The Mountain of Ice and Fire

"Please forgive me, Your Gracious Majesty!" a voice called out loudly. "I wish to surrender to Lord Mountain."

Jorah, Barristan, Daario, and Varys, the Spider, who had emerged from the ship's cabin at some unknown time, along with Rakharo and the other bloodriders, all turned to look at the speaker. He stood at the bow of a ship, his hair and armor a silver-gray, stained with patches of blood, but his cloak was sewn together from cloths of various colors, with strips of different colors and lengths trailing from it.

This cloak was unlike any other. It was one of a kind in the entire world.

The man was the leader of the mercenary company, the Windblown: the Tattered Prince.

His two thousand subordinates preferred to call him Ragged King.

This prince, who had fled the Free City of Pentos and then formed a mercenary company, would cut a piece of cloth from the surcoat of each enemy he killed and sew it onto his cloak. Over time, his cloak became a patchwork of various colors. As more strips of cloth were added, the Prince would tie them together and let them trail from his cloak, so that eventually his 'magnificent' cloak dragged behind him many different colored strips, like a tattered mess.

No one expected a mercenary captain, who fought for money, to be particularly loyal!

The Mountain roared, "Tattered Prince, how much did Daenerys pay you to fight for her and your soldiers?"

"A price sufficient to make me fight for her, Lord Mountain."

"Good, I accept your surrender. You will fight for me, but I will not pay you a commission."

"Lord Mountain, the Windblown request to swear allegiance to you! I wish to fight for you, without taking a single coin."

"Oh?!"

"But I have one request for your assistance."

"To avenge Pentos?"

The Tattered Prince was quite surprised: "Lord Mountain knows my origins?"

"I am Azor Ahai reborn, and I can always know some secrets that others do not."

"My secret happened in the year 262 of Aegon's Conquest."

"I know. That matter is already thirty-nine years in the past. Many of the governors who participated in persecuting you back then have already died of old age."

"Lord Mountain..."

The Mountain interrupted the Tattered Prince: "Ragged King, kneel and swear allegiance to me, and I will help you retake Pentos. If any of the forty governors of Pentos object, kill them."

Pentos was the Free City in Essos closest to Westeros, and the most concentrated transfer station for maritime trade between the two continents. It was also the best location, militarily, commercially, and geographically, for linking the two continents, without exception.

To open up Essos, the Mountain needed to first open the door to Essos, to find the best entry point. Whether for stationing troops or for logistics, he needed a city as a base, and the Free City of Pentos was just such an ideal place.

The Tattered Prince, who had been forced into exile for thirty-nine years, could hardly believe it—the Mountain had agreed to his request before he even made it—and joy welled up from the depths of his heart. In the thirty-nine years of his exile, his greatest wish had been to fight back and regain control of Pentos.

"Lord Mountain, after retaking Pentos, I hope to abolish the evil tradition of sacrificing princes to the gods of the sky, earth, and sea. The power of Pentos must also return to the ancient ways, governed by the Prince, and no longer held by the governors."

This was a political choice between centralized power and democratic elections.

But whether it was centralized power or democratic elections, as long as the power was exercised among the nobles, it was merely a difference in name, with the essence being exactly the same.

In this semi-agricultural, semi-pastoral world, centralized power was more efficient, far surpassing the infighting among nobles for their different interests.

"Prince, I will support you in regaining control of Pentos. Come over and kneel, and swear allegiance to me first."

The Tattered Prince's warship started up and quickly sailed toward the Sea Monster warship on the Mountain's side. Still some distance away, the Prince could no longer wait. He grabbed a rope, swung through the air, and jumped onto the deck of the Sea Monster.

The Tattered Prince came before the Mountain, drew his longsword, placed it at the Mountain's feet, knelt on both knees, and lowered his head with its silver-white hair: "I, Tattered Prince Isidore, swear allegiance to Lord Mountain. From this moment on, until death, I will faithfully follow you, and in your time of need, I will unhesitatingly offer my life for you. May the gods of the sky, earth, and sea bear witness to my oath."

"Please rise, Prince Isidore."

No one knew that the Tattered Prince was called Prince Isidore. Daenerys did not know, nor did the Prince's subordinates.

Before establishing his Windblown company, Isidore had participated in the Second Sons, the Iron Shields, and the Maiden's Men. No matter where he was, he had never mentioned his real name.

