Game of Thrones: I became a crown prince for a day.

Chapter 458 Otto's Cunning

Starry Temple.

The Oldtown building is second only to the towering tower and is the most magnificent Sept of the Seven Gods in Westeros.

It has long existed as the base of the Seven Gods faith.

The door of the church is open, and the high white stone steps are divided into several sections. A large number of believers come and go every day.

Whether nobles, knights, commoners, or beggars.

Everyone can enter and exit the church equally and receive preaching from missionaries.

"Hiss-"

A roar like a bell sounded, and the Glutton circled over the old town and circled around the Starry Temple.

"Hiss!"

"Hiss..."

The Sheep Thief and Yang Yan separated on both sides, spread their wings and glided freely, like guarding the largest black dragon.

The people of the old town felt mixed emotions of joy and sorrow when they saw this scene.

The dragon arrives, symbolizing the Targaryen royal family.

The Iron Throne believes in the Seven Gods, and even the daughter of a centenarian king once joined the ranks of nuns.

But it was a war, and the dragons should be on the battlefield in Dorne.

Three giant dragons suddenly broke into the old town without warning, first alarming the residents, and then surrounding the Starry Temple with a covetous eye.

The believers were quite nervous and spontaneously went to the church to find out what was going on.

……

at this time,

The Starry Cathedral was on high alert, with hundreds of missionaries running out of the gate and blocking the long steps.

"Hiss-"

Looking up at the sky, a giant black dragon roared loudly, and a pair of dragon wings covered the sky and the sun.

The charcoal-black scales and a pair of green vertical pupils are eerie and terrifying, just like the devil of hell recorded in the "Seven Star Bible".

"Glutton, land!"

Rhaegar had a calm expression as he rode the dragon slowly down, landing squarely on the long steps of the temple.

As the sharp dragon claws landed on the ground, they crushed a large number of stone steps, just like a heavy hammer breaking the spine.

The Sheep Thief and Yang Yan circled twice and landed on the bluestone floor under the long steps.

The Glutton was too huge, one dragon took up most of the long steps, and its dragon wings blocked all the roads.

The two dragons could only land further away.

Gulu gulu...

A carriage engraved with the Hightower emblem came galloping over. Mond and Otto endured the bumpy ride and helped the servants get off the carriage.

Mond has to come.

Otto came here on his own initiative, wanting to help his brother.

Rhaegar glanced at them, then turned his gaze back to the missionaries at the entrance of the sept, and said calmly, "I am Rhaegar the Targaryen, the eldest son of Viserys I, the legitimate heir to the Iron Throne, and I am the regent. Tell your High Septon to come forward!"

The missionaries looked at each other, their confusion and hostility revealed in their eyes.

What a long introduction prefix, worthy of a member of the royal family.

Seeing that he was silent, Rhaegar looked worried and said, "The crown prince of a country is visiting. Where is the high bishop?"

He had already shortened the prefix, but these missionaries still looked like they were still asleep.

Mond hurriedly climbed the long steps, panting: "Prince, let me communicate."

In Westeros, there are more people who reject dragons than those who admire them.

The Faith of the Seven and the Targaryen family have been at odds for more than a hundred years.

The situation improved during the reign of the Elder King, who adopted a policy of cooperation and mutual benefit.

However, riding a dragon and circling the Starry Temple was not so rude even for the Centenarian King.

Rhaegar waved his hand, keenly aware of the rejection of the Church of the Seven, and said casually: "I only have one request, to see the High Septon."

This trip is to settle bad debts, and I have no intention of settling them peacefully.

The real purpose is to suppress the belief in the Seven Gods and seek the privilege of marrying multiple wives.

There is no need for the king or the royal family to marry multiple wives, but at least they should have the right to marry multiple wives.

With the first incident, the Church of the Seven weakened its authority, and royal power became superior to divine power.

Mond nodded rapidly and started communicating with the missionary.

These missionaries looked very nervous, each holding a table, chairs and benches, ready to sacrifice themselves for the Seven Gods at any time.

Rhaegar glanced inside the cathedral, where hundreds of nuns were kneeling in a row, praying to the statues of the Seven.

A larger number of monks and silent sisters stood in the corner, spying on the black dragon outside the temple.

"The number is not small, comparable to the number of private soldiers maintained by a great noble in the Reach."

Rhaegar looked around secretly, and couldn't help but think of the long-disbanded Warrior's Sons and the Poor Man's Gathering.

