Chapter 546

Just a few days ago, Aegor's plan had been to sit back and watch the chaos unfold while picking up some tips and tricks on scheming from the masters. But now, he suddenly realized that staying out of it was a pipe dream, and learning the tricks of manipulation and deceit wasn’t the kind of knowledge he truly wanted.
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"A permanent solution?" Petyr Baelish was startled by Aegor's bluntness. He hesitated for a half-second before giving a wry smile and shaking his head. "Of course, eliminating an enemy physically is the surest way to win. Do you think I haven’t considered it? But Varys… Varys is different. He has no obvious vices, no fixed routines, no exploitable habits. If you strip away all analysis and speculation, he might as well be… no, he is a saint. He’s the kind of man without a single typical human weakness—like a porcupine covered in quills. There’s no way to get a clean strike. How could you possibly talk about a ‘permanent solution’?"

"Even a porcupine has a soft belly," Aegor replied coldly, his tone dripping with disdain. "Turn it over, and those quills become useless. At the end of the day, he’s just a man of flesh and blood. He can’t fly. If someone really wanted him dead, how could there be no way to deal with him?"

Petyr opened his mouth, then immediately shut it as he realized what Aegor meant.

For players of the Game of Thrones, there were typically two ways to eliminate an enemy: political maneuvering to outwit and disgrace them, or hiring assassins to do the job quietly.

But for someone who held military power, there was a third option.

The simplest, most brutal option.

Mobilize troops and use force.

The Gifted Lands army had Winterfell firmly under control. Varys was a mortal man in a castle, nothing more. If Aegor were willing to risk everything, if he decided to charge ahead without restraint, killing Varys would be… easy.

But thinking about it was one thing. Actually doing it would be sheer madness.

"Don’t even think about it!" Petyr’s expression darkened, his voice sharpening. "The Spider is still the Spider. Killing him is one thing, but dealing with the consequences is another entirely! No matter how much we suspect or know that Varys is a traitor, in the Queen’s eyes, he’s her loyal and resourceful spymaster. Unless you can present undeniable proof of his betrayal, it won’t matter if you command an army or if the Queen adores you—you’d still be committing treason by killing him. Do you think Daenerys would tolerate such insubordination? You’d be executed alongside Varys unless you plan to take her Unsullied and her dragons down as well. Wait, you’re not seriously thinking of—"

Petyr suddenly froze mid-sentence. His blood ran cold.

He realized, with a creeping dread, that if Aegor really lost his temper and acted on impulse, he did have the capability to deal with the aftermath.

But that wasn’t good news.

If Aegor killed Varys and then decided to consolidate power by turning Daenerys into a puppet, the Unsullied and the dragons wouldn’t be his only targets. The next name on his list—after dealing with the Queen’s defenses—would be his.

A puppet queen had no need for a Hand of the Queen.

The irony struck Petyr hard. Despite being at odds with Varys, he now found himself in the awkward position of trying to protect his enemy’s life.

Swallowing nervously, Petyr masked his unease and tried to sound composed. "Even if you could deal with the consequences, Aegor, you need to consider whether it’s worth it. Daenerys might look soft, but her temper is fierce. She still commands tens of thousands of Unsullied and loyal followers in the South. Do you really think you could control her? How would the Gifted Lands army and the Queen’s forces ever cooperate in such a scenario?"

Petyr’s tone was more frantic than he’d intended. For the first time, he was calling Daenerys by her name, not as “the Queen” or “Her Grace.” He had made a quiet decision: if Aegor insisted on his reckless plan, Petyr would feign loyalty and buy time to save his own skin before plotting his next move.
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Aegor noticed Petyr’s unease and silently cursed himself for letting his anger show.

Petyr was right.

If something looks like rebellion, acts like rebellion, and leads to the outcomes of rebellion, then it is rebellion.

In the adult world, "removing corrupt influences" was just a prettied-up excuse for treason. Any subordinate with the power to kill their rivals under the guise of "protecting the throne" could just as easily turn that power against the monarch.

Killing Varys and telling Daenerys "I did it for you" was a fool’s move.

For a brief, blinding moment, Aegor had considered it—taking down Varys, neutralizing the Unsullied, grounding the dragons, and turning Daenerys into a puppet under the guise of protecting her.

But the cold wind against his face brought him back to his senses.

Daenerys wasn’t as naive as he’d initially thought. She had political instincts, a dangerous temper, and an army waiting in Meereen. She wasn’t someone he could simply control.

And even if she were, what was the point? She was still far from securing her throne. Making her a puppet would accomplish little beyond destabilizing her claim further.

After weighing the pros and cons, Aegor abandoned the thought.

But the urge to kill Varys didn’t go away.

It wasn’t just personal hatred or disgust. It was rational.

Aegor knew Varys’ true nature. The Spider wasn’t just a manipulative schemer—he was a man who would do anything to achieve his goals.

In the original story, Varys had proven that. When Cersei was imprisoned, her uncle Kevan Lannister—arguably the most competent figure in the Lannister-Tyrell alliance—had been poised to stabilize the realm. But Varys, in a single night, killed him to create chaos, shattering the alliance and clearing the path for Aegon Targaryen.

And now, Aegor was the one standing in Aegon’s way.

If Aegor had begun considering ways to eliminate Varys, then the Spider had certainly been planning the same for him.

If he wasn’t already a target, he would be after today’s public confrontation.

The realization made Aegor’s skin crawl. Winterfell had no secret tunnels, and his security was far tighter than Kevan Lannister’s. But no amount of defense could erase the dread of knowing that a master manipulator like Varys was watching, waiting for an opening.

There was only one way to remove that dread.

He had to strike first.

To kill Varys in a way that wouldn’t turn Daenerys against him.
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"Don’t worry, Lord Hand. I won’t act rashly while I’m in Winterfell," Aegor said, his expression calm but his mind racing. "But if I find an opportunity in the future… I’ll deal with him in my own way. Out of respect, I’ll inform you in advance."

With that, he turned on his heel and left.

"Have Maester Coburn and Lady Melisandre meet me in my chambers," he ordered his guards as soon as they were out of earshot. "No one else."

He had a bold plan forming—a dangerous, audacious idea that might just work.

And Petyr?

He would be dealt with in due time.

After all, there was one truly permanent solution to all his problems.

One that he’d just started to see.