The Mountain of Ice and Fire

The Mountain sat on a tall, rough wooden chair, watching the Qarth nobles enter the hall. There weren't many, but not few either, totaling twenty-three people.

In the petition corridor, there were hundreds of attendants belonging to these twenty-three people, which naturally made the King's petition corridor seem crowded.

The Mountain stared down at the group, not saying a word.

The atmosphere in the hall suddenly became oppressive and heavy.

The twenty-three nobles exchanged glances, some unable to hide their fear.

"If you don't speak, I'll throw you all out," The Mountain said indifferently.

Today's council hall included not only the King and Queen, but also Arya Stark, Jon Targaryen, Daenerys Targaryen, and Quaithe wearing a lacquered wooden mask. In addition, there were the guarding generals.

Except for the Queen, everyone else was a courtier of The Mountain.

The Mountain's opening remark was to tell these timid Qarth nobles who came to petition to get out, if none of them dared to step forward and petition first.

When there are many people, there is indeed a mentality of letting others speak first, a mentality that stems from a sense of security. People who hide behind others and don't take the lead feel safer.

The nobles of Qarth were not without courage, but as they got closer to The Mountain, the oppressive feeling of The Mountain as a humanoid beast surged forth. The Mountain's sudden and decisive killing of the Pureborn and the Undying left an indelible and shocking impact on the Qarth people.

"Your Majesty!" A gentle-faced noble stood up. "I am Landon Carol, a senior minister of King Hoen, in charge of Qarth's affairs. When King Hoen is away, I preside over the council of ministers on his behalf."

"Oh!" The Mountain replied blandly.

"Has Your Majesty seen this jade griffin before?" Landon Carol held an object in his hands, covered with brocade. He lifted the brocade, revealing a translucent white jade griffin.

A griffin carved from a complete piece of white jade, lifelike and priceless.

"Hmm!" The Mountain grunted.

After taking Qarth, The Mountain's wealth was already the greatest in the world, unmatched by anyone. The Iron Bank of Braavos's reserves of wealth were no less than the wealth of Qarth's royal family. With the Iron Bank plus the wealth of Qarth's royal family, The Mountain could easily raise an army twice as large as it is now.

But The Mountain had lost all interest in wealth like gold, jade, and jewelry. People are only interested in what they lack.

"Your Majesty, the jade griffin is priceless, and this valuable item is not mine," Landon Carol stopped tactfully.

But The Mountain did not ask who it belonged to, as he had expected. The Mountain simply looked at him, not speaking, his expression cold.

Landon Carol probably did not expect the King to be so indifferent to his topic. After an awkward silence lasting several heartbeats, Landon Carol said, "Your Majesty, this was given to me by Queen Hoen as a reward yesterday. It is a treasure of the royal family."

The Mountain looked at Landon Carol expressionlessly, too lazy to even say "oh" or "hmm."

So what if it's a treasure of the royal family? It seemed that His Majesty the King was completely unmoved.

Anger suddenly surged in Landon Carol's heart. The King's indifference was actually a kind of arrogance, a kind of contempt, a kind of humiliation.

"Your Majesty, Queen Hoen bestowed a large number of royal treasures to us courtiers yesterday." Landon Carol waved his hand behind him, including the other twenty-two colleagues, "Why would she suddenly reward us with royal treasures, and also instruct the servants to pack their clothes, saying that she was preparing to travel abroad."

The Mountain looked at Landon Carol, still indifferent.

Of course, he knew why 'Queen Hoen' would suddenly bestow some royal treasures to the Qarth courtiers, and he also knew why 'Queen Hoen' said she was going to travel abroad, because he had caused all these changes. He wanted 'Queen Hoen' to take the three children to Westeros, it was as simple as that.

Qarth could no longer have the bloodline of the past King Hoen. Qarth had restarted, and the past Hoen family had become a complete history.

"Your Majesty, may I ask you, why is Queen Hoen suddenly packing up to travel? Well, I can accept going out to travel, but a normal person going out to travel would not reward us with a large number of treasured items from home. This is very abnormal, isn't it?"

The Mountain grunted: "Landon Carol, what is your title?"

"Duke, Your Majesty the King."

"Duke, what exactly do you mean by saying these words to me?" The Mountain's words were light, but clearly carried a threat. His eyes also became sharp, and his expression was as cold as ice.

"Your Majesty, we have come to petition..."

"Petition for what?" The Mountain said contemptuously.

