iron throne of ice and fire

Chapter 180 In the Name of the Queen Regent

Escorted by ten Lannister red robes wearing lion-print half-helms and crimson cloaks on their shoulders, Tyrion Lannister rode out of the Red Keep.

Tyrion turned his head and looked at his new squire. He was a quiet and shy boy.

Tyrion likes to tease him when he has nothing to do: "Pod, raise your head and be majestic. You are the squire of the Lannister Lion."

Tyrion's new squire is from a Lannister vassal family named Podrick Payne, a distant cousin of the late Ser Ilyn Payne.

Podrick is 12 years old, a thin boy with brown hair and blue eyes.

Podrick quickly raised his head and puffed out his weak chest. The boy's move made Tyrion laugh.

Because of the laughter that came from the scene, Podrick was a little overwhelmed and could only maintain a "majestic" posture.

Tyrion suppressed his laughter and pretended to be serious: "That's all. Be alert, my squire."

Podrick stuttered as he spoke: "As you command, my lord."

Tyrion turned his head and glanced at the red-robed soldier following behind him, and said: "Pod, come closer."

"As you command, my lord." Podrick lightly kicked the horse's belly and rode side by side with Tyrion.

Tyrion lowered his voice slightly: "Pod, have you found a good swordsman?"

Podrick also lowered his voice: "Sir, I have found a few people, one of whom is very skilled, but I am a little worried about that person."

Tyrion lowered his voice again: "How to say?"

Podrick whispered: "I...I think he only values ​​the golden dragon. He...he...he has no sense of honor."

Tyrion was deliberately teasing the boy, he chuckled: "Don't be so quiet, my squire."

Tyrion wanted to reach out and pat the stunned boy as an encouragement, but found... slightly out of reach... so he snapped his fingers.

"Well done, Pod, I like realistic people. The golden dragon is a good thing, I love my father, praise the Lannister."

Tyrion specially brought the ten guards James left for him today. The purpose of the new prime minister today was to inspect King's Landing.

…………

After King's Landing experienced the last riot, pairs of golden-robed soldiers could be seen everywhere. They wore black chainmail, patrolling the streets and alleys, and never left their hands with iron rods.

The streets of King's Landing were always bustling with people and horses, but now they seemed very depressed.

The market was full of people in tattered clothes who were selling their products to anyone willing to pay...but there were almost no farmers selling meat and vegetables, and the few stalls selling food were asking for three times the price of last year.

Tyrion led his squires and red robe guards around, and his face became more and more serious. The new prime minister realized that the food crisis in King's Landing was already quite serious. If it could not be solved as soon as possible, the next riot would not be too far away, and the riots The scale will only grow larger.

"Fresh rats! Fresh rats!" A vendor was selling roasted rats on the street.

There are guards standing guard in front of every store on Flour Street. In King's Landing now... the hiring price of mercenaries is cheaper than bread.

Tyrion frowned and moved on the saddle slightly uneasily... The food crisis must be solved in a short time, otherwise Lannister will soon be torn apart by the hungry and red-eyed people.

…………

In front of the door of a tavern, Wallis stood holding hands with his hands, a gentle smile hanging on the corner of his mouth.

Tyrion stopped his horse and jumped down with the help of his squire.

"Lord Varys..."

Tyrion raised his eyes and looked at the inconspicuously decorated tavern, and continued: "I didn't expect to meet you here...are you waiting for me?"

Wallis nodded slightly: "Dear Prime Minister, I'm so glad to see you. I apologize for any inconvenience."

Tyrion grinned: "Drink two drinks with me?"

Wallis nodded again: "It's an honor."

…………

In the tavern, after Tyrion climbed onto the chair and sat down, Varys bowed slightly before slowly sitting down.

"Does Lord Varys bring good news?" Tyrion said, swirling the wine in his glass.

Tyrion smiled, but in his heart he was wary of the eight-clawed spider that had mastered his movements.

"Lord Tyrion, my little bird can only hear bad news during this period, alas!"

After a pause, he continued: "It really makes me sad... It's very difficult for me to please the Queen Mother Regent now, which makes me deeply uneasy."

