Game Of Thrones : Reborn as a Lannister

AN :

In the Game of Stones, you either win or you wait. The more Power Stones you offer, the faster the chapters come.

...

Volantis was not, in Varys's estimation, a particularly pleasant city. It was hotter than Lys, even though it was more northerly because it bordered on the Lands of Always Summer, the once heartland of the Great Valyrian freehold at its height.

The tropical climate did no favors for him, as sweat was always running down his bald head in rivers, and he could hardly powder his face without the makeup running away in streams. What was worse, one couldn't just walk from place to place and be taken seriously in Volantis, you had to hire bearers, ride a horse or an elephant, or generally have something carrying you at nearly all times.

It cut severely into his limited funds and had been particularly painful with the delays that the Westerosi fleet had faced in getting here. A storm out of broken Valyria had set them back nearly two months and destroyed a large part of the fleet. Until it had been confirmed that Prince Rhaegar landed on Ghis safely, Varys had thought this entire endeavor might have been wasted.

Now though, things were looking up. He had greeted the Westerosi at the port, organized palanquins for them to be carried across the city on, and settled them into a small manor in the outer city while he organized rendezvous with some of the high-blooded families within the black walls. It was a relatively simple affair if one had the right connections, but it was imperative that everything go according to his plans.

This was the best chance Varys had in his life, and he meant to do everything possible to see it succeed. For a decade he had been a Mummer's apprentice before he was emasculated by that vile sorcerer. Then for another decade, he had been a thief, before meeting Illyrio. Now he was an information broker, but the interest of the Westerosi king presented an opportunity to become more and do his cousin well in the process. Lyria would thank him when this was done.

And so he has organized this merry tour, sending Prince Rhaegar first to Lys, where he of course found no women of any decent worth. The best of the Lyseni knew that their fate in Westeros would likely be miserable, given the history of the Westerosi with the Lyseni, so they hid their daughters away and left it to second-class nobles and magisters, grasping social climbers who would likely never appeal to Prince Rhaegar. The plan was always for him to find his way to Volantis.

Of course, the intention had been for him to arrive before the most recent election, not after it. The freak storm he had not accounted for in his plans, but Varys was light on his feet, he was still a thief at heart despite it all.

"So these women I am to meet." Prince Rhaegar certainly looked the part, reclining on a red velvet cushion and eating grapes from a bowl. "Tell me about them."

Varys was in the living quarters of the rented manse, sitting on a small chair while Prince Rhaegar and Lord Steffon Baratheon (a huge man, Varys had only seen Lengsmen taller, and they were narrow like bowstrings, Lord Steffon was thick as an ox.) He leaned on his arm, facing the Prince.

"I have reached out and secured three tentative commitments from suitable parties, Prince Rhaegar, and a possible fourth I am still working on." A lie, Varys had all four, but the truth he wanted to show to Rhaegar relied on Rhaegar being drawn into his lies.

"The first is the daughter of Melian Velpes, an old merchant family with ties back to the first settlement of Volantis by the freehold, they are staunch Elephants, and of course, of pure Valyrian blood like all the matches I've found for you." Prince Rhaegar looked rather bored, which might insult the Velpes, but that would be fine. "She is sixteen years old and considered very pretty, with purplish silver hair and red eyes. I have secured an invitation for you to visit her within the black walls."

The Prince narrowed his eyes. "I should not need an invitation to walk within the Black Walls of Volantis if the Grand Maester speaks truly about their practices." Rhaegar leaned up. "I am of Valyrian blood, the greatest such blood left in this world."

"I… you are correct Your Highness, and yet the Volantine do not necessarily see it that way. They might or they might not deny you, based on your ancestor's marriage to the houses of Westeros, or just because of politics. If they choose not to deny you, rest assured it will only be because they want something from you." Varys paused for a moment as the Prince lay back down on his side, looking angry. Varys spoke again, carefully this time. "Thus it is easier if we secure invitations, it bears less risk for both your goals and theirs."

Rhaegar's lip curled into a sneer, but he eventually relented. "Fine." he snapped. "I shall play this shell game, but not for long."

"Of course, your Highness, and I believe all of the women I've arranged to meet you here are suitable for your requirements," Varys said smoothly, continuing to lead the prince along by a trail of breadcrumbs. In truth, all of them were only barely satisfactory, except for the one Varys wanted him to pursue.

"The next is Oreana Losia, her family is just as old as the Velpes, and she is twenty-four years of age, still well within her fertility." Varys continued. "She is the head of her house, as her father died two years ago of the Walking-Fever.

