The Mountain of Ice and Fire

The Mountain and Lady Dorea Codd both noticed the wariness on Daenerys's face and the hostility in her eyes.

Daenerys noticed that the Mountain was not wearing a crown. He was dressed in brocade, but he wasn't wearing armor, and that terrifying two-handed greatsword wasn't on his back. There was no sword belt around his waist, and no weapons such as daggers or short knives.

This was the first time Daenerys had seen the Mountain in plain clothes, without any weapons or attendants.

"Your Majesty, please forgive me for disturbing you at night," the rough and mighty Mountain said in a refined manner.

Daenerys and Missandei both noticed the Mountain's address. He called Daenerys "Your Majesty," and his tone was polite and gentle, as if the person who came was not the Mountain, but a polite scholar.

This gave Missandei and Daenerys a strange feeling.

If the Mountain was indifferent, arrogant, condescending, and self-righteous, they would have been more accepting.

"Your Majesty, have you figured out how you want to punish me?" Daenerys said coldly.

For Daenerys, who was ready to die, there was nothing to be afraid of anymore.

"Yes," the Mountain said politely, his voice so gentle that it only felt fake.

"Oh, are you planning to hang me, or behead me as a public display?"

"I would like to invite you to the Westerlands to attend the wedding of Sansa and Raynald Westerling."

Daenerys: "..."

Daenerys looked at Missandei, and both mistress and servant suspected they had misheard. They exchanged glances, and Daenerys said cautiously, "I will not go, Your Majesty."

"Lord Eddard Stark of the North will also be there. If you want to unite the North to deal with me in the future, I think you should take this opportunity to get to know Lord Eddard Stark."

Daenerys's purple eyes darted around. When she held Jon Targaryen on Dragonstone, her first goal was to arrange a marriage to preserve the Targaryen family's bloodline and revitalize the family; the second was to unite the North through Jon and gain the support of the Northerners for her.

"Mountain, I am your prisoner now. You don't need to use any tricks on me. If you want to do something, be direct, don't beat around the bush."

"I'm telling the truth, Daenerys," the Mountain said sincerely, with a sincere expression and sincere eyes.

"I'm sorry, I will never go," Daenerys refused flatly.

Although she didn't understand the Mountain's intention at all, the Mountain definitely didn't have good intentions. Since the Mountain wanted her to go, she definitely couldn't go. As long as the Mountain asked for something, doing the opposite would never be wrong.

"I suggest you come with us. Arya Stark and Jon Targaryen will be among the group. You will be very safe, and after the wedding, I will let you go and restore your freedom."

"Let me go? Give me freedom?" Daenerys laughed.

"I will let you go, in the name of the New Gods and the Old, in the glory of the King of the Andals, the Rhoynar, and the First Men. I guarantee your safe departure and regaining your freedom. The condition is to attend the wedding of Sansa and Raynald as the Queen from the Eastern Continent."

Daenerys: "..."

Daenerys and Missandei exchanged glances again.

Their instincts and reason both told them not to believe what the Mountain said, but, but, what if...

"Mountain, can I believe your words?"

"Daenerys, you may not believe me, but please believe the gods, believe the promise of a king, that is honor. The gods cannot be blasphemed, and the honor of the king is supreme."

"...Give me...complete freedom...let me leave King's Landing..." Daenerys couldn't believe it was true.

"Yes, as long as you come with us to the Westerlands to attend the wedding of Sansa Stark and Raynald Westerling."

"Why do you insist that I go to the Westerlands to attend their wedding?"

"You are the Mother of Dragons, the Khaleesi of the Great Grass Sea, the Princess of Dragonstone Born of the Storm, the Breaker of Chains, the Unburnt, the Queen from the continent of Essos. Your status is noble and your position is prominent. Raynald Westerling is my brother, and Sansa is the eldest daughter of the Stark family. It is an unforgettable honor for them, and for me, to invite a queen like you to attend their wedding."

After a brief silence, Daenerys made a decision: "Okay, I promise you, Mountain. I will go with you to attend the wedding of Sansa and Raynald."

"Queen Daenerys, I believe your acceptance is my honor. Thank you for accepting my invitation."

"...I am deeply honored...Your Majesty..." The wariness on Daenerys's face disappeared, the hostility in her eyes faded, and what increased was a deep confusion.

