The Mountain of Ice and Fire

As if in the blink of an eye, another day had passed. After a busy day, Daenerys, having made a few small adjustments to her appearance, arrived at the Mountain's residence, which was originally the Sea Lord's bedroom.

In the absence of Missandei and other handmaidens, Daenerys was not lacking in attendants. The Mountain had sent eight handmaidens from the Sea Lord's palace to serve Daenerys.

Although she had no shortage of handmaidens, Daenerys was not in the mood to dress up elaborately.

The Mountain and she had just conquered Braavos, and the political affairs to be dealt with were complex and heavy. Braavos was a multi-ethnic free city-state, and it was easy to conquer the country, but difficult to change its face. Many things needed to be done to integrate with the original laws and people's habits.

Even with the Imp acting as governor and shouldering most of the affairs, there were still many important matters that required Daenerys's participation and assistance in making correct decisions with the Mountain.

Like Daenerys, the Mountain had been particularly busy these past few days.

In Braavos, the Mountain did not have as many courtiers and generals as he had in King's Landing.

He only had three generals: Ian, Steven Clegane, and Bean; and only one civil official: Tyrion Lannister, the Imp.

And Braavos was the most powerful and populous of the nine Free Cities, requiring strong management to maintain the city's operation.

Many citizens and nobles actually missed the rule of the former Sea Lord.

The Sea Lord's rule had been imprinted on Braavos for over a thousand years.

If it weren't for the deterrence of the dragons and black dragons, and the invisible influence of the House of Black and White's faith, the Mountain would not have been able to take control of Braavos so quickly and harmoniously. Because although people were unable to resist, they had many small countermeasures to avoid implementing the new rules and laws.

Daenerys was also learning some knowledge and accumulating some experience in the Mountain's political management of Braavos.

Her own management work after taking the Slaver's Bay was not successful, causing many riots and bloody incidents. After she left, the butcher king she had chosen returned to the old ways of slavery and reopened the fighting pits. The slave trade had merely changed its name and returned to the ruling methods of the former Good Masters and Wise Masters.

The Mountain wanted Daenerys to come to his residence tonight, and Daenerys came without thinking after washing up.

She had already established trust with the Mountain, and even a subtle sense of dependence.

After the guards opened the door, Daenerys pushed it open and saw a very luxurious and huge bedroom. The walls of the bedroom were all brightly colored reliefs, the floor was covered with thick carpets of various colors, and the ceiling was covered with equally colorful murals, mainly in various forms of the gods of various faiths.

The Mountain stood in the middle of the room, behind him was a huge circular bed as dazzling as a rainbow.

The entire room, from top to bottom, was an ocean of bright colors.

Daenerys was amazed.

This was not her first time in this huge bedroom, but there had been great changes in the bedroom since her last visit.

"Did you have someone redecorate this room?" Daenerys closed the door casually and asked.

"Yes."

"You've been busy lately, did you have time?"

"I didn't have to do it myself, I gave the order and a maester arranged for people to do it."

"Okay, what did you call me here for tonight?"

"Can't I invite you over if there's nothing to discuss?" The Mountain smiled slightly. He walked to the wine cabinet and poured out two glasses of amber liquid.

" Arbor gold wine?"

"Golden wine from the East?"

"Golden?"

"The color of the wine is like gold, but it's not made of gold."

"In Slaver's Bay, I heard that nobles in the East mix a very small amount of gold into the wine, and it is said that drinking a certain amount of gold wine is very good for the body."

"Perhaps it has no benefits at all." The Mountain handed the wine to Daenerys.

"I'll have a glass, and if there's nothing important, I'm going back to rest. You'd better go to bed early too, there's still a lot to do tomorrow."

"Let the Imp worry about those trivial matters, we just need to figure out the defense of the Iron Bank and the loyalty of the naval admirals."

"These two issues are not so easy to solve. Our time is too tight. When are you planning to leave Braavos to go to the Westerlands for Sansa's wedding?" Daenerys raised her glass and clinked it against the Mountain's, taking a light sip of the wine.

The Mountain poured all the wine in his glass down his throat, and then poured another large glass.

This golden wine from the East had a fruity fragrance, and a pleasant hint of acidity rose in the mouth after swallowing it, a unique taste that left a deep impression on Daenerys, who was drinking it for the first time.

