The Mountain of Ice and Fire

“Hmm!” The Mountain nodded. “Lord Varys, what you say makes a lot of sense. So the Faceless Men only kill, they don't save people.”

“Indeed, my Lord.”

“Then I am relieved, but the night is long and full of terrors. I still hope you can write two letters to Varys right now. One telling him that the gold dragons I want must arrive in King's Landing within two months.”

“The second letter, write to Daenerys, telling her about the tragedy of the royal nursery back then. Don't put all the blame on the Mountain. The Mountain was a soldier, forced to do it. Of course, the Mountain doesn't mind Daenerys coming to take revenge in the future. Tell Daenerys that the Mountain is willing to ally with her, but if she doesn't want to, I'm happy to be her enemy.”

Illyrio felt a chill in his heart. The Mountain had no intention of forming any alliance with him at all. He wasn't qualified. The Mountain wanted to ally with Daenerys. Fortunately, he hadn't actively offered to become the Mountain's ally. In the Mountain's eyes, Illyrio and Varys were just messengers for him, not high enough in rank.

“Lord Varys, after the second letter is written, I will ask Varys to send the letter to Vaes Dothrak and deliver it to Daenerys.”

Vaes Dothrak is the only city on the Dothrak Sea, known as the sacred city by the Dothraki. The fact that the Mountain knew about Daenerys' current situation in the sacred city no longer surprised Illyrio. The Mountain's prophetic words during their short conversation tonight shocked Illyrio like a green prophet.

The Mountain's words also shattered Illyrio's beautiful hope of getting away smoothly. He had hoped to tell Daenerys himself, and to tell her personally, he naturally needed to gain his freedom first. But the Mountain's casual letter solved the 'message delivery' that Illyrio had placed his hopes on.

He didn't need to wait for 'Illyrio to tell Daenerys in person'.

Illyrio felt the sharp breath of swords on his neck. This feeling chilled him to the bone. His senses were always accurate. His hands and feet began to turn cold in the warm summer night of the Riverlands.

“Does my Lord want me to send a message to Daenerys right now?”

“Yes, is it difficult?”

“No, not difficult!”

Whether it was force or strategy, Illyrio had a very profound understanding of the Mountain's power. The Mountain calculated every step very carefully. His heart was clear about everything. Illyrio was arrogant and thought he was clever, but this time he finally met an opponent who made him feel terrified and desperate.

Whether it was explicit or implicit, verbal sparring, the Mountain always controlled everything with ease! Illyrio's money, Illyrio's life, the message of reconciliation that the Mountain wanted to send to Daenerys, under the Mountain's operation, was as simple as one plus one equals two.

Illyrio drank the fine wine that he could no longer taste. He silently looked at the empty tent. All of the Mountain's generals and soldiers had gone out, but the Mountain sat in the tent and controlled everything without needing to go out, just like the Mountain controlled his life and future.

The arrogant Ser Amory Lorch, who was on equal footing with the Mountain, glanced at his soldiers—ruthless men who were trembling with fear, were disciplined and obedient like children after being subjected to the Mountain's fists, feet, horsewhips, and thorny vines.

These were the Mountain's two sides: the civil side and the martial side.

Illyrio's gaze returned to the Mountain, and the Mountain was also looking at him quietly: “Lord Mountain, you are a remarkable person. Varys misjudged you.”

“Why do you say that?”

“You possess not only notoriety and bravery, but also remarkable intelligence.”

“I have no intelligence. I just have a remarkable prophet by my side: a blood mage who knows everything like a green prophet. Lord Varys, may I ask you to write the letter?”

“As you wish, my Lord.” Illyrio was respectful, and the cautious look in his eyes was completely gone.

*

The sky was dimly lit.

Outside the Red Keep's gate in King's Landing, there was a crowd of refugees.

There were men, women, old, and young. Their clothes were tattered, their hands and feet were covered in blood, many were barefoot, and their faces were covered in blood and soot.

Because there were so many people, even though the gold cloaks on the city walls were shouting at them, the noise still reached the Red Keep and was heard by Lord Eddard Stark, who had woken up early.

Eddard had another sleepless night.

He had found it difficult to sleep ever since his negotiations with Cersei ended in failure. Cersei did not take his suggestion to take her three children and flee far away. She stayed put with great certainty, which made Eddard feel uneasy.

No one is unafraid of death. Cersei had committed a crime punishable by hanging, and her three children would also be sentenced to death by King Robert. This was a tragedy for the family and a tragedy for the royal family, but Cersei was not afraid, did not fear, and did not retreat at all. She was like a combative rooster, raising her head to face Eddard, her neck feathers erect, her eyes wide, and her claws gripping the ground, ready to fight to the death.

What was she relying on?

Was it ignorance is bliss, or the powerful strength of the Westerlands? No matter how strong the Westerlands were, they could not resist the crushing strength of the North, the Riverlands, the Vale, the Crownlands, and the Stormlands. Even in King's Landing, the strength of the City Watch far exceeded Cersei's red cloaks.

No matter how you looked at it, when Robert returned, it would be the day of Cersei and her children's death.

But she did not run away, and she remained unafraid even after Eddard refused her seduction.

Was she really stupid, or did she really think that Robert wouldn't dare to touch her because the Westerlands were richer than a country?

Eddard couldn't sleep all night. He had good intentions and hoped to give the three innocent children a way out, but Cersei didn't appreciate it at all and even laughed at him.

This showed that Cersei was prepared to fight, and Eddard felt a deep unease. He needed allies.

Eddard thought of Varys, who said 'only the two of us', but he didn't dare to fully trust Varys; he also thought of Littlefinger, who had pointed out that the Valyrian dagger used by the assassin who tried to kill Bran came from Tyrion Lannister, and it was also Littlefinger who had arranged for Catelyn to meet him in secret, but this guy always liked to boast in front of others that he had deflowered Catelyn and Lysa.

Eddard really wanted to smash Littlefinger's teeth.

Eddard also thought of the commander of the City Watch—Janos Slynt, whom he hated in his heart. He needed to win this man's support for his arrest of Queen Cersei. Janos held the strongest force in King's Landing, but this guy was greedy and insatiable, and his depraved character was a stain on the honor of the royal courtiers. Eddard was thinking about finding evidence to bring this guy to justice.

Looking at the courtiers of King's Landing, Eddard couldn't find an ally he could trust, and he felt very lonely.

Eddard was distraught and got up early, standing at the window watching the gradually brightening dawn in the east. At this time, he heard the commotion outside the Red Keep's bronze gate. The sound grew louder and louder, accompanied by the shouts of the guards.

What happened?

Eddard immediately went downstairs, taking Captain Eryn, Harwin, and Little, a group of four, out of the Tower of the Hand and heading towards the Red Keep's bronze gate.

Among the commotion outside the bronze gate, there were also many women crying!