The Mountain of Ice and Fire

Landon Caroll's gaze swept over the family members, finally landing on Lady Horn's face.

Lady Horn nodded to him.

Landon Caroll's gaze turned to the Mountain.

The contempt, disdain, and arrogance on the Mountain's face were gone, replaced by seriousness and solemnity, as if he were a different person.

This caused a strange feeling in Landon Caroll's heart.

The eyes of everyone in the hall fell on Landon Caroll, waiting for his reaction.

Landon Caroll turned back again, glanced at his teary-eyed wife and mother, then turned his head, faced the Mountain, and knelt on one knee: "Your Majesty, I am willing to submit and swear allegiance to Your Majesty and the Clegane family, never to betray you."

The Mountain stood up, walked to Landon Caroll's side, reached out to help Duke Landon up, and said with a smile: "Duke, if I were to ask you to swear an oath to me according to the oath of the High Priestess Quaithe, would you agree?"

"I have decided to be loyal to Your Majesty. What difference does it make whether I swear allegiance before the Red God or other gods? I agree."

"Good!" The Mountain took a step back and stood in front of Landon Caroll.

High Priestess Quaithe stepped forward, Landon Caroll knelt down again facing the Mountain, and under the guidance of High Priestess Quaithe, began to say a long oath.

Daenerys Targaryen smiled, she looked at Jon Targaryen beside her: "Jon, do you understand now?"

"What?" Jon said. His eyes glanced again at Daenerys' slightly protruding belly.

"His Majesty had long intended to subdue Duke Landon Caroll. His arrogance, contempt, humiliation, and domineering were all deliberately put on."

"What?" Jon's heart stirred.

"How could His Majesty not know anything about the important ministers around King Horn? And even deliberately ask their names and titles?"

"His Majesty already knew Duke Landon?"

"Of course!"

"He wanted to subdue Duke Landon long ago?"

"Landon is a loyal and righteous man, the Prime Minister of Qarth, talented and capable. Of course, His Majesty wants to recruit him as a courtier. But he is stubborn and swore allegiance to the Horn family, and will never change. His Majesty had long sent nobles familiar with Landon to test him, and he was resolutely rejected."

"............" Jon looked at Daenerys' smiling face and suddenly felt like he was a bit stupid.

"His Majesty asked many people and finally learned about a weakness in Landon Caroll's character. He is outwardly gentle but inwardly firm, cannot stand contempt and stimulation, and his biggest shortcoming is his impatience."

"He can't stand being provoked?"

"Yes! If someone goes back on their word, breaks oaths, deceives, distorts justice, twists facts, and is contemptible and despicable, he will become enraged in a few words."

"That's because he is too upright."

"A person who is too upright is easily frustrated, and a person who is too rigid is easily broken. He lacks the cunning of Littlefinger Petyr Baelish. A person with such obvious shortcomings cannot be a king, nor can he be the commander-in-chief of an army, but if he is an important minister to the king, a general under a commander, it may be an advantage."

"His Majesty deliberately angered him? Then why did he bring all his family members here?"

"If he didn't threaten him with the lives of his entire family, this guy wouldn't yield. Didn't you see that he looked at his mother and wife before deciding to kneel down and submit?"

A feeling of discomfort flashed through Jon's heart: "His Majesty deliberately made things difficult and threatened him with the lives of his family. This kind of cunning trick is not aboveboard."

"All's fair in war, politics is about power. If Landon Caroll insisted on not submitting, His Majesty would not actually kill him and his family. His Majesty would return his freedom."

Arianne Martell's voice quietly interjected: "Jon, this is wisdom, not cunning. You don't have the wisdom of His Majesty, you lack the open-mindedness to adapt, but you are a rare good person."

"Maybe people from the Stark family all have this shortcoming," Jon said self-deprecatingly.

"You are no longer a Stark." A voice floated over lightly, the voice was very soft, like a mosquito, but Jon and the others heard it.

The voice came from Arya Stark.

*

On the other side, Duke Landon was still following High Priestess Quaithe and saying that complicated and lengthy oath. His oath was also different. Obviously, this oath was also researched and planned by the Mountain and Quaithe in advance.

An oath is a contract!

People like Landon Caroll need more contract rules to bind him, so the oath will be different from others.

