Some weeks after murdering Lord Tywin and Shae and fleeing King’s Landing to sail across the Narrow Sea, Tyrion Lannister is brought to the home of Magister Illyrio Mopatis in Pentos, with the aid of Lord Varys. Varys wastes no time upon their arrival to Essos and attempts to persuade Tyrion to assist in his goal to restore House Targaryen to the Iron Throne. However, Tyrion simply wishes to drink himself to death after all that he has been through, renouncing his lordship and caring nothing for the stability of Westeros, a country he is done with after the pain caused from its politics.

Afterwards, Tyrion questions Varys on his motives for setting him free. Varys reveals his brother Jaime had asked him to and that he did for the benefit of the Seven Kingdoms. Varys then states that his goal was to bring peace and prosperity upon the kingdoms where those without power would never be prey to those who do; Tyrion merely states in a jaded tone that the former will always become prey to the latter, which is how the powerful become and stay that way in the first place. The two discuss that the Seven Kingdoms needs a ruler stronger than King Tommen, but gentler than Stannis Baratheon. Varys then makes Tyrion one final offer, telling him that he can simply drink himself to death here in Pentos, or ride with him to Meereen to meet the dragon queen, Daenerys Targaryen. After a moment, Tyrion agrees.

Days later, Varys and Tyrion depart Pentos in a large carriage. Tyrion remains despondent, and as promised, he is continuing to drink himself into a stupor. Varys explains that they are traveling to Meereen by way of the Free City of Volantis. Varys points out that Tyrion was an effective ruler when he was acting Hand of the King, and that each of them were outsiders due to their deformities, as a eunuch and a dwarf. They enjoyed accumulating power, he says, but they also wall themselves off from other people, like hiding inside of a large carriage as they are now - but deep down, they were never satisfied being separate from society. Tyrion remains depressed and continues to insist that he's tired of being confined in a box of some sort. Varys, however, again warns him that he must remain hidden and it is unsafe to be seen publicly: Cersei has promised a lordship to any man who brings her his head. Tyrion scoffs and rhetorically asks if his sister is going to kill every dwarf in the world in the hope of eventually catching him.

Some time later, after days of confinement in the carriage, an impatient Tyrion eventually opts to get through Volantis on foot. He and Lord Varys then move through the markets of Long Bridge, where Varys explains the meaning of the various tattoos Volantene slaves must sport. Varys nearly loses Tyrion, but then finds him observing the sermon of a Red Priestess. Tyrion says he is curious, since Thoros of Myr was the only Red Priest in King's Landing. The Red Priestess evangelizes in High Valyrian, telling the tale of how she was once a slave herself, and preaches of a prophesied savior, a “Dragon Queen.” Tyrion mocks her from afar to Varys until she turns to face him, seemingly hearing his words despite their distance. She stares at him intently, forcing the two to leave the scene in unease. Tyrion next leads Lord Varys to a brothel where they witness the sight of a prostitute who is dressed as Daenerys Targaryen, alluding to her infamy Varys tells Tyrion that a woman who inspires both sermons and whores is probably worth meeting. Tyrion then woos a different prostitute, but when she finally agrees to service him, he finds that he can't bring himself to patronize her, undoubtedly still reeling from his recent traumas. He then excuses himself and goes to urinate off the side of the bridge, with Varys losing sight of him. As a drunk Tyrion finishes, he is suddenly bound, gagged and abducted by a knight named Jorah Mormont, who declares that he is taking him to "the queen".

Several weeks later, Lord Varys finally makes the journey to Meereen on his own. Upon arrival he discovers that Tyrion has also made the journey in one piece, however, the missing Daenerys Targaryen has fled the city on dragonback when an insurgency group opposing Daenerys’ new reign began attacking the city during the Great Games in the fighting pit of Daznak. While Ser Jorah Mormont has left Meereen to find the dragon queen, Tyrion has been ordered to rule the city until her return, as his trusted political knowledge has been viewed as an asset under the circumstance despite Daenerys’ initial distrust in him as a Lannister. While Tyrion watches Ser Jorah and Daario Naaharis depart Meereen to find Daenerys, he is approached by Lord Varys, who playfully teases him for "abandoning" him in Volantis. Varys then admits that he was able to Tyrion through his network of spies, as “the birds sing in the West, the birds sing in the East.” Varys congratulates Tyrion for winning favor with the “Mother of Dragons” without the need of his assistance. After Tyrion informs of the political instability in Meereen, Varys alludes to the opportunities it presents for him as the interim ruler. Varys presses that Tyrion needs to learn his enemies strengths and strategies. Through their bantering, they vow to help each other hold Meereen together in her absence. Tyrion then wholeheartedly admits that he has missed Varys.

Weeks later, with Daenerys still missing and the threat of the Sons of the Harpy still on-going, Lord Varys and Tyrion explore the streets of Meereen disguised as merchants, in an effort to find the Harpies. They believe they can do more at street level than from inside the Great Pyramid. Upon meeting a woman and her baby, Tyrion offers some money to feed her child. Due to his bad Valyrian, however, she refuses, believing Tyrion intends to eat her baby until Varys corrects her. While pondering their predicament and what Daenerys' absence means to the people of Meereen, they witness a Red Priest named Zanrush preaching to some of the former slaves to fight for their own freedom instead of relying on Daenerys. After surmising that the Harpies have a leader, Tyrion and Varys encounter several citizens running away from something in panic. Investigating the disturbance towards the origin of the smoke, they are shocked to find that the Sons of the Harpy have burned every ship in the harbor.

