Bronn also caught a glimpse of Cersei's body, but he didn't linger—he didn't have time.
The Earl of Blackwater was in disguise, having infiltrated King's Landing to "invite" Master Blacksmith Tobho Mott on behalf of the Dragon Queen.
While the entire population of King's Landing crowded to gawk at Cersei's walk of atonement, Bronn silently smuggled over twenty blacksmiths onto a large cargo ship.
In addition to the master smith Tobho Mott, who could reforge Valyrian steel, Bronn kidnapped all the well-known blacksmiths from Steel Street.
That's right—kidnapped.
He had no other choice.
First of all, most famous blacksmiths in the world had studied abroad in Qohor, or were originally Qohorik themselves.
And Qohor had joined the coalition blockading Slaver's Bay. The High Priest of the Black Goat had long issued a decree: no Qohorik smith was allowed to serve the Dragon Queen.
Second, blacksmiths in this world held relatively high social status—each one was wealthy.
Take the ones Bronn kidnapped, for example. They all owned property on Steel Street—houses, shops, servants, apprentices. They lived dignified lives.
If Bronn had openly stated his purpose, hardly any of them would have been willing to abandon their wealth and status to become trapped on Dragonstone, forging dragonglass weapons for the Queen.
Tobho Mott, at the very least, would be the first to refuse.
If he dared reveal the spell and technique to smelt Valyrian steel to the Dragon Queen, and the Qohorik found out, they would never let him live.
So Bronn could only resort to abduction.
Before Cersei's walk ended, he had already completed the mission. The cargo ship carrying the blacksmiths quietly left the dock at King's Landing.
However, not long after entering Blackwater Bay, Big Black came looking for him again, handing over a sudden assignment—to meet with the High Sparrow.
So Bronn lowered a small boat from the cargo ship, took eight of his men, and rowed back toward King's Landing.
The meeting location was decided by the High Sparrow. Bronn and his men were only responsible for Big Black's safety—to ensure there were no scorpions within half a kilometer of the meeting site.
If the High Sparrow didn't mind making the Church's relationship with the Dragon Queen public, Big Black could land directly in the courtyard behind the Great Sept of Baelor. If secrecy was preferred, he could go to the Blackwater River or the bay, with only his head emerging from the water for the conversation.
But the High Sparrow wasn't concerned about angering the Iron Throne. He directly invited Big Black to the observatory of the Great Sept of Baelor.
Bronn's eight men were stationed on the rooftops of surrounding buildings near the observatory to confirm the Church wasn't planning anything—like bodyguards in movies checking for sniper points before a big boss negotiation.
Scorpions were large, and their firing angles wide. Hiding one was nearly impossible.
After that, Bronn spread a seven-pointed star flag of the Church over the observatory floor.
Seeing this signal from the clouds, Big Black descended.
"May the Light bless you, Your Holiness!"
The enormous, swooping shadow made the High Sparrow's pupils contract. He was too shocked for words.
The massive dragon landed lightly on the platform. Its leathery wings folded—left wing at its side, right wing across its chest. It bowed its head, gave a respectful bow, and spoke with reverence and grace.
Not only could it speak clearly, but its movements were refined, and its presence radiated righteousness and sacred majesty.
The dragon's dark body seemed to glow—or rather, behind it rose a golden sun.
The High Sparrow felt as if he were witnessing the Seven themselves descend upon the earth. He stood there, dazed and entranced.
"Your Holiness..." whispered the one-armed knight Lancel beside him, quietly reminding him to respond.
"Oh." The High Sparrow rubbed his eyes and snapped out of it—only to realize it had all been an illusion.
It was just after noon, and the black dragon had descended at just the right angle for the sunlight to cast from behind it, giving the impression that a sun always hung at its back.
"You can speak?" the High Sparrow asked, even though he now understood the Seven hadn't descended. It was still a foolish question.
Inside Big Black's consciousness, Dany suppressed a laugh and used his mouth to declare solemnly, "Your Holiness, I am the Dragon Queen's eldest son. My name is Big Black.
But I am also a devout follower of the Seven. I believe in the Light, in Justice, in the Father; I believe in Compassion, the Mother; in Freedom; in Courage, the Warrior; in Strength, the Smith; in Wisdom, the Crone; and I revere Death and the Unknown, the Stranger.
Thus, I am also the Light, the Vanguard of Justice, the Holy Dragon, the Dragon of Righteousness."
"Oh... oh... oh..." The High Sparrow began to feel faint again.
Not just him—even Lancel, Bronn, and the others nearby felt as if they were in a dream.
After a long moment, the High Sparrow picked up on something in Big Black's words and asked, "This 'Light'—what do you mean by it?"
"Your Holiness, look," Big Black pointed with his wing at the sun above. "What do you see?"
The High Sparrow looked up blankly—and immediately tears welled in his eyes.
The sun—so blinding!
He shielded his eyes and muttered, "The sun. There's a sun in the sky."
"No, that is not the sun," Big Black's terrifying dragon face turned solemn and reverent. "That is Purity. That is Warmth. That is Sanctity. That is the Maiden."
The foreign High Sparrow wasn't quite used to this Eastern style of metaphor and Zen-like speech. It took him a while to understand the black dragon's meaning.
The Seven bear witness—this dragon is truly enlightened. Perhaps more like a High Septon than I am.
Humbled and awed, the High Sparrow exclaimed in his heart. He then said aloud, "To compare the Maiden to the Light—that is beautiful. But... could it mislead the faithful? After all, everyone knows of the Lord of Light, R'hllor."
