The Mountain of Ice and Fire

Clegane Keep. The Sept of the Seven.

The witch stood on the seven-step platform, her washed long hair gleaming silvery as it draped over her shoulders, revealing a face dotted with white spots. Every seven white spots formed a small circle, and her face was covered with these strange little circles.

Gregor didn't understand what the white spot circles on the witch's face represented, but they looked awe-inspiring.

The witch's complexion had also changed, becoming radiant.

For some reason, her teeth, which should have all fallen out, had returned. What Gregor found eerie was that her teeth were all black.

Each and every one of her teeth was black. At first glance, one might think she had no teeth at all.

The one most astonished by the witch's transformation was Lord Gawen.

At first glance, he thought the priest of the Sept of the Seven had been replaced.

The witch, dressed in a black robe, stood ramrod straight, whereas yesterday, her back was bent, and she looked utterly decrepit.

Compared to yesterday, the witch seemed twenty years younger.

The witch that Gregor, Jeyne, and Lord Gawen had seen yesterday was not the witch's true face, but rather one of her facades: a face of frailty and weakness.

Perhaps feigning weakness was also a test the witch had set for Gregor.

Perhaps the witch had concealed many means and abilities to retaliate against Gregor.

Maester Hallis stood on the step below the witch, and he would lead everyone in reciting the oath before the witch.

Today, two things would happen in the Sept of the Seven. The first was to have the Seven witness Gregor bestowing knighthood upon the executioner Dunsen and the loyalist Polliver, and granting them the Clegane surname.

The second was to have nearly a hundred miners swear an oath before entering Goldleaf Bay to mine: they would not steal gold, they would not slack off, they would not desert halfway, they could not take leave, they could not go home, they would not reveal anything untoward they saw, and everything would be kept secret.

The sixty riders all watched with envy and excitement as Dunsen and Polliver knelt on one knee before Gregor, following Maester Hallis in reciting the knight's oath, beginning with the declaration of the eight knightly virtues: humility, honesty, compassion, valor, justice, sacrifice, honor, and soul!

Then came the oath song—

I swear to the heavens, to make my will known;

Not to bully the weak, to live with humility;

In every battle I face, not to fear the strong enemy;

Against all that is evil, I will raise my banner!

For women and children, this battle is fought;

For those imprisoned and seeking help, I will lend my strength;

Women are delicate, and should never be violated;

Colleagues and comrades, I will strive to support;

To friends, be sincere, and act as a gentleman;

To my beloved, I will be forever faithful!

Polliver's voice was practically a roar as he swore the oath, his face flushed red. Dunsen, on the other hand, was unhurried and calm. Although his voice was drowned out by Polliver, he maintained his own tone and rhythm.

Gregor doubted that Polliver even understood the meaning of the words in the knight's oath song, such as 'Women are delicate, and should never be violated.' In his band of rogue riders, including himself in the past, the sight of a common woman with even a little beauty was like a bone to a hungry dog.

But thinking about his own knightly honor, which Prince Rhaegar had bestowed upon him when he was sixteen, he had raped Rhaegar's wife and smashed Rhaegar's son to death only a year later. According to the knightly code, he had violated two of them: not to bully the weak, to live with humility; women are delicate, and should never be violated.

Among the knights of the Seven Kingdoms, Gregor believed that, apart from Eddard Stark of the North and his sons, only Brienne Tarth of Tarth and Tyrion Lannister of the Westerlands truly embodied the knightly spirit.

But the knightly spirit was not important. What was important was that these guys had to be absolutely loyal to Gregor.

The term 'knight' originally referred specifically to cavalrymen who had received formal military training, but later evolved into a title of honor used to denote a social class. A knight's status was not inherited, but rather an honorary title earned through excellence in character, mastery of horsemanship, and bravery in combat. Knights belonged to the lowest rung of the nobility.

The most valued quality of a knight was loyalty, followed by sacrifice, and only then valor.

Gregor agreed with the requirements for knightly qualities. Sweet Raff, the executioner Dunsen, and the loyalist Polliver all met these three conditions.

After Maester Potter led Dunsen and Polliver in swearing the oath, Gregor forcefully drew his greatsword, holding it effortlessly in one hand. He tapped the sword tip on Dunsen and Polliver's left and right shoulders, then gently pressed it on their heads, laughing loudly, "Rise, Ser Dunsen Clegane, and you, Ser Polliver Clegane."

Dunsen and Polliver stood up, embracing each other tightly, their hearts filled with joy that they couldn't control.

Beside the cavalry, the clerk's eyes gleamed, filled with envy and resentment.

While Gregor had taken the cavalry to Casterly Rock, the clerk had been responsible for all affairs inside and outside Clegane Keep. Whether it was the construction of Clegane Village, the quarrying of stone slabs in Stoney Sept, or the management of the new territory and the registration of the new subjects after the raven brought back news of the duke's reward to Lord Gregor, he had completed it all with the assistance of Maester Potter.

The clerk, Mark, was not one of Gregor's riders; he was the steward of Gregor's territory, in charge of all affairs. When Gregor was away, he managed all matters of the territory, from purchasing food for daily life to the inventory of the armory and the horses' fodder in the stables. Everything, big or small, was his responsibility.

The clerk also longed for Lord Gregor to promote him to knighthood and grant him the Clegane surname. He knew he had to do an even better job to attract Lord Gregor's attention.

Thus, the Clegane family had gained two more knights.

The witch beckoned Dunsen and Polliver to step onto the seven-step platform.

The witch held a bone needle in her hand. With a light prick, she pierced Dunsen's finger, and a drop of Dunsen's blood clung to the needle tip.

The witch stuck out her tongue and licked the needle tip, then glanced at Gregor.

Although Gregor and the witch hadn't exchanged a word, Gregor understood what the witch meant: Dunsen had passed the witch's test. Gregor needed Dunsen to meet the four knightly qualities of valor, sacrifice, honor, and soul. As for the other four qualities of humility, honesty, compassion, and justice, they were not within Gregor's scope of consideration.

Subsequently, Polliver also successfully passed the witch's test.

Miss Jeyne, the witch's temporary helper, stood beside her, holding a bowl of holy oil. The witch smeared the holy oil on Dunsen and Polliver's foreheads, and the ceremony officially ended.

Afterward, all the miners swore an oath before the statues of the Seven, and after the witch's holy oil was applied, the clerk led the team of miners to Goldleaf Bay to mine for gold.

Gregor said, "Ser Dunsen, you will lead forty riders to supervise the miners. Collect all the formed gold nuggets and grains that are mined, and do not allow any miner to stuff them into their pockets. Each day, the riders will take turns entering the mine to dig and pan for gold, while also supervising the workers underground."

"Yes, Lord!" Dunsen's tone was full of fighting spirit.

He was still thrilled after just becoming a knight.

"Juli Clegane."

"Here, Father."

"You will take ten riders to urge the construction workers to finish building Clegane Village as soon as possible. The village must be expanded, and twenty more houses must be built. Patrol the territory's borders once every morning and evening."

"Yes, Father."

"Ser Polliver, you will take ten riders and come with me. We will go to King's Landing tomorrow on business."

"Yes, Lord!" Polliver was overjoyed. The bald, black-bearded man smiled neurotically.