AN :
Next goal for another extra chapter is 400 power stones.
In the Game of Stones, you either win or you wait. The more Power Stones you offer, the faster the chapters come.
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( Cersei Lannister POV )
"In truth though, while I did fund this endeavor, I must credit my son, Callum Lannister, whom the faith has proclaimed was blessed by the Smith, Warrior, and Father, with the gift and foresight to create these scriptures.
Let it be known that he is the ultimate source of the Presses that made this great generosity possible, and I will not take credit for my son's work, only his funding." Kevan chuckled at that, his dry reading of the letter sending a wave of laughter through the crowd.
...
Cersei snorted but for a different reason. Her father had, tellingly, left off Callum's blessings by the Maiden and the Crone, two that in her opinion, were likely more truthful than whatever the High Septon had been bribed to cook up. She had pestered the Most Devout who had declared Callum blessed when she had been in Oldtown, but he had looked at her once and then asked her to leave.
It had annoyed her at the time, but in hindsight, it probably meant he was all the more serious about Callum's blessings, not someone who could just be bribed with money to gamble away like the High Septon.
"Now, let it be made clear that no one should take more than one of these gifts for his household, lest he be cursed by the Seven, and also a criminal and a thief before the eyes of House Lannister. Let all honest men rejoice, however, in the gifts we offer." Kevan cleared his throat. "And that's the end of the letter. Now, I would say to start, but before we begin handing them out, I believe that Septa Margot of the Gold Star Sept has some words."
"Thank you, Lord Kevan! People of Lannisport, Rejoice, for we are all blessed this day!" Septa Margot was on the other side of the stands from Cersei, so she couldn't see the woman, but she could certainly hear her. Her voice was much louder than Uncle Kevan's, near at the edge of screaming and projected over the crowd. "I tell you truly, this is a miracle unheard of, in all the world no other god besides the seven who are one has ever made something like this happen. No other god could inspire one young child to bring forth such a momentous gift to all the people of the Westerlands and beyond! I tell you truly, all of you, every last one, has seen a miracle of the Smith this day." She shouted and there was a low murmur at that, slowly building into a great cheer as she continued to hype them. "Shout praises from the rooftops, sing hymns and burn incense, speak whatever prayers you know, and throw your cares aside for the seven are with us, and they have blessed us all by blessing one child." the crowd was only building in pitch, and Cersei saw that Kevan and Callum both were starting to look a little bit concerned. Actually, Aunt Genna did too.
"Is something wrong?" Cersei asked her aunt as the Septa continued to rile up the crowd into a religious fervor.
"They're growing quite rowdy." Genna said, "It could grow dangerous."
"-and they have given you this gift, no less than the hands of the Smith himself could have fashioned such a machine, and had the Crone show it to a child in their dreams- No less I tell you!" Margot screamed and the crowd screamed in turn.
"See this miracle child before you all, blessed by Maiden-Crone and Smith!" The Septa shouted, "See the child and and call them a blessing, know that through him the Seven have acted amongst you, have wrought a change in your lives to save your very souls!" Septa Margot's voice was getting a bit ragged, but the crowd seemed to be under her spell completely. "Say the Child's name now, and pray for the Seven to speak through him! Blessed Callum, Beautiful Child!"
Cersei had never seen her brother suck in quite as big a breath, his teeth grit as his lips pulled back, his eyes flicking back and forth as the crowd took up the chant.
"Blessed Callum!"
"Callum Lannister!"
"Blessed Lion!"
"Beautiful Child!"
"Hand of the Smith!"
Cersei watched as her brother raised a, noticeably quivering, hand, and a hush fell over the crowd. If anything, he paled further as they fell into silence, and she could almost watch the gears turn as he realized that now he would have to speak. From his expression, she didn't think he had one ready.
"Good-good day, fair people of Lannisport." Callum stuttered at the start but seemed to gain more composure as he continued, resolution building in his eyes. "I… well I stand before you today as a servant of the Seven-faced God, presenting a gift to you, the children of the Seven as a fellow child." he smiled, though Cersei could tell it was a nervous one. "I bring this gift to you as something I have dreamed of doing since I was small-well, smaller than I am today. And I hope you like it. I dream that one day, every man, woman, and child in the Westerlands, my fellow er… my fellow children of the Seven will be able to read this scripture as I can, to learn of the Seven and their works. I hope that in this reading, we can all find strengthened faith, absolution for our sins, and salvation for our souls." Callum stared out over the crowd as he seemed to search for his next words. "I ask… nothing for this gift I have brought you, save that you be loyal and true, to the Seven, and to my family-to House Lannister, and… well and loyal to your neighbors also, kinder, better, and more caring. Help them when you can, and give charity when you can, that is all I can ask of any of you." He clasped his hands. "Beyond that, well, all I have to say is that may the Seven bless the Westerlands, this day and forever after. Let the distribution begin."
Silence held for a moment as Callum finished speaking, sitting back down beside Uncle Kevan, but as the Castellan moved to take control of the crowd once again, they burst into further cheering, even louder than it had been before Callum spoke, and the crowd began to rush the two massive tents full of copies of the Seven-Pointed Star. The Septons and Septas, who had been all prepared to hand them out, instead found themselves ahead of a massive mob of people caught up in fervor, and rather than oppose them, joined in, the tents were dragged away or ripped open and the copies of the Seven-Pointed Star began to be handed down to the crowd as many even began to climb on top of the massive stacks of books. The people began to wash over the square like waves on the beach, moving in their multitudes as Cersei watched on.
Above her, Kevan chuckled sadly, and Callum only cringed. Careful effort and planning were disrupted as the precisely planned distribution was turned into a scrum in the throes of religious fervor.
Strangely, the riot of the faithful wasn't what stuck in Cersei's mind that evening as she tried to get to sleep. Instead, it was a remark that Aunt Genna had made in passing when she had corrected her earlier. 'Not half as afraid of the crowds as he is of me?' Cersei wondered, tightening the covers in her hands. 'But that's not possible, Callum isn't afraid of me, is he?'
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Chronicle of the Targaryen Dynasty in the Seven Kingdoms
Maester Willem
278 AC - Seventh day of Eighth Moon
Princess Valia, the Wife of Prince Rhaegar is found to be pregnant by the Grand Maester, a child is expected in roughly seven moons.
King Aerys Targaryen and his Hand Lord Tywin Lannister provide a city charter to the town of Stoney Sept in the Riverlands after determining that its petition is legitimate and that the town contains some thirty thousand smallfolk, marking the second such charter granted during King Aerys reign. Petitions arrive from other large towns across the Seven Kingdoms, but Lord Tywin Lannister urges caution in assessing worthy candidates.
An announcement is also made of a betrothal between Robert Baratheon and Lyanna Stark.
News arrives from the Westerlands that House Lannister is finally beginning to deliver copies of the Seven-Pointed Star to their subjects, but that a riot broke out in the square of Lannisport before the Gold Star Sept as the smallfolk, stirred by their faith, stormed over and took the books for themselves rather than waiting for the distribution.
After some discussion, Lord Tywin announced that no action would be taken against the unruly smallfolk, as their actions did not seem to be driven by malice, and there was no way to tell the innocent from the guilty in the crowd at any rate.
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