"Actors?" Aenys repeated.
He had seen opera performances before. King's Landing had the only opera house on the continent of Westeros, and his father, Aegon, was the owner behind the scenes.
Aenys looked up and asked,
"Father, are you referring to the opening ceremony of the Sevenstar Church the day after tomorrow? Are you going to perform at the ceremony and want your son to understand the meaning behind your performance?"
Aegon smiled, patted his eldest son on the back of the head, and nodded slightly.
"Aenys, you are very smart. Because of your frail body and some prophecies about your future, your father had preconceived notions and thought you were a foolish and weak person... Your father was wrong to judge you.
As long as you can overcome your indecisive nature, strengthen your willpower and decision-making ability, you will be more suitable than your younger brother Maegor to become the heir to the Targaryen dynasty."
"Your Majesty, I will try my best not to disappoint you and Mother. Father, you still haven't told me what you want me to perform. Why do you want me to become an actor?"
Aenys pulled Aegon's arm and asked again.
Aegon tapped his son's forehead with his finger and laughed.
"Look, you're getting impatient again.
To understand what I want you to act, you must understand the fundamental cause of the conflict between royal power and divine power, the most important of which is control over the people... followed by the struggle for wealth... and then the differences in political ideology..."
Aegon spoke eloquently, and little Aenys listened intently, nodding in agreement from time to time or asking questions.
Aegon explained the essence of the Faith of the Seven to Aenys, starting with the basics and gradually moving on to more advanced concepts. He could see that Aenys was listening attentively. Apart from his indecisive personality and frail physique, there was nothing wrong with this child.
But while such flaws might not matter in the Smallfolk, Aenys still had a long way to go if he wanted to be a good king.
Aegon often deliberately threw questions or decisions that needed to be made at Aenys to test his abilities. This was Aegon's method of training his eldest son to overcome his natural flaws.
Aenys said thoughtfully,
"In that case, if our royal power wants to conquer the divine power, we can only lock the divine power in a cage, cut off the teeth of the gods, tear off their claws, and prevent them from coming out to harm us."
Aegon turned his head toward the Sevenstar Church and said,
"Your thinking is quite similar to what I used to think, but there is a better way in this world, which is to combine the royal power with the divine power and make the Pureborn themselves the representatives of the divine power. In this way, the church will naturally not harm us.
To achieve this, several conditions must be met.
First, the church we usurp must not have a true god.
Second, we must change the scriptures to make them classics that describe the Pureborn as a divine race, thereby sanctifying the Pureborn.
Third, we must have absolute power.
The current Faith of the Seven is just right for us to transform into a sacred cloak for the Targaryen royal family."
"Father, in three days, you will teach your son how to act in order to usurp the Faith of the Seven?"
Aenys suddenly understood and looked up at Aegon's profile with a smile.
Aegon stroked his son's long silver hair and said with a smile,
"Watch carefully and learn well."
...
...
After a long wait, the Sept of the Seven in King's Landing finally welcomed its momentous opening ceremony.
As the largest and most magnificent temple of the Seven Gods on the continent of Westeros, and under the orchestration of Aegon—the High Septon of the Crownlands—and the Old High Septon, all Septons across the realm were summoned to attend this grand occasion. The great lords of the Targaryen dynasty also gathered in the square outside the Sept of the Seven at the king's invitation.
It was an ordinary morning in King's Landing, yet the roads leading to the Sept were already packed with onlookers. They had come from all corners of the world, hearts full of reverence and anticipation for the Seven Gods. Among them were white-haired elders and spirited youths, all eagerly awaiting the opening of the great doors.
The square in front of the Sept was solemn and elegant, adorned with fresh flowers and ribbons swaying gently in the breeze. A temporary viewing platform had been erected, seating important guests from across the known world—envoys from the nine Free Cities of Essos, representatives of the Federal Council, and every devout of the Faith of the Seven.
Aegon stood among them, clad in a magnificent seven-colored robe. His long silver hair was loosely tied back with a leather cord, giving him a dignified and priestly air. Clergymen in ceremonial robes lined up in front of the Sept, holding copies of the Seven-Pointed Star, as though even the sacred texts themselves were quietly awaiting the divine moment.
