Chapter 459 Rhaegar: Son of the Gods?

The Great Sword Dawn.

Rhaegar looked at the sword with surprise in his eyes. The surface of the sword glowed with a milky white light, shimmering with a gorgeous array of colors. It wasn't the sword itself that was magical, but something else altogether.

A man and his sword. Within a three-meter radius, the blade was surrounded by flickering starlight and silvery moonlight.

The Starry Sept, a large building with a black stone exterior and a typical dome-shaped roof, was bathed in the night sky's starlight. The light shone through the glass skylight onto the seven statues of the gods.

Rhaegar sat in the center of the seven gods, and the starlight seemed to fall like cotton wool, showering them with a brilliant glow.

The giant sword glistened in the dawn light, and the iron-forged blade of the meteorite sword absorbed the starlight bit by bit.

This scene resembled a vision of the gods.

Dozens of holy sisters serving the Seven Gods in the sanctuary were awestruck by the sight and fell to their knees in reverence.

Looking back,

Rhaegar's face remained calm, his long, silvery-gold hair falling over his shoulders, and he wiped the blade of the sword slowly and deliberately.

The Dawn sword trembled slightly, absorbing the starlight with increasing effort.

With each additional ray of starlight, the milky white blade became more transparent, as if it were an invisible sword.

The elegant and handsome prince, the mythical holy sword.

This scene in the Starry Sept, among the sculptures of the seven gods, could easily be mistaken for a divine descent of a man and a sword from the heavens.

"Seven gods above..."

The holy sisters were all dumbstruck, clasping their hands together and praying fervently.

Rhaegar, as always, chose to ignore them,revealing his true nature as a god-like figure above the world.

Only he knew that it was all a misunderstanding.

The system panel appeared.

Trigger prompt: "The fallen star absorbs the magic of the starlight and awakens the mysterious treasure."

The System Exploration was complete, and the [Heart of the Stars] produced by Dawn wasobtained.

At night, he tried to trigger the [Heart of the Stars] in the Starry Sept.

Hum~

The great sword Dawn emitted a hum, and one-seventh of the blade turned transparent.

At this point, the silky moonlight disappeared, and the firefly-like starlight retreated.

Rhaegar's eyes were full of doubt, and he whispered, "Can't take too much?"

The blade of Dawn, made of star-falling iron, could not absorb too much starlight magic at once.

This was Rhaegar's first encounter with starlight magic.

How should I put it?

It's... strange.

Compared to the violent and restless fire magic, starlight magic is sometimes peaceful and calm, and sometimes cold and piercing.

More often than not, it is a sense of distance that is both tangible and intangible.

Once you cross the borderline, a black hole-like darkness, emptiness, and a feeling of being swallowed up are born.

What's more, Rhaegar can't absorb Star Magic.

The fire magic in his blood is like a lord with a bad temper, driving away any outsiders who try toenter his territory.

"This shouldn't be!"

Rhaegar placed one hand on his forehead and the other on the hilt of the ten-kilogram sword he was wielding with the ease of a child.

The knowledge of the Pyromancer's heritage did not mention that the magic of fire was so exclusive.

Damn it!

He is a Pyromancer, but he only knows the blood sorcery of the Bloodmages, and he doesn't know any fire sorcery.

How did the Pyromancers of ancient Valyria survive? They didn't pass on any knowledge to future generations.

"One in seven. It looks like I'll have to wait six more days."

Rhaegar carelessly stuck the great sword Dawn on the floor next to him, stroked the blade, and closed his eyes.

He had given the High Septon seven days and nights to meditate, just enough time to absorb enough magic of the stars and activate [Heart of the Stars] in the Starry Sept.

If the High Septon had thought it through, the relics would be triggered and everyone would be happy.

If he couldn't make up his mind, then Rhaegar would just chop off his head with the Sword of the Morning.

...

Time flies, and six days have passed.

Rhaegar stayed in the Starry Sept, not eating or drinking for the entire time, embodying the discipline of a septon more devout than the septons themselves.

