The Mountain of Ice and Fire

The Mountain was sleeping soundly when Lady Jeyne's voice woke him: "Mountain, go open the door."

The Mountain groggily sat up, the candle in the room blocked by a relief sculpture, so the light wouldn't shine in one's eyes.

Faintly, there was a knock at the door from outside.

The Mountain looked at the window, which was pitch black. He glanced at the water clock; it was the dead of night.

"What could it be?" The Mountain turned over, completely naked and innocent, and reached for his ice greatsword hanging on the wall.

"It's Grand Maester Qyburn's voice." Lady Jeyne was also completely naked, her skin glowing like satin. Her body was smooth and white, like beautiful jade.

The couple's son—the Mountain's strongman, Jeyne's Gwayne—was in the neighboring room with the septa. Four handmaidens and a learned septa were dedicated to caring for him. From the moment Gwayne Clegane was born, he had at least four personal handmaidens, a septa, and a Kingsguard knight to professionally care for him.

The Mountain went to open the door in his most primitive state, so simple and unadorned was he. In the Red Keep, there were many kings far more eccentric than the Mountain. —Outside the door stood a handmaiden, a centurion of the royal guard, and Grand Maester Qyburn. The two Kingsguard were the Gumbert brothers.

"What's going on?" The Mountain asked, displeased. If what Qyburn had to say wasn't important, he wouldn't mind giving him a little taste of suffering. The Mountain's body was a perfect work of art, causing the handmaiden, centurion, and Grand Maester to respectfully avert their eyes.

"Your Grace, a raven from the Mountains of the Moon. Your dragon has hatched three hatchlings," Qyburn's voice was filled with elation. The journey from the maester's tower to Maegor's Holdfast wasn't short, and Qyburn had had enough time to digest the immense joy brought by this information, but he still couldn't help his voice from trembling.

As an old minister cultivated by the Mountain during Cersei's era, Grand Maester Qyburn also knew about the Mountain's 'dragon-raising' plan. However, he hadn't placed much importance on the prospects of the 'dragon-raising' plan. He was more concerned with his own 'human engineering'.

Qyburn was excited for His Grace's wish fulfillment.

When he initially joined the Mountain, he never expected this day would come. Back then, the Mountain had conquered the infamous group of warriors known as the 'Bloody Mummers', and to survive and have a chance at life, he shamelessly became the Mountain's man. After swearing allegiance, he was recommended by the Mountain to enter the Red Keep, where he gained the trust of Dowager Queen Cersei with his excellent medical skills and ruthless methods.

The Mountain was still digesting this sudden, unbelievable good news, somewhat bewildered and not yet reacting when the Queen's voice came loudly from inside the bedroom: "Qyburn, come in and speak."

Grand Maester Qyburn, his eyes gleaming with excitement, respectfully glanced at the Mountain. After receiving the Mountain's nod of permission, he turned sideways and entered the door: "Your Grace, I'm coming in."

His Grace was unclothed, and presumably Her Grace also had a fondness for being unclothed. As a blood witch, her body had recovered at an astonishing rate after giving birth, as if she hadn't gone through childbirth at all. Throughout the world, the mysterious abilities of the sorcerers were becoming increasingly powerful with the frequent activity of dragons.

"Qyburn, come in!" Her Grace's voice was clear and calm.

"Yes!" Qyburn went around the relief panel that divided the large bedroom in two and came to the inner room.

Outside, the Mountain closed the door, shutting out the handmaiden and the captain of the guard who had escorted Grand Maester Qyburn. He turned back, his footsteps hurried, thudding through the bedroom, around the relief panel, and saw that Jeyne had already put on a silk robe, which perfectly wrapped her exquisite and beautiful body.

"Qyburn, the sheep stealer hatched three dragons?" Jeyne's eyes were wide. She stood in front of a chair, not sitting down. Her Grace's feet were bare, without shoes, perhaps because she was too excited.

"Yes, Your Grace."

"Let me see the letter."

Qyburn averted his eyes to the ground, hunching his back, and presented the raven letter respectfully with both hands.

The Mountain's arms were exceptionally long. He stepped forward and snatched the letter midway. The letter from the Mountains of the Moon wasn't a secret letter, without a wax seal, just a rolled-up parchment that anyone could open and read.

