House of The Dragon:The Rise of the Emperor of the Seven Kingdoms

Chapter 157: Chapter 156 – The Blood Tears of the Faith of the Seven (II)

Although the conversation between the king and the High Septon had been in secret, murmurs about it were already spreading between the walls. The septas, who had been present, hearing the entire conversation, naturally began to gossip, and it spread quickly.

This naturally reached Maekar.

The prince looked at the report before him with a smile full of scorn. The High Septon was either a fool or an arrogant idiot. Maekar assumed he was both. As for not being crowned by him, Maekar did not care, nor did he want such a thing.

Maekar sat in a chair before a blank canvas, gradually being painted by his brushstrokes. “Gael, how about you become a saint?” He asked Gael, who was completely nude as she posed for him.

Gael held a scale in one hand; she held Blackfyre in the other hand. She had a white blindfold around her eyes and a serene expression.

Sacred, holy, and noble.

If Aegon were alive, he might not be pleased to see his beloved sword used this way, but Maekar did not care in the slightest. In Maekar’s eyes, Gael resembled the Greek goddess of justice herself. It would be a great sin not to paint such a picture.

Gael, who was posing for Maekar, was surprised by the question and broke her pose. She set the scale on the floor and removed the blindfold from her eyes. Her eyes trembled a few times, adjusting to the light again.

“My blood magic cannot heal someone.” Gael did not lie. Two weeks were nowhere near enough to heal someone, especially if it were a serious illness.

“We do not need to heal someone permanently.” Maekar said with a laugh.

Gael understood what Maekar wanted to do. Heal a person for some time and then hide that person away. In the end, he only needed the rumors and the people. The man himself was not important, only what he represented, which was the people’s devotion.

She hesitated when she heard those words. Gael was not hesitant out of nervousness but out of fear of failing to complete the task and failing in front of a crowd of people. Looking at Maekar, she said in a determined tone. “I can try, husband.”

Sensing her hesitation, Maekar drew close to her and kissed fiercely the lips he so loved to kiss. His tongue invaded her mouth, starting an intense, hot kiss. Their tongues intertwined in a harmonious struggle, one neither of them wanted to end.

Gael felt her legs weaken with the kiss; fortunately, Maekar’s hands held her waist, and she managed to stay on her feet. Her breasts deformed as the princess practically wanted to merge with her husband.

After a while, Maekar pulled back breathlessly, and their mouths parted, leaving a mess of saliva behind. Kissing her again, but this time, only a chaste, gentle kiss, the prince spoke calmly. “Do not feel pressured; it is just a staged show, and even the man you are going to heal is one of mine.”

“You will be the symbol of our revolution against the Faith of the Seven.” Maekar said with a laugh. He needed a Joan of Arc, especially one with a dragon and capable of healing the sick.

Only once the people knew that the gods had blessed his reign could he undermine the foundations of the Faith of the Seven without worrying about having a small rebellion every day and a great rebellion every five days.

It might seem like a strange thing, but a symbol was something powerful. France, which was nearly losing to England with its territory almost entirely occupied, simply turned the war around because of a simple thirteen-year-old peasant girl.

Honestly, this was so unbelievable it bordered on a bad joke. The greatest empire on the planet did not know victory against its eternal enemy until a thirteen-year-old peasant girl came along.

It was precisely because of that power that Maekar wanted to sanctify Gael as a saint of House Targaryen and also of the Faith of the Seven. To use the Faith of the Seven itself to destroy the Church’s influence and begin a purge in Oldtown and in every sept in Westeros.

Gael nodded. Although she did not know Maekar’s plans, she trusted her husband completely. She only had to obey, and she would see the Faith of the Seven crumble like a sandcastle.

“Now put the blindfold back on and pose for me again. I want to finish this today.” Maekar slapped one of Gael’s buttocks and said with a laugh.

The princess rolled her eyes but still obeyed and placed the blindfold over her eyes. She took a deep breath and returned to her previous pose. However, feeling a moist touch between her legs, she grew angry and shy at Maekar teasing her at that moment.

Maekar laughed again and went back to painting. He only needed to wait; there were still two days left until the Great Council, and he had some time to relax before creating the greatest religious incident in the history of Westeros. Cutting off the heads of fourteen septons in front of the High Septon would certainly be remembered in history.

Of course, Maegor burning the Sept of Remembrance was still a great feat, though it would have been more brutal had Maegor captured every Septon and killed them all before the people. After all, Balerion’s flames reduced everything to ashes, and impressive as that was, a massacre will always be more memorable than anything else.

Besides, Maegor could have done both things, making them even more unforgettable, showing that the church was no longer untouchable.

As he painted, Maekar spoke in a calm tone. “Miria, come in.”

At Maekar’s words, the dwarf entered the room with her head lowered; she did not look at the nude Gael and simply knelt before the prince.

“Capture the Septons on the list. We will kill them tomorrow, after the first fast.” Maekar gave the order with a smile as he outlined one of Gael’s breasts on the canvas.

“My prince, the absence of fourteen septons will be noticed…” Miria showed a conflicted expression and spoke in a hesitant tone.

