The Mountain of Ice and Fire

Melisandre entered the tent, her beauty like fire, hot, sensual, and bewitching. Daenerys Targaryen's beauty, however, was delicate, flawless, and perfect. Both women possessed beauty that was the epitome of their respective styles. For men, Melisandre was arousing, while Daenerys was intoxicating.

Daenerys stared intently at Melisandre. As a woman, Daenerys felt a vague sense of threat from Melisandre.

The Mountain and Melisandre were very close.

However, this inner thought was like a wisp of smoke in Daenerys's heart, quickly passing by. She had never lacked admirers and suitors by her side. The leader of the Faceless Men, Grey Worm, the captain of the guard, Jorah Mormont, and her former lover, General Daario, who was beheaded by the Mountain, all had deep affection and infatuation for Daenerys.

“Madam, General Joyce says Arya Stark is in danger,” the Mountain said, standing in the middle of the tent, his towering figure casting a shadow on the massive tent wall, like a giant.

“Your Grace, I saw in the flames that Arya was surrounded and attacked, and the house was burned down by the fire.”

“What location? What time?” the Mountain asked in a deep voice.

“I don’t know. But I saw that the people attacking Arya were all using narrow swords.”

“The Faceless Men and swordsmen of Braavos use narrow swords.”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

The Mountain was silent, pacing back and forth in the large tent.

“Your Grace, let me accompany you to Braavos to bring Arya back. Sansa Stark’s wedding is also approaching. If Arya takes a ship from Braavos back to the Westerlands, it will take two months,” Daenerys Targaryen said.

“Good!” The Mountain made a decisive decision.

He couldn't let Arya Stark be in danger. Arya was his personal guard and also his friend.

Being able to ride dragons to Braavos with Daenerys would have a huge impact on the Mountain's future conquest of Essos. The Mother of Dragons had unparalleled influence in Essos. Her appearance and presence would be a great help to the Mountain, both politically and militarily.

*

Braavos, the House of Black and White. Elder Council Chamber.

There were three people sitting in the meeting room.

A very fat man—the ruler of Braavos—the Sealord.

The Sealord was very fat, so fat that he gasped for breath when he walked.

But Arya could see that it was a deliberate disguise.

The Sealord was a very agile fat man. Looking at his hands, his swordsmanship must be excellent.

But the Sealord had never used a sword in front of anyone.

He always traveled in a sedan, carried by eight guards.

Sitting opposite the Sealord was Bernice, the manager from the Iron Bank.

Bernice was plainly dressed, without a beard, his chin clean-shaven. His nose was high and straight, a distinctive aquiline shape, and his eyes looked at people like hooks.

Now these hooks were staring at Arya Stark.

The hooks were sharp and piercing, but Arya Stark was expressionless, calm and collected, at ease under Bernice's dagger-like gaze.

“Where are the Archon and the Internal Affairs Archon?” Bernice spoke impolitely, but not without courtesy. His voice was soft, somewhat similar to Ramsay Bolton's hushed tones.

“They are serving the Red God,” Arya said indifferently.

“What do you mean?”

“The seven archons drank the ‘Shadow’ potion at the same time.”

“How could such a thing happen?” The Sealord's double chin trembled, his eyes full of doubt.

“Perhaps it is the will of the Red God,” Arya said.

“Please forgive my intrusion, may I enter the archon’s chamber to pay my respects to their appearance?”

“Not now,” Arya refused.

“Why?”

“Because I am the Appointed Archon, and I say no,” Arya said calmly.

Bernice’s hook-like eyes stared at Arya. From the first moment he came in, he looked down on Arya and did not believe that Arya was the Appointed Archon.

“Archon, the construction of the House of Black and White was due to the help of the Iron Bank,” Bernice said coldly. “Each of the seven archons is a senior I respect most. If they were sitting here, we would be like a family. Arya, you are the latest generation of Faceless Men disciples, and you probably don’t even know the deep relationship between the Iron Bank and the House of Black and White.”

“Manager Bernice, tell me why you came to the House of Black and White,” Arya was too lazy to talk nonsense with Bernice. Bernice was a financier, possessing huge wealth that transcended nations. He had been high above for a long time, forming his own authoritative aura, and he clearly looked down on Arya. However, Arya also looked down on him.

Arya went straight to the point, refusing to make small talk with Bernice, and directly asked him the purpose of his visit.

“Appointed Archon, I came here hoping that you can release the Green Prophet for the sake of the Iron Bank.”