His unprecedented arrogance stung Duke Landon's dignity. Landon was gentle on the outside but firm on the inside: "Your Majesty, are you going to execute Queen Hoen and the princes and princesses?!" Landon Carol's fear miraculously disappeared, and he stepped forward, questioning The Mountain.

The atmosphere in the hall suddenly became filled with murderous intent.

All the important figures and guarding generals were present today: Jorah Mormont, Grey Worm, Hero, Missandei, and five Khals.

The five Khals were all barbaric and brave men. All five stepped forward, their hands on the hilts of their scimitars. With just a look from The Mountain, five scimitars would be drawn simultaneously, and Duke Landon Carol would be chopped into several pieces.

The petition had suddenly reached this point. Landon Carol seemed to have come with the determination to die to prove his point. The Mountain's gaze swept over the other nobles, one of whom made eye contact with The Mountain and almost fell, only managing to stand again with the support of a noble beside him.

And more nobles were pale, their eyes revealing obvious fear.

Now that things had been said to this point, Duke Landon Carol actually had no way to retreat. The Mountain's gaze returned to his face. Landon Carol was not afraid, and he straightened his chest and met The Mountain's terrifying gaze, even though his back was covered in cold sweat.

The Mountain's sharp eyes instead became gentler. He chuckled, like a tiger baring its teeth after eating its fill: "Duke Landon Carol, is your suspicion that I am going to execute Queen Hoen and the two princes and one princess based on concrete evidence, or did you listen to rumors, or is it your own unfounded speculation and imagination?"

Queen Jeyne smiled and said, "Duke Landon Carol, you are King Hoen's prime minister. I believe in your fairness and integrity. Please provide evidence that the King wants to kill Lady Hoen and her children."

Duke Landon Carol was at a loss for words!

Evidence?

He didn't have it!

None of the twenty-two nobles who came with him had it!

"No evidence?" The Mountain said blandly, "Then you listened to rumors. Duke Landon Carol, tell me the name of the person who spread the rumors, and I will spare your life."

Landon Carol was momentarily speechless.

"So it was your own unfounded speculation and imagination," The Mountain said, "Duke Landon Carol, you were once King Hoen's prime minister, yet you have done the absurd thing of despising royal power and the law, fabricating lies out of thin air, and gathering everyone in the royal hall to interrogate about unfounded matters. I will severely punish you. Do you choose to be burned to death by dragonfire, or do you choose hanging?"

"...Your Majesty, you suddenly and inexplicably slaughtered the Pureborn, burned down Scorpian Keep, raided the House of the Undying, and killed Master Pyat Pree and Lord Gethin Moerr, you violated your oath upon entering the city...Yesterday, Queen Hoen, who was fine, suddenly had the act of dispersing her family wealth, and also had a plan to leave the royal palace. This change made me have to suspect that the King had murderous intentions towards Queen Hoen and the two princes and one princess...This is not my unfounded imagination and speculation, this is your sinful fact. Please swear before the gods that you have no plans to kill Queen Hoen and the princes and princesses. Do you dare to swear? In the name of the Red God you believe in!"

The Mountain did not believe in the Red God, but he supported Quaithe in building a Red God temple on the site of the House of the Undying. This caused the Qarth people to misunderstand that the new King believed in the Red God.

The Mountain did not answer Landon Carol's question. His gaze turned to the other twenty-two courtiers, his gaze slowly sweeping over each person. The twenty-two courtiers lowered their eyes, not daring to meet his gaze.

"Do you all have the same thoughts as Duke Landon Carol?" The Mountain asked indifferently. His words were full of terrible threats.

"I don't, Your Majesty." The noble who had almost fallen earlier due to his legs going weak knelt down with both knees, "Your Majesty, I have come to offer treasure. Queen Hoen rewarded me with a dragon carving. It is a golden dragon carved from the finest golden wood. I have specially brought it to offer to His Majesty the King."

"Oh." The Mountain looked at Pylos Koegaryen, Pylos stepped forward and took a rattan box from the noble's hand, placing it on the table in front of the King.

"So fragrant." Arianne Martell smiled. Her straight, delicate nose sniffed hard in the air several times.

"Indeed, what a comfortable fragrance!" Daenerys revealed a charming smile. They both believed that they understood The Mountain's "little trick" in dealing with Landon Carol.

The Mountain opened the rattan box, and a refreshing fragrance wafted out. Inside the rattan box was a beautiful golden dragon, inlaid with many glittering, uniformly sized golden jades as the dragon's scales. And the dragon's eyes were a pair of priceless rubies. The dragon horns were two completely transparent green jades.

