GOT: Chapter 375/376

Chapter 375: High-Level Priest (Part 2)

"It is not difficult to let you leave Dragonstone. Though I have not been by the Queen's side for long, I am quite trusted and relied upon," Moqorro said, leaning against the stone parapet on the edge of the tower, unmoving as a mountain. "But the difficulty lies in how to resolve this misunderstanding and make the prophecy come true. The Lord of Light showing me Daenerys Targaryen and the Night's Watch Commander simultaneously in the fire cannot be without reason. If the two become strangers or even enemies because of this foolish misunderstanding, it will have an extremely unfavorable impact on this crucial battle between my Lord and the arch-enemy."

Melisandre did not immediately respond.

That was right, what Moqorro had just said was another theory widely accepted among High Priests. This stems from how followers of the Red God receive R'hllor's oracles from the fire. The information the Lord of Light conveys to followers through fire is mainly divided into three categories. The first category is the most common, showing things that have happened in the past or are happening now in the flames, helping followers understand the truth of matters or prepare for impending danger. The second type is a strong premonition or reminder, usually vague and abstract, requiring the viewer to interpret it themselves. The most typical example, Melisandre saw Dragonstone in the flames, so she came to Westeros, and then saw an ice wall, so she went to the Gift.

The third type is the most special, clear and distinct images showing things that have not yet happened, the source of all prophecies.

Unlike what is usually claimed to ordinary followers, that "the fire shows the future," High Priests actually know clearly that a considerable portion of future events shown in the flames will not happen if the viewer does nothing. This means the future they see in the flames is likely not the true future, but the future the Lord of Light hopes or needs to happen. R'hllor, by transmitting information through fire, issues tasks to followers, reminding and urging them to use their wisdom and subjective initiative to make it a reality.

Melisandre saw a scene in the flames of a dragon breathing fire and burning wights, which at least meant R'hllor hoped the dragon could play a role in this final battle. But there was another further possibility, that He was reminding her, without the dragon's participation, the Night's Watch and the North cannot win this battle.

…

Having figured out this point, she nodded and spoke, realizing that the matter was indeed far more complicated than simply escaping Dragonstone. "Think carefully, is there any way to salvage the situation?"

"There really is." Moqorro turned his head to look at Melisandre. "Your Commander gave the Queen a gift today. What exactly was it?"

"Were you not there? A small booklet. I asked him what was inside when we were on the ship, and he showed me a glance. The content was very strange, a lot of exaggerated empty talk and boasts, seemingly related to politics, which is completely outside my knowledge. Why?"

"The Queen was in a very bad mood after the audience ended. After returning to the conference room, the two advisors continued to argue about the army's next move, while she sat aside with a grim face, flipping through that small gift. At first, I thought she would tear it up or throw it into the fireplace the next second, but the reality was quite different. After just one look, her towering anger, which was visible to the naked eye, almost dissipated by more than half. For the rest of the time until dinner, the Queen was concentrating on reading this small booklet, completely ignoring the fiercely arguing advisors," Moqorro recalled. "Finally, when the Queen looked up again, she asked me, why would her most powerful follower not acknowledge her legitimacy."

"Very interesting. I really cannot see that hastily written booklet having such magic. How did you answer?"

"Although I could not guess what the Queen read in it, I could see the sense of finding a treasure that she was deliberately suppressing. So my answer was, 'Isn't your most powerful follower right in your hands?'"

"A clever answer." Priests use vague language and phrasing when interpreting prophecies to outsiders, precisely so they can salvage the situation when things go wrong. "So, that booklet is her 'most powerful follower.' You did not deceive the Queen or misjudge."

"I temporarily muddled through, but Daenerys is not stupid, and the matter still needs to be resolved eventually. The Queen then asked her two advisors about the origin of this book and where the complete version was. Varys, after reading it, denounced it as 'empty and impractical fantasy,' while Petyr Baelish offered no opinion. Of course, both agreed that they had never read or heard of this book. So, the Queen will definitely ask about it tomorrow. I came tonight to give you a heads-up. Where did the content in that booklet come from?"

"The Commander wrote it on the ship while traveling from Eastwatch-by-the-Sea to Dragonstone. Varys and Petyr Baelish are both considered knowledgeable and learned among mortals. If they have not heard of it, and I have not seen it…"

"Could it be that he wrote it? How could he write a book in just a few days? What is more interesting is, a Night's Watch Commander, where would he get the knowledge to teach a genuine Queen how to be a monarch?" Moqorro's curiosity was also greatly piqued, but this matter was ultimately not very relevant to the current problem. "I have an idea. Go back and tell your Commander that when the Queen asks about this booklet, he should answer like this, the original version of this book is in the Night's Watch library, but due to its age, decay, and weathering, it cannot withstand long-distance transport and can only be read on site."

