The Mountain of Ice and Fire

"Mountain, Aegon Targaryen VI is of dragonseed, the rightful heir to the Iron Throne. If you assist him, I believe he will appoint you as his Hand of the King. Mountain, you burned Highgarden. Lord Mace Tyrell will no longer hold you in good regard, and the people of Highgarden will not be grateful to you. They will hate you. Margaery Tyrell is the current Queen, and your relationship with the royal family will be difficult to trust and maintain intimacy."

"Areo, did the scholars of Oldtown send you a white raven?" The Mountain retorted to Arianne. This was a question unrelated to Arianne's words.

Arianne's eyes flickered. Did the Mountain refuse to acknowledge the Tyrell family's animosity and resentment caused by the burning of Highgarden?! Or did the Mountain refuse to discuss the matter with her? After all, Willas Tyrell was here, the heir apparent of Highgarden, the future Lord of Highgarden, Warden of the South, and wielder of real power.

Arianne looked at Willas, then at the Mountain. She answered the Mountain's question, "Yes!"

"The white raven tells us that autumn has only three months left, then winter will come. And when winter comes, the Others will launch a massive attack on Winterfell in the North amidst the wind and snow. If Winterfell falls, the Others' army will become incredibly powerful and march south to attack King's Landing. Is there anything more important than the survival of mankind? I don't care who ultimately sits on the Iron Throne. I only care whether we can survive this winter, avoid being killed by the Others, and then turned into wights."

"The Others are really coming to the North?"

"Do you still doubt it now? You are either truly foolish or truly wicked!" The Mountain's tone became very unkind. His eyes glared at Arianne, and Arianne's breath caught in her throat. The Mountain's power was like a dragon looking down on a lamb.

The sound of hooves echoed, and Arianne's guard and Willas's men rushed over.

Willas Tyrell saw the approaching Highgarden soldiers with their distinct attire and shining armor. They were not people who had broken out of Highgarden amidst the flames, but commoners from the villages and towns outside Highgarden.

In fact, the fire at Highgarden was a signal.

At the same time, on the Mander River in the Reach, many ships were crossing at various ferries.

The Reach's army had all been stationed in King's Landing to defend against Daenerys's army suddenly appearing from across the Narrow Sea. There were not many professional soldiers and mercenaries left in the Reach, but as the granary and most populous region of the Seven Kingdoms, the Reach could still muster nearly ten thousand soldiers. This was the last bit of strength left to guard the various cities.

The Reach had more than a dozen large cities and countless small towns and villages, containing astonishing amounts of civilian wealth and grain reserves, far exceeding Highgarden's reserves. More than half of the supplies Highgarden provided to the North came from various vassals.

The Mountain also knew that as long as dragonfire rose, Highgarden's terrain was high, and the firelight would allow most people on the Reach's plains to see it. Overnight, the burning of Highgarden would spread throughout the entire Reach, and vassals from various places would inevitably send people to put out the fire, rescue the lord, and save people. In fact, even without Willas Tyrell ordering the gathering of troops, the Reach's army would naturally gather by the Mander River outside Highgarden. His order for Willas to summon the army and follow him on an expedition to the Stormlands to attack Aegon Targaryen VI was actually a test of Willas Tyrell's attitude.

The dragonfire burning Highgarden was a decision the Mountain made on the spur of the moment. The purpose was to force the Dornish to kneel and submit. Subjugating Dorne was far more significant than subjugating Highgarden. No one in the Tyrell family could be a great general, and the Bloated Toad was even more lacking in courage and strategy. No matter how much cleverness Margaery Tyrell had, a knife and a faceless man were enough to deal with her.

Besides, Cersei, who was in power now, was one of his own!

As for Dorne, it was unruly. Although nominally part of the Seven Kingdoms, its military, political, trade, and tax affairs were all independent. The Targaryen dragon family had fought Dorne for many years, but still ended in defeat, and finally had to rely on marriage alliances. In fact, Dorne had always been independent of the kingdom's jurisdiction. And this situation, a god-given opportunity to subdue and change it, was creating a miracle and history.

The Mountain had already created miracles and history!

The Mountain killed Oberyn Martell of Dorne; Jeyne Westerling killed most of Dorne's lords or heirs. The blood feud between them could only be washed away with blood, or one completely conquer the other.

These were the only two choices!

If the Dornish rebelled again in the future, their gods would despise them, and they themselves would live in the double contradiction between oaths and reality, and would not be at peace.

This was an oath issued by the entire Dornish people, not just the Dorne Martell family alone, or by any single individual.