The Mountain unfolded the letter, and a large ripple slowly spread across his rough and fierce face like a calm lake. The smile started on his face and slowly spread throughout his whole body. His fists clenched, and his muscles tensed, his arms bulging with black iron-like muscles: "My lady, we have three dragons... I hope to bring back the age of dragons. The new and old gods must have heard my prayers, and they have responded..."

Jeyne reached out and snatched the letter, her eyes scanning it. The letter said that the sheep stealer and Drogon and Rhaegal had been in the dragon cave in the Mountains of the Moon for four days and had hatched three dragons, one fire red, one golden red with dark green patterns, and one golden yellow with faint white stripes. All three had completely transparent wings and had come into this world. Red Handed Thimm and his clansmen and elders were taking care of them in the Mountains of the Moon. Red Handed Thimm hoped that the Mountain could arrive in the Mountains of the Moon in time and requested that the fire red hatchling be named Thimm.

"Mountain, congratulations on your wish being fulfilled." Jeyne opened her arms, and the Mountain embraced her, pressing his thick lips onto hers. After a long, lingering embrace, Jeyne slid off the Mountain's perfect sculpted body: "Qyburn, thank you, you can go back and rest."

"Yes, Your Grace," Qyburn said respectfully. But he didn't move, because His Grace hadn't spoken. What if His Grace had something to say to him?! Dragons hatching hatchlings was an auspicious omen for the kingdom's prosperity. In the previous one hundred and seventy years, the Targaryen family had tried every possible way to hatch dragon eggs, and after sacrificing many lives, each attempt had invariably failed. The most tragic was at Summerhall, where the king, the crown prince, the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard, and the main royal courtiers, great lords, and noble ladies all perished in the fire, and the seven dragon eggs were lost forever, buried in the stone ruins of Summerhall.

The Mountain nodded at Qyburn. Qyburn bowed, retreated, his face full of a friendly smile, like a kind and approachable old grandfather.

"Mountain, do you want Daenerys Targaryen?" Lady Jeyne opened the wine cabinet, took out two transparent crystal goblets, unscrewed the cork of the Arbor red wine barrel, and bright yellow wine flowed into the crystal goblets, a fragrance of wine immediately spreading in the room.

"My lady, my heart for you will never change." The Mountain put away his ambiguous smile, solemn and dignified. When dealing with blood witches, one must deeply believe one's own words.

Jeyne's words were abrupt, causing the Mountain's excited and excited heart to cool down.

"Tell the truth, I can see through your little thoughts." Jeyne walked over gracefully and handed the wine to the Mountain.

"For the blood of the Unburnt, for House Clegane." The Mountain said righteously.

"I can help you." Jeyne raised her glass to the Mountain, who was tensed up, and then the crystal glass touched her red lips, and she lightly 'dipped' some wine.

The Mountain didn't dare to relax. The more he knew about the abilities of blood witches, the more he was a good husband who was strict with himself. It was the Mountain himself who had designed for Jeyne to learn skills from the witch.

"My lady, if you find it difficult to get over it, I will kill her after Sansa's wedding."

"Kill Daenerys, why only after the wedding?"

"...Uh...Sansa and Raynald's wedding...after all, it is the greatest happy event for our family...it is best without killing and blood..."

"Your executing Daenerys in King's Landing has nothing to do with Sansa and Raynald's wedding in the Westerlands."

"...But I have invited Daenerys to be a guest of honor at Sansa and Raynald's wedding. She has status and can bring glory to our family."

Jeyne said calmly: "Daenerys is just our prisoner of war. Even if we sell her into slavery, she can only accept it. A prisoner of war whose life hangs by a thread, what glory can she bring us?"

The Mountain felt some unease. His lady's words and eyes were like sharp swords, forcing the Mountain to feel his soul retreat again and again to the corner of the room, unable to retreat any further.

"My lady, as long as you say a word, I will send someone to execute Daenerys tomorrow!"

Jeyne raised her glass again, and she gently drank more than half of a glass of wine, while the Mountain hadn't taken a sip. Perhaps he himself had forgotten to drink, only thinking about the meaning of Jeyne's words.

"Drink!" Jeyne said calmly.

"...Uh...drink..." The Mountain raised his glass and drank all the wine in the glass in one gulp.

Jeyne stretched out her snow-white little hand, took the wine glass from the Mountain's giant palm, and walked gracefully to the wine cabinet: "Mountain, is it so difficult to say what's in your heart?"

