The Mountain of Ice and Fire

Chapter 369: Tears of Lys (2/2)

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*

The warship returned to port, and the sky above Blackwater River resounded with deafening cheers.

Big Head Chiswyck sat on the deck, soldiers pulling out the long arrows for him. Several arrows were embedded in his body, the arrowheads pulled out with blood and bits of flesh. Chiswyck accepted each arrow.

The Imp, who came to greet the Mountain and his party, felt his stomach churning. Sansa closed her eyes and covered her face with her hands.

King Joffrey watched with glee, swallowing hard.

"A knight?"

"Your Majesty, truly, I am not lying," Chiswyck laughed.

His face began to turn white.

To kill the guy who shot his helmet, he charged several times, staring at that unlucky bastard, and was not lightly injured.

Swords and blades greeted his body, but he felt nothing. His bravery terrified the enemy.

Chiswyck's exquisite armor and helmet were covered with shocking scratches.

The Mountain came to Chiswyck's side, like a giant god facing a child on the ground.

"Will you die?"

"I won't die," Big Head Chiswyck said.

"He needs a maester," the Imp shouted, "A maester, Maester Qyburn."

On the city wall.

Maester Qyburn: "Your Grace, the Queen Mother, the returning generals may need me to heal their wounds."

Cersei remained silent, dignified and indifferent, nodding slightly.

"Thank you, Your Grace, the Queen Mother!" Qyburn hurriedly came down from the city wall.

His medical skills were superb, and his technique for reattaching severed limbs was unique. He was even more skilled in treating knife wounds, sword wounds, and arrow wounds. However, he used living people for medical experiments, which was not accepted by the Citadel. In the circle of maesters, Qyburn was notorious and was called a 'villain' by the maesters.

Big Head Chiswyck was picked up by the Mountain, like a child in an adult's arms. The Mountain jumped off the King's warship and shouted at the city wall, "Qyburn!"

Qyburn trotted along with his assistant, hearing the Mountain's shout.

At the pier, Court Scholar Locke, who was recording 'the oaths and promises of the Mountain and the captains' hurried over. He was a scholar, a scholar with a scholar's chain, and understanding medicine was the most basic skill.

"Lord Mountain, please let me stop the bleeding for the knight first," Locke said. He knew that the Mountain trusted Qyburn, but Big Head Chiswyck was already beginning to weaken.

The Mountain handed Big Head Chiswyck to Locke, who had two gold-cloaked guards carry him, borrowing the simple house of the small officials at the pier.

The Mountain followed.

"Chiswyck, next time I won't allow you to go alone to stare at killing someone. That centurion has no blood feud with you," the Mountain said, "Stick close to the battle formation, don't leave the team."

"Lord, he shot me with an arrow and broke my helmet."

"If you do that again, I'll kick you out of my team," the Mountain said coldly.

Chiswyck was startled, cold sweat bursting from his forehead, his face even whiter: "Lord Mountain, I swear in the name of the Seven Gods, in the honor of the Clegane name, I will never do such a stupid thing again."

The Imp stood at the door, seeing Chiswyck so anxious that he couldn't speak clearly, stuttering, with a look of fear.

This fearless guy, the power of the Mountain's words was more frightening to him than the swords and blades that cut him.

Damn it, if I had such loyal subordinates, what would I be afraid of when going out at night!

The Imp turned around and saw Bronn jumping down from the warship. He was the last to jump off the warship, covered in blood.

The Imp walked over.

"Bronn, are you injured?" If Bronn was as loyal to me as Chiswyck was to the Mountain, I would laugh in my sleep.

"It's all other people's blood," Bronn said.

"Your performance was really brave, I saw you," the Imp said.

Bronn looked at the Imp's short legs, his eyes showing doubt: "You can see me? Lord Hand," Bronn said lightly.

"Yes."

Bronn shrugged: "There are many enemies, densely packed in the forest, with no end in sight."

Everyone was talking loudly about the great victory just now, many generals and knights were spouting wildly, but Bronn seemed a little unhappy.

"Are you scared?"

"There are too many enemies, dwarf," Bronn said unceremoniously, "And I haven't seen their infantry yet."

"We are separated by the Blackwater River, without ships, how can they cross the river?"

"In three days, their warships will arrive, two hundred and seventy warships, you say they don't have ships?" Bronn was not optimistic about the upcoming battle. He lowered his voice, "I'm not like the Mountain's fools, who are not afraid of more enemies. There are too many, too many enemies, with sophisticated weapons, we will be exhausted. Don't say they don't have ships, the opposite side is a forest, it's too easy to cut down trees and make rafts."

The Imp finally knew why Bronn had not been crippled or died after being a mercenary for decades. This guy really has a brain.

