Not being trusted never stop Varys before. The fact that he’s out doesn’t mean anything. If Littlefinger is working for Dany, then Varys and Littlefinger were still working against each other and for her through the first three books.
Who is Littlefinger’s contact? Varys has Illyrio (or the other way around) to get information back and forth. Littlefinger needs somebody, or is he just creating chaos and hopes to be rewarded for that?
Littlefinger has a much better chance of being on the Throne than Sansa. Women don’t rule, and he has a higher standing than her anyway. He’s Lord of the Riverlands and she’s the sister of the former Warden of the North (Roose Bolton currently controls the North).
Plus, Aegon the conquerer never had a blood right to the Throne. Robert was never the rightful heir. Neither were Robb or Stannis or Balon Greyjoy. Steel makes a king, not blood. I have no doubt that Littlefinger thinks highly enough of himself that he can gather those swords.
But Littlefinger’s a realist, and he knows that he’s not the type to seize control of a feudal society like the Seven Kingdoms. The lords and knights want someone big and strong who looks good on a horse, not a career bureaucrat who’s never fought a battle in his life. No, Littlefinger knows full well that he’s destined to be the power behind the throne, not on it.
The majority of the people that rules in the paste 300 years were not warriors. Plus, the last warrior King was fucking awful. The lords don’t give a shit what a person looks like, they care what’s in it for them. If Littlefinger can get people things, land or titles, in return (he’s kinda like Red in Shawshank, he’s the man that can get you things) for their support, they will.
Can Doran Martell even walk? He’s head of one of the most powerful houses in the kingdom.
How does wanting someone big and strong on the throne mesh with Dany? I assume you don’t think it’s crazy to think she’d be queen. Why? Because she has baby dragons?
But they have royal blood. Littlefinger doesn’t. The lords will follow the king ordained by the gods, either through their blood, or as proven in the field of battle.
In other words, they’ll follow someone who they think is of a higher station then them - either by birth, or, in rare cases, if the king’s personal superiority is self evident, with prowess in war being the sole criteria. Littlefinger, OTOH, is barely a noble. Do you really see the lords of Dorne or Riverrun bending their knee to one such as he?
Littlefinger is lord of the Riverlands, and probably soon to be of the Eyrie and possibly the North. They’ll bend the knee if it’s that or their heads on a spike.
Littlefinger is well aware of what other people think of him. That’s his driving motivation for his entire life. He knows he’s not going to rule through his personal intimidation. However, he has caused the deaths of some of the most important people in the world and now has armies at his command. I think you’re underestimating his ambition and intelligence.
I’m not at all saying his plan would succeed, btw.
I could see that, and I’ve thought of it myself. I just hate the whole 24-esque “the bad guys have it all ready to go and everything that happens is according to their plan”.
I think it’s possible, but I’m going to just lay it at the feet of ‘twisted human being’ and not ‘agent of evil powers’.
Littlefinger may be lord of the Riverland, but his father wasn’t; to the other lords, he’ll always be an upstart (look at the snide remarks they’ve made about the Tyrells, who have ruled Highgarden for a mere 300 years). He holds Riverrun at the pleasure of the Lannisters - none of his power is his own. His ability to put people’s head on spikes is completely dependent on his ability to have men in armor on horses follow his orders. Lords rule with the consent of their vassals, and I don’t see the other lords ever accepting him as their superior.