Who was Varys writing to on Game of Thrones? There's a HUGE clue you probably missed

13 May 2019, 21:00

By Emma Clarke

For those who have not seen season 8, episode 5: look away now. You've been warned.

It's been 84 years...(I joke) since we last saw Varys doing what he does best: gossiping and scheming. So it was rather refreshing to see the master manipulator back in action - even if it was short-lived.

In season 8, episode 5 of Game of Thrones - aka the penultimate episode - Varys found himself in a very precarious position. After his pal Tyrion divulged the epic secret about Jon Snow's true lineage, Varys no longer had any reason to back Daenerys and her claim to the Iron Throne.

41 hilarious memes about Game of Thrones season 8, episode 5 (Recap)

Since learning the secret, Varys then put pen to paper and scribbles a note about Jon Snow being the real heir of the Iron Throne and rightful ruler of the Seven Kingdoms, before Dany burns him to a crisp.

And, sure, writing bitchy notes isn't a new thing in Game of Thrones, it's their only method of communicating to lands far away, but who the eff was he writing to? Especially since anyone who is anyone either knows already or isn't a claimant themselves.

Let's have a look...

What did Varys' letter say?

While the full note in its entirety wasn't all that visible (seriously, dudes, sort out the lighting!), we can make out the following:

"...not the only Targaryen left. Rhaegar and Lyanna... their son lives still, hidden by Eddard Stark... he is the true heir to the Iron Throne..."

Although Daenerys never actually saw the letter, she'd sussed out that Varys was going behind her back and sentenced him to death by dragon for his traitorous acts - not before Tyrion ratted him out.

Just before Varys is taken away by Grey Worm and a band of Unsullied soldiers, Varys appears to burn the note, so perhaps we'll never know who it was meant for. He also strangely removes his rings before he's killed.

Who was Varys writing to?

Like we said, it's not going to be anyone who already knows, is it? What would be the point of that? He could have been writing to Cersei. Perhaps he wanted to switch sides and join back up with the Lannister Queen, but then again, that makes no sense for him to tell her she's not the rightful heir to the throne (not that Cersei cares about that technicality, but still). She then also dies in episode 5, so it won't do any good any way.

So who is it? Now, this one had us stumped...until we remembered a throwaway line from episode 4. In the episode, entitled 'The Last of the Starks', we heard briefly about a "new Prince of Dorne."

For those who have forgotten, Dorne was the sunny paradise where the Sand Snakes resided.

In season 4, Prince Oberyn Martell was killed by the Mountain, in Tyrion's trial by combat. Cersei had blamed her little brother for the death of her son Joffrey and had Ser Gregor fight for her. In the trial, we saw Oberyn's masterful swordfighting skills. But then, getting too cocky for his own good, Oberyn gets floored by Ser Gregor, who then proceeds to gauge his eyes out with his thumbs.

Oberyn's wife, Ellaria Sand, then sought vengeance over Cersei and poisoned her daughter Myrcella by kissing her on the lips. Cersei got her own-back, however, when she slaughtered two of Ellaria's daughters and poisoned the third, forcing the Ellaria to watch her beloved daughter die a slow and painful death.

That said, the Dornish household still exists, we've just had our minds on other things for a while.

While we don't yet know who the new Dornish Prince is, it would make sense for Varys to be sending treasonous letters to him; not only are the Dornish allies of the Targaryen household, they're the only house that wasn't involved in the recent Battle of Winterfell, that has no idea of the shit that's gone down...that is, unless Varys has been keeping them informed.

But would the really make a surprise comeback in the final ever episode? The jury's still out...