That's a grassroots armed force that could bring down an entire kingdom if it rebelled.

Even the cruel Maegor, riding the Black Death, Balerion, failed to completely crush the faith of the Seven Gods.

After a while, Mond finished the communication.

He approached the glutton, hesitating and not knowing how to start.

Seeing him hesitating, Rhaegar became alert and said unforgivingly: "What? Did the High Septon die unexpectedly?"

"No!" Mond hurriedly shook his head, frowning and saying, "The Archbishop learned of the Crown Prince's arrival and went into seclusion in the secret room a quarter of an hour ago. No one is allowed to disturb him."

"Retreat?"

Rhaegar was stunned and couldn't help laughing: "The High Septon sees me as a conqueror."

In the early days of the Targaryen dynasty, the Conqueror unified the six kingdoms except Dorne and planned to land in Oldtown.

The then Archbishop locked himself in the inner hall of the Starry Cathedral for seven days and seven nights, eating only bread and clean water and listening to the guidance of the Seven Gods.

Seven days later, the archbishop, who had nearly died on his knees, came out trembling.

When the Conqueror rode Balerion to Oldtown, Lord Hightower opened the gates of Oldtown and the people lined the streets to welcome him.

It turned out that it was because of the archbishop that he talked about many of his insights during retreat.

To summarize:
Oldtown cannot stop the dragon. Live on your knees and die standing up.

The Faith of the Seven and House Hightower came together to choose to soften the knee.

Mond said: "Prince, the faith of the Seven Gods is spread all over Westeros. You might as well wait a moment."

"Do you know why I'm here?" Rhaegar asked bluntly.

Mond was speechless for a moment.

Everyone in the kingdom knew that the Crown Prince was more opposed to the Faith of the Seven Gods than the Young King Viserys.

He himself is also having an affair with Lady Jenny of the Valley.

It was the time of Dorne's conquest, and the Crown Prince came with the momentum of unifying the continent of Westeros.

It is inevitable to suppress the faith of the Seven Gods and seek unspeakable interests.

Rhaegar smiled slightly. Seeing him like this, he knew what he was thinking.

That's right.

Facing the armed uprising of the Church of the Seven, Queen Visenya once said to her nephew Aenys I.

"My nephew, you are an idiot and a coward. Who dares to offend your father like this?"

"You have a dragon. You should ride it to Oldtown and turn the Starry Sept into a second Harrenhal."

"If you don't have the guts, let me grill that hypocritical clown for you."

Coincidentally, Rega also has a dragon under his crotch, and he also has the spirit to burn everything.

There is only one thing to do on this trip to Old Town.

I'll come! I want it!
No matter the Hightower family, the Faith of the Seven, or the Citadel, they had no right to refuse. This time, not only was Mond speechless, but even Otto, who had rushed over, was speechless.

Most Targaryen kings are strong-willed and overbearing.

The weak characters of Aenys I and Viserys are, after all, a minority.

Rhaegar patted the dragon's back, and the Glutton slowly crawled forward. He said calmly, "That Archbishop was in seclusion for seven days and seven nights. I will also give this Archbishop seven days and nights."

"In the meantime, I will stay in the Starry Temple and wait for good news."

The glutton climbed to the door of the church, with his towering back level with the dome of the church, and crawled down to let the driver step down.

Facing the hostile gazes of a group of missionaries, Rhaegar ignored them and got off the dragon's back.

He turned and waved to Aegon and Aemond, then walked towards the sept.

The missionaries were nervous and tried to block the door with a human wall.

"Hiss-"

The Glutton's green eyes were sharp, and he roared angrily at the Starry Temple. The scorching air currents overturned all obstacles, penetrating clothes and burning the skin.

Suddenly, screams rang out one after another.

Rhaegar walked into the temple with his hands behind his back, calm and composed, his long silver-gold hair fluttering in the wind.

From beginning to end, I was too lazy to even look at the missionaries.

It was as if they were a group of tiny reptiles, which flew around randomly when a breath was blown, and then fell to the ground in pieces.

The moment his right foot stepped over the threshold of the temple, Rega paused.

Mond and Otto's hearts skipped a beat, thinking that this ancestor was going to cause more trouble.

Rhaegar turned and said, "The task of clearing out the Dornish invaders will be left to Aegon and Aemond. I hope to meet with a representative from the Citadel as soon as I meet with the High Septon."

