Game Of Thrones: 7 Best Moments From The Laws Of Gods And Men

4. Varys And Oberyn's Discussion

After attending a meeting of the Small Council, Oberyn finds Varys in the Great Hall staring at the Iron Throne (which is something he and Littlefinger love to do). Oberyn uses this opportunity to get to know the eunuch more and inquire into his background. Varys of course isn't giving in so easily, even when Oberyn invites him to spend time with him and Ellaria at the brothel. Varys doesn't have interest in such things, decrying the nature of desire as the reason for why there is so much suffering in the world. This was just a nice, intimate scene between Varys and Oberyn. It gave us more information on the background of both characters and what motivates them. Earlier in the season we found out that Prince Oberyn studied at the Citadel, and now here we learn that he spent 5 years in Essos. Oberyn is clearly a man of culture and experience. There is a big world out there to explore and he wants to see it all, including the people. We also learn that Varys is asexual, having no desire for either gender. Perhaps this is why he is so good at managing his network of little birds; he has no distractions apart from the task at hand. This makes him a dangerous man as well, at least relative to those in power. Varys claims to want what's best for Westeros, but his motion towards the Iron Throne implies he might have aspirations to sit on the ugly chair himself. Just when you think you understand a long-standing character of this series, you learn something new that paints them in a different context. A great scene.