Cersei had also noticed that, after her father's death, the great lords were becoming restless. Even the troops serving under her father outside Riverrun showed signs of wavering loyalty.
With no other choice, Cersei asked her uncle Kevan, whose prestige was second only to Tywin's among the Lannisters, to serve as Hand of the King and stabilize King's Landing.
However, Uncle Kevan had little regard for his niece.
The rumors surrounding her relationship with Jaime had brought shame upon House Lannister, and she had allowed her monstrous son, King Joffrey, to act however he pleased.
Kevan believed that Cersei's actions were responsible for turning the Lannisters' once-dominant position into the current mess, and he refused her request.
He declared that he would only agree to become Hand if Cersei restored her betrothal to the Knight of Flowers, Loras Tyrell.
Having finally escaped the control of her overbearing father and canceled the marriage arrangement with Loras, Cersei was unwilling to accept her uncle's condition.
The two sides reached a stalemate. Jaime stepped in to mediate, but Kevan still refused to serve as Hand and spend his days dealing with Cersei as regent queen.
For the sake of the family, however, he eventually compromised and agreed to take command of the army outside Riverrun. He understood that if the army became unstable, House Lannister would lose its greatest pillar of power in ruling the Seven Kingdoms.
Left with few options, Cersei made a partial concession and appointed Mace Tyrell, father of the young rose Margaery, as Hand of the King, barely managing to reassure the nobles of King's Landing.
While Cersei stewed in resentment over her compromise and her uncle's lack of cooperation, the Queen of Thorns, Olenna Tyrell, sat beneath a grapevine arbor, enjoying wine and conversation with her granddaughter Margaery.
"Once you marry Tommen, you must win his heart as quickly as possible and bear his child. I trust I don't need to teach you how," Olenna said with a smile as she looked at her talented granddaughter.
Margaery blushed.
Tommen was still only a boy who had barely reached an age suitable for fathering children, and the thought made her somewhat uncomfortable.
Olenna noticed her granddaughter's embarrassment but did not press further. She knew Margaery would never go against her wishes, no matter how difficult she found them.
"Keep an eye on Cersei. Even though your father has become Hand of the King, he'll still be manipulated by her and won't be able to help you much. You must make Tommen depend on you and help him mature quickly. Cersei cannot be allowed to monopolize power forever."
As far as Olenna was concerned, the only thing her useless son had ever done right was give her such an excellent granddaughter.
Having been raised under Olenna's guidance, Margaery deeply admired her grandmother's wisdom. She nodded repeatedly and gently clinked her wine cup against Olenna's.
Just as Olenna set down her cup, a maid arrived with news that Varys was requesting an audience outside the estate.
Olenna was surprised.
Why would Varys come to see her now?
Was it because Petyr Baelish had spirited Sansa away?
The thought reminded her of the conversation she had once had with Varys before Joffrey's wedding.
Seeing her grandmother lost in thought after hearing the news, Margaery could not guess what was on her mind.
After pondering for a while without reaching a conclusion, Olenna decided to meet the Master of Whisperers. After all, House Tyrell had few allies in King's Landing.
She motioned for Margaery to leave and sat quietly in the garden pavilion to await Varys's arrival.
While waiting within the estate, Varys saw Margaery approaching him.
He bowed slightly, lowering his head in respect to the future Queen of the Seven Kingdoms.
"Lord Varys, my grandmother is waiting for you in the pavilion," Margaery said, showing him due courtesy.
Varys did not correct her use of "Lord." In fact, he seemed rather pleased by it.
He nodded his thanks and watched her depart before making his way toward Olenna.
As he approached, Olenna greeted him first.
"I never expected someone as busy as Lord Varys to have time to visit an old woman like me."
"Since you are residing in King's Landing, Lady Olenna, it is only natural that I pay my respects," Varys replied with a smile.
"I intend to return peacefully to Highgarden once my granddaughter's wedding is concluded. Thank you for your concern."
Though Olenna wished to cultivate Varys as an ally, she maintained her dignity and spoke neither arrogantly nor submissively.
Varys seemed unbothered. Taking a seat where Margaery had just been sitting, he said:
"You could have returned safely to the prosperity of Highgarden after the last wedding. Why create additional complications?"
Olenna paused, frowning.
"What exactly do you mean, my lord?"
"I seem to recall warning you that Petyr Baelish is an exceptionally dangerous man and that it would be wise to keep your distance. It appears my advice was ignored."
A flicker of alarm crossed Olenna's sharp eyes.
"I'm afraid I still don't understand."
"Given your intelligence, I suspect you understand perfectly well," Varys replied with a faint smile.
Olenna casually glanced around, her expression darkening slightly, but she remained silent.
"Do you intend to harm a harmless man like me, Lady Olenna?" Varys asked, leaning back in his chair and casually surveying the surroundings himself.
"Why would I ever show disrespect toward you, Lord Varys? You are perfectly safe here."
Seeing Varys's confidence, Olenna quietly abandoned whatever thoughts had crossed her mind and continued probing.
"I know very little about Petyr. I have no intention of cooperating with him."
"How forgetful," Varys said.
"One of the crystal stones from Sansa Stark's necklace went missing. If I remember correctly, during the wedding feast you approached her table, spoke with her, and placed a hand upon her neck. Am I mistaken?"
Varys knew that unless he presented specific evidence, the Queen of Thorns would never admit involvement in Joffrey's murder.
Though startled by the mention of the crystal and herself, Olenna remained composed.
"I have always been fond of Lady Sansa. I once hoped she would marry Loras, before Lord Tywin arranged otherwise. That much is common knowledge among the nobility of King's Landing."
As expected, Varys shook his head.
"After King Joffrey drank the wine served by Tyrion, Lady Margaery seemed to place the royal goblet on your table for a brief moment. Is that correct?"
Olenna stared at him without answering, as if trying to see through him.
"I never saw any goblet placed on my table," she finally replied.
The matter was long past. Tyrion had already been tried for regicide, escaped justice, and then earned the additional accusation of murdering his father before vanishing.
Naturally, Olenna had no intention of admitting anything.
"You may be right," Varys said calmly.
"But if I were to present these details to Cersei, do you think she would believe Tyrion... or you?"
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