Tyrion grinned: "Maybe you didn't find the right method."

Varys was stunned for a moment, but the next moment he was smiling all over his face: "You and the Queen Mother are siblings, so naturally we know each other better. I am just a timid servant, and boldly guessing the preferences of big shots is a crime in itself."

"offense?"

Tyrion looked at the smiling Varys and took a sip of his wine.

"I secretly wished my amiable father to die, and I had the same wish for my sister, by which I mean our beautiful and gentle Queen Regent. Is this a crime, Lord Varys?"

After Tyrion finished speaking, Varys was so frightened that he looked around hurriedly. When he saw that there was no one else, he exhaled.

Tyrion smiled happily: "Lord Varys, you are too cautious. I was just joking. The Lannister family is a family that loves each other. This is something everyone knows."

Tyrion kept joking, but he kept secretly paying attention to Varys's expression.

Wallis' face was still very pale: "My Prime Minister, please stop making fun of me..."

Varys was still frightened. He patted his beating chest and said, "I have served the Mad King and Robert I. After a long time, I finally realized that little people should never reason with big people... Therefore, caution is the safest way to save life.”

Tyrion laughed: "Well, my little chicken tells me that this is kind advice."

Varys sighed helplessly: "Be careful when you go out, my Lord Prime Minister! The current situation is chaotic, King's Landing is not very safe recently, extrajudicial murderers are running rampant everywhere, the swords in their hands are cold, and their hearts are even more ruthless."

Tyrion understood what Varys meant. The one who came to him today was Varys who was not in danger. Of course, others could come to him with swords in hand.

Tyrion blinked one eye and said: "My sister loves me very much, because I am now her prime minister...well, the errand prime minister of the Queen Regent."

Varys said seriously: "Lord Tyrion, my little birdie told me that Queen Cersei summoned Earl Crabb after you left yesterday."

Tyrion's eyes moved, and he scratched his head in distress: "My sister is really simple and straightforward..."

Tyrion is reflecting... Many times, his mouth is faster than his brain. This problem really needs to be corrected.A smile appeared on Varys' fat face: "Queen Cersei has great trust in Earl Kleb, and she feels more at ease when the golden robe is placed in his hands."

Tyrion picked up the flagon, and he almost leaned over the table to pour the wine for Varys.

While pouring the wine, he said: "Lord Varys, do you have any idea?"

Varys shook his head slightly, and the smile on his face deepened: "Lord Tyrion, do you think the Queen Mother controls King's Landing with the 6000 swords in her golden robe?"

Tyrion braced himself with one hand and held the flagon in the other, awkwardly sitting back in his chair.

Wow, he poured wine into his wine glass with lowered eyes.

Tyrion put down the wine bottle, stopped his thoughts, and said with a smile: "Lord Varys, do you have a different opinion?"

Varys picked up the wine glass, took a sip, and said, "In addition to the 6000 gold robes, King's Landing also has 2000 Kleb's blue robes."

After a pause, he sighed: "The lioness has extraordinary courage, which is really admirable."

Tyrion actually felt flustered when he heard this, but he seemed confident on the surface. He grinned and said, "It seems that I took the wrong direction to solve the problem."

There was some concern in Varys's voice: "Count Kleb has the compassion of a knight, but his admirable quality is loyalty. At this point, you are already the prime minister that everyone admires, so I would like to advise you to proceed with caution. After all, you are the younger brother of Queen Cersei, and I believe she will not make things too difficult for you."

Tyrion shrugged. He also thought about casually dealing with the position of prime minister, but he was really itchy...to prove his ability to his father?Become the dwarf hero who saves the kingdom?Tell everyone who laughs at you to shut up?There are many more reasons.

Tyrion laughed at himself in his heart, maybe he just wanted to have a taste of power.

Tyrion swung the wine glass in his hand and his tone became solemn: "Lord Varys, thank you for reminding me. Lannister must pay its debts."

Wallis shook his head slightly: "Actually, I didn't do anything, and I didn't dare to do anything more. I just hope that this rare good person can have a better life."

After saying that, he sighed softly.

Varys stood up from his chair: "Prime Minister, I will take my leave first."

