Joffrey Baratheon : They say Stannis never smiles. I'll give him a red smile, from ear to ear. [Joffrey walks away]  Tyrion Lannister : [jokingly]  Imagine Stannis' terror. Lord Varys : I am trying.

Eddard Stark : You think my life is some precious thing to me? That I would trade my honor for a few more years... of what? You grew up with actors. You learned their craft and you learnt it well. But I grew up with soldiers. I learned to die a long time ago. Lord Varys : Pity. Such a pity. What of your daughter's life, my lord? Is that a precious thing to you?

Petyr 'Littlefinger' Baelish : The realm. Do you know what the realm is? It's the thousand blades of Aegon's enemies. A story we agree to tell each other over and over until we forget that it's a lie. Lord Varys : But what do we have left once we abandon the lie? Chaos? A gaping pit waiting to swallow us all. Petyr 'Littlefinger' Baelish : Chaos isn't a pit. Chaos is a ladder. Many who try to climb it fail and never get to try again. The fall breaks them. And some are given a chance to climb; they refuse. They cling to the realm or the gods or love. Illusions. Only the ladder is real. The climb is all there is.

Lord Varys : Any fool with a bit of luck can find himself born into power. But earning it for yourself, that takes work.