The Mountain of Ice and Fire

As dawn broke, in the large courtyard where Xue Yi resided.

"How did things go?" Littlefinger asked Xia Ga and Conn, whose faces looked strange.

Xia Ga scratched his head and chuckled, "All those who resisted were killed."

This sentence caused both the Mountain and Littlefinger to become alert.

"Those who didn't resist are okay?" Littlefinger asked back.

"Falyse escaped alone!" Conn said.

Littlefinger was stunned.

The Mountain wasn't too surprised. In the original world's plot, Falyse had also escaped during the battle. But this time, with careful preparation, numerous manpower, and Xia Ga and Conn being far from soft-hearted, plus the cunning Bronn, and twice as many warriors as the Stokeworth guards, Falyse still escaped? And at night.

This was a bit of a pain in the ass!

Could noblewomen outrun mountain warriors on horseback at night? That was impossible!

"How did she escape?" The Mountain said coldly.

Xia Ga had always been intimidated by the Mountain, so he immediately laughed to forcefully cover up his fear and embarrassment: "Lady Tanda fell off her horse, and Bronn dismounted to save her. I left twenty warriors with Bronn, and then Conn and I went to chase Falyse."

"Hmm!"

"Lord Mountain, a centurion wore the lady's cloak and headscarf. The soldiers all followed him. We were all staring at that guy's white headscarf and cloak in the dark, chasing after him. When we caught up and chopped off his head, we realized he was a man. We killed all those hateful guys, and when we turned back to look for Lady Falyse, we couldn't find her anymore..."

A small trick, but enough to fool the straightforward mountain people.

A very small trick, but it allowed Falyse to escape.

"Didn't you split up, for example, seeing the enemy split into two groups, one protecting the lady, and the other taking a different path?" Littlefinger said, "Did you just stare at the lady's cloak and chase after it madly?"

"We didn't see the enemy split into two groups," Xia Ga said.

"Then the lady hid by the roadside, waited for you to chase past, and then she went on her way alone." Littlefinger looked at the Mountain, "So, Falyse escaped alone."

"Yes, my lord, I swear only she escaped." Xia Ga and Conn's smiles were very awkward, eventually turning stiff. They themselves felt that letting a woman slip away from under their noses was a particular stain on the honor of the Stone Crows. Especially since they were afraid that the Mountain would tell the Burned Men, the Black Ears, and the Moon Brothers, which would be utterly humiliating.

"How many people did you catch up to?" The Mountain said faintly.

"Twenty or so, I don't know exactly, but we chopped them all down."

"What about the bodies?"

"Dug a deep pit in the wild." Xia Ga's voice was much quieter.

A noblewoman, escaping for her life on horseback at night, actually escaped from under the noses of more than two hundred mountain warriors.

"If Falyse doesn't die, Lorelle won't be able to inherit Stokeworth," Littlefinger said.

"Then where can she escape to?" The Mountain said.

"Rosby?"

"Xia Ga and Conn said they passed Rosby."

"Cersei."

"She can only ask Cersei to protect her and help her take back Stokeworth," the Mountain said with certainty.

"If she's in Cersei's Maegor's Holdfast, then no one can touch her. Can't we eat Stokeworth?"

"Of course we can!"

"You have a way?"

"I don't know, I can only try!" The Mountain stared at Littlefinger, "This is your fight with Cersei, and I'm getting deeper and deeper into it."

"Lannisters always pay their debts, Mountain, I owe you."

It was time to let Qyburn take care of something! Qyburn's loyalty needed to be reminded!

The Mountain's layout of personnel in King's Landing was beginning to take shape: Maester Qyburn by the Queen Mother Cersei's side; Lord Petyr Baelish, a key minister of the court; Bernie of the Flea Bottom orphanage, in charge of the little birds organization after Varys left; his own professional army of over six thousand men, stationed in King's Landing, legitimately adding two thousand infantry for him; Bronn would control the power of Stokeworth, and the Mountain would have a heart-to-heart talk with him after Bronn returned...

Soon, the Battle of the Blackwater would break out. After the Battle of the Blackwater, Tywin would be killed by Tyrion, and Tyrion would have to run away, so Bronn would have to find a new backer... The Mountain decided to try to see if he could bring forward the time for Bronn to find a new backer... And Xia Ga and Conn under Littlefinger, these were all forces that needed a new backer... Once Littlefinger ran away... He just hoped that the Westerlands' mint incident could be smoothed down by himself...

*

Maester Qyburn, with his assistant, came to Maegor's Holdfast, entered Queen Mother Cersei's main building, and saw Falyse, who had changed her clothes, washed her hair and face, in the Queen Mother's guest room.

Falyse was still in a state of panic, the events of last night had scared her badly. Qyburn's polite and rhythmic light knock on the door could startle her, making her huddle in the quilt and tremble.

"Madam, I am Maester Qyburn, here to see to your injuries on the orders of the Queen Mother."