Dorne's grain reserves had never been used. Dorne's real army had never participated in the civil war. Their military strength, food, and military supplies had not been consumed by the civil war. It was time for them to contribute money and effort.

*

"Willas Tyrell, in my capacity as Master of War of the Seven Kingdoms, I order you to immediately gather the cavalry and infantry of the Reach, assemble at Bitterbridge within three days, and await my next order."

Willas Tyrell looked at the Mountain, the dragon behind him, and Arianne Martell, as sharp as a knife. He said in a hoarse voice, "Mountain, I cannot complete the task in three days."

"Lord Willas, the firelight at Highgarden last night was the order you gave to your vassals. Today, vassals near Highgarden will lead troops here, without the need for your order at all. The vassals in various border areas are also prepared to receive orders and fight. They only need a raven from you, and they will quickly gather at Bitterbridge. Three days is enough to summon everyone in the Reach."

Only after the Mountain explained did Willas Tyrell realize that the Mountain had planned everything, and he had not realized that the firelight at Highgarden last night was actually a lord's order.

"As you command, Duke Gregor." Willas Tyrell finally became serious. His change in address to the Mountain also reflected a change in attitude.

The Mountain looked at Arianne Martell, "Lady Arianne, order the Dornish soldiers to immediately form ranks and head to Bitterbridge. Within three days, I want to see them at Bitterbridge."

"As you command, Mountain!" Arianne Martell said respectfully.

She had just led the Dornish soldiers to kneel and swear allegiance to the Mountain. She would naturally accept the Mountain's first order completely.

The Mountain would lead the soldiers of the Reach and Dorne to attack Aegon Targaryen VI, and would send Aegon's body to her. Originally, Arianne's military plan was to send messengers to see Aegon VI after taking Highgarden and discuss marriage with him. She believed that her union with Aegon VI was the most perfect marriage, with close ties of kinship and a political alliance.

But the Mountain, with his dragon, reversed the entire plan. Arianne Martell had no choice but to kneel and submit, and obey the Mountain's orders.

An hour later, Willas Tyrell newly appointed his captain of the guard, captain of scouts, commanding general, drillmaster, and new maester. The survivors of Highgarden, together with the vassals under Highgarden who had rushed to put out the fire and provide assistance, organized their troops and marched towards Bitterbridge.

The vassals who had rushed from nearby also brought ravens and maesters, which were all requisitioned by Willas Tyrell. He sent ravens to vassals throughout the territory, ordering them to lead troops to Bitterbridge.

Dorne's infantry, cavalry, and mixed cavalry-infantry regiments also headed to Bitterbridge with Willas Tyrell's soldiers.

The Mountain and Arianne Martell watched the troops march on the plains of the Reach. Ellaria and her four daughters stood beside them. The way Ellaria and her four daughters looked at the Mountain was like arrows, sharp and pointed.

Before everyone's eyes, the Mountain grabbed the dragon's horn, flipped over, and climbed onto the dragon's back. He uttered strange syllables, and the dragon chirped softly, the sound piercing through stone and shattering jade, creating a great wind out of thin air. The dragon's wings spread out, and everyone's eyes went dark, the light of heaven and earth blocked. The dragon's wings flapped, roaring up, and everyone bowed low, covering their heads, to avoid the wind and sand stirred up by the gale. Suddenly Arianne felt a tightening around her body, followed by a lightness and emptiness. She had been grabbed by a giant claw and lifted into the air. Amidst frightened screams, the people and the ground in front of her quickly became smaller and farther away. She had reached a high altitude.

"Arianne Martell, we are going to the Tower of Joy." The Mountain's voice boomed.

The Tower of Joy was the first defensive tower in the Red Mountains of Dorne, and it was also where Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark spent their honeymoon. Jon Snow was born in the Tower of Joy.

Jeyne Westerling was already pregnant. It was time for Arianne Martell to fulfill her promises and oaths. The Mountain wanted his own bloodline to enter the Martell family and become the next generation of heirs. Arianne Martell had to go through a period of hard days. The Mountain hoped Arianne could get pregnant as soon as possible. This was a more reliable plan than a political alliance. In Dorne, regardless of gender, whoever was first naturally had the right of inheritance.

The Mountain would revel with Arianne in the Tower of Joy for three days, and then they would fly together on the dragon to Bitterbridge. Three days later, the Mountain would muster his troops at Bitterbridge, and then launch an unprovoked war against the Golden Company in the Stormlands.

