The Mountain of Ice and Fire

"Captain Osney Kettleblack."

The young Osney immediately bowed: "Good day, Ser Jaime!"

"Go ahead, I'm on duty tonight."

Osney glanced at the Queen Mother's bedroom door: "Yes, Ser."

The Kingsguard held the highest position among the guards in the Red Keep. Even the captain of the Queen Mother's guards was of lower status than a member of the Kingsguard.

As Osney was about to leave, the Queen Mother's bedroom door opened: "Captain Osney, come in here for a moment."

Osney glanced at Jaime, feeling troubled. He was in awe of Jaime: "Yes, Your Grace."

Osney entered the Queen Mother's bedroom. The Queen Mother stood at the door, looking at Jaime: "Ser Jaime, you may come in as well."

"No need!" Jaime said.

Cersei looked at Jaime and slowly closed the door.

Jaime turned to look at the starry sky outside the window.

The moon was like a silver plate in the blue sky, with stars scattered everywhere. But if they were at the Wall, it would either be snowing or the cold wind would be howling. Even if there were stars, there would only be a few. In the North, the stars also gave a bone-chilling feeling.

Eddard Stark had hoped that Jaime's return to King's Landing would bring temporary peace to the North and King's Landing. Jaime overestimated his abilities. After returning to King's Landing, no one supported him. On the contrary, many royal courtiers laughed at him. They simply did not believe that the Others had appeared in the North.

And Tyrion had warned him that no matter what Jaime wanted to do or who he wanted to persuade, it would be best to wait until after King Joffrey's wedding.

He didn't know how long had passed, but Osney Kettleblack opened the door and walked out. He passed by Jaime, nodded to Jaime, but Jaime ignored him.

Osney's father, Oswell, was now the Queen Mother's steward, and his brother, Osmund, was a member of the Kingsguard, very tall and large, almost like a small Mountain.

This family had a very strong position and relationship within the royal family.

Osney walked away, and Queen Mother Cersei stood at the bedroom door, looking at Jaime: "Are you really not coming in tonight?"

Jaime did not answer, but looked at Cersei.

He wanted to kill Osney, just like he had killed Lancel.

"Tomorrow, accompany me to the Great Sept of Baelor. I want to see the High Septon."

"Yes, Your Grace."

*

The Great Sept of Baelor, also known as the Sept of Baelor, was the center of the Faith of the Seven and the seat of the High Septon. It was located on Visenya's Hill to the left of the Red Keep, named after the septon-king who had overseen its construction, Baelor the Blessed.

In the morning, the Queen Mother, protected by Jaime and Osney, arrived at the top of Visenya's Hill. The group passed through the white marble plaza, past the huge statue of Baelor I, and entered a marble-domed building.

Seven crystal towers stood in the sept complex. Each of the seven towers had a large bell at the top. The sept bells were only rung together on important occasions, such as the death of a king or a royal wedding.

The sept had seven doors, each corresponding to a deity. Septons entered the sept through the Father's Gate, septas through the Mother's Gate, and the Silent Sisters through the Stranger's Gate.

The Queen Mother, Jaime, and Osney entered the sept through the Maiden's Gate, representing purity. They walked through the long Hall of Lamps corridor. Many colored stained glass balls hung from the ceiling of the corridor. Passing through two doors, they arrived at the place where the septons prayed. Here, the tall altars of the Seven Gods gathered under the glass, gold, and crystal dome.

The sept floor was paved with marble, and the huge windows in the walls were fitted with colored stained glass. In front of the altar, believers were lighting candles to worship.

The High Septon, who was so fat that he could barely walk, wore the Crystal Crown and led the seven archbishops to wait for the Queen Mother.

After a brief exchange of greetings, the Queen Mother, guided by the High Septon, lit candles in front of the statues of the Seven Gods.

After a brief exchange between the High Septon and the Queen Mother in front of the altar, the Queen Mother gestured, and Jaime and Osney left the room with the guards, and the remaining septons, archbishops, and believers also left.

In the end, only the Queen Mother and the High Septon were left in the sept hall.

This septon, who was so fat that he could barely move, was covered in jade ornaments. It was said that he was a stonemason before becoming a septon. Once a stonemason stopped working, eating well, dressing well, and using good things, the speed at which he gained weight was frightening.

The High Septon's Crystal Crown was covered with gold, pearls, and various rare jades.

The Great Sept of Baelor was very wealthy. Even the royal family owed the sept millions of gold dragons. The wealth from believers in the Seven Kingdoms supported the wealth of the Great Sept of Baelor.

Jaime stood outside the sept hall waiting. After a long time, the Queen Mother came out, her face looking unhappy and very stern.

Jaime followed closely beside the Queen Mother, who was walking quickly.

The Queen Mother came to the marble plaza outside the sept. Before she got into the sedan, she said to Jaime through gritted teeth: "The stonemason rejected me. He deserves to die."

"What did he reject you for?"

"He refused to judge Margaery Tyrell."

"Your Grace, you have no evidence that Margaery Tyrell has committed a crime."

