Julia H. Posted January 4, 2022 Share Posted January 4, 2022 2 hours ago, Aejohn the Conqueroo said: Cersei was having Robert's bastards rounded up and done away with. I think that given his job description Varys would have been involved in that, even if he only lent superficial support. We also have Varys helping Gendry escape the same purge. Whatever his motives were, finding Robert's bastards wasn't out of Varys' way. You are right, it wasn't out of his way. I just don't think he would dedicate more than a reasonable amount of time and energy to this task. Cersei probably didn't dare to outright tell him that there should be 16 bastards (she was uncomfortable with the prophecy, and everybody was wary of Varys), and Varys had no way to know. Besides, Cersei herself couldn't know when all those children would be born. At the time, Cersei was just the King's wife, not a regent, so Varys probably found a bastard for her from time to time, but it wasn't in his interest to make undue effort to look for possibly hypothetical bastards. After all, he had other things to do. Plotting with Illyrio, keeping an eye on Viserys and Dany, keeping an eye on (F)Aegon, keeping an eye on Littlefinger, Stannis and Tywin, keeping an eye on Edric Storm... and he also had to serve up useful intelligence regularly to Robert / Jon Arryn to earn his keeping. With regard to the Baratheon bastards, it was more in his interest to watch over the ones that had been identified because their incredibly obvious Baratheon looks could be used against the Lannisters one day, so he probably wanted to keep the most important ones alive. Just my take on it. I don't claim that I can read the Spider's mind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nevets Posted January 4, 2022 Share Posted January 4, 2022 My impression is that Cersei didn't become interested in Robert's bastards until after Barra and after Ned telling her he knew about her incest. She realized that the bastards' appearance could become evidence of her infidelity, so sought to get rid of those she could. Up until then, it really didn't matter. They had no claim to anything, and Robert didn't seem to care. Barra and Ned changed that. Varys obviously helped Gendry, but I don't think he did much else, or really gave much thought about them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Lannister Posted January 4, 2022 Share Posted January 4, 2022 13 hours ago, Nevets said: My impression is that Cersei didn't become interested in Robert's bastards until after Barra and after Ned telling her he knew about her incest. I think that Varys mentioned there were some bastards in Lannisport she had killed before that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Springwatch Posted January 4, 2022 Share Posted January 4, 2022 19 minutes ago, Lord Lannister said: I think that Varys mentioned there were some bastards in Lannisport she had killed before that. Could Tywin have done that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Lannister Posted January 4, 2022 Share Posted January 4, 2022 12 minutes ago, Springwatch said: Could Tywin have done that? I doubt it. I suppose the bastards could touch on his Lannister pride, as it would certainly on Cersei's, but Tywin is also pragmatic. Robert was a known womanizer before Cersei was married to him. The political gain out weighed that. To say nothing of bastards would be beneath Tywin's notice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaenara Belarys Posted January 4, 2022 Share Posted January 4, 2022 1 hour ago, Lord Lannister said: I think that Varys mentioned there were some bastards in Lannisport she had killed before that. Those she had killed, I think, because it was right on her doorstep. Matter of pride, and such. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aejohn the Conqueroo Posted January 4, 2022 Share Posted January 4, 2022 19 hours ago, Floki of the Ironborn said: Can someone remind me of the context, please? Why is nobody considering the possibility that Varys was lying? It's always a possibility that Varys was lying. He certainly didn't tip this one though if he was. He was speaking with Tyrion about Stannis' accusations of Lannister incest. "Robert's bastards? What of them?" "He fathered eight, to the best of my knowing," Varys said as he wrestled with the saddle. "Their mothers were copper and honey, chestnut and butter, yet the babes were all black as ravens . . . and as ill-omened, it would seem. So when Joffrey, Myrcella, and Tommen slid out between your sister's thighs, each as golden as the sun, the truth was not hard to glimpse." Tyrion shook his head. If she had borne only one child for her husband, it would have been enough to disarm suspicion . . . but then she would not have been Cersei. "If you were not this whisperer, who was?" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rondo Posted January 5, 2022 Share Posted January 5, 2022 The Baratheons had one king. They failed to follow Robert on the throne. His bastards are not that important. Gendry the blacksmith is only interesting if he gets a crazy notion in his head to temper a sword in Arya. Then the sword breaks anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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