The Golden Company would either submit or be completely annihilated. The Mountain would not allow the Golden Company any chance to cross the Narrow Sea again. Even if the Golden Company had foreseen the news and fled immediately, their warships would still have to travel on the Narrow Sea for more than ten days, which was not as fast as the Mountain's dragon, the sheep thief.

*

Storm's End.

The defending soldiers saw scouts approaching from afar, escorting one person.

As they got closer, the soldiers saw a haggard Jon Connington.

Jon Connington was stern and dignified, intimidating, but his expression now carried fatigue, vicissitudes, and a faint weakness.

The city gates creaked open, and the defending soldiers rushed out to greet the Hand of the King.

Jon Connington entered the castle, and the courtiers and generals, hearing the news, all came to greet him.

*

Storm's End Great Hall. The mouths of two blood bags were untied, and twenty-eight heads rolled out. Among them, the heads of the archery general Black Balaq and the brave soldier Bennard Barr Emmon rolled to Aegon VI's feet.

Black Balaq was an important general in the army, and Bennard was one of the most powerful guards in the army, his position comparable to a general.

Homeless Harry Strickland's eyes widened, and the generals' faces were livid with killing intent.

"Your Majesty, I underestimated Cersei and misjudged the situation," Jon Connington said. "Cersei has no intention of negotiating at all. King's Landing is heavily guarded. We need to ask Daenerys to attack King's Landing together. We need Daenerys's three dragons."

"Lord Hand," Aegon VI said expressionlessly. He believed this would better show his majesty. "Daenerys's fleet is already in the waters off Westeros, ready to launch an attack at any time. Daenerys's cavalry and infantry have also reached Pentos. But Daenerys's dragons will not attack King's Landing first. She will attack the Iron Islands first. After taking the Iron Islands, she can shock the nobles of the Seven Kingdoms and form a pincer attack on Westeros. The Iron Islands will be the first to declare allegiance to the Targaryens. We now need someone to come out and swear allegiance first."

"Is it allegiance to Daenerys Targaryen or Aegon Targaryen?"

This was a sensitive topic, and it carried taboos.

"Daenerys and I will marry. This is the only way to continue the Targaryen bloodline," Aegon Targaryen said. "I will be the king, and Daenerys will be the queen."

"Has Daenerys agreed?" Jon did not say this out loud. He knew that it was not appropriate to talk too much about these topics. She was not aware of these topics, and it was easy to reveal flaws, making people suspicious and vigilant.

Loose lips sink ships! He was the Hand of the King who controlled the situation.

"Your Majesty, Cersei will launch a Faceless Men attack. One hundred golden statues from the Westerlands will be transported to the Isle of Faces in Braavos. I don't think Your Majesty should stay in Storm's End anymore. You should be with Daenerys, preferably becoming a dragon rider of a dragon," Jon Connington said slowly.

"The Faceless Men will not come to Storm's End within two months. It will take Cersei at least two months to transport the golden statues to Braavos. And after the Faceless Men accept the commission, it will take them two months to come to King's Landing from Braavos," Aegon Targaryen said calmly. The young man appeared mature, exceptionally handsome, with long eyelashes, carrying a feminine air.

"Your Majesty, I worry that there might be Faceless Men in King's Landing?"

"It doesn't matter if there are Faceless Men. Without an order from the House of Black and White on the Isle of Faces, the Faceless Men will not start the plan," Aegon Targaryen stared at Jon Connington and said.

Shouldn't Jon Connington understand these issues better than himself? Cersei's 'bankrupting' launch of a Faceless Men attack was indeed a very vicious plan, very Cersei, very Lannister, but it required time. Was Jon's courage broken in the Red Keep?

"Your Majesty, it also takes time for you to meet Daenerys and become a dragon rider," Jon Connington said in a deep voice.

Aegon Targaryen and the courtiers and generals were silent.

When the Faceless Men attack, choosing to avoid it is the best way. The Hand of the King's worries and suggestions are cautious. His Majesty the King must be safe. However, once the Faceless Men are activated, no one can escape. It's just a matter of time, and they will eventually die by assassination. The only way to break the situation is for the employer to terminate the mission.

The hall suddenly became quiet, the atmosphere oppressive, and no one spoke.

"Your Majesty, on the way back, I thought of a plan to resolve the Faceless Men's attack that can ensure Your Majesty's safety," Jon Connington's voice broke the silence in the hall and shattered the suffocating oppression.

Thank you [一道之下万道之上][Chau534] for the reward, thank you, handshake.