Skies Above Oldtown
127 AC
Here we are! Perzysia announced down the bond. Are you sure we can't burn this city?
No. There are innocents in this city, and we can't make a mess. This is the Hightowers home territory. Elaera said firmly.
For all she loathed the Hightowers, she did admire the city.
Oldtown was a labyrinth of wynds, crisscrossing alleys, narrow crookback streets, and markets, such as the Thieves Market and Ragpicker's Wynd. Oldtown was built in stone, with all its streets cobbled, which could make them wet and slippery on a damp day.
Most bridges were made of stone as well, although some wooden bridges could be found as well in the city. The city itself was surrounded by massive, thick, high stone walls. Oldtown had described as smelling as flowery as a perfumed dowager. During summer, it steamed and sweltered during daytime but came alive at night. Foliage included melons, moonbloom, nightshade, peaches, and pomegranates.
Many small isles were located in Oldtown— The Quill and Tankard, an inn, stood on its own island in the Honeywine. The river road wound along beside the Honeywine through the heart of the city. West of the river, the Guildhalls lined the river bank. Rat pits and black brothels were located in the undercity.
The Citadel was located upriver on both sides of the Honeywine. Boys and men gathered from all over Westeros to learn, study, and forge a maester's chain. The Citadel was considered to be the greatest seat of knowledge in the known world.
Which the citizens of Caelum would deny to the end of their days. The Great Library of Everlight Haven's collection, including rare books, of all topics had multiplied by ten since Elaera had taken over, and both sexes could become Librarians and eventually become Master Scholars there.
In fact, the Citadel had been loosing students, who opted to switch to the Great Library of Everlight Haven. Some Maesters had even left the Citadel and their Maester chains to become Librarians and Master Scholars.
Downriver was the Starry Sept of the Faith of the Seven, which was raised on the command of Lord Triston Hightower. It had been the seat of the High Septons for a thousand years, which made Oldtown the unquestioned center of the Faith for all of Westeros. Besides the Sept of Oldtown, at least seven more septs honoring the Seven, built on the command of Lord Damon Hightower, could be found nearby.
These included the Sailor's Sept down by the harbor, the Lord's Sept, and the Seven Shrines in their gardens across the Honeywine. Oldtown was also home to a motherhouse. Down by the wharves could be found temples that catered to foreigners, such as Summer Islanders and red priests of the Lord of Light.
The mighty Hightower was a massive stepped lighthouse located on Battle Isle, where the Honeywine widened into Whispering Sound. The Hightower had a great beacon on top, which would showed ships the way to port. The Hightower was located on Battle Isle in the center of Oldtown.
The Hightower was boasted to be the tallest tower in the world after the Doom, higher than even the seven-hundred-foot Wall.
Elaera didn't know if was true or not.
Anyways, she was here on a mission as she guided Perzysia to the Citadel.
The Citadel, Oldtown
127 AC
"Absolutely blasphemous! Women cannot become Maesters, they are too fragile!" the Archmaester of Economics protested.
Elaera and Vaegon, who was still alive and kicking at sixty three years old, gave the man unimpressed looks.
"The twenty two female Master Scholars would say something different." Vaegon said. "I personally checked, their curriculum is three times as hard as ours. Out of every new class at the Great Library of Everlight Haven, which at a minimum is one hundred, at best only thirty graduate to become Librarians after the three years, and only ten to fifteen become Master Scholars after an extra five years of training. And half of those graduates are women, and only ten highborn students graduate out of a class of one hundred."
"The Master Scholars do not and will not give a cake walk to highborn students, nor to the smallfolk who join. If someone wants to graduate, you must earn it." Elaera said.
"Princess, you and your ladies are exceptions when it comes to women—" the Archmaester of Healing started.
"You speak of women, and yet you are a man. You claim we are the weaker sex—say that again after you carry a baby or babes in your body for nine months, then risk your life in labor!"
"This is what I have been saying since I got here!" the Archmaester of Higher Mysteries, Henry, squawked. "I was the only boy in my entire family, and I watched my mother give birth to my seven younger siblings, and my aunts and female cousins give birth! Men and women are both strong and weak, we are both equal! Also, Princess, can I see your thesis on dragon lore?"
"You can. And Maesters, this building is built of stone... but the books aren't."
Through the window, they had a very clear view of Perzysia, who was the same size of Caraxes, yawn, smoke coming from her nostrils.
Gardens of the Red Keep, the Red Keep
127 AC
"You actually did it." Rhaenyra grinned as she held her wine glass. She and her children had returned from a progress of the Westerlands and Riverlands. "Women and girls can finally become Maesters!"
"I paid the City Watch to teach them self defense, and they took it like ducks to water." Elaera grinned. "Many left to become Librarians, however. I didn't protest."
Viserys had been singing Elaera's praises from the top of the Red Keep when the word came announcing that women and girls could become Maesters.
Mellos had had a literally heart attack when the word came, and had been replaced by Master Scholar Katherine, the only person in her class to become a Master Scholar.
Viserys had changed Grand Maester's position so that Master Scholars could also sit on the Small Council. If a Maester was chosen, the title was Grand Maester. If a Master Scholar was chosen, it was Grand Scholar.
"To Elaera Targaryen, the Wise!" Rhaenyra laughed, clinking her wine glass to her sister's wine glass.
A servant overhead it, and by the gossip chain, all of King's Landing was calling Elaera 'the Wise' by sunset.
That is today's chapter. I hope you all enjoyed it!
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Perzys's Vējes
Fanfiction"Rhaenyra did win the Dance, but Elaera was the genius behind the Iron Throne, the Blacks mastermind. She could have easily schemed her way to be queen, but she never did. No wonder the Rogue Prince loved her. And when she died, the realm has never...