Some days later, in the Great Pyramid, Varys and Tyrion learn that the Unsullied army, led by Grey Worm, have yet to find who was responsible for burning the Meereenese fleet. Varys then reports that two other slaves cities Daenerys has previously liberated, Astapor and Yunkai, have fallen back into the slave trade. The dragon queen’s advisor Missandei also brings to Tyrion’s attention that Daenerys' two other dragons, who remain imprisoned, haven't been eating since their mother left with the third dragon named Drogon. Tyrion guesses that they are morose because they are in captivity. When Missandei asks how he knows this, he replies, "That's what I do. I drink and I know things.” Tyrion decides to visit the catacombs in order to meet the dragons and free them, knowing they will be better off this way. Accompanied by Varys, Tyrion then ventures alone into the pitch-dark catacombs and encounters Viserion and Rhaegal for the first time. Despite their initial hostility towards him, Tyrion remains calm, assuring them he is a friend of Daenerys and only wants to help. He manages to quickly earn their trust and unshackle them both, all the while telling them the story from his youth about wanting a dragon for his nameday when asked by his uncle what he'd like for a gift. Tyrion informs of his disappointment when he was met with uproarious laughter from his family and the truth from his father Tywin, that they'd been extinct for a century. After both dragons are freed, Tyrion quickly exits the pit with Varys, then asking the eunuch to punch him in the face the next time he has a crazy idea.

Some time later, in the Great Pyramid, Varys holds court when the Unsullied bring in Vala, a prostitute who is in league with the Sons of the Harpy. Amidst working with the rebellious insurgency group, Vala has seduced and murdered several members of the Unsullied and the Second Sons, hired mercenaries that fight for Daenerys. She is defiant and states that she opposes the new regime imposed by the Unsullied and Second Sons as illegitimate. Vala also states that she became a prostitute out of patriotic fervor for the old ways. Varys assures Vala he has no interest in torturing her and decides to strike a deal. In return for revealing who is funding the Sons of the Harpy, he offers her and her son safe passage on a ship bound for Pentos with a bag of silver to start a new life. Varys warns her that if she doesn't agree to the offer, she will be executed for her crimes, leaving her son orphaned. After their meeting, Lord Varys returns to Tyrion, Grey Worm and Missandei and reports that that the Wise Masters of Yunkai, the Good Masters of Astapor, and the Free City of Volantis have been secretly funding the Sons of the Harpy movement. While Grey Worm advocates attacking the cities, Missandei advises against it since that would leave Meereen unprotected. Using this information, Tyrion asks Varys to use his spy network, the little birds, to send them a message.

Several days later, Tyrion, Grey Worm, Missandei and Varys prepare to meet with the Masters representing the slave cities. As the diplomatic mission enters the harbour, Grey Worm advocates using military force, though Tyrion informs him this time they must "make peace with our enemies." When Tyrion explains that he is able to empathize with slaves because of his experience being sold to Yezzan zo Qaggaz before arriving in Meereen, Missandei counters that he has not experienced slavery long enough. In the meeting chamber, the emissary from Astapor is revealed to be Tyrion's former slave master Yezzan, alongside the Yunkish Razdal mo Eraz and the Volantene representative Belicho Paenymion. Yezzan remarks at how Tyrion has quickly climbed to the top of the pyramid since his enslavement, before then offering to give Daenerys and her allies a large sum of money and ships if they leave Slaver's Bay. When Missandei defends slave liberation, Razdal contends that slavery has existed in the region for centuries. After hearing their offer and reminding them there are other ways to make money, Tyrion proposes a counter-offer. While Meereen would remain a free city, he offers to give the other cities of Slaver's Bay a seven-year time limit to phase out slavery and compensate all slave owners. However, they must end all support for the Sons of the Harpy, regardless of their denial of it. He then cautions them that they will not get a better offer. In private, Tyrion assures Missandei and Grey Worm that he is serving Daenerys' interest by taking advantage of the Masters' own arrogance, but that they cannot end slavery overnight. Grey Worm, however, warns Tyrion that the slavers cannot be reasoned with and will most likely take advantage of him instead, since they already do this for a living.

Nevertheless, the situation in Meereen begins to slowly stabilize, with almost no incidents involving the freedmen or Harpies, though Tyrion reminds Varys, Grey Worm and Missandei that they need to convince the Meereenese that everything has been done with Daenerys' blessing. If not, the slave masters could use Tyrion’s foreign status against him to fully reclaim Slaver's Bay. To accomplish this, Tyrion invites Kinvara, High Priestess of the Red Temple of Volantis, to negotiate spreading the word of Daenerys' achievements and liberation across the slave cities. To Tyrion's surprise, Kinvara appears to fully agree with supporting his goals, believing that Daenerys is the prophesized ‘Prince That Was Promised’. Lord Varys is more skeptical, however, being suspicious of any practitioners of magic, and points out that another Red Priestess named Melisandre had already promised the same to Stannis Baratheon, who was ultimately defeated and killed. Kinvara counters that the Lord of Light's human followers occasionally make mistakes, then shuts him down with detailed knowledge of his heavily-guarded castration she couldn’t possibly know about. Kinvara then assures Tyrion and Varys that she will send the preachers best suited for the task at hand.

