The Mountain of Ice and Fire

Chapter 954: Arianne's Motherly Love, The Mountain's Selfish Motives

“Alright, I am willing to come out and assist you. However, aren't you worried?”

“What am I worried about?”

“After I enter Sunspear, the nobles and people will probably be more willing to listen to me than to you.”

“That was in the past, Father.”

“Oh?”

“Father, you have no idea how much the Dornish nobles want to go to Tyrosh, Lys, Myr, and the Summer Isles to be leaders. And our soldiers are willing to be stationed abroad.”

Doran Martell was slightly stunned.

Arianne's statement was something he hadn't considered.

After a brief silence, Doran said, “Your Majesty, Princess Arianne, when can I leave the Water Gardens?”

“Your Highness, anytime you wish,” the Mountain said very politely.

“Father, now is fine.”

“Oh, are you in a hurry to leave?”

“We are going to Pentos and Qarth,” Arianne said.

“Both the King and you are going?”

Doran knew how far Qarth was from Dorne; it was a very wealthy city in the East. Qarth's triple walls were as famous as the Wall in Westeros.

“Father, I will accompany His Majesty to Qarth,” Arianne said.

“What about your child? I hope he can stay in Sunspear.”

“No, I will take him with me.”

The Mountain looked at Arianne and said seriously, “Arianne, the child was just born, it's not suitable for a long journey. With Prince Doran in charge of Sunspear, leave the child in Sunspear.”

“I want to take the child. What's his name?”

“Prince Doran, his name is Rodrik Martell,” the Mountain didn't say his name was Rodrik Clegane.

Prince Doran was an old fox; it was better to let him slowly learn that the child had two names.

Give him some time to accept it first.

“Father, our child has two names. His name is Rodrik Martell, and also Rodrik Clegane,” Arianne said bluntly.

Doran's calm face twitched slightly, and ripples appeared in his tranquil eyes.

“Your Majesty, the child is named Rodrik Clegane?”

“Yes, the child also has the blood of House Clegane.”

Doran's gaze fixed on the Mountain's face, and a calm person revealed his sharpness.

The Mountain's expression was calm, inscrutable. The Mountain's calmness was his lack of expression.

He had his own selfish motives, and he believed that in front of someone like Doran, those little thoughts couldn't be hidden. He just didn't want to say it to Doran face to face. Even a distance where they couldn't see each other would be good.

But Arianne directly said it when both Doran and the Mountain were present.

Doran stared at the Mountain, without saying anything excessive.

He didn't say anything, but his eyes and expression changed, no longer the peaceful and harmless old man.

He had his own sharpness.

“Prince Doran, Dorne will always be House Martell's. That child is a member of House Martell and also a member of House Clegane. He has the support and love of both great houses.”

Doran's face gradually softened. He probably weighed many thoughts in his mind, and in the end, he found that there seemed to be no better solution.

“Your Majesty, the Martell family's child has the surname of a marriage alliance family for the first time.”

“I know, if the Prince doesn't like it, then let the child be called Rodrik Martell.”

Doran's face gradually softened even more, and finally returned to his previous calm.

“Your Majesty, please forgive my rudeness. Can I have a moment alone with Arianne?”

“Of course, Prince,” the Mountain said. But the Mountain didn't move to the outside of the hall; he didn't move.

“Arianne, come with me,” Doran said softly. He returned to that calm, composed, and self-assured old man.

“Okay.”

The Mountain was the King, and he maintained his royal dignity. He didn't move, so Doran had to move himself.

Arianne pushed her father's wheelchair into another room and closed the door.

The Mountain waited in the hall. Before long, Arianne pushed Doran Martell's wheelchair out, and the Mountain couldn't see any clues on Doran's face. He looked at Arianne, and Arianne didn't show any signs of excitement.

The Mountain didn't know what Doran and Arianne had said. Dorne had always been independent, from military, taxation, trade, to laws. Doran dared to say something to Arianne in front of him, but the Mountain believed that Doran wouldn't dare to say anything rebellious.

Regarding benefits?

The Mountain had given Dorne very great benefits, the most enormous benefits they had ever received in thousands of years.

Regarding power?

The Mountain had also given Dorne great power and helped Dorne expand its power and territory to the other side of the Narrow Sea and the southernmost part of the known sea.

