Varys had risked everything for her, but now he was not certain why.
The fact that Daenerys Targaryen was committed to rebuilding a world meant she had to be better than Cersei Lannister or her father. But if means justified the end, Maegor the Cruel would be known as Maegor the Great. Even the purest of goals did not excuse burning dissenters to dust. Tyranny must not be rewarded with blind loyalty.
He knew Tyrion Lannister shared his qualms, as did Yara Greyjoy. It was with them Varys spoke. All things considered, Yara seemed to be on the queen’s side. “Fear is no way to rule Westeros,” she said, “but it is the right way to rule Pyke. The ironborn believe they are all kings, and the only way to negotiate with a king is to show them you have a stronger army.”
“The ironborn, yes,” said Tyrion, sipping wine, “but not so much the northmen, whom our dear ruler seemed eager to slaughter. To her credit, she did listen to us and chose to send the Starks a raven instead of a dragon.”
“And what happens the day she does not?” contested Varys. “Power blinds people quicker than greyscale drives a man insane. After she butchered those men in Meereen, I could not dare question her decision to make Daario Naharis warden of Dragon’s Bay, for I knew not how she would react. As long as she is mother to dragons, that power will remain. How can we know when our counsel incurs her wrath?”
“Because it is my job not to burn my advisors, Lord Varys,” came a voice from behind, startling them all.
Fortunately for Tyrion, it seemed like Daenerys Targaryen had only heard what Varys had to say. Before Varys knew it, he was in the queen’s chamber with Grey Worm, wondering if he would exit it alive. “No one sings songs for a Spider because no one likes them, Lord Varys,” she began. “You tell me people drink secret toasts to my health, yet poison my Hand’s minds with tales of tyranny. I burn people who mock my men in front of many, as Harrag did Theon. I do not burn them for speaking their mind,” she said, although her tone suggested she dearly wished to. “If you feel I am closer than my father than you would like, instead of shirking in the shadows like a spider, I command you to lay your concerns at my feet.”
As Varys consented to those terms, he could not help but feel impressed. Other kings would have chopped his head as an example to the others, but she did not. He may have lost some of her trust and regaining it would take time, but it may all be worth it in the end.
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