"Last night I persuaded Osney. He agreed to come forward and testify, admitting that he had an improper intimate relationship with Margaery."

"False accusation?"

"Do you think so too? It's an open secret that Margaery sleeps with her handmaidens."

"Perhaps she is very kind to her servants, treating them like sisters."

"Are you defying me too?"

"............"

Cersei lowered the curtain, leaving Jaime a resentful look.

The Queen Mother's sedan started, but before it had left the marble plaza, a group of ragged septons walked along the avenue outside the plaza. They were wearing grey robes, barefoot, and holding wooden staffs in their hands. One of the young septons was handsome and indifferent. Jaime stared at this septon, and the septon also stared at him, with no fear in his eyes.

Lancel Lannister!

Jaime was riding on his horse, while Lancel and his septon brothers were walking. They passed by the Queen Mother's sedan, surrounding a very tall and thin old septon. The old septon's gaze met Jaime's, like an awl.

The old septon's gaze made Jaime's heart skip a beat.

Jaime had seen too many similar blade-like gazes, but it was the first time he had seen such sharp eyes on a septon's face. This old septon was more like a very threatening warrior than a septon.

Hearing the noisy footsteps outside, Cersei lifted the curtain and saw Lancel, who had just walked to her sedan. Lancel's long golden hair had been cut short, almost shaved into a bald head. He was wearing a grey robe, his expression was stern. Queen Mother Cersei's eyes met Lancel's, and Lancel's eyes were calm and composed, while Cersei was shocked and unbelievable.

"Stop!" the Queen Mother said.

The sedan stopped.

"Lancel!" The Queen Mother lifted the curtain. "What's wrong with you?"

"Your Grace! I am not Lancel, I am a little sparrow." Lancel said expressionlessly, and walked past.

The endless stream of septons behind him walked past, all wearing grey robes, barefoot, with indifferent expressions, each one expressionless, with eyes like ice.

The sound of wheels rang out, and carts were dragged by the septons past the Queen Mother's team, all the carts were filled with the corpses of septons and septas killed by swords, looking at the solidified blood stains and crisscrossing wounds, these septons and septas died very miserably.

The carts took a long time to pass, and then there was another team of ragged septons, like an endless stream of troops.

Jaime said in a low voice: "Your Grace, let's take another road."

These septons did not feel like septons, but like an army, with a murderous aura.

Septons named people, treated illnesses, prayed, performed sacrifices, weddings, and funerals, etc., and should not have any murderous aura.

The Queen Mother agreed, so the team turned east and took another road back to the Red Keep.

*

A few days later, at night. The Great Sept of Baelor.

"High Septon." A septon knelt devoutly, holding a string of pearls, and presented it to the High Septon.

Devout believers are always willing to dedicate all their wealth to their faith. Some nobles, after becoming septons, donated all their wealth to the Great Sept of Baelor, which was one of the sources of the Great Sept of Baelor's huge wealth.

The High Septon motioned for the septon to stand up and give him the pearl necklace.

The septon's face was hidden in the hood, he walked on his knees, came to the High Septon's teaching, and dared not look up.

The High Septon's Crystal Crown was also decorated with pearls, but the pearls being offered were larger and more uniform.

The High Septon took the rare string of pearls, held it in his hand and played with it carefully, unwilling to let go. The High Septon, wearing silk and satin, liked jewelry and gold dragons. There was a warehouse in the Great Sept of Baelor dedicated to storing gold dragons and beautiful jade, filled with boxes of gold dragons and jewelry.

"Septon, where are you from?"

In the Great Sept of Baelor, there were septons from all over the Seven Kingdoms. Many septons came to the Great Sept of Baelor to learn how to treat diseases, name people, sing hymns, marriage and funeral rules, and various rituals for worshiping the Seven Gods.

Septon was also a subject that required hard study.

"High Septon, I am from the Red Keep!" the septon said, took off his hood, stood up, and was the captain of the Queen Mother's guards, Ser Osney Kettleblack.

The High Septon was stunned!

Osney drew out his long dagger calmly: "High Septon, Her Grace the Queen Mother sends her regards."

The High Septon, who was so fat that he had difficulty walking, now knew why this septon wanted to ask to see him alone.

Osney's dagger pierced the fat septon's neck!

This stab was very precise, cutting off the High Septon's throat.

Blood stained the High Septon's snow-white septon robe.

Osney pulled out the dagger, wiped the blood off on the High Septon's white septon robe, put away the dagger, pulled up his hood, and hurried out through the small door...

Early the next morning, the bells in the seven towers of the Great Sept of Baelor rang together, shaking the entire King's Landing. The news quickly spread: the High Septon of the Great Sept of Baelor was assassinated last night.

Septons, septas, the City Watch, the Hand's Justice, and the sparrows who kept entering King's Landing all took action, searching the entire city for suspicious people and arresting the murderer. After several days, there were no results.

And just as King's Landing was in chaos because of the assassination of the High Septon, the team from the Westerlands to congratulate King Joffrey's wedding entered King's Landing, including a special guest: Rosamund Lannister of Lannisport.