The Mountain of Ice and Fire

Red Keep dungeon.

It's called a dungeon, but it also has three floors above ground.

Each floor is for prisoners with status and position.

For example, Jon Connington, who was once the Hand of the King to Daenerys' father, Aerys Targaryen, and a close friend of Prince Rhaegar; and not long ago, he had another prominent identity: Hand of the King to Aegon Targaryen VI.

People like this are different from ordinary criminals in terms of status and position. Generally speaking, their cells are above ground and have a window that lets in sunlight. Moreover, they are single rooms.

The Mountain saw Jon Connington on the second floor of the dungeon above ground.

This was a middle-aged man with a face full of messy beard and sunken eyes, his hair was also messy, and his face was pale gray, as if he was seriously ill.

"Jon Connington," the Mountain said.

Jon looked up at the Mountain, his eyes devoid of any expression.

He didn't answer the Mountain's words either.

The Mountain stopped talking and just stood at the door, quietly watching him. After a long while, the Mountain said, "Jon, if you want to die and be a martyr for Aegon VI, I will fulfill your wish. But if you want to live, write some commemorative texts for Aegon VI, and I will give you paper and pen."

The expressionless look on Jon's face had a slight fluctuation.

The Mountain's words gave him a strange feeling about the Mountain.

The Mountain, a brute, saying the words 'write commemorative texts for Aegon VI' made Jon Connington couldn't help but suspect that he had heard wrong.

Jon Connington looked at the Mountain, still not speaking.

The Mountain continued, "Jon, you have survived until now because I know that you are both civil and military, and a loyal knight. In the Battle of the Bells, in order not to implicate innocent civilians, you rang the alarm, telling the people of Stoney Sept to hide first, and then launched an attack on Robert Baratheon. You refused the plan to attack Robert Baratheon with fire, also for the safety of the innocent people of Stoney Sept. But this benevolent act delayed valuable time, Robert's reinforcements arrived in time, and your victory turned into a complete defeat in the blink of an eye."

The Mountain slowly and calmly finished speaking these words. He looked at Jon Connington and saw his frailty. But the fortitude of this man's face could not be concealed.

After learning that Aegon VI was killed by the Faceless Men, Jon was utterly devastated and developed a desire to die. He stopped eating, only drinking a little water each day. Aegon VI was called Young Griff before he became king, and he himself was Old Griff. He had raised Aegon Targaryen as his own child. The two were nominally monarch and subject, but in Jon's heart, they were father and son.

Aegon Targaryen carried all of Jon Connington's ideals and hopes. Now hope had long been reduced to ashes, and Aegon had become an extremely short-lived king, ascending the throne for only two months before the dynasty was overthrown.

Although life was already hopeless, Jon Connington's wisdom was still there. He found it hard to believe that the words just now came from the Mountain's mouth. This was completely inconsistent with the Mountain's own nature, and there was a strange sense of dislocation.

Also because of the disastrous defeat in the Battle of the Bells, Jon was dismissed by Daenerys' father, King Aerys, and exiled across the Narrow Sea, becoming a mercenary in the Golden Company. He started as the lowest-ranking mercenary and worked his way up to the position of right-hand man to the captain of the Golden Company, second only to the captain in the Golden Company, until Illyrio Mopatis and Varys of Pentos found him and asked him to raise Aegon, the child of his close friend Rhaegar and Elia Martell.

More than twenty years later, Jon heard someone mention the Battle of the Bells again for the first time. And the person who said this was actually the Mountain. The Mountain's calm and peaceful words were actually full of respect for him.

Jon Connington could command the army on horseback and govern the people on foot. He was a rare person with both civil and military skills, and he was also loyal and honorable, with the same rigid temperament as Eddard Stark of the North. Although he wanted to die, he was not stupid, and his wisdom had not been lost.

He felt the Mountain's 'appreciation' for him, and he also felt that this Mountain was too different from the Mountain in his impression.

This Mountain gave him a very unfamiliar impression.

A cruel and evil person who would never talk about loyalty and righteousness, would never appreciate integrity, and would never love the people, had said those words very calmly and deliberately.

"You're not a Faceless Man, are you?" Jon finally spoke.

