'Oh, I've been at this game too long to know not to answer that question.' Power resides where men believe it resides. 'Did you mean to answer your damned riddle, or only to make my head ache worse?' Or do they? Whence came their swords? Why do they obey?' Varys smiled. 'Then these other swordsmen have the true power. 'Because these child kings and druken oafs can call other strong men, with other swords.' yet if it is the swordsmen who rule us in truth, why we pretend our kings hold the power? Why should a strong man with a sword ever obey a child king like Joffrey, or a wine-sodden oaf like his father?' 'That piece of steel is the power of life and death.' 'He has neither crown nor gold nor favor of the gods, only a piece of pointed steel.' вЂњThe king, the priest, the rich man - who lives and who dies? Who will the swordsman obey? It's a riddle without an answer, or rather, too many answers. I already answered this question on Puzzling, but unfortunately the question there was deleted. It's less a real answerable riddle, and more a thought experiment on the nature of power. And while the riot starts to convince him that he might be in danger, he never fully understands that his power is only permitted by his subjects. Joffrey unfortunately, believes it's his due, his family's place to rule, that it's his by right. That's why these four characters are among the smartest in the series. Tywin both uses it to his advantage and guards against the turn of loyalty. Littlefinger, Varys, Tyrion, and Tywin are the characters who deeply understand that. You can see it with the Sparrow movement, you can see it with the way Littlefinger manipulates others. This particular lesson runs throughout the series. It means that those who are ruled are ruled because they believe they should be, and the moment they do not, or the moment they transfer their belief in something else those who did rule will not for long. This is also used to illustrate that while the nobles do rule, they don't actually have power unless they have someone who will kill for them or agree to do things for them-and that their ruling is simply a social contract. That anyone else besides the sellsword has power is an illusion. It's down to him what he values and who he listens to. Kings, priests, and rich men can only offer something to the man with the sword. The moral of the story is this: The real power is actually in the hands of the sellsword or rather where the sellsword believes it lies. Most men would answer according to what they value. It's also a great way to learn something about the person you're talking to when they answer. The answer is, and always will be 'That depends on the sellsword.' To find out who really has power, we need to find out who the people believe has the power. If the swordsman is religious, he will listen to the priest, and respectively for the king and the rich man. No more and no less'ДЄs people said in the comments, it is the swordsman who really decides who has the power depending on what his beliefs are and there is no answer depending only on the three 'powerful' people of the riddle. 'Did you mean to answer your damned riddle, or only to make my head ache worse?' Who truly killed Eddard Stark do you think? Joffrey, who gave the command? Ser Ilyn Payne, who swung the sword? Or. Yet that day on the steps of Baelor's Sept, our godly High Septon and the lawful Queen Regent and your ever so knowledgeable servant were as powerless as any cobbler or cooper in the crowd. Some tell us that all power comes from the gods. Or do they? Whence came their swords? Why do they obey?' Varys smiled. 'Then these other swordsmen have the true power. 'Because these child kings and drunken oafs can call other strong men, with other swords.' 'Just so вЂ¦ yet if it is the swordsmen who rule us in truth, why do we pretend our kings hold the power? Why should a strong man with a sword ever obey a child king like Joffrey, or a wine-sodden oaf like his father?' 'That piece of steel is the power of life and death.' 'He has neither crown nor gold nor favor of the gods, only a piece of pointed steel.' 'The king, the priest, the rich manвЂ‰-вЂ‰who lives and who dies? Who will the swordsman obey? It's a riddle without an answer, or rather, too manyДЄnswers. The exact quote from the book: (Tyrion talking to Varys):

A song of ice and fire book 3