Chapter 590: The Situation

"Your uncle has done well recently," Varys remarked, burning the intelligence report in the candle's flame. As the ashes fluttered to the ground, he looked up.

"Uncle Oberyn?" Queen Arianne, having just read the report, voiced her concerns, "But I believe he's been excessively cruel in his judgments. Take Balon Swann of Stonehelm, for instance. I think sparing him wouldn't have mattered much, especially since he helped us kill Stannis."

Arianne felt that Balon was a minor player, and his life or death wouldn't affect the bigger picture. She couldn't grasp why Oberyn had decided against mercy, even when Balon had once been beneficial to their cause. Oberyn, given full authority during Varys' absence, had the autonomy to make such decisions.

"Would Lord Gullian Swann rebel because of this? After all, that was his last son," the beautiful Dornish queen pondered, the candlelight reflecting her anxious expression.

"He might, or he might not. It doesn't matter," Varys replied calmly. "As you've said, Arianne, I don't need to consider Lord Gullian's feelings. If he bears his losses silently, he'll live. If he harbors resentment and seeks rebellion, we will simply eliminate him."

Currently, although the public trial in King's Landing was the most notable event across Westeros, the realm's operations continued. Envoys from the Free Cities, the Slave Bay, and even the distant Summer Isles awaited audiences in the Red Keep.

The envoys from the Free Cities had come to congratulate Varys on unifying the Seven Kingdoms. Those from the Slave Bay had sought regular diplomatic exchanges, only to be stunned by the change in power upon their arrival. The representatives from the Summer Isles, less informed, were merely curious about the rumored White Walkers.

Upon Varys' discreet return to King's Landing, these envoys realized that securing an audience with the king wasn't as straightforward as they'd hoped. Yet, when they discovered that envoys from Braavos and the Iron Bank were also waiting, any complaints they might have had evaporated.

The Iron Bank's envoy offered Varys an astonishing proposal during their meeting. They presented official documents absolving the Iron Throne of its debt. Additionally, in a show of the deepening friendship between Braavos and the Targaryens, they offered a no-interest loan of at least a million gold dragons to aid the crown in its efforts to rebuild the kingdom. Such generosity from the Iron Bank was unprecedented, leaving the Westerosi nobles present in shock.

Separately, the envoy from Braavos handed Varys a personal letter from the Sea Lord, Tormo Fregar.

"Understood," Varys murmured after reading the letter, detailing a prior verbal agreement between the two. With a nod, he burned the letter. The Braavosi envoy, likely a close confidant of Tormo Fregar, bowed silently and departed.