“It does not matter if they discover the truth of it,” Maekar said in a calm tone. He looked at Miria kneeling before him and continued in a gentler tone. “Let them notice; it is good to create chaos at this moment. Remember to place the victims at the front of the platform, where everyone can see them.”

Maekar needed chaos; the more chaos, the better. At that moment, when everyone’s feelings were running high, he only needed to release a spark to start a fire called fury within the people.

A maddened crowd… Gael appearing mounted on Dreamfyre and saving the people…

Maekar merely laughed, thinking of the scene. It was a wicked, mad plan. It was gambling with the safety of the entire city for the sake of a plan to create a holy persona in the people’s eyes. Of course, this plan would cause the death of innocent people.

Nevertheless, Maekar felt this was a small price for the beginning of his vengeance. Though innocents would die, it would be a necessary sacrifice. Not to mention that those who died would, for the most part, be those most devoted to the Faith of the Seven.

These people would be first in the front line.

At the same time, Maekar had not forgotten the underground religious organization of the Faith of the Seven in King’s Landing. The White Flowers and their leader, White. He had to force this group to arm itself and reveal the Faith of the Seven’s breach of the pact.

Honestly, the easiest thing in the world was to make fanatics arm themselves. Fanatical fools only care about their faith and nothing else. Perhaps not even the fat High Septon was capable of perfectly controlling his own fanatics. Let alone the High Septon. Not everyone was the Emperor of Mankind.

“Yes, my prince.” Miria said in a solemn tone and left the room without even daring to look at Gael, who still stood, without moving a muscle. Only listening in silence to the entire conversation.

“Maekar, try not to kill too many people; they are innocent.” Gael murmured to Maekar, who paused his painting for a moment and simply replied with a simple nod.

“Mm.”

———

Read my other books:

House of The Dragon:The Rise of the Emperor of the Seven Kingdoms

Game Of Thrones: The God-Emperor of Planetos

Percy Jackson: Godwyn the Golden.

Game Of Thrones: The King’s Court Wizard

The citizens of King’s Landing were surprised to see the wooden platform in the city square abuzz with activity. Another wooden platform had even been erected on the right side, and chairs had been placed atop it.

“What is going on?” A woman, wearing somewhat more elaborate clothing and a headscarf, asked in a curious tone.

The man beside her also showed curiosity. He looked like a notary, with a red-feathered hat on his head. The man stepped closer and saw the notice posted on one of the pillars supporting the wooden platform.

Reading the contents, the man’s expression changed from curious to horrified.

The paper read, “Public execution of the Septons who used the people’s faith and trust to rape, blackmail, and intimidate. The execution will be carried out by Prince Maekar Targaryen.”

There were no pompous or flowery words; it was simple and direct.

The man took a deep breath and returned to his wife’s side. He looked at his wife and said it still in a tone of shock. “There is to be a public execution.”

He hesitated but still spoke in a disbelieving tone. “The criminals are the Septons of the Faith of the Seven.”

The woman’s eyes widened, and her mouth fell open in shock as she failed to even process what she had just heard. The news was so shocking it seemed to defy all the logic her life had been built on.

The church could be punished?

The news spread quickly; in less than two hours, the whole city already knew what was going to happen. In the city square, people were already gathering into an enormous crowd that filled the streets around the square.

As everyone whispered among themselves, a silence spread through the crowd. Everyone’s eyes fixed on the middle-aged man who stood before them, climbing the wooden steps and finally standing before them with a calm, deep gaze.

“People of King’s Landing, this is perhaps the darkest moment I have ever witnessed in my life. Thieves, rapists, and murderers were not hiding in filthy alleys or ruined houses but in the noble and sacred halls where we placed our faith.” The man spoke in a loud voice; the emotion in his voice was so strong it kept everyone entirely fixed on him.

“But the gods are just, and they have given us the chance to put an end to this den of corruption. We had no way to judge these demons wearing human skin, for the church itself covered up these vile and wicked acts to preserve its image.”

“But House Targaryen is just an impartial judge who bows to no law of man or gods!!!”

At that moment, on the other platform, many important lords were already seated in their respective chairs. The most important being Ellard Stark, Lord of Winterfell, Corlys Velaryon, Lord of Driftmark, Tommen, Lord of Casterly Rock, Theo Tyrell, Lord of Highgarden, Jonos Arryn, Lord of the Vale, Veron Greyjoy, Lord of the Iron Islands, and finally, the greatest of all lords, Jaehaerys I Targaryen, the king.

Aside from Mara, who was still in Dorne, every Great Noble House was present. Some having replaced their dead brothers, as was the case with Tommen Lannister and Theo Tyrell, who had replaced Loreon and Matthos, respectively.

Beside the king were six more chairs, in which sat, respectively, Queen Alysanne, Prince Maekar, Princess Gael, Prince Daemon, Prince Viserys, and Lady Aemma Arryn.

However, there was one chair set further apart from all the others; it looked more luxurious and imposing. Yet, it still stood empty.