The Mountain stared at Jon, but did not answer this question. He untied a wine skin from his waist. This wine was like a drink, specially prepared by Lady Smallwood for the Mountain, most suitable for replenishing the body's nutrition and moisture for weak people. It contained a small amount of wine, but more of it was yogurt and other medicinal soups.

The Mountain didn't want Jon to die. There weren't many people in this world who were as upright and loyal as him. However, if Jon was determined to die, the Mountain would not persuade him. He would order Jon to be killed and then erect a tombstone for him.

Pa!

The Mountain threw the wine skin into Jon's arms: "Drinking this bag of wine will make you die faster."

Jon Connington picked up the wine skin and unscrewed the lid: "Poisoned wine? Cersei's idea?" he said lightly, and then took a big gulp of wine. The taste was strange, with a sour taste, and the taste was very bad. But for a death row prisoner, it was impossible to give him delicious Arbor Gold wine. Jon's mind was extremely flexible, and he figured out all the connections, so he gulped down the bag of hard-to-drink wine.

The Mountain stepped forward and grabbed the empty wine bag: "Jon Connington, if you still want to do something for this country, seek some benefits for the people of Griffin's Roost in your territory, and write some words for the dead Aegon, and write him into the history of the Targaryen royal family, then let the jailer come to me."

Jon Connington looked at the Mountain, who was as wide and thick as a wall, and a hesitant incomprehension appeared in his eyes.

What does that mean?

The Mountain's words puzzled him!

Let the jailer go to him?

The Mountain wanted him to do something for this country? Do something for the people in his territory? And write Aegon VI into the history of the Targaryen royal family?

The Mountain—how could he say these words?!

The strange-tasting wine that the Mountain gave him just now was not Cersei's poisoned wine to kill him?!

In Jon Connington's dazed gaze, the Mountain walked out of the cell and threw a passage to Jon: "Jon, you ruined your future for an unworthy mad king; you developed a desire to die for a young king who arbitrarily killed messengers and innocent civilians. Obviously, you are not wise, but terribly stupid, and you can't distinguish between right and wrong in terms of pattern and great principles. It seems that I have overestimated the outstanding people in this world. The so-called remarkable people that people talk about are actually not outstanding at all. Many are still fools."

Jon Connington heard every word of the Mountain. The Mountain was scolding him for being a fool, mocking the warriors and wise men in this world, as if he was a great wise man. Looking at the Mountain's back, Jon realized that he couldn't understand the Mountain's words at all. What were the Mountain's so-called pattern and great principles? Jon didn't know, and basically no one had ever talked about the meaning of these two words.

Soon, the sound of going downstairs came. Amid the clanging of iron chains, the iron door outside was re-locked. A ray of sunlight projected from the narrow window, shining on Jon's face, which had a little more color, making him feel the warmth of the autumn sun. But his heart was confused.

This confusion was brought to him by the Mountain, which made him fall into a strange atmosphere.

The Mountain seemed to be mocking his behavior?

When did a villain who was notorious throughout the Seven Kingdoms for his brutality and bloodlust learn the tone of a grand maester?

*

Dungeon.

This time it was a real underground prison.

The Mountain seemed too small for the dungeon even when he was sitting.

His body seemed particularly burly and terrifying in the confined space.

The Mountain entered the underground black prison with a stooped body.

Two important figures were imprisoned in this underground black prison: Varys the Spider and the fierce general Daario Naharis.

Daario Naharis saw the Mountain for the first time.

When the Mountain came in, Daario Naharis thought it was a giant coming in.

The Mountain was not a real giant, but when he came in sideways, Daario Naharis was dumbfounded.

Daario had seen many tough guys and fierce men, but the strongest of those people was not even half the size of the Mountain.

In this underground black prison, the Mountain's size was invisibly enhanced.

The Mountain sat down, very casually sitting in front of Varys and Daario Naharis.

The sense of oppression made Daario difficult to breathe. The Mountain's arms were like stone pillars, giving people an unparalleled sense of power.

"Are you Daario?" the Mountain said.

...Uh, I am..." Daario was shocked to find that his speech was not smooth. This made him very surprised.

