Game of Thrones: Dance of the Dragons

Old Town, the territory of the Hightower family, the headquarters of the Seven Churches and the City of Inquisition.

In Westeros, the faith in the Seven Gods and the Citadel are almost ubiquitous, deeply rooted in the minds of every noble and commoner.

As a result, the Seven Gods faith became a means for the archbishop and other high-ranking officials to rapidly rise to power and amass wealth.

Although Viserys was cowardly, he was not a foolish king. He knew perfectly well that the belief in the Seven Gods constantly influenced the rule of House Targaryen.

Viserys took a sip of wine and said slowly, "Have a safe journey and avoid any dangers along the way."

The preceding sentence states that Viserys agreed to Baelor's plan to demand money and provisions from the Old Town.

The next sentence was a way of telling him to stop there: what the Seven Kingdoms need most right now is stability and peace, not the riots of the Inis era.

"Yes, Father."

Of course, besides extortion, Beller had a clear objective in going to the old town.

To reiterate, in Baelor's eyes, no one, nothing, and no belief can supersede the Tangrian dynasty's authority.

……

After breakfast, Beller called his sister Renilla to head to the dragon's lair, where they rode their respective dragons to Old Town.

Helena also wanted to go.

In her eyes, flying through the sky on a dragon with her brother was much more interesting than studying in the Red Keep.

"Oh, okay." The little girl pouted, looking aggrieved.

Beller felt a little sorry for her, so he gave her a special task: "Keep an eye on the free people outside the city for your brother, make sure they don't wander off or cause trouble."

"I'll give you a gift when I get back."

Helena's eyes lit up at the mention of a gift, and she excitedly hugged Baylor, "Thank you, brother! I'll definitely work hard!"

The prince dared not make a move.

Although the little girl's affection made Baylor very happy, the gazes of Renilla and Allison clearly terrified him more.

"Alright, you can go now."

With that, he took Renilla's hand, and the two headed towards the dragon's lair together.

……

The old town was known as the "King of Towers" during the early inhabitants' time.

As the oldest building in Westeros, it is not only the main cathedral of the Seven and the headquarters of the Citadel, but also boasts a natural harbor at the mouth of the River Mead.

After the Targaryen family took control of Westeros, the Hightower family followed suit, choosing to surrender to Aegon the Conqueror and being made lords of Oldtown.

Under the rule of successive patriarchs, Oldtown has become one of the most prosperous and peaceful towns outside of King's Landing.

But today, the tranquility is about to be shattered.

"Roar—"

The gluttons streaked across the sky above the old town like shooting stars, not only announcing the arrival of the Hightoar royal family, but also serving as a silent deterrent.

As the nobles often say: House Targaryen has no need for an army, because they possess unparalleled dragons.

Upon hearing the dragon's roar, Mond Hightower, the current head of the Hightower family, looked out of his room.

"One is black and the other is yellow; they are the dragons of Prince Beller and Princess Renella."

Mond couldn't help but click his tongue inwardly.

While calling for someone to come and change clothes, he pondered the purpose of the prince and princess's visit.

Surely we can't just openly dredge up old grievances because of what happened back then, can we?

Thinking this, Mond quickly led his personal guards and a group of family members to the entrance of the old town to wait for the prince and princess.

In the air, Baylor did not rush to land. Instead, he made the gluttons roar continuously. After confirming that all the people had been notified, he slowly descended.

"Prince, Princess, what brings you to Old Town?" Mond Hightower asked respectfully, trying his best not to make any mistakes in etiquette.

Baelor placed his hands on the dragon saddle. "Don't be so nervous, Lord Mondstadt."

"I just finished the war with the Gluttons on the Stone Steps Islands, and feeling down, I came out with my sister to clear my head."

"Congratulations, Your Highness, you have eliminated another powerful enemy for the kingdom. Please stay in the old town for a while, and allow my Hightoar family to prepare a celebratory banquet for you."

As he spoke, Meng Degong lowered his head slightly, turned his body to the side, and raised his hand in a gesture of invitation.

"Lord Mondstadt, isn't our sudden visit a bit too much trouble?"

That's how it's said, in a polite way.

But Mond could clearly feel that the temperature around him had risen significantly, as if he were in a furnace.

"It is an honor for the Heitel family to host a celebration banquet for you, Your Highness. Please grant me this opportunity!"

Mond felt his breathing becoming increasingly difficult, and immediately knelt down respectfully, almost begging.

"Sister, since Lord Mondstadt has said so, let's not refuse anymore." A cold glint flashed in Beller's eyes as she turned to look at Rhaenyra beside her.

"That's right, we can't let Lord Mondstadt's good intentions go to waste," Renilla agreed.

Under Mond's direction, a simple yet polite victory celebration officially began.

Mond raised his glass first, offering his sincerest blessings to Baylor.

Beller smiled and nodded, taking a small sip of the red wine in his glass. "It's good wine, but unfortunately... the taste isn't right."

Baelor's sigh sent Mond's heart leaping into his throat. "Your Highness, may I ask, what is it that tastes off?"

Baylor swirled his glass. "Maybe it's this drink, or maybe it's just the stress of things lately that's making me feel so tired."

Mond turned around angrily. "What are you all standing there for? Quickly refill the prince's cup with the best wine in Old Town!"

After speaking, when he looked at the prince, he switched back to a respectful and obsequious attitude.

"Prince, you have worked so hard for the kingdom at such a young age. The Hightoar family is willing to follow you and contribute food and money to help the Stone Steps Islands build up their defenses as soon as possible."

Mond realized that Baylor wasn't just here to dredge up old grievances, but also to force the Hightoar family to donate money and grain voluntarily.

In Westeros, everyone knows that the Church of the Seven and the Citadel are located in Oldtown, and the Hightower family owns a natural harbor, making their wealth unimaginable.

Baylor declined righteously, saying, "Lord Mond, how can this be?"

"The Hightoar family needs to maintain the Seven Gods' Cathedral and the Academy. What will they do if I use all your money and resources to build the Stone Steps Islands?"

Mondstadt respectfully replied, "As the most loyal vassals of the Targaryens, the Hightower family will undoubtedly overcome all the difficulties before them!"

"Please believe me, Your Highness, that our Hightoar family has not been coerced in any way and has donated this money and grain voluntarily."

Baylor couldn't help but sigh, "Lord Mond, when we return, I will certainly tell the other dukes and lords about your deeds."

"Let everyone know the loyalty and generosity of the Hightoar family, and the meticulous care they have given me, the Crown Prince, over the years in Old Town."

Mond immediately lowered his head and stammered, "No! No!"

"It is my greatest honor to be able to help the Crown Prince."

"Please let us know what your needs are, and the Hightar family will do its utmost to meet them!"

Baylor's expression remained unchanged; he simply asked, "Is the Archbishop still in good health?"