Isidore stood up, and his two thousand subordinates cheered.

If there was a better place to go, no one would want to be a mercenary, risking their lives for others for a bite to eat. When mercenaries were not hired by great lords, they were often penniless, and many became robbers. Mercenaries who fought for money did not have a high degree of loyalty to Daenerys. Strictly speaking, they had no loyalty at all. Only the articles of their contract bound them.

"Lord Mountain, Poggio surrenders," a Dothraki man said, raising his scimitar above his head, kneeling on both knees, his forehead touching the deck.

Poggio had once been a Khal on the plains, but was later subdued by Daenerys in the sacred city with her dragons, becoming one of Daenerys' kos.

Dothraki only followed the strong; this was their tradition, their ancient way.

The Mountain's dragons and combat power were far above Daenerys'.

The Tattered Prince's oath of allegiance was made right in front of Daenerys, and Daenerys could not stop it. She had become the Mountain's prisoner, her life and death controlled by the Mountain, and Daenerys' dragons were no match for the Mountain's giant dragon. The Mountain's burly might was unmatched, even by Drogo. When the Mountain loudly urged them to surrender, most of the Dothraki soldiers had thoughts of surrendering; they just needed an opportunity, a leader, like water filling a pool, needing only a small opening...

Poggio surrendered, and the Dothraki under his command knelt down and surrendered, raising their scimitars above their heads, their heads bowed down until they touched the deck.

"Lord Mountain, Mottley surrenders."

Mottley, another ko, had also been a Khal before submitting to Daenerys. But he was a very weak Khal, with only two thousand cavalry. Before becoming a Khal, Mottley had been a centurion under Drogo.

Mottley knelt down and surrendered, raising his scimitar, and the soldiers under his command also knelt down, raising their scimitars, their foreheads touching the floor.

"Lord Mountain, Cyril surrenders!"

"Lord Mountain, Angus surrenders!"

"Lord Mountain, Reginald surrenders!"

"Lord Mountain, Roderick surrenders!"

"................"

Soon, on the Dothraki warships, kos and soldiers knelt down and surrendered.

"Dothraki generals and warriors, I accept your surrender, but I want you to swear allegiance to me in the name of the sky, the earth, the sea, and the grasslands. From this moment until your death, be loyal and never betray me."

Oaths had little binding force for the Mountain, but for the people in this world, they had the greatest binding force, surpassing the spirit of contracts.

The oath that the Mountain demanded of the Dothraki was quite difficult, because the Dothraki abandoned Daenerys today, and they would also abandon the Mountain when the Mountain lost power, and would not change because they had sworn an oath of non-betrayal.

Dothraki loyalty was only effective for the strong!

But the Mountain's idea was different: having this oath was better than not having it!

All changes must take the first step!

*

After Daenerys' mercenaries, Dothraki, and Asha's fleet surrendered and swore allegiance to the Mountain one by one, those who still refused to surrender were the Kingsguard led by Jorah Mormont and Barristan Selmy, the Kas Riders led by Rakharo and Daario, Varys, Missandei and the handmaidens, and the Unsullied led by Grey Worm and Hero.

In the air were Daenerys' two small dragons: the wounded Drogon and Rhaegal, who had only recently accepted a master, and Jon Targaryen, who had reluctantly become a dragon rider in this crisis.

"Daenerys, can you bear to see Drogon and Rhaegal killed?" the Mountain said coldly and ruthlessly.

Daenerys looked at the sky. The two small dragons were her children, and Jon was the only man left in the Targaryen family.

She looked again at the expressionless Unsullied. The Unsullied were good at fighting on land. On the sea, on warships, spears and shields were not convenient to use, and the orderly formation was defeated by the violent shaking of the ship.

But none of the Unsullied surrendered.

The leaders, Grey Worm and Hero, were covered in patches of blood and wounds, but their expressions were calm, ready to die.

Daenerys looked at Jorah. The Great Bear was her family, benefactor, protector, and brother. She looked at Barristan Selmy, who had saved her from the danger of the poisonous manticore. The old man's hair was gray, but he was skilled in martial arts and utterly loyal, a longsword that no one could stop, a true steel as good as gold. There was Missandei, who treated her like a sister and mistress, and the handmaidens Jhiqui, Irri, and Doreah, who had been with her since she married Drogo. They treated her as their only master, respecting her as if she were a god. She looked at Grey Worm and Hero, at her lover Daario, at Varys, who had almost died at Bran's hands... at the bloodrider Rakharo, whose eyes had turned red... Daenerys felt thousands of words welling up in her heart... She opened her mouth, but could not say a word...