As the bells atop the Sept tolled, their solemn chime echoed high over King's Landing.
The Old High Septon slowly descended from an ornate carriage at the edge of the square, his body hunched and so frail he could barely stand upright. Aegon had flown to Oldtown on Balerion to personally escort the elderly High Septon by clutching the carriage and bringing it safely to the capital—otherwise, the arduous journey alone would likely have claimed the old man's life.
Aegon descended from the platform and helped the High Septon to the gates of the Sept. The old man turned to face the gathered crowd. Aegon took a copy of the Seven-Pointed Star and opened it before him. The High Septon began to chant a hymn praising the Seven Gods—the first rite of the ceremony.
When the chanting ended, he raised his staff and tapped the great doors of the Sept. The children's choir on either side burst into song, their voices lifting in praise of the Seven.
The audience was deeply moved. None had expected the opening ceremony to be so grand, solemn, and full of ritual. Whoever had orchestrated it was truly a genius.
After the seventh knock of the staff, the heavy doors creaked open, pushed slowly by attending Septons, giving off a low, solemn groan like a sigh from the gods themselves. The crowd fell silent, awestruck by the sound, before erupting into applause and heartfelt praise.
Led by the High Septon, the pilgrims, foreign envoys, and Targaryen lords and ladies began to file into the Sept of the Seven. Inside, sunlight streamed through stained glass windows, casting prismatic shadows across the floor and walls in a breathtaking dance of light. Murals on the domed ceiling illustrated scenes and figures from the Seven-Pointed Star, their stories brought to life in the shifting interplay of color and shadow—faith and history intertwined in radiant silence.
Once everyone was seated in the grand hall, Aegon strode to the podium. In his role as Most Devout of the Sept of the Seven, he began his speech.
"Before you all, as the worship ceremony of the Seven Gods is about to commence, I offer my heartfelt thanks to every citizen of Targaryen.
Thank you to all who contributed to the construction, design, and support of the Sept of the Seven.
Today, the Targaryen people offer the most splendid temple of the Seven in the world to the glory of the Seven Gods—and to all believers across the world. May this Sept stand as a shining symbol of the ideal all humankind should strive for..."
When Aegon finished, the hall erupted in thunderous applause.
Soon after, a procession of Septons emerged from the crowd, moving toward him to the sound of soaring hymns. At the rear walked the Old High Septon, chanting as he approached. When he reached Aegon, the two embraced, and the High Septon delivered his own address.
Afterward, he led the assembled crowd in a solemn rite of worship before the Seven.
When the ceremony concluded, Aegon stood beside the High Septon. The old man spoke slowly.
"Faithful followers, let us once more offer our deepest reverence to the great High Septon Aegon, who has added a new monument to the sacred mission of the Faith of the Seven.
May the spirit and peace of the Seven be with you—and with your hearts."
Another round of thunderous applause filled the hall.
Once the cheers faded, the High Septon spoke again.
"There remains one more matter of great importance today. I hereby declare to all the faithful: I am passing the position of High Septon to our devout Most Devout Aegon.
Therefore, I now convene an emergency Council of the Faith vote, and implore the devouts of the Faith to support my decision—and together, bear witness to the birth of the first royal High Septon of the Faith of the Seven."
The gathered Septons stared at him in astonishment, never expecting such a dramatic announcement during a sacred ceremony.
By contrast, the devouts—though somewhat stirred—remained mostly calm. Aegon and Grand Maester Gawen had already discreetly prepared the higher clergy for what was to come.
...
Since Aegon dared to hold the High Septon succession vote so publicly, he was clearly confident of securing the outcome.
Even though most of the Septons opposed him, it made no difference. This time, the vote was held by secret ballot. The ballot box was made of clear glass, but a hidden mechanism underneath allowed the ballots to be swapped.
One by one, squads of elite guards dressed in Septon robes marched into the Sept of the Seven, their steps synchronized, exuding an imposing presence.
Some Septons who opposed Aegon's bid for High Septon saw the soldiers enter and prepared to protest.
But before they could utter a word, they were swiftly silenced—grabbed by disguised guards posing as plainclothes worshippers, who covered their mouths and dragged them into the nearby confessionals.
