Choose Your Hand

[Shai-Hulud]

You win the game of thrones and become king (or queen) of the Seven Kingdoms. Unfortunately, your old Hand died in the war. Now, you choose a new Hand.

Whichever person you choose will serve you loyally, even if in the series they were not trustworthy.

• Tyrion Lannister, the Imp.
  
  
• Varys the Spider (dual role as spymaster).
  
  
• Peter Baelish, Littlefinger.
  
  
• Ned Stark.
  
  
• Sir Davos Seaworth (comes with free onions).
  
  
• Lady Oleanna, the Queen of Thorns.
  
  
• Lady Melissandra, the Red Priestess.
  
  
• Sir Barristan Selmy.
  
  
• Tywin Lannister (no free money).
  
  
• Maester Aemon (he gets rejuvenated to 60 yrs old)

None of these candidates are available for other posts. If they don't get the Hand position, they leave town for other business.

[big_adventure]

Varys is probably the most useful.

He's equal in intellect to anyone else here, and has all that spymaster goodness ladled on.

[Beadle]

True, but a loyal Melisandre’s got some serious usefulness as well.

[Shellhead]

I understand that the scenario dictates that the Hand will be loyal, but I am unable to imagine a Peter Baelish that has been separated from his relentless selfishness. And a loyal Melisandre might not be possible, as she will always follow the dictates of her god and his prophecies. I can picture a loyal Varys, and agree that he would be a good choice for this scenario.

[Stigmazilla]

Varys is probably the most useful.

He's equal in intellect to anyone else here, and has all that spymaster goodness ladled on.

He'd stab you in the back in no time.

I'd go with Tyrion Lannister, he is smart enough to keep up with court politics, but still a good man

Edit: I missed the loyalty note in the OP.

[Güicho]

... you choose a new Hand.

Whichever person you choose will serve you loyally, even if in the series they were not trustworthy.

....Drogon

you guys haven't been paying attention.
All the others betrayed those they once pretended serve.

[Beadle]

....Drogon

All the others betrayed those they "severed".

I’m assuming you mean ‘served’, not ‘severed’, and you’ve missed the whole ‘remain loyal’ thing.

[Güicho]

you’ve missed the whole ‘remain loyal’ thing.

yeah, that's what they want you to believe. Is the thing you missed.
it's not happening.

Hence my choice.

[Shai-Hulud]

....Drogon

you guys haven't been paying attention.
All the others betrayed those they once pretended serve.

Drogon is not available. He got a better offer and flew off.

Only choices available are those listed. Plot Gods have rigged the game so you have only the listed choices, but each will be loyal.

Being loyal does not preclude each acting in your interest according to their own vision, however. So if Petyr Bearish concludes you're too squeamish to do what's "necessary," he'll arrange for it to be done secretly.

Any decent Hand would probably do exactly the same ... according to their own vision.

[The MunchKING]

Ugh. I'm thinking I'll import. I wonder if TG Cid is available...

[Shellhead]

[*]Sir Davos Seaworth (comes with free onions).

You just reminded me of an old George R.R. Martin short story, Portraits of His Children. A fiction writer's characters come to life and confront him, one at a time. One particular character who was known for his bitter sarcasm also had a quirk of munching on raw onions, just for the symbolism of it. He complained to the writer about the quirk, and demanded to know if the writer had ever bitten into a raw onion.

[Cthulhu_of_R'lyeh]

I choose my right hand. Left hand is tricksy, and fals-

Oh you mean like, #1 Servant.

... still my right hand. Gotta keep the peasants in line yourself, amirite ?

[Shellhead]

I want to choose Jaime Lannister's gold hand.