With just a few words, Danyla had backed the Citadel's old diehards into a corner. Yet faced with her status and the Great Dragons under her command, these men—the most eloquent in all Westeros—could only swallow their countless objections and reluctantly keep their mouths shut.
After all, as some of the cleverest people in Westeros, they might not have known the full story behind what had happened to the Starry Sept and House Hightower, but they knew Princess Danyla was certainly involved.
Others might not have seen much connection between Holy Flame Island's rise, the Great Dragon in Weirwood Square, and the riots in Oldtown, but the Citadel's doctors could piece together most of it.
Following the principle that whoever benefited was the mastermind, the Oldtown riots might have appeared to stem from an inadvertent mistake by House Hightower, but they could very well have been the result of Princess Danyla pulling strings behind the scenes.
Most of these doctors, however, devoted their energy to pursuing knowledge and truth. They had little interest in the struggles and rivalries of the Seven Kingdoms. So long as the Citadel's independent standing remained untouched, they could not be bothered to interfere.
House Hightower's influence within the Citadel was indeed immense, but the doctors of the Conclave had no need to bow to its wishes.
Thus, when riots broke out in Oldtown, the Citadel immediately spoke with one voice and chose to stay out of harm's way.
They did not want any unforeseen calamity to befall the Citadel, either, so despite their deep resentment, they all kept their tongues firmly in check.
Only Doctor Vaegon, whom they had pushed forward and who considered his status exceptional, spoke up once more. Relying on his position as Danyla's elder and his usual sharp tongue, he made