The Mountain of Ice and Fire

Chapter 786: Gendry's Bloodline as a Blacksmith

Night. Maegor's Holdfast. The Queen Mother's Ballroom.

The Queen Mother's Ballroom was no longer used for dancing, having been converted into the Queen Mother's Bar and her private meeting hall.

Two Kingsguard stood guard on either side of the Queen Mother's Ballroom door: the Grole twins, clad in white robes and armor—the second brother, Germund Grole, and the third brother, Glen Grole.

Two Kingsguard were stationed on the drawbridge and walls of Maegor's Holdfast: Osney Kettleblack, known as Little Mountain, who stood over two meters tall; and the most handsome Kingsguard, Ser Arys Oakheart.

One Kingsguard was assigned to Queen Margaery Tyrell's maiden residence: the valiant Garlan Tyrell.

The Kingsguard, a master of both arrow and sword, Ser Balon Swann, was still temporarily serving as the Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces. He would need to hand over military affairs to the Master of War, Lord Gregor Clegane, at the Small Council meeting tomorrow before returning to Maegor's Holdfast to protect the royal family.

As for the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard, Jaime Lannister, he had been sent out on a secret mission and had not been seen for some time.

*

Inside the Queen Mother's Ballroom, there were three people.

The Mountain, Cersei, and Jeyne. Cersei was Arya Stark.

In this private space, she had reverted to her true appearance.

Arya held a letter in her hand, a letter from the North. Eddard Stark had written back to Arya.

"Mountain, Jeyne, my father does not support Jon Targaryen coming to King's Landing to be king."

Arya handed the letter to the Mountain.

The Mountain took the letter. To be honest, Eddard Stark's letter did not surprise him.

After all, it wasn't Jon Targaryen who killed the Night King during the Battle of Winterfell. Nor were the Night's Watch, led by Jon, the main force in defeating the White Walkers. The few hundred members of the Night's Watch were far too small compared to the Mountain's massive army of supposedly one hundred thousand.

The Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces during the Battle of Winterfell was the Mountain, and the Deputy Commander was Robb Stark. The alchemists of the Alchemists' Guild, the monks of the Great Sept of Baelor, and Lady Melisandre were the ones who made the greatest contributions.

Jon's status and prestige in the North were also insufficient. He was overshadowed by Lord Eddard Stark, and no Northern nobles would submit to him or support him.

The Mountain's willingness to recommend Jon Targaryen, who had no forces, no prestige, no outstanding military achievements, and only the support of the Free Folk, was a carefully considered decision. The Mountain also knew that Jon was a man without ambition. The young man had no intention of sitting on the Iron Throne, nor did he intend to engage in any life-or-death political struggles with anyone.

Jon hated politics, had no ambition, and was a sentimental and honest man!

The Mountain's proactive proposal to nominate Jon as king dispelled other people's malicious speculation about him. He hoped to convince people that the Mountain himself had no selfish motives and that he, who had achieved great military exploits, had no intention of sitting on the Iron Throne.

"Arya, does Lord Eddard have any recommendations for who should sit on the Iron Throne?" The Mountain's tone showed immense respect for Lord Eddard. It was as if he would support anyone Lord Eddard recommended.

"Yes, the blood of the late King Robert, the bastard Gendry."

"The blacksmith Gendry?"

"Yes, Gendry. He is a very good friend of mine. In the year 298 of Aegon's Conquest, Gendry helped me a lot when Queen Mother Cersei sent the Gold Cloaks to hunt me down when I was escaping. Mountain, Gendry is a very honest man. He has King Robert's black hair and eyes, and he also has King Robert's temper."

"I know that, Arya! Gendry is a blacksmith in my army. I granted him knighthood and a surname. He is no longer a bastard. He is now called Ser Gendry Clegane."

"I know what he's called now. He is in King's Landing, managing the Dragonbone Ballista Corps with Master Tobho Mott. I often go to talk to him as Cersei. He is very disgusted with me and doesn't look at me directly. He still remembers the bloody case of Cersei ordering the entire city to arrest Robert's bastards. Except for Gendry, all of Robert's bastards in the city were rounded up and killed by the Gold Cloaks. Some children were thrown directly into the Blackwater Rush by the Gold Cloaks. It was a massacre led by Cersei to wipe them all out."

After Robert's death, Cersei and Joffrey immediately ordered the arrest of all of Robert's bastards in the city, regardless of gender, and made sure to kill them all without leaving any alive, in order to prevent Robert's bastards from fighting for the Iron Throne in the future.

Compared to the incestuous Lannister bastards, Robert's bastards had a more legitimate right to inheritance.

