The Faceless Man's eyes were filled with terror, but he could not speak at all. He could only let out muffled whimpers of pleading.
Grand Maester Runeter stared at everything before him in utter shock. His last memory was of Danyla humiliating him at the council meeting, before he had fainted from shame and anger. He had never imagined he would wake to find himself trussed up on a pile of firewood.
He simply could not imagine why King Jaehaerys, who had always been merciful, would treat him like this.
It was true that the accomplished scholars of the Citadel held none of the lords of the Seven Kingdoms in any regard, not even the king, for truth and science were their only pursuits in life.
In their eyes, even humanity itself was no more than a fleeting moment in the course of history. What they sought was eternal truth.
Whether it was the White Walkers or the kingdoms' conflicts, none of the world's turmoil and calamities mattered as much as the learning to which they devoted themselves.
But most maesters sent out to serve were still quite loyal to their lords! And he, Runeter, had served the Targaryen royal family with all his heart. All he had done was faithfully report the information he gathered to the Citadel!
Why was he being secretly executed today?
And why had he been bound alongside two complete strangers? The old maester was utterly bewildered.
Meanwhile, the white-haired young man continued to shout without pause.
"Is this how you seized my father Gaemon and brought him here before?"
"What exactly are you trying to do?"
"You're all utterly insane!"
No one present reacted to his shouting. After Danyla and King Jaehaerys had devoutly chanted the Valyrian spells seven times, their bleeding stopped