The Mountain of Ice and Fire

"My lord," Bronn said, raising his wine cup, his palms slick with cold sweat. He knew that if the Mountain truly intended to do something, he wouldn't be telling him about it here. "Whatever you want me to do in the future, I will do my best."

Do his best?

The Mountain wasn't satisfied with Bronn's answer.

Did this kid not understand the true situation, or was he just stupid?

The Mountain beckoned Bronn closer: "I heard that Lady Tanda fell from her horse and injured her bones. Is that true?"

"Yes, my lord."

"Grand Maester Qyburn, under the Queen Mother's patronage, is extremely skilled in the art of bone-setting and tendon repair. After dinner, I will take Lady Tanda to the Red Keep and have Maester Qyburn set her bones."

The hand holding Bronn's wine cup suddenly felt the weight of the glass: "My lord, Maester Frenken is also very skilled. Look at his maester's chain..."

"I don't judge maesters by their chains… Qyburn is a true maester who doesn't need a maester's chain to adorn himself. His medical skills are superb, and the Queen Mother values him highly. Bronn, Lady Tanda planned to lure you to Stokeworth and kill you. Who do you think knew the truth and told the Imp? Or is the Imp just naturally clever and received a prophecy from the Seven?"

Bronn's eyes widened!

So it was the Mountain who knew the inside story and told the Imp. That's why the Imp sent the mountain tribe warriors to rescue him and help him seize Stokeworth. Of course, the Imp wasn't entirely there to save him. The Imp wouldn't be that kind, and his friendship with the Imp hadn't reached that level. The Imp was more interested in eliminating the power that belonged solely to Queen Cersei: Lady Tanda's Stokeworth.

"Lord Bronn, husband of Lollys, what if you drank yourself to death, fell while walking, or were killed by a stray arrow on the battlefield? Do you think Lollys could find a better husband? Like my gaoler, Rolger, or perhaps even Fang."

The Mountain's art of conversation was extremely skillful, each sentence a sharp knife, yet he spoke to Bronn in a very friendly manner.

They were both bad people, so it came down to who was more skillfully evil.

The Mountain proved to be a genius among villains.

In just a few words, Bronn's forehead was covered in a fine layer of cold sweat.

In the hall, no one dared approach the area where Bronn and the Mountain were sitting. The soldiers were all at the long dining tables, while the Mountain and Bronn were alone at a round table in the luxurious hall. The Mountain's generals and Bronn's captains were at other tables.

The Mountain's threat was obvious. He could legally and legitimately replace Bronn by finding a new husband for Falyse; or he could take Lady Tanda away today and play games like having her rewrite her will to designate a certain family branch as her heir; or he could simply find an excuse to kill Bronn, such as drinking too much and dying of drunkenness, and then marry Lollys to another of the Mountain's officers… In short, no matter what method he used, the Mountain could crush him at any time.

The Mountain watched Bronn's face and his uncertain eyes. He was certain that Bronn understood his own weight and position – that even as the Lord of Stokeworth, he could be killed by the Mountain at any time, without a doubt.

The Mountain reminded Bronn that someone could indeed arrange for him to be killed by a stray arrow on the battlefield, without attracting the attention of others, and without causing related rumors or investigations: Anguy the archer could hit Bronn from a great distance, without anyone knowing.

"Lord Mountain, I pledge my allegiance to you," Bronn said.

The Mountain pointed out all the key points to Bronn, and Bronn immediately made a decision: defect to the Mountain and pledge allegiance!

If the Mountain really wanted to deal with him, he wouldn't have told Bronn these things. So what was his purpose in doing so? Naturally, he valued Bronn as a good knife.

The Mountain was in charge of King's Landing's military affairs, and both the Imp and Queen Cersei had to rely on him to defend the city. Currently, he was also the biggest leg Bronn could reach.

The Mountain looked at Bronn, knowing that words were sometimes more useful than Ice: "Bronn, before you swear allegiance to me, I want you to do something for me."

"My lord, please speak. Bronn will obey," Bronn said decisively. Now that he had decided to join the Mountain, Bronn would not hesitate, conceal, or act coy.

Was it murder? Bronn never flinched.

He understood that he was a very good knife. The Imp didn't want Lady Tanda to kill him because he saw that this knife still had some value.

In fact, the Mountain didn't believe Bronn's oath of allegiance, but the ritual was necessary, without a doubt. To make Bronn work hard, the first was the price, and the second was to maintain absolute crushing power.

The Imp used the first point: price.

The Mountain decided to use the second point: power!

"The Battle of the Blackwater is imminent. I want you to return to King's Landing with me today, and tomorrow, starting from the harbor, all the way up the Blackwater Rush, all the boats, large and small, fishing boats, merchant ships, any ships within a hundred and fifty miles on both sides of the river, are to be captured. Drive the captains and boatmen to pilot the ships and dock them all in the harbor of the Blackwater's royal warships. Do you understand what this means?"