"Lord Eddard is right. This is a Baratheon dynasty. The Targaryen dynasty has been overthrown. Most of the nobles in the Seven Kingdoms have already pledged allegiance to the Baratheon family. They are hostile and hateful towards the Targaryen family." The Mountain paused and continued, "Jon Targaryen's background will be difficult for the people and nobles of the Seven Kingdoms to believe. It's more like a conspiracy fabricated to welcome the return of the Targaryen family to the throne. Gendry is indeed of royal blood. Arya, I respect Lord Eddard's opinion. Do you support Gendry sitting on the Iron Throne?"

"No, I would prefer Jon."

"Arya, the reason I previously recommended Jon as king was because I was worried that Daenerys was too powerful and that Westeros would not be able to resist her army and dragons. I wanted to use Jon and Daenerys' blood relationship to ease the war initiated by Daenerys. It was only when the sheep stealer's injuries in the Mountains of the Moon were well recovered that the balance of power between us and Daenerys changed." The Mountain said, "Arya, let me read Lord Eddard's letter first."

Arya nodded. She was valiant and spirited, with delicate features (not the TV series character image), and a sharp aura between her brows like a sword. Arya now had two handy swords, one was Needle, given by Jon, and the other was the Valyrian steel sword 'Lady Forlorn', given by the Mountain. Both swords were narrow swords suitable for assassins and women. However, after Arya had 'Lady Forlorn', which had been cleverly modified by the Mountain, Needle was only of commemorative significance to her.

The Mountain finished reading Lord Eddard's letter and felt relieved.

"Arya, Jon himself is also unwilling to sit on the Iron Throne. He rejected Bran Stark's proposal. He chose to listen to Lord Eddard's opinion."

"I know Jon. He never wants to fight with anyone. He has never had any desire for personal gain since he was a child. I know that his greatest wish was to be recognized by my mother through his efforts. But my mother never truly accepted him, even after he left home to go to the Wall."

The Mountain handed the letter to Jeyne.

Jeyne slowly read Lord Eddard's letter word by word: "Arya, I also accept Lord Eddard's wise proposal to recommend Gendry as our king. I hope you can support Gendry with us."

"I don't support it, but I don't object either. Now that Daenerys can no longer threaten us, I don't want to appear here as Cersei for even a moment longer. I urgently want to go home."

Jeyne said, "Lord Eddard's letter said that Jon had already left White Harbor twenty days ago to see Daenerys on Dragonstone. Maybe while we are talking here, Jon is already on Dragonstone."

Arya said, "Daenerys is Jon's aunt. According to his personality, he will definitely go to see Daenerys. When he left, both my father and Jon did not know that Lord Mountain's dragon had not actually died. He went to Dragonstone hoping to prevent Daenerys from attacking Westeros."

The Mountain said, "When I was negotiating with Daenerys on Dragonstone, I did not see any ships with Northern banners in the harbor. Maybe Jon had not arrived on Dragonstone at that time."

"Daenerys will withdraw her troops soon, and Jon has no intention of sitting on the Iron Throne. This country will depend on Lord Mountain and Lady Jeyne in the future."

"That's not necessarily the case." The Mountain said, "Lord Eddard hopes to recommend Robert's bastard Gendry as king. Maybe he himself is unwilling for the North to be independent outside of the Baratheon dynasty. He and King Robert were the best of brothers."

Jeyne looked at the Mountain. She didn't understand what the Mountain meant, but she was a virtuous wife: "Arya, I remember when Robb Stark was crowned king in Riverrun in the Riverlands, Lord Eddard was already in the Northern army, but he didn't show up."

"At that time, the North and the Lannisters were enemies, and the Lannisters happened to occupy the Iron Throne. None of the Northern generals were willing to serve the Lannisters as king. Under the pressure of the situation, Robb was forcibly crowned King of the North by his vassals," the Mountain said.

Arya shrugged her shoulders: "Okay, the matter of the Iron Throne is too complicated. As long as it's not Cersei's incestuous bastard sitting on it, I have no objection to whoever you recommend as king in the future. You don't need to seek my opinion either. I don't understand these things at all."

"But there is one thing you must understand!" The Mountain smiled, "Sansa Stark and Reynard Westerling will be holding a wedding soon..."

"Really? Where?" Arya's voice suddenly became louder.

"Reynard Westerling is..." Jeyne only said half a sentence before Arya interrupted her, "Madam, I know. Reynard is your own brother, and Sansa is my own sister. We are family."

The Mountain and Jeyne both smiled slightly. Arya was a top assassin, but at the same time, she was still just a teenager.

