"Viserys."
"Kneel here."
The silver-haired boy was slightly taken aback by his mother's request.
However, Maester Daniel and Ser David Shad, who were seated beside the throne, showed no surprise at all.
News from King's Landing had gradually arrived. Just as Queen Rhaella and Viserys had departed Westeros, King's Landing had officially fallen.
Duke Tywin had led twelve thousand soldiers, flying the banner of loyal service, towards King's Landing, only to be turned away by Aerys II.
Within the Small Council, Grand Maester Pycelle had overruled Varys, the Master of Whisperers, convincing the king to open the city gates to welcome the Westerlands army.
But as the gates of King's Landing swung open and the Lannister forces poured into the city, the Duke of Casterly Rock, who had previously sworn fealty, suddenly turned hostile. In the name of Robert Baratheon, he ordered his troops to sack King's Landing.
The city, which had never fallen to an external enemy, had once again been taken from within.
Aerys II, who was still in King's Landing, was now presumed dead. No certain news had come, but it was widely believed he wouldn't survive.
Therefore, Queen Rhaella's sudden decision was understandable.
"Your Grace."
At this moment, the old maester sitting to the side suddenly spoke, then rose shakily, supporting himself with his chair.
"If you wish to crown the prince, you must follow the will of the Seven."
The coronation of a new king was a major event, requiring a very complex ceremony. First, a proper cathedral was needed. During the Targaryen dynasty, most kings were crowned in the Great Sept of Baelor.
Dragonstone happened to have a sept. It was said that Aegon the Conqueror had knelt in prayer there the night before sailing to conquer the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros.
However, according to the records of House Targaryen, this is not entirely credible, as Aegon only converted to The Seven after reaching Oldtown during the conquest of Westeros.
Therefore, this sept must have been built after the conquest.
And a new king needs more than just a sept for his coronation.
A coronation ceremony also requires the Archbishop and several other Archbishops to jointly perform the crowning, anointing the new king with holy oil, and the Archbishop reciting blessings, and so on…
However, the barren Dragonstone currently possessed only a sept, nothing else. There were few monks and nuns, let alone Archbishops and the Archbishop.
Queen Rhaella's expression also faltered slightly upon hearing Maester Daniel's words, and she lowered her head, rubbing her temples.
"I apologize, Maester Daniel."
"I've been a bit out of sorts."
Although the silver-haired woman appeared strong, the pain of a fallen kingdom and a destroyed home was like ants gnawing at her flesh, causing her to lose some composure.
She only wanted to continue the line of kings, to crown her child, so that the flame of hope in her heart wouldn't be extinguished.
The House Targaryen wouldn't fall in her generation.
"If that's the case, then let's go to the Sept."
Then the old maidservant helped Queen Rhaella up, while Ser Shad, who was sitting, also stood up, supporting his sword, and spoke.
"Then, Your Majesty, I will go find the monks."
"There's no need to find those monks."
"Ser."
However, the steward's suggestion was immediately rejected by the silver-haired woman.
Queen Rhaella stood before the seat at the center of the round table, gazing at everyone present. The golden crown, inlaid with rubies, shone brightly under the torches.
She took a deep breath to compose herself, and then spoke.
"These are extraordinary times." "I will crown Viserys. It need only be done under the gaze of the Seven."
The Dragonstone sept held statues of the Seven.
And Viserys now knelt before the statues of the Seven, his mother, Queen Rhaella Targaryen, at his side.
The queen, now in a black velvet gown, looked even more regal, her figure slender and graceful. Her silver hair flowed down to her waist. One hand rested on Viserys's head, while the other held an oath, freshly written by Maester Daniel, which she read aloud in a low voice.
"This feeling..."
Viserys knelt on the ground, feeling strangely uncomfortable. It was as if he were stripped naked, exposed for all to see.
In the vast sept, Queen Rhaella recited the vows for her son, while Maester Daniel, Ser David Shad, and others watched from a distance.
The focus of everyone's attention, the silver-haired boy, seemed restless, fidgeting slightly.
Then, Queen Rhaella gently pressed him down with her hand.
"Do you swear to be merciful?"
His mother's voice echoed from above.
Yet, Viserys's breath quickened. No one noticed his face flush, as if the blood in his veins were aflame.
He heard his mother's words. Viserys could only nod blankly, muttering 'I swear it', while raising his head slightly, his eyes filled with bewilderment as he looked around.
The towering statues of the Seven looked down upon the small figures below.
In the Dragonstone sept, the eyes of the Crone were pearls, the Father's beard was gilded, and the Stranger looked more like a beast than a man.
The statues were carved from the masts of the ships that the Targaryen ancestors had used to flee Valyria. Over the centuries, they had been painted, gilded, silvered, and encrusted with jewels.
There were also several altars in the sept, with stained glass that reflected dazzling light in the torchlight.
"So hot."
Viserys felt a slight burning sensation on his palms when they touched the floor of the sept, as if he were in a great furnace where everything was consumed by flames.
"No."
"It's so hot."
However, everyone around him seemed unaffected, except for Viserys, who felt something was amiss.
What's going on?
Why am I feeling this way under the gaze of The Seven?
Viserys was puzzled, but his body temperature continued to rise.
He knew the coronation ceremony was incredibly important and tried to keep himself together, not letting on that something was wrong.
However, his breathing grew increasingly rapid as time passed. Viserys felt like he was being melted by fire. His skin, muscles, blood, organs, and bones were all being burned to carbon, eventually turning to ash.
And then, at that moment.
Queen Rhaella finally finished reciting her long oath.
Then, the silver-haired woman removed the golden crown inlaid with rubies from her head and slowly placed it on Viserys's head.
"From this day forth,"
"My child."
"You are Viserys Targaryen III, King of the Andals, the Rhoynar and the First Men, rightful ruler of the Seven Kingdoms, and Protector of the Realm."