"Why answer like that?"

"To create time for them to be alone. I can see that the Commander is not someone who is clumsy with words. Given the opportunity, he can handle everything himself…"

Melisandre scoffed through her nose. "The Dragon Queen is indeed astonishingly beautiful, but Aegor West is by no means someone consumed by lust. You underestimate him far too much."

"You are a woman, you cannot experience the magical attraction radiating from Daenerys," Moqorro grinned, his dark skin in the night making his smile look like a sudden flash of white jade in the darkness. "This attraction disregards willpower and normal orientation, acting directly on the body and deep subconscious. For unknown reasons, different men are affected by this attraction to varying degrees, but one thing is certain, any physically normal man will be affected."

"You are also a man, will you also be affected by this attraction?"

"Yes, fortunately, I am of the constitution that is least affected. Although I can feel it, I am an old man, willing but unable," Moqorro shrugged. "And from what I observed today during the day, the Commander seems to be one of those most affected. With enough contact and time together, he will inevitably fall hopelessly in love with the Queen. This is not a matter of underestimating him, it is like no one can commit suicide by holding their breath. Humans cannot fight against instinct."

Just as a two-dimensional being cannot understand three dimensions, Melisandre, being a woman, could not understand through imagination what this attraction was like. But just as Moqorro trusted her, she also did not doubt him. "If it can be achieved, it is indeed a plan. Dragonstone is a thousand miles from the Gift, and the land in between is full of the Queen's enemies. If she is to go to the Night's Watch territory to find the complete version of that book, she will inevitably have to travel by dragon. As soon as the dragon reaches the Wall, the prophecy will be more than halfway fulfilled."

"So, the basic direction is set? Let us go over the details and see if there are any omissions."

Melisandre nodded in agreement, then effortlessly found a major loophole. "Wait, since it is already determined that the Night's Watch cannot accept the Queen's terms, then when the Queen asks Aegor for his answer tomorrow morning, should he refuse her again?"

"Oh, damn… I forgot about that." Moqorro patted his round, large belly, pondered for a moment, and decisively shook his head. "That is impossible. Daenerys is kind by nature, and her temper is not bad, but forcing her to suffer the humiliation of being refused to her face and losing face for no reason is both meaningless and detrimental to their future meetings. It seems it is best for the two of us to negotiate and settle everything tonight on behalf of our respective Prophets, and save their next meeting for the Wall."

(To be continued.)

Chapter 376: Dispute Zone

This historic meeting between the Prophets was full of twists and turns, not going as either side expected, but fortunately, things did not ultimately slide toward a bad ending. Aegor received news from Melisandre late at night. Although unwilling, the abundant results achieved by the Red Priestess's secret conversation with a Red Priest during the night made him, the Night's Watch Commander, face reality. Sometimes, no matter how much effort is spent on explaining the pros and cons, facts, and reasons, it cannot compare to a charlatan whispering in the ruler's ear.

Through the unofficial channel of the Red God priest, Aegor received the order to leave that he wanted. He and his entourage would leave Dragonstone at dawn, and the Queen's Fleet had been ordered to allow the Night's Watch's Blackbird free passage. As for his core request, spare the Long Night Industry Park, there was no clear answer yet, but Melisandre clearly hinted that Moqorro would try to persuade the Queen.

The bait thrown out had been swallowed, and the desired effect achieved. This made Aegor slightly relieved. As long as that Targaryen girl was still curious about the second half of the modified Prince, she likely would not tear off the mask and attack the Night's Watch Industry. If he could successfully lure her to the Gift, he could even use the opportunity to instill more ideas and concepts, achieving greater things.

After a short night's rest, leaving a letter for Missandei to deliver expressing thanks for the Queen's personal reception, explaining the location of the original Prince, and politely inviting her to visit the Gift, Aegor left Dragonstone Keep with Melisandre in the morning mist and reboarded the ship he came on before sunrise. Slowly sailing out of the harbor under the surrounding surveillance of the Queen's Fleet, with his back to the morning sun, he headed toward blockaded King's Landing.

…

On this trip south, besides the Red Priestess and trusted guards, Aegor also brought rowers and sailors from Eastwatch-by-the-Sea. Under the command of Cotter Pyke, the Night's Watch port had a tradition of trading with foreign ships for goods and information. The soldiers from there were definitely in the top tier of the Night's Watch in terms of language skills and social ability. Although the meeting in the castle was anticlimactic and not smooth or pleasant, the large number of Aegor's entourage left at the port, under his instruction, successfully mingled with the guards of the Dragonstone naval base and members of House Targaryen, gathering a lot of information. After reuniting with Aegor, they reported it all to him during the short final leg to King's Landing.

A mass of miscellaneous information, most of which was unimportant or meaningless. Of the useful handful remaining, much was already known to Aegor as a transmigrator. Only two pieces of information were particularly valuable.