Queen Jeyne exclaimed in amazement.

She had never seen such a wonderful work of art.

This was the masterpiece of the famous Eastern carving master, Kagura Falei. Just the fragrant golden wood that exudes a special fragrance is a rare find.

"What is your name?" The Mountain asked the noble kneeling in front of him.

"Great King, I am Baelor Qaddos."

"Title?"

"Count, respected King."

"What position have you held in the royal palace?"

"Taxation, Your Majesty."

"Count Baelor Qaddos, are you willing to swear to the Red God R'hllor in front of High Priestess Quaithe, and ask the Red God R'hllor to witness your oath of allegiance to me?"

"I can't wait!"

"Good, I want you to swear allegiance to me in the name of your family's honor, the Red God R'hllor, and your life. You and the Qaddos family are loyal to King Gregor Clegane and the Clegane family, and will never betray."

"Great and invincible King, you have given me and my family an opportunity to swear allegiance to you. My family and I are grateful to you and will be loyal to you until death. This is also a great gift from the gods to me and my family."

Jon Targaryen frowned as he listened. Baelor Qaddos's words made him very uncomfortable. He was unwilling to believe that there were such dishonorable, cowardly, and shameless people in the world.

And this guy looked like he would soon become his colleague.

Quaithe stood up and walked to Count Baelor Qaddos: "The night is dark and full of terrors, and the Red God is the only true god. Count Baelor Qaddos, please solemnly swear to His Majesty the King that if you violate your oath, the Red God R'hllor will inflict eternal punishment of hell on the souls of everyone in the Qaddos family."

"Yes, High Priestess Quaithe, please let all the adults and soldiers in the hall witness that I, Baelor Qaddos, Count of Qarth, hereby swear to King Gregor Clegane. In the name of the Red God R'hllor, with my life, and with the honor of the Qaddos family, I swear that whether the sun rises in the west or the sea dries up, the body, mind, and soul of Baelor and the Qaddos family are loyal to King Gregor Clegane and the Clegane family, for generations to come, and will never betray."

High Priestess Quaithe said a long prayer in the Asshai'i language that no one could understand, and then a flame appeared on her right finger, burning a circular mark on Baelor Qaddos's right hand.

Afterwards, Quaithe took a step back and nodded to The Mountain, indicating that the swearing ceremony was over.

The Mountain's gaze towards Baelor Qaddos became gentle: "Please rise, respected Count Baelor Qaddos. I now formally invite you to serve as the Minister of Taxation of Qarth, in charge of all taxation in Qarth. I hope you can work tirelessly and share my worries."

"I will do my best to manage the taxation of Qarth for Your Majesty." Baelor Qaddos knelt on the ground and pounded his left chest several times with his right fist, making loud thumping sounds.

"Please rise, my loyal Minister of Taxation." The Mountain smiled, kind and amiable.

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Baelor Qaddos stood up and stood on the side of the courtiers. However, he was very self-aware and stood at the end of the line, far away from the five angry-eyed Khals.

The Mountain looked at the other twenty-one nobles: "Is there anyone else who wants to swear allegiance to me?"

This time, all twenty-one nobles knelt down.

The Mountain asked for their names and positions, and after having them swear allegiance under Quaithe's witness, he arranged some unimportant positions for them.

Among the twenty-two kneeling nobles, The Mountain only heavily used the most timid and spineless worm, Count Baelor Qaddos.

Finally, The Mountain looked at Duke Landon Carol: "Duke Landon Carol, you fabricated lies out of thin air, slandered and defamed, despised royal power, and had no respect for the law. Do you choose to be beheaded, burned to death, or hanged?"

"Your Majesty, do you dare to swear in the name of the Red God that you have no plans to kill Queen Hoen and the princes and princesses?"

“There was nothing to begin with, I have no need to swear.”

“You dare not, which means there is something. So you're a shameful person who treats the oath of 'not killing Quarthians' as a joke. I'd rather die than live in the same city as a tyrant.”

“Oh. Very well, you have a strong backbone.” The Mountain looked at Beria Cardoso, “Lord Earl, do you know where Duke Landon Carroll's home is?”

“I do, Your Majesty.”

“Lead the way. Together with Captain Jorah Mormont and Commander Grey Worm, lead a hundred Unsullied and two Dothraki cavalry battalions to capture everyone in the Carroll family, regardless of gender, age, servants, or slaves. I will have the entire Carroll family beheaded and displayed to the public, and I invite Lady Horn to personally carry out the execution.”