The Mountain of Ice and Fire

Although Rosso Bron remained silent, not answering the Royce family knight, his arrogance, like Littlefinger's, was written all over his face and eyes.

Rosso looked down on the knight who spoke disrespectfully before him, as if he disdained to answer the knight's words.

This made the Royce family knight lose face! The knight was a branch of the Royce family, named Reynolds Royce. He was Count Jon's personal guard, highly skilled in swordsmanship.

Clang!

Knight Reynolds drew his sword: "Ser Rosso Bron, do you dare accept my challenge?"

"I don't want to kill you!" Rosso said indifferently, as if the knight's life was in his hands.

Littlefinger said: "Count Jon, are you going to deal with the Mountain first, or me first? Tell your dog to put away his sword and let us finish breakfast."

Entrusted by the Lady, Littlefinger had the right to order the Eyrie guards to kill anyone who 'caused trouble' in the Eyrie. This was a privilege. He also had the right to order any noble to kill Reynolds.

"Reynolds, put away your sword!" Bronze Jon's face was livid.

Reynolds glared at Littlefinger, who raised his milk cup and smiled slightly at Knight Reynolds.

Reynolds' breath hitched!

He slammed his sword back into its scabbard.

"Duke, in the current situation, what do you think we should do?" Lyn Corbray said, holding a roasted rabbit in his hand. He tore the rabbit apart with his hands, and the yellow roasted oil dripped down, filling the air with the aroma of meat.

"I don't know, I'll order whatever you lords say," Littlefinger tore open a piece of bread and slowly spread honey on it. "I know you all hate me to the bone and think I should leave the Vale, but my love is here, my child is here, this is my home, where do you want me to go?"

For a moment, no one spoke.

Littlefinger pierced the thin paper that everyone maintained on the surface, letting everyone's true colors face to face.

"Everyone doesn't welcome me, although I haven't done anything wrong. Now, regarding the Mountain's matter, whether to fight or make peace, whether to negotiate or surrender, it's up to you. In the future, any major event in the Vale will be decided by you lords. I'll do whatever you say," Littlefinger shrugged. "As long as you lords don't drive me out of this home, I'll be grateful."

Bronze Jon and the others had originally thought of countless countermeasures, but Littlefinger's words undermined their strategies.

Whatever they said, Littlefinger would do. The confrontation suddenly disappeared, but was it really so? Could this be Littlefinger's trap?

"Lord, I want to be the one to negotiate with the Mountain," Bronze Jon said, seemingly with a commanding tone.

"I agree," Littlefinger stuffed the honey-covered bread into his mouth, chewed for a long time, and then continued, "If other nobles have no objections, then, Lord Jon, you will be the one to negotiate peace with the Mountain."

Bronze Jon originally thought that it would be difficult to win the role of negotiator. He thought that Littlefinger would definitely be eager to make a contribution in the Vale and would compete with him for this task. However, Littlefinger had no intention of competing for any credit.

"Duke," This was the first time Bronze Jon addressed Littlefinger as Duke. "After breakfast, let's have a meeting."

"As you wish, Lord," Littlefinger raised his knife and fork, signaling Bronze Jon to sit down and eat first.

Bronze Jon felt awkward.

He was a lord, and Littlefinger was a duke. He was a vassal, and Littlefinger was the temporary Protector of the Vale, but Littlefinger said 'As you wish, Lord' to him. No matter how he heard it, it was a kind of irony. Or a warning, even a secret signal of death.

Bronze Jon looked at Littlefinger. Littlefinger's eyes and expression seemed so sincere, without the slightest hint of threat.

Littlefinger liked to play with words, everyone knew that, but the way he spoke still made the nobles feel strange. Perhaps, the nobles had really gone too far, and on closer thought, Littlefinger had indeed not done anything bad to them.

All the conflicts between everyone and Littlefinger started when Lysa Tully announced that she would marry Littlefinger!

Littlefinger looked at the nobles' strange expressions and smiled: "Lords, I'm already full, you've been traveling on mountain roads all night, have a bowl of bacon soup quickly. Lord Jon, I sent a raven to the Mountain yesterday, asking him to give us two days to reply, so Miss Ysilla Royce is safe now, but we must reply to the Mountain today, whether to fight or surrender, whether to negotiate, we must send a raven in time, otherwise Miss Ysilla Royce may be in danger."

Jon Royce maintained his arrogance and dignity: "Yes, Duke," he replied stiffly.

Littlefinger's actions yesterday were appropriate and correct. Even for the sake of Ysilla Royce, Count Jon did not verbally thank Littlefinger.