“Oh.” Arya remained noncommittal, she looked at the Sealord: “Your Excellency Sealord, what are you here for at the House of Black and White today?”

“Archon, my purpose is the same as Manager Bernice’s.”

“Your Excellency Sealord also hopes that I can release the Green Prophet?”

“Yes, in addition, there is one more thing. The House of Black and White accepted the Green Prophet’s commission. The Iron Bank provided the gold, and I acted as the guarantor. When the name is spoken, death descends, and we need to see the Mountain’s head.” The Sealord said with a smile. The Sealord’s smile was very kind, with the special amiability of a fat man.

Arya looked at the Sealord, and then at the Iron Bank: “Your Excellency Sealord, Manager Bernice, if the seven archons were still sitting here, would you still ask them like this?”

“No, absolutely not,” the Sealord said with a smile.

“Yes, we absolutely would not,” Manager Bernice also said with a smile. His smile was insincere, coupled with his hooked nose and hooked eyes, it looked a little scary.

“Oh, is it because I am insignificant?” Arya also smiled slightly.

“It’s not that the archon is insignificant, but the seven archons would never unilaterally break the agreement,” His Excellency Sealord said with a smile. His temperament was very much like an accountant who calculated petty gains and took small advantages.

Bernice’s gaze was like hooks hooked on Arya’s face: “Archon, the House of Black and White is world-renowned, the Faceless Men’s reputation is daunting. For thousands of years, it is the first time that a Faceless Man has accepted a task and then refused to complete it. If the archon insists on doing so, I dare say that this will be the beginning of the decline of the House of Black and White. After the news spreads, no one will fear the Faceless Men anymore.”

Arya frowned: “Your Excellency Sealord, Manager Bernice, how the Faceless Men should do things, when did it become the Iron Bank’s turn to point fingers, which only knows how to calculate interest with an abacus, and when did it become Your Excellency Sealord’s turn to control them? The Faceless Men accepting a task is just a business deal. Although the contract has been signed, there is no doctrine that once it is signed, it cannot be terminated, nor does the law of Braavos stipulate this. Your Excellency Sealord, Manager Bernice, even the gods have times when they doze off, let alone the Faceless Men. Green Prophet Bran Stark, he is my own brother, I will naturally do everything to protect him. But assassinating the Mountain will bring disaster to the people of Braavos.”

“Oh? Does the Faceless Men admit that they cannot deal with the Mountain?” Bernice laughed. There was no hint of a smile on his face, but his laughter echoed in the council chamber, very harsh.

“Killing the Mountain is the only way to stop the Mountain from attacking Braavos, and to save the people of Braavos from the disaster of war,” the Sealord put away his smile and said seriously.

Arya slowly stood up and said coldly: “Your Excellency Sealord, the Faceless Men’s plan to assassinate the Mountain has already been leaked. If the plan is not terminated, the Mountain will ride the dragon and come, first burning the Titan of Braavos, then the armory, the shipyard, the breakwater embankment, the Sealord’s Palace, the Isle of the Gods, the Isle of the Iron Bank, the entire Braavos will become scorched earth.”

“How could the Mountain know about the Faceless Men’s assassination plan?” Bernice’s voice became higher and sharper, “This is top secret. Who in this world would know about this assassination plan except for the Green Prophet, His Excellency Sealord, Bernice himself, and the archons of the House of Black and White? No one would know, so who leaked the news?”

Bernice’s eyes were fixed on Arya Stark, the meaning of his gaze was very clear, it was Arya who leaked the news.

Arya smiled slightly, but the smile was as cold as frost: “Manager Bernice, the Mountain is also a Green Prophet.”

“Absolutely impossible,” Manager Bernice said decisively. His face turned green and his lips trembled slightly.

“Your Excellency Sealord, do you need me to swear in the Temple of a Thousand Gods in the name of the Thousand-Faced God?” Arya’s tone already contained murderous intent.

The status of the archons of the House of Black and White was very high, but they were being pressured face-to-face by the Sealord and Manager Bernice. This was also the first time in the millennium for the House of Black and White. The seven archons had just passed away not long ago, Arya was a new disciple, she had not yet established trust with all parties, and all parties looked down on this little girl from Westeros who still used a secular surname.

The Sealord’s gaze also became solemn and dignified: “Archon, I find it hard to believe that the Mountain is also a Green Prophet.”

“The Mountain can foresee things that even Bran Stark cannot foresee,” Arya said with certainty.

“Then release the Green Prophet, we need the Green Prophet to disprove it,” Manager Bernice said unceremoniously.

