The Mountain of Ice and Fire

“Prime Minister, the soldiers are innocent,” Barristan Selmy said.

“Mountain, all the Unsullied soldiers are yours. Let them fight for you. On land, they are the finest infantry, their spear formation is the bane of cavalry. When you attack Essos, you will need them. As long as they recognize you as their master, their loyalty is beyond question.” Daenerys Targaryen said sharply.

She hoped to save the lives of the Unsullied soldiers.

This is Daenerys's kindness. This woman, able to have a large group of remarkable generals and courtiers follow her, has her own unique personality and charm, as well as the kindness that comes from the depths of her heart.

Her Majesty the Queen is a suit of armor that packages her original face, extremely hard and with barbs.

The Mountain gestured to stop Arianne Martell: “Daenerys, how do I gain the Unsullied's allegiance?”

“I will tell them that you are their master now, not anyone else.” Daenerys took out a token-like object carved with intricate patterns. The upper end of the token was split, and a delicate harpy sculpture stood on the forked tip. “This is the Unsullied token. The Unsullied soldiers only recognize the token. Whoever holds the token is their master. This is something that has been engraved into their bones and souls since they were trained as children.”

The Mountain stared at Daenerys without speaking. There was no need to say more, he saw Daenerys's sincere desire to save her subordinates' lives, and Daenerys's words about the Unsullied were true.

Daenerys turned around, and the generals behind her separated with a whoosh. She walked to the dock, faced the fleet, and raised the token high: “Unsullied soldiers, centurions, I am no longer your master. I surrender to the Mountain, and you also surrender to the Mountain. Now the Mountain is your only master, and his words are the highest order.” Daenerys's voice was very penetrating, so that the Unsullied soldiers on every warship could hear clearly.

The Unsullied soldiers, neatly arranged on the deck, watched Daenerys turn around, raise the harpy token high, walk to the Mountain, and hand over the token with both hands.

The Mountain took the strange token with the forked upper end. He glanced at the harpy statue, which was the faith of the Slaver's Bay people. The Mountain raised the token high: “Unsullied, all of you, listen to my command, sit down cross-legged.”

Boom!

On the deck, more than five thousand Unsullied soldiers sat down cross-legged, uniformly.

The Mountain looked at Grey Worm and Hero, the two leaders who did not move and did not sit down.

“Grey Worm, sit down.”

Grey Worm did not move: “Mountain, I have only one master: Queen Daenerys Targaryen. She gave me freedom. I am no longer the slave Grey Worm, I am the free man Grey Worm.”

“Your queen has surrendered, she and you are both my prisoners of war.”

“You can kill me, but you cannot order me. Only the Queen can order me.” Grey Worm looked at the Mountain with contempt.

“Grey Worm!” Daenerys shouted, “I am no longer your master, nor your queen.”

“Your Majesty, you gave me freedom. The free man Grey Worm only serves the Queen, not anyone else.”

The Mountain looked at Hero and said lightly: “Hero, are you willing to kneel to me and swear allegiance?”

Hero looked at Daenerys. Daenerys nodded, her eyes full of submission: “Hero, I order you to submit to the Mountain.”

Grey Worm could not be persuaded, but saving one more was one more. Hero could not be killed by the Mountain just like that. The Unsullied soldiers needed their leader to take care of them.

Hero took two steps forward and knelt on one knee in front of the Mountain: “Hero swears in the name of the grassland, the earth, the sky, the sea, and the harpy to my new master, the Mountain. I will fight for you and never retreat until death.”

The Mountain nodded and said lightly: “Hero, I appoint you as the commander-in-chief of my Unsullied Legion.”

“Yes.”

“Get up and stand behind me.”

Hero got up, glanced at Grey Worm and Daenerys, and walked behind the Mountain, standing with the Mountain's dozens of generals.

“Commander-in-Chief Wagner Gahl, return Hero's armor, short sword, shield, and spear to him.”

“Yes, Prime Minister.” Wagner Gahl, standing on the bow of the ship, answered loudly.

