Chapter 7 - The Messiah and the Red Priestess (II)

"I remember once, when I was a child, cuddling on my father's lap. He told me that the faith of the people was something terrible. At the time, I didn't understand what he was saying, but later, when I saw an entire city on its knees before him, I understood. To them, he was a god. And yet he seemed so alone. Maybe that's the burden of being a god... A burden that I, too, will carry one day. - Princess Alyssane Targaryen, Primarch of the Blood.

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Jon bathed in the brook, oblivious to the intense cold of the water, he had never really felt cold or hot since his rebirth, the weather didn't matter to him, maybe it was the magic in his blood, a magic of fire and ice.

Both lineages were powerful enough to make anyone special, but he had both in his body, maybe fate liked to play with other people's lives in a very ironic and somewhat sadistic way.

"Can I help you, Your Grace?" Hearing the woman's voice behind him, Jon couldn't help but look over his shoulder; the woman was as naked as the day she was born. If someone in the North saw her, they would surely call her mad for bathing in the North without clothes. It was quite deadly in the intense cold of the vast northern lands.

As for her body, he had to admit that the gods really did make women more perfect than men. The naked woman in front of him was simply breathtaking, her full breasts and pink nipples, her slender body and beautiful legs. His eyes traveled down her body without hiding his gaze.

"Do what you want." Jon replied, also naked, though he had the mind of an adult, his body was six years old, and that was an age when you couldn't get hard even if you wanted to, something he was grateful for. With his complete inexperience with women, he was sure he would get hard when he saw a naked woman as stunning as Kinvara.

As soon as Jon said this, he felt a body pressing up behind him, soft, gentle hands stroking his hair, something Jon found incredibly relaxing. Unconsciously, he leaned back, appreciating the services of the High Priestess of Volantis.

"What would you like to ask, Lady Kinvara?" Jon asked with his eyes closed, almost melting at the woman's hands; perhaps because she was a Red Priestess, she had a fiery aura about her that made the northern atmosphere slightly warmer.

"Your Grace, I would like to ask if you have ever had the pleasure of seeing our Lord in person?" Jon heard the soft, low whisper, as if she was afraid to disturb his rest.

At her words, Jon couldn't help but remember when he died after eighteen years in a hospital bed. The funny thing was that humanity was afraid of death, but not of the pain that preceded it.

Jon was the exact opposite, he feared the pain of living in agony every moment more than death itself. But that didn't stop him from fighting the disease for eighteen long years. While other boys went to school, he stayed in the hospital, reading any book that would pass the time before the disease took away all movement.

When death finally came for him, Jon only felt his body weaken and his senses gradually fade. In the end, only the purest darkness remained. He felt as if he were floating in a great sea as his consciousness gradually sank into it and disappeared.

But everything changed in an instant, he felt a strong hand grab his, pulling him out of the darkness, and when his eyes opened again, there was a being in front of him, there was no way to describe the being that stood before him.

If there was a word to describe it, he would say it was God, there was no other word, not even worthy, to describe the being in front of him.

Opening his eyes and looking directly into the priestess' red eyes, Jon could see the expectant look in her eyes.

"He sat on a throne that was brighter than a thousand suns. A red robe wrapped around his slender, gigantic body, and his hair, made of light, looked like a sea of twinkling stars falling down around him. His eyes... two red suns." Jon spoke in a calm tone, not realizing that he was now lying on the edge of the stream, earning the comfort of a pillow on Kinvara's lap. The woman's eyes had never been so bright, reflecting a deep, almost mad fanaticism.

"Kinvara." Jon called out, snapping her out of whatever reverie she was in. He knew this was the right moment to influence her. "The Red Faith must change to better serve the purposes of the Almighty."

My purposes, to be exact. Jon thought, keeping a calm expression on his face.

"I am listening, Son of Light." Kinvara straightened his body, his voice sounding extremely serious and devout, as if he was waiting for something of great importance.

"I will write a bible with the stories told by R'hllor himself. They will teach life lessons, they will teach men respect, morality and character." Jon began. Jon began. "But before we can spread the faith of our God, we must change the image of the Red Faith in the eyes of the people of Westeros. Clothes, customs, prayers... And no blood magic, at least not in front of the commoners. And absolutely no sacrifices of the living on bonfires."

Why did Christianity succeed in convincing so many people to convert? If you don't know the answer, I'll tell you: the Bible.

Unlike other pagan religions that involved human sacrifice, immorality, sadism, and gore, the Bible was a book that told stories so real, holy, and instructive that it practically undermined the concept of religion in the world.

Its stories inspired people to reflect on their mistakes and sins, and taught morals and ethics at a time when death and starvation were as common as breathing. In such an environment, everyone needed a spiritual pillar - and embraced whatever seemed most sacred.

Jon needed such a religion, he would be the son of God in this world and bring peace to the world, which wasn't exactly a lie, but it definitely wasn't the whole truth. But truth was often changeable.

Kinvara looked at Jon with extremely intense eyes, so intense that he might vanish from the face of the earth if her eyes had any power. Fortunately for Jon, she had no such power.

"When the entire transformation of the Red God's faith is complete, I will personally do something about it, including the clothing, customs, prayers, and idols to worship. You should expand as soon as possible." Ignoring the woman's increasingly fanatical gaze, if such a thing was possible, Jon spoke in a calm tone, his purple eyes fixed on the red eyes.

Rising from her lap, Jon ignored her nakedness and held Kinvara's face with both hands, approaching her face and standing a dangerously close distance away, looking directly into her eyes.

"Don't disappoint me, Kinvara, I don't like mistakes." "Anyone who interferes with the reforms must die, no matter who, you and the Red Faith will be my sharpest sword to pave the way in the coming Long Night."

In front of those deep purple eyes, all Kinvara could feel was her chest bubbling with an infinite energy coursing through her body, she just wanted to run back to Volantis and start the reforms to make the Son of Light smile like any normal child.

Turning away from him, Kinvara knelt in front of Jon, her body close to the ground, and kissed his feet with all the devotion and care she could muster. She wanted to convey all her respect, love and devotion with the touch of her lips on his feet.

"Your decree is an order, Son of Light. All those who refused to follow the new commandments died burned by the holy flames of purification." Raising her head, Kinvara replied with a happy but equally mad tone, a look that sent shivers through Jon's body.

Crazy. The woman was definitely mad. Jon thought, slightly startled by the look Kinvara gave him. Although he had wanted this look in her eyes with his earlier words, seeing it in person really brought a feeling of fear and caution to Jon.

In that moment, Jon understood that in Kinvara's eyes, he was no longer a man, but a god, her god, to be worshipped and devoted to. He had no doubt that if he asked her to die, Kinvara would do so with a smile on her face.

"Thank you, Kinvara. Your devotion will always be noticed by the Lord of Light." Jon lied without showing any reaction. The omnipotent and omniscient God had better things to do than to pay attention to a human, even if he was probably no more than one of the most important ants.

Holding her face with his hand, Jon watched as the woman of hundreds of years closed her eyes and enjoyed the warmth of his hand on her cheek. A naked six-year-old boy and a naked woman in a stream would surely frighten many people.

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