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Allegiance is a tricky concept in Game of Thrones. A few lords and nobles hold themselves to an internal code of honor, but most are duplicitous opportunists, always looking for the right back to stab. Whether they want to elevate their family, earn a fortune, eliminate an enemy, or secure a desirable station, their goals are self-serving. While the king seems comfortable surrounded by political players, most of whom want him dead, his Master of Whisperers seems more capable than most.
Politics dominate the King’s Landing portion of Game of Thrones‘s story. While war battered every other countryside, King’s Landing rarely felt the sting of mass violence. Attacks rarely reached far enough to harm the family upon the Iron Throne. Brutal betrayals had to come from within. Even when Robert’s Rebellion ended the Targaryen Dynasty, only an attack from the throne room won the day. The Master of Whisperers exists to prevent and corral that sort of action.
What is the Master of Whisperers?
The Master of Whisperers serves on the Lord of the Seven Kingdoms‘ Small Council. It’s one of the seven primary positions in that advising body. The Master of Whisperers governs all espionage, intelligence, and information across Westeros and beyond. They command a network of spies broadly celebrated as the largest and most comprehensive in the known world. Each Master of Whisperers seems to bring their network with them. While the Master of Coin manages the Iron Throne’s bank, the Master of Whisperers purports to hire their informants before they get the job. Each master seems to choose a different method of securing the illicit information they need. They feed their rumors and hidden stories to the King or his Hand, keeping him aware of events far out of his usual channels. Lord Varys describes his position with typical candor,
The King’s Justice must be fearsome, the master of coin must be frugal, the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard must be valiant … and the master of whisperers must be sly and obsequious and without scruple. A courageous informer would be as useless as a cowardly knight.
Previous notable Masters of Whisperers
Varys is the primary Master of Whisperers in Game of Thrones. The Mad King, Aerys II Targaryen, appointed Varys to the job. He held the position after Robert Baratheon took the throne, then continued to serve as Joffery and Tommen inherited the role. Varys was born a slave in Lys, where his master sold him to a sorcerer. After that dark magician mutilated his body, he dumped Varys into the street to die. Varys stole what he could to survive, gradually discovering he could profit more from information than any physical goods. Varys became an accomplished pickpocket, but his gift for networking allowed him to establish his “little birds” across Westeros. His reputation grew until Aerys II knew his name. The Mad King’s paranoia encouraged him to hire an insightful outsider to monitor his enemies and family. Varys tried to discourage Aerys II from killing Brandon Stark, but the last Targaryen king executed the Northman. Jon Arryn vouched for Varys, convincing Robert Baratheon to keep him around. He was tasked with keeping an eye on Aerys II’s missing heirs, Daenerys and Viserys. He secretly supported Daenerys’ claim to the throne and gradually moved to help her. He was far from the first Master of Whisperers:
- Queen Tyana of the Tower: The first known Mistress of Whisperers. King Maegor the Cruel’s third wife. Many believed rats were her spies. She had enemies of the crown tortured, including Maegor’s second wife and her alleged lovers.
- Lord Larys Strong of Harrenhal: Viserys I Targaryen’s last Master of Whisperers. He remained in the seat under Aegon II during the Dance of the Dragons. Strong helped to poison Aegon II after Aemond Targaryen butchered his family at Harrenhal. Cregan Stark executed Strong at the Hour of the Wolf.
- Mysaria: Known as Lady Misery, this dancer became Daemon Targaryen’s favored lover. She served Rhaenyra as an unofficial Mistress of Whisperers. She hired the assassins who killed Aegon II’s firstborn son. Rhaenyra fled the capital, leaving her to take a walk of atonement, where she was whipped to death.
- Brynden Rivers: Also known as Lord Bloodraven, Rivers was one of Aegon IV’s legitimized bastards. Unlike his half-brother, he remained loyal to the crown. He became Master of Whisperers and Hand of the King to Aerys I Targaryen. After losing an eye in the first Blackfyre Rebellion, many claimed he had “a thousand eyes and one.” Rivers ruthlessly executed every member of House Blackfyre he could, eventually earning the ire of King Aegon V. He took the black and became Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch. The books semi-explicitly state that he’s the three-eyed crow (Three-Eyed Raven in the show.)
- Qyburn: Cersei’s replacement for Varys. He’s a mad scientist known for forbidden human experimentation. In the books, he introduced Ser Robert Strong as Cersei’s guardian. The show explicitly states that Qyburn reanimated Gregor Clegane.
The Master of Whisperers is a complicated position. Shockingly, only one known example explicitly betrayed the king they served. The Master of Whisperers doesn’t always get the spotlight because they’re encouraged to avoid it, but their contributions are critical. The keeper of secrets and spycraft ensures the Iron Throne is safe from knives in its back.
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