Varys POV
Looks like they have finally arrived.
The Arryn boy is about to inherit a mountain of wealth. Gods are perhaps too generous with him. First he heals from poison given by the queen, and now he's about to inherit such riches.
Two hundred trading vessels, mansions in Volantis and Pentos, vaults in the Bank of Volantis and even the Iron Bank, and what not.
My little birds couldn't uncover the exact figures in those accounts, but the sums must be massive, considering how obscenely wealthy the nobility and merchant lords of Essos tend to be.
I looked at the newly appointed Master of Coin, Petyr Baelish or Littlefinger. Thanks to Lady Lysa Arryn, he sits there. But the Hand's wife and he are much more than just friends. Pity the Hand doesn't know that.
"Tell them to wait. There are far more important matters to discuss right now," Cersei said, her eyes scanning the Arryn boy before landing on Robert.
Her desire for the sword is strong. Perhaps she wants to give it to her son as a gift.
"Your Grace, the envoy says it's something important. He asked to inform Lord Arryn." The knight paused and glanced at Robert. "He said it's far more important than whatever he's doing. It's related to his late wife, Lady Rowena Arryn."
"Sir, didn't you hear me? They can wait," the queen snapped at the Baratheon knight for not following her order.
The knight was from House Baratheon, not Lannister. He would follow the command of the king, not the queen, and she should at least know this. It's as if she is inviting insult.
"Quiet, woman." Robert's voice cut across the hall like a club.
Classic Robert. Same crude instinct: put the queen in her place with a single word. Everyone flinched. Cersei's face turned to stone and Jaime's jaw tightened with anger.
"Robert," Cersei pressed, "the crown lacks a Valyrian steel sword while many noble houses have it. It's a great opportunity for us—"
"You there, Kingslayer, go to the brothel and fetch me a good whore for tonight." The king cut her off, the insult aimed squarely at Jaime by ordering him to bring a whore to the husband of his sister.
Ahh, classic humiliate Jaime Lannister by ordering him to stand guard while the king indulges himself with whores or order him to bring them to him.
"Robert, do what you will to shame me, but this sword won't be given to the Arryns. Not on my watch. It was found in King's Landing. Since no one has prior claim and it was found within the crown's jurisdiction, the sword should be ours. Joffrey can wield it when he grows up."
Cersei wouldn't yield. According to her, Joffrey should get the sword, as it was found in King's Landing, under the crown's jurisdiction.
She is right, but the key point here is how it was found. The Arryns fought the smugglers and took it, and by the ancient tradition of right of conquest, the blade was theirs.
But it also depends on the political situation, which is in the Arryns' favor right now.
I noticed the queen looking with pleading eyes at her brother, asking him to intervene. Don't these two have any idea what would happen if the truth ever came out? If it went public, the realm would burn.
It would be perfect timing for a young Griff to land with his army and present his claim while Baratheons and Lannisters tear each other apart. Though I'd have to wait until he grows up before I bring the secret of the royal children to light.
All I need is to plant seeds of doubt in Lord Stannis's or Lord Arryn's minds about the births of the royal children to make them believe the heirs are bastards and the banners would be called.
The children themselves are innocent, but for the realm's good, a few sacrifices must be made.
"Jon, your boy can ha—" Before Robert could finish, the small room's door opened again.
Six men walked into the room. The first was a stout man not as fat as me, though I imagine some would still call him fat.
Behind him came a tall, bald brute who made the others look small. Broad as a door and nearly as tall as the Mountain perhaps taller.
Four Unsullied followed, armored in their traditional way but unarmed. The royal guards had taken their weapons before allowing them in. They moved in perfect rhythm, carrying a long rectangular wooden box between them.
Well, let's hope the king would not lose his mind. It's the second time he has been interrupted—first by the knight and now them.
"Young lord, it's good to see you," the newly arrived men bowed to Artys Arryn.
"Who are you?" Artys asked, eyes flicking between them.
"I am Soryn, Master Artys, and he is Kaelen. We are loyal servants of your grandmother's family. You look just like your mother no, even more beautiful," Soryn said.
I do agree the boy does look beautiful. Anyone seeing him for the first time might mistake him for a pretty girl, with those Valyrian features, mismatched eyes, and that long hair.
"Ahhh… my lord," Artys replied dryly, "it's handsome, not beautiful. I'm a man, not a girl."
"Shouldn't it be I'm a boy, not a girl?" Petyr asked, gesturing with mock confusion.
"The boy's killed his first man," Eldon commented, smirking. "I'd say he's earned the right to be called a man."
"What a tall man he is," Petyr joked.
"Silence," King Robert barked, his voice booming through the hall.
Petyr fell quiet at once, and the attention of the court shifted back to the Essosi guest.
The loyalty of these men is admirable, coming all the way to give such wealth to their master's heir while having a chance to run away with it. But it could be expected from them. From childhood, they only knew how to serve their masters, who now happen to be Artys Arryn.
"Okay. And may I ask what brings you to King's Landing?" Artys asked.
Perhaps the young Arryn might prove an ally for Young Griff someday, with him the Vale would be on our side. Besides, he seems to dislike the Lannisters.
"Young master, we bring terrible news. Your grandmother has passed, and your uncle along with his wife and children, while traveling to Astapor, were lost to the storms," Soryn said, looking at Artys with grief.
