The people of Westeros took vows before the Seven very seriously. However, backed into a corner and with no way out, Paxter Redwyne gritted his teeth. Under the High Septon's gaze, he raised his hand.
"In the name of the Old Gods and the New, I solemnly swear: everything I have said in response to this inquiry is the truth. There is no falsehood in my words."
As his voice faded, Paxter shot a triumphant look at Arthur. He opened his mouth to speak again.
Suddenly, a blinding flash of white light illuminated the Great Hall.
Paxter felt a sharp numbness shoot through his still-raised hand, followed by an intense tightening.
The sensation spread instantly through his entire body. His limbs stiffened uncontrollably, and he collapsed to the floor, every muscle twitching and convulsing violently.
The sudden event startled everyone in the hall, throwing the crowd into chaos.
The three judges rose from their seats, faces pale with shock. The guards lining the walls gripped their sword hilts but looked around in utter bewilderment, unsure of what to do.
After the initial panic subsided slightly...
"Seven save us!" The dumbstruck, obese High Septon was the first to react. A look of fanaticism flashed in his eyes as he announced loudly, "This is a miracle of the Seven! Lord Paxter lied while swearing a sacred oath, and the Gods have struck him down with divine punishment!"
Silence descended upon the hall. Every eye turned to the center of the room where Paxter lay on the cold stone floor, twitching uncontrollably. His ginger hair stood on end, making his balding head look absurdly comical.
The skin on the arm he had raised to swear the oath was blackened and peeling, as if it had been scorched by fire.
The inquiry and trial in the Throne Room were abruptly halted by this unforeseen event.
Jon Arryn announced that the proceedings would resume at a later date, and the crowd began to filter out of the hall.
Paxter Redwyne, still spasming, was carried by guards to Grand Maester Pycelle's chambers for treatment.
Arthur was summoned by his uncle and Jon Arryn to the Tower of the Hand.
Jon Arryn's sharp eyes still held a lingering shock. "Lad, was this some trick of yours, or did the Gods truly intervene?"
"It wasn't a trick. I don't know why it happened." Of course, Arthur couldn't confess that this was the result of him using the Lightning Strike card on Paxter.
"I didn't want to put you and my uncle in a difficult position, giving people reason to gossip that you were biased toward me. That's why I didn't stick to our original script."
"My plan was simply to state the truth, force Paxter to swear a sacred oath, and then expose his lies through trial by combat. I never expected... this."
In truth, Arthur had wanted to test the power of the Lightning Strike card. Physically, the damage wasn't devastating, but the psychological impact was immense.
Some things weigh nothing until you put them on a scale; then, a thousand pounds won't balance them out.
Paxter had lied under sacred oath before the gods and was struck by lightning in full view of the court. His reputation was now utterly destroyed. He would be nailed to the pillar of shame for history to mock.
Not only was Paxter socially dead on the spot, but his entire House would suffer by association.
Hearing Arthur's explanation, Jon Arryn and Eddard exchanged glances. They both felt a sense of relief mixed with pride—Arthur was a sensible lad, willing to shoulder the burden himself rather than rely on their influence.
Eddard chided him gently. "Arthur, since we agreed on a plan beforehand, you shouldn't have changed it on your own. Paxter disguising his men as pirates was an act of dishonor from the start."
Arthur nodded humbly. "Uncle, I understand. I won't act on my own next time."
At that moment, the squire Hugh entered to report. "My Lords, Grand Maester Pycelle has treated Lord Paxter. His life is not in danger, though the Grand Maester says his right hand cannot be saved."
"He is also delirious and incoherent. Pycelle has given him milk of the poppy to help him sleep."
"It seems Lord Paxter will have to offer his left hand to accept the punishment for lying," Arthur remarked dryly.
Jon Arryn shook his head. "Paxter not only lied to the inquiry but lied to the Gods. He has brought this upon himself. In this situation... neither he nor House Redwyne matters much anymore."
By the time Arthur left the Red Keep, the story of Paxter Redwyne lying under sacred oath and being struck by lightning had already spread through the streets.
Over the next few days, this bizarre, publicly witnessed event continued to ferment.
Soon, people were labeling him "The Deceiver," "The Oathbreaker," and "The God-Cursed."
In Cobbler's Square, radical septons preached that the "God-Cursed" was spurned by the Seven, inciting the faithful to march on the Red Keep and demand Paxter's execution.
Outside the Great Sept of Baelor, in the center of the white marble plaza beneath the statue of Baelor the Blessed, the fat High Septon—wearing his towering crystal crown—fanatically proclaimed that Paxter's punishment was a direct manifestation of the Seven.
King's Landing's crime rate plummeted as news of "Divine Punishment" spread. The fear of gods striking down sinners was a powerful deterrent.
Nobles and wealthy merchants from the three hills flocked to the septs to repent, praying for forgiveness and donating generously to the poor.
In Flea Bottom—the city's poorest, filthiest, and most lawless slum—the smallfolk discovered a miracle of their own.
The famous "Bowl of Brown," usually made from questionable meats (pigeons, rats, and worse) and requiring payment, was now being given away for free.
Normally, a Bowl of Brown was a greasy stew simmered for days, with unidentifiable chunks of meat floating in it. Most customers preferred not to ask what kind of meat it was.
But now, the stew was thick with grains. When the cook stuck the large wooden ladle into the pot, the gruel was so thick the spoon stood upright on its own.
When Arthur learned how the trial had transformed King's Landing, he was astonished. This change taught him a profound lesson: sometimes, the wrathful gaze of a warrior god is just as merciful as the gentle heart of a bodhisattva.
---
At the Inn.
"My Lord," reported Septon Alyse, who had just returned from gathering news at the Great Sept. "The noble houses that had betrothals arranged with House Redwyne are claiming they were deceived. They have petitioned the High Septon to annul the engagements, and he has agreed to all of them."
Gerold added, "Even the Reach lords who came to King's Landing with Paxter Redwyne are now avoiding House Redwyne like the plague."
Arthur wasn't surprised by this shift. A just cause attracts much support, an unjust one finds little.
Now, not only were the judges on his side, but the "Gods" were too.
The rest of the inquiry and trial would simply be a formality: confirming Arthur's compensation demands and sentencing the Arbor for its crimes.
Just as Arthur was considering whether to amend his demands—perhaps adding a few more conditions or increasing the compensation—Jon Arryn's squire, Hugh, arrived to summon him to the Tower of the Hand.
It was time to discuss the reparations for Starfall.