บท 59: Chapter 59
- Black Cells -
Maester Cressen cursed within his mind. Cursed how foolish he had been to let his guard down when a raven came for Ser Davos for his eyes only in private. Though it seemed that no sooner had Ser Davos read the private message, men soon came for the Maester. He put up a fight in protest, but Cressen was old, outnumbered, and they had struck him from behind to nearly knock the man out. They soon bound his arms and legs, the gag on his mouth to muffle any further protests, a hood over his head, and finally being carried to the former smuggler's ship.
And before Cressen knew it, he was in King's Landing. Placed in the Black Cells no less. And when the bag was removed, an angry Stannis Baratheon was standing in front of him with his fury showing clearly through those intense blue eyes all Baratheon's were known to possess. He had asked what was happening? Why he was here? What had he done to anger his Lord?
And received punches to the face for each question. Cressen begged for the man to stop, but the blows came harder, stronger, and filled with fury the Baratheon House was known for since its founding. He had begged Stannis to free him. That whatever he had done was not true or some misunderstanding.
Only for Cressen to hear from Stannis how the King knew of the conspiracy. Knew of the plot by certain Maesters at the Citadel to remove dragons, magic, and the overall blood of House Targaryen from the world. Cressen's own secret journal was found and even used against him when trying to plead his innocence to Stannis in the hopes of being freed. But the Baratheon would not yield and Cressen was filled with fear of what would happen to him.
His thoughts on the matter were soon interrupted when his cell door opened and the King himself was standing in his presence.
"Hello former Maester. How do you like your accommodation?" asked Aegon with his eyes figuratively burning holes into the man's skull.
"You have overstepped your bounds your Grace," said Cressen while inwardly burning with hatred for the King.
"Have I? And just how have I overstepped my bounds? Have I conspired with others to manipulate the Seven Kingdoms? Have I used my knowledge from various books to kill babies before or after they are born? Have I used my influence to whisper paranoia and deceit into the minds of High Lords? Into the minds of Kings? No. I do no such things to the people around me. I do not try to mold events on the orders of some robed rats who wish to play themselves players on the board or even act as if they were Gods. So, tell me Cressen, how did I overstep my bounds?" asked Aegon with Cressen glaring at him.
"What my brothers and I have done is for the good of the Seven Kingdoms. We keep you and your High Lords in line. We keep you all in check and our actions ensure peace and prosperity," answered Cressen with Aegon scowling.
"And killing children? Killing the bloodline of the dragon? You have no right to kill and take the lives of others when some of them have never had a chance to even draw a single breath. You have no idea if the actions of you and your so-called brother rats were for the betterment of the Seven Kingdoms. You deprived the world of so much and you justify it with the belief these actions help the realms instead of hurting them. And without proof your actions are justified in their application," said Aegon with Cressen snarling at him.
"We have every right! Knowledge is power. He who control knowledge is the true King, is the true God of the Seven Kingdoms. Not those of royal blood. Or those various faiths with their pathetic Gods to justify their actions. Maesters of the Citadel record and store all the knowledge of the known world. We hold all the power and thus have a right to use it how we see fit. To mold the course of human history. To ensure things go the way WE want them to go. And that includes the removal of your bloodline. My brothers will purge your dragons and House's blood from the world along with the magic they have birthed. It has no place in the world. In our world," said Cressen with Aegon glaring down at him with eyes filled with hate.
"You're right. We don't belong in your world. In the world you and your fellow brother rats envision. But that's the problem. Your vision will never come to pass. Soon, you and your fellow brother rats will know a dragon's fury. A dragon's rage. And a dragon justice that is long overdue," remarked Aegon with Cressen glaring at him with all the hate his old body cold muster.
"I curse you. I curse you and your future children. And their children's children to the end of your bloodline and the bloodline of that whore you call an Aunt. They will never know peace. Never! If it is not my brothers who bring down the dragon, it will be someone else. Faith of the Seven. Old enemies from Essos who wish your blood for their magic. You will be cursed with the madness your family is known for and see enemies around you on all sides. It will be your undoing!" exclaimed Cressen with his eyes filled with hatred and rage for the Targaryen King.
"That is where you are wrong. Soon the enemies the dragon will be no more. And peace will be obtained. Sadly, you will not be alive long enough to see it," said Aegon before walked out of the room with Stannis right behind him.
"How do you want him handled your Grace?" asked Stannis curiously.
"For now, we keep him alive. If only for the moment Stannis. I don't want his robed rats for brothers finding out we are onto them or he died in our custody. Once the conspirators on their end are dead, he will be among the last to fall," said Aegon with Stannis nodding since it was a sound tactic.
A Maester, one assigned far from King's Landing, found dead, would surely reach those in the Citadel quickly. However, an unknown old man, who clearly wasn't of sound mind languishing in the Black Cells would be ignored. Oh, the man would scream out his name and position, but anyone who heard it would think him mad. No one knew Cressen had been taken out of Dragonstone, but a few handful, and all were loyal to Stannis, if not the Crown. They knew what the old Maester had done and as such, they would keep silent on the issue until the rest of the robed rats were handled.
Stannis had always made sure his men at Dragonstone were his men. Clever men. Smart men. But always loyal and could carry out orders to the letter when called upon.
"When do you plan to strike against the rest of them?" asked Stannis curiously.
"Soon. I need to handle this carefully. If even one of them gets away from us, the rats will flee to other lands to rebuild in order to continue plotting. They will seek to bring down the dragon and magic because they fear its potential. They fear things they don't know or understand my Lord. So, they choose to destroy it. If they cannot understand such things, it has to be destroyed in their eyes. Which is foolish considering it is part of life and was used in ancient times to help combat the White Walkers and build the Wall in the North," said Aegon with Stannis not saying anything about magic in general.
Stannis didn't understand such powers. They were beyond him. What he did know was it could be used by those attuned to such things and was considered good or bad depending on the wielder of such power. Aegon had told him magic had the power to heal as well as hurt like a shield or sword in the hand of its wielder.
Of course, Aegon himself didn't use magic. But the concept was similar in terms of using the Force as it was with magic. There were those who wielded it as a weapon or a tool. It was all based on the intentions of the wielder. Not that the rats for Maesters or even the High Septon understood it.
And right now, Aegon intended to use the Force along with his dragons as a sword.
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