"The day after Commander-in-Chief Vincent returns to Braavos, we will set off back to Westeros."

"After we leave, the gold in the Iron Bank is likely to be completely emptied by some force." Daenerys was not joking, she had seriously discussed this issue with the Mountain. There was also the possibility of the Braavosi naval admirals launching a rebellion.

The money of the Iron Bank and the loyalty of the Braavosi navy were the two major issues that Daenerys was most concerned about, and also the two hidden dangers that the Mountain needed to completely resolve. Perhaps these two hidden dangers did not exist at all, but what if they did? After Daenerys conquered Slaver's Bay, she was quickly met with the mad revenge from the Sons of the Harpy. They could not defeat Daenerys's three dragons, nor could they defeat Daenerys's Unsullied, but they could continuously raid ordinary civilians under the cover of darkness, causing many bloody incidents.

"For the defense of the Iron Bank, we need the help of the House of Black and White." The Mountain raised his glass, and with the other hand, he put his arm around Daenerys's waist, using a little force to lift Daenerys up and sit her on the wooden couch.

The wooden couch was covered with the finest soft blankets. As soon as one sat on it, it sank deeply.

The Mountain's aura completely enveloped Daenerys.

Daenerys noticed the Mountain's strangeness: "You called me here not because you had something to discuss with me?" Daenerys's wine glass blocked half of her face.

"Yes, I want to be intimate with you tonight." The Mountain's words were assertive. He was not using a tone of discussion, nor did he have the cultivation of testing the waters.

The relationship between the Mountain and Daenerys was already clear, but he and Daenerys had not yet had any physical intimacy.

The situation was different with Arianne Martell. Arianne Martell and the Mountain were like dry firewood meeting a raging fire. Arianne was deeply influenced by Oberyn Martell, and as long as she took a fancy to someone, as long as she needed it, she would not be bound by the hypocrisy of etiquette and worldly concepts. Daenerys, on the other hand, paid attention to the natural development of emotions and the gentlemanly code of conduct of the nobility.

"I'm not ready tonight." Daenerys refused instinctively. This was not a real refusal. The refusal of many women actually meant the opposite. It was just a matter of 'face'.

"If you need to prepare, you may never be ready, but I am already ready." The Mountain's left arm exerted a little force, 'kneading' Daenerys in his arms like a kitten.

"Okay, but you said that if you have something on your mind, you won't be in the mood to have fun at night, and neither do I."

"Is there nothing on my mind?"

"Have you found someone trustworthy enough for the defense of the Iron Bank? Does this person have the ability to face the attack of a potential legion?"

"I have indeed figured out how to defend the Iron Bank and ensure that the wealth in the Iron Bank will not be taken away after we leave. I didn't tell the Imp my idea. I let the Imp make the decision, and he came up with an idea that coincided with mine, so I am no longer worried about the choice of the person defending the Iron Bank."

"What about the navy? If the navy is not completely loyal, it cannot be ruled out that after we leave, there will be admirals loyal to the Sea Lord who will lead a legion to raid the Iron Bank, kill our people, and forcibly load the wealth onto warships and transport it away."

"After the navy returns from Lorath, I will ask Commander-in-Chief Vincent for a list, a list of trustworthy admirals and a list of admirals most loyal to the Sea Lord."

"What do you mean? Trustworthy admirals may not be trustworthy, and admirals most loyal to the Sea Lord may be equally loyal to you."

"Behind this list, I will have Commander-in-Chief Vincent write clearly the origin, expertise, personality, martial arts, and prestige in the army of each admiral."

"Hmm!" Daenerys snorted.

The Mountain turned his hand and put his wine glass to Daenerys's mouth, feeding Daenerys a sip of wine.

"I will take away all the admirals who have prestige and ability."

"Take away?"

"Yes, take them to Westeros and let them see my Westerlands territory."

"Just like you took me to see your Westerlands village?" Daenerys's eyes lit up.

"Yes. Braavos has no clean water channels, no sanitary toilets, no schools for the children of freemen, no neat and orderly markets, no white Xuan paper, no clean and sterilized milk, and no snow salt and noodles... I will take them to the Westerlands to see, open their eyes, and give them the confidence to create a new era."

"Good idea!" Daenerys praised.