"Oh!" Falyse's eyes revealed panic and suspicion, and she wrapped herself in the quilt. This was an extremely defensive action, indicating that she was extremely insecure.

"Madam!" Qyburn stopped, "I am a maester here to help you, don't be afraid, relax."

The maid Greysy Taebesa also hurried up to comfort Falyse, and Falyse finally gradually calmed down. She got out of bed, sat down, and allowed Qyburn to help her examine the multiple abrasions on her forehead, arms, elbows, and knees.

The injuries were minor, but as soon as Qyburn touched Falyse's arm, she flinched as if startled. Greysy quickly hugged Falyse gently and comforted her in a low voice, and she slowly calmed down again like a frightened fawn.

Qyburn noticed that Falyse was very wary of him because he didn't have a maester's chain around his neck.

Any noble, upon hearing that Qyburn was a maester, would notice that Qyburn didn't have a Citadel's maester's chain around his neck. Qyburn had his maester's chain taken away by the Citadel for researching necromancy, and then he was expelled from the Citadel.

Falyse suspected that this kind-faced old man was here to assassinate her. She had been overly frightened last night, and had become suspicious, sensitive, and neurotic.

Qyburn carefully and patiently treated Falyse's wounds, and then had the apprentice pour a bowl of poppy milk, with a little something of his own added, and asked the maid Greysy to feed it to Lady Falyse. Soon, Lady Falyse became drowsy.

Greysy helped the lady to bed, and Falyse fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.

Qyburn left the guest room and came to Cersei's bedroom. Cersei had been upset by Falyse's commotion last night, and felt extremely frustrated. She didn't go to the dining room for breakfast, but stayed in the bedroom.

Qyburn was allowed to enter Cersei's room.

"Maester, how is Lady Falyse?" Cersei asked, with a hint of impatience in her tone, showing her inner unease.

"The lady's injuries have been treated, and she will be fine after two more applications of medicine, but she may have a little problem mentally. Even a small sound will make her jump. When I treated her, she suspected that I was going to harm her, and no matter how I explained, she wouldn't listen."

"Hmm!" Cersei responded. She also had a feeling of collapse.

"Queen Mother, I have a... suggestion," Qyburn said.

Cersei looked at Qyburn with unkind eyes.

"Lady Falyse is obviously overly frightened, and there is currently no way to cure her illness. In the future, when the Queen Mother interacts with Lady Falyse, she must not say anything about the... secrets of the royal palace. If she knows any secrets, she will definitely tell others at the first opportunity," Qyburn said slowly.

Cersei's heart skipped a beat: Falyse knows any secrets... will definitely tell others? Then, her plan to murder Bronn first, and then murder Littlefinger?

Cersei's back broke out in a cold sweat.

Cersei glanced at the two maids, the two maids bowed and then exited, gently closing the door.

Only Cersei and Qyburn were left in the room.

"Maester, would you like a drink?"

"I wouldn't dare, thank you, Queen Mother."

"Then pour me a glass." Cersei put down her indifference and was a little satisfied with Qyburn's humility.

"As you wish, Queen Mother."

Cersei slid out of bed and came to the window, watching the golden sunlight spread all over the city. In many parts of the city, there was still dark shadow because the sunlight could not reach it.

Qyburn handed the wine glass to Cersei, and Cersei took it: "Maester, can I trust you?"

Qyburn immediately knelt down: "Queen Mother, anything that comes from your mouth and enters my ears, no third person will ever know."

Cersei looked down at the fearful Qyburn: "What if I want you to do something for me?"

"The Queen Mother orders, and I will do it, without asking the reason beforehand, without revealing any information afterward. After the matter is completed, Qyburn will immediately forget everything."

"Good, if you are loyal to me, I will definitely not treat you badly."

"Thank you, Queen Mother."

Qyburn knelt on the ground, kowtowing.

"Falyse, can you help me dispose of her silently?" Queen Mother Cersei said.

"The Queen Mother orders, and I will definitely do it cleanly, and will never leave the Queen Mother with any trouble."

"What if there is trouble?"

"Qyburn will bear all the responsibility, even if Qyburn's head is chopped off, Falyse's matter will have nothing to do with the Queen Mother."

Cersei took a light sip of red wine, as if swallowing a mouthful of blood: "Get up, Qyburn, I want you to tell me, how will you make Falyse disappear silently."

"I have a research room in the underground black prison, a medical research room, where I study some sciences that the maesters of the Citadel are not allowed to study. I hope the Queen Mother can grant Falyse to me, and I will use Falyse for experiments. Once the experiment is completed, Falyse will also have contributed to the medical cause. Her life is valuable, Queen Mother."

"Aren't you afraid that the news will spread?"

"The news will not spread. In the underground black prison laboratory, those who are used for experiments are all death row inmates. In the laboratory, everyone avoids it except for myself and my apprentice."

"Very good, what is Falyse doing now?"

"She drank my poppy milk and is already fast asleep."

