast!"
Varyn's fists were clenched so tight his knuckles were white.
"Will monkshood kill me?" Leo's eyes narrowed, fury burning behind them.
"Small dose just causes vomiting, gut pain, cramps… The taste is bitter, so a lethal amount is hard to hide. Not the best poison for murder." Varyn knelt beside the dog, checking its symptoms. "From what I'm seeing, it's a light dose…"
Leo understood. The poisoner didn't want him dead—just sick enough to humiliate him in the final. If they'd meant to kill him, the dog would be a lot worse off than this.
Still, a cold chill ran down his spine.
His white stallion had definitely been dosed too. If he'd ridden it into the lists, he would've made a complete fool of himself in front of the entire kingdom.
Everyone knew a knight's mount could make or break him in a joust. Even if he discovered the sabotage, there was no time to find a new horse he trusted. Rider and mount needed months of practice to move as one. A strange horse would ruin his performance.
And they'd poisoned his food on top of it.
Their hearts deserve death.
The goal was crystal clear: make sure he lost today's championship.
He'd dodged it this time, but what about next time?
In the story he remembered, even King Joffrey died from a poison called the Strangler. If people were willing to kill a king for the right price, what chance did a foreign upstart like him have?
The thought hit him hard—real fear mixed with rage he couldn't swallow.
All of this over one tourney and some gambling bets.
What would happen when he actually threatened real power?
This was the Game of Thrones. Once he grew strong enough, certain people would try to remove him without a second thought.
He was damn lucky Varyn had spotted the hay in the trough and made him suspicious of breakfast. Otherwise he would've ridden out there and embarrassed himself in front of Robert and every lord in Westeros.
From now on he had to treat every meal, every decision, every step like it could be his last.
"Varyn!"
"Here, my lord."
"Thank you."
Leo walked over, gripped Varyn's shoulders with both hands, and looked him straight in the eye.
"You saved me again. From now on, you're my brother."
"My lord… you… you don't have to—"
"I mean it." Leo's gratitude was real, and he was grateful he'd picked the right man back in the Kingswood. "Once I have the proper rank, I'll strip that 'Storm' name off you. Would you take mine instead? Become a Presto?"
"My lord…? You… I…"
Varyn's eyes reddened. He couldn't even form a full sentence.
No one had ever offered him anything like this. And now the lord he'd already sworn his life to was willing to give him the family name?
It meant he would stop being just another bastard everyone looked down on.
He would be a true member of a noble house.
"Varyn, I just need a yes or no."
"Of course I'm willing!"
Varyn dropped to one knee again. "My lord, I already decided my life belongs to you. Any order you give, I'll carry out with everything I have."
"As for this honor… it's too much. I never dreamed I could become part of a great house like yours…"
"Stop with the 'too much.'" Leo pulled him up, smiling. "From now on you never kneel to me again. In my eyes, you're family."
"Once I have the rank and power to make it official, I'll announce it to the whole realm. For now… I'm afraid you'll have to keep it quiet a little longer."
"My lord… I can never repay this kindness. The only thing I can offer is my life."
Varyn's face was flushed with excitement, his eyes shining with new resolve. His body tried to kneel again out of habit.
"Enough of that." Leo steadied him, then pointed at the still-vomiting dog. "Clean this up. Save the breakfast exactly as it is—I'll show it to the king later."
"And take two men. Grab the servant who brought the tray. Do it quietly. No one notices."
"Understood!"
Varyn got to work immediately.
Leo sat back down, thinking. A cold, dangerous smile slowly spread across his face.