So it was a real military operation, not going to kill someone and let Bronn take the blame.

It seemed that the Mountain wanted to see if his ability to handle things was qualified.

"Lord Mountain, I guarantee that when Renly Baratheon's army reaches the Blackwater Rush, they won't find any boats to cross the river, up or down the Blackwater Rush."

Recently, Bronn had been busy with his 'rule' in Stokeworth and didn't know that King Renly had been killed.

"If Baratheon's army finds a boat to cross the river…"

Bronn stood up, drew his dagger, and cut his palm. "My lord, I swear to you with my life and blood that I will complete this mission. There will be no boats left for Baratheon's army on the Blackwater Rush. I will make Baratheon's army only able to stare blankly at King's Landing across the river, unable to cross."

"Good!" The Mountain looked at Bronn with an admiring gaze. "Bronn, do you need me to give you manpower?"

"No, my lord, I have already recruited a batch of new soldiers," Bronn said generously.

Regardless of the outcome of the Westerlands' battle in the Riverlands, and regardless of the fate of the Starks in the North, Stannis Baratheon must be defeated. Once Stannis Baratheon sits on the Iron Throne, the Lannisters will lose power, and the Mountain's good days will be completely over.

Stannis was an unsympathetic person, upright and unyielding, and hated evil like an enemy. Just considering the past evil deeds of someone like the Mountain, in Stannis's eyes, it would be enough to die many times over.

The Lannister family was the same.

His uncompromising, inflexible, worldly ignorant, unyielding, unforgiving, black-and-white, one-is-one, two-is-two personality meant that Stannis Baratheon had no noble friends around him. Even his brother Robert and his younger brother Renly didn't like him at all. Robert gave Storm's End to Renly, which violated the family's order of inheritance. But Robert personally found Stannis so repulsive that Robert, as king, handed over the inheritance of Storm's End to Renly Baratheon, skipping over Stannis.

Stannis's unpopularity due to his personality was evident.

If Stannis won and sat on the Iron Throne, the Tyrell family of the Reach would be liquidated: the feud between them was forged seventeen years ago in Robert's Rebellion – Mace Tyrell and the Redwyne fleet besieged Storm's End for a year, surrounding it by land and sea, starving many of Stannis's beloved generals and loyal ministers to death. Now that so many years have passed, Stannis has never been able to let it go.

To gain more prestige, greater fame, and seize more tangible wealth and intangible public support, this battle was the key to achieving military prestige in the Seven Kingdoms.

This war had nothing to do with the happiness of the common people, and nothing to do with whether it was bright or dark. This was a contest between nobles, a thorough – game of thrones.

*

Early in the morning, King's Landing was filled with shouts and neighs, as carriages and oxcarts poured in through the seven gates of the city: the Iron Gate, the Dragon Gate, the Old Gate, the Gate of the Gods, the Mud Gate, the King's Gate, and the Lion Gate.

Guards of soldiers on horseback rode on both sides of the convoy, majestic and awe-inspiring.

The people of the whole city and the refugees in various squares were alarmed.

The Queen Mother and the King in Maegor's Holdfast, the Hand of the King in the Hand's Tower, the King's Landing City Watch, and the civil and military officials were also alarmed.

Half an hour later, because there were so many carriages and oxcarts pouring in, the streets were blocked and the line stretched outside the city gates.

The Hand, the King, the Queen Mother, and Commander-in-Chief Jacelyn were caught off guard.

The Queen Mother and the King, the Hand, and the civil and military officials went up to the walls of the Red Keep to look out. They saw the family flags of the major nobles of the city fluttering, horses neighing, and people shouting, with constant noise.

The first convoy to arrive in front of the Red Keep's gate was the banner of House Bywater.

Falyse's husband – Balman Bywater, who was killed by Bronn in the trial by combat – belonged to House Bywater. The banner pattern of House Bywater was very distinctive, with a symmetrical four-quadrant pattern, two diagonal quadrants with white and black ermine patterns, and two diagonal quadrants with a silver axe on a green background.

House Bywater and Bronn had a feud because of Balman Bywater, but Bronn was the Hand's personal guard, and now he had been conscripted by the Mountain – leading two family companies of a hundred men to sweep the Blackwater Rush. House Bywater didn't dare to act rashly against Bronn.

Moreover, the strength of Stokeworth was above that of House Bywater.

Escorting the convoy of House Bywater was Earl Bywater. He stood at the gate of the Red Keep, claiming that he had been ordered by the Mountain to transport three hundred carts of grain, and asked the King, Queen Mother, and Hand to say a few good words to the Mountain, as they really couldn't take out any more grain and hoped that the Mountain wouldn't come to Bywater Keep to press for grain again.