*

After the meal, the Moon Gate Hall was crowded with nobles. All the members of Bronze Jon's League of the Righteous, except for Count Horton Redfort, who had rushed back to the Redfort, were in the Eyrie.

This was also thanks to Littlefinger. It was he who persuaded everyone to stay yesterday and wait for Count Bronze Jon to return to discuss countermeasures.

Suddenly, everyone noticed that Littlefinger was sitting on Lady Lysa Tully's throne.

On the west side of the Moon Gate Hall, there was a high platform with a throne on it, which was a symbol of the power passed down from generation to generation by the Arryn family.

Lady Lysa Tully and Duke Robert still had not appeared. The mother and son also got up late yesterday, but they ate with everyone at noon and in the evening, and their mental state was good.

Soon, the nobles reached a consensus that Count Jon Royce of Bronze would be the chief envoy, Countess Waynwood would be the deputy envoy, and an apprentice of the Eyrie's maester would accompany them to Runestone to negotiate with the Mountain and hand over Duke Robert's letter of surrender.

Littlefinger and the maester entered the main castle tower from the spiral staircase, one after the other.

"Lord, I gave the Lady dreamwine last night."

"What about Duke Robert?"

"He also drank a little, so that can help with his sleep."

"Well done," Littlefinger said, "The Lady is obese, in poor health, and sleeps badly. Add more dreamwine before bed every day."

"Yes, Duke."

The two came to the maester's room, and the maester took out paper and pen. Littlefinger wrote it in one go, and then stamped it with the Duke's seal. The maester brought red wax, and Littlefinger melted it with a candle, dripping it little by little on the seal of the envelope.

The most primitive sealing letter!

"Lord, if we seal it now without letting Lord Royce look at it, I'm afraid he will lose his temper again."

"Seal it first. If he wants to see it in the hall, let him see it, and then reseal it," Littlefinger smiled slightly.

"Yes, Lord."

For a vassal to insist on seeing the letter that the Protector of the Vale has already sealed is disrespectful, disobedient, and dishonorable. These small things will weaken Bronze Jon's authoritative image, making most nobles feel that Bronze Jon is excessively authoritarian.

This is good for Littlefinger, but not good for Bronze Jon's reputation and family honor.

After all, insubordination is a big taboo! Every noble in the hall is a lord and also a vassal. As lords, they all know that anyone who offends the lord will be punished; anyone who betrays the lord will be sentenced to death!

Littlefinger's mind was meticulous. From every small thing, he was weakening and undermining Bronze Jon's image, honor, and authority. There were hundreds of noble families in the Vale, but Bronze Jon's League of the Righteous only united eight powerful families. Those who remained silent and watched were the majority.

*

In the Moon Gate Hall, Bronze Jon frowned, holding the letter that the maester had given him. The letter was already wax-sealed.

"Duke, I think it's necessary for me to look at the contents of the letter first."

"Lord, this is Duke Robert's letter of surrender. I have already read it to Duke Robert and Lady Lysa, and they agreed before I dared to seal it with the maester."

"I still want to see it first." Bronze Jon didn't distrust Duke Robert and Lady Lysa, he didn't dare to trust Littlefinger.

Littlefinger was cunning and had a lot of tricks up his sleeve. He didn't want to send a death warrant.

"Lord, it's not appropriate for you to open the Lord's letter!" A noble said in the crowd. He spoke the minds of most people.

Bronze Jon was too rude.

"Since Lord insists on seeing it, then open it," Littlefinger showed generosity. He signaled the maester to take the letter, tear open the envelope, and then let Bronze Jon look at it.

Littlefinger looked at Bronze Jon with a sly smile.

Lord Jon was very stupid. If he wanted to see the letter in private, he could have used the candlelight to slowly soften the wax seal through the envelope, gently pried it open with a knife along the seal, taken out the letter, read it, and then sealed it back, and no one would have known.

But he publicly wanted to see the letter in the Moon Gate Hall, which was really stupid. This letter represented the authority of the Arryn family, not Littlefinger's authority.

Most of the nobles in the Vale were loyal to the Arryn family.

Amidst the discussions of some people, the maester had already torn open the envelope and handed the letter to Bronze Jon, which made many nobles dissatisfied with Bronze Jon. Some people cursed in a low voice.

After Bronze Jon read the letter, he nodded to Countess Waynwood and exchanged glances with Knight Templeton: "Maester, please reseal it once."

Dealing with the Mountain, if this letter contained language that angered the Mountain, this envoy would be in danger. Littlefinger was untrustworthy, Bronze Jon's caution was appropriate, but the side effects were also obvious. Some nobles in the Moon Gate Hall clearly expressed their dissatisfaction with him.