This was a brand new history, a completely new page. Everything about House Martell of Dorne had been heavily rewritten by the Mountain.

If Dorne wanted to do something, what could they do? Confrontation? That was absolutely impossible. Their largest external alliance member was Daenerys Targaryen.

And Daenerys Targaryen had sworn allegiance to the Mountain, and Daenerys had been coerced by the Mountain from the beginning, and in the end, she was completely conquered.

The Mountain instantly thought of every aspect of the problem, calculating all aspects from military, trade, alliance, territory, power, status, benefits, etc., and he knew that Doran couldn't make any effective counterattack.

As for Arianne, she would be more willing to stand on the Mountain's side. The conservative Doran had lost his authority in the heart of the radical Arianne; otherwise, Arianne wouldn't have dared to launch a coup, imprison her father, and usurp the power of Dorne.

Half an hour later, the Mountain and Arianne left the hall, came outside, mounted their horses, and led the team back to Sunspear.

“Arianne, since Father has promised that he will arrive in Sunspear tomorrow, why don't we set off for Pentos tomorrow?”

“Okay.”

“What about the child?”

“I want to take him with me.”

The Mountain felt a weight lifted from his heart. This was exactly what he had hoped for. If Arianne changed her mind and wanted to leave the child behind, he would have disagreed.

He judged Doran's intentions with his own petty mind. After Doran called Arianne aside and said a few words, he felt that it was better to keep the child by his side to educate him. If he couldn't take care of the child due to war, he would rather entrust the child to Jeyne Westerling.

The Mountain remained expressionless: “Arianne, the child is so young, how can we take him while riding dragons?”

“Mountain, I've thought it over. I will tie a sleeping and sitting cradle on the dragon's back, just like tying a saddle on a horse's back. Dragons have warmth, so even when flying in the sky, the child won't catch a cold.”

“I'm worried that the child won't adapt!” The Mountain said against his true feelings.

“Mountain, dragons can also float on the sea. There will be many large merchant ships in the sea, and we can fly down to rest on the ships at any time.”

“Aren't you afraid of disturbing the people?”

“Westeros and Essos are our territories. The merchant ships that come and go, except for the distant Eastern trade ships, are all our people. It is the supreme glory that the captains and people dream of to have the King and a Princess bring the Prince to rest on their ship.”

“I think I've been persuaded by you,” the Mountain smiled.

“I'm not as stupid as you think,” Arianne proudly raised her neck. “Jeyne and Daenerys are both intelligent and beautiful, and so am I.”

The Mountain reached out and lifted Arianne from her horse, placing her on his saddle. The two rode together, closely nestled together, and moved forward slowly. The Mountain usually rides three horses in rotation due to his weight. Adding Arianne made it even heavier. But neither of them considered the horse's feelings. Arianne was overjoyed by the Mountain's praise. The Mountain was also in high spirits because he had resolved his 'petty intentions'. Fortunately, to match the Mountain's height and weight, the warhorse chosen was a rare Northern horse, not a Dornish horse. Dornish horses are ponies.

Although Dorne only produces pony sand steeds locally, they also kept a batch of tall Northern horses in Sunspear.

*

A few days later, the Mountain and Arianne brought their one-month-old son to the city of Pentos on dragons. When the child was taken out of the cradle chair on the dragon's back, Jeyne Westerling, Elenei Westerling, Lady Dorothée Qintyna, Lady Melisandre, Duke Edmure, Sansa Stark, Duke Raynald Westerling, Duke Eddard Stark, the Tattered Prince, Ser Barristan Selmy the Bold of the Kingsguard, Captain Balon Swann, Quartermaster General Petyr Baelish, Master of Intelligence Berne Clegane, Zerigalda the Bull, Brienne of Tarth, Captain of the Guard Luke, and others who came to welcome them in the square outside the palace were all shocked.

How could the King and Princess Arianne Martell think of bringing such a young child?

Were they not afraid that the child would not eat or sleep well along the way?

The Mountain was expressionless, although he felt very good inside.

Arianne Martell, however, radiated emotions, her smile as bright as a flower.

She insisted on bringing the child to Pentos, and of course, she had her own considerations.