Weeks later, in the streets of Meereen, several Red Priests and Priestesses preach to the smallfolk that Daenerys Targaryen has been sent by the Lord of Light to end slavery. One priestess in particular speaks to the crowd, informing them that if they are steadfast in their love for Daenerys, no man will ever be locked in chains again. Lord Varys and Tyrion enter the market place where they debate the merits of Tyrion's hiring of "fanatics" to keep order on Meereen. Nonetheless, what they both have requested from the priestess Kinvara has helped improve the peace within the city. They walk towards the harbour as Varys is leaving on a secret expedition because Daenerys needs friends in Westeros before she is to set sail across the Narrow Sea herself. Varys parts with Tyrion before reaching the docks, as his expedition would not remain secret if he was seen with the “most famous dwarf in the city.” As he leaves Tyrion corrects him, "The most famous dwarf in the world."

Some weeks later, Lord Varys has made the long journey across the Narrow Sea and arrives in Dorne, the southern-most region of Westeros. After several months spent in Essos, much has happened within the Seven Kingdoms prior to his return. Most recently, in order to defeat her remaining enemies in House Tyrell, Cersei Lannister organized a wildfire explosion in the Great Sept of Baelor, which resulted in the death of Queen Margaery, among several other members of the royal court. As result of Cersei’s treachery, a traumatized and grieving King Tommen took his own life, now placing Cersei herself on the Iron Throne, as her last living child has perished. Meanwhile, in Dorne itself, the late Prince Oberyn Martell’s vengeful lover Ellaria Sand rebelled against the remaining members of House Martell and rules the region alongside the Sand Snakes, three daughters of Prince Oberyn. After losing her son and grandchildren to Cersei’s vicious attack, Lady Olenna Tyrell has also arrived in Dorne to meet with Ellaria to unify their efforts against House Lannister. Ellaria suggests that they must work together for survival, as Queen Cersei has declared war on both of their factions. Despite her distrust towards Ellaria for turning against the house of her deceased lover, Olenna clarifies that House Tyrell’s future has been taken from her and survival is not what she is after now. Ellaria then promises that an alliance with them will give Olenna her new heart's desire. When Olenna sardonically asks what that is, Ellaria states that it is "justice and vengeance." At that moment, Lord Varys reveals himself, and rephrases: "Fire and blood," the motto of House Targaryen.

Some time after successfully recruiting the Reachmen and Dornishmen under the leadership of Olenna and Ellaria, Lord Varys returns to Essos in time to join Queen Daenerys, Tyrion Lannister and her ever-increasing united army as they all set sail towards Westeros. As Varys was away in Westeros, Daenerys returned to Meereen and with her three dragons she destroyed the slave masters and remaining Sons of the Harpy, restoring order to the all of the slave cities. Under his guidance, Daenerys appoints Tyrion as the Hand of the Queen and after restoring peace in Meereen, uses this opportunity to set her sights on invading Westeros and removing Cersei Lannister from the Iron Throne. Daenerys, clad in Targaryen black, stands on the deck of the flagship with Tyrion, Missandei and Lord Varys as they looking ahead into the Summer Sea. Daenerys and Tyrion glance at each other respectfully as they embark into the unknown, knowing they could be met with the gift of more allies or they could be treated as foreign invaders with brutality.

Some time later, Lord Varys arrives with Tyrion, Daenerys, Missandei and Grey Worm at Dragonstone after a long voyage across the Narrow Sea. The volcanic island is Daenerys’ birthplace as well as the location of the eponymous castle and ancestral seat of House Targaryen. She and her entourage climb the steps to the castle where they silently then enter the unguarded main gates and deserted courtyard. When they enter the castle itself, Daenerys briefly studies the fiery stag on one of Stannis Baratheon’s old banners, as he used to occupy the island before his death. After a moment, Daenerys rips the banner down with a firm tug before entering the throne room and gazes upon the Targaryen throne itself, hewn from volcanic rock. After a moment, Daenerys and Tyrion stride right past the throne and enters the Chamber of the Painted Table, the war council room. Surveying the discarded markers from Stannis' last use of the table, Daenerys wastes no time, turns to Tyrion and remarks "Shall we begin?"

As her advisors commence planning for the continental takeover, Tyrion cautions Daenerys not to launch a direct assault on King’s Landing with her dragons or she will merely become “Queen of the Ashes”, to which Daenerys concurs. Daenerys then calls into question Lord Varys' allegiance, as his loyalty has shifted from king to king since the days when he served her father, Aerys Targaryen. The Hand tries to defend his friend, insisting that Varys had been the one to convince him over to their cause and that he had served her well since then, assisting his rule of Meereen and securing the alliance of Dorne and House Tyrell. However, Daenerys demands that Varys explain himself without support from Tyrion. Varys wryly remarks that if Daenerys only wants blind loyalty from him, she might as well execute him now, but if she’s willing to accept his services, he can give her enormous assistance. Satisfied, Dany asks him to swear to her that, if he feels she is failing the realm, he is to tell her to her face rather than conspire against her. Varys swears to do so. Grey Worm then announces the arrival of the infamous Red Priestess, Melisandre, who brings them news of events in the North, including the coronation of Eddard Stark’s bastard son Jon Snow as the King in the North, much to their surprise. Although somewhat skeptical of Melisandre's prophecies, Tyrion admits that he liked and trusted Jon's character when they traveled to the Wall together, and he encourages Daenerys to arrange an alliance with him.