"Mother, save us… so does this mean…?" Jon's voice trembled with excitement at the Essosi guests' words.
Well, Lord Arryn should be aware of the wealth of his late wife's family, but at least he ought to show some grief. Instead, his attention shifted to the inheritance immediately.
The love of money is the same in highborn or lowborn; for high lords, only the amount differs.
"Yes, my lord. According to the will of Lady Athenodora, late grandmother of Master Artys, all family inheritance is left to him. The Triarchy of Volantis have personally checked the inheritance and deemed it legal."
"For the Seven's sake, the Valyrian steel sword is of far greater import than some Essosi inheritance," the queen cut in, stepping toward Robert.
So, she hasn't given up yet. The Valyrian steel sword is indeed a treasure, but she must know there's no hope. She is too arrogant to notice the truth—the inheritance of an Essosi merchant family is no small matter.
Essos is much richer than Westeros.
Even my friend Illyrio is a very rich man, perhaps richer than her family. But this woman, clouded by the pride of her highborn blood and wealth of her house, would never understand it. Artys is about to inherit a large trading house, and with such wealth, its importance cannot be dismissed.
"My lady, how do you know about the Valyrian steel sword that we have?" Kaelen asked, addressing the queen.
"It's not my lady, it's Your Grace. Perhaps Lord Arryn should teach his guests some manners in addressing members of the royal family. And what do you mean by Valyrian steel sword we have?"
And here it goes, surprise surprise. Artys Arryn would receive a grand inheritance. Looks like I've been observing too much; now it's time to show my skills as Master of Whisperers.
"Your Grace, the sword our Essosi friends are talking about is the ancestral blade of the merchant family to which Lord Artys's grandmother belonged," I explained to the queen.
"Another Valyrian steel sword? And that too in the hands of Artys? Have the Seven chosen him as their favorite?" Lord Eldon said jokingly, amused by the turn of events.
"I agree, Lord Eldon. Little Artys is about to get his hands on not one, but two Valyrian steel swords. Quite the luck. First a miraculous recovery, then a Valyrian sword, and now another? The Seven do favor him greatly," commented Petyr Baelish, while scribbling something into his account book.
"Oh, that's not it. There's much more than just the sword."
I spoke mysteriously, pulling everyone's curiosity toward me.
"A huge fleet of two hundred trading vessels. Mansions in Volantis, Braavos, and Pentos. Bank accounts with the Iron Bank and the Bank of Volantis. And other treasures besides all these."
"That seems a lot. Looks like House Arryn is about to grow very rich," Eldon commented, clearly intrigued. The mention of two hundred trading vessels had his full attention.
"But how did a trading family of Essos manage to get their hands on a Valyrian steel sword?" Pycelle asked, voicing the question everyone had in mind.
I was wondering when they would finally ask that. After all, Essos was once part of the Valyrian Empire. Of course they would have Valyrian steel swords of their own, and I fear Essos may hold more Valyrian steel swords than Westeros ever could.
But such blades should be in the hands of ancient noble houses of free cities who were present when the Freehold was at her peak, not some merchants.
"Another sword. Robert, you must listen to me. Now that the Arryns have got another sword, I think it's only just we take the one that was seized from the smugglers." The queen looked expectantly at her husband.
"Just because the boy has inherited another sword doesn't diminish his claim to the other sword," Lord Stannis spoke.
As usual, the Lord of Dragonstone was as stubborn and law-abiding as ever. With Jon Arryn present, it was highly unlikely the queen would succeed in her schemes unless she got the king on her side.
"I am afraid Lord Stannis is right, Your Grace. Artys's claim to the sword taken from smugglers remains strong. The new sword from the Essosi family does not diminish it in any sense under the law," Eldon said, supporting Stannis.
"From where did you get this sword? Be honest, boy. Otherwise my men will be forced to make you speak the truth." Jon looked at the smugglers.
So, Lord Arryn wants to determine the origin of the sword. If it does not belong to any other noble house, then Artys would have this sword without doubt. House Arryn would have two Valyrian steel swords, something that was once the case only with House Targaryen.
"We were on our way from Astapor to Volantis, in the Smoking Sea. We found an island and decided to have a look. There we found this sword with a skeleton." The chained smuggler spoke, trembling.
"Please, my lord, that's all I know. Please forgive me. It was our foolishness to capture people. Please… I would never do that again." The man started crying.
There was no point in begging. Slavery was punishable by death in Westeros. Besides, Lord Stannis would never forgive him, since they had captured people from Dragonstone.
"Stannis, this man captured people from your lands. I leave his fate to you. You can decide what you do with him. As for the sword, the boy may have it." The king declared.
"He may have it? The boy now has two Valyrian steel swords, something which only Targaryens ever possessed. You do not mean to give a vassal such privilege, do you? Now another Targaryen-looking boy has two Valyrian steel swords, what would the rest of the realm say about it?" Cersei spoke with frustration. "I thought losing her was a lesson..."
"QUIET, WOMAN. One more word and there would be consequences." Robert roared.
She is clearly out of her mind, trying to stoke the king's hatred of Targaryens toward the Arryn boy.
Jon walked and stood between the king and Artys, blocking the king's view, clearly suggesting that to harm the boy, Robert must pass through him first.
Though I doubt the king would do that. He might hate Targaryens, but not enough to go after the Hand's son just because of his Valyrian looks. Besides, killing children is what Lannisters do.
POV ends.