The Mountain of Ice and Fire

The hotel was packed with people, including freelance riders and mercenaries, numbering fifty or sixty. About twenty of them drew their swords, pointing them at the Imp and his two attendants.

Most people didn't draw their swords.

This gave the Imp the confidence to send a message.

Not everyone was loyal to the lord; more people would be more loyal to gold when there was gold to be had.

Of course, the Imp knew very well that his father wouldn't generously pay a large sum of gold for him, but saving his life was the priority now. Lord Tywin had to raise the Imp and maintain his honor because he couldn't deny that the Imp had Lannister blood. This was a mandatory question tied to Tywin's pride, and there was only one answer, which couldn't be changed.

When the Imp said that the messenger would receive the friendship and gold of the Lannisters, people weren't concerned about gaining the friendship of the Lannisters, but rather hoped to get Lannister gold.

The Imp scanned the crowd, judging that at least three guys were eager to head west as soon as Lady Catelyn left the hotel, to report to the Westerlands and get gold.

The Imp noticed that only two Frey men moved, but they sat back down because the leader didn't move.

"Well done, maybe the Frey's bastard will be the first to send a message for me!" The Imp grinned, revealing a smile. It seemed that the combined prestige of the Tully and Stark families couldn't sway the hearts of the Frey family.

The Lannister family always pays its debts. This saying was more deeply rooted in people's minds than the Lannister family's motto, 'Hear Me Roar.' Everyone knew the consequences of offending the Lannister family. Of course, if the Lannisters made any promises, they never went back on their word.

This was the honor that Lord Tywin painstakingly maintained!

Lady Catelyn said, "The Tully and Stark families remember the great help of all the knights and warriors. Now I would like to ask a few knights to help me escort this prisoner to Winterfell. The Stark family will reward you handsomely!"

Two mercenaries holding long swords and pointing at the Imp loudly agreed to help Lady Catelyn escort the Imp. A knight from House Hayford expressed his willingness to go, as did three soldiers from House Bracken, and some fools in the Imp's opinion.

These fools would definitely get a reward from the Stark family, and then they would also get a reward from the Lannister family, but it wouldn't be gold.

A gaunt and skinny mercenary with dark skin was the most active. He stepped forward to search the Imp and his attendants, taking away their swords, daggers, and short knives. He received praise from the fat old man from Winterfell. When this mercenary's hand touched the Imp's arm, the Imp felt that this guy's hand was as hard as black stone.

"What's your name, mercenary!"

"Bronn!" The mercenary replied expressionlessly.

"You're going to have a hard time, Bronn. Haven't you heard the saying that the Lannisters always pay their debts?"

"I've heard it, so you have to pay with your life to that little Stark. You committed murder, my lord, you have to pay your debts."

"I hope your sword is as sharp as your mouth."

"My sword is ten times sharper than my mouth, Halfman. If you keep nagging, I'll cut off your little birds and stuff them down your throat, if Lady Catelyn nods."

"You'll regret it, Bronn, I guarantee you!" The Imp raised his head, his tone threatening, his eyes unkind.

Whoosh!

Bronn's companion, Chiggen, put a hood over the Imp's head. Then, a rope was pulled down from his shoulder, across his waist, and back over his shoulder, tying the Imp up tightly. Then, the Imp's body lightened, and he was lifted up, not sure if it was Bronn or his companion.

Catelyn's voice rang out, she was asking the landlady for food, wine, rainproof cloaks, and horse feed. She didn't delay at all, and was about to set off for Winterfell immediately in the heavy rain.

*

The Westerlands. In Lord Tywin's study. Tywin and Grand Maester Pycelle were present.

On the desk was a letter from Casterly Rock.

Lord Tywin looked at the letter over and over again, without saying a word, his iron expression unchanging.

Grand Maester Pycelle also looked at it over and over again. He looked at Lord Tywin's face, unable to discern any psychological changes or emotions. He could only say softly, "My lord, I think the Mountain's words… have some merit."

Lord Tywin closed his eyes and remained silent for a while. He picked up the letter again. The words on the letter were simple. The Mountain believed that if Edmure wasn't released, it would trigger a war between the two countries in advance. Hoster was sick, but his mind wasn't. He would definitely launch a war before the King's Tournament, and the Westerlands openly detaining Edmure would cause the King to side with the Riverlands. This would inevitably change the witch's great prophecy.

Grand Maester Pycelle didn't know what the witch's great prophecy was, but he knew that the Westerlands detaining Edmure Tully, before the King's Tournament, if Lord Hoster sent a letter to King's Landing, would cause national condemnation of the Westerlands. The King would issue an order to release him. Would the Westerlands release him? If not, this issue would rise to the level of 'treason.' In any case, it would be detrimental to the Westerlands.

In peacetime, what reason did the Westerlands have to detain Edmure Tully? Grand Maester Pycelle couldn't think of one.

Moreover, this was after Edmure and the Westerling family were engaged. Detaining Edmure again was even more unjustifiable.

