"That's impossible," Eddard looked at Varys, his voice hoarse, "I cannot betray Robert, betray my friend."
"Nothing is impossible. Did Robert not betray you?" Varys smiled slightly. "In my opinion, Robert betrayed you, he betrayed Lord Jon, and he betrayed the warriors who died for him in Robert's Rebellion, he betrayed the realm. You forged this realm with blood and sweat, but what is the king? The king only thinks about whoring, only thinks about hunting, only thinks about sleeping with women, a whoremonger king."
"May the gods forgive Robert," Eddard said, perhaps they would not forgive this fool, whose peace was only superficial, and who now left behind the greatest scale of war.
"You are also very foolish, my Lord. If you had pretended to cooperate with Cersei, pretended to support Joffrey's ascension, or if you had told the king your plans in advance."
"May the gods also forgive me," Eddard sighed, regretting his indecisiveness and lack of foresight.
"However, these things cannot be entirely blamed on the king and you. House Lannister will ensure the king's death is unexpected. It might not be a boar; it could be a stray arrow, a heavy blow in a Tourney, or a venomous snake. The king is becoming increasingly difficult to control, and his two brothers are ambitious. They must act now, then deal with the other two."
"These things, I didn't think too much about them," Eddard sighed. King's Landing is a city of betrayal; the old gods do not protect the Stark here.
"Lord Eddard, think about your predicament. Do you think Robert's son will come to save you? Perhaps he knows this information and pretends not to. No king wants a regent, and what good would saving you do him? As long as you and Miss Sansa are truly dead, and the will is indisputable, then your son Robb will serve him forever. Just as you served Robert back then."
"What?" Eddard was startled, but he quickly thought about it. "Perhaps a dead Stark is more useful than a living Stark."
"You are mistaken, Lord Eddard. The most terrifying thing in the world is someone who is not only incredibly brave but also cunning. Your son, though brave, is but a pathetic lamb before this person," Varys smiled slightly. "What I am about to reveal to you is the greatest schemer in the known world, the king's bastard. A bastard is the product of desire and lies, growing faster than other children, with debauchery and betrayal flowing in his blood." Varys spoke fluently.
"He's still a Child," Eddard said.
"Oh, a Child with a great army, victorious in a hundred battles, and ambitious, ruthless. Do you think Gendry doesn't know about the king's offspring? Do you know why he fled King's Landing in such a hurry, how he deceived Daenerys's love, and forced the poor Beggar King to his death? He is a hidden scorpion and viper. This person doesn't love his own father; will he love you, Lord Eddard? Think about it, you don't understand him at all. He only loves power, and like Littlefinger, he's unscrupulous." Varys looked at Eddard, hoping to glean some useful information from Eddard's face.
"What you're saying, these are just coincidences. Like The Conqueror, like Robert, they once held the destiny of an era."
"I hope you are right, but many bones are left when a king rises. If I were him, I would certainly be happiest if House Lannister killed you and Miss Sansa, completely tying the Stark to his battlefield. Even if the Queen Regent pardons you both, you would still die mysteriously."
"Is this your idea, or whose?"
"It doesn't matter, Lord Eddard," Varys said. "The Queen Regent certainly fears you, but right now she hates more people; the three storms are her most detested. That bastard cut off her beloved brother's hand, Lady Lysa commands a large army, and House Martell still has a feud with House Lannister. House Martell will not forget the poor princess and the Child. Young Master Robb's meager forces are nothing. But what is more precious than restoring peace? Moreover, do you think The Boy Blacksmith can keep winning? Lord Tywin will quickly mobilize Myr and Volantis as well. He will eventually return to his Myr. If that's the case, why not let peace return? As long as you return to the North, what does that king have to do with you?"
"But I once promised Robert," Eddard hissed.
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