Afterwards, Varys joins Daenerys for a war council with Tyrion, Missandei, Grey Worm and their newest allies: Olenna Tyrell, Ellaria Sand and House Greyjoy siblings: Yara and Theon. Tyrion initially clashes with Ellaria, as he is aware that she murdered his niece Myrcella Baratheon with poison in retaliation against the Lannisters for the death of Oberyn Martell. Ellaria still grieves over Oberyn, holding this against Tyrion as it was his trial by combat which resulted in her lover’s death. After Daenerys siezes their argument, Tyrion helps her explain their plan to invade Westeros, as Cersei is trying to rally Westerosi lords to defend the capital against their foreign army. Tyrion proposes using a combination of Tyrell and Dornish forces to lay siege instead, much to the chagrin of Olenna and Ellaria, who balk at the thought of using their own soldiers. Tyrion, however, insists that using the Unsullied and Dothraki would arouse the patriotism of Westerosi bannermen and potentially close ranks behind Cersei. He proposes sending the Unsullied to take Casterly Rock instead, cutting off Cersei’s retreat and dealing a massive blow to the morale of the Western army. In the meantime, the Greyjoy fleet will escort Ellaria back to her capital of Sunspear to rally the Dornish forces and then ferry them up the coast to King's Landing, bypassing the Stormlands and allowing the siege to commence early. Daenerys accepts Tyrion's proposal and reminds the others on her council that she will not be attacking the capital, requesting consenting approval from everyone, which they give.

Some time later, when Jon Snow finally arrives at Dragonstone, Melisandre stays back, observing his arrival from the cliffs. Lord Varys confronts her there and intuits that she's done something to anger the King in the North. Melisandre confirms that neither Jon nor his advisor, Ser Davos Seaworth, are fond of her due to “terrible mistakes” that she has made. Melisandre informs that she will stay away from both Jon and Daenerys as her days of "whispering in the ears of kings" are over – a direct dig at Varys' chosen position as Master of Whisperers. Melisandre declares that she has "brought ice and fire together" and that her work is now done. Varys is delighted to hear that she will depart for Volantis soon, and advises her not to return to Westeros. Melisandre, however, then states that she cannot follow that advice, as she must return to Westeros once more to face her end. Before she departs, Melisandre cryptically informs Varys: “I have to die in this strange country... just like you." Meanwhile, as tension rises between Daenerys and Jon Snow, Varys then enters the throne room to provide an update. She orders Missandei to give Jon and his followers food and lodging. When Jon asks if he is a prisoner, she firmly states: "not yet." After Jon’s exit, Varys report that Yara Greyjoy’s fleet was ambushed in the Narrow Sea by her rivaling uncle, Euron Greyjoy, who is allied with Cersei Lannister. He gravely adds that Yara and Ellaria Sand have both been captured.

Afterwards, in the Chamber of Painted Table, Daenerys confers with Varys, Tyrion and Missandei. She proposes going out with her dragons to hunt Euron Greyjoy's Iron Fleet, but her advisors argue against it: they have no idea where Euron is, and all it would take is for one stray arrow to kill Daenerys and the dragons would be uncontrollable without their mother. Tyrion also assumes that the Lannisters will put up a fierce fight for Casterly Rock, adding that the gates and walls of the ancestral castle of House Lannister is impregnable to siege. However, as his father Lord Tywin assigned Tyrion to build the sewers in his youth, he informs them that he built a secret tunnel through a cove to bring in prostitutes, which now can be used to their advantage. Meanwhile, however, in the Westerlands, Tyrion’s plans are foiled. The Unsullied do manage to sneak in through Tyrion's secret cove tunnel and after following an initial fight, they overwhelm the garrison and capture the castle. Grey Worm, however, quickly realizes that the Lannisters have only installed a small, skeletal garrison. Overlooking the battlements, Grey Worm questions a wounded Lannister soldier about where the main Lannister forces are, realizing they’ve stumbled into a trap. Euron's Iron Fleet sneaks up on the Unsullied fleet from behind and unleashes projectiles, setting many Targaryen ships ablaze.

Days later, Varys and Tyrion then inform Daenerys that the Unsullied succeeded in capturing Casterly Rock, only to then reveal the Lannister ambush at Highgarden, which resulted in the death of Lady Olenna and the official extinction of House Tyrell. As Tyrion's military strategy quickly falls apart, a furious Daenerys struggles to keep her temper, as now all three of her major allies in Westeros are gone and all she has gained is a castle with no supplies. She blames his cautious strategy for losing them Dorne, Yara’s Ironborn men and now the Reach. However, Tyrion insists that they still have just enough ships left to at least shuttle the Dothraki from Dragonstone to the nearby mainland coast; even with the loss of all her other allies, her combined Unsullied and Dothraki forces are still the largest single army in Westeros. Daenerys fumes that her vast numbers are useless if she can't feed them all, as that was the Reach's true strategic value, given their wealth. Daenerys decides she has had enough of clever plans, declaring she will use the Dothraki and her dragons in a direct assault on the Red Keep to destroy her enemies. Tyrion urges her against this and when Daenerys asks Jon Snow for his input, Jon insists that if she attacks she’d be no different than any other tyrannical leader.

Although swayed from attacking King's Landing, Daenerys instead decides on attacking the Lannister-Tarly forces who sacked Highgarden. Following her return from the Battle of the Goldroad, Varys and Tyrion discuss Daenerys’ execution of Lord Randyll and Dickon Tarly. Varys informs Tyrion about how he had distanced himself from the Mad King’s role in executing Rickard and Brandon Stark several years ago. Tyrion continues to insist that Daenerys is not her father, and Varys agrees up to a point: she may not have her father's madness, but she certainly has a growing ruthless streak, which must be curtailed by Tyrion's more pragmatic counsel. They then discuss a sealed scroll from House Stark’s home of Winterfell that contains a message from Jon’s half-brother Bran Stark. Inside the war room, they discuss Bran's warning of the army of the dead advancing on the North. Daenerys notes that Jon doesn't have enough men, as Jon asks her again to join his fight. However, Daenerys is worried that Cersei will take advantage of the situation if she turns her focus away. Tyrion then proposes bringing a wight to the capital in order to prove that the army of the dead is real and hopefully come to a truce. Varys opines that it is suicide trying to appeal to Cersei, but Tyrion argues that he can persuade his brother Jaime to assist. Ser Jorah Mormont then volunteers to go beyond the Wall to help capture a wight while Jon volunteers to lead the expedition. Upset over the idea of Jon leaving, Daenerys responds that she did not give him permission to leave, but Jon reminds her that he is the King in the North. He tells her she has the power of life and death over him but that he trusted her regardless of being a stranger. Jon pleads with her to return the favor by now trusting him.

