Chapter 76 - Conspiracies (IV)
"An exchange of lies and compliments." Leda Dayne, Lady Commander of the Kingsguard, thought as she observed the conversation between the King and the aspirant to be King.
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As Aenar and Tyrion walked side by side, Tyrion watched closely as the people revered Aenar with absolute devotion and respect. It was like a sacred ceremony: everyone knelt down as they passed him and didn't even dare to look the king in the eye. Not even other kings could achieve that kind of respect with their most loyal subjects.
The little lion of House Lannister wondered what Aenar had done to inspire such adoration and sincerity in people.
Little did Tyrion know that, with his reforms, Aenar had abolished slavery, at least in Volantis. For someone who had once been a slave, this wasn't just a political change; it was nothing short of a miracle.
And Aenar's reforms didn't stop there.
The red priests and priestesses were instructed to teach children to read and write. This initiative was not limited to Volantis; in every city with a Red Temple, parents could send their children to receive a basic education. In these prototype schools, children learned to respect their father, mother and religion, as well as discipline and loyalty to the king.
At this time in Essos, the Rulers of the Nine Free Cities were unaware that many cities gradually had Aenar's influence in the shadows, ready to be used at the right moment;
Aenar knew that he would need trained officials in the future to administer the cities together with the nobility. After all, he couldn't allow the cities to be controlled exclusively by the nobles.
What if a revolt broke out? Cities surrounded by walls could become war fortresses. And, as we know, sieges of cities can last for months, even years.
And if that happened, it could delay the armies for a long time, leading to a defeat in the war, something that Aenar and any Monarch would not want to happen.