The Mountain of Ice and Fire

“Lord Petyr Baelish.” Gendry’s eyes widened. “I know what I’m capable of, and I know who I am… You’re here to advise me not to inherit the throne, not to be king. Is this your own idea, or is it the opinion of the Clegane army generals?”

“No, you’re wrong, Gendry. I’m not asking you to refuse the throne. On the contrary, I want you to accept the Mountain’s proposal and sit on the Iron Throne.”

Gendry was stunned: “…………”

Littlefinger gave a sly smile, which made Gendry feel uneasy. “Gendry, I just arrived in King’s Landing, and you’re the first person I came to see. I haven’t even entered the Red Keep to see the Mountain. This is my own considered advice to you. None of the Clegane army generals know about it, and the Mountain is even more unaware.”

Father doesn’t know?

Gendry’s heart suddenly stirred.

Gendry didn’t have any affection for old men like Littlefinger, but he didn’t feel any animosity either.

So, Littlefinger immediately ran to him after entering King’s Landing to give him advice about the Iron Throne. Is Father really unaware, or is he pretending?

Gendry couldn’t tell the truth!

A faint, contemptuous smile appeared on Littlefinger’s lips. He saw Gendry’s confusion. “Gendry, what is the most important thing for a farmer to do?”

Gendry stared at Littlefinger: “…………”

“The most important thing for a farmer to do is to farm; the most important thing for a fisherman to do is to fish; the blacksmith forges iron, the brewer brews wine, the soldier fights, the general strategizes; dragons fly in the sky, sea monsters dominate the sea, ants are on the ground, bees are in the flower house; in this world, whether it is people or animals, everything is peaceful and lasts long only when they are in their proper place. If the blacksmith brews wine, the soldier strategizes, the general farms, dragons are in the sea, and sea monsters are in the sky, the world will be in chaos, lords will be killed by their people, and countries will be overthrown by usurpers.”

Gendry’s breathing became rapid: “…………”

“Gendry, listen to my advice, and it will guarantee you a lifetime of wealth and honor, and your descendants will have the right to inherit vast territories.”

“…………”

“If you are willing to accept my advice, you will become the Duke of Storm’s End, and gain the loyalty of the nobles and people of the Stormlands. Margaery Tyrell is peerless in beauty, a true lady from a great noble house, and has been married to three kings: Renly Baratheon; Joffrey I; Tommen I; according to my speculation, she should still be a virgin. I can be a matchmaker for you and help you marry a beautiful noblewoman like Margaery Tyrell.”

“I will not marry Margaery Tyrell,” Gendry shouted, his face flushed. The young man felt humiliated.

Littlefinger chuckled. “Alright, then do you want the title of Lord of Storm’s End and the territory of the Stormlands?”

“Lord Petyr, it seems you said you wanted me to sit on the Iron Throne.”

“Yes, I said that. When you are nominated as king by the small council and the Mountain, do not refuse. You must sit on the Iron Throne, and then, as king, you must declare that you will give the position of king to your father, the Mountain.”

“…………”

“Come, Ser Gendry, pour some wine and let me slowly explain the key to you.” Littlefinger smiled and walked to the candle, trimming the wick to make the flame brighter.

*

In autumn, the North was already freezing, while the sunlight in King’s Landing in the South was still warm.

It was a peaceful day.

Outside the bronze gate of the Red Keep, a young girl wearing chainmail and a narrow sword at her waist arrived.

The girl had auburn hair, blue eyes, delicate features, and fair skin.

She spoke fluent Westerosi, with a slight Northern accent.

“Soldier, announce that I want to see Ser Gregor Clegane.”

The bronze gate was tightly closed, with four gold-cloaked guards with swords on each side of the gate.

The guards laughed. They saw the two narrow swords at the girl’s waist, two swords so thin that they seemed like they would be broken by a gust of wind.

Narrow swords were popular in Braavos across the Narrow Sea, favored by wandering swordsmen who would draw their swords and duel at the slightest disagreement, but in Westeros, soldiers and generals used swords that were wide and thick, which were convenient for hacking and slashing during battlefield charges. If a sword was too thin, it would easily break when hacking and slashing, and it wouldn’t have enough power.

The difference between Westerosi swords and Braavosi narrow swords was too great.

As guards who used swords in Westeros, they looked down on the swordsmen across the Narrow Sea who used narrow swords. Those small swords, like toothpick sticks, were too light.

The leading guard smiled and said, “Little girl, where are you from?”