"Good, I'll give you time, after today, I won't see her again."

"As you wish, Queen Mother!"

*

In Stokeworth, Bronn and Lorelle, presided over by Maester Fabyken, in the sept, witnessed by twenty mountain warriors, witnessed by thirty-two warriors of Stokeworth, witnessed by the master of horse, the castellan, a centurion, many minor nobles of the castle, maids and servants, horsemen and blacksmiths, the two knelt before the Seven Gods.

The septon smeared holy oil on the foreheads of the two, the nun sang the marriage prayer, and Maester Fabyken taught Bronn and Lorelle the marriage vows. After a series of tedious and lengthy rituals, the septon, nun, and maester together announced: Bronn and Lorelle are officially married.

Lady Tanda was unable to get up due to her serious injuries, and could not attend the wedding. And her bone fracture hurt so much that she drank a lot of poppy milk to relieve the pain, and she was dizzy and asleep in the maester's tower.

Bronn took Lorelle's hand and stood up, officially becoming the new master of Stokeworth. All the nobles of the castle, the minor nobles of the territory, vassals, commoners, and craftsmen, all lined up to offer their blessings and gifts to the bride and groom.

Bronn and Lorelle used very exquisite large wooden boxes to hold the gifts. Looking at the pearls, jade, and gold sent by some nobles, Bronn felt very emotional. On the surface, he had no joyful expression. Lorelle was also happy to have Bronn as her husband, and smiled foolishly throughout the whole process. As for her sister and brother-in-law, Bronn told her that the Queen Mother had ordered them to go to King's Landing for a meeting, and Lorelle never asked again.

Then came the wedding banquet in the hall, with various roasts, breads, sausages, and pastries being brought up in an endless stream. All kinds of fine wines were moved out of the wine cellar. There were apple wines from the Riverlands, wines from the Arbor, beers from Dorne, sweet wines from Slaver's Bay across the Narrow Sea, wheat wines from Pentos, and monkey wines from the farthest Qarth. Stokeworth's wine cellar had all the famous wines from all over the world.

Stokeworth was very wealthy. In the sixteen years of peace, the family had accumulated a lot of materials and wealth. Even though the civil war was now raging in various countries, and the war between the North and the West was very fierce, and Stannis and Renly's armies were gathering, the nobles of the Crownlands were not actually affected by the war.

Bronn suddenly, from a mercenary with nothing, became a great lord with a huge castle. If Lorelle inherited Stokeworth in order, he would be the knight of Stokeworth.

At this banquet, Bronn ordered the castle steward to do everything possible to make it lavish, so the guests who attended the wedding banquet were all drunk. Only Bronn remained sober throughout. He seemed to be drinking non-stop, but actually very little wine entered his stomach.

To rule these guys, Bronn knew that his experience and qualifications were still a bit tender. He needed external support to increase his weight. Littlefinger Tyrion was undoubtedly the best external support, the thigh of the Hand of the Seven Kingdoms. With Bronn's capital, there was currently no thicker one than this.

This time, the occupation battle of Stokeworth was also won with the mountain warriors arranged by Littlefinger. This matter taught the mercenary Bronn one thing: to be a noble, you must have your own alliance forces, and you must hold on to a big thigh. If necessary, it is best to have two.

When one thigh is broken, he can still have another.

What Cersei really wanted was to get rid of Tyrion, not Bronn. Bronn was accidentally injured by Cersei when he was protecting Tyrion. Bronn calculated that if Tyrion ever fell from grace, he could try to get close to Cersei.

He was a good blade! And both Cersei and Tyrion needed a good blade. That was Bronn's value and capital, and also his confidence.

Of course, before Bronn returned to Tyrion's side, he had to deal with the affairs of Stokeworth first. The families of the dead knights and soldiers had to be properly taken care of, those who deserved rewards should be rewarded, and those who deserved promotions should be promoted. Bronn only demanded one thing from them: loyalty! If they were not loyal, that was easy to handle, just chop off their heads and find someone who was willing to be loyal to him.

Around Bronn, twenty mountain warriors were already drunk and fast asleep on the ground. At this time, a single knife could solve them all.

Bronn had to build his own new guard.

*

Night, the Citadel.

Bronn looked at Lady Tanda's immobile body with great concern.

The lady had just been in great pain, and Bronn had personally fed her poppy milk and dream tea. Before long, the lady was sleeping soundly.

"Maester, how is my mother's condition?"

"The bones are fractured, she will need to lie still for at least three months to slowly recover," Maester Francklyn said.

"Is it possible that my mother's condition will worsen and she will not recover?" Bronn asked.

Maester Francklyn glanced at Bronn and said uncertainly in a low voice, "So, is it...recoverable...or not?"

Bronn shook his head. "The fall was too heavy, the pelvis is fractured, I'm just worried about my mother's body...in case it doesn't work out. Maester, I entrust my mother's health entirely to you."

"Yes, my Lord!"