The Mountain of Ice and Fire

Eddard looked at Jon, saying nothing. Eddard was not one to jump to conclusions, and he understood what Bran meant by the North also being drawn into the war.

The Mountain had done everything he could to save the North. If the Mountain went to war with Daenerys, with just a word from the Mountain, or even without him saying anything, the North would have a duty to send troops. Moreover, Sansa and Reynold had already married, making the Mountain and the Stark family relatives.

The Stark family and the Clegane family already had two marriage alliances: the first was between Catelyn Stark's brother, Edmure Tully, and Jayne's sister, Elenya Westerling; the second was between Sansa Stark and Reynold Westerling.

In this way, the Stark family of the North, the Westerling family of the West, the Clegane family, and the Tully family of the Riverlands were all one family.

This was the situation the North wanted to see.

As for the Vale, the Mountain had burned the Eyrie and now controlled it. After the news that the dragons were beyond saving, perhaps some people in the Vale would become less loyal to the Mountain, but once the news of the Mountain breeding dragons spread, there would be no doubt about which side the people of the Vale would choose.

Eddard's gaze shifted to Catelyn. His lady still didn't know about Sansa and Reynold's marriage. Tonight, after returning to the bedroom, Eddard would tell Catelyn, and he also planned to travel to the West to see Sansa.

It had been more than three years since he had seen Sansa!

Count Gavin had been waiting for Jon and Eddard to speak. Bran's words had already made it clear that Jon was Daenerys's family, and the Mountain was an ally of the Stark family. If the Mountain and Daenerys went to war, the North would be drawn into the conflict. So, how would the North express its position?

Count Gavin was waiting, but Jon and Eddard were like they were cut from the same mold. Both of them held their breath and didn't respond to Bran's words.

Count Gavin coughed. "Jon, Daenerys Targaryen is your aunt. Are you prepared to recognize your aunt, or are you planning to lead the Night's Watch to help the Mountain defend King's Landing? If the Mountain asks you for help, what do you intend to do?"

"Count Gavin, do you think the Mountain will seize the Iron Throne?" Bran Stark asked a very aggressive question.

Count Gavin was taken aback.

This was a very difficult question to answer.

The Mountain had always acted on the orders of the Iron Throne and had always accepted various grants from the Iron Throne. But this time, the Mountain joined forces with Arya to plunder the wealth of the Lannister family, and Casterly Rock nominally still belonged to the Lannisters, but it was actually an empty city. And the most powerful Lannister port city, Lannisport, had also been seized by the Mountain. His adopted son, Keom Varner, had also been recognized by the royal family and would marry Rosamund Lannister, the Lady of Lannisport.

Even more blatantly, Cersei had already declared in the Red Keep of King's Landing that the Mountain was the Lord of the West, formally replacing the Lannister family's political position in the West. The entire West, by royal decree, was already the Mountain's territory.

Count Gavin really didn't believe that the Mountain had no ambition to plot the Iron Throne. But this was a matter of treason. If he said it, it would be a great rebellion; but if he denied it, how could he reach the pinnacle of power?!

Count Gavin didn't know the Mountain's plans for the future. He only knew that when the Mountain was fighting, he didn't forget to develop trade, open banks, promote paper money, and monopolize salt, iron, and wine.

Wasn't the Mountain doing this for the Iron Throne?

Faced with Bran's straightforwardness, Count Gavin didn't know how to answer most appropriately. He didn't know the Mountain's true thoughts, nor did he know the Mountain's recent plans. He was ordered to send gold to the North and deliver a message. That was all he knew.

"Bran, your question is beyond my ability. If you want to ask me how much gold was sent to the North this time, I can probably tell you the specific number. As for the Iron Throne dispute, I can only say that everything is God's arrangement." Count Gavin didn't want Jon, Bran, Eddard, and Catelyn to stare at him, so he immediately changed the subject. "Your Majesty, if Jon supports his aunt Daenerys, but the Mountain wants you to send troops to help him fight Daenerys, what choice will you make?"

"I will send troops," Lord Eddard said. "But I am not fighting for the Lannister family of the Red Keep of King's Landing. I am fighting because of the Mountain."

"Jon, what about you?" Count Gavin didn't want the conversation to be interrupted and leave any room for thought.

Jon looked at Eddard. "I listen to my father." He didn't say that he listened to His Majesty's orders, nor did he say that he listened to his uncle's arrangements. He said "father." He still preferred to call Eddard his father.