That was to let the child be with the dragons in a daze, smell the dragon's aura, and let the dragons also smell his aura. 'Live on the dragon's back' and let the child develop a sense of closeness to the dragon from an early age. Her child with the Mountain was born to be a great hero, unconventional, and the most remarkable dragon knight of the future.

After Arianne gave birth to Rodrik Clegane, her focus shifted, and a large part of her focus was transferred to this child.

The tradition of House Martell was that the eldest ruled, regardless of gender.

Prince Rodrik would be in charge of Dorne in the future, as well as the Summer Isles, Tyrosh, the Stepstones, Myr, and Lys. In addition to the land of Dorne, there was also a vast and astonishing sea area.

Rodrik must become the most remarkable dragon knight!

Jeyne Westerling took the child from the Mountain's hands. The child had black eyes and golden hair, and the contours and shape of his face had the shadows of both his father and mother.

“What is the Prince's name?” Jeyne asked with a face full of love.

“Rodrik Clegane.”

“The surname is Clegane?”

“He is also named Martell, Your Grace,” Arianne said with a smile.

The Mountain admired her wisdom, which was no less than Jeyne's, and she had been in a honey pot of sweetness ever since.

“Two names?” Jeyne's eyes widened slightly.

“Yes, but I prefer to call him Rodrik Clegane,” the Mountain said.

“I will call him Rodrik Martell,” Arianne said.

“I will call him Prince Rodrik,” Duke Edmure laughed heartily. Compared to Jeyne and the Mountain, Edmure was simple, undefended, and sincere.

“Prince Rodrik, I didn't prepare a gift for you, I'm really sorry,” Eddard Stark said.

“I didn't prepare a gift for the Prince either,” Littlefinger Petyr Baelish said with a smile.

“Neither did I, but it's not our fault, Your Majesty didn't say he would bring the Prince across the Narrow Sea,” Master of Intelligence Berne Clegane said. As he spoke, he took off an emerald bracelet from his hand. He handed the bracelet to his wife, Zerigalda the Bull, and Zerigalda put the bracelet on the little Prince's wrist.

The little Prince's wrist was chubby, and it fit just right.

“The half-man still has a physical advantage,” Littlefinger declared regretfully, “You see, my ruby ring cannot be put on Prince Rodrik's finger.”

Berne's height was comparable to that of the Imp, he had a small body and small wrists, and everyone liked to call dwarves half-men. Berne, who was not much better than a dwarf, was also jokingly called a half-man by Littlefinger.

“If you want to give gifts sincerely, there is plenty of time,” Sansa Stark said with a smile.

Raynald Westerling said, “Madam is right, we will take half a day to choose gifts for the little Prince, and not be like those hypocritical adults and ladies who pretend they haven't prepared gifts.”

Everyone laughed heartily at this.

The Mountain smiled, “Everyone, both the adults and the ladies, will not escape Prince Rodrik's gifts. Whoever doesn't give a gift, I will cut off his head.”

Everyone laughed again.

Lady Melisandre said coldly, “Your Majesty, your jokes are truly frightening.”

The Mountain shrugged his shoulders, unwilling to admit his slip of the tongue. Lady Melisandre was a military priest and the Mountain's military advisor. She was reminding the Mountain that he was now the king of two continents and that it was best not to say such jokes. Perhaps the Mountain's Westerosi subjects could accept such words, but there were also many subjects on the other side of the Narrow Sea, and these words would put pressure and discomfort on many governors, princes, archons, and other adults.

The Mountain's past brutality was not meant to create a good reputation. If someone with ulterior motives processed and spread it randomly, the impact would not be good.

Melisandre's accusation of the Mountain made the joyful atmosphere awkward.

Jeyne said with a smile, “His Majesty, Princess Arianne, and our Prince Rodrik have worked hard. Let's go inside. Look at our little Prince, he's about to cry from hunger.”

So everyone made a fuss and escorted the Mountain and Arianne into the palace.

The city of Pentos had always had a palace where the Prince lived. After the Tattered Prince was put in power by the Mountain, the Pentos Palace became the residence of the Mountain and his subjects in Pentos.

Meanwhile, in Qarth, the navy and army had reached their designated positions, and the Volantene legions, disguised as merchants, had already infiltrated the city.