One was, the kraken flag appearing in Dragonstone harbor did not belong to Euron Greyjoy, but was led by Victarion Greyjoy, whom he had sent to Slaver's Bay a long time ago. Because this famous commander of the Iron Fleet had perished under dragonflame, this small and original Iron Fleet was now forcibly requisitioned by the Dragon Queen, becoming a small part of the Targaryen navy.

The other was a significant plot change that caught Aegor's attention. In this world, the army Daenerys brought back to Westeros did not include a large number of Dothraki nomads, but instead, a Free Company exceeding ten thousand strong, well trained and fully armed.

These Free People were not the Free Folk. They had nothing to do with the Wildlings beyond the Wall. Their source was the former slaves liberated after Meereen was captured. Daenerys selected the strong and healthy from these Free People, trained them according to the Unsullied training schedule but skipped the physical and mental abuse parts, ultimately forging an elite infantry. They were significantly weaker than the original Unsullied, but more than sufficient compared to the rest.

Aegor also roughly understood the reason for this change through careful questioning. Petyr's political struggle skills and experience in playing power games were clearly superior to the Little Devil's. With Littlefinger assisting Daenerys, she maintained stable rule in Meereen. Major nobles were either exiled or cowed into submission through threats and intimidation. Although external enemies arrived one after another, the interior remained impregnable. Reactionary organizations like the Sons of the Harpy never emerged, and the story of the noble class using both soft and hard tactics to force Daenerys to marry and integrate locally simply did not happen.

Under the influence of a series of plot linkages, the plot where Daenerys was attacked in the arena and rescued by her dragon from Meereen disappeared. Naturally, there was no flying to the Great Grass Sea to conquer the Dothraki, or leading them across the black salt sea on wooden horses to Westeros. Instead, it was the Free Company trained and armed in the good and stable ruling environment of Meereen. Although the troop type was downgraded from cavalry to infantry, and the numbers were much smaller, their discipline and equipment level were greatly improved, and the pressure on logistics was also greatly reduced.

Three dragons, several thousand Unsullied, over ten thousand Free Company, plus several thousand scattered sailors and logistics personnel in the fleet, this was the full hand the Queen held now. By quickly landing and seizing the Crab Claw Peninsula and marching into Duskendale, gaining a stable supply source, the Queen's army had established a foothold along Blackwater Bay. This was more than enough to confront Stannis in King's Landing, but far from sufficient to unite the Seven Kingdoms like their ancestor Aegon the Conqueror. This was the main reason Daenerys was eager to gain recognition from a third-party force.

…

As the sun rose, casting energy everywhere, the wind soon changed to blow toward the shore. Dragonstone is only a stone's throw from King's Landing, and the speed advantage of the sail-and-oar ship was fully displayed in this downwind sprint. Before noon, the Blackbird crossed the boundary of the actual control waters between the Dragon and Stag fleets and encountered the warships loyal to King Stannis's Royal Fleet that intercepted and inspected it.

Good luck. The intercepting warship actually had a knight who had been persuaded by Melisandre to convert to the Red God and was personally knighted by King Stannis. Because the commander recognized the Red Priestess, the verification of identity, which should have been complicated and cautious, became easy and simple. They passed through the blockade and entered the Blackwater River.

To prevent Daenerys's army from using the trade area outside the Mud Gate as a springboard to attack the King's Landing walls after landing, all the docks and houses in this once prosperous riverside area suffered the fate of demolition for the second time since Aegor transmigrated. Looking at the former King's Landing commercial port, which should have been prosperous but was now bare and without a place to dock, Aegor suddenly remembered. Nina had mentioned to him during her last visit to Crown Town to report on work that the Long Night Industry Park already had its own dock on the Blackwater River bank.

He rejected the sailors' suggestion to lower a small boat for him to go ashore. "Continue upstream, stop at our own place."

So the rowers returned to their seats and continued to row the ship west, upstream on the Blackwater River, to the sound of chants. The Blackbird sailed lightly past the Mud Gate, the fish market, and the King's Gate far from the water. Soon, a large dark shape appeared in their view. Approaching a moment longer, Aegor rubbed his eyes, then pinched his thigh, and finally had to be sure he was not dreaming.

The Long Night Industry Park, built next to the river in a large field and enclosed by simple wooden fences, was no longer as empty and desolate as it once was. It was now covered with large and small factory buildings and sheds, with a density more than three times higher than when Aegor left. And in the very center, where the dormitories and office area should have been, a castle no smaller than Crown Town had risen at some unknown time. It had black walls, black tiles, and a black banner flying from the battlements. Of course, it could not compare to King's Landing, whose outline was vaguely visible a few miles away, but it was already more imposing and grand than most of the nineteen fortresses along the Wall, at least from a distance.

(To be continued.)