“Prince Maekar, forgive my indelicacy, but is what I think is happening actually going to happen?” The one who asked the question was none other than the Lord of the Iron Islands, Veron Greyjoy. He was a tall, big man with a thick beard around his face and eyes as blue as the sea. Surprisingly, he seemed quite well mannered.

“Lord Veron is right to assume so,” Maekar said in a calm tone. “As I was walking through the streets of King’s Landing, a woman recognized me and approached me. She explained how she had been raped by Septon Eugene while her own husband watched this inhuman act.”

“Naturally, I did not believe her words. How could beings blessed by the gods commit such terrible acts? But, after seeing the despair in her eyes, I decided to investigate.” At that moment, Maekar let out a sigh full of sorrow with a touch of anger.

“Unfortunately, it was not just that poor woman. After investigating for two weeks, I found dozens of similar cases. Had I searched longer, I certainly would have found many more cases.” Maekar let out a sigh.

Varon wanted to laugh at the prince’s performance, but he held back the curses toward the Septons and spoke in a tone full of regret. “Who could have imagined that Septons were doing all this right under the king’s eyes? How bold can they be?”

Jaehaerys narrowed his eyes, sensing that the Lord of the Iron Islands was subtly attacking him, but he himself remained silent after Maekar’s account. He could not imagine that the Septons had been committing this kind of atrocity right under his eyes.

“However, should they not be judged by the Faith of the Seven?” At that moment, the new Lord Paramount of the Mander, Theo, spoke in a hesitant tone. He was young, very young. Perhaps fifteen or sixteen years old. Aside from Maekar, he was the second youngest lord present.

“Fuck the Faith of the Seven; those vile fools deserve to die.” Ellard simply scoffed at the young lord paramount’s words. He looked at Varon beside him and said in a tone full of sarcasm. “Filthy rapists, just like certain salt squids.”

Every realm had its conflicts, the Reach with the Stormlands, the Vale with the Riverlands, and the North with the Iron Islands. The Ironborn had raided the shores of the North for thousands of years; there was a deep, bloody feud between the two.

Varon merely smiled at Lord Stark’s words. The angrier the Lord of Winterfell grew, the happier and more delighted he became. It showed that the old man truly hated him.

“As the herald said, Lord Tyrell. House Targaryen bows to no law of man or gods. We are judges against injustice; how could I stand idle and do nothing before monsters hiding within holy houses?” Maekar looked at the young man and spoke with a gentle smile. He felt nothing in greeting the brother of the man he had killed.

“But, Maekar, this could cause conflict with the Faith of the Seven.” Viserys spoke at that moment, his expression full of concern. How could the Faith of the Seven stand idle and watch its septons be killed before the entire capital?

“Brother, you must remember that the people deserve justice, regardless of who their aggressors are.” Maekar answered in a calm tone, looking at Viserys with a slightly cold gaze. Seeing Viserys try to help the Faith of the Seven only showed that this man had already been in contact with the church.

Viserys and Daemon naturally wanted to stop what was happening, but, faced with the king’s cold gaze, they merely stood there imposingly and could not even manage to interfere. Believe it, they tried, but under the king’s gaze they could not do anything at all.

The lords merely watched the scene with thoughtful looks. Aside from Theo, who had never been trained to be a lord, any fool could see that Maekar was attacking the Faith of the Seven and Prince Viserys was defending the Faith of the Seven.

“Enough, Viserys.” Jaehaerys, already finding Viserys’s voice increasingly irritating, spoke in a cold tone. Viserys shut his mouth at once, while a feeling of helplessness bubbled in his chest. He truly tried to do something, but the king gave him no chance to do anything.

Maekar smiled. Apparently, the conversation with the High Septon had truly angered Jaehaerys to the point of deciding to support him at such a delicate moment.

Maekar stood up, smiled at Gael, and then looked at Viserys and Daemon with a smile, though that smile was quite sarcastic and indifferent.

“Bring the prisoners,” Maekar said to Clarisse, who stood behind Maekar, just as the Kingsguard stood behind Jaehaerys.

Clarisse nodded and descended the steps.

Moments later, the sound of iron chains rattling drew everyone’s attention.

Fourteen septons appeared before everyone, all of them bound at the wrists by thick chains. They were led by the City Watch, their gold cloaks gleaming.

Maekar then switched platforms; he gestured for the herald to step away and stood beside the guillotine, which was three meters tall and entirely black, with its blade painted blood red.

———

The closer I get to the end of this book, the more indecisive I become about how to continue. The end is near, about 30 or 50 chapters, maybe a little more.

Another important update: the next book is already being written.

It will be a mix of Game of Thrones and The Lord of the Rings. You might ask how that’s possible, but just keep in mind that there’s a portal between two worlds, and the One Ring will end up in the hands of Aerys II, setting the plot in motion.

Of course, to stand up to Sauron and Morgoth, the dragons will be different. I won’t give away any more spoilers.

Read my other books:

House of The Dragon:The Rise of the Emperor of the Seven Kingdoms

Game Of Thrones: The God-Emperor of Planetos

Percy Jackson: Godwyn the Golden.

Game Of Thrones: The King’s Court Wizard