At this moment, Sansa looked rather pitiful. Her small face was pale, her eyes dull. She had already grown noticeably thinner, yet her belly was swollen, making her limbs appear even more slender.
When Jon entered, she was sitting by the window, staring blankly at the brightly lit castle below, as if chasing familiar people and things through her memories.
Jon excitedly spoke at length, but she did not react right away. She slowly turned her head and asked blankly, "What did you say?"
Seeing his sister's eyes, where the light of vitality was nearly extinguished, Jon felt a sharp pain in his heart. He forced a soft, fluffy smile onto his face and said gently, "Sansa, at the banquet just now, Daenerys took the initiative to ask me about you and the child. She was genuinely concerned, with none of the malice we had imagined."
"Are you sure?" Sansa asked doubtfully.
Jon nodded and sighed. "She is completely different from her father, the Mad King. She is a truly kind and magnanimous queen.
"When I first met her at the Wall, I worried she might burn me to death with dragonfire over the blood feud of the previous generation, but she did not.
"She is very fair. She believes that grudges between the older generation should not implicate the next. Those who are guilty will receive a just trial.
"So I am fine, and Stannis does not need to suffer her revenge for what he did during the War of the Usurper.
"After that, the Dragon Queen also did not move against you or Rickon, and she even allowed Aegon to marry into House Stark."
Sansa hesitated. "But Illyrio clearly used Daenerys and Viserys as shields to cover for Aegon."
Well, Sansa also understood Illyrio's malicious intentions toward the true dragon siblings by now.
That did not require any great wisdom.
After Aegon's identity was revealed to the world, everyone understood that Illyrio's ultimate goal was to put his own son on the Iron Throne.
In that case, his past "efforts" to help Daenerys and her brother restore their kingdom became far too conspicuous.
Jon thought for a moment and said, "Daenerys planned long ago to convene a Great Council. She once told me that regarding the feud between the Targaryens and the Starks, such as how our grandfather and uncle were slaughtered by the Mad King, she would give a fair and public ruling at the Great Council.
"Even though our father overthrew the Targaryen dynasty, she would still restore our grandfather's honor.
"If even the hatred of killing a father and destroying a kingdom can be judged impartially, then I think her judgment of Illyrio will be limited to Illyrio himself. After all, Aegon was completely kept in the dark."
"So she forgave Aegon?" A glimmer of light appeared in Sansa's blue eyes.
"Not only forgave him, she also announced that she will continue to recognize the other Targaryen branch founded by Aegon," Jon said with a smile.
"Really?" Sansa's eyes sparkled like little stars.
Jon nodded happily. "At the Great Council, Daenerys will also deliver a final judgment on the Blackfyre Rebellion.
"Broadly speaking, she will divide House Targaryen into different branches, just as Aegon did back then.
"So Aegon is still 'Aegon Targaryen.' He and Daenerys represent two branches of House Targaryen, and your child is still a 'Targaryen' recognized by the Dragon Queen.
"You and the child will inherit everything that belongs to Aegon!"
"Everything…" Sansa's eyes shone brilliantly. "What exactly does 'everything' include?"
Jon was stunned for a moment. "What does Aegon have left? Two wyverns and a batch of gold and silver looted from the Twins, and perhaps Harrenhal as well."
"No, there is also Storm's End!" Sansa gritted her teeth. "Stannis deceived all of us. He said he would take back Storm's End, but instead launched a surprise attack and took the Vale.
"Since he occupies the Vale, then Storm's End still belongs to Aegon."
"But…" Jon hesitated. "Stannis originally only promised to grant Harrenhal to your child."
"That promise is bullshit!" Sansa not only regained her vitality, she even turned into a lioness, almost roaring, "I fulfilled every promise I made. How did he treat Aegon in return?"
Jon's awkward expression became even more awkward.
"Stannis is at the height of his power right now. I am afraid you will not be able to get Storm's End," he said softly.
"Storm's End is in the hands of the Golden Company. Though they were badly beaten, they still have close to six thousand members," Sansa replied, also lowering her voice.
Jon looked deeply at his sister and said in a low voice, "Stannis has a massive wyvern legion. The only reason he has not taken Storm's End yet is because he has not turned his attention back to it."