This also reflects that the Mountain does not easily trust a person, and at the same time, he is good at using people's worship of gods to add a layer of restraint on them to strengthen the weight of loyalty and the sacredness of the contract.

*

"Arya, I will always be a Stark," Jon said to Arya with a serious expression.

"But your name is Targaryen," Daenerys said with a light smile.

"I will always be a Targaryen too," Jon said very seriously.

"Okay, you are right." Daenerys suddenly sat up straight and said in a low voice without moving her lips.

It turned out that the oath ceremony over there was over, and the Mountain looked over at them.

Jon, Arianne, and Arya were all sitting upright, with their mouths tightly closed, as if the whispers just now had nothing to do with them.

*

Night.

Jon Targaryen's door was politely knocked on.

Jon opened the door, and standing at the door was the newly appointed Prime Minister Landon Caroll.

"May I come in, Ser Jon?"

"Please come in, Lord Prime Minister."

Landon came in and looked around. This was a very small room. The floor was marble, without carpets, and there were no tapestries on the walls. This was very unexpected for a room in the palace.

Of course, he knew that these rooms in the palace were decorated with carpets, tapestries, carved beams, and painted pillars, and were luxuriously decorated. However, after the new king came, he first did not hold parliamentary meetings in the Hall of a Thousand Seats, and second, he removed all the exquisite decorations and replaced them with ordinary wooden tables, chairs, and beds. This move secretly became the after-dinner gossip of the Qartheen nobles. The proud Qartheens believed that the king and his foreign courtiers were barbarians from barbaric lands who did not understand the enjoyment of wealth and glory.

But the Mountain's intention was not to allow the Unsullied and Dothraki to develop the same laziness and extravagance as the Qartheens. The Mountain believed that once people get used to enjoyment, their combat power and intelligence will decline severely.

"This place is too simple, Ser Jon," Prime Minister Landon sighed, "Tomorrow morning, I will send someone to bring you carpets and tapestries, as well as velvet quilts."

"No, no, no need. This place is not simple. I am very satisfied with the accommodation here, Lord Prime Minister. This place is a hundred times better than the basement of the Black Castle where I lived at the Wall."

"The Wall? That is a place far away in the sky. I saw legends about the Wall in the book 'Man-Made Wonders of the World' written by the long-legged scholar. If I have the opportunity, I would love to go to the Wall and see it."

"If Lord Prime Minister wants to go, I will be your guide."

"Good, as long as His Majesty gives me two years of vacation, I will definitely come to the Wall."

"I'm afraid it won't be easy for His Majesty to give you a vacation now," Jon said with a smile.

"Yes, there are too many things to do in Qarth now. The King has many new policies that need to be implemented, and this will be resisted by many Qartheens."

"The resistance is because they don't understand. As long as we do more publicity, the Qartheens will understand."

"You're right, Ser Jon..."

"Lord Prime Minister, what are you here for? Speak."

"...I am indeed here to beg for your help..." Landon said, "Ser Jorah Caroll, bring the things in."

"Yes, sir."

Footsteps sounded outside the door, someone pushed the door open, and two soldiers in chain mail, under the command of a knight, carried in a heavy wicker box.

"What is this?" Jon asked in surprise.

"Just a small gift." Landon waved his hand, and the two family soldiers bowed to Jon, then retreated a few steps to the door before turning around and going out. The knight in command nodded to Jon, then gently closed the door.

"Lord Prime Minister, you are..."

"Just a small gift, please don't mind, Lord." Landon opened the lid of the wicker box, a box full of gold and silver jewelry, shining brightly in the candlelight in the room.

"Lord Prime Minister, I thought you were an upright person," Jon said, his expression changing.

"This is just a little bit of my own personal wealth, it has nothing to do with official business," Landon explained hurriedly when he saw Jon's face.

"Lord Prime Minister has something to ask of me, so before opening his mouth to talk about things, he first uses money to bribe me?"

"Absolutely not, this is just a little bit of my respect."

"I cannot accept your little bit of respect. I am just a leader of the Night's Watch. I cannot afford your kind of respect, Lord."

"Ser Jon, I absolutely have no disrespect intended," Landon Caroll swore.

"Okay, take the things back. I will definitely not want them. Compared to this box of gold and silver jewelry you sent me, I am more interested in what exactly you want me to do for you?"