Eddard said, "Jon, I will not stop you from making your choice. If you go to Daenerys's side, and you meet me on the battlefield, I will avoid you."

"I will choose to stand with you, Father," Jon said clearly.

On one side was the father who had raised him for more than ten years, protected him, respected him, loved him, and taught him the principles of life; on the other side was the aunt he had never met, who had blood ties but no emotional connection whatsoever. How Jon would choose was not difficult to guess based on his character.

Catelyn Tully revealed a gratified smile.

Eddard's paternal love for Jon was worth it. Between his father and his aunt, Jon did not hesitate. He chose to stand on Eddard's side.

Bran said, "Actually, I have good news to tell everyone. The Mountain is willing to support Jon Targaryen as king. He himself has no intention of seizing the Iron Throne. The Lannister family's days in the royal palace are numbered. There will be no more bastard kings on the Iron Throne. But a country cannot be without a king. After Tommen Lannister fled, there must be a king on the Iron Throne. And Jon, who is supported by the Mountain, is the best candidate. He has the right of inheritance from the Targaryen family, and he is also a native of this continent. He is not from a foreign land."

Count Gavin's heart shook!

The Mountain was willing to support Jon as king?

What strength did Jon have? The Night's Watch under his command had few remaining members. Apart from being the Lord Commander of the Night's Watch, he had no political experience and had never been a steward of a great noble family.

Eddard Stark and Catelyn Tully were both stunned.

The Mountain, with such strength, was willing to support Jon as king.

Catelyn felt a faint unease in her heart. Was the Targaryen family going to sit on the Iron Throne again? The terrible things that this family had done to the Stark family were still vivid in her mind.

"If Jon sits on the Iron Throne, will the people and nobles of the other six kingdoms obey him?" Catelyn's eyes flickered. These were her true thoughts, but she didn't say them out loud.

"If Jon sits on the Iron Throne, Daenerys will have to swear allegiance to him according to family tradition and national law. He is the rightful heir to the Targaryen family. However, to ensure that Daenerys swears allegiance to Jon, it may also be necessary to add a marriage alliance. The Targaryen family has a tradition of internal marriage. In this way, the kingdom will not face a catastrophe of a great war."

"Jon's prestige is not enough for him to sit on the Iron Throne," Lord Eddard said. He was telling the truth. "Bran, very few of the great nobles of the Seven Kingdoms will obey Jon. He has not made any contributions to this country. During the civil war, he stayed on the Wall, and no one has seen his military talents. In the Battle of Winterfell, he was not the commander. The Mountain and Robb were the commanders of the allied forces. The Targaryen dynasty has been overthrown, and the Lannister family has usurped the Baratheon family's kingship. If Robert still has descendants, we should support the Baratheon family to sit on the Iron Throne."

Bran looked at Eddard calmly. "Father, only if Jon sits on the Iron Throne can a war involving hundreds of thousands of people be avoided, and only then can the true independence of the North be ensured. After another king sits on the Iron Throne, he will not allow the North to be independent of his regime. Perhaps in three years, perhaps in ten years, the Iron Throne will declare war on the North again. On the continent of Westeros, the king on the Iron Throne will not allow the Seven Kingdoms to be divided."

Catelyn preferred a Baratheon to sit on the Iron Throne. After all, the Targaryen family had too deep a blood feud with the Stark family. This was a hidden danger that might erupt in the future. Jon was trustworthy, but what about after Jon?

Catelyn spoke. "Bran, did you just say that Tommen escaped?"

"Yes, Mother. Arya and Jayne joined forces in the Red Keep of King's Landing and will soon force Jaime, Myrcella, Tommen, and Cersei to leave."

Count Gavin felt a chill in his heart. Bran, the Green Prophet, was too terrifying. Sitting on the ruins of Winterfell in the North, he knew everything that happened in the outside world. Such a person was too frightening. If he had ulterior motives or intended to harm someone, who could be his opponent? Before you even played your cards, he already knew all your hole cards.

"Bran, I doubt what you said. Arya and Jayne joined forces to force Jaime and Cersei's family to leave. Why? If they wanted to force them to leave, why didn't they just kill them with one knife? Leaving them alive is also leaving a great hidden danger for the future."