Knock knock knock!

Someone knocked on the door.

Arya flicked her red hair, and it turned into a head of shattered gold. The outline of her face also changed, becoming Cersei's face.

"Come in!" Arya said.

The door was pushed open, and Glen Grole bowed slightly at the door: "Queen Mother, a jailer has brought in Jon Connington. He hopes to meet with Lord Mountain."

Arya looked at the Mountain, and the Mountain nodded.

"Let Lord Jon Connington in."

"Yes, Queen Mother."

Footsteps sounded, and the jailer brought in Jon Connington.

Jon came in, and the jailer paid his respects to Cersei, the Mountain, and Lady Jeyne before leaving.

Jon did not greet Cersei. He merely nodded to Cersei as a form of respect. He faced the Mountain: "Lord Mountain, I accept your proposal from this morning."

"Oh, do you want to do something for this country, or do you just want to write some memorial texts for Aegon VI?"

"I am willing to do something for the country, and I also want to write some texts for Aegon VI."

"Then follow me and temporarily work as a scribe. If one day you want to go back to your brothers in the Golden Company, just tell me and you can go."

"Yes, Lord Mountain."

*

The next day, the Throne Room. Small Council meeting.

Osney Kettleblack, known as Little Mountain, and Ser Arys Oakheart, the most handsome Kingsguard, guarded the door of the meeting hall.

Lord Mace Tyrell, the Hand of the King, and Queen Margaery Tyrell arrived last. They were accompanied by several knights and a white-robed Kingsguard: Garlan Tyrell. Garlan Tyrell was the Kingsguard specifically responsible for protecting Queen Margaery.

Osney opened the door for the Hand and the Queen. Lord Mace and Queen Margaery entered and saw that the table was already full of people: at the head was Queen Mother Cersei, on the right side was the Mountain, followed by Jeyne, and on the left side was an empty honorific seat, which was the Hand's position.

Queen Margaery did not see King Tommen as she had hoped, and her displeasure surged up.

"Queen Mother, I don't see His Majesty the King!"

"Queen Margaery, you will know the King's situation soon."

"Oh, is that so? Thank you, Queen Mother."

Hand Mace gave his first honorific seat on the left to Queen Margaery, and he took the second seat.

On the right side, led by the Mountain, sat the Master of Laws, Jeyne Westerling; the Master of Ships, Wagstaff; the Master of Whisperers, Ben Bones. Including the Mountain, there were a total of four Small Council members. The Master of Coin, Littlefinger Petyr Baelish, was missing.

On the left side, corresponding to the Mountain, sat Queen Margaery Tyrell, Hand Mace Tyrell, Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces Ser Balon Swann, Commander of the City Watch of King's Landing Bronn, and Grand Maester Qyburn; the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard, Jaime Lannister, was missing.

A total of ten people attended this Small Council meeting, and three were absent: King Tommen I, Master of Coin Lord Petyr Baelish, and Lord Commander of the Kingsguard Jaime Lannister.

Queen Margaery Tyrell had no right to participate in such a meeting, but there were always exceptions. The Queen was often invited by the King to participate in Small Council meetings, and the council members implicitly acquiesced to Queen Margaery's presence.

Cersei said, "Everyone is here, I announce that the Small Council meeting has begun. Lord Gregor Clegane, please tell everyone about your peace talks with Daenerys first."

"As you command, Queen Mother." The Mountain said. His voice boomed, crashing around the hall.

The Mountain recounted the peace agreement reached with Daenerys.

Hand Mace Tyrell said, "Lord Mountain, where is the written agreement that you and Daenerys signed?"

The Mountain and Daenerys did not sign a written agreement.

But the Mountain took out a written agreement from his bosom. He placed the written agreement in front of Queen Mother Cersei.

Queen Mother Cersei glanced at it and said, "Ser Balon Swann, now that the Master of War Mountain has returned, hand over the military power of the Allied Forces to Lord Gregor."

"As you command, Queen Mother."

Balon Swann handed over the document and token of the commander's appointment.

The Mountain took the document and token, and the military power of the King's Landing Allied Forces fell into his hands. This was a formality. The Mountain was already the Master of War of the Seven Kingdoms, in charge of all military affairs, personnel arrangements, and troop movements in the Seven Kingdoms.

The Mountain said, "Your Majesty the Queen Mother, Your Majesty the Queen, Prime Minister, esteemed ministers, during my negotiations with Daenerys, I received some very bad news. Among our key officials of the court, there is a traitor who is secretly colluding with Daenerys. He has committed treason worthy of being hanged."