Arya was furious. This Iron Bank manager clearly didn’t believe what she said. He directly asked Arya to release Bran, as if he could make the decision.

“Manager Bernice, you are an unwelcome person in the House of Black and White, please leave immediately.”

Bernice laughed: “Archon, most of the gold of the House of Black and White is stored in the Iron Bank.”

Suddenly, a flash of purple light, Bernice felt a chill in his ear, followed by a stabbing pain that spread throughout his body. One of his right ears was cut off by Arya's Needle, and blood spurted out, splashing Bernice with a chest full of bloody rain.

“You?!” Manager Bernice couldn’t believe it. His hook eyes widened, his aquiline nose kept panting, his chest heaving, and his face pale green.

“Manager Bernice, if the House of Black and White loses a single gold coin, I will kill you.”

“You dare to draw your sword on me?” Manager Bernice was still muttering, “The House of Black and White was built with the support of the Iron Bank. The archons of the past have always respected the Iron Bank. The old generation of guards of the Iron Bank were the Faceless Men of the House of Black and White. How dare you draw your sword on me?!”

“Get out!” Arya said calmly. Her hand pressed on the hilt of her sword: “Manager Bernice, if you dare to step into the House of Black and White again, I will cut off your other ear.”

Bernice picked up his ear from the pool of blood on the table and staggered out.

The Sealord remained calm in the face of Arya’s sword and Bernice’s bloody face. He looked as if he was watching a fight between two children with great interest: “Archon, drawing a sword against the Iron Bank is actually drawing a sword against yourself. There are also archons in the Iron Bank, and many of them are secretly trained in the House of Black and White, and they have the skills of the Faceless Men. In the generation of the founders, the Iron Bank was the House of Black and White, and the House of Black and White was the Iron Bank, but later the two separated and eventually became completely independent. Although you are an archon, you are not familiar with the origin and history of the House of Black and White.”

“Your Excellency Sealord, I have not completed my training according to the teachings of the House of Black and White. The most outstanding Faceless Men disciples will be promoted to stewards of the House of Black and White after completing their training; after three years of training as stewards, they will be promoted to assistant archons after passing the assessment; after three years as assistant archons, they will be promoted to probationary archons after completing their training and passing the assessment; finally, when an archon serves the Red God, the archon position is vacant, and probationary archons can fill the position and become a true archon. I am the Appointed Archon, I have not gone through this series of promotion channels, nor have I gone through the training and learning to become an archon.”

“Archon, you have clearly stated the process of an ordinary disciple becoming an archon through their own efforts, but your actions are unclear. In any case, the House of Black and White will not unilaterally break the contract, this is certain; and one more thing, the Iron Bank has never left the protection of the House of Black and White since its establishment, and the House of Black and White can also leave the financial support of the Iron Bank from the initial fortress construction. The stable strength of the three parties in Braavos has created the strength of Braavos, the wealth of the Iron Bank, the Faceless Men of the House of Black and White, and the unparalleled naval fleet. You have only been an archon for a few days, and you have personally destroyed the ancient situation of mutual support among these three parties. You drew your sword and hurt Manager Bernice. Although he is not an archon of the Iron Bank, he represents the dignity of the Iron Bank. His face is the face of the Iron Bank.”

“Your Excellency Sealord, the dragons have appeared in the world, and the rules of the world are being changed. Dragons are flying in the sky, and magical power is also being restored. The Green Prophet wants to assassinate the Mountain, the purpose is to compete for the Iron Throne; the Green Prophet’s real name is Brynden Rivers, a bastard of the Targaryen family, and the Mountain is also a Green Prophet, he has already discerned all of this. If the Iron Bank, the House of Black and White, and the Sealord’s Palace support the Green Prophet, then what awaits Braavos is destruction. The Sealord’s Palace and the Iron Bank have chosen the path of destruction. If the House of Black and White cannot stop your choices, then please let the House of Black and White take care of itself.”

The Sealord slowly stood up, staring at Arya, looking at her for a long time: “Archon, you are not a Faceless Man.”

The Sealord turned and walked out, he did not pant, and his movements were not clumsy.

Arya said: “Your Excellency Sealord, I know your choice, and I think you also know my choice, so, are you not taking away your Green Prophet?”

The Sealord stopped, but did not turn around: “Arya, you are not killing him?”

“If I kill him, I cannot prove that my choice is right.”

“You let the Prophet go, you don’t regret it?”

“When I grow up, I never do things I regret.”