The cunning Bald-headed Archbishop naturally understood the meaning behind Princess Daenerys's words. Unlike the churches in Essos, which often displayed miracles, the Seven Gods Church, though ancient, had never shown any miraculous aspects.
Therefore, apart from a branch of the Seven Gods Church in Braavos, no Seven Gods Church had ever been successfully established anywhere else.
Now, if the dragons, who were closest to the gods, could be made the guardian beasts of the Seven Gods Church, it would undoubtedly greatly increase the influence of the Seven Gods Church and be extremely beneficial for the spread of the Seven Gods faith.
So, even if it meant spending a large amount of gold dragons each year, the Bald-headed Archbishop gritted his teeth and respectfully said to King Jaehaerys and Princess Daenerys,
"Your Majesty, Princess. The Seven Gods Church is willing to undertake these two obligations. And it will certainly make the world aware of the greatness of the dragons and the benevolence of the Targaryen Royal Family."
Jaehaerys and Daenerys both nodded with satisfaction. The Archbishop also returned to his original position contentedly, but his eyes unpleasantly scrutinized the members of the Hightower Family.
"Your Majesty, the Hightower Family has committed such a grave crime, it is probably not appropriate for them to remain in Oldtown. As they said, since they made a mistake, they must show sincerity to prove their repentance."
The Bald-headed Archbishop's ability to successfully climb to the nominal highest leadership position in the Seven Gods Church, surpassing the Hightower lineage, was indeed extraordinary.
"I think only when they completely sever ties with Oldtown can the Starry Sept and the Citadel become pure. Otherwise, who knows when those two sacred places will become tools in the hands of certain factions again."
The Bald-headed Archbishop's words immediately garnered the approval of the nobles in the Throne Room, who all expressed their indignation, saying,
"The Hightower Family should indeed be driven out of Oldtown!"
"Yes, only this way can the Citadel and the Starry Sept be freed from their control."
Some nobles whose family fleets had been plundered in Oldtown even protested jointly,
"Who knows how many Archmaesters and monks from the Hightower Family are still in the castles of the Seven Kingdoms? I think these people should also be expelled, otherwise, it's truly unsettling."
"Indeed, the insidious nature of this family is truly frightening. They have been planning in the Seven Kingdoms for thousands of years without us noticing. This skill and these methods must be guarded against."
"Exactly! Exactly! Even if they are wronged, we absolutely cannot risk our own lives and fortunes."
Watching the public denunciation of the Hightower Family by everyone present, even the eloquent Earl Hightower and Otto Hightower felt endless despair at this moment.
However, with irrefutable evidence, they had almost aroused the opposition of most nobles in the Seven Kingdoms, and now no one dared to plead or speak for them.
So, in a flash, Earl Hightower realized that the only person who could help the Hightower Family now seemed to be Princess Daenerys, who had personally dragged them into the abyss.
Thus, Earl Hightower knelt directly before Princess Daenerys,
"Princess, please save the Hightower Family!"
Princess Daenerys was momentarily taken aback by his action, thinking,
"With everyone watching, your actions make it really difficult for me to speak!"
At this moment, everyone's eyes were fixed on Princess Daenerys, making her feel as if she had thorns in her back, was sitting on pins and needles, and had a fishbone stuck in her throat, but she still bit the bullet and suggested to King Jaehaerys,
"Great-grandfather, although the Hightower Family has committed a grave crime, they have supported the Seven Gods Church, established and funded the Citadel, and indeed made outstanding contributions over thousands of years."
"I think it's better to give them a chance to atone for their sins. Although Oldtown is no longer suitable for them to stay, perhaps we can choose a new territory for them so they can continue to shine and contribute."
King Jaehaerys had only intended to send all the men of the Hightower Family to The Wall and exile the women to the Stepstones.
Princess Daenerys had already told King Jaehaerys about her occupation and development of a small island in the Stepstones upon her return.
The Old King was very satisfied with his great-granddaughter's foresight, so he decided to secretly support her. In the future, if any other family committed a crime, they would all be exiled to the Stepstones.
Now, hearing Princess Daenerys seemingly interceding for the Hightower Family, he asked,
"So, what do you mean?!"
Daenerys smiled and explained,
"The The New Gift of The Wall, suffering from a lack of sufficient manpower to manage it, has become quite desolate."
The The New Gift is the land fifty leagues (about one hundred kilometers) south of The Wall, permanently granted to the Night's Watch to support them. This land is under the dual protection of the Night's Watch and Winterfell.
To the east, The Gift is largely rolling plains stretching to the Trembling Sea; to the west, it is increasingly forested and mountainous, reaching the Ice Bay.
It is said that Brandon the Builder first granted twenty-five leagues of land south of The Wall to the Night's Watch as a source of livelihood. Brandon's Gift was cultivated for thousands of years, but as the Night's Watch dwindled, many buildings and orchards were abandoned.
Moreover, compared to the lands further south, Brandon's Gift has poor and rocky soil. A year of hard labor yields little output.
In 58 AC, King King Jaehaerys I Targaryen and his sister-wife, Queen Alysanne Targaryen, embarked on a royal progress through the North.
Alysanne, riding her dragon Silver Wing, first visited Lord Alaric Stark of Winterfell, whose attitude towards the Queen gradually improved during her stay in Winterfell.
Archmaester Galden recorded that as Jaehaerys was delayed, Alysanne grew increasingly impatient, and she then visited Lord Commander Roso Borrell of the Night's Watch at Castle Black.
Alysanne greatly admired the bravery of the Night's Watch. Upon her return to Winterfell, she persuaded her husband, King Jaehaerys I, to double The Gift, extending it an additional twenty-five leagues south, to fifty leagues. These twenty-five leagues of land became known as the The New Gift.
Lord Alaric was cautious about the idea of the The New Gift, as the Northerners who already owned these lands would object to them being taken away. According to Archmaester Galden, Alysanne eventually persuaded Lord Stark to agree to the plan, and the Stark Family was reportedly happy to help the Night's Watch.
However, according to Archmaester Yandel, not all Starks agreed to this grant. The Stark Family of Winterfell, forced to give up their territory, was very angry, believing that the Night's Watch should focus Beyond the Wall, not on the The New Gift.
Lord Stark's brothers sought legal protection from the Archmaesters of the Citadel to invalidate this forced donation, but to no avail. This resentment towards Jaehaerys and Alysanne may have prompted Lord Ellard Stark to support Corliss Velaryon and Rhaenys Targaryen at the Great Council in 101 AC.
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