Chapter 50: Visenya's Solution

"It's been nine moons since the Most Devout entered into their congregation. They chose Septon Garibald after two hours. The longer they take to decide, the more impatient everyone becomes." Visenya said. "This is why they should've been abolished a long time ago. They're a bunch of old men and women who are desperately trying to hold onto power without any regard for what they are doing."

"They are also scared." Aegon said. His hair was becoming more grey than silver now, but he still looked imposing, like a God. "They know that either they choose Moon and risk angering us, or they choose someone else and they anger Moon."

"What is that man going to do to them?" Visenya demanded. "I know all about his supporters and I have half of them dead to rights and under my control. If he acts, we will know."

"And it is the other half they are worried about." Aegon said. "Those are the ones that concern me."

"I tried everything I could think of." Visenya said. "They would not bend."

"How much did you threaten them?" Rhaenys asked a glint in her eye.

"Not that much. Only a little bit." Visenya said.

"Regardless, there are still some within his support network who are not under our control. Therefore, they are playing it safe." Aegon replied.

"Why not simply deal with Moon now?" Visenya asked. "I have people near him, at any moment they could take him out with a word from me. Why not do that and simply spare ourselves all this drama?"

Aegon sighed. "Because that will not change anything. Instead, it will simply remove the most immediate threat and keep everything else simmering beneath the ground." There was a pause and then her brother continued. "Moon represents something. He represents those who have not yet acquainted themselves with our rule. It has been fourteen years since we took the throne and yet there are those who wish for the old ways to return. Moon represents that. And as such we must see him either chosen or not chosen. If he is chosen he will do everything he can to get back that which the Faith lost. And when he does that he will do things that will alienate those lords like Manderly, Hightower, Lannister and others who strongly support the Faith now. He will show them the true corruption of the Faith and they will abandon it."

"And that process will take time." Visenya said realising what her brother was getting at. "And in that time who knows what he will do. He might set his followers on your adherents, causing them to wonder what is happening. Especially if you do nothing."

Aegon sighed. "I will not be doing nothing, Visenya. I will be watching and making notes and planning."

"Planning for what?" Visenya demanded. "If the man is setting everything on fire, what are you going to be planning?"

Aegon looked at her and said. "Planning the best way to destroy the Faith."

"Completely?" Visenya asked. She had thought her brother did not have the stomach for such a thing. Clearly she had been wrong.

"Completely." Aegon said. "Moon represents the Faith if he is elected. As High Septon he will pursue all sorts of policies that will show the Faith for what it is, an over bloated mess of institutional non-importance. None of the lords in the South truly care about the Faith beyond what power it grants them."

"So, if Moon is elected and then goes about doing what he does, he will weaken the Faith and then he will weaken the trust the lords place in the thing." Visenya said thinking this through, she had not stopped to think about the long-term implications only the short-term ones which angered her. "And in its place, you hope to fill the void." She concluded.

"Not just me, Visenya." Aegon replied. "All of us. Our family."

Visenya thought about it and then said. "You wish for our family to replace the Seven or to take up parts of the Seven." She thought about it then and said. "Makes sense. After all, we all know that the common people worship us." It was a statement that from anyone else she knew would've had her siblings laughing, but from her it did not. "And that is why you want the base of the Faith to move to King's Landing."

"Exactly." Aegon responded.

"So, why not end this stalemate in the Most Devout and have this election over and done with?" She asked.

"Because I need to know one thing from you." Aegon replied.

"And what is that?" She asked.

"I need to know if you are prepared to do this the peaceful way." Aegon asked.

"The peaceful way?" Visenya replied. "You mean no burning and no deaths?"

"Yes. We must try this through preaching and other methods, once the man has been elected. And then if that fails, only then do we turn to violence." Aegon said.

"Moon must discredit himself." Visenya agreed.

"Yes." Aegon replied.

Visenya thought about it for a moment, this was going against everything in her body but she also knew that it was one of the few ways to completely destroy the thing that threatened her family. She thought on it and then eventually said. "Very well, I agree."

Aegon smiled. "Good. Now, you should send word to get this whole process done."

Visenya nodded. She rose, nodded her head to her brother and then walked out of the room. As she walked to where one of her spies was she thought about what her brother had said. They would replace the Faith and the Seven with their family. That was something, and quite ambitious as well. Already the people worshipped them, she knew, but the nobles? Now that would be something else. She found the spy she was looking for, he bowed before her. "Tell them it is time." Visenya said.

"Yes Your Majesty." The spy said before he hurried off. Visenya watched him go and then nodded. Finally, they would get somewhere.