"Ser, two days later, it will be the time for Queen Horn and the prince and princess to leave Qarth..."

"Yes, I heard about it."

"I want to implore you, Lord, to escort Queen Horn safely to King's Landing in Westeros all the way."

Jon stared at Landon Caroll, and after a long while, he said: "Lord Prime Minister, the matter of escorting Lady Horn to King's Landing is decided by His Majesty, not something that you and I can escort if we want to."

"I know, I have already agreed with His Majesty that the people who escort Queen Horn away will be appointed by me."

"Oh, did His Majesty agree?"

"Yes, Lord."

"Oh, so Lord Prime Minister is worried that Queen Horn will encounter pirates at sea? Don't worry, His Majesty has already arranged for Unsullied soldiers to protect Lady Horn all the way. I also heard that the captain of the Windbreaker is also the most experienced captain in Qarth with the best sailing skills."

"Yes, the Windbreaker is also the large ship I chose for Queen Horn. However, on the selection of people to escort the Queen, Ser Jon, I only trust your character."

"Are you suspecting that the people arranged by His Majesty will be detrimental to Lady Horn and her children on the way?"

"I absolutely do not suspect the people arranged by His Majesty," Duke Landon Caroll hurriedly denied.

"Then what are you worried about?"

"I only have 100% confidence in your martial arts and character, Lord."

"There are many outstanding generals in the Qartheen Navy."

"I know, but they are not even half as good as you, Lord."

"Is Lord Prime Minister interested in the fact that I have a dragon?" Jon asked.

"What I value most is your noble character and kind heart, Lord, and secondly, it is the bronze dragon you possess. In addition, you are also a Westerosi nobleman, Queen Daenerys is your aunt, Winterfell of the Stark family in the North is where you grew up, and there is also a very important point, His Majesty also appreciates you very much. I know my request is abrupt and a bit difficult, but please help me fulfill a minister's last wish for the royal family. Lord Jon, the King instructed me before his death to protect Queen Horn and his bloodline in case of any unforeseen circumstances, so that the Horn family's bloodline can be passed down. Please help me, Lord!"

Landon Caroll knelt down to Jon.

Jon hurriedly reached out to support Landon's arm: "Lord Prime Minister, even if I am willing, I need to get His Majesty's consent first. As a minister, one must never act arbitrarily because of personal friendship."

"Please rest assured, Lord Jon, the King has already agreed that the general who escorts Queen Horn to Westeros will be appointed by me. As long as you agree, Lord, I will report to His Majesty."

Jon pondered for a moment: "Okay, I'll go with you."

"Lord has agreed?"

"Yes."

"Thank you, Lord, I will never forget this great kindness in my life."

Jon said: "Lord Prime Minister, there is no need to thank me, this is official business, not personal friendship. However, I also have something I would like to ask of Lord Prime Minister."

"What is it? Please tell me, Lord." Landon Caroll said very humbly.

Jon's eyes fell on the box of gold and silver jewelry Landon sent: "Lord Prime Minister, the Wall is freezing cold, the snow in winter is more than ten feet deep, there is a lack of food and clothing, and water freezes into ice, the environment is difficult. I hope Lord Prime Minister can exchange this box of gold and silver jewelry for food, beer, fur cloaks, and other supplies, and I will escort them to the continent of Westeros together. After the ship arrives at the port of King's Landing, I will first settle Lady Horn and her party, and then continue north to send these supplies to my soldiers."

"Okay, Lord Jon, don't worry, I will arrange for someone to do it tomorrow."

"Thank you, Lord Prime Minister."

Jon didn't want to make Landon feel like he owed him a great favor. This box of gold and silver jewelry was a huge sum of money for Jon, but he knew that this box of things was really small money for Duke Landon.

The Qartheen nobles are really too rich, they are the richest super-rich in the world.

Landon was also moved by Jon's 'selflessness', and at the same time, Landon also understood that Jon had asked him to help him once, which offset the personal friendship and relieved Landon's psychological 'debt' burden.

Landon Caroll reached out to Jon, so Jon also reached out his hand, Landon Caroll grabbed Jon's forearm and shook it vigorously a few times, the Prime Minister was a little excited: "Ser Jon, are you married?"