The Mountain's fierce generals were more or less wounded, but Bronn was not. Being able to avoid injury in a melee where the enemy outnumbered them a hundred times, and also be able to rescue comrades, that is skill.

"Your armor has many scratches, you have to replace it with new ones," the Imp said, "Now you are the husband of Lady Lollys Stokeworth, Lord of Stokeworth, you don't need me to pay for your armor anymore, right?"

"Am I still your guard?"

"Of course!"

"Then why don't you pay me to repair my armor?" Bronn stared at the Imp with a strange look.

The Imp choked!

"Half-man, one yard is one yard. I work for you, you pay me. My helmet, armor, boots, long sword, all need to be replaced with new ones, brand new."

"Your boots don't need to be replaced."

"The real battle is about to begin, Lord Hand." The title of Lord Hand, Bronn's tone was sarcastic, "First is the naval battle, we are destined to lose; then is the siege battle, we may be able to last ten days; and finally, it will be a very difficult street fight. Armor and weapons, I want all new ones, half-man."

"Okay! I'll give it to you!"

"You should give it to me!"

Bronn took off his helmet and threw it on the ground, making a loud bang.

The crowd squeezed on the pier separated to both sides, Qyburn came.

"Jacelyn Bywater is injured, you quickly call Qyburn to take a look. Although it's not a big deal, he is the commander-in-chief of the City Watch, and we can't be without him in the upcoming fierce battle to defend the city."

The Imp glanced at Bronn: "You come with me."

"I want to rest for a while."

"Rest in the Tower of the Hand, you are my guard now."

Bronn was stunned.

"Okay, you dwarf!" he cursed.

*

Qyburn first treated Chiswyck's injuries. He was the most injured and the most severely injured, but none of them injured vital points. The Mountain watched Qyburn treat Chiswyck's injuries. He knew that Chiswyck could come back. So many injuries did not hurt his vital points. It was definitely not because of luck, it was because of experience, hundreds of times of bloody street experience.

Chiswyck is not the Mountain's most powerful subordinate, but he must be the most difficult subordinate to kill.

"Lord Mountain, Ser Chiswyck is fine, he will be jumping around the day after tomorrow, I guarantee it!" Qyburn said.

The Mountain nodded, as a response.

King Joffrey said: "Mountain, next time I charge into battle, I want to be the first. I want to personally catch my uncle, and then put a sword on his neck, step on his face, I just want to ask him, why must he rebel against me."

"Hmm!" The Mountain walked away.

The crowd on the pier separated, and a knight came riding a horse.

The visitor was Ser Osmund Kettleblack, the Queen Mother's Captain of Guards. He and his brother Osney Kettleblack served the Queen Mother Cersei together, providing mercenary strength to the Queen Mother when necessary. The Queen Mother's reward to them was to let the two serve her in bed. But at the same time, the two brothers were also secretly bought by the Imp Tyrion, the middleman being Bronn.

Since the Hound became the commander of the City Watch, and later became a Kingsguard, the position of the Queen Mother Cersei's Captain of Guards has been vacant. Queen Mother Cersei used to secretly meet with the Kettleblack brothers in the Sept, pretending to go to pray, and then slipping out to secretly meet with the two brothers. This was very inconvenient and risky, and it was easy to be seen.

So Cersei simply took the two brothers as personal guards after the riot in King's Landing, and soon appointed the two brothers as her Captain of Guards.

Osmund came to the pier, dismounted, and came to the Mountain: "Lord Count, the Queen Mother, to celebrate your invincible bravery, crossing the river to defeat the enemy greatly, raising our army's prestige and boosting morale, the Queen Mother invites you to dine in Maegor's Holdfast."

"When?"

"Now."

"Okay, I'll go."

"Yes, Lord."

Osmund came to the King again.

"Your Majesty, the Queen Mother invites Your Majesty to return to Maegor's Holdfast."

"Got it." The child king waved his hand, very impatiently.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Osmund said to Sansa again: "Miss Sansa, the Queen Mother hopes that Miss Sansa can return to the palace with the King now."

"I will go back with the King."

"Yes, Miss."

*

Maegor's Holdfast.

Cersei and the Mountain sat face to face.

The dining room was magnificent.

Also present were His Majesty the King and Miss Sansa.

Two Kingsguard, Meryn Trant and Mandon Moore, stood behind the King with their swords, against the wall. Joffrey's two most useful Kingsguard were Meryn Trant and Mandon Moore.

"Mountain!" Cersei raised her glass, "I am the daughter of Duke Tywin, the talented woman of the Westerlands, Jeyne Westerling, is also the daughter of Duke Tywin, and you are Jeyne Westerling's husband, are we a family?"

"Yes, Your Grace, the Queen Mother."

"Joffrey is both your king and your junior. I hope you understand this."

"I understand very well, Your Grace, the Queen Mother."