Sansa's expression changed, and she fell silent.
After a long while, she asked gloomily, "Just now I heard the whole castle shouting 'Long live Stannis the God of War,' and something about a 'Three Gods Legion.' What is going on?"
Jon pulled his sister to sit on the soft couch by the fireplace and recounted everything that had happened today, step by step.
Sansa's eyes grew brighter and brighter, and in an instant, countless thoughts spun through her mind.
"I understand. Protecting Winterfell is the most important thing right now," she nodded. "Tomorrow I will go see Daenerys. I will not bring up Storm's End again."
Heavenly Mountain, the floating continent of the High Sparrow.
The situation where a vast grassland held only a single Sept has already changed. Now, "Sparrow City" is divided into three rings: inner, middle, and outer.
The Sept is located at the center of the inner ring, surrounded by a circle of exquisite two-story marble houses.
The kind of villas with gardens in front and swimming pools dug out behind.
The second ring is about five kilometers from the Sept, with sparse buildings and no clear planning.
The third ring is fifteen kilometers from the Sept. Only at its outermost edge is there a large construction site with several hundred people.
Overall, compared to when Aegon first arrived, the Sept has gained more than a thousand people, yet it still feels very spacious.
However, after the Dragon Queen obtained 1% of the Green Seer's Mark, the requirement for believers to ascend to Heaven Mountain dropped from 200 devotion points to 100. Recently, every few days, new believers have been knocking on the gates of Heaven Mountain.
And so, wearing a neat gray robe and sporting the same meticulously combed slicked-back hairstyle as the High Sparrow, King Aegon once again welcomed the heroic spirit of a believer at the foot of the mountain.
Watching the elderly man look left and right in panic, Yigen frowned slightly.
The last time he ascended to Heaven, angelic hymns rang in his ears, holy light bathed his body, and his heart was filled with peace.
For some reason, there was no music this time, no sacred radiance, and not even a trace of Heaven Mountain's gates. Any heroic soul arriving here would inevitably feel confused.
Though these thoughts crossed his mind, Yigen's face showed only a gentle, serene smile as he explained, "I am a guiding emissary from Heaven. My fellow believer, congratulations. You have answered the Holy Mother's call and arrived at the Heaven of the Seven Gods."
"What? I've gone to Heaven?"
The tall, gray-haired old man showed no joy. Instead, he was shocked. Pointing at his own nose, he asked, "Are you saying… I'm dead?"
Suddenly, Yigen understood why, after welcoming new heroic souls one day, the Big Sparrow had come to him and hired him as an "unofficial assistant guiding emissary."
Without Heaven Mountain manifesting miracles in the mortal world, the guiding work was truly dull and, frankly, a bit low-rent.
Oh Seven Gods above, Holy Mother of mercy, forgive my irreverent thoughts!
The moment a trace of complaint arose, Yigen immediately began silently reciting the Seven-Star Scripture, offering a devout confession to the Holy Mother.
"What is your last memory?" Yigen asked, his smile as gentle as a spring breeze.
"Ahh…"
The tall elder thought for a moment, then suddenly realized, "I died of illness! Before I died, Meribald sat by my bed, holding my hand, and said that the Holy Mother is merciful and would surely forgive my cowardice.
I never thought Saint Meribald would truly be so effective. So I really did make it to Heaven?"
Meribald?
An old acquaintance.
Yigen raised his eyebrows slightly. It seemed this new heroic soul came from the Trident riverlands.
"That's right. You are in Heaven. This is Heaven Mountain, and I am a guiding emissary. You've read the Seven-Star Scripture, so you know about Heaven Mountain and the angels who guide heroic souls, correct?"
The old man nodded repeatedly, grinning so wide that it revealed a missing front tooth. "I have! Ever since the Holy Mother revealed herself, I've devoutly read every version of the Seven-Star Scripture. I've even recited the Dragon Queen of Slaver's Bay's New Seven-Star Scripture hundreds of times."
"Then follow me," Yigen said, waving his hand.
A white jade staircase shimmering with golden light descended from the sky, its upper end stretching into an unknown realm amid drifting white clouds.