"Your Holiness, you're aware of the White Walkers, yes?" asked Big Black, the Dragon of Light.
"Yes."
"Do you believe the Long Night will return?"
"I..." The High Sparrow's expression turned hesitant. He sighed, "After receiving the news, I prayed before the Crone for three days and nights without food or water, hoping she would lift her golden lantern and light my path."
Daenerys was too exhausted to even complain about the Seven's way of praying.
Going hungry for three days and nights would make even the most rational person hallucinate—hearing voices, seeing illusions, imagining things—and then they believe they're communicating with the Seven? Receiving enlightenment from them?
"The White Walkers are real," the Sacred Dragon affirmed. "The Lord of Light, R'hllor, has been orchestrating this for five thousand years. This Long Night is a major crisis for the Faith of the Seven.
When the Long Night comes, and the sun disappears, the faithful will yearn for the sun, for warmth and light. And the Red God fulfills all those prayers."
"Ah!" The High Sparrow's expression changed drastically—he truly hadn't considered this.
If the Long Night is real, and the Faith of the Seven has no prophecy, no chosen savior, and reacts so slowly, doing nothing...
"Your Grace, you're from the Riverlands. Are you not aware of how rapidly the faith in the Red God is spreading there? For every new follower of R'hllor, we lose a devout believer of the Seven. This is a loss of faith!"
"I know. I've heard that Thoros of Myr can resurrect the dead," the High Sparrow said darkly. "Raising the dead—now that's the greatest miracle on earth. It's no wonder people change their faith."
"The Riverlands are just the beginning," the Sacred Dragon warned loudly. "Stannis is the chosen Son of Fire, the champion of R'hllor. Melisandre, the Red Woman, is a demigod—R'hllor's divine servant.
With such high stakes, can't you see R'hllor's ambition?
He deems the Seven to be heretical and evil. He seeks to become the one true god of this world!"
"Damn Stannis! Why didn't you just blast that wicked heretic with a breath of dragonfire?" the High Sparrow grumbled bitterly.
"Because of a sacred vow. I am the Dragon of Justice. Everything I say and do represents the Mother of Dragons and the Seven. I must never violate my oath," the Sacred Dragon replied with solemnity.
It was one thing to claim to represent the Mother of Dragons—but to keep saying he represented the Seven as well? Did he ask for my consent?
The High Sparrow was slightly displeased in his heart.
"Can the Maiden becoming the Holy Light really change all this?" he asked.
"My mother, the High Septon of the Bay of Slavers, has decided to slightly revise the role of the 'Maiden' in the doctrine of the Seven," the Sacred Dragon said.
"I know about that. She once told me that the Maiden no longer merely represents purity. She also symbolizes 'freedom'—the Maiden holding aloft the torch of liberty," the High Sparrow nodded. "This aligns with the anti-slavery stance in the Seven-Pointed Star, and helps the Faith of the Seven grow in the Free Cities. I personally support this move."
"Now, the great Dragon Queen also intends to redefine 'purity.' It's not just about physical chastity, but more about moral integrity and the sanctity of the soul. Like light—warm, pure—that is 'Holy Light.'
The Holy Light is the light of hope in the Long Night. It can dispel the cold. The faithful will find strength and salvation within it.
The Red God has his prayer: 'The night is dark and full of terrors.' The Maiden of the Seven should have one too—'May the Holy Light bless you.'"
As the Sacred Dragon spoke at length, the High Sparrow's expression grew more and more astonished.
"What a concept—the Maiden as the Holy Light! The doctrine in Westeros must be revised. Starting tomorrow, I'll update the Seven's teachings in the kingdoms to align with those in Slaver's Bay," the High Sparrow declared.
Then, with a solemn look, he offered the formal greeting of the faithful to the Sacred Dragon and echoed, "May the Holy Light bless you!"
"May the Holy Light dazzle you!" the Sacred Dragon replied, then continued, "To face the coming Long Night, the Faith of the Seven must also reform!"
"How so?" the High Sparrow asked, listening intently.
He felt like he had found another spiritual companion. Just like 'Rhaella Waters,' the Sacred Dragon's theological reasoning resonated with him.
A like-minded believer!
Among all the clergy in the world, only he, the Dragon Queen, and the Sacred Dragon understood.
So lonely.
"The Church must establish a special branch dedicated to handling the Long Night crisis: the Church of the Light of the Seven."
"Are you trying to divide the church?" the High Sparrow frowned.
"No. 'The Faith of the Seven' simply emphasizes that the church reveres seven deities. But we, the clergy, know that the Seven are one. Now look at 'R'hllor, the Lord of Light'—just one word, 'Light,' defines his divine role."
Seeing the High Sparrow's contemplative expression, the Sacred Dragon gently suggested, "Try adding the word 'Light' before the Seven."
"The Faith of the Light of the Seven?" the High Sparrow murmured.
"Now remove 'Seven.' The Seven are one—seven faces of the same god. There's no need to artificially split it into seven separate gods."
Daenerys wasn't spouting nonsense—common folk might think the Seven are seven different gods, but in truth, according to doctrine, God has no gender. The Seven are one god with seven aspects, seven virtues.
"The Church of the Holy Light..." the High Sparrow whispered.
It did sound more elevated than "Faith of the Seven." And it carried a powerful, overbearing, almost boss-like sense of dominance...
(End of Chapter)
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