*

By the dock, Jorah Mormont, who had fallen into the water, swam to the shore. On the shore, the Master of Laws Yarlin and eight gold cloak soldiers were staring at him intently.

“Ser, do you need my help?” Yarlin's hand was on the hilt of his sword, condescending, his tone contemptuous.

Yarlin was a Dornishman, a vassal under the peerless Dragon Knight Arianne Martell.

Jorah Mormont reached out to Yarlin: “Ser, help me.”

Yarlin grabbed Jorah's hand, suddenly his wrist tightened, and a huge force caused him to stand unsteady, and he crashed into the water. Jorah Mormont laughed loudly, and he pressed Yarlin into the water, and the two sank to the bottom of the water together. When Jorah emerged and climbed ashore, Yarlin was still at the bottom of the water—he was wearing armor—and Jorah Mormont had a long sword in his hand: Yarlin's long sword on his back.

Clang clang clang!

The long swords of the eight gold cloak soldiers were drawn together, surrounding the dripping Jorah Mormont.

Plop plop!

Several sailors jumped off the ship and plunged into the water to save Ser Yarlin.

“Prime Minister, I beg for mercy for Jorah, don't kill him, he is a true warrior,” Jon Targaryen said earnestly.

“Mountain, let Jorah go, I surrender to your king, I accept any judgment you make against me, beheading or hanging, don't kill Jorah Mormont, he is a truly remarkable knight,” Daenerys said urgently.

She regarded Jorah as a family member and would never allow Jorah to be beheaded just like that.

“Where might Bloodraven Brynden Targaryen have gone?” The Mountain asked lightly.

He changed to a euphemistic way of saying it, and made it clear that Bran Stark was no longer Bran, but a Targaryen. No matter who confronted the prophet, it was a terrible thing.

“He might have gone to Braavos,” Jon Targaryen said in a deep voice.

Jon decided to end this dockside trial. He was kind at heart and did not want to see these generals' heads fall to the ground.

The Mountain must have news of Bran Stark, Daenerys would definitely not say it, so, let him do it.

Jon's best black-clad brothers and his closest girlfriend Ygritte all died at Bran's hands. Jon could not accept or forgive Bran's practice of harming the rights of guests.

Jon finally said it.

Daenerys's face changed.

Her hope of killing the Mountain was all on Bran. Protecting Bran was to ensure that the Mountain would be assassinated.

“Braavos?” The Mountain repeated, and the Iron Bank and the Faceless Men flashed in his mind. These two organizations were the most famous specialties of Braavos. “Lady Melisandre, if Bloodraven goes to Braavos, what power will he find to deal with us?”

“He needs the Iron Bank's money, and then hire the Faceless Men.” Melisandre said lightly.

Melisandre had a unique insight in this regard. The Faceless Men were believers in the God of Death, and the Many-Faced God was the God of Death. The Faceless Men's assassination skills, swordsmanship was only a very small part of it, they were better at magic, illusions, and poisoning that changed their appearance and voice. Illusions and poisoning overlapped with Melisandre's witchcraft.

The word Faceless Men shocked the hearts of the generals and courtiers.

The name was spoken, and death descended.

As long as someone hired the Faceless Men, the target would definitely not escape. Maybe a month, maybe three years later, in short, the person targeted by the Faceless Men was doomed to die.

Of course, the cost to the hirer was also astonishing. Even a governor, king, or duke would find it difficult to afford to hire the Faceless Men to assassinate the Mountain. Because the Mountain was the Prime Minister, the higher the target's status, the higher the price.

What's more, Bloodraven definitely had no money.

The Mountain's heart also shook when he heard the Faceless Men: “Faceless Men, I should have thought of that.” He thought to himself. The reason was very simple, if Bloodraven must kill the Mountain, hiring the Faceless Men was the only and best way. Who could defeat the Mountain's dragon with the legion power at the king level?

Assassination was the best choice!

Arya Stark in the crowd also felt a jump in her heart.

