The Mountain of Ice and Fire

Chapter 8: Lorath Submits

“About five days later, or maybe only four,” said the Mountain.

“So soon?” Arya would actually prefer to go back today.

“Commander-in-Chief Vinson is returning from Lorath. After I meet with the three princes of Lorath, we'll set off immediately.”

“How many people?”

“There might be a few too many.”

“Oh, why?”

“I want to take the Braavosi doctors and generals to see my construction in Clegane's New Village in the Westerlands. When they return, they can better promote the Clegane's New Village model in Braavos.”

Arya had no interest in political matters.

“If there are too many people, they can only take a boat. Who can keep up with you and Daenerys's dragons if they take a boat?”

“We will naturally go to the Westerlands first. The wedding needs to be prepared in advance. The doctors and generals will cross the Narrow Sea by boat and land at Gulltown. I will arrange for the lord of Gulltown to arrange for fast horses to take them along the River Road to the Westerlands.”

“I want to go to the Westerlands with you on the dragon. I don't have the patience to slowly cross the Narrow Sea by boat. Sansa and I haven't seen each other in more than four years.” This was all Arya cared about.

“Okay, I promise you that we'll go to the Westerlands together. I will also use the dragon to pick up Lord Eddard Stark and Lady Catelyn Tully.”

The Mountain did not address Eddard as King in the North.

In Westeros, he was unwilling to acknowledge anyone else as king. No matter how upright and selfless Eddard's knightly spirit was, the Mountain hoped that the North would return to the rule of the Iron Throne.

“The black dragon has grown up. Can it take another person besides its master?” Arya said to Daenerys, “If it can, the Stark family will be very grateful.”

“Arya, my older brother Rhaegar Targaryen's wife was Lyanna Stark. Lyanna Stark is your aunt and my sister-in-law. We are family. The black dragon can carry two people across the Narrow Sea without any problem. I'm just not sure if Bran Stark can ride on the dragon's back. His legs aren't very convenient.”

“I think as long as Bran can sit on it, there won't be a problem,” Arya said. “Bran, like me, hopes to see Sansa as soon as possible.”

“I can take Bran Stark across the Narrow Sea to the Westerlands,” said Daenerys Targaryen.

Arya looked at the Mountain: “Your Majesty, do you still suspect that Bran is actually Brynden Rivers?”

“Even if he is, he has no way to get close to me. And once I sense anything amiss, I will kill him,” the Mountain said ruthlessly.

“You're still worried about Bran.” Arya stared at the Mountain and said, “Your Majesty, your worries used to be my worries too, but I have convinced Bran to prove his innocence. He is willing to let Queen Jeyne determine his true identity through blood verification. No secret can be hidden in a person's blood.”

“He agreed?”

“Agreed!”

The Mountain understood the power of blood mages and knew that blood mages could see the secrets of the blood's owner in the blood. If Bran had secrets, he could not escape Jeyne's blood magic. If he was Bloodraven Brynden Rivers, he could not hide it from Jeyne, unless he had the ability to replace his blood in front of Jeyne; however, the blood in his body could not be replaced.

Bran was willing to let Jeyne verify his identity, which was somewhat beyond the Mountain's expectations. It wasn't Bran's cooperative attitude, but the way Arya persuaded Bran to prove his innocence.

This shows that no matter how much Arya protects Bran, she is rational and clear-headed in her heart.

If Bran is confirmed to be Bran Stark himself, then Bloodraven Brynden Rivers will really no longer exist?

That's not necessarily true!

The Mountain considered that if Brynden Rivers really no longer existed, there could only be one ending: he has been completely absorbed and assimilated by Bran, and Bran of the Stark family has inherited all of Bloodraven's prophetic abilities.

The Mountain hoped that the truth would be revealed in Jeyne's blood magic.

*

The Pearl Tavern in the Braavos governor's fish market.

The walls of the luxurious private room were decorated with sea monster reliefs.

“General Steven Clegane, how many extremely dangerous battles have you experienced in your life?” When the wine got hot, General Ian took off his top, revealing his black iron muscles and countless shocking scars. Many scars could never be repaired after they healed. The newly grown skin was twisted and tangled, like centipedes crawling on Ian's body.

Steven looked at Ian's body full of medals of honor and smiled: “General, I don't have as many scars as you. I certainly haven't experienced as many extremely dangerous battles as you.”

