chapter 180 part 1
Chapter 180: In the Name of the Queen Regent
Escorted by eleven Lannister Redcloaks wearing lion-crested half-helms and deep red cloaks, Tyrion Lannister rode out of the Red Keep.
Tyrion turned his head to look at his new squire, a quiet and shy boy.
Tyrion liked to tease him for fun. "Podrick, head up. Look imposing. You are, after all, the squire of a Lannister lion."
Tyrion's new squire came from a Lannister vassal house. His name was Podrick Payne, a distant cousin of the late Ser Ilyn Payne.
Podrick Payne was twelve years old. The boy was slender, with brown hair and blue eyes.
Podrick quickly lifted his head and puffed out his not-so-sturdy chest. The boy's actions made Tyrion roar with laughter.
The sound of laughter made Podrick a little flustered, so he could only maintain his "imposing" posture.
Tyrion suppressed his laughter and feigned a serious expression. "That's enough. Look sharp, my squire."
Podrick stuttered when he spoke, "As you command, my lord."
Tyrion turned his head, glanced at the Redcloak soldiers following behind, and said, "Podrick, come closer."
"As you command, my lord." Podrick gently kicked his horse's flank and rode abreast with Tyrion.
Tyrion lowered his voice slightly. "Podrick, have you found any good swordsmen?"
Podrick also lowered his voice. "My lord, I've found a few. One of them is very skilled, but I'm a bit wary of him."
Tyrion lowered his voice again. "How so?"
Podrick whispered, "I... I feel he only values Gold Dragons. He... he... he has no sense of honor."
Tyrion was deliberately teasing the boy for his own amusement. He chuckled. "Don't whisper so quietly, my squire."
Tyrion wanted to reach out and pat the dazed boy encouragingly but found... he couldn't quite reach. So, he snapped his fingers instead.
"Podrick, well done. I like practical people. Gold Dragons are good things. I love my father. Praise be to House Lannister."
Today, Tyrion had specially brought along the ten guards Jaime had left for him. The new Hand's purpose today was to inspect King's Landing.
...
After the last riot, pairs of Gold Cloaks were visible everywhere in King's Landing. They wore black chainmail and patrolled the main streets and back alleys, their iron spears never leaving their hands.
The streets of King's Landing had always been bustling with clamorous crowds and horses, but now they seemed desolate.
The marketplace was filled with people in ragged clothes selling off their possessions; they would sell to anyone who made an offer... Yet, there were almost no farmers selling meat and vegetables. The few stalls that did have food were asking three times last year's prices.
Tyrion led his squire and the Redcloak guards on his inspection tour. His expression grew heavier and heavier. The new Hand realized that King's Landing's food crisis was already quite severe. If it wasn't resolved soon, the next riot wouldn't be far off, and its scale would only be larger.
"Fresh rat meat! Fresh rat meat!" a vendor shouted along the street, selling roasted rats on skewers.
On the Street of Flour, every shop had a guard standing post. In King's Landing now... the hiring price for a sellsword was cheaper than a loaf of bread.
Tyrion frowned, shifting uneasily in his saddle. The food crisis had to be solved in a short time, or the Lannisters would soon be torn apart by the red-eyed, starving populace.
...
In front of a small tavern, Varys stood with his hands tucked into his sleeves, a soft smile on his lips.
Tyrion stopped his horse and then, with the help of his squire, dismounted.
"Lord Varys..."
Tyrion looked up at the unimpressively decorated little tavern and continued, "I didn't expect to meet you here... Are you waiting for me?"
Varys nodded slightly. "My dear Lord Hand, a true pleasure to see you. I do hope you'll forgive the intrusion."
Tyrion grinned. "Care for a couple of cups with me?"
Varys nodded again. "I would be honored."
...
Inside the tavern, after Tyrion climbed onto a stool and sat down, Varys first gave a slight bow before slowly taking his own seat.
"Has Lord Varys brought good news?" Tyrion asked, swirling the wine in his cup.
Tyrion wore a smile, but inwardly he was wary of the eunuch spider who knew his movements.
"Lord Tyrion, my little birds have only been able to hear bad news lately. Alas!"
He paused, then continued, "It truly saddens me... It is very difficult now even to win the Queen Regent's favor, which makes me feel deeply uneasy."
Tyrion grinned. "Perhaps you simply haven't found the right method."
Varys was slightly taken aback, but the next moment his face was wreathed in smiles. "You and the Queen Regent are brother and sister; naturally, you understand each other better. I am but a timid servant. To boldly guess the preferences of great personages is, in itself, a crime."
"A crime?"
Tyrion studied the smiling Varys as he took a sip of wine.
"I have secretly wished for my dear father to die, and I've had similar thoughts about my sister—I refer to our beautiful, gentle Queen Regent. Lord Varys, would that count as a crime?"
As Tyrion's words fell, Varys looked around in alarm. Seeing no one else, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Tyrion laughed heartily. "Lord Varys, you are far too cautious. I was only joking. The Lannisters are a loving family, as everyone knows."
Tyrion kept joking, but he was secretly observing Varys's expression all the while.
Varys's face was still quite pale. "My Lord Hand, please, don't joke with me..."
Varys was still shaken. He patted his rapidly beating chest and added, "I served the Mad King and Robert I. It took me a very long time to finally realize that small folk must never try to reason with great lords... Therefore, caution is the surest way to preserve one's life."
Tyrion smirked. "Mmm, my little birds tell me that is well-intentioned advice."
Varys sighed helplessly. "You must be careful when you go out, my Lord Hand! The times are chaotic. King's Landing isn't very safe recently. Outlaws run rampant, their swords are cold, and their hearts are colder still."
Tyrion understood Varys's meaning. The one who found him today was the harmless Varys; of course, others could just as easily come calling with swords in hand.
One of Tyrion's eyes winked. "My sister loves me very much, because I am now her Hand... hmm, the Queen Regent's errand-boy Hand."
Varys said seriously, "Lord Tyrion, my little birds tell me that after you left yesterday, Queen Regent Cersei summoned Lord Cleber."
Tyrion's eyes darted. He scratched his head in frustration. "My sister is truly simple and straightforward..."
Tyrion was reflecting... Many a time, his mouth moved faster than his brain. This bad habit really had to change.