Some weeks later, Lord Varys, Tyrion, Jon and the rest of the united advisors sail into King’s Landing to parley with Queen Cersei after Jon’s successful capture of a wight from beyond the Wall. Unfortunately, the expedition wasn’t without it’s casualties, as Daenerys’ dragon Viserion perished at the hands of the Night King, the leader of the army of the dead. When the group arrive on the grounds of the capital, they are escorted by Ser Bronn and Podrick Payne to the Dragonpit where all of the various factions meet. Varys questions Bronn's allegiance to Cersei, along with Tyrion, who still somewhat trusts him, during their escorting to the armistice. As Cersei arrives with her party, she immediately notes Daenerys’ absence when the dragon queen the suddenly makes a dramatic entrance on Drogon. Getting the meeting on track, Daenerys and Jon attempt to warn Cersei of the greater threat coming for them all, but Cersei dismisses it as a ploy. To prove their claims, former Lannister guard, Sandor "the Hound" Clegane, returns with the crate containing the captured wight. When Sandor kicks the crate over, the enraged wight spills out and launches itself out towards the nearest target - Queen Cersei herself, appropriately enough. Visibly horrified, Cersei and her allies recoil in horror as the Hound pulls the wight back on a chain and slices the creature in half. The assembled look on in shock as the wight's upper half still moves around. Jon then steps forward and picks up the wight's discarded hand and demonstrates how fire can be used to stop them. He then uses a dagger made of dragonglass to the heart, which finishes off the undead, bluntly stating that if they don't win the coming war such a fate awaits every person in Westeros. Daenerys then states that she didn't believe it herself until she saw them all personally. A horrified Jaime Lannister asks how many wights are coming and Daenerys tells him the undead army number at least one-hundred-thousand. Seemingly convinced, Cersei offers terms, however, she refuses to deal with Daenerys at all and calls upon the bastard son of Eddard Stark to keep the truce, requesting that he is to stay out of any future conflict between the two queens. Jon, however, says that he cannot serve them both - and reveals to all assembled that he has already bent the knee for Daenerys, which hadn’t previously been shared with Tyrion or Lord Varys. With this news, Cersei then storms out, content to let the Starks and Targaryens battle the undead alone. After the meeting disperses, however, Tyrion ultimately changes her mind as he meets with his sister in private. Queen Cersei returns to the Dragonpit and agrees to work with Daenerys, informing them that the Lannister army will march north to fight alongside them in the coming war.

Some time later, Daenerys and her advisors return to Dragonstone and meet back in the war room to discuss logistics in heading north. It will take the Dothraki a fortnight to reach Winterfell, and the plan is to have Jon and the Unsullied cross the sea by ship and meet them at White Harbor. Ser Jorah points out that the North is not really safer for her than anywhere else, suggests that she fly to Winterfell. Jon then counters that Daenerys ride with them so that the North can see her as a liberator and as an ally. After a moment's consideration, Daenerys decides to sail to Winterfell with Jon. Afterwards, Varys and Tyrion accompany Daenerys and Jon aboard a ship that will take them to White Harbor. On the voyage, as Tyrion goes to visit Daenerys in her quarters, he witnesses her inviting Jon into her cabin, where the two of them give in to their mutual attraction and engage in a sexual encounter. Tyrion then grows concerned with the possible political consequences of this new union.

Some weeks later, after a long journey, Lord Varys and Tyrion travel north and reach Winterfell by carriage. Tyrion cheekily comments about Varys’ lack of balls not freezing in the cold in comparison to their warmer climate in the south. As they pass through the local village of Winter Town, the townspeople cast Daenerys several suspicious looks as the hordes of Unsullied and Dothraki march in behind her. Jon reminds her that Northerners have a long-established distrust of outsiders. Immediately following this exchange, Drogon and Rhaegal fly overhead, startling the townspeople and causing Daenerys to smile proudly at her children. Once inside the courtyard of Winterfell, Jon sees his half-brother Bran Stark and quickly dismounts. Jon hasn’t seen Bran in several years since he initially left Winterfell. He kisses Bran's forehead and then embraces his sister Sansa Stark, now the Lady of Winterfell, who keeps a wary eye on Daenerys as Jon introduces her to Daenerys. Sansa formally welcomes Daenerys to Winterfell, however, makes it apparent that it’s a begrudging invitation. Despite the steely reception, Daenerys politely thanks her, remarking that Jon told her about the beauty of the North and Sansa herself. Bran then interrupts, insisting that there isn’t any time for pleasantries, and informs Daenerys that the Night King has resurrected her deceased dragon, Viserion, who has now become part of the undead army.

