So, I was doing rewatch for Season 7 and in the episode where Dany and Varys have that very tense exchange, he says something very interesting, he says to Dany, “I choose you because I know the people have no better chance than you” This is a very telling line, he doesn’t support her because he believes that its hers to inherit, or that he buys her vision for the kingdom (which let’s face it, is vague af), it’s none of those things. He literally says that he supports her because she’s the only viable option they have currently. We’ve already seen that he’s very worried about her temper tantrums, especially when they result in burning men alive. She’s more than capable of falling in the same trap as her father, the Mad King, the seeds are already there, the shades of tyranny, the very thing she claims to be fighting against. He even tells Tyrion that he must find a way to make her listen.
But who’s the one person that he knows close to nothing about, Sansa Stark. As of now, Jon is KitN and Sansa is ruling in his stead. I don’t see him holding on to his powers for too long though. For one, Jon is an elected king and as such cannot take decisions unilaterally, not when the decision affects all the other Northern territories. And I am not even talking about Lord Royce and the Lord Glover but Lyanna Mormont, I can’t imagine her being too happy that yet again they must bow to another Southern Ruler and one who has no ties to the North or even the continent.
Add to that, we also know that next season will definitely spill the beans about Jon’s real parentage. He was chosen, in a big part, due to fact that, at the end of the day, he is Ned Stark’s son. But when they find out that he’s not, well, it’s going to fall apart soon.
When LF said that Jon was named the KitN and he can unnamed just as easily. That wasn’t just word-babble on LF’s part, also, we know that Sansa does not covet Jon’s power and position. So what purpose did that line serve? It was to remind the audience that Jon’s position is that of an elected leader and when the leader does not fulfill the duties or the people who elected him are unhappy with his decision, are well within their rights to elect someone else.
If you think about it, Jon hasn’t actually done since he became KitN. He upped and left to go South. It was Sansa who was left saddled with having to make sure that Winterfell and the North were gearing up for Winter, that they have enough food to make sure that the refugees are fed and making sure that the army has armor which would also keep them warm. As KitN, Jon did nothing. His people asked him to stay in the North and he ignored that.
And her strategy to take down LF without losing the Knights of the Vale was a masterstroke. She genuinely cares about her people, they love her and she’s politically savvy, she can play the game, something that both Jon and Dany lack. I think it’s plausible that Varys would switch sides to her. Remember that he doesn’t side with any king or queen but with the ordinary people. Who then is better suited? Someone who burned soldiers alive and their food stores or the queen who’s making sure that her people will be fed during the Winter. Dany has to be constantly held back, first by Tyrion and then by Jon when she’s about to make an impulsive decision and that decision is almost always a very unwise one. That’s not a balanced ruler. Either way, I don’t see Varys sticking with Dany for too long. What are your thoughts, feel free to add or disagree..
Ravings of a Manic Reader 