A quiet woman, she would bring you much in the way of old knowledge from Valyria. That said, she is a blood purist and may consider you lesser for your Westerosi heritage." The Prince, who had been looking more interested, soured at those words, though perhaps Oreanna would break past that preconception he'd placed in the prince's head, regardless though, she was too poor. The Losia's had been on a decline for more than a hundred years.

"Continue," Rhaegar said dryly.

"The third that I have fully secured is Morella Ba'aldirin. She is a captain in the Noble Spears, the guards who protect the black walls, and her family are staunch tigers, they have a noble lineage of Valyrian descent dating back to the Rhoynish wars, and she herself has a fearsome reputation. If you wish to tap into the more militant aspect of Volantis she is a good choice and a healthy woman in prime childbearing age. An ideal candidate except…" Varys let the statement hang in the humid air for a moment, leaving the two in suspense.

"Actually… well I do not wish to raise your hopes too much with the fourth candidate I am working on. It's unlikely she'll accept the arrangements."

"Don't waste the Prince's time, Eunuch." Lord Steffon said, his powerful voice filling the room for the first time in the conversation. "You clearly have something to say, so speak."

Varys frowned, but inside he was cheering, this was exactly what he wanted, now to make it just a bit better… He turned his gaze to Rhaegar, implicitly asking the Prince to affirm Lord Steffon's order. The Targaryen nodded slowly. "Speak, half-man."

Varys suppressed a wince at the insult, but he knew he was pushing it with this nonsense, it was simply imperative that Rhaegar thought this last candidate was desirable of his own volition, not because Varys was talking her up.

"The… most prestigious possible candidate I am still negotiating to get you a meeting with, Prince Rhaegar," Varys said, hunching forward and resting his head on his hand. "Valia Baleia-Aurios was, until two months ago, one of the Triarchs of Volantis." Rhaegar leaned upwards in his seat at that, and Lord Steffon shifted against the wall.

"She is a Tiger, like Lady Morella, but her family is far more prestigious. The Baleia's were sorcerers in old Valyria, a prestigious family even before the fall, and after it, they merged with the line of the Dragonlord Aurion, after he marched to his doom in Valyria." Varys tapped his fingers on his cheek.

"She is a powerful woman, and still within childbearing age for many years yet, though she is older than you, your highness," Varys said quietly. "But between her blood, her wealth, and her position, there is no finer woman in Volantis. Not unmarried. She has been difficult to secure a meeting with, however."

Rhaegar seemed to be deep in thought. "A Dragonlord's descendant…" he mumbled, "The blood of another Dragonlord house might do well to strengthen House Targaryen." he leaned back. "Has there been any particular reason for the delay? Does she, like others, consider herself too pure for House Targaryen?" there was a dangerous edge to his tone, one that Varys was careful to mollify.

"She hasn't expressed any such opinion to my knowledge. Rather, I understand that she took the loss of her position as Triarch somewhat badly and that she has been resistant to all forms of political outreach." Actually, it was why it had been so easy for Varys to secure the meeting between them, she had taken the defeat badly, but the Targaryen prince looked like a way out of an increasingly disastrous political situation. "I have heard little back from her, but I do still have a few tools left to make use of if you think she is most desirable."

Rhaegar snorted. "Obviously, do what you must, just make it happen." The prince reclined. "Of the ones you spoke of, she is the only one that sounds interesting."

'Exactly as I planned.' Varys kept the smile off his face as he clasped his hands together and nodded. "I will put some additional favors into play at once then, by your leave."

As Rhaegar waved him out, Varys stepped out into the hot Volantine sun with a grin, even as he wiped the sweat from his brow with a silk handkerchief.

Now all that was left to do was to arrange the time and date. He loved dealing with these Westerosi nobles. It was like feeding candy to a dog. You just put it in front of them and they'd never question where it came from.

...

Chronicle of the Targaryen Dynasty in the Seven Kingdoms

Maester Willem

277 AC - First Moon

A small war breaks out between Myr and Tyrosh over naval actions taken by the former against pirates in the Stepstones aligned with the latter.

Pentos seeks to become involved on the side of Myr, but Braavos orders them to avoid joining the hostilities. Thus far, the war largely consists of piracy and naval actions directed at pirates allied to each city, with the navies of the two cities loath to leave themselves open to Braavosi intervention. Fighting has likewise picked up in the disputed lands between the two cities.

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