The plaza was arranged the same as before, with the same people, and Odahviing occupying space while hovering in the air. However, House Lannister was no longer present on the high platform.
Unlike the orderly scene last time, today the nobles in attendance were in a state of disarray, with unease and anxiety written on each of their faces.
Many commoners from the noble lands of the Reach had joined the petitioners of the Great Sparrow. With no one to tend the fields and no workers in the workshops, they marched under the banner of the Faith of the Seven to King's Landing, demanding Stannis' judgment. The lords dared not send troops to oppose them, and the piles of petitions had made their way to Hand of the King Rowan, urging the king to address the matter swiftly.
Today, however, they were more concerned that Stannis might announce another tyrannical decree, which could escalate the conflict. Should that happen, not only the Reach, but other regions would also experience uprisings.
Meanwhile, the younger nobles occasionally turned their heads toward the magic school, with the men exchanging knowing smiles and the women blushing.
Stannis stood on the high platform, dressed in a golden stag robe, his Valyrian steel sword Judgement at his waist, and a crown of pure gold on his head. He gazed down at the gathered nobles with a solemn expression, silent and unmoving. No, his expression wasn't one of silence—it could only be described as a deep, contemplative stare for a king.
Wright stood at the front of the Tyroshi delegation, flanked by Tyene holding a black cloth staff and Kana, who was linked to his arm. Three children were playing with small stones at Wright's feet. Nymeria was with the Dornish delegation, engaged in a heated discussion with her father Oberyn.
"Do you really want me to walk arm-in-arm with you in front of the entire nobility? Is that appropriate?" Kana's hand tried to pull away.
"They only dare to talk behind my back. When they see me, they offer fine wine and food, sending great amounts of gold dragons to Tyrosh," Wright replied, pulling Tyene's hand as well, ensuring the two women stayed close on either side of him.
"Before, I relied on magic and the threat of dragons. Now, the economic position of the Stepstones is irreplaceable. I no longer need to worry about anyone's opinion."
After their marriage, no one else dared bring their lover so publicly to such an occasion—only Wright could do this. Oberyn? The old father-in-law, who had many lovers, remained unmarried to this day.
Tyene, having been with Wright for years, seemed indifferent, inspecting his nails for cleanliness. Kana, increasingly trusting Wright, smiled and rested her head on his shoulder. "Aren't you concerned about leaving a stain on history?"
"A stain? Ask Tyene if I've already got a stain or two," Wright said casually.
Tyene slightly leaned forward and looked at Kana, and the two of them exchanged glances in front of Wright. "Wright has over a thousand lovers and bastards in Myr, and they were all conceived in a single day. This has already been written into books by the historians at the Magic School."
"Hahaha," Kana laughed heartily.
Wright's gaze, however, was fixed on the magic school in the distance.
The school was enclosed by a circle of walls, with a small plaza in the center, featuring a garden. In the middle of the garden stood a white marble statue of Wright, depicted in a fully naked form.
The statue was built to commemorate Wright, the founder of magic, and Renly, the diligent mentor. It was funded by the first and second generations of magicians, including Coburn and Robb, and later supported by other magicians from the School of Magic. Originally, there were two statues, but after consulting with Tyroshi sculpting masters, they were merged into one. After all, both men looked alike, and the inscription at the base would make it clear.
In order to allow the public outside the school to also see it, the statue had been enlarged, towering even higher than the statue of King Baelor at the entrance of the Great Sept. They were even considering removing the wall surrounding the small plaza, so that the people of King's Landing could see it from anywhere by just looking up.
The design took inspiration from magic, martial arts, and the arts, and with the involvement of transmutation magicians, the stone was transported to King's Landing and assembled in just a few days. Yesterday, the king, Renly, and Wright personally attended the inauguration ceremony.
The pure white statue stood naked, with every muscle and texture of the body vividly depicted. Its upper body was slightly turned to the right, with the left hand holding an open book close to its chest, while the right hand, palm facing upward, pointed toward the sky. The short-haired head looked toward the palm, where a swirling golden-red magical flame burned. This symbolized the beginning of the magical era through knowledge.
Of course, to conserve magical energy, the flame in the palm of the right hand was an illusion, only appearing during important school ceremonies or major royal events.
Thus, King's Landing now had two grand statues: one of King Baelor in front of the Great Sept of Baelor, and the other of Wright and Renly. The two statues stood on separate highlands within the city. One held a book and pointed upward, forming the number three with its finger, while the other held a book with magic in its grip. They faced each other across the air, representing the opposing forces of the Seven and magic!
This statue was perfect, except for the fact that its lower body was directly facing the current direction of the plaza. Without Renly present, many nobles turned their attention to Wright. But Wright, who had seen countless grand spectacles, paid them no mind, thinking to himself, I have already achieved sainthood and left my name in history—let them talk as they wish.
At this moment, Stannis on the platform looked toward Wright. Wright took out his pocket watch, glanced at the time, and nodded at him.
"Everyone, please quiet down," commanded the commander of the Kingsguard, Barristan.
The nobles in the plaza fell silent, all eyes fixed on Stannis, wondering what he was about to do.
Stannis straightened, drew his long sword Judgement from his waist, and angled it skyward.
The nobles turned to look, and besides Odahviing, who had been circling above, six dragons of different colors were flying toward the plaza.
Since coming to King's Landing, aside from the two black dragons that were difficult to distinguish, the nobles of the Seven Kingdoms could now easily identify each dragon.
The largest one, a white dragon with red and yellow stripes, was Peytvahaaz, flying smoothly, with the other five dragons trailing closely behind.
Peytvahaaz appeared tiny next to Odahviing, but under the support of five smaller dragons, it seemed much larger. As the dragons flew closer, the crowd could see clearly: Peytvahaaz's horns had grown long, its wings spread wide enough to block an entire small building. Its sharp fangs and teeth alone, even without dragonfire, could easily kill an elephant.
The nobles also noticed that Renly was sitting on the dragon's back, holding Margaery, who in turn cradled their three-year-old son, Lyonel. The blue dragon, Okaaztuz, with lightning-like patterns, was flying around Peytvahaaz, swooping up and down.
The six dragons soared over the crowd and landed in front of the high platform where Stannis stood. The gold-robed men had already marked off a space.
The white and blue dragons, along with the two black, one red, and one golden dragon, all sat obediently in front of the platform. Renly, carrying Margaery and their son Lyonel, walked up the platform. The three of them, dressed in fine clothes, kneeled on one knee before Stannis.
Stannis stood straight and addressed the nobles below: "In the name of the King of the Andals, the Rhoynar, and the First Men, the ruler of the Seven Kingdoms, and the Protector of the Realm, I hereby formally abdicate the throne!"
The crowd erupted in astonished murmurs.
Immediately, Stannis walked over to Renly, resting Judgement on his shoulder. "My brother Renly, you will now bear the responsibility of protecting the realm. Lead the Andals, the Rhoynar, and the First Men into a new era!"
Renly looked up at Stannis. "I will not fail you. I shall carry out this mission!"
After Renly responded, Stannis returned his sword to its sheath, raised both hands, and solemnly took off his crown. He placed it carefully on Renly's head.
"Renly Baratheon the First!"
It was unclear who shouted first, but soon the crowd began calling Renly's name. The powerful mage and dragonlord becoming king was clearly more popular than a king with only a wager on his side.