Chapter Twenty-Seven

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Sept of Baelor, King's Landing

Thunder cracks outside and the very sky is rent as lightning splits clouds. Gloom settles on King's Landing like the very hands of the gods and only the most needy or the most drunk dare get out of their houses and take to the roads. Still even with the untimely bad weather the fires inside the Great Sept of Baelor continue to bathe the giant infrastructure with warmth and light as the septons and septas gather around the raised dais where Septon Bricks are kneeling with Seven Septons gathered around him.

"In the name of the Seven Who are One, we anoint you Septon Bricks as the next High Septon of the Faith. May your name live on in the annals and your actions be mirror as a representative of the gods upon this land,"

At that, the jeweled crown that is worn by the High Septon is placed on the bald head of the kneeling man. Humble claps echo all around as the newly crowned leader of the Faith stands up and face now his new subordinates.

"This upon the name of the Father I swear. I will continue with the war against the godless heathens. I will bring their strange trees to the fire as an offering to the gods. I will tear down their places of worship and I will bring down the Wrath of the Seven against them. We are the True Faith, we are the servant of the gods. We shall not yield. As the Warrior declares, a new army will be raised up against them and they will be punished for their lack of belief. Those who swore in the name of the Seven will aid us, our Holy Army will be rebuilt. We will crush them on the soles of our boots and the blood of heathens will stain the sword of holy knights. Then our Faith will remain true and pure, unafraid, unchallenged once and for all!"

Lightning cracks outside and the double doors of the Great Sept of Baelor slams open with a powerful gust of the wind blowing off every torch and candle inside. People screamed in a combination of surprise, anger, and no small amount of annoyance as the entire Great Sept is plunged into full darkness.

Lightning strikes the skies once more illuminating for only seconds the entire Sept before darkness again. For High Septon Bricks it is more than enough however as those precious seconds illuminateds the cloaked figure with a cowl facing him on the dais.

The sound of a blade piercing flesh is heard and no one heard his last few seconds of terror as the thunder rocks the entire building, drowning his last few moments of screaming.

…..

Red Keep, the Tower of the Hand

The bad weather outside seems to reflect the mood that had been plaguing Jon Arryn this past few weeks. The "War of Faith" as the Septons call it, also known as the "Disaster of the Faith" by many after the rather string of embarrassing defeats is giving him extra grey hairs on his slowly receding hairline.

The Faith long story short got the Crown literally on its balls. With two million gold dragons in debt, the kingdom is being forced to bow to the Faith's whims. Of course Robert at first had been adamant that no leeway be made at the breaking of the King's Peace. However after copious amount of reasoning at his end not to head to the Sept of Baelor and start breaking skulls and a stern reminder of the rather large mountain of debt hanging over his head, Robert had gone off with a huff and a puff but not before telling him quite sternly that he better find a way.

Jon Arryn had been doing that ever since then.

Looking at the scattered missives at the desk of the second most powerful man in Westeros, Jon Arryn can feel the headache returning in full force. Ever since the victory of Robert's Rebellion against the Targaryens, it had been up to him to try and sew back a country together torn apart by war. The dynasty of the Dragons fell and with it, the authoritarian control that they had in the entirety of Westeros. Jon Arryn had painstakingly bribed, cajoled and sometimes even threatened houses in order not to make the fractured pieces drift apart. It didn't help that said king in the throne was absolutely no help, and even contributed to the tantamount damage of the realm with his lack of care to his responsibilities and his rather lazy and lavish lifestyle. Jon loved Robert like a son, but boy he wondered where he'd gone wrong on raising him.

Now it seemed that the realm is ready to tear itself open again. The open declarations of Delianah Tully, the bastard of Hoster Tully to the old gods have galvanized the Faith into a frenzy. Of course seeing that the current King in the throne isn't the least bit inclined to move his sorry ass as Defender of the Faith, the Faith moves on its own recruiting houses and lords to its cause igniting the "War of Faith"

Jon Arryn has no idea where they get their gold to kick start this war, only that they have it from "anonymous donors". In the end all that he manages to wrangle from them via diplomacy is a promise that they would not hurt a single hair of the Princess Myrcella currently fostering at the former territories of Harrenhal. That seems to be enough to placate the king though he still grumbles now and then about wanting to help the bastard of Tully. Jon's not surprised, Robert for all his flaws is loyal to his friends.

Now three weeks later and the result of the war is here: three Dead High Septons with two dying on their coronation nights and the original council of the Seven. Two different holy armies defeated and the creation of a dead zone where monsters walk, and the final nail in the coffin, lords taking sides on the conflict.