Attending a wedding could exchange for her absolute freedom?

Could things really be that simple?!

Absolutely impossible!

But, now is already the worst situation. What could be worse than being held here and being hanged at any time? If she didn't try, how would she know if the Mountain was sincere about letting her go?

Besides, the Mountain swore in the name of the gods and the glory of the king!

The Mountain was rough on the outside, but meticulous on the inside. He saw the disappearance of Daenerys's wariness and the fading of the hostility in her eyes. The plan had achieved the expected effect, which was a good start.

"Missandei, could you pour a glass of wine for Daenerys and me?" The Mountain became less distant.

"...Of course...Your Majesty...You are too polite..." Missandei's mind was still muddled. The Mountain invited Daenerys to attend a wedding, and then Daenerys gained absolute freedom. Was that even possible? But, the Mountain swore in the name of the gods and the glory of the king! Was he crazy or did he have some other terrible purpose?

The Maidenvault had everything. The wine cabinet was filled with famous wines from all over the world.

Missandei went to pour the wine. Lady Dorea Codd, who had been silently watching all this, stood up. She walked to Daenerys, and a silver needle appeared in her hand. Before Daenerys could react, the silver needle had pierced Daenerys's arm. She pulled it out, and the tip of the needle had a faint trace of blood.

The stinging pain caused Daenerys to instinctively gasp!

Lady Dorea Codd retreated as if her feet were not touching the ground. She stared at Daenerys's slightly changed expression and lightly touched the silver needle to her lips.

Daenerys was shocked to find that not only were the black witch's teeth all black, but even her tongue was black.

A witch with black clothes, black eyes, black hair, black teeth, and a black tongue looked strange no matter how you looked at it.

Daenerys had dealt with wizards before, and each experience ended in a very unpleasant way. The only wizard who had never harmed her was a witch from the Shadow Lands of Asshai wearing a wooden mask. Her name was Quaithe, and she was a Shadowbinder. She told Daenerys some unfathomable prophecies, more than half of which had already come true.

*

"What are you doing?" Missandei shouted.

Dorea Codd stared deeply at Daenerys, then looked at the Mountain and nodded almost imperceptibly.

The Mountain was overjoyed.

Lady Dorea Codd saw the future of Daenerys and the Mountain. Daenerys would eventually become the Mountain's woman. The blood contained Daenerys's secrets. Lady Dorea saw through the blood, and those secrets were not a problem for the Mountain. One of the secrets that the Mountain wanted to know was whether Daenerys's belly was innocent. The answer came out, and it was the answer the Mountain wanted.

Lady Dorea Codd's imperceptible nod contained a lot of information that only the Mountain and she could understand.

Seeing prophecies and secrets through blood is a unique skill of blood witches.

"Mountain, you brought a witch in. What did this witch just do to me?" Daenerys's expression changed, becoming like a cat that was very alert in the night...very alert to any sound...

"It's nothing, Daenerys, Lady Dorea has no malice towards you."

"She just pricked me with a needle and tasted my blood. What does that mean?" Daenerys's voice became as sharp as a knife. She was very afraid of wizards. Drogo died at the hands of a witch; the warlocks of Qarth almost killed her. These wizards always had some mysterious and terrifying abilities that were difficult to defend against.

"Lady Dorea can explore a person's qualities through blood," the Mountain said without thinking. Lying was no longer a challenge for the Mountain. When he told a lie, it was no different from the truth.

"Explore qualities?"

"Lady Dorea saw the prophecies of the future through blood. She has also told me to rest assured about you. After I give you freedom, you will not pose a threat to me."

Although this reason still made Daenerys suspicious, it sounded reasonable.

The Mountain decided to release Daenerys, but no one knew whether Daenerys would pose a fatal threat to the Mountain in the future, or whether she would make a comeback to take revenge. The Mountain was cautious about this and wanted to predict it through the power of the wizard, which sounded in line with common sense and reason.

But Daenerys was still afraid in her heart. What else did this strange and dark witch see through her blood?

"From this moment on, Daenerys, you are no longer my prisoner of war. You are my distinguished guest from the East," the Mountain said politely. He stood up, tall and burly like a giant, as thick as a wall, and his outstretched giant hand was frightening.

