Chapter 130: Hidden Enemies
Varys clasped his hands together, resting them before his belly. A subtle smile graced his plump face as he turned to Glyn.
"Lord Glynn, Lord Stark is already the Hand of the King. As Master of Whisperers, it is my duty to keep the Hand's whereabouts confidential."
Petyr glanced at Varys, his gray-green eyes flickering. The corner of his lip curled as he looked at Glynn.
"That's true."
Glynn nodded in agreement, then added, "Lord Varys, please forgive my rudeness."
As Lord Glynn offered his sincere apology, Varys's smile imperceptibly stiffened for a moment.
Petyr seemed to recall something and suddenly asked, "Lord Glynn, are you planning to welcome Lord Stark?"
"Lord Petyr, your wisdom is truly admirable!"
Glynn offered his praise before explaining, "After the great war over a decade ago, it was because of Lord Eddard's righteous council that His Grace, King Robert, agreed to pardon my pregnant mother. His kindness to House Clegane is profound, and we shall never forget it."
Hearing Glynn's words, Petyr's pupils constricted slightly, and the smile on his face faded almost imperceptibly.
All the lords of the Red Keep knew that the young earl before them could influence Queen Cersei's decisions, making him a true favorite of the queen.
Therefore, when Glynn had offered to help persuade Queen Cersei just moments ago, Petyr had harbored no doubts about his ability to do so.
Petyr now wondered if Glynn intended to mediate the relationship between Queen Cersei and Lord Eddard.
Fostering conflict between the wolf and the lion was a crucial step on Petyr's meticulously planned ladder of advancement; he would not tolerate any accidents.
Petyr suddenly felt a chill in his chest, recalling that night in King's Landing.
He then chuckled to himself. When a true conflict of interest arose, a royal favorite could not change the outcome of the struggle.
Still, this "wildling" earl, usually so harmless, could be quite rash at times and could not be ignored.
...
Petyr's face immediately broke into a wide smile. "Lord Glynn, this is more than just kindness. Congratulations are in order!"
Varys also chimed in from the side, "Lord Stark's noble character is known throughout the Seven Kingdoms. Our Hand of the King will be very pleased to see you."
Glynn said modestly, "The Lord of Winterfell's fame is far-reaching. I am quite eager to pay my respects to Lord Hand Eddard."
Varys shook his head with a smile. "It seems I must betray our Lord Hand's confidence just this once. Oh dear, how it flusters me."
Petyr laughed. "A golden dragon has two sides. One cannot make sweeping judgments."
Glynn looked at Petyr and blinked. "Lord Petyr, you seem to have an interest as well?"
Petyr's gaze held a hint of confusion.
Glynn smiled and said, "I happened to learn of your heroic deeds at Riverrun in your youth."
"That was so long ago..."
Petyr continued with a touch of self-mockery, "Looking back now, it remains a very regrettable affair."
He sighed and looked into the distance, murmuring, "Catelyn..."
Petyr had already begun to cultivate his persona as a devoted lover. Glynn nodded with understanding. *I know this game well!*
Given Lord Eddard's character, the more frank and sincere one appeared, the easier it was to gain his trust.
From the moment Lord Eddard was appointed Hand, Petyr would boldly admit his love for Catelyn, whether in public or private.
The schemer Petyr was also a stickler for details.
...
Varys said in surprise, "Lord Petyr, you and Lady Stark...?"
Petyr shook his head with a pained expression but did not reply.
Varys turned his head to look at Glynn.
Glynn spread his hands and shrugged. "Lord Petyr is a man of great passion. His character is worthy of trust."
From now on, whether he chose to support or oppose, Petyr would have ample justification. He could righteously choose whichever faction was most beneficial to him.
Such flexible scheming was perfectly in line with his shrewd nature.
Littlefinger's climb was about to begin. First, he would obtain the title of Lord of Harrenhal, then use that status to marry Lysa Tully and begin his machinations for the Vale.
Glynn had intentionally brought up Catelyn. He simply felt that the "passionate" Lord Petyr was being too low-key, so he decided to add a little fuel to the fire.
