Varys

“The king, the priest, the rich man - who lives and who dies? Who will the swordsman obey? It's a riddle without an answer, or rather, too many answers. All depends on the man with the sword.'

'And yet he is no one,' Varys said. 'He has neither crown nor gold nor favor of the gods, only a piece of pointed steel.'

'That piece of steel is the power of life and death.'

'Just so ... yet if it is the swordsmen who rule us in truth, why we pretend our kings hold the power? Why should a strong man with a sword ever obey a child king like Joffrey, or a wine-sodden oaf like his farther?'

'Because these child kings and druken oafs can call other strong men, with other swords.'

'Then these other swordsmen have the true power. Or do they?Whence came their swords? Why do they obey?' Varys smiled.

'Some say knowledge is power. Some tell us that all power comes from the gods. Others say it derives from law. Yet that day on the steps of Baelor's Sept, our godly High Septon and the lawful Queen Regent and your ever-so-knowledgeable servant were as powerless as any cobbler or cooper in the crowd. Who truly killed Eddard Stark, do you think? Joffrey, who gave the command? Ser Ilyn Payne, who swung the sword? Or ... another?'

Tyrion cocked his head sideways. 'Did you mean to answer your damned riddle, or only to make my head ache worse?'

Varys smiled. 'Here, then. Power resides where men believe it resides. No more no less.'

'So power is a mummer's trick?'

'A shadow on the wall,' Varys murmured, 'yet shadows can kill. And ofttimes a very small man can cast a very large shadow.'