Did Varys tell Cersei Tyrion's plot?

[KingInTheNawth]

Pycelle denied informing Cersei on Tyrion's marriage plot involving Myrcella. Is it maybe possible he was telling the truth? Could Varys have actually heard Tyrion and Pycelles conversation and then went and told Cersei? I'm not sure what is motive would have been but I do feel like it would fit with Tyrion and Varys relationship throughout Clash with Varys kind of tutoring Tyrion.

[Habanero Martell]

At first I thought ähm...no, because:

- no hint

- Pycelle beeing a Cersei-Man anyway, so him telling her makes sense

BUT then I thought:

- What would Tyrion have done, if LF or Varys told their secret information / mission to Cersei? Would Myrcella still have been shipped to Dorne? I thought that was Tyrion's reaction, because that was the story told to Cersei by the one who betrayed his word, Pycelle.

- Myrcella seems to fit at least into some of the Dornish plans, due to the Dornish law (an older daughter comes before a younger son regarding a throne).

- WHO is the one powerplayer in KL with a longterm masterplan including dornish characters? Varys. Of course he is focussing on (f)Aegon, but Myrcella is an nice addition to his "Dornish Portfolio", isn't it?

So this could be a motive (as well as weekining the Lannisters and their supporters like Pycelle).

BUT then I thought #2: wouldn't he have known, that sneaky but simple Pycelle would have told Cersei anyway? Why interact?

(sorry - as always - for language mistakes & thanks from Vienna for this nice theory ;) )

[Chebyshov]

Varys made it clear that he knew both what Tyrion said to Pycelle and LF:

“You are a cruel man, to make the Grand Maester squirm so,” the eunuch scolded. “The man cannot abide a secret.”

“Is that a crow I hear, calling the raven black? Or would you sooner not hear what I’ve proposed to Doran Martell?”

Varys giggled. “Perhaps my little birds have told me.”

___________________

Varys smiled his slimiest smile. “Which one will you give him, I wonder?”

Tyrion sighed. “You know, don’t you?”

“Since you put it that way-yes. Tommen. You could scarcely offer Myrcella to Doran Martell and Lysa Arryn both.”

“Remind me never to play these guessing games with you again. You cheat."

And then Tyrion straight-up tells Varys what he's doing:

“What Cersei does not know will never hurt me.”

“And if Her Grace were to discover your intentions before your plans are ripe?”

“Why,” he said, “then I would know the man who told her to be my certain enemy.” And when Varys giggled, he thought, Three.

So yeah, Varys definitely had the capacity to tell Cersei instead of Pycelle. But I don't think he did. Varys's motive is to destabilize the realm, and there's officially no indication of any kind of collaboration between Varys and Doran (actually there's indication to the contrary). It was probably Pycelle. Though Varys's blatant knowledge of all this makes Tyrion's self-congratulatory attitude a bit unmerited.

[KingInTheNawth]

I'm just thinking maybe Pycelle could have been a valuable ally to Tyrion and Varys saw an opportunity to burn that bridge.

[Habanero Martell]

I'm just thinking maybe Pycelle could have been a valuable ally to Tyrion and Varys saw an opportunity to burn that bridge.

Don't think so, Varys (and LF) play on a way higher level and they especially play for power. Pycelle on the other hand doesn't even play, he just wants to survive as "one flower in the garden". Even if he is not as slow and fragile as he acts, what advantage would he be to Tyrion? Everyone knows Pycelle convinced the Mad King to open the gates to Tywin at the end of Robert's Rebellion, so everyone knows he is a Lannister man (which means a Cersei and Tywin man). Would Tyrion consider such a man as a valuable ally? An old man with no one opinion, a puppet of his beloved sister and his beloved father? Don't think so, not worth the effort to turn him around. And for Varys and LF he is not even worth beeing taken seriously.

[Baelor Blacktyde]

Varys made it clear that he knew both what Tyrion said to Pycelle and LF:

The passages you cite makes me think that Varys does not know what Tyrion put in the letters that he gave Maester Pycelle.

Varys knows that Tyrion gave Pycelle letters to send to Dorne.

Varys knows that Tyrion told Littlefinger to try an arrange a marriage between Myrcella and Robert Arryn.

Therefor, Varys assumes that, since Myrcella cannot be sent both to Dorne and to the Vale, the letter that Maester Pycelle sent is arranging a trip for Tommen to Dorne.

In theory, Varys could know what was in the letter Tyrion gave Pycelle (namely arranging a marriage between Myrcella and Trystan Martell of Dorne), but I don't see how it's supported by the text. And I think the author includes this chapter to show us how Tyrion can be clever and devious, fooiling even Varys and Littlefinger. Tyrion can be a match for those two plotters.

[Chebyshov]

^No, read the full passage. It's clear Varys knows what's up. Those were just quick pulled sections, and the Tommen to Dorne is what Tyrion was "promising Varys." And Tyrion outright tells him why he's doing this set up, like I said. Tyrion's not as clever as he thinks he is.

[Baelor Blacktyde]

^No, read the full passage. It's clear Varys knows what's up. Those were just quick pulled sections, and the Tommen to Dorne is what Tyrion was "promising Varys." And Tyrion outright tells him why he's doing this set up, like I said. Tyrion's not as clever as he thinks he is.

You mean reread the entirety of your post, or the entirety of the chapter in the book? Because I've read your post and everything I see in there points to Varys thinking that Tommen will be the one sent to Dorne. I don't remember anything in the book indicating otherwise.

[Chebyshov]

The passage in the book. How I read it is that Varys comes in and says "oh hey, that was mean of you, Pycelle is shit at keeping secrets." Then he notes how he knows of what Tyrion told LF (sending Myrcella to the Vale), so he guesses Tyrion has to be sending Tommen to Dorne. But Varys absolutely knows fully well that Tyrion told Pycelle, LF, and himself something different, meaning that the plan told to Pycella had to be Myrcella going to Dorne:

“And if Her Grace were to discover your intentions before your plans are ripe?”

“Why,” he said, “then I would know the man who told her to be my certain enemy.” And when Varys giggled, he thought, Three.

It's a crappy plan on Tyrion's part, though I do think it was Pycelle that told.

[juanml82]

Tyrion never spoke out loud the letter's contents, so Varys' slaves couldn't know. Since Pycell didn't have to speak to himself when he opened one to peek at the contents, all Varys could know is that Tyrion send some sort of offer to Dorne by raven.

Then Tyrion tells LF about sending Myrcella to the Vale, Varys' slaves inform him and Varys gambles (correctly) that the Dornish offer is about sending one of the princes. Since he thinks Tyrion is planning to send Myrcella to the Vale, he assumes Tyrion plans to send Tommen to Dorne and bets on impressing Tyrion by letting him know that.

And Tyrion never corrects him because, should Cersei accused him of sending Tommen to Dorne, as opposed to Myrcella, he would have known Varys was informing on him. Varys, however, doesn't inform Cersei waiting to see how this particular issue evolves and Tyrion, without realizing it, outsmarts Varys on this one.

[Cody Garris]

I dont think theres any way varys is the one who told because strengthening lannister/martell relations is the opposite of what he wants.