But Bronze Jon had already established a secret 'League of the Righteous'. Six of the eight most powerful families in the Vale had joined his alliance, so he naturally didn't pay attention to the 'mosquito-like voices' of the small nobles.

On one side was Littlefinger, and on the other was the Mountain. Caution was necessary!

*

Hundreds of miles away, in Runestone, in Miss Ysilla Royce's boudoir.

Ysilla, standing by the window and looking outside, heard footsteps. Heavy footsteps came all the way to the door, as if an elephant was walking.

The door was closed, and the maid had bolted it.

Ysilla turned around and saw that the door began to bulge inward, and the bolt also deformed inward with a cracking sound. Soon, the door and the bolt were violently bulging inward, and with a bang, the bolt broke in the middle, and the door also broke a large hole in the middle.

The Mountain stood at the door, his head taller than the door frame, and his body wider than the doorway. He was a terrifying giant.

The maid had already hid behind Miss Ysilla Royce. She should have protected the lady, but her subconscious avoidance controlled her. She didn't realize that she was hiding behind the lady, using the lady as a shield.

The maid was frightened.

The Mountain lowered his head, turned sideways, and entered Miss Ysilla's boudoir. Ysilla heard her heart beating violently, her breath hot, and her whole body hot, as if she was in a furnace.

"Miss Ysilla, don't be afraid," the Mountain said, "Have you heard many evil things about me?"

"Yes, Lord," Miss Ysilla was surprised to hear the calmness in her voice.

Yes, she was extremely afraid, but when she opened her mouth, she was surprisingly calm.

This surprised her!

"Some of the rumors are distorted, deliberately spread by others, but some rumors are true. I am not a good person, I like to force people to do things they don't want to do..." The Mountain stopped and looked at Miss Ysilla Royce's reaction.

"What does Lord want to do? If you want to humiliate me, I will bite my tongue and commit suicide."

"Don't commit suicide, Miss. After you commit suicide, you will be even less able to clear your name. You don't want your family and yourself to be disgraced, do you? Would you like to listen to my suggestion first?"

Ysilla felt her hot body begin to turn cold: "Lord, the money and food of Runestone are yours, and I also ask my people to all obey you, and I also order the soldiers to put down their weapons. I have done everything you asked, please let me go."

"I am not a good person, Ysilla, I cannot let you go. But I will give you three choices: The first choice is that there are many pleasure houses in King's Landing. I will sell you to a pleasure house in King's Landing, and from then on, you and I will have nothing to do with each other. Are you willing?"

Ysilla Royce felt her lips were so bitter and her mouth so dry. She was too humiliated to speak. She felt herself shaking her head, and very hard.

"You're not willing, that's good. There are camp followers in my army. You can be a camp follower in my camp. This is the second choice. If you are willing, I won't say the third choice."

"No!" Ysilla heard her voice say very resolutely.

"You won't go to a pleasure house in King's Landing, and you won't be a camp follower, then you have no choice, Miss Ysilla. I have a foster son named Landon Ball, who is the young general who caught you outside the West Gate and saved you from the humiliation of the Crab Claw Peninsula warriors. You have to marry him and be his wife. I will arrange a formal wedding for you, everything according to the status of a countess, in the Starry Sept, and ask the septons to witness the marriage."

"No!" Ysilla heard her voice of refusal, filled with despair.

"Okay, then be a camp follower." The Mountain stretched out his hand, grabbed Ysilla's shoulder, lifted her up gently, and strode out of the boudoir. "I will take you to the camp follower officer to register now. Tonight, outside your tent, I bet it will be crowded with my soldiers. You will make a lot of money, Miss Ysilla. You will become the top camp follower."

Ysilla was terrified: "No, Lord, I am willing to marry General Landon Ball," she heard herself shout, her voice sharp and high-pitched.

The Mountain stopped: "Miss, are you sure? I need you to be willing. I don't want to force your choice."

"Yes, my lord, I am willing, I will marry General Landon Gahl, I beg you."

"Landon Gahl is my adopted son. His father was the captain of the Royal Navy warhammer, who died for me in the Battle of the Blackwater River. He is now my child. Since you are willing to marry him, then you are my daughter." The Demon Mountain gently placed Miss Yaxina Royce on the ground. "Yaxina, call me father."

"Yes, Father, I am very grateful!" Yaxina Royce heard her voice with a sob.

Thanks to [Boring lowercase] for the reward and support, thank you, handshake!