Daario, who came from a pirate background, was definitely a fierce man who was not afraid of anything.

It was a pity that fierce men would also meet fiercer men, meet the absolute fiercest of the fierce, just like a thug meeting a big gangster, and he would naturally be convinced by that one look.

"Daario, would you like to learn more about Daenerys' enemies?"

"...Uh..."

Daario was not tongue-tied, but he didn't know how to answer the Mountain's words.

"Lord Mountain, what do you mean?" Varys said with a smile.

"Varys, I am Daenerys' enemy, and Daario is Daenerys' general. If Daenerys wants to go to war with me in the future, it is necessary to understand my army and soldiers. You don't understand fighting, but Daario is a general, battle-hardened, and he understands."

Daario and Varys looked at each other, a little unsure of what the Mountain meant by saying this. Varys was secretly surprised, when could the Mountain say such witty words, did Littlefinger Petyr Baelish teach him?

"Daario, it is certain that I will go to war with Daenerys, it's just a matter of time. We cannot reconcile. If you want to help Daenerys understand my training and legion combat capabilities, then follow me and be my personal guard."

"I will never betray my Queen," Daario said decisively.

"I know, Daario, it is precisely because your loyalty is beyond doubt that I propose that you be a guard by my side. At any time, as long as you are happy, you can leave me and go to Daenerys' side, and I will never embarrass you."

"I can leave whenever I want?" Daario asked in disbelief.

Varys was equally surprised, suspicious, and puzzled, but the bald man's doubts and surprises were all in his heart.

"Daario, even if you want to leave now, you can leave immediately." The Mountain's hand pointed to the prison door. The door had been squeezed open when the Mountain came in, and it seemed that it couldn't hold anyone at all.

"I can leave now if I want to?" Daario looked at Varys, his eyes inquiring whether there were any terrible conspiracies and tricks in this.

The Mountain nodded.

Varys, known for his shrewdness, couldn't understand the Mountain at this time either.

"Mountain, we are mice, you are a cat. If you want to kill us, kill us. We won't cooperate with you if you want to play with us and humiliate us," Varys said with a smile.

"Daario, Varys is a eunuch without any courage, and he is not a man at all, but you are different. You are Daenerys' general, a battle-hardened fierce general. Now I let you go and you don't dare to leave this prison door? Hehe!" The Mountain laughed twice, but there was no smile in these two laughs, only contempt and ridicule.

Daario's blood surged, and he strode towards the prison door. Soon, the corridor outside heard his footsteps getting farther and farther away. No one stopped him, no sound of swords... until the footsteps were completely inaudible.

Varys looked at the Mountain, his face full of surprise and uncertainty.

"Varys, I once let you go, asking you to persuade Daenerys not to attack Westeros. We want peace, not war, but you didn't do that. You violated your oath, Lord Varys, what should I do with you?" the Mountain said softly.

Varys chuckled twice: "Lord Mountain, I have already conveyed the words you told me in front of Daenerys. I am a courtier and cannot control Her Majesty's will."

"You are right, Lord Varys. I have already negotiated with Daenerys, and she agreed to withdraw her troops. I also know that you did not express my desire for peace to Daenerys. You advised Daenerys to kill me, just like Little Devil did. So, dear Lord Varys, please teach me a way, for you who have violated your oath, should I kill you according to your oath, or torture you according to my revenge methods, so that you will be worse than dead?"

The smile on Varys' smiling fat face froze, and he couldn't laugh anymore.

"Varys, I have an idea, see if it works. I will first make dozens of cuts all over your body, then apply honey to the wounds, and then let red ants, flies and wild bees eat them; or, first break your hands and feet, and then arrange for someone to serve you delicious food and spicy drinks every day, forcing you to eat with broken hands and walk with broken legs, until you die of pain!"

"...Lord Mountain...kill me..."

"Truthfully?"

"Truthfully!"

"Beg me!"

"Lord Mountain, please kill me with a sword."

"Okay, I promise your request. I will try you in front of all the soldiers and people in the Great Sept of Baelor, and then hang you in the Sept's square, torturing you slowly with the most cruel means! I hope you can live well, live for a long time."

Thanks to [Second Kill Potato] for the reward, thank you, handshake!