Master of Whisperers

Varys, former Master of Whisperers

"The Master of Whisperers must be sly and obsequious and without scruple."

―Varys

The Master of Whisperers is the adviser in matters of intelligence and espionage to the King of the Andals and the First Men and holds a seat in the small council. During the reign of King Robert Baratheon this position is held by Varys, a foreigner eunuch that held the title since the latter years of the reign of the Mad King, Aerys II. Varys remains in the role under Robert's successors King Joffrey and King Tommen.

Following Varys's escape from Westeros with Tyrion Lannister, however, the office was left vacant. When Queen Cersei reorganized the Small Council after Tyrion murdered their father Tywin, she took control over the council and stacked it with sycophants. One of her actions was to appoint Qyburn as the new Master of Whisperers - despite the fact that he is a disgraced former maester who was expelled from the Citadel after it was learned he was conducting human experimentation, dissecting living men. Cersei ignored Grand Maester Pycelle's objections to this controversial choice- including asking what qualifications Qyburn even had for such a post - by simply saying that he had demonstrated his loyalty to her, more than Varys ever did. Minutes after this announcement, along with Cersei's other choices in restaffing the council, her uncle Kevan Lannister bluntly declared that she was stacking the Small Council with sycophants, and left for Casterly Rock in disgust.

Known Masters of Whisperers

• Varys, a eunuch from the Free Cities, called "the Spider". Began serving in the office during the reign of the Mad King, and continued in it through the reigns of King Robert, King Joffrey, and the early months of King Tommen's reign.
• Qyburn, an ex-maester expelled in shame from the order, appointed by Cersei because she needed a loyal crony on the council.

In the books

In the A Song of Ice and Fire novels, Varys was Master of Whisperers under King Aerys II Targaryen at the time of Robert's Rebellion. He cautioned the king not to let Tywin Lannister's army within the gates, but Grand Maester Pycelle (secretly Tywin's agent) convinced the Mad King that Tywin had come to turn the tide of the war back in his favor, and to let his army inside the gates. As soon as the army entered the Lannisters turned on the Targaryens, in the destructive Sack of King's Landing. After Robert Baratheon was crowned king, he pardoned Varys and kept him in his position as Master of Whisperers, which he would maintain through the rest of Robert's rule. Thus, by the beginning of the narrative, Varys has been the head of the realm's spy network for over twenty years. It is unknown specifically why Robert pardoned Varys, much less kept him in such a sensitive position, though it may simply be because he was very good at his job (though this is revealed to be detrimental to Robert, as Varys secretly remains a Targaryen loyalist, in contact with Illyrio Mopatis in orchestrating the affairs of Prince Viserys Targaryen, and the marriage of his sister Princess Daenerys Targaryen to Khal Drogo).

During his time as Hand of the King, Brynden "Bloodraven" Rivers was also the Master of Whisperers. Since he had lost his left eye in his duel against his half-brother Aegor "Bittersteel" Rivers in the Battle of Redgrass Field, this inspired the saying "How many eyes does Lord Bloodraven have? A thousand eyes, and one."

References

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