“General, in a few days, His Majesty the King will return to Westeros. The Iron Bank is the wealth that His Majesty the King is most concerned about. You and I are responsible for the defense of the Iron Bank Island. My thousand-man regiment is responsible for the docks and stone arch bridges, and your soldiers are responsible for the security outside the military fortress. Come, for His Majesty the King, let us cooperate sincerely and unite as one.” Ian raised his huge wine glass. The wine glass was almost bigger than his face.

“General, if an army loyal to the Sealord of Braavos really comes to attack the Iron Bank Island, I'm afraid the number of soldiers stationed on the Iron Bank Island by you and me is a bit insufficient! One thousand-man regiment of yours, one thousand-man regiment of mine, two thousand-man regiments. If the rebellious enemy army exceeds ten thousand, I'm afraid we will have difficulty defending the Iron Bank Island,” Steven Clegane said.

“General Steven, as soon as His Majesty the King leaves, I will transfer one of my other two thousand-man regiments to the Iron Bank Island.”

General Steven pondered: “General Ian, your suggestion is good, but His Majesty the King only ordered one thousand-man regiment of yours to be stationed on the Iron Bank Island. If you increase your troops without authorization, I'm afraid it is not in accordance with His Majesty the King's military order. If you don't want to violate His Majesty the King's military order, you only need to submit an application to the Governor. I think if we both submit an application together, the Governor will agree.”

“I only listen to His Majesty the King. The Governor has no military power. As soon as His Majesty the King leaves Braavos, I will immediately transfer the thousand-man regiment stationed at the Governor's Mansion to the Iron Bank Island. Those are my soldiers, and they all listen to me.”

“General, what if the Governor doesn't agree?”

“Then please ask him to send a raven to His Majesty the King. I will execute it immediately when I receive His Majesty the King's raven order.” General Ian smiled, “If the Governor doesn't have one, I'm sorry, I will transfer the thousand-man regiment stationed at the Governor's Mansion to the Iron Bank Island for defense. When His Majesty is here, hundreds of thousands of Braavosi naval soldiers and tens of thousands of mercenary regiments naturally dare not act rashly, but once His Majesty leaves and the two dragons withdraw, it is difficult to guarantee that the armies that were previously loyal to the Sealord will not mutiny.”

Steven Clegane poured a glass of wine into his stomach, wiped his mouth, and said in a heavy tone: “General's worries are exactly what I am worried about.”

General Ian's one thousand men against General Steven's one thousand men, this has a balance of military power. If General Ian's mercenaries are not trustworthy, General Steven's one thousand men are enough to defend the military fortress. When the Mountain deployed the defense, he also had General Ian's thousand-man regiment stationed on the outermost line of defense of the island.

Ian is a newly surrendered army, and the Mountain knows very little about him. Mercenaries come from all over the world. They have been used to fighting and selling their lives for money. Now, although they are fighting for honor and merit, fighting for loyalty and faith, the Mountain is not the king of their own people, and Braavos is not their own country.

Without such great wealth as the Iron Bank, the Mountain would not have the slightest doubt about Ian and his soldiers. But in the face of the great wealth of the Iron Bank, it is difficult to say.

Will this former 'Company of the Cat' cause a mutiny in the face of great wealth? The Mountain is more inclined to the dark side. His first half of his life was spent in betrayal, conspiracy, despicable acts, utilitarianism, and slaughter.

Ian stared at Steven Clegane and suddenly laughed loudly: “General Steven, you are from a great pirate background, don't you have such courage.”

“What does the General mean?” Steven's face became stern.

“There are you and me on Iron Bank Island, two thousand-man regiments, and an extremely strong military fortress. Even if there are soldiers loyal to the Sealord who want to rebel after His Majesty the King leaves, we can beat them to a pulp.”

“The general's words just now were deliberately testing my courage?”

“Exactly.”

“So the General looks down on me?” Steven's words suddenly became as cold as ice.

“General Steven, it's not that I look down on you, it's that your bravery is not worthy of being my partner.”

“Then how can I be worthy of being a partner with the General?”

“You only need to see me fight once, and you will know that as long as I am here, no one can attack Iron Bank Island.”

Steven Clegane sneered: “General Ian, you are valued by His Majesty the King, so have you ever been inside to see the gold in the Iron Bank?”

“Of course I've seen it.”

