Absolute silence followed that short prayer. Bronn opened his eyes, maintaining that blessed, bright magical light on his right palm. It was real, it was warm, and it was bright. Of course, everyone on that table had heard the rumors, but it was also easy to dismiss them as a trick while sitting so far away.
But now, right before their eyes, with eyes all around, it was impossible to dismiss. Nor could it be a trick, for there was no cable, no lantern that bright without a flicker.
This should do the fucking trick.
Bronn eyed Olenna; her eyes were agape, threatening to fall out. The spoonful she was going to eat was halfway to her mouth, still frozen there. Mace was like his mother, but more expressive, smiling, gleeful, and excited. Meanwhile, Alerie Tyrell had already clasped her hands, closed her eyes to pray.
A look around, the entire table was either praying or gawking. Even Willas followed his mother to close his eyes and pray. The other younger children just waited, unable to fully grasp how magical a feat this was.
Bronn coughed to wake them up. "My Lord, I would like to rest. May I be guided to my resting abode?"
"Yes? Ah! Yes, yes, of course, Lord Septon!" Mace shouted and jumped from his seat to roar at a nearby servant.
Bronn maintained a soft smile and left. But only Unella followed him, as Malora wanted to stay and speak with Alerie. They were sisters, after all, and Alerie was born right after Malora, so they were rather close.
Going to be an interesting night for them.
Holding back a chuckle, Bronn left the Tyrells to their thoughts.
####
How did he do that?
Olenna Tyrell couldn't fall asleep that night. She rolled left and right in her large bed, all alone. Her mind constantly replayed the memory of that magical light. It shook her, the display of such an unknown and unimaginable feat. It clashed with her common sense.
At first, she was ready to dismiss the so-called Bronn the Blessed. She had seen his face, and she saw nothing special. Nothing out of the ordinary. Just a man with a somewhat sly face, not that handsome, simply average, or a step above. He was tall and well-built, but nothing that would suggest divinity or holiness.
Yet, the moment he spoke that prayer and his palm burned in light, everything changed. His appearance no longer seemed ordinary, but rather a disguise. A disguise to hide the blessings. If he were as handsome as Rhaegar, the realm's men would've hunted him down.
As he was now, it allowed his blessings to speak for him, not his looks.
Yet, she felt frustrated. She'd seen the miracle, and she still found herself questioning it. It felt as if her sense of reality was challenged.
And she hated it when she couldn't find answers.
If he can heal Willas… Yes, I shall wait.
####
Mace wasn't like his mother. Critical thinking was a myth to him. He was a man driven by emotions, pride of being a Tyrell, and ambitions. To him, seeing Lord Septon's blessing light was enough. He never had any doubts, and if there were any, they were now gone.
"Seven above, I thank you for this blessing! Truly, your light shines bright upon House Tyrell today. You've sent your holy angel right to my doorstep. I… I'll treat Lord Septon right." Mace prayed nonstop in the Sept. "And, ah, do pardon my wife, Alerie's gone to see her sister, that devout Septa in your angel's service..."
Mace Tyrell wasn't aware. But he was just one step away from turning into a creature even the Faith Militant of old would have feared.
A zealous follower of Seven's Angel, a zealous one like none other.
####
It was still daylight, and Alerie took her elder sister outside to the garden of flowers. There, the two sisters sat down on a bench, close, holding each other's hands.
"Oh, where do I even begin, Alerie? Life has been glorious beyond words. The Lord Septon opened my eyes to truths I never dreamed of. I used to chase whispers of magic, and now I breathe it. He showed me the light…"
From the beginning, one thing was clear to Alerie; her sister was completely devoted to the Lord Septon. Every line she spoke invoked him in one way or another.
"That's… wonderful, Malora. But I… also heard about… you having a son?"
"Of course I do! I begged Lord Septon for it, and Father said yes, so long as the Gods made him tall like the Baratheon King, wise as Uthor, and mighty as a bull. And the hair red as flame!" Malora confessed right away. "He was beautiful, truly he was."
