บท 612: Chapter 612: The Black God Cult

A few days later, the Night's Watch's northern expedition had passed through the Hog's Head, reaching the God's Eye Lake.

As night fell, a calm tranquility enveloped King's Landing. Since the outbreak of the war, King's Landing had always been the safest place across the Seven Kingdoms. The long-drawn war had swept through all regions except Dorne. King's Landing had its share too, but it emerged unified without shedding a drop of blood.

Hence, King's Landing remained the only city untouched by the war, where the populace could still lead peaceful and prosperous lives. The rhythm of life was serene and harmonious.

Viserys, having unified the Seven Kingdoms, had finally let loose of the tight reins of tension that held him. He seemed much more relaxed, no longer living on pins and needles as before.

"Do you think Robb has taken a liking to that girl from House Tyrell?" Arianne lazily lay on the bed, her perfect curves accentuated; her smooth shoulders, slender waist, perky buttocks, and sleek, firm thighs were on display.

"Hmm, perhaps," replied Viserys, donned in his nightgown, leaning against the headboard. The relaxed couple were having a casual conversation, with Viserys mentioning Robb's recent unusual behavior. For instance, blushing and stammering upon seeing a particular girl, being overly concerned about his appearance, almost like a rooster primping for courtship.

That girl was none other than Margaery Tyrell, a lively and quirky lady pushed into King's Landing by Lady Olenna. Margaery's spirited nature had captivated Robb during a feast attended by Viserys, leaving him smitten.

However, Margaery, under the tutelage of her grandmother, had Robb wrapped around her little finger. She managed a balanced act of neither being too intimate nor distant, while Robb had long forgotten the words of caution from Viserys half a year ago: "Don't be a sycophant."

...

"I don't like House Tyrell," said Arianne, shaking her head upon hearing Viserys' words, then chuckled lightly. "They always act high and mighty, looking down upon others with their noses in the air. However, lately, these roses have finally learned to bow down."

Being the Princess of Dorne, it was only natural for Arianne to loathe House Tyrell.

Dorne and the Riverlands had age-old enmities, constantly clashing through thousands of years. But now, as the queen, Arianne viewed things differently, aligning more with her husband's stance.

After all, the Seven Kingdoms were his, and he was hers.

"Setting aside my prejudice against House Tyrell, I too believe Robb is no match for Margaery. He's bound to suffer a great loss," Arianne continued, her face turning serious as she spoke.

Women perhaps had a certain intuition. Despite Margaery's innocent facade, she was as cunning as Lady Thorn, while Robb Stark, always groomed as the heir by Catelyn and Eddard Stark, was taught strategy, politics, etiquette, and warfare, but never about affairs of the heart.

In the grand scheme of noble houses like the Starks, heirs' marriages were arranged for alliances, not love. Thus, Robb wasn't taught how to interact with women.

Viserys nodded in agreement to Arianne's words. His squire Robb was indeed emotionally naive compared to the clever little rose, Margaery.

Viserys then thought of something else. Recently, there had been an increase in the followers of the Black God Cult in King's Landing.

They propagated that a cataclysm brewing in the ruins of Valyria threatened to engulf the world, and only those who sought refuge in their 'god's' faith could attain salvation.

This tactic was all too familiar to Viserys, similar to how the Red God faith had taken root in Westeros.

Could there rise a Black God Cult following the Red God Faith?

Viserys had no recollection of such an organization in the original narrative.

However, it was clear that the turmoil in Valyria and the slow spread of smoke had not occurred in the original narrative, but started manifesting after Viserys' arrival in this world. The activities in the ancient ruins and the smoke's gradual expansion might be related to Viserys' presence.

The Black God Cult emerged due to the fear surrounding the smoke emanating from Valyria. Just a few years ago, the smoke had engulfed the lands near the Summer Sea, forcing ships to navigate through deeper waters, taking a longer route to avoid the fog and reach Slaver's Bay and beyond.

The spread of the smoke had slowed down compared to the initial engulfment of the lands near the Summer Sea, but Viserys' spies continued to monitor its slow but constant advancement, albeit at a much slower pace.

Now, after spreading for several years, the smoke had reached the vicinity of the Sighing Sea, the very place where Viserys and Mia had landed after escaping from Valyria.

The regions of the Summer Sea and Sighing Sea, although far from King's Landing, housed their own populace. Their fear of the turmoil in Valyria was far greater than that of the people of the Seven Kingdoms, who were ignorant of the existence of the Others. To these distant people, the smoke was a calamity of the highest order.

The Black God Cult was a grotesque manifestation of worship born out of the people's fear of the smoke from Valyria.

They revered the smoke, believed in its divine essence, and preached the doctrine of world annihilation. They believed that destruction was a precursor to rebirth, and those who embraced the doctrine of destruction would survive the wrath of the demonic deity.

Although King's Landing practiced religious freedom, this newly emerging Black God Cult, with its strong anti-social intent, was naturally suppressed. Recently, the city guards had been actively hunting down the followers of this cult preaching the doctrine of destruction.

"I heard that during the recent operations to capture the Black God Cult followers, many of my portraits were discovered?" inquired Viserys, as both the internal affairs department and Varys' little birds had been monitoring public opinion.

"Yes, Your Grace," replied Arianne, undoing Viserys' nightgown, her fingers tenderly circling his chest as she continued. "I heard while out hunting that a small group of people had abandoned their faith in the Seven Gods, nor did they follow the Old Gods or the Red God."

"They believe in you."

"Me?"

"Yes. They believe that you can lead them through all adversities, forging an eternally peaceful and harmonious realm."

Viserys was momentarily stunned at her words. Arianne, witnessing her husband's rare daze, chuckled softly, covering her mouth with a velvet blanket. She gently kissed his chest, her fingers tracing downwards.

"I think we should have a boy," she murmured.

"Viserys."