“How much gold is there? Is it all gold? Or are there other jewels?”

“The gold is piled up into a square body as tall as an adult, and you can't see the end at a glance. The key keeper said that the jewels and jade are in another room, packed in brocade boxes, and the stacked boxes are piled from the ground to the ceiling, a room full of them.”

The frost on Steven Clegane's face slowly thawed: “General Ian, how could there be so much gold and jade in the Iron Bank?”

“The money in the Iron Bank can buy the whole world.” Ian smiled, “General, you haven't seen the inside of the Iron Bank with your own eyes. If you have seen it with your own eyes, you will never forget it. We work hard all our lives, and we can't even earn the change of the gold in the Iron Bank.”

“General Ian, according to your estimate, how many large ships can the gold in the Iron Bank fill?”

“A few large ships? I'm afraid it can't be filled without dozens of large ships.”

“I don't believe it.”

“If you don't believe it, you can persuade the key keeper to open the door of the Iron Bank and go in and see for yourself.”

“Without His Majesty the King's permission, I have no right to ask the key keeper to open the door of the Iron Bank. Even if I ask, he won't open the door.”

Ian laughed: “General, your surname is Clegane, and His Majesty the King's surname is also Clegane. You are His Majesty's confidant, but His Majesty does not allow you to take a look at the gold in the Iron Bank. Is it because His Majesty does not trust you enough? After all, you are from a great pirate background.”

“General Ian, do you want to try how sharp my knife is?” Steven Clegane said coldly.

“General, my knife will never be dull either. However, I understand and support His Majesty the King's concerns. Just like me, although I knelt down and swore an oath to him, he allowed your trusted soldiers to enter the military fortress, but my soldiers cannot enter. This is the difference.”

“I am loyal to His Majesty, the gods bear witness.”

“I am also loyal to His Majesty, the gods bear witness. However, General Ian, do you know why I am here drinking with you today?”

“Why?”

“The Governor is already suspicious of you and asked me to test your loyalty.”

“Hehe, I absolutely don't believe it.”

“I have never doubted the General's loyalty, but the Governor ordered me to test the General's loyalty. Maybe this is actually His Majesty the King's intention.”

Steven Clegane was stunned!

A strange look flashed in Ian's eyes.

“General Ian, aren't you afraid that I will tell His Majesty the King what you said?” Steven Clegane shouted.

“Of course not, otherwise I wouldn't have told you. My mission is complete, your loyalty is witnessed by the gods.” Ian reached out to Steven, “Loyalty, glory, unity, and protect the Iron Bank.”

Steven stared at Ian, saw the flicker in Ian's eyes, and heard the hidden meaning in Ian's words. But he did not shake hands with Ian and turned and walked out.

*

Four days later, Commander-in-Chief Vinson's clipper returned to Braavos, bringing back the three princes of the Lorath city-state.

The three princes were all tall and had milk-white skin.

Princes have a noble status in Lorath and live in luxury, so people are raised to be fair-skinned and refined.

The real power in Lorath is in the hands of the governor. The three princes are only nominal managers. This has a benefit for the governors, that is, if anything happens, the three princes will definitely bear the responsibility, and once there are actual benefits, the governors will divide them up and then leak some to the three princes from their fingers.

This situation is similar to the system of the Pentos city-state.

If the Pentos city-state fails to have good weather and trade fails to go smoothly, the prince will be sacrificed by the governors to the gods of the sea, sky, and earth. The three princes of Lorath have a false name but no real power. In this kind of war dispute, if the Mountain wants to kill the lord of Lorath, that is to kill these three princes, while the actual power-holding governors are in the dark. However, in the hearts of the people, only the prince is the supreme noble.

The three princes met the dragon king Mountain in the Governor's Mansion.

The Mountain's fierce and terrifying aura made the three princes' legs weak.

“Three princes, are your governors sincerely surrendering to me?” The Mountain's opening made the three princes look at each other. It seems that the dragon king from Westeros knows the situation in Lorath like the back of his hand.

The three princes knelt on one knee, with their right hands on their left chests: “Your Majesty the King, the Lorath governors, nobles, merchants, fishermen, farmers, blacksmiths, and everyone else are sincerely surrendering to Your Majesty the King.”

The Mountain stared at the three princes for a while and said, “Three princes, does the Lorath city-state still have citizens who can build unsolvable labyrinths?”