"My lord, an Edmure who was so drunk that he would climb into the Westerling family's second daughter's boudoir isn't enough for the Westerlands to value him, is he?"

"Maester, controlling Edmure is controlling the Riverlands," Lord Tywin said calmly.

"Now… uh… it's peacetime!"

"No matter when, noble conflicts have never stopped, but the Mountain is right, now is the national tournament. The Mountain's reason for detention was resolved by Edmure's engagement. I didn't expect Edmure to really get engaged to Elenya. He should have been stubborn to the end. Moreover, Edmure convinced Elenya's mother, that lowly spice merchant's daughter. She must be eager to stuff her daughter into Edmure Tully's arms. How old is that little girl?"

"Eleven years old, my lord."

The witch prophesied that King Robert would die hunting after the tournament. This was the time when the homeroom teacher of Westeros left the classroom. The Mountain believed that continuing to detain Edmure after the engagement would arouse Lord Hoster's vigilance and launch a war, which would likely change the witch's great prophecy, allowing the continent's homeroom teacher to participate in the war between the Riverlands and the Westerlands instead of hunting in the Kingswood. This could very well cause the homeroom teacher to stay in the classroom and not leave, which would be a disaster for the Lannisters of the Westerlands.

Being able to legitimately command the Seven Kingdoms was what Lord Tywin feared. Anyone would fear it, and that person was naturally King Robert.

The longer Robert, the homeroom teacher, stayed in the classroom, the easier it would be for Jaime and Cersei's incest to be exposed. Once it was exposed, and the King was still alive, it would definitely be the end of the Westerlands.

"Maester, the Mountain's vision is very profound and wise this time."

Small impatience spoils great plans, was a philosophical saying that the transmigrated Mountain was familiar with since childhood. The Mountain didn't want to change the development trajectory of this world, because then he wouldn't know what tomorrow would bring. He hoped to be in a knowable and controllable situation.

His suggestion made Lord Tywin feel very reasonable, and he also agreed with the Mountain's opinion in his heart. The Mountain's far-sightedness made the Duke feel vaguely uncomfortable. Not alertness or vigilance, but a bit uncomfortable.

The Duke was still more accustomed to making the Mountain execute orders after considering everything himself, rather than the Mountain suggesting what he should do.

For the first time, he had the feeling that the Mountain seemed to see a little deeper than him, for the first time!

"My lord, the Mountain is inherently a wise man with the light of the Seven Gods. He is brave and good at fighting, and also has strategies. If I were an enemy of the Westerlands, I would feel even greater fear."

Yes, wasn't it exactly what the Duke himself wanted for the Mountain to be brave, resourceful, and strategic?

"The Maester is right. Write a letter to the Mountain and let him send Edmure and Elenya back to Riverrun to visit Lord Hoster, and in my name, send the Westerlands' noodle-making technology and milk sterilization technology."

The noodle-making technology originally belonged to the Mountain. What the Duke monopolized was the snow salt technology. As for the milk sterilization technology, Edmure had already spent 300,000 gold dragons on it.

"Yes, my lord."

"Tell the Mountain that Edmure is a lecherous drunkard, this is his weakness. He also has a weakness, which is that he values ​​friendship. Let the Mountain and the Westerling family treat him well, teach him milk sterilization technology, noodle-making technology, and also dispel Lord Hoster's suspicion of us. After the tournament, invite Edmure to visit the Westerlands again in the name of the Westerling family's engagement," Lord Tywin said.

"Yes, my lord!"

Lord Robert, whether the King will die from hunting in the Kingswood after the tournament as the witch said, so that Cersei and Jaime's incestuous disaster will disappear under the favor of the Seven Gods, Lord Tywin is not very sure, but he calmed down and decided to wait.

If Robert dies, Joffrey will be the heir, and from appearance to blood, inside and out, he is a Lannister.

*

Casterly Rock.

The Mountain, Jeyne, Elenya, Edmure, Jory, Reynard, Polliver, Rafford and others were heading to Riverrun in a mighty procession. Edmure and Elenya went to Riverrun to visit Lord Hoster. If the Duke was fine, they would go to King's Landing with the Mountain and others to participate in the national tournament. If the Duke was really seriously ill, Edmure would stay to take care of his father.

The two ladies and maids rode in carriages, and the rest of the generals rode horses. The group marched mightily, holding high the golden lion flag of the Lannister family, the silver trout flag of the Tully family, the white seashell flag of the Westerling family, and the black three-dog flag of the Clegane family, heading east.

Edmure was able to escape, he rode a horse next to Elenya's carriage, grateful to the little girl. Elenya said, if Edmure regretted the engagement in the future, she would cooperate with him, but for now, please Edmure cooperate with her.

Edmure looked at the mighty team and felt very emotional. If he didn't feign an engagement and was tough to the end, what would he face next? Looking at the Mountain's mountain-like back, Edmure felt a cold sweat on his back.

However, is there really no one behind an eleven-year-old girl guiding her?