...
Varys agreed, "Naturally. Lord Petyr's abilities are what we should trust most."
A muscle in Petyr's cheek twitched. He had no desire to engage with this rootless man whose words dripped with veiled mockery.
Glynn secretly nodded. *In this game of thrones, we will love and kill each other.*
It was about time to leave. With his sunny disposition, Glynn felt quite uncomfortable staying with these two psychologically dark individuals for too long.
"I shall take my leave..." Glynn placed a hand on his chest. "Lord Petyr, Lord Varys, please excuse me."
Varys stepped closer, his movements light and swift. Glynn caught the scent of lilac.
"Lord Glynn, when the sun rose today, my little birds told me that Lord Stark's party is on the Kingsroad, about two or three days' journey from King's Landing."
Glynn was about to thank him when he noticed a tall figure striding briskly from the door of the council chambers.
It was Lord Stannis!
Though he was some distance away, Glynn could still feel the anger radiating from Stannis. He thought of the royal decree appointing Lord Eddard as Hand of the King.
Petyr watched Stannis's retreating back, his tone laced with ridicule. "Not long after seeing the decree appointing the new Hand, Lord Stannis is already returning to Dragonstone."
Varys's smile was faint. "We won't be seeing his lordship for a while. What a pity."
Glynn's gaze swept over the two of them. "I sense Lord Stannis is quite angry?"
Varys first nodded, then shook his head. He moved his lips but said nothing, finally letting out a sigh.
Varys had recently started playing the part of a minister who worried for the kingdom and its people in front of Glynn, who found it unsurprising.
Petyr sensed something was off. He glanced sideways but didn't dwell on it.
Varys had been putting on an act in front of him for some time now, so much so that even the shrewd Petyr found it normal.
Petyr's lips curled into a smirk. "His Grace, King Robert, is busy with affairs and easily neglects his own brother. It is unavoidable."
Varys sighed again. "Perhaps our new Hand can persuade Lord Stannis to stay."
Petyr sneered, "The Lord of Highgarden should perhaps count himself lucky that Stannis did not become Hand of the King. If it were Stannis, he would surely have dug up the crimes committed during the Siege of Storm's End."
Varys looked astonished. "This... the Seven Kingdoms all praise Lord Stannis's sense of justice. How many years has it been? Besides, were they not already pardoned by King Robert?"
Petyr said coldly, "Punish the guilty and pardon the innocent—that is our lord's sense of justice."
Seeing Glynn looking at him with some confusion, Petyr shrugged. "Certain things happened in the past. If it weren't for Lord Arryn, I might have been exiled from Westeros by now."
Glynn did not press further. He guessed it was likely related to the brothels.
Glynn's thoughts turned to Daenerys. He imagined that if Petyr were truly exiled to Essos, he would surely side with the Targaryens and become a formidable vanguard in their quest to reclaim the Iron Throne.
Petyr was a vassal of the Vale, not a direct vassal of Stannis. Stannis could not punish Petyr directly; he could only do so through the Small Council or King Robert.
Although nothing came of it, the incident was a great humiliation for Petyr.
Glynn sighed to himself. Due to Lord Stannis's iron-like character, he had potential enemies everywhere. For now, it seemed his only potential ally was on Crackclaw Point.
Varys clasped his hands. "I remember you were a customs officer in the Tower of the Hand at the time. You were also trying to raise funds... How time flies."
Glynn smiled. "Lord Petyr, time has proven your innocence. You are now a trusted advisor to His Grace, King Robert."
Varys glanced at Glynn. Lord Glynn had a sweet tongue. He felt a slight sense of pressure.
Petyr reached out and patted Glynn's arm. "You're right. Time will prove everything."
...
After parting ways with Varys and Petyr, Glynn went directly to Maegor's Holdfast to persuade Queen Cersei.
There wasn't much time. To be safe, he had to get the forty thousand gold dragons in hand before Lord Eddard arrived at the Red Keep. Only then could he rest easy.
(end of chapter)