Chapter 373: High Priest (Part 1)
Having been politely invited into the Great Hall of Dragonstone, Egger had somehow managed to muddle his way into infuriating the Dragon Queen during their very first meeting. Worse still, it wasn't because of any mistake Egger had made... Daenerys had provoked herself into a temper.
After thanking Missandei, who had bustled about to get them settled, Egger, fueled by anxiety and irritation, wasted no time in heading to Melisandre's room next door.
"You were the one who insisted on persuading me to come to Dragonstone to see the Queen. Why did you stand behind me like a background prop through the entire thing without saying a word?" Egger didn't usually speak to the priestess with such a sharp tone, but the current situation allowed no room for composure. "Right now, calling this 'resting' is a courtesy; in reality, we are being detained. Come tomorrow morning, how am I supposed to answer the Dragon Queen? If I agree to her terms, my entire previous strategy becomes a waste of effort. I'd have to return immediately with the brand of a rebel, fighting the Others while trying to explain myself to the mountain clans and facing the fury of House Stark. But if I refuse? Being sent away with a cold dismissal would be the easy part. If that Targaryen girl's madness flares up and she throws me in a dungeon or lops off my head, the Wall will face the enemy's final assault without its Lord Commander. That would be a catastrophic farce!"
In reality, there was a third option: feign agreement, and once everything was settled and he had safely returned to the Gift, break the promise. This would at least ensure he wasn't delayed at Dragonstone, thousands of miles from the Wall, for some foolish reason, missing the final battle and letting all his preparations go to waste.
However, escaping through such contemptible means, while convenient, would be devastating to Daenerys's perception of him. The Dragon Queen might not mount a dragon and fly to the Wall just to burn him over a lie, but once that bridge was burned, he'd be cut off from the Queen's faction. Regardless of who won the struggle for the Iron Throne in King's Landing, she would certainly become an obstacle and an enemy to Egger's future beyond the Gift. It was the worst possible choice.
"Why the panic? The Dragon Queen granted an audience to the Lord Commander of the Night's Watch. What right does a mere priestess have to interrupt?" Despite her words, Melisandre looked deeply troubled. "The Queen must have some misunderstanding regarding your intent. I will go and speak with Moqorro tonight to find out what happened."
"Moqorro? Is that the big dark-skinned fellow playing statue in the shadows by the throne?" Seeing Melisandre name a man he hadn't even noticed with such ease, Egger immediately realized the connection. "Was it he who told you to bring me to see the Dragon Queen? Is there some special communication method between you priests of the Lord of Light? Never mind... I don't want to force you to explain your internal secrets. But remember: it doesn't matter if Daenerys comes to help the Gift or not, but if I cannot return quickly to take charge, everything is truly lost!"
After a brief discussion, Melisandre persuaded Egger to stay calm and wait in his room for news while she sought a way to contact the other Red Priest in the castle.
Since the daytime meeting ended on a sour note, there was no pleasant dinner to be had. Melisandre didn't even touch the food sent from the Dragonstone kitchens. She waited until the sky was pitch black before pushing open her door, navigating several turns to reach the top of a tower unguarded by sentries, where she found Moqorro waiting for her.
One was a guest of honor arriving with the Lord Commander, the other a trusted advisor to the Dragon Queen; there was no inherent need for them to be so secretive. Yet, every security measure was necessary, for what was about to take place was a dialogue between High Priests of R'hllor.
Followers of the Red God are numbered in the millions, and priests are a dime a dozen. But to become a High Priest, one must satisfy two harsh conditions: first, achieve a certain level of mastery in both magic and stagecraft; second, achieve a two-way communication with R'hllor, proving this and gaining the recognition of all colleagues.
Two-way communication means: not only being able to passively see things in the flames, but also being able to obtain miraculous responses from R'hllor through prayer and sacrifice.
Many priests claim to do this, but the truly difficult and critical part is proving to other High Priests that it is a miracle rather than a trick, thereby earning their acknowledgment.
Unlike the common imagination of organized religion or a papacy, countless High Priests throughout history have reached a consensus through mutual communication: while there is no doubt their god truly exists, for some reason, R'hllor does not transmit oracles efficiently through a single individual. Instead, he reveals fragmented, seemingly unrelated information through the flames to all believers, guiding their actions slowly and inefficiently.
Precisely because they are so few and the information seen in the fire varies, there is no hierarchy among this inner circle of High Priests. No one is a Voice of the Lord of Light standing above the rest. Because their numbers are so small, democracy is easily achieved among them. They decide the direction of the religion's overall activities by exchanging views and following the majority. Benerro, the High Priest of the Great Red Temple in Volantis, is called Highest not because he is the religious leader, but because he is the eldest and most skilled in stagecraft among all the High Priests who can communicate with R'hllor. He was simply chosen to be the figurehead and handle the secular affairs of the temple for the common believers.