She would rather die in battle than surrender, would not submit...

But so many people following her would die because of her choice!

The Mountain was the greatest villain in the Seven Kingdoms, cruel, terrifying, and bloodthirsty—Varys, Jorah, and Barristan had warned her long ago! Littlefinger had also told her to be careful of the Mountain before betraying her, saying that the Mountain had changed, no longer the reckless Mountain he once was. The Mountain's recklessness had turned into treachery, cunning, and deceit, and she should be very careful, never trusting him...

But Daenerys was ultimately fooled by the Mountain. She believed his words and allowed the Mountain to 'easily' take her hostage.

"Mountain, release them, and I will surrender, submit to you."

Submit? Of course, it was absolutely impossible. This could only be capitulation!

"Release them? Who do you want me to release?"

"Jon Targaryen, Drogon and Rhaegal, Grey Worm and Hero and all of their Unsullied soldiers, give each of them freedom; release Ser Jorah Mormont and Ser Barristan Selmy, release my bloodrider Rakharo, and every warrior of my Kas Riders and the Kingsguard; release Varys and Missandei, Irri, Jhiqui, and Doreah..."

Daenerys said a long list of names, including all the generals and soldiers who refused to surrender.

The Mountain said, "Daenerys, as long as you surrender and submit to me, swear allegiance to me, I will grant your request. You must stay by my side for a while, and I will teach you some new things."

Daenerys' heart was torn apart. She decided to commit suicide after Jon and the others were safe.

"Before I submit to you, you must let them go first."

"Let who go first?"

"Jon Targaryen." This was the only bloodline of the Targaryen family left.

"Your Majesty, I will not leave you," Jon Targaryen said in the sky.

Jon had not wanted to follow Daenerys from the beginning, and did not want to follow her now. Jon's girlfriend, Ygritte, his best friend, Samwell, and many of the brothers who had sworn to become Night's Watchmen had died in the collapse of the Red Keep. The biggest reason for their deaths was not the small-scale explosion of wildfire, but because they were locked in the underground black cells by Daenerys, blocking their hope of escape.

On this point, Jon could not forgive Daenerys. There was a thorn in his heart, growing in his flesh, that could not be pulled out.

Jon had lost that sense of kinship with Daenerys and Bran!

But he was an upright man, and one thing was one thing. At this time, at the most difficult moment when Daenerys was captured by the Mountain and became a prisoner, he could not leave Daenerys. It was neither ethical nor honorable.

"Your Majesty, the Unsullied will not leave their Queen, ever," Grey Worm said loudly.

"And me, Your Majesty. There is only a Great Bear who dies in battle, not a Great Bear who runs away," Jorah Mormont said lightly, with a smile on his face.

"Ser Barristan Selmy has cut off the idea of leaving Her Majesty from the moment she took him in. If Her Majesty insists on me leaving, Barristan will only die," Barristan Selmy said. Barristan, who had served four kings, regarded this stop with Daenerys as the final destination of his life.

Varys was silent. He folded his hands in the sleeves of his wide white robe, his eyes flickering, his fat face clean and smooth.

When the war began, Varys hid in the cabin. His performance was not even as good as the handmaiden Doreah. Jhiqui, Doreah, Irri, and Missandei all drew their short swords and joined the battle, but Varys did not.

"Your Majesty, the bloodriders are your blood. Where Her Majesty is, the bloodriders will be; Her Majesty lives, the bloodriders live; Her Majesty dies, the bloodriders will follow Her Majesty to the land of night to gallop," the bloodrider Rakharo said loudly.

"Very good, since you all refuse to leave Her Majesty, then follow Her Majesty to submit together," the Mountain said in a deep voice.

Daenerys looked around at her followers, her heart filled with emotion, her eyes reddened.

"Mountain, I submit, but I will never kneel. Nor shall you force my soldiers to kneel before you."

"I will accept this condition for now," Mountain said.

"For now?"

"Yes."

"I want forever."

"I can't guarantee that. What if you and your men change your minds in the future and willingly follow me, kneeling and swearing allegiance? I would be happy to accept."