"And you left him?"
"I never sought a child, only the touch of the Lord Septon's divine gift. He said the Maiden herself blessed him to grant any woman her heart's desire. A son or daughter, beauty or wit, strength or grace—everything. When I felt it take root in me, I knew it was true. And Father loved him the moment he saw him."
Alerie frowned, finding it hard to believe that her father agreed to all that, but she already knew it was all true. She didn't know the details, however, about the Lord Septon's gifts. It was hard to believe, yet after seeing his light at the table, she didn't know what to believe.
"Can he…" She decided to ask Malora the real question. "Can he heal Willas? He's my firstborn and…"
"He can, I know it," Malora said, her voice trembling with zeal.
She caught Alerie's hand, pressing it close."Lord Septon told me himself, he's only beginning to understand the depth of the Mother and Maiden's blessing. Healing is but a sliver of it. I… I'm trembling to see what other wonders he'll reveal. Alerie, believe me, have faith—submit to Lord Septon, and he'll make your deepest dreams come alive. His blessings forge destinies, and his curses can end them."
Alerie stared at her zealous sister's excited face. She could see, Malora was completely serious. Malora believed what she was saying. And truth be spoken, she felt like she believed her as well.
"What do you mean by… submit?"
"I cannot say yet. You'll ask him to heal Willas, and he will have to reach beyond the veil, beg the Seven to turn Their eyes. Do you know what that means? It means defying Their will, tearing at the seams of fate. Without him, Willas would remain bound to earth, but if he is healed, he will soar, a ruler healed by divine hands. You're not asking for mercy, Alerie… you're asking to unmake destiny itself, and that demands sacrifice, submission, and the holy rites."
The truth was, Bronn had never asked Malora to persuade Alerie to do anything. He had only told Malora to be truthful with her sister. Malora truly believed in everything she was saying. They were all her own words.
And Alerie could see that. Her jaw tightened, and she looked down at her hand in Malora's grasp. She pondered on what Malora just said, and yes, it was true. What she hoped for was akin to changing Willas' destiny. After all, the healing wouldn't be a natural act but rather a magical blessing. And it was a fact as old as time, when the Gods give something, they also take.
"I… understand."
To that, Alerie found her elder sister taking her in her embrace.
"Oh, Alerie. Don't be so timid. Don't shrink away when he calls for the toll. Willas' fate is his to weave, and the Seven guide his hand. Can't you feel it? He's their Angel."
Alerie just nodded; her innate personality was like that. Not as expressive, more of a silent, calm, and stoic type.
####
Bronn woke up early that morning as the task ahead was arduous. He slept alone, maintaining a respectable distance from Malora and Unella as he was certain the walls had ears, and possibly eyes. It was the home of Tyrells, and it was impossible for someone like Olenna not to hear everything.
"Malora, stock the rejuvenation potion, calming draught, and prepare the bone mending potion I brewed in King's Landing," Bronn ordered Malora while Unella helped him into his noble robes. "Unella, you'll join me in prayer. When I speak a verse, you'll keep the words humming low till I give the next. The Seven like their echoes."
The two septas nodded firmly, serious in their roles.
Finally, once Unella tied his seven-colored belt, he strolled out of the bedchamber. Not so surprised, he found Mace Tyrell waiting for him there, eager to guide him to Willas' bedchamber. Heck, there were six knights guarding them, as if scared that someone would harm him.
Eventually, after just a short walk, they arrived inside a decently large room, a bedchamber on the ground floor. It was large, filled with book cabinets, a wheeled chair, some toys, and of course, a bed where Willas rested.
Alerie sat right beside her son, and Olenna was standing close to the edge. There were a few more House Tyrell men and women present. There were no other children.
"May the Seven's light guide us!" Bronn calmly inched towards the bed. He noticed Olenna's tired face, same for Alerie.
Must have been one thought-provoking night.
___________________
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