That same night, inside the Red Keep.
A figure wrapped in a black cloak moved like a ghost, slipping past the patrolling guards with practiced ease. He reached an empty chamber, ran his fingers along the wall beside the hearth, and pressed a hidden catch. A soft grind of gears sounded as a section of stone slid aside, revealing a pitch-black opening.
The cloaked man stepped through. The wall sealed itself behind him without a trace.
Inside the tunnel he struck a flint and lit a torch. Orange firelight flickered across the damp stone walls and worn steps as he moved deeper, footsteps almost silent.
Long ago, after the main structure of the Red Keep was complete, Maegor the Cruel had secretly hired masons to carve out an invisible web of escape routes and spy passages beneath the castle's foundations, walls, and towers. When the work was finished, Maegor had every man who knew about the tunnels executed. Only a handful of people in the entire realm even suspected the passages existed.
Fewer still could navigate the maze, avoid every trap, and find the right path in the dark.
The cloaked figure moved confidently through the twisting corridors until he reached a wider underground chamber. Someone was already waiting there, hooded and cloaked, face hidden in shadow.
"We just met a couple of days ago," the waiting man said. "Why call me here again? Has something happened?"
The newcomer planted his torch in a wall sconce and pushed back his hood, revealing a smooth, gleaming bald head.
It was Varys.
He kept his voice low. "Robert is sending someone across the Narrow Sea to kill those two children."
The shadowed figure shrugged. "It's not the first time. My people are already watching over them. Robert's assassins will never get close."
Varys shook his head. "That's not what worries me. This time the man he chose is… interesting. And I've already built a solid relationship with him."
"You seem to think highly of this one," the shadow said, curious.
Varys nodded. "The man is none other than Neo Presto—the same foreigner who stole the show at the tourney."
"Him? He's certainly skilled with a blade. But can he be trusted? I heard he's become one of Robert's favorites."
Varys's eyes narrowed with quiet confidence. "Robert does favor him. But today the king made a foolish move that may have driven a wedge between them."
He quickly recounted the poisoning attempt on Leo, how Robert had learned the truth, and how the king had chosen to bury it. He also described Leo's calm reaction.
"I may have given the situation a little… nudge," Varys added with a small smile. "I believe Ser Neo now harbors some resentment toward Robert."
He continued, "I also hold leverage over him—I helped cover up his background. He trusts me."
"So what do you intend to do?" the shadowed man asked.
Varys smiled. "Once he reaches Essos, I want him to meet the children. We'll see how he reacts."
"That's too dangerous!" the other man hissed. "You said yourself those two could be valuable later. What if this Neo is truly loyal and tries to kill them?"
"Simple." Varys chuckled softly. "The Free Cities are full of Valyrian-blooded people. Finding a silver-haired boy and girl with purple eyes isn't hard. How would Neo know the difference?"
"Use decoys to test him first?" The shadowed figure's eyes brightened.
"Exactly." Varys kept his voice low. "He's a foreigner with no ties to any Westerosi faction. His fighting ability is excellent. If we can pull him to our side, he would be a tremendous asset for our future plans."
"Agreed. We'll do it your way."
Varys nodded. "I'll recommend he sail on your ship. You can get to know him on the voyage and start building your own relationship."
"No problem. I was heading back soon anyway. I'll test him myself." The man in the shadows paused, then asked, "By the way… did you ever find out who really poisoned him?"
Varys's tone turned silky. "The minor noble was the one who carried it out. Littlefinger played a small part. But the true mastermind behind it was someone else…"
He whispered a name. The shadowed figure startled. "Him? I never would have guessed…"
With their business finished, the two men exchanged a few more pieces of information, then slipped away in opposite directions through the dark tunnels.
The man who had been waiting moved through the passages with the same easy familiarity as Varys. After a series of turns he emerged from a hidden exit onto a small, rocky beach at the base of the steep cliffs below the Red Keep. Almost no one ever came here.
Moonlight washed over his face as he stepped out.
He was fat, with golden hair and a forked beard—Illyrio Mopatis, one of the magisters of Pentos and a wealthy merchant prince from across the Narrow Sea.
Many years earlier, Illyrio had been a poor sellsword surviving by the blade. He met the young Varys, and the two formed a deep partnership. With Varys's talent for secrets and Illyrio's growing fortune, they lifted each other up until both stood at the pinnacle of power—Varys as Master of Whisperers in King's Landing, Illyrio as one of the richest and most influential men in the Free Cities.
Over time their ambitions had grown even larger than their wealth.
They were not satisfied with what they already had. They wanted more.
So they had begun weaving a grand, secret plan—one that could carry them to the very top of the game of thrones.
Even the two Targaryen children Robert feared so much had been located by Varys long ago. He had never reported their whereabouts to the king. Like the ancient merchant-prince Lü Buwei of legend, Varys saw them as "priceless goods" worth keeping in reserve.
Now Robert had once again ordered their deaths, and this time he had chosen Neo Presto to carry out the mission.
To Varys, it was the perfect opportunity to test the foreigner… and perhaps recruit him.
Leo had not even set sail yet, and he was already being watched by the two most dangerous schemers in the known world.