“I am Arya Stark of the North,” the girl said calmly.

“Stark?” The frivolousness and teasing on the soldiers’ faces gradually disappeared.

“Yes, Arya Stark. Ser Gregor Clegane is a good friend of mine.”

These words sounded a bit big to the gold cloaks.

If Lord Eddard Stark had said such a thing, the guards would not have doubted it.

But this girl claimed to be a Stark!

The gold cloaks were all familiar with the Stark name.

“Wait a moment,” the leading guard said.

The Mountain led the allied forces north to fight against the Others and had a good relationship with the Stark family. The Clegane family and the Stark family were already allies. Now that Cersei had been thrown into the black cells for treason, her partisans had all surrendered to the Mountain in a single day. Those who were unwilling to surrender had also given up their official positions and chose to leave King’s Landing and return to their hometowns. For example, the commander of the gold cloaks, Ser Bronn of the Blackwater. Bronn had been the head of the five hundred elite cavalry of Lord Tywin Lannister.

Now the position of commander of the King’s Landing garrison was vacant.

The Red Keep was very large, and it took time to find Ser Gregor and report the visitor.

The girl stopped the leading guard. “Soldier, can I go in with you?”

“Are you sure you are Arya Stark?”

“I am very sure.”

“Alright, come with me.” The guard captain gestured, and the bronze gate slowly opened, revealing a crack that was only wide enough for one person to squeeze through sideways.

Arya Stark and the guard captain entered the Red Keep.

In the stone house area where the courtiers lived, Arya Stark met the Mountain.

Behind the Mountain stood a group of famous generals, including Captain Eryn from the North, Joyce Foote, the young chieftain from the Foote tribe of Crackclaw Point, One-Eyed Teague from the native tribes of the Mountains of the Moon, Anguy Clegane, who had become a son-in-law of a noble house in the Dornish Marches, Chiswyck, the head of the Clegane infantry regiment, Rorge, the commander of the enforcement team, Daario Naharis, a general from Daenerys’s army, and the two leaders of the dragon crossbow battalion: Gendry Clegane and Master Tobho Mott…

In addition, the Mountain also had personal guards—Podrick Payne from House Payne of the Westerlands, Croom Wawner, the young chieftain from the Croom tribe of Crackclaw Point, and Landon Gaal, who had married Ysilla Royce, the Countess of Runestone…

In addition to a large group of famous generals, there were also two contrasting women: the beautiful and enchanting Red Priestess Melisandre, who was radiant and dazzling, and the gloomy and silent black-robed bloodmage Daerty Quntyna, whose teeth were even black.

In addition, there was also a scribe for the Clegane army: Jon Connington.

After receiving the raven information about the ‘coup’ in King’s Landing, the Mountain’s Clegane army generals and priests rode their warhorses at a gallop to King’s Landing, while the large number of soldiers who could only walk were still on the road.

*

“Ser Gregor,” Arya Stark said, “We meet again after Harrenhal in the year 298 of Aegon’s Conquest.”

“Arya?!” The Mountain said in surprise.

“Yes, it’s me. I’m not dead yet.” Arya stood up straight, with a narrow sword at her waist, a cold face, and an extraordinary demeanor.

“Arya, where have you been these past few years after you left Harrenhal?”

“I went to Braavos to learn the Water Dance swordsmanship. Now I am a wandering swordsman.”

“Oh?!”

Swordsman?! A young girl? Arya Stark? Some of the generals and guards behind the Mountain chuckled.

The word swordsman was spoken by the girl in a serious manner, which was a bit ignorant of the immensity of heaven and earth.

“Ser Gregor, I am impressed by your great deeds in leading the Southern Allied Forces to Winterfell to help the Starks defeat the Others. You killed the Night King and saved the entire North and Westeros. I hope to represent the Stark family to express my respect to you. I don’t want military pay. I am willing to be your personal guard for a month and protect your safety day and night. Please allow me to leave you freely after a month and go to the North.”

“A month? Personal guard?”

The generals and guards couldn’t help but laugh.

The Stark girl’s words were getting more and more interesting. Did Ser Gregor need her sword to protect him? And only for a month.

“Yes, a month later, winter will enter the continent of Westeros, and the threat of Daenerys Targaryen will have been lifted. However, the Stark family always repays kindness, so after I am no longer your guard, as long as you have a tricky threat, let me know and I will come to protect you.”