The Cardinal Council is the highest institution in the academy composed of doctors, which has the power to appoint and dismiss grand secretaries.

Then he entered the church and sat down in a corner.

Only a huge black dragon was left, crouching at the entrance of the temple, its pale green vertical pupils staring all the time.

Mond and Haital clenched their palms and suddenly found that their palms were already sweating.

After just a short period of contact, they have already identified many potential problems.

Otto, in particular, had surprise in his deep eyes and his hands and feet were numb.

When he saw the Crown Prince entering the cathedral, he thought the centenarian king had come back to life.

He clearly understood that the other party was expressing his opinion.

Meet his requirements and all will be well.

They can choose to refuse, but the dragon flame cannot be escaped.

"Roar……"

The Glutton let out a long low roar, and his vertical pupils gradually closed, like a guardian god.

"Let's go."

Otto came back to his senses, his face grim: "Let's go back and discuss it carefully. All previous plans will be overturned."

Mond nodded hurriedly, and the two brothers climbed back to the carriage in shame.

……

into the night.

Towering tower, lord's bedroom.

After taking a milk bath, Mond sat dejectedly on the edge of the bed.

The Faith of the Seven and Oldtown were allies of House Hightower, and he had often boasted of them in the past, highlighting Oldtown's prosperity and knowledge.

Today, both are huge problems.

creak-

The door opened and Otto, dressed in a green uniform, walked in.

Mond glanced sideways and lowered his head again.

"Aegon and his men will ride their dragons to search for the Dornish invaders tomorrow."

Otto kept his composure and started the conversation.

Mond was unhappy.

Otto saw this and said solemnly: "My two grandchildren have grown up and have their own ideas."

"I knew it."

Mond was ill.

After the dinner, he asked Otto to try to win over his two nephews and grandsons.

Obviously, it failed.

"Brother, don't get discouraged so easily."

Otto walked forward and sat down next to Mond, musing, "The Crown Prince's suppression of the Church of the Seven Gods and the Citadel will not affect the family for the time being."

The knife was not aimed at them, the Hightower family behaved honestly, and the other party could not find any handle on them.

Mond frowned, hearing the hidden meaning: "For the time being?"

Otto sighed softly: "The Crown Prince has done his best to suppress the power of Oldtown. If something unexpected happens to His Majesty, it will inevitably cause trouble for the Hightower family after he ascends the throne."

"Your Majesty is just unconscious."

Mond knew the inside story and was not so worried.

"Viserys has always been in poor health, and being unconscious for a long time does not bode well for anyone," Otto replied.

Mond thought about it carefully, and this was the truth. He hesitated and said, "Do you have any way to avoid the crown prince's trouble?"

Otto asked a question that was not really relevant to his answer: "What would you do if pirates intercepted your trade route?"

"We can still do it. Let's clean it up..."

Mond paused, unable to believe it.

"wrong."

Fortunately, Otto denied it in time and guided him: "What should we do when facing an enemy that is several times stronger than us?"

Mond thought about it and said hesitantly: "Strengthen the allies and suppress the prestige of the pirates in order to compete with them."

When pirates from the Three Kingdoms were rampant, he had joined forces with the fleets of Lannister and the Arbor to do this.

"Yes."

Otto smiled and said, "The Crown Prince has won the battle and is in the limelight. We should temporarily avoid the limelight and consolidate the power in our hands."

"Alison is alone and weak, and her children can hardly play a role."

Mond had no hope of that.

Otto shook his head and said affirmatively: "We were wrong before. We wanted to let the Targaryen bloodline fight among themselves."

"What should really be done is to strengthen the children's recognition of Hightower and gather closely around their mother, the queen or the queen mother."

As long as the children are not distracted from their mother, they will always protect her from harm.

Mond was shocked and exclaimed: "Yes, there is no child in the world who doesn't love his mother."

Otto stood up, patted him on the shoulder, and said, "Don't think too much. Let the Crown Prince take what he wants. The real battlefield has always been in King's Landing."

Mond drew inferences from this: "The Crown Prince wants to compete for power with the Faith of the Seven Gods. We can use this to weaken his prestige."

"Haha, maybe."

Otto's eyes were deep as he left the bedroom with his back to his brother.

……

Starry Temple.

The moon is high in the sky and the stars are shining brightly.

Rhaegar sat in the great hall of the sept, with a huge sword that looked like milky white glass placed in front of him.

(End of this chapter)