บท 334: Chapter 334: Envoy of Light
Before the dragons hatched, Benerro once said, "The dragons are the light." But in the original timeline, Melisandre sacrificed the statues of the Seven Gods to forge a sword for Stannis. The sword glowed with an orange-red light, yet it was more appearance than substance—lacking the legendary heat it was meant to possess. That is why Maester Aemon remarked, "False light only leads to deeper darkness."
Now, Melisandre had the potential to not only sacrifice the statues of the Seven Gods in the sept at Dragonstone but perhaps even the statues in the Great Sept of Baelor, the very heart of the Faith of the Seven. If that were to happen, it would likely cause a massive upheaval.
Considering that both Melisandre and Benerro were devout followers of R'hllor, Viserys invited Benerro to Tyrosh to seek answers.
"The 'art of sacrifice' you mentioned does exist," Benerro responded to Viserys' inquiries, "but I've never heard of sacrificing statues of gods before."
He paused, then added thoughtfully, "However, according to some interpretations, statues of gods can indeed be sacrificed. The logic behind it is similar to the sacrifice of a king's blood."
Viserys' interest piqued at this revelation. He had long been curious about the mysterious power attributed to royal blood. If he could understand the source of its power, it might also explain the White Walkers' interest in the Stark bloodline, perhaps even revealing a way to defeat them.
"The reason a person's bloodline holds power," Benerro explained, "is because enough people recognize them as king. Before Westeros was unified, though there were many kings, few were acknowledged by enough people for their blood to hold real power."
Viserys considered this and found it strikingly similar to an ancient proverb from his own world: All things have their roots. However, this line of thought quickly led him to ask, "In other words, if an ordinary person were recognized by enough people, would his bloodline hold the same power?"
Benerro hesitated, knowing where Viserys' line of questioning was headed. If he confirmed this, the next question was inevitable: "If enough people believe a piece of wood is the incarnation of a god, would it also hold power?"
This was treading dangerously close to heresy. Though Benerro didn't answer aloud, his expression betrayed enough for Viserys to grasp the truth. The line between gods and magic, between belief and power, was thinner than he had thought.
"When enough people believe in a piece of wood, it gains power. That power gives rise to magic, which can bless or otherwise repay the believers," Benerro continued. "The stronger the belief, the more potent the magic. It becomes a kind of 'mutually beneficial symbiosis' between the gods and their worshippers."
Viserys pondered this, considering the implications. If magic and belief were so intertwined, then perhaps the object Melisandre had created by sacrificing the statues of the Seven Gods wasn't entirely a fraud. After all, the legend of Azor Ahai's sword, Lightbringer, was only complete after his wife's sacrifice to the gods.
If the statues of the Seven Gods could be sacrificed to summon such a weapon, it stood to reason that Melisandre had indeed sacrificed more than statues in the original timeline. She had sacrificed a living person to summon a favorable wind for Stannis' fleet. If living people, statues, and the blood of kings could all be used in these sacrificial rites, then there might be some form of conversion between them—a relationship that allowed different forms of sacrifice to yield similar results.
Now, with the statues of the Seven Gods in Dragonstone under her control, and possibly those in the Great Sept of Baelor, Melisandre was in an even stronger position. The statues in the Great Sept were likely more powerful than those at Dragonstone. If she sacrificed them, she might unleash a storm of ice and fire that could devastate Viserys' plans. He had to stop her before that happened.
"If I sacrifice the blood of a king, could it counteract her idol sacrifice?" Viserys asked Benerro, knowing he had no idols of his own to use and that Benerro would never permit such an act.
"It could work, but I'm not entirely certain. I've never attempted it," Benerro admitted.
Viserys knew he had to try. If he couldn't disrupt Melisandre's sacrifices, she might stop his fleet. And while it was a risky move, the blood of kings was something he had access to. He could afford that price.
There was another option, though—a more drastic one: destroy the statues of the Seven Gods in Westeros before Melisandre could use them. However, that solution carried significant risks. The most obvious was the backlash from the Faith of the Seven, but far worse was the fact that the Great Sept of Baelor in King's Landing had been rigged with wildfire, a gift from his father, Aerys, the Mad King.
If Viserys set fire to the sept from the back of his dragon, it could trigger a chain reaction. The wildfire buried beneath the city could ignite, and all of King's Landing might explode into the sky.
There was still something Viserys could do about the statues of the Seven Gods in the sept on Dragonstone—perhaps he could get the Red Viper to destroy them. After bidding Benerro farewell, night had already fallen, and Viserys decided to give the Viper a "dream" to see if there was any chance of achieving this. But just as he was about to drift into sleep, Young Connington's voice came from outside.
"Your Grace, Lady Margaery has arrived."
Viserys considered the situation. It wasn't realistic to expect the Red Viper, still a prisoner, to destroy the statues in the temple on Dragonstone. It would be unreasonable to ask that of him. Instead, Viserys resolved to use him as an informant—someone to keep a watchful eye on Dragonstone.
He also knew that Margaery Tyrell, the "Little Rose," wasn't someone to be taken lightly. She was far from a passive player and wouldn't be easily manipulated by someone, even an Emperor.
Ignoring her might lead to problems down the road. A brief meeting would at least show her respect and ensure she didn't feel neglected.
As Viserys prepared to go see her, his sister Dany suddenly appeared. She had heard that Benerro had arrived and assumed it must be something important, so she came to ask what was going on.
Viserys, trusting Dany, shared his concerns with her. "I remember Vaes Dothrak has a 'Godsway,' doesn't it? Filled with statues of gods. Maybe we can try using those later," she suggested. "Perhaps we can use them against the White Walkers."
They both fell silent for a moment, contemplating the idea. Then Dany broke the silence. "Are you going to see Lady Margaery?"
Viserys hesitated. He wanted to admit it, but a twinge of embarrassment held him back. Though he and Dany had grown closer over time, there was still an undercurrent of embarrassment . Now, with another woman vying for his attention, the situation felt even more complicated.
Plus, Dany might still need to help him "tame his dragon" in the future, a task that made that day feel all the more tantalizingly distant.
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