The generals and guards, who had been relaxed with a playful mood, couldn’t believe their ears. This Stark girl’s tone was getting bigger and bigger!

If Ser Gregor was in danger, would he send someone to ask her, a little girl, to protect him?

What a thing to say!

The Stark family was known for their virtues of humility and integrity. This little girl had gone to Braavos for a few years, learned the swordsman’s Water Dance, and had such a big tone, completely disregarding the Clegane generals and guards.

The Mountain looked left and right, and the playful smiles on the faces of the generals gradually disappeared, turning into a look of suspicion as they looked at each other, wondering if they had misheard.

The little girl had two small narrow swords at her waist, and she spoke with a serious arrogance!

Arya Stark said lightly, “Generals, I know you all look down on me. Among you, who has the best swordsmanship?”

For a moment, no one answered Arya. Everyone didn’t react for a moment. What did this mean? Was the little girl calling for a sword fight? Looking at her sword and her figure, one slap would send her and her sword into the dirt.

“No one dares to accept the challenge?” Arya said lightly, “Ser Gregor Clegane, let me be one of your personal guards, and I will protect your safety for a month.”

“First, test your swordsmanship, Arya,” a voice suddenly said.

Eryn, the former captain of Lord Eddard Stark’s guard, stood up.

“Alright, Eryn, let me see if your swordsmanship has improved,” Arya said with her hands behind her back.

She stood up straight, her figure like a sword.

Eryn was a little at a loss. “Arya, aren’t you going to draw your sword?”

“I will draw my sword.”

Eryn looked at the Mountain, and the Mountain nodded. So, with a clang, Eryn drew his longsword.

A two-handed greatsword.

Northerners mostly used this kind of two-handed greatsword, which was strength-based, with large openings and closings, mainly for hacking and slashing. This kind of sword was mainly for hacking in group battles and charges! The two-edged greatsword had more advantages than a broadsword in hacking.

Arya stood still!

Eryn raised his sword, worried that he would cut Arya in two with one sword. He hesitated, wondering if he should strike, which caused laughter among the brothers.

However, suddenly, a small sword tip pointed at his throat. Arya held the sword in one hand, with the other hand behind her back, just like a maid dancing, and a faint smile appeared on her cold face: “You are already dead, Eryn.”

The generals laughed loudly.

“Oh!” Eryn said, suddenly taking a step back, and forcefully knocked the greatsword in his hand towards Arya’s narrow sword, thinking that he would knock this child’s toy away. Who knew that he had knocked empty, and before he could steady his figure, Arya’s narrow sword tip pointed at his abdomen again.

“Eryn, your intestines are broken.”

The brothers laughed again.

Eryn’s face flushed, and he smiled sheepishly: “Okay, Arya, I’m not playing with you anymore.” He sheathed his sword and retreated, pretending to leave, but suddenly kicked Arya’s body hard. Arya rolled on the spot, nimble as a cat, avoiding this kick, knelt up halfway, and slapped Eryn’s leg with the narrow sword in her hand, making a snapping sound: “Eryn, your leg has been pierced.”

Arya used the back of the sword to slap Eryn’s leg. If this sword was the blade of the Valyrian steel sword Lady Forlorn, Eryn’s leg would have been cut off.

The sword Arya used was Needle, which was the narrow sword Jon had given her. The Valyrian steel sword Lady Forlorn, which the Mountain had given her, had been reforged by Master Tobho Mott, changing its color and becoming narrower. She would not use it on this occasion. After getting the sword, Arya redecorated the hilt of Lady Forlorn, so that even Master Tobho Mott himself could not recognize it from the scabbard and hilt.

The Valyrian steel sword Lady Forlorn, Arya would only use it when she was killing people as an assassin. Generally speaking, only the dead would see her Lady Forlorn unsheathed.

Eryn stopped, his face embarrassed, his expression unbelievable: “Such fast movements.”

Everyone present felt the same way. No one laughed anymore. Arya’s reaction to dodge Eryn’s sudden kick was so fast that it shocked them.

Arya sheathed Needle and put her hands behind her back: “Eryn, your two-handed greatsword is too heavy, and speed is a disadvantage. Your sneak attack is also equally slow.”

Eryn: “…………”

The Mountain said, “Arya Stark, I am going to the throne room now, come with me.”

“Yes, Duke Gregor.” Arya walked to the Mountain’s side, her eyes meeting Daario’s.

Daario wielded a scimitar in his right hand, and a narrow sword in his left. However, his narrow sword was still wider than Arya's.