On the first day, the holy sisters were drawn to the vision surrounding Dawn.

On the third day, the holy brothers admired his endurance and willpower.

By the fourth and fifth days, the entire Starry Sept was captivated by him, watching the Targaryen prince under the Seven Gods sculpture in hushed awe.

Rumors began to circulate.

Whispers spread that the one sitting in the middle of the Seven Gods was no longer a mere mortal or a stereotypical Dragonlord but rather amessenger chosen by the Seven Gods—a son of God.

His handsome appearance and unyielding will, combined with his ability to go without food or drink, added to this divine image.

The presence of the black dragon outside the temple only fueled these rumors.

People claimed the dragon was a guardian appointed by the Seven Gods to their messenger, and its infernal green Dragonfire symbolized the cleansing of all injustice and sin.

These rumors spread like wildfire, morphing into various versions.

Some said he was a warrior reincarnated, blessed by the Mother, or even the hand of the Stranger.

Others attributed the victory in the war in Dorne to the guidance of the Seven Gods and theboundless power of the Warrior.

After all, it's not against the law to make up stories.

These tales became popular in Oldtown.

holy brothers and holy sisters couldn't get enough of it, and it attracted a large number of Seven-God believers to visit.

Rhaegar was aware of these rumors but paid them no mind.

He just sat quietly under the statue of the Seven Gods.

During the day, he explored the power of fire, trying to create his own fire magic.

At night, he bathed his giant sword in the magic of the stars and fell asleep in a cross-legged position.

Why didn't he eat or drink? As a Dragonborn, his body was extraordinary. He could go seven days without eating or drinking without any problem.

The magic of fire was enough to nourish his body.

Of course, it didn't help that Aegon and Aemond seemed to have forgotten about him, not bringing him any food.

He was also wary of the bread and water provided by the Faith of the Seven.

Even a Dragonborn feared being poisoned; his grandfather Baelon had died in a ratherunpleasant way.

"Wait a little longer. It will be tonight," Rhaegar thought, glancing back at the temple gate packed with Oldtown believers who had come to witness the spectacle.

He was puzzled by the mentality of these believers, then a thought struck him as he gazed at the statue of the seven gods, his eyes seeming to shine with starlight.

...

King's Landing, Red Keep.

Seven days had passed since the last Small Council meeting.

Alicent had just fed her husband some vegetable porridge until he fell asleep again and left the bedchamber.

Two Kingsguard stood guard on either side, and a tall, thin, dark-haired Maester waited silently.

"Your Grace, the Queen."

Maester Munkun greeted her in a low voice.

Alicent closed the door behind her, took one last look around the room, and then deliberately walked a little further away with Munkun.

She made sure that the two Kingsguard couldn't hear their conversation.

She put her arms around her chest and covered her face with her other hand, saying, "Viserys is in a very bad state. He often has nightmares and is startled. Can you prescribe some milk of the poppy to calm him down?"

"This is against what the Prince said."

Munkun replied matter-of-factly, as if nothing had happened. While saying this, he looked at the queen with a not-so-deep gaze. From her behavior, he sensed a sense of anxiety.

Alicent's face fell, and she said in a threatening tone, "Rhaegar, it's all Rhaegar! I am the queen, the one who has always taken care of Viserys."

Munkun remained silent, not wanting to offend her.

"Listen to me, Maester Munkun."

Alicent calmed down and smiled, "You are a learned man with a wealth of knowledge. I believe you have the talent to rival Orwyle, but you just lack the opportunity to show it."

Munkun was surprised and refused, saying, "Your Grace, I don't think I'm smarter than anyone else. I just put extra effort to learn."

Alicent frowned.

Unexpectedly, Munkun changed the subject: "Of course, I don't think anyone is smarter than me, and knowledge is not a tool for comparison."

His words were humble and arrogant, and they also had a strong philosophical flavor.

"He's smooth-talking, no wonder Viserys likeshim," thought Alicent to herself.

The two negotiated for a while, though no one knew what was said.