The High Priest is not the superior of the other High Priests; at best, he is a big brother. Benerro has the right to deploy and assign tasks to High Priests like Moqorro or Melisandre, but similarly... once the latter have their own interpretation of R'hllor's message, they can choose not to accept orders. They can leave the temple to go where they believe they must, performing the work they deem necessary, provided it does not cause trouble for the majority. The temple will not block or interfere with them.
Melisandre came to Westeros because she firmly believed she would meet the Prince That Was Promised on Dragonstone. Moqorro went to Slaver's Bay because he shared Benerro's views and claimed to be dispatched by the High Priest. It was because more than half of the High Priests agreed that Daenerys was the Promised One that the secular and media resources of the Red Temple leaned toward and supported the cause of Daenerys Targaryen, while Egger's side had yet to receive any practical aid.
Yet, even with disagreements, High Priests never argue or conflict. Besides tradition and unspoken rules, the more important reason is that while the content seen in the fire by different High Priests varies, it is never contradictory. There is only one truth. Through the exchange of information and discussion, they decide whether to successfully persuade the other or be persuaded themselves... or continue to hold their own opinions.
Unlike the mystical pretense they usually maintain before others... this communication between High Priests is swift and efficient—unreserved, clean, and so blunt that it uses no techniques or tricks, ensuring the intended message is conveyed 100% without error or omission.
Because of this, every sentence of such a conversation could contain vast amounts of secrets that must never be leaked. Not a single word can be overheard. Not to mention: two priests, who are supposed to be all-knowing and all-powerful, gathering like bewildered children to whisper, exchange visions, and discuss the authenticity of prophecies... and how to use various methods to guide the behavior of their respective followers. Such a scene would greatly damage their image and must never be seen or heard by anyone, even their own people—including the Prince That Was Promised.
Furthermore, in this castle, there were those present who were certainly not among their own.
Moqorro sensed the priestess's arrival. Without needing to turn his head, he knew it was Melisandre.
"You have seen the Dragon Queen. What was your impression?"
"I must admit, it is wondrous." Melisandre walked to Moqorro's side, likewise looking down toward the distant military harbor of Dragonstone. The fleet loyal to the Queen did not stop its patrols even at night; small lights were scattered across the docks and around the island, with figures moving in the shadows. "I have met others of Targaryen or Blackfyre blood. The descendants of dragonlords do indeed possess qualities different from ordinary men, but none have ever given me such an intense sensation. Is this your doing? How was it achieved?"
"It is not my doing. It is the power of destiny. She is the Prince That Was Promised, and hers is the Song of Ice and Fire."
"Let us set aside the discussion of who the true Promised One is. Tell me, why did that Targaryen girl behave so strangely during the meeting today? Her speech was disjointed. Legends say the gods toss a coin to decide if a Targaryen is mad or great—is she the other side of the coin?"
"From what I have seen, she is not," Moqorro said, shaking his head. "Her abnormal behavior today is my fault. I told the Queen that the most powerful follower she could obtain would soon visit her. We interrupted our meeting to grant your Lord Commander an immediate audience; Daenerys even changed her clothes for the occasion... and it turns out he did not come to swear fealty. The higher the expectation, the greater the disappointment, and it left the Queen quite embarrassed. Why exactly does he refuse to agree to her terms?"
"The 'most powerful follower'? On what basis did you make that judgment?"
"I saw him in the flames, fighting side by side with the Queen."
"I have also seen the image of the Queen using dragonfire to repel the wights, but that is all." It was true; visions shown in the flames never contradicted each other, and this time was no exception. But in what capacity would Egger and Daenerys stand together... man leading woman following, vice versa, or neither? Melisandre had seen countless colleagues make false prophecies due to vain judgments; they were self-indulgent, mistaking their own interpretations for the intent of the Lord of Light. Moqorro surpassed her in magical mastery, but she had always been slightly superior in interpreting prophecy. She hoped it was the same this time. Melisandre said reproachfully: "Egger cannot possibly agree to the conditions the Queen proposed today. Before you brought her back to Westeros, you should have done your homework on the situation in the Seven Kingdoms. Do you know the current state of the North and the Gift?"
Moqorro was not angry, nor did he ask why. Communication between High Priests emphasizes absolute candor. When Melisandre used a definitive term like impossible, it meant there was no room for negotiation on that point.
And that was terrible.
"I truly did not know. The situation in Westeros changes too quickly; the information I possess remains stuck around the time of King Robert's passing. If the Lord Commander of the Night's Watch does not swear fealty to the Queen, and the North is her enemy, then even I will have difficulty persuading her to go north to participate in that final war."
"That is your problem. If the Queen ultimately does not go north to fight, then she is not the Prince That Was Promised. You should understand this," Melisandre said bluntly. "And I, along with the Lord Commander, cannot stay at Dragonstone for even one more day. We must leave tomorrow morning for King's Landing."
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