A meeting with the Northern lords in the Great Hall immediately commences where Jon tries to organize the defense against the undead. House Mormont leader, young Lyanna Mormont, voices her anger that many lords share towards Jon bending the knee to Daenerys since they named him their King in the North. Jon gravely answers that he said he would protect the North, and the only way they could do that is with allies. Tyrion then insists that they'd all be dead already without Jon - and that the remaining Lannister army will soon arrive to reinforce them as well, upon which the lords resume their objections. Tyrion urges they must fight together in the face of the onslaught of the White Walkers and their undead army. Sansa then asks in frustration how they are meant to feed Daenerys' large army, and scoffs: "What do dragons eat, anyway?" Daenerys snarkily retorts: "Whatever they want.” Afterwards, as Jon and Daenerys inspect the new defenses being put up around Winterfell, Varys, Tyrion and Ser Davos view them from afar, remarking that a marriage-alliance might help cement their alliance, especially in terms of appeasing the Northmen's distrust of Daenerys. Varys then surmises that their influence is overestimated. He explains that while they are respected by youths, the aging are kept at a distance as they are a reminder that nothing lasts.

The following day, Tyrion’s brother Ser Jaime arrives at Winterfell and stands before Daenerys in the Great Hall. She begins by saying that when she was a child, her late brother Viserys Targaryen would tell her a bedtime story about Jaime, the man who murdered their father King Aerys. Daenerys also remarks to him that Cersei had pledged to send her army north, but that all she sees is “one man with one hand,” appearing that Cersei has lied with regards to her support. Jaime makes it clear that she lied to him as well, adding that she never had any intention of sending her army. Tyrion tries to step in but Daenerys quickly stops him as Tyrion misjudged his sister as well. However, when Brienne of Tarth steps forward she vouches for Jaime as a man of honor. She then looks to Sansa and adds that without Jaime, she wouldn't be alive. Sansa eventually agrees that they should let Jaime stay and Jon asserts that they need every man they can get. Daenerys eventually acquiesces and she exits the meeting with Varys, Tyrion and Ser Jorah and Varys, venting her anger about Cersei's betrayal. Both Daenerys and Tyrion equally agree that he was a fool in this matter. She informs Tyrion that if he can’t help get her on the Iron Throne, she'll find another Hand who can.

As night falls, Lord Varys and the defenders all gather to discuss battle strategies. Jon notes that even with weapons of dragonglass and Valyrian steel, and the defenses they have laid, the army of the dead outnumbers the living too heavily for them to have a chance at winning a conventional battle. When Ser Jaime asks what they can do, Jon suggests they target the Night King, as he is the army’s leader. Bran Stark then interjects that the Night King will come for him, as he's tried to kill the Three-Eyed Raven many times before. Bran explains that the Night King's ultimate desire is to erase all memory of the world of men, something which he now possesses as the raven. Theon Greyjoy declares that he and his men will defend Bran, as atonement for his capture of Winterfell years ago. When Tyrion enquires how the Night King will know where to find him, Bran reveals the claw marks left on him during their last encounter, which allows the creature to track him wherever he is. Tyrion declares that he and Ser Davos will signal Jon and Daenerys at the right time to ignite the trench around Winterfell, but Daenerys overrides him, declaring he will be in the crypts for his own safety; if the battle is won, she will need him. After everyone leaves the meeting, Tyrion pulls up a chair next to the crippled Bran, showing interest in how the young boy he met years ago grew up to become the Three-Eyed Raven.

Some hours later, the army of the dead arrive outside of Winterfell. Moments before the battle ensues, Tyrion takes several wine casks from the provisions to take with him down to the crypts below, where Lord Varys and all of the non-combatants are hiding out. Once inside the crypts, Sansa later joins the rest in hiding and Tyrion laments that he should at least be up on the battlements, even if he can't fight well, just like at the Battle of the Blackwater. Tyrion carries on to say that he and Varys could still use their great intellects as commanders, to try and see something other people wouldn't. Sansa chides that witty remarks won't make a difference, and the bravest thing they can do now is "look the truth in the face.” Tyrion is moved and quips that maybe they should have stayed married - to which Sansa responds, "You were the best of them." Tyrion remarks that is a terrifying thought. Sansa continues saying that a marriage wouldn't work out between them due to his loyalty to Daenerys, and Tyrion’s division between herself and Daenerys would be a problem. Increasingly frustrated and within earshot of their conversation, Missandei defends her queen to Sansa, firmly stating that without Daenerys they would all be dead by now. Later, as the battle continues outside, the castle has now been overrun with the undead army. Varys, Tyrion, Sansa, Missandei and the others can hear a handful of men desperately pounding on the heavy doors to let them in, but they know they cannot risk a flood of wights passing their barricade. They hear the men's cries which are then quickly silenced. The wights themselves cannot find a way in, however, there are already plenty of dead bodies in the crypts for the Night King to resurrect. Suddenly, many of the interred corpses rise as wights and start clawing their way out of their tombs. As more corpses continue to rise from their tombs, many of the living inhabitants inside the crypts are unarmed women and children whom succumb to their deaths. Varys manages to barely take shelter in an alcove, futilely protecting several of the children. Meanwhile, Sansa and Tyrion hide behind one tombs terrified. They contemplate on helping the women and children in the fight against the newly made wights in the crypt, with the dragon glass that they were given. They break away from their hideout and scurry around frantically until they see Missandei moments away from being attacked by two wights. Tyrion and Sansa sneak up from behind and kill them both with dragonglass. Shortly thereafter, in the midst of the attack on the crypts, all of the reanimated bodies drop to the ground and fall apart signifying that the Night King and his army of the dead have been defeated, thus ending the great war and the battle of Winterfell.