The old man cautiously asked, "My lord angel, I heard that when the false prince Yigen died, Heaven Mountain manifested itself, with holy music from Heaven and golden radiance that cleansed the soul. Why did I come straight here?
Also, the last guiding emissary seemed to be Saint Sparrow. May I ask who you are? Saint Baelor?"
Yigen turned back and glanced at him calmly. "I am the false prince you mentioned. Yigen."
"What?!"
The old man's body tilted, and he nearly fell off the holy light staircase.
Fortunately, the steps were wide enough. Though he stumbled, he merely fell hard onto the steps.
"You're a fake guiding emissary, aren't you? This must be a fake Heaven!" he shouted in panic.
"Blasphemy!" Yigen roared in fury. "I should summon the Stranger and have you escorted out of Heaven!"
He was not bluffing. Without waiting for a response, Yigen's expression turned solemn as he rapidly recited funeral incantations from the Book of the Stranger.
A mysterious force descended upon the old man, preparing to take him away.
This was a contingency left behind by the Holy Mother Daenerys. Any soul that blasphemed the Seven Gods or doubted the authenticity of Heaven would suffer a loss of piety, be expelled from Heaven, then have its spiritual essence dismantled by the Spirit Assignment Art and ultimately devoured by the Great Black One.
It was very harsh.
"Ah, no, please, let's talk this through!"
The old man's body flickered between solid and insubstantial as he crawled forward in terror, clutching Yigen's gray robe and shouting, "Your Majesty Yigen, I am your subject! Spare me this once!"
Yigen frowned and stopped.
It was not out of past loyalty between ruler and subject, but because the old man's flickering form showed that his piety had not diminished.
If his piety had not dropped, then his earlier words were not intended as blasphemy.
"This is sacred Heaven. You may speak freely, but blasphemy against the Seven Gods is not permitted. Do you understand?" Yigen scolded sternly.
"I understand, I understand."
The old man wiped the hot sweat from his brow, struggled to his feet, and gave a bitter smile. "I just got too casual when I saw someone familiar."
Hearing this, Yigen could not help but think of his former self.
When he had discovered the true identity of the Big Sparrow, his words and attitude had also become far too relaxed.
Thinking of that, his tone softened. "What is your name, and what was your title in life? Why don't I remember seeing you?"
Seeing that Yigen was willing to chat, the old man fully relaxed. "I'm from the Cox family of Saltpans in the riverlands. My name is Quincy, just a landed knight."
"Quincy Cox of Saltpans?" Yigen frowned and thought for quite a while before finally recalling him.
"Seven Gods above, how did a coward like you avoid being sent to the Seven Hells?" he exclaimed.
*(P.S.: Do you remember the bandits Daenerys encountered years ago at the Crossroads Inn?
No, not the innkeepers who were bandits, but the remnants of the Brave Companions.
Tywin had hired a notorious mercenary company from across the Narrow Sea: the Brave Companions, also known as the Bloody Mummers.
They specialized in doing Tywin's dirty work, burning, killing, looting, seizing supplies, and destroying the riverlands' productivity. They committed every evil imaginable.
When Robb Stark seemed invincible, the Bloody Mummers believed the lions would lose and switched allegiance to the direwolf. As a result, Jaime's hand was severed by them.
Unfortunately, Westerosi politics changed too quickly. Before long, the direwolf fell as well.
The Bloody Mummers were crushed by the Mountain.
The remaining Bloody Mummers no longer wanted to survive in Westeros, which they considered a cesspit. They planned to return home and went to the Trident to find a ship.
Saltpans happened to be a small port town in the riverlands connected to Crackclaw Bay. Arya boarded a ship to Braavos from Saltpans.
When the Bloody Mummers reached Saltpans, there were no ships. They went mad and sacked the entire town.
Men were slaughtered, women were raped, and even children were not spared. They committed every imaginable atrocity.
Saltpans belonged to House Cox, just as Winterfell belongs to House Stark.
Ser Quincy Cox should have led his guards to drive off the bandits, but instead he sealed his castle gates and ignored the massacre in the town.
Thus, when Daenerys later encountered the refugees in the riverlands, they all cursed the old knight, saying he deserved to go to hell.
And that very night, Daenerys truly sent those bandits to hell.)*
(End of chapter)
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