Normally Jon Arryn would simply order the Lady Delianah Tully to submit to the will of the Faith in order to prevent a civil war to start. Now it is too late. The Faith's armies are supplied and they ambushed and killed the Castellan of Rivendell. Peace is the last thing then on anyone's mind. Now thus his hands are tied especially with the Northeners joining the fray. He cannot ask Delianah to submit else the Northeners would be offended. Now the entirety of Westeros seems to be on the brink of civil war as lords are forced to follow on their oaths to their lords or the Faith they believe in. It doesn't help that the houses not affiliated on worshipping the Faith of the Seven in fear are shoring up their defenses in the event that an Inquisitor gets to them.

For the first time in his life, Jon Arryn has no idea what to do. He just hopes that the Faith would finally find the reason to bring a concession to this conflict. They are the ones losing after all.

….

Private Royal Quarters of the Red Keep

Cersei Lannister resists the urge to scream bloody murder as she sits at her chair overlooking the city of King's Landing being bathed by the torrential sheet of rain. She has done her best to supply the damned High Septon and his cronies their necessary gold via the contacts of Baelish to prevent it being traced to her. Her goal is simple, to bring back her daughter to her and punish the bastard that is keeping her away from her mother.

The original plan was for the Faith to decry her unfitting for her position and be casted out to the streets where bastards belong. Then the little lady declared out of all things her religion to the Old gods. It was literally a stroke of luck for the Faith, a golden opportunity falling on their plate.

Then it all had gone wrong. The High Septon and his cronies were assassinated and the "great army" that they command being thrashed by the soldiers of Rivendell. All that gold, effort and time going down the drain as she was no closer to reclaiming her daughter. No, what she needs now is to go with the flow by whatever events that come next. The Faith is already useless in her eyes especially with the original High Septon getting a knife on his throat. The Faith has one more ace in their hole with their army recruited from the Riverlands trying to break through Rivendell territory.

Still, Cersei would not trust that army to stand for long especially with the main force of the bastard Tully girl now free to aid her territory borders. The Riverlanders as far as Cersei is concerned is not that great a threat compared to the other armies of Westeros.

She needs a new plan to get her daughter back.

…..

Rivendell Army Camp Southern Border of Rivendell

"For our Lady!"

"Cheers!"

"And for our honored dead!"

"Cheers!"

"No one can beat us now!"

"Cheers!"

The entire camp is lively as they feasted. The holy army may have gone back to wherever their homes are, but fortunately their wagons and their carts do not have the same quick feet as the men. An entire two caravan of supply trains left behind for the taking. Well, of course Delianah did not waste time claiming them all and giving them to the men in celebration for their victory.

While the entirety of the army though is feasting, two of them aren't exactly in the festive mood.

"Tell me again why are we being grounded inside our tent area?" grumbles Myrcella unhappily even as she takes another bite from her bacon filled plate.

Rhaenys can't help the sigh that leaves her lips. This is the umpteenth time that Myrcella asked that question. She loves the girl to hell and back but she can be quite annoying if she does not get what she wants which is currently to go out and explore the camp.

"This is our punishment for joining the army in war Cella," Rhaenys answers taking a large piece of bacon out of Myrcella's plate earning her a squawk of annoyance from the golden-haired princess. She dodges a playful smack from where the two of them are sitting cross-legged.

"Not fair! You ate the big one Rae-Rae!" she protests with a pout. "Shouldn't we be instead celebrating with everyone else? It's not as if we lost,"

"Yes of course we should be celebrating. It's not as if we are not celebrating Cella," Rhaenys replies with an eye roll looking around the stockpile combination of mutton chops, lamb chops, chicken, turkey and vegetable of every kind currently surrounding them inside their tent. Rhaenys has no idea how Myrcella maintains her figure despite having a large carnivorous appetite.

"I meant, we should be sitting with Delianah at the high table not imprisoned her as punishment," she insists again. "I understand that she's not happy about us joining the battle, but we simply can't sit it out and leave her to fight it alone, can we?"

Rhaenys refuses the urge to bonk her best friend. For someone who loves spending time with books, she can be as dumb as a rock sometimes. She opens her mouth to explain that if she manages to get her pretty hide damaged then it would be over for their Lady Delianah, but decides against it instead.

Myrcella she admits means well. She's just a bit too innocent and naïve sometimes, but it is part of her charm and what makes her, her. Maybe that's why Rhaenys did not back then protested much when Myrcella got the insane idea that they join the army incognito and "do their part". It was a miracle that the two of them received only scratches. They killed people though and Rhaenys knew that they would need to address it with Delianah soon, especially since Myrcella is hell bent in avoiding the topic.