"That was the Mountain's intention," Bran said indifferently. "Jaime has made great contributions to the final battle of Winterfell. He has not done anything detrimental to the Mountain. At the First Men's burial ground, the Mountain's generals killed all the soldiers loyal to Jaime. This was already the most severe warning given to Jaime. With Cersei, Tommen, and Myrcella by his side, Jaime will not do anything detrimental to the Mountain. He wants to keep his life to protect his family."

Catelyn's gaze was surprised and doubtful. The Mountain made the decision to spare Jaime's family? This sounded more like Eddard's style than the Mountain's.

"I agree with Lord Mountain's approach," Eddard said. "Jaime is also a great benefactor to our North. Although Cersei killed my guards and servants, since she is willing to leave the Red Keep of King's Landing with her children, for Jaime's sake, I choose to forgive her. Tommen and Myrcella are innocent."

Years ago, Eddard was captured by Cersei and thrown into the black cells because he decided to spare Cersei's life and let Cersei leave the Red Keep of King's Landing with her three children, because the children were innocent. The result was that Cersei took advantage of Eddard's kindness, turned around and slaughtered all of Eddard's men, and threw Eddard into the black cells.

"Father, since you agree with the Mountain's approach, then let us also agree with the Mountain's support for Jon Targaryen to sit on the Iron Throne. If it were someone else, Daenerys would not agree either."

"Daenerys is the queen of a foreign land across the Narrow Sea. She is leading foreign soldiers to attack the continent of Westeros. Of course, we must drive her into the sea," Eddard said. "Jon cannot simply sit on the Iron Throne again based on the Targaryen family's bloodline. The Iron Throne is no longer surnamed Targaryen."

"Father, then who can sit on the Iron Throne?"

"Robert has another bastard in the Mountain's camp. He is a blacksmith. When I went south to be prime minister in 298 AC, I saw that child. His name is Gendry, and he is a student of Master Tobho Mott. He has the same black hair and black eyes as Robert, and he is as strong as Robert. Now the little false king Tommen also inherits the kingship from Robert, not the Lannister family's kingship. In order of succession, Gendry is more qualified than Jon."

"Father, Gendry should inherit Storm's End. Jon can name him the Duke of Storm's End. In this way, Jon will have the support of the North, the West, the Riverlands, the Vale, the Stormlands, Dorne, and the Iron Islands. The remaining Crownlands and the Reach will have to obey even if they don't want to. More importantly, Jon can make Daenerys submit to Westeros instead of launching a war. He can also get Daenerys's support. Father, Jon is the son you personally taught, and he is also the son of Aunt Lyanna."

Eddard was silent for a while, and after a long time he said, "I want to talk to the Mountain first."

"I support His Majesty's opinion," Count Gavin said immediately.

These things that people didn't know at all were all said by Bran alone. Only he knew the truth of his words. Faced with this all-knowing Green Prophet, Count Gavin's trust was not high.

Jon said slowly, "Bran, the Iron Throne has always belonged to the Baratheon family, but it was usurped by Cersei. After Arya and Jayne joined forces to drive Cersei away, the throne should return to the Baratheon family."

Bran said indifferently, "The Baratheon family no longer has any legitimate children."

"My legitimacy will also be doubted by many people. I have always been a bastard, and now I suddenly became the heir to the Targaryen family. How many people in the Seven Kingdoms will believe it? Father is right. Now is the Baratheon dynasty. Even if Cersei is in power, she is in power as King Robert's wife. Tommen only dares to sit on the Iron Throne with the Baratheon family's surname."

"Jon, are you ready to go to war with your aunt?"

"I can be an envoy and go to see my aunt and ask her to withdraw her troops."

"She will never withdraw her troops."

"I will tell her that the Mountain has dragons. When she learns that the Mountain has dragons, she and the Imp should re-evaluate the war they launched."

"Jon, Father, your decisions will trigger a great war in Westeros. The Mountain's dragon and Daenerys's three dragons will have to engage in dragon combat. Think carefully, is it really necessary to launch such a war? Support Jon to sit on the Iron Throne to avoid war."

Count Gavin decided to add some bad medicine. He felt it was necessary. "Bran, even if Jon agrees to sit on the Iron Throne, this war may not necessarily be avoided. God has safely arranged everything. If war is unavoidable, then let it come. We Westerosi will swear to defend Westeros and defeat the invaders."

*

A few days later, on Dragonstone, Daenerys's three dragons still had not returned, but her fleet had quietly undergone a major change.