"...What's in my heart?...What's in my heart has never been the most difficult...The soldiers and people of Slaver's Bay regard Daenerys as a Messiah, that is, their mother...If she can sincerely submit, our conquest of Slaver's Bay and the eastern cities will be much easier...Her blood of the Unburnt cannot be obtained with swords and money..."

Jeyne looked at the Mountain calmly: "Mountain, if you want her, I can help you."

"...Uh...the truth?..."

"The truth!"

"I want her."

"Tomorrow I will go to the Maidenvault."

"What are you going to do?" The Mountain was a little suspicious. Jeyne wouldn't be going to kill Daenerys, would she?!

"I have my own way to ensure that Daenerys will take the initiative to show goodwill to you."

"I'm afraid it's impossible!"

"I am a woman, I understand what she really wants, and I can easily convince her. We will conquer Essos in the future, and every place needs talented and prestigious people to guard it for us. In Slaver's Bay, Daenerys is the most suitable candidate."

The Mountain was overjoyed. He controlled himself not to show a smile. He was serious and dignified, his eyes deep, concerned, his gaze on Lady Jeyne, sincere and close: "My lady, for the growth of House Clegane's bloodline, I am very grateful for your help."

"But I have one condition that you must agree to."

"Any condition, I will agree to." The Mountain said decisively.

This sentence was actually a lie, but women all bought it. Even if they knew that this sentence was a lie, they would like to hear it and want to hear it.

"The three dragons in the Mountains of the Moon have nothing to do with Daenerys. You have to bring the three dragons back to the Red Keep and give them to me to raise."

...Oh..." The Mountain's eyes rolled.

"Gwayne Clegane must grow up with the three dragons and develop a relationship. This is my only condition."

"All three dragons must be given to you to raise?"

"Yes, I want to know which one is the strongest and which one is most suitable for Gwayne to ride."

Oh, I see!

Jeyne Westerling was considering for her son. She wanted her son to become a dragon rider. The three dragons were raised in the Red Keep and grew up with Gwayne Clegane. Among the three dragons, there would inevitably be one dragon that belonged to Gwayne. Of course, Mother Jeyne certainly hoped that the strongest dragon would be her son's mount.

This was also what the Mountain wanted.

Three dragons would need three dragon riders. Of course, it would be best if his son was one of the dragon riders, preferably the knight of the strongest dragon.

As a mother, Jeyne could be said to be 'compromising' for her child.

However, in this matter, the Mountain was still as unprepared for his wife as always. In addition to his son, Strongman, there were actually two more dragon riders needed. Whoever raised the dragon would most likely become a dragon rider. Dragons were intelligent creatures and had their own principles. They were close to those who raised them and cared for them, without a doubt.

"My lady, I promise you." The Mountain said heavily.

Three baby dragons needed care and careful feeding. They would need at least three years to form real combat power.

A smile bloomed on Jeyne's beautiful face, like the blossoming of a flower. The silk satin on her body slipped to the ground, revealing exquisite and perfect skin, that charming skin as white as milk and as smooth as silk.

"Mountain, I want to toast you." Lady Jeyne's nostrils made a murmuring sound.

"My lady, I should be toasting you." The Mountain laughed. A feeling flashed through his mind, that Jeyne's raising dragons might not be just for her son. But what did that matter? The Mountain completely let go, laughing heartily and joyfully. Lines even appeared on his forehead, enough to plant potatoes in.

*

The next morning, a raven flew out of the maester's tower, heading towards the Westerlands. The raven carried the message from Her Grace: Her Grace hoped that her brother Raynald and Sansa's wedding would be postponed for a short period of time. The king needed time to deal with other important matters.

Not long after the raven was released, Jeyne Westerling, with her two female generals, one general, four Kingsguard knights, and the skinchanger Varamyr, whom the Mountain had specially sent to her side, and a team of royal soldiers—everyone headed towards the high tower behind Maegor's Holdfast—the Maidenvault.

On the northbound kingsroad, the Mountain, riding Red Smoke, with Melisandre and Arya Stark, and his five hundred guards, all riding the purest bred horses from the Claw, roared towards the Mountains of the Moon.

The news of the dragon on Dragonstone hatching three baby dragons spread through King's Landing like a hurricane. Rumors of His Majesty being a descendant of dragons and the rise of a new dragon race ran rampant. The old dragon race, the Targaryens, became a laughingstock of the past in people's word-of-mouth.

*

In Maidenvault, the guard Misantro knocked on Daenerys' door. Missandei opened the door to see Queen Jeyne Westerling standing there, wearing a crown and radiating authority.