She was a Faceless Man who violated the Faceless Men's creed.

The Faceless Men would not use their worldly names, would not be involved with their past, family, and relatives, and would not use the Faceless Men's skills they had learned to do anything for the family's revenge or revitalization, but Arya had violated all of these Faceless Men's rules.

In her heart, at any time, she was not an unknown person, but Arya Stark who did not change her name or surname.

*

On the banks of the river, Ser Yarlin had already landed. He grabbed a long sword from a soldier and ran towards Jorah Mormont, who looked indifferent.

“Ser Yarlin, stop.” The Mountain shouted.

Ser Yarlin stopped abruptly.

“Official Mark Clegane, the registration, accommodation, life, and military supplies of the Unsullied soldiers are entrusted to you.”

“Yes, Prime Minister.” Chief Official Mark Clegane stepped out of the ranks.

“General Jekko Locke, the military regulations, military affairs, military training, and passwords of the Unsullied Legion are all entrusted to you.”

“Yes, Prime Minister.” Jekko Locke stepped out of the ranks and answered loudly.

“Hero, this is Official Mark Clegane. For military pay, weapons, armor repairs and applications, and anything in life, look for him.”

“Yes, Prime Minister.”

“This is General Jekko Locke, the chief training officer of the Clegane Legion. The Unsullied warriors need to conduct new queues, formations, cavalry and infantry coordination, horns, passwords, and other drills. You need to cooperate with his orders and guidance.”

“Yes, Prime Minister.”

The Mountain had just obtained the five thousand Unsullied Legion and determined the whereabouts of Bran Stark, and he was in a good mood.

“Daenerys, I got what I wanted, and the dockside trial is over. Let's go, I'll take you to see my king, I hope my king won't order your head to be cut off.”

“Lord Mountain…” Jon said.

“Jon, you are not Daenerys's vassal, you are the Lord Commander of the Night's Watch of the Wall. Stand on our side, if you want to intercede for Daenerys, you cannot request my king's pardon as a prisoner of war, and you cannot make your suggestions.” The Mountain interrupted Jon unceremoniously.

Jon took a deep look at Daenerys, and Daenerys also looked at him sharply.

Jon walked to the Mountain's side and chose to stand on the Mountain's side.

Whether Jon was Daenerys's vassal or not, he had admitted it when the Mountain was pursuing Daenerys, but the relationship between Jon and Daenerys was complicated because of completely different political views and more than a dozen bloody debts of life between the two.

In Daenerys's most difficult time, Jon could not leave her, that was certain.

*

Red Keep, Throne Room.

The Mountain and Daenerys walked into the empty hall and saw the young king sitting on the Iron Throne: Gendry Baratheon. Under the seven steps of the Iron Throne, four white-robed Kingsguard stood in a row.

In addition, the Mountain was surprised to see standing next to the King's Iron Throne—Grand Sage of the Alchemists' Guild, Minister of Justice Jeyne Westerling—she should have been resting in the Prime Minister's Tower according to the Mountain's request to breastfeed the child—the High Septon of the Great Sept of Baelor: the High Septon wore a seven-star holy crown and a brand-new white robe printed with the images of the Seven Gods; behind the High Septon, the Seven High Septons of the Sept appeared one by one, they were the Father, the Mother, the Smith, the Warrior, the Maiden, the Crone, and the Stranger.

In addition, Grand Maester Qyburn also stood on one side of the Iron Throne, and behind Qyburn stood all the court scholars, including Jon Connington, who was deeply appreciated by the Mountain.

When the Throne Room tried important nobles or major cases, the High Septon of the Great Sept of Baelor would be invited to be one of the judges or one of the supervisors, but the Seven High Septons had never appeared together in the past.

In addition, court scholars, except for those who recorded royal life and historians who would be outside the Throne Room, the rest of the scholars would not appear together in the Throne Room either. This situation was rare.

After the Mountain and Daenerys entered the Throne Room, Daenerys's courtiers and generals were escorted in by the gold cloak soldiers.