Following the victorious battle against the White Walkers, Winterfell has been cleared of the thousands of corpses in and around it. The fallen are gathered into funeral pyres, as Jon Snow then gives a eulogy that it is the duty of those who survived to keep them alive in memory for generations to come. He notes to the survivors in his eulogy: “Our fellow men and women, who set aside their differences to fight together, and die together, so that others might live. Everyone in this world owes them a debt that can never be repaid.” He also quotes the funeral speech used for members of the Night's Watch, he announces that they were the shields that guarded the realms of men, and they will never see their like again: “now their watch is ended.” The assembled leaders go forward with torches to light the pyres: Sansa weeps over Theon Greyjoy's body, taking a pin with the Stark direwolf sigil off of her own gown and adding it to his chest, to show that he was a Greyjoy and had redeemed himself as a Stark. A devastated Daenerys then lights Ser Jorah’s pyre, as Jon lights the young Lyanna Mormont's pyre. Meanwhile, Arya Stark lights the pyre for Ser Beric Dondarrion, as Samwell Tarly lights the pyre of Eddison Tollett. As the pyres go up in flames Daenerys is absolutely distraught at losing her longest confidante and advisor, Ser Jorah.

That night, the survivors hold a victory feast in the great hall of Winterfell, though so many died that the mood is somber at first. Daenerys calls on Gendry Baratheon, noting that he is the bastard son of King Robert- the man who overthrew her family. Gendry humbly responds that he didn't even know that Robert was his father until after he died. Daenerys then declares that she will appoint him the new Lord of Storm's End, as a reward for his heroism. The appointment is met with thunderous applause as the mood lifts in the hall. The feast becomes more celebratory once everyone starts drinking heavily and boasting about their deeds in the battle. Daenerys stands up and makes her own toast, "To Arya Stark, the hero of Winterfell!" prompting an entire room of cheers, although Arya is not present. Jon and Daenerys share a smile, which is noticed by Sansa who then leaves the table. With Tyrion and Jon socializing with other groups and Missandei and Grey Worm having excused themselves from the feast, Daenerys finds herself alone and despondently watches the surplus of celebratory exchanges around the room. Lord Varys specifically notices Daenerys' mood and isolation, quietly becoming concerned. Daenerys solemnly gets up to leave the hall.

The following day, Lord Varys joins Daenerys as she holds a war council, insistent on resuming her conquest of Westeros. Grey Worm informs that half of the Unsullied and most of the Dothraki were killed in the battle, as Jon adds about half of the Northern armies were destroyed as well. Varys then updates them on the situation in the south using map markers: the Golden Company mercenaries have just arrived in King's Landing, delivered by Euron Greyjoy's fleet, reinforcing Queen Cersei's position. Regardless, Daenerys asserts that they must attack King's Landing and rip Cersei out root and stem. Tyrion, however, warns her that a direct assault on the capital would result in so many civilian casualties that it would make the smallfolk hate her, so their focus should be to turn them against Cersei instead. Sansa then counters that their exhausted armies are not in a strong position to immediately mount a new full-scale offensive. However, Daenerys insists that the longer she waits, the more time Cersei has to gather new strength and new allies, just as she recruited Euron and the Golden Company. Jon then interjects that the North will honor its allegiance to Daenerys and they will just have to leave the badly wounded back home and march south with a smaller army. Daenerys declares to the war council that this will be the last war they have to fight in the Seven Kingdoms - adding "ALL of them.” Afterwards, as Daenerys and her dragons depart Winterfell, she notes Rhaegal’s injured take-off from the ground.

Later on, as Daenerys' fleet sails south towards Dragonstone, Tyrion meets with Lord Varys in a chamber below deck, having just informed Varys of a secret Jon and Daenerys only recently discovered themselves: Jon Snow is really Aegon Targaryen, the legitimate son of Daenerys' older brother Rhaegar Targaryen and Eddard Stark’s sister Lyanna Stark, whom asked her brother Eddard on her deathbed to protect Jon’s life by claiming he was his bastard son. Had Lyanna’s then-husband, Robert Baratheon, discovered her infidelity and offspring, he would have had the infant killed. As a male Targaryen, this makes Jon the rightful heir to the Iron Throne over Daenerys. Pondering what would happen if the truth came out, Varys states that the North would switch support to Jon as the rightful heir, and Sansa would make sure that the Vale would as well - instantly losing Daenerys two of the Seven Kingdoms. Tyrion asks why they don't just pursue the easy solution: a marriage-alliance. Varys rebukes that Daenerys is Jon's aunt, though Tyrion counters by pointing out that incestuous marriages never deterred a Targaryen before. Varys insists, however, that as Jon grew up in the North he would never agree to it. Varys then adds that he is concerned about Daenerys' state of mind and growing isolation. Meanwhile, above deck, Dragonstone appears on the horizon as Daenerys soars over the fleet on her dragon Drogon, accompanied by Rhaegal. Daenerys is happy to catch sight of her birthplace, but her joy turns to horror as a gigantic scorpion bolt appears out of nowhere, burying itself deep in Rhaegal's chest: Euron Greyjoy's fleet is mounting a surprise attack, his ships now equipped with huge ballistas. These new weapons are much more powerful, punching deep through Rhaegal's iron-hard scales. The first bolt in his chest is soon followed by a second to his wing. The injured dragon's blood-curdling roar of agony is silenced when a third bolt impales him through the throat. Overwhelmed by shock and blood loss, Rhaegal plunges into the sea, where he sinks beneath the surface of the water and drowns. Distraught and enraged, Daenerys tries to make an attack run on Euron's ship with Drogon, but the numerous ballistas start raining bolts at her, and she barely manages to turn away and escape with her life. Euron's ships then target Daenerys' fleet, decimating them to splinters. Tyrion only manages to survive by jumping overboard, where he is hit in the head and passes out. Some time later, the survivors of the destroyed fleet drag their way onto the nearby shore of Dragonstone, including Varys and Tyrion. A panicked Grey Worm runs around the beach yelling for Missandei, who hasn’t surfaced to shore as she’s been kidnapped by Euron’s men and taken to King’s Landing.