Tyrion noticed that Earl Bywater's face had bruises! Earl Bywater was a slippery character, very difficult to deal with. He must have been beaten by the Mountain!

Three hundred carts of grain!

Tyrion, the Queen Mother, His Majesty the King, and the members of the Small Council were overjoyed. Everyone exchanged glances discreetly. It was very difficult to get the Bywater family to take out reserve grain.

Tyrion said: "General Bywater, last time King's Landing ran out of grain, the Red Keep's maester sent you a raven for help, asking your family to send a batch of grain to King's Landing. Why did you refuse, not sending even one cart?"

Earl Bywater's slipperiness was famous in King's Landing: "Lord Hand, I wasn't at the keep at the time, but in another place. By the time I returned, the Mountain had already solved the matter of King's Landing's grain. This time, as soon as the Mountain came, he issued a royal decree, and the Bywater family immediately responded, contributing three hundred carts of grain with all their might. Please, Lord Hand, send someone to count them and sign the documents."

Tyrion shouted: "Earl Bywater, drive the grain carts into the Red Keep, unload the grain and send it to the granary, no need to sign any documents."

Earl Bywater said: "Lord Hand, if you don't stamp the Hand's seal on this handover document, the Mountain won't recognize it! Wouldn't I be giving this grain away for nothing and still be held accountable by the Mountain?"

Joffrey chuckled: "Look, I still have foresight. On the first day the Mountain came, I appointed him as the Defender of King's Landing, the highest military commander. Look how obedient these nobles are now. Earl Bywater, send the grain to the granary first. If you continue to nag and block the gate, I will ask the Mountain to cut off your head."

Earl Bywater was startled and quickly agreed. He gave an order, and three hundred carts of grain were continuously sent into the Red Keep's granary.

Joffrey said: "Sansa, see that? The white background with blue grid, and three silver fish on the blue top, is the banner of our City Watch Commander Jacelyn Bywater's family. Guess what they will send?"

"Your Majesty, I guess it's ironware," Littlefinger said.

"Good, wait for his family's carriages to come and see if they are carrying ironware," Joffrey said with great interest. "Littlefinger, I bet you ten golden dragons that the Bywater family won't be carrying ironware."

"Your Majesty, the Bywater family has mountains with iron mines," Littlefinger said with a smile. "I wouldn't dare to win His Majesty's golden dragons!"

Queen Cersei, with a indifferent expression, noticed a team with the banner of two black porcupines on a green background, with a red diagonal stripe from the upper right to the lower left. This was the convoy of the family of Boros Blount, the former Kingsguard knight who had his white cloak stripped by Tyrion in the throne room. She wondered if it was former Kingsguard – bow-legged Boros Blount escorting the convoy to King's Landing.

Queen Cersei felt very emotional. Only the Mountain could force these great nobles of the Crownlands, who were used to being stingy, to bleed.

Every time the Queen Mother and the Hand gave orders, these guys would always agree the loudest, but their actions were always evasive, with various excuses and lies. But those tricks didn't work for the Mountain. The Mountain would take action if he didn't agree, slapping them lightly or beating them to death if it was serious.

To deal with these great nobles, you needed a villain like the Mountain. From this 'carriage pressing the city' incident in King's Landing, Cersei understood why her father, Duke Tywin, would withstand the national infamy to protect the Mountain, this evil dog.

Many things, whether dirty or clean, the Mountain was very useful!

A banner with a pair of golden antlers on a blue background with white spotted fur was the Buckwell family of Antlers.

Three upright black spears on a pink background, with black arcs on both sides, was the Goote family.

Three red "人" characters on mink fur was the Rosby family. Lady Tanda was the aunt of the old and frail Earl of Rosby.

A white lamb holding a golden cup on a green background was the Stokeworth family, which had been occupied by Bronn.

………………

Almost, it should be all, none of the noble families in the King's Landing territory were missed. They were all driving horse-drawn carriages and ox carts, carrying the documents written by the maesters at the Mountain's request, transporting the grain and supplies specified by the Mountain to King's Landing, completing the handover of supplies. After completing the handover, they had to get the Prime Minister to stamp it, otherwise the Mountain wouldn't recognize it.

This also excited the people and refugees throughout the city. They knew that with so many supplies suddenly in King's Landing, they no longer had to fear not having black bread to distribute.

And all of this was because the Guardian of King's Landing had a resounding name—the Mountain!

Hundreds of thousands of people in King's Landing, countless refugees from all over, on this day, in this bustling city, were all talking about one person's name: the Mountain!

*

ps: King's Landing once had a population of up to one million, and normally had a resident population of over 500,000. (Data from the TV series and the original, no rebuttal accepted)

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