…..

High Table, Rivendell Army Feast

The laughing and cheering below Delianah admits brings a small smile to her own face. Normally she would not linger here especially with the threat from the Riverlands still present in her border. However news from the Ravens sent from there tells of the Fort holding strong against the invaders. Thus the reason why she takes a one day break for her army to feast. They have after all won against a much more numerous foe and the least she can do is give them a day off and to boast to their heart's content.

Of course Delianah is no fool and would not leave it to chance. She had sent Amelia ahead with almost all the Death Dealers in tow. Green Men had no need for feasts. For them, it would be a greater reward to do her bidding.

Currently she is sitting at the center of the long table as is her right as leader of the Rivendell army. At her right is Stannis Baratheon eating hard jerky of all things and looking as if someone has thrust ammonia below his nose. The man initially refused to stay citing that he finished the first part of the favor he owed her due to the curing of the Greyscale on her daughter. The second part of the favor she asks about the setting up of a trading post and the free excavation of the Obsidian under Dragonstone would be implemented later once the fighting dies down against the Faith.

At her left surprisingly is thirteen year old young Domeric Bolton. Long story short as he explains it; he bears with him, the salutations of Eddard Stark. His joining of the battle is apparently a sign of good faith from the Northeners. While their Lord Paramount cannot personally be present on the battlefield due to his constraints about being allied through marriage to House Tully, he instead sent the most powerful House in the North second only to the Starks.

Of course it's not only for the benefit of Delianah. With Roose Bolton dead from a rock, Domeric is the new lord of the most ruthless of the Northeners. He has to earn his place and there's nothing more better place for it to be proven than in the battlefield. Majority of House Bolton's retainers after all do not fully support him yet due to his youth and his fostering of the Vale who spouts honor.

In a way House Bolton will continue to fight with her until the end of the war against the Faith. Delianah personally has nothing against that. Domeric is ever the gentleman despite his age and rather shy to boot with the naiveness that comes for being from the North. His men however is another matter and she made it perfectly clear that they behave themselves. Domeric of course agreed to it fully with the promise that he would be taking full responsibility on their part.

Now she sits here content and might she say quite happy after her victory that would cement her name and at the same time soothe her Gryffindor pride. Now, how to deal with the hiccup that Myrcella and Rhaenys made?

….

The Guarded Plain

A hundred men knights and squires rides through the gloomy game trail that is the only path present for the horses to pass on the Guarded Plain. Their purpose here is simple. To check if there is any basis of the truth about the massacre that ended the army of the Reach. Most of them are fresh from the South and personally given the task by their liege lord Mace Tyrell to ascertain the truth.

Their Lord Paramount after all apparently had gotten it into his mind that Randyll Tarly did not lose thousands of men to "monsters of the gods". Their purpose here is to ascertain the truth as to what happened to their fellow Reachmen.

As they pass more and more into the gloom of the forest though, more than one of them are completely unnerved at the thick forests, leaves and branches that seem to stare at them. Of course none of them protested, none said anything. No one protested that they turn back. They are after all knights and no one wants to be labeled a coward.

In the end it might have been the wiser decision for eyes do indeed follow their every move underneath the gloom of the trees.

…

King's Landing Personal Quarters of Petyr Baelish

Said master of coin refuses the urge to scream out in frustration as he crumples the paper at his hand angrily. He can count in a single hand the times when a ploy of his fails. The high lords of Westeros after all as a general rule with all their pride are nitwits compares to his plans. More than one Lord had ended up dead after being esnared on Petyr Baelish's machinations.

This Delianah Tully however seems to simply refuse to die. Not only did she manage to survive the assault of the Faith who holds the strongest influence here at Westeros, but she even wins the battles against impossible odds with the blessings of the gods.

Petyr personally does not believe that the gods are real, but he does know clever manipulation of events to make them what they are not supposed to be.

He has invested a lot in this venture including the Queen to spend Lannister gold to serve as funding for the Faith. He even dipped in his own pocket money to pay off his more private contacts into helping. Now all of that effort has gone down the drain and his target seems to have even gained more influence, which is the exact opposite of what he intended to happen.

He's really not looking forward to telling his Cat that he is having problems disposing of her bastard problem. Maybe he can point the blame at the gods for making it hard. His Cat is very religious after all. At least this way she won't be too disappointed with him.

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Author's Note: Got some free time so been able to do this J. Enjoy