Daenerys looked at the giant hand in front of her. She remembered that in the sky above the sea, the Mountain had also extended a hand of peace to her. When she reached out, the Mountain's hand representing peace captured her and turned her into a prisoner of war.

"Mountain, if you treat me as a guest and not a prisoner of war, don't bring a witch to test me again in the future," Daenerys said sharply. She did not shake hands with the Mountain.

"Peace!" The Mountain's hand insisted on not withdrawing.

"Peace!" Daenerys finally responded. Her small hand was still very reluctant to reach out and placed it in the palm that was as wide as her shoulder. The Mountain's palm was rough and dark, while Daenerys's palm was as white as jade.

The giant hand took the jade-like hand. The Mountain leaned down and gently kissed the back of Daenerys's smooth little hand: "Good night, Your Majesty."

Daenerys felt a wave of nausea in her heart, but this was etiquette, so she had to maintain her demeanor: "Good night, Your Majesty."

The atmosphere began to become ambiguous in a polite manner. One was a queen and the other was a king. No matter how you listened to it, it seemed like the relationship was - a little intimate.

*

The Mountain and Lady Dorea Codd walked out of the Maidenvault together.

"Your Majesty, are you really going to give Daenerys freedom?"

"Yes."

"Does the Queen know?"

"I will confess to her when I get back."

"The blood tells me that she does not trust you in her heart and harbors hostility."

"It doesn't matter. When I become her man, she will change."

Lady Dorea Codd was silent for a while: "Your Majesty, that's difficult."

"I know it's difficult. Daenerys is the Unburnt. She has her pride, but I like this kind of conquest. Did you see the scene of me and her together in the future?"

"Uh, I saw it."

"Then I have nothing to worry about."

"...Your Majesty, the relationship between you and her, what I saw was in your way...the blood didn't take me far, I only saw the near future...what the relationship between you and Daenerys will eventually become...I don't know..." Lady Dorea Codd stammered a little.

What does that mean? In my way? In the near future?

The Mountain was a little puzzled, but he decided not to delve into it. As long as the prophecy said that Daenerys did become his woman, then there was nothing to worry about. And Lady Dorea saw this through the blood, so that was fine.

"Madam, in the future, please say more good things about me in front of the Queen. I am not too worried about Daenerys, I am worried about the Queen."

"...Uh...I will...Your Majesty..."

"Tell the Queen that I am for the strength of House Clegane, for the unmatched dragon knight legions of the future, and for allowing House Clegane to develop the bloodline of the Unburnt. Clegane, unmatched. I need the Queen's understanding and support."

"...I understand...Your Majesty..."

*

Maidenvault.

Missandei helped Daenerys check her arm. The stinging pain in her arm had disappeared. There was a small red dot on the skin that was too white and smooth.

"What did that wizard do to you?" Missandei murmured.

Daenerys put down her sleeves: "That evil witch must never be allowed to approach me again."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"When we gain freedom, the first place we will go is Braavos, to find Bran Stark," Daenerys regained her queenly demeanor, with a stern expression, like a high-spirited warrior.

"Your Majesty, if that witch can really predict the future through blood, our plan to go to Braavos may have already been known by her."

Daenerys was shocked!

"Why don't we change our minds and go to Slaver's Bay first," Missandei said, "Bran is a Green Seer, and his prophetic abilities are far above those of witches. Since he has gone to Braavos, the Iron Bank and the Faceless Men must already be on our side."

"Okay, after we gain freedom, the first thing we will do is go to Slaver's Bay. Don't let the Mountain suspect anything. If we go to Braavos, we may be intercepted by the Mountain on the way. Some witches, evil and terrifying, can indeed see some fragments of the future."

Daenerys and Missandei walked to the window, watching the night outside, illuminated as if it were daytime. Daenerys's gaze pierced through the darkness and the sea, arriving at Braavos. In Braavos, there was a main street, and on the street, there was a conspicuous red door. Behind the door was a large courtyard and several tall houses, and in the courtyard stood an oak tree. This courtyard held Daenerys's beautiful childhood memories. Back then, her brother Viserys was still a young boy who loved Daenerys dearly. He was caring, considerate, brave, and fearless, a guardian who made Daenerys feel safe.

At this moment, that courtyard with the red door, the place that held Daenerys's childhood, was also welcoming its new guest: the Green Prophet, Bran Stark.

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