After this group of more than a dozen main generals was escorted in, courtiers and generals, nobles and noble ladies, ladies and knights of Westeros entered one after another, and soon filled both sides of the hall, leaving only a necessary passage in the middle leading to the door.

Finally, the Commander of the City Watch led two captains and led the gold cloak guards into the hall and arranged themselves in a circle along the walls to form a guard formation. Other gold cloak soldiers guarded both sides of the door of the Throne Room, and the team extended outwards all the way to the bronze gate of the Red Keep.

The left and right corridors of the Throne Room were crowded with the citizens of King's Landing!

Daenerys looked at the king on the Iron Throne, and she naturally noticed the strange people on both sides of the Iron Throne: a tall old man wearing flame-patterned robes who looked like a wizard; a High Septon wearing a holy robe and a seven-star holy crown that would probably break his neck; seven High Septons wearing high septon robes; and more than a dozen old men dressed as scholars.

Since when were so many non-courtiers and military officers allowed next to the Iron Throne?

Was it a temporary decision made specifically for her trial, or had the new king changed the rules of the throne room? Every court session now included the High Septon and his septons, along with the court's maesters? Daenerys couldn't understand, and even the Mountain was witnessing this for the first time.

"Your Majesty, Daenerys and her generals have been brought forth," the Mountain announced.

Daenerys noticed that the Mountain was speaking while standing; he didn't kneel.

Back when he was Tywin Lannister's dog, the Mountain didn't kneel before King Robert either. King Robert was an unusually open-minded king and didn't care about such trivial matters with a brute like the Mountain.

The Smith King nodded on the Iron Throne. "Lord Hand, the sentencing of the prisoners Daenerys and her generals will be postponed. Today, we will not judge any prisoners, nor will we discuss any related matters of state. We have a more important matter to address first."

The Mountain's gaze shifted from the king's face to the High Septon's. He and the High Septon had a good personal relationship; the High Septon was a former Warrior of the Faith who had ascended to his position with the Mountain's support. The Mountain provided the strategies, and the High Septon provided the funds. Together, they opened the first Baelor Bank in King's Landing. Initially, the Baelor Bank offered interest-free loans to commoners and refugees in the name of the Seven, earning immense prestige. Blessed by the Seven, the bank thrived in King's Landing.

Despite their 'intimate' relationship—personal, public, and allied—the Mountain couldn't discern any hints from the High Septon's face or eyes.

The Mountain scanned every face beside the Iron Throne, many of whom he had good private relationships with, such as the Grand Master of the Guild of Alchemists, and his wife, Jeyne Westerling—but the Mountain still received no clear indication or hint from their faces or eyes.

The Mountain could only say, "Your Majesty, you said there is a more important matter to address today. What is it?"

The High Septon stepped forward and descended two steps, facing the Mountain. "Lord Hand, do you respect the authority of the gods and wholeheartedly believe in the Seven?"

"Yes, High Septon, I am immensely devoted to the Seven and their divine authority."

The High Septon nodded. "This important matter comes from divine revelation. Listen!"

The Mountain tilted his head, cursing inwardly, *What the hell am I supposed to listen to?*

All the courtiers and military officers strained their ears, each filled with doubt.

Daenerys and her generals also felt a sense of unease.

This throne room, filled with so many religious fanatics, spouting mysterious and strange words—what the hell did it all mean?

The Mountain felt even more bewildered. He looked at the Master of Whisperers, Beric Clegane, who was usually well-informed and should have known about today's arrangement, but he hadn't mentioned it to the Mountain. The Mountain saw the gleam in Beric's excited little eyes; clearly, that little bastard knew what was going on.

Amidst the Mountain's confusion, *dong, dong, dong, dong, dong, dong, dong*—seven sacred chimes—

The sacred bells atop the main tower of the Great Sept of Baelor, which were only rung for extremely important events in the realm, suddenly began to toll. The chimes were melodious and resonant, and the very first strike echoed throughout the entire city.