In the end, Alicent left satisfied.

...

2:00 p.m.

The Small Council was convened again, initiated by Alicent in her capacity as Queen.

In the council chamber, the elderly Lord Beesbury was the last to arrive. The first thing his dimmed eyes saw was Alicent sitting in the main seat. He frowned but did not speak out against herbecause of her status as queen.

The King and the heir prince were absent, so the Hand of the King should have taken the king's place. Linman turned his head and found Lyonel, his face dark and tense, sitting in the lower rightcorner of the main seat. Lyonel was already heavyset, and when he got angry, his whole face puffed up like a bear.

"Something's happened," Linman thought immediately.

After a moment's thought, Linman slowly walked to his seat and said with a smile, "People getdrowsy at noon when they get older. Don't blame me."

Alicent leaned back in her chair and made a tolerant gesture: "It's okay. You are the pillars of the kingdom. I hope I didn't disturb your sleep."

"Oh, Your Grace is so understanding," Linman replied, sitting down in his seat.

With his arrival, the advisers of the Small Council placed their stone balls into the slots, and the council meeting officially began.

There was a strange and quiet atmosphere in the hall for a few seconds. Linman looked around, paying particular attention to the queen, the Hand of the King, and the Master of Whisperers, trying to read something in their expressions.

Tormund had changed his usual friendly smile, his eyes narrowed and his hands interlocked in his sleeves. The black and white robe hung from his shoulders like a pendant, and he turned his head to look at those present. Linmanimmediately guessed that the heir prince was involved.

In the high-pressure atmosphere, the sound of a pin dropping could be heard in the hall. Alicent looked around and tried to break the tension. Before she could say anything, she wasinterrupted.

Lyonel frowned and said solemnly, "The heir prince is visiting Oldtown, and the Starry Sept and Citadel should receive him with the highest level of hospitality. It is best not to mention things that are just hearsay."

"Lord Lyonel, how can something that has attracted so much attention be without foundation?" Alicent frowned and said, "Rhaegar used the pretext of supporting Oldtown todamage the High Tower with his dragon."

She paused, impatiently adding, "Of course, this could have been an accident, and Lord Ormund may not want to pursue it."

"But!" Alicent looked around and said seriously, "Rhaegar used his dragons to force the Starry Sept to break the peace treaty signed between His Grace the King and the Faith of the Seven for his own selfish gain."

The Old King and the Seven Gods were the pillars that had supported her rise to power. She couldnot tolerate anyone trying to destroy both.

Lyonel said, "This is unfounded. The Starry Sept has not issued any news, and it is the High Septon who has been negligent in his treatment of Prince Rhaegar."

Alicent almost laughed in anger, thinking that Lyonel would defend Rhaegar no matter what. Knowing that she could not reason with the stubborn Hand of the King, she turned her attention to Lord Beesbury.

"Lord Beesbury, you are the Lord of Honeyholt and a nobleman of The Reach. You shouldunderstand the importance of the Faith of the Seven, shouldn't you?" she asked. It seemed like a question, but it was actually full of threats.

Lord Beesbury, wary and cautious, pretended tobe ignorant: "I am old and don't know much. The heir prince's visit to the Starry Sept is a good thingin any case."

Alicent was furious and said excitedly, "Rhaegar wants to break the peace treaty. He threatened the church with his dragons and forced the High Septon to go into seclusion."

Upon hearing this, Linman thought for a moment and said, "Your Grace, why don't you just tell us what you want or what the solution is."

Bang!

Alicent had been waiting for this moment and slammed her hand down on the table: "I demand that the Iron Throne reprimand Rhaegar for his bad behavior, and if necessary, recall him to King's Landing!"

"That's impossible," Lyonel was the first to object, retorting, "The Prince is on the front lines of the conquest of Dorne. No one can stop this but the King."

"Then let him leave Oldtown and give up his delusions of violating the peace treaty!" Alicent's eyes widened, and she shouted back without flinching.

(Word count: 2,283)