"Your Hand will take care of the rest of the political affairs, I trust him."

"Do you completely trust the Imp?"

"Not completely."

"What if he has ideas about the Iron Bank after we leave?"

"I trust the House of Black and White."

"Have you talked to the House of Black and White yet?"

"Not yet. Tonight you have to give me strength, and then tomorrow morning we will go to the House of Black and White. With Arya Stark's help, there will be no challenge in discussing cooperation with the House of Black and White."

Daenerys nodded, she believed the Mountain's judgment.

She and the Mountain came to Braavos to save Arya.

"I can't give you strength tonight."

"Your companionship is what I need."

"Then call your handmaidens in."

"What for?"

"Let them serve me with a bath. I want scalding water, fresh milk, the finest spices, and fresh flower petals sprinkled on the surface of the bathwater." Since becoming the Queen of Slaver's Bay, Daenerys had become a delicate and refined woman under the influence of Missandei, and she refused to wrong herself.

Missandei was the highest-level handmaiden cultivated by the Wise Masters of Slaver's Bay at great expense. She was not only proficient in multiple languages, but also proficient in all the exquisite and noble ways of noble women in life, in order to allow the Wise Masters to enjoy the most luxurious enjoyment in the world - that was specially cultivated and trained.

The Mountain's bedroom was extremely large, with a dedicated and beautiful bathing room and a large pool filled with hot and steaming warm water.

"I will bathe you myself," the Mountain laughed.

"Your hands are too rough." Daenerys refused, her smile as beautiful as a flower, so beautiful that it was hopeless, "Mountain, before I change my mind, go call the handmaidens in."

"Yes, Your Majesty." The Mountain was as respectful and flattering as a favored courtier. His expression and words made Daenerys smile slightly.

This was a sleepless night full of spring breeze.

A happy time completely belonging to a king and a queen.

*

Governor's room.

"General Ian, do you remember when you first killed someone?" The Imp raised his horn wine cup and clinked it against Ian's large silver wine cup.

"I will never forget," Ian held the wine cup in one hand and grabbed a pig bone in the other.

"Tell me about it," the Imp's one eye shone, his mouth full of alcohol.

"I killed someone when I was seven years old," Ian laughed, "I crawled in through a dog hole and killed my lord and his wife."

"Oh? What for?"

"My lord passed by our village and took a fancy to a woman washing clothes by the river. That woman was my mother. He raped her, and then stabbed her in the stomach with a short knife. He threw the body into the river. My father went to the lord to reason with him, and the lord's mercenary captain beat him to death with three punches and two kicks, and the body was left on the street, and no one dared to collect it. I was only seven years old at the time, so I took the sharp knife from home and crawled into the lord's house at night, and cut the drunken lord's neck dozens of times. The lady beside him was awakened by me and was so frightened that she couldn't shout, and I stabbed her in the neck with one knife, and then I stabbed her seventeen or eight times."

The Imp was speechless, the horn cup he was holding in his hand suspended in the air.

General Ian laughed, as if he was talking about someone else's story.

"What happened later?"

"Later, I was caught by the Wise Master's soldiers while wandering, and became a little servant pouring wine for the Wise Master. Later, when I grew up a little, my body and bones surpassed my peers, and I also had some strength, so I was trained by the Wise Master into a gladiator."

"Have you ever thought about one day being able to lead your own legion back, kill the lord's entire family? And then become the lord yourself?"

Ian was stunned, and then said: "I didn't think about it, that lord has already been killed by me, and I have already avenged my parents."

"Don't want to go home?" The Imp poured wine for Ian.

"Sometimes I really want to go back and see, but my family has long since been without relatives."

"Me too." The Imp raised his wine glass, put it to his mouth and then put it down.

"Governor, you are trusted and valued by King Gregor Clegane, isn't it just a matter of a word to go back to Westeros?"

"Like you, I no longer have a home."

"The Westerlands Lannisters don't have a home?" Ian laughed.

"Casterly Rock is our family castle, but unfortunately it has been awarded to a branch of the Lannisters by King Gregor. Now I can't go back even if I have a home."

"Oh?" Ian blinked. He was not a fool, he could understand many hidden meanings.

“King Gregor was once a vassal of our Lannister family in the Westerlands,” the Imp said in a low, secretive voice.