Some time later, at Dragonstone, the furious and bereaved Daenerys meets with her remaining advisors in the Chamber of the Painted Table. As he grieves for his endangered lover Missandei, Grey Worm grimly states that they should storm the capital city at once. Lord Varys, however, believes this to be a mistake, as Cersei has not kept it a secret from them they she has swelled the city with refugees to use as human shields. Varys pleads that trying to remove Cersei's tyranny like this would itself be an act of tyranny, and turn the people of Westeros against her. Daenerys says she knows her purpose in this world, to remove tyrants, and she will tear out Cersei root and stem. After the meeting, Tyrion and Varys meet alone in the throne room. Varys outright questions if Daenerys is fit to rule, and if perhaps Jon Snow would make a better monarch. Tyrion weakly tries to argue that Daenerys has to be strong, and instill fear in her enemies and pointedly asks if he thinks Daenerys will accede. Varys silently shoots him a look, implying that he means they should assassinate her if she chooses to attack King's Landing. Horrified, Tyrion can only mutter that Daenerys will make the right choice.

After departing Dragonstone, a small contingent of the Unsullied then escort Daenerys, Tyrion, Lord Varys and Grey Worm to King’s Landing, as they approach one of the gates of the capital. They see that the defenses have been drastically improved: each of the city wall towers now has one of the improved anti-dragon ballista weapons. Drogon, Daenerys' last remaining dragon, hangs back behind them on the ground, stalking back and forth in anger. Queen Cersei stands atop the gatehouse, with Euron Greyjoy, Ser Gregor Clegane and Missandei, who has been bound in chains. Tyrion approaches the gate to parley as Cersei's archers get ready to shoot him, but after a long pause of consideration Cersei motions for them to stand down. Desperate, Tyrion begs that she is not the monster she thinks she is, and that her one redeeming feature has always been her love for her children. He insinuates that Cersei might prefer to go down in flames dragging Daenerys with her, but it would be condemning her unborn baby to death as well. Although Cersei does pause to think on it, she then quietly tells Missandei that if she has any last words, now is the time. Defiant, Missandei shouts "Dracarys!," the command for dragon-fire. With a nod from Cersei, the hulking Ser Gregor decapitates Missandei with a single swing of his sword, her body and separated head falling onto the ground below. Missandei’s lover Grey Worm is horrified, turning his face away. Daenerys, seething with rage, silently turns away and withdraws from the city in defeat, as Cersei gleefully stares down at her brother Tyrion.

Some days after their return to Dragonstone, Varys grows increasingly concerned by Daenerys' behavior after the failed parley. In his chambers, he is writing letters pertaining to the truth about Jon Snow's heritage when Martha, one of his little birds, walks in and tells Varys that Daenerys has not eaten anything in days. Varys responds that they'll try again at supper and assures her that the higher the risk, the greater the reward, alluding to a continuous effort to poison the dragon queen. She is sent back to the kitchen as Varys gets word of the arrival of Jon and his men. When Jon Snow later arrives onshore, Varys informs that Daenerys is refusing to eat or leave her chambers. Jon replies that she shouldn't be alone, as Varys expresses his concern for her mental state: "They say that when a Targaryen is born, the gods flip a coin." Varys claims that he knows not what side Daenerys' coin will land on, but insists that he knows which side Jon's will land on, implying that he wants Jon to take the Iron Throne. Jon refuses, to which Varys declares that he has advised kings and rulers for many years, and knows how Daenerys will end up, given everything he has seen. Meanwhile, after Tyrion curiously witnesses to Varys and Jon’s conversation from afar, he vists Daenerys in the war room and informs of Varys’ betrayal. Daenerys correctly assumes that Varys knows the truth about Jon and tells Tyrion that he was the one who told Varys, "You learned from Sansa. And she learned from Jon, though I begged him not to tell her." Tyrion says he needs to be aware of this information so that he and Varys can be prepared for anything Daenerys might face, but Daenerys is suspicious of Sansa's motives for telling Tyrion. He admits it was a mistake to tell Varys without her permission, adding that Sansa told him with trust. Daenerys responds, "She trusted you to spread secrets that could destroy your own queen. And you did not let her down." Tyrion asks for Daenerys' forgiveness, saying they want the better world she wants and their intentions were good, "Varys as much as anyone. But it doesn't matter now." Daenerys replies, "No. It doesn't matter now." Later that evening, Varys is writing another letter when he hears the approach of the Unsullied. He burns the letter he is currently writing as Grey Worm and his men come into his room, shackles in hand. Varys knows what is about to occur. Without resistance, he is taken to the shores of Dragonstone, where Daenerys, Jon and Tyrion are waiting for him. Tyrion sadly confesses that he was the one who turned Varys in, but Varys accepts this calmly, telling Tyrion, "I hope I deserve this. Truly, I do. I hope I'm wrong." Varys bids one more farewell to his long-time friend before Drogon burns him alive on Daenerys' command, as a devastated Tyrion watches in anguish.

*In the aftermath of Varys’ death, follow Tyrion or Dany’s journey throughout the rest of the series.