"The battle of King's Landing is imminent. I have sent someone to ask my father for assistance, but my father's reply said that he is at the Red Fork, and it may be too late to rush back. He wants you to defend King's Landing and not easily go out to fight, and he will rush to King's Landing as soon as possible after he solves the trouble in the Riverlands."

"Yes, Your Grace, the Queen Mother."

Cersei gently pushed the letter in front of the Mountain.

The Mountain picked up the letter and read Duke Tywin's letter. The Northmen had already withdrawn from the Westerlands and were currently gathered in Riverrun in the Riverlands. Robb burned Crakehall when he withdrew from the Westerlands, and killed Damon Marbrand and his maester.

"The Stark of the North killed Damon Marbrand?" the Mountain said, "As far as I know, the Starks don't kill prisoners. There may be some misunderstanding, or the news may not be accurate."

"Traitors can do anything, Lord Mountain, the Stark family has no honor," Joffrey asserted.

"Damon's aunt is my grandmother, my father's mother," Cersei thought she had seen through the whole situation, "The Starks are obviously demonstrating to the Lannisters. I think Robb is sending us a clear signal with Damon's death. If the Westerlands attack the Riverlands when they withdraw, a large number of captured Westerlands nobles will die, and the obvious blackmail is Jaime."

"Your Grace, the Queen Mother's analysis is very thorough!" The Mountain agreed.

Sansa listened to them discussing her brother Robb, she was very worried about Robb and her mother, and at the same time, she was happy that Robb killed Damon Marbrand. As long as it can make the Lannisters feel fear and their dignity challenged, her brother Robb should do it.

Cersei gestured, and a maid brought up a jade plate with a small, emerald green bottle the size of a finger on it. Cersei opened it and poured a little liquid from the bottle onto a piece of roast meat.

The liquid was colorless and odorless, just like water.

"Call the dog handler in," Cersei said.

"Yes, Your Grace, the Queen Mother." The maid went out, and after a while, a dog handler led in a large black hound. The maid threw the piece of roast meat to the hound, the dog handler gave the order, and the hound swallowed the piece of roast meat.

Sansa, Joffrey, and the Mountain all looked at Cersei, not understanding what Cersei wanted to express.

In just a few heartbeats, the hound let out a few low whimpers, slowly fell down, kicked its limbs, the movements were very slight, and then it was motionless.

"Dead!" Cersei said, "Drag it out."

"Yes, Your Grace, the Queen Mother."

The dog handler bent down, picked up the big hound that he had raised for many years, and walked out.

In addition to being surprised, Sansa had small tears in her eyes.

Joffrey laughed: "Mother, your game today is very interesting, you didn't even tell me beforehand, what kind of poison is that? So powerful? Dogs have nine lives, just like cats, it died without saying a word."

The Mountain remained calm: "Your Grace, the Queen Mother, what do you want me to do for you?"

"No, this bottle of poison is called 'Tears of Lys'. It is expensive, colorless, odorless, and painless. It can kill people in a very short time. This is what I prepared for myself, and also for Sansa."

Sansa's face changed.

Joffrey shouted: "Mother, you've had too much to drink."

"I haven't had too much to drink," Cersei said lightly, "Mountain, if King's Landing falls, what do you think will be waiting for me?"

The Mountain was silent!

"Sansa, if King's Landing is broken by Stannis, what do you think will be waiting for you?"

Sansa said: "Your Grace, the Queen Mother, King's Landing cannot be broken, Lord Mountain is here!"

"Mother, what about me?" Joffrey stood up suddenly, "I will not allow Stannis to break through our city gates!" The child king roared heroically.

Sansa said, "Your Grace, even if we were to lose, the knights who storm the city wouldn't harm us. They are knights, after all. Knights protect women and children; they've sworn oaths to do so."

Cersei smiled faintly. "Sansa, you'll sooner find a virgin whore than a loyal sellsword. If the battle is lost, the guards will be stripping off their armor in a frenzy, grabbing whatever they can, and the servants, maids, and stable boys who serve us… they're all the same. Heh, Sansa, do you know what King's Landing will look like after being sacked by Stannis's enraged soldiers? No, you know nothing. Your understanding of life comes entirely from songs, and no song ever praises pain and injustice. A beautiful noble lady like you, once caught by those bloodthirsty soldiers, they'll fuck you hundreds of times, and me too."

Sansa's face flushed crimson!

Cersei capped the vial of Tears of Lys, carefully placing it in her lingerie pocket. "Sansa, I hope we won't need the Tears of Lys."

*

ps: Writing and revising a chapter takes several hours (yesterday's single update took 5 hours with revisions). I've persisted for five days, but I also have other things to do. There might only be one update tomorrow. Just a heads-up, I'll make it up later. Please subscribe to give me motivation! Those who say it's good but never subscribe, please subscribe!

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