Aegon had everything arranged down to the last detail. He had already anticipated trouble from the opposition. In fact, half of the hundreds gathered to witness the ceremony were his elite soldiers, disguised as Septons.
In the capital of House Targaryen, if Aegon couldn't even control the scene, he might as well smash his head on a block of tofu and be done with it.
Aenys watched as his father prayed with closed eyes. In that moment, Aegon truly resembled a devout Septon—his face radiating holiness, seemingly indifferent to the old High Septon's proposal and the devout's debate below. At that moment, Aegon wore only the mask of faith.
After some discussion, the devouts decided to honor the old High Septon's proposal and proceeded with the vote.
Everything unfolded exactly as Aegon had scripted. The old High Septon approached the ballot box and, just as everyone's attention shifted, triggered the mechanism to replace the ballots. In an instant, the votes were swapped.
Then, the old High Septon began counting the ballots aloud. As expected, Aegon won by an overwhelming margin, securing a decisive victory.
A few dissatisfied Septons tried to rush forward—to seize the ballots or inspect the transparent glass box.
But the Sept was already filled with disguised Targaryen guards posing as clergy. They stepped in under the pretense of preserving order, grabbing and subduing the Septons trying to stop Aegon's succession.
Most of the protesting Septons were middle-aged or older and no match for the elite guards. They were easily restrained—gagged with cloth, then hooded with white headcovers bearing seven star-like dots, reminiscent of the seven-circle tile in mahjong.
The Targaryen royal family watched the struggling Septons with cold detachment.
The Targaryen ministers had already been warned by Grand Maester Gawen. Having seen the seemingly transparent and uneventful voting process, they raised no objections to Aegon's coronation.
In front of the statues of the Seven, the old High Septon personally anointed Aegon's forehead with the seven sacred oils, proclaiming him the High Septon and declaring him the earthly representative of the Seven—the first ever Pope.
The title "Pope" appeared for the first time in the long history of the Faith of the Seven.
Since Aegon's landing on Westeros, he had set countless precedents for the Faith.
He was the first Septon to retain his family name after joining the church, the first Most Devout, the first to hold both the titles of King and High Septon—and now, the first Pope.
With this title, the Seven-Kingdom Council's control over the Faith came to an end. From now on, the Council would be subordinate to the Pope, who held supreme authority over the entire Faith of the Seven.
After the coronation ceremony, Aegon immediately dismissed over a dozen Septons who had voted against him.
He appointed new bishops to fill the vacancies—young men he had planted within the church when House Targaryen first landed at Blackwater Bay, delivered there by Crispian.
These youths had remained hidden in the church for over a decade. Many had been indoctrinated by the Faith's teachings, but now that Aegon had become their Pope, their loyalty to him was rekindled.
Aenys widened his eyes as he watched his father's seamless performance in the Sept of the Seven. Everything flowed without a hitch. His father's expression barely changed, as if he had orchestrated it all from the beginning.
'This is royal power. This is divine power. This is the work of a brilliant actor!' Aenys thought in awe.
At that moment, Aegon beckoned to him. Aenys stepped forward.
Aegon gently stroked his son's silver hair and said quietly, "You and Maegor agreed to compete for the position of Crown Prince, but your mother has little support in court, and your body is too weak. As my eldest son, I promised to allocate the kingdom's resources in your favor.
Today, I fulfill that promise.
From here on, my son, your path is yours to walk.
Kneel."
Aenys obediently knelt before his father, lowering his head slightly.
Aegon dipped his fingers into the holy oil he had used moments ago for his own coronation and anointed Aenys' forehead—this was the baptismal rite of the Faith of the Seven.
Then, in full view of all the witnesses, Aegon proclaimed loudly:
"From this day forth, the King's eldest son, Aenys, shall govern all devouts of the Crownlands. He is hereby named the new Most Devout."
Thunderous applause once again filled the Sept of the Seven.
Aenys turned to look at the people cheering his appointment. He thought to himself, 'Father, I won't let you down. I will claim the title of Crown Prince.'
...
[Upto 20 chapters ahead for now]
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