After leaving the chair, Varys rubbed his powdered hands and said, "Lord Tyrion, before I leave, can I guess a riddle for you?"

Before Tyrion could answer, he spoke: "Three prominent people were sitting in a room, one was a king, one was a monk, and the last one was a rich man. There was a mercenary standing among them. The man was of humble origin and of mediocre talents. Each distinguished man commanded him to kill the other two. The king said... I am your rightful king and I command you to kill them. The monk said... In the name of the gods in heaven I , asking you to kill them. The rich man said... kill them, and all my gold, silver and jewelry will be given to you. Guess... who will die and who will live?"

After saying that, Wallis nodded slightly, stepped on soft-soled slippers, and hurriedly left the tavern.

Tyrion leaned back in his chair and took a sip of wine.

The riddle is easy to guess... The person holding the sword can kill whoever he wants. Even prominent people may die, but the person holding the sword will not die.

Tyrion stared at the glass of wine...Varys's kindness to him was sudden, but gentle and silent.

What is Varys planning?
Varys wants to tell him, can they be their own people?

Tyrion feels that Varys is by no means as timid and fearful as he appears on the surface... He has served the Mad King and Robert, and is still serving as the new king's royal minister in a good manner... Eunuchs are not simple.

None of this matters. He is now weak and needs to win over some people who can stand on his side.

Tyrion took a sip of his wine... He wasn't at the point where he could be picky yet, he just wanted to see if it was worth winning over, or if he could be won over.

…………

Touch, touch, touch!
The sudden sound not only interrupted Tyrion's contemplation, but also startled Tyrion.

Is it the sound of closing the window? !Tyrion grabbed the back of the chair with one hand and stood on the seat.

The candlelight flickered and the tavern became a little dark, and Tyrion realized that he was alone here.

Tyrion didn't hesitate at all. His guards were outside and he had to join them as soon as possible.

Tap~tap~tap~tap~ As the footsteps came, a tall figure gradually became clear in Tyrion's sight.

Tyrion's eyes widened slightly: "Green?"

Tyrion sat back in his chair, and the man sitting opposite him, who was Varys just now, now became Green.

Green spread his hands and said, "Prime Minister Tyrion, does it seem like Varys deliberately brought you here?"

Tyrion's expression was serious: "Where are my little squire and bodyguard?"

Green slowly raised a hand and made a gesture to wipe his neck.

Tyrion's eyes became sharp, and he stared at Green. The expression of the person opposite him did not change. The two looked at each other, and the atmosphere was very heavy.

After a moment of silence, Tyrion narrowed his eyes slightly and said word by word: "Green, has Cersei slept with you?"

The dull atmosphere was suddenly broken, and Green raised his face and smiled.

Tyrion grinned: "If you don't mind, tell me every detail one by one."

Green rubbed his jet-black hair and said helplessly: "No wonder Queen Cersei always wants to hang your head on the top of the city."

Tyrion laughed at first, and then said seriously: "Green, I'm sorry, my mouth likes to run in front of my mind sometimes... Well, especially in front of my dear sister."

Green tapped the table with his slender fingers: "Tyrion, in the name of the Queen Regent, I want to ask you something."

Tyrion smiled and said: "Hey, I didn't do anything to regret my sister. Her brother is good and obedient. She is definitely a lucky sister."

Green prompted: "The head of the Magic Mountain."

Tyrion's smile froze, he thought for a while, and suddenly said: "Did you guess it?"

Green tapped his chin.

Tyrion scratched his hair and complained: "Green, I hate your cleverness."

The movement of his hand paused, and then he said: "Where did you guess?"

Green said with a smile, "Marriage."

Tyrion's voice was filled with hope: "Cersei shouldn't know, right?"

Green shrugged: "In the name of the Queen Regent, I will interrogate you in a friendly manner."

Tyrion leaned back weakly on the chair, held his forehead, and said: "I can explain... my favorite sister... I do it for..."

Tyrion straightened up suddenly, grabbed the table with both hands, and said, "What else have you said to my beautiful, charming, gentle, and kind sister Cersei?"

(End of this chapter)