The Mountain of Ice and Fire

Highgarden.

Rhaenyra was the first to see such a burly, mountain-like man in the world, with arms like huge tree trunks and shoulders as wide as walls.

"Rhaenyra, I am Gregor Clegane, but people prefer to call me the Mountain," the Mountain said. His voice was also unique, crashing around the hall with a booming echo.

"This is our great King," said Lady Rhea Florent, the Countess of Highgarden. She spoke of greatness without the slightest hint of incongruity.

"Your Majesty, I pay my respects," Rhaenyra said, placing her hands together over her heart. She looked wild and untamed, but she was actually very surprised. The King before her had no entourage, no courtiers or generals; his size and aura were too unique, radiating a terrifying aura, like a beast in human skin.

"Your mother, Emma, is a Faceless Man from the House of Black and White in Braavos. You and she work at the Quill and Tankard, a station of the House of Black and White in Oldtown that has been there for six hundred years," the Mountain said calmly.

The Mountain's words startled both the Countess of Highgarden and the knights, as well as Arya.

Arya had never heard of the House of Black and White having a small station in Oldtown for six hundred years. She had learned assassin skills in the House of Black and White, but there were many things about the House that she did not know.

But how did the Mountain know?!

Arya was certain that Melisandre had not told the Mountain about the Quill and Tankard.

The Faceless Men of the House of Black and White were the most mysterious assassin organization in the world. Their actions were secretive, and the establishment of the Quill and Tankard station in Oldtown was, of course, a secret. But the Mountain knew it very well. Was he directly confronting the House of Black and White? Everyone feared the Faceless Men, but Arya did not see any fear in the Mountain's eyes.

The Mountain, on the other hand, was a bloodthirsty and brutal desperado. He seemed to fear no one or anything; even the Faceless Men could not intimidate him.

Rhaenyra was also hearing for the first time that her mother was a Faceless Man. Emma had trained her in many magical skills, but she did not fully know her mother's true identity. She only knew that her mother had a mysterious identity and background.

"…Your Majesty…I don't understand what you're saying…" Rhaenyra stammered.

Rhaenyra herself was also a Faceless Man, but she did not know it yet; she had not yet knelt and sworn her oath in the House of Black and White.

Her mother had told her the adage 'All men must die, all men must serve,' but knowing this adage did not necessarily mean that her mother was a Faceless Man; these were two different things.

"Ser Elvis, are you sure her mother is coming?" The Mountain did not take Rhaenyra's shock to heart, and asked Ser Elvis calmly.

"Your Majesty, when we landed, I saw Emma board the ferry," Elvis said respectfully. Cold sweat had already broken out on his back. The Mountain's words shocked and frightened him. He had not expected that Emma, with whom he had shared many intimate moments, was actually a top assassin. Although he had been wary of Emma when he took Rhaenyra away, it was only out of respect for the King. The King had warned him to be careful, and he had taken the King's words as an order, not because he was truly vigilant and valued Emma.

The reputation of the Faceless Men was well-known to knights.

But the knight had not expected that a Faceless Man would disguise himself as a courtesan. However, the waitresses at the Quill and Tankard were very different from the women in true brothels. They only entertained men they liked, and would not fawn over anyone solely for money. This was an additional service of the inn, a way to attract business from regular customers, with the main goal of selling wine and food to maintain the Quill and Tankard's operation and business.

Arya's heart was in turmoil!

The Mountain had directly confronted the Faceless Men's station. He had not revealed any information beforehand, but had directly revealed the secret of the Faceless Men to Rhaenyra. The Faceless Men's station had been in Oldtown for six hundred years, with only one purpose: glass candles. No, dragon glass candles. They had been waiting for the day when the dragon glass candles would spontaneously combust in the Citadel.

The Faceless Men's elders' planning and centuries of patience to obtain the self-igniting dragon glass candles were truly astonishing.

But was it wise for the Mountain to directly confront the Faceless Men, the House of Black and White, to expose their station, and end their secret?

Suddenly, a purple light flashed, like lightning, piercing directly at Rhaenyra's throat.

Rhaenyra was shocked; any dodge or movement was too late. Her lower body was still, her feet firmly planted on the ground, her upper body bent backwards, like an arched bridge. The purple light grazed her face, cutting off her flowing hair. This sword strike was sudden and extremely fast; it was Arya's Valyrian steel sword, 'Lady of Lament'.

Lady of Lament was originally silver like moonlight, but to prevent the true owner of Lady of Lament, House Corbray, from recognizing it, the Mountain had Master Tobho Mott change the color of Lady of Lament, turning the silver into purple. Tobho Mott was the only master in King's Landing who could infuse pigment into weapons. He had taught all of his world-class skills to Gendry Baratheon.

Arya lowered her wrist. Although Rhaenyra had avoided the previous thrust, she had exhausted all of her strength, and there was no room for maneuver in time or space. Arya followed with a slight change, lowering her wrist, and the tip of the sword pointed at her throat again. Rhaenyra could no longer avoid it; her body could no longer respond to Arya's changes.

Arya's narrow sword stopped at Rhaenyra's throat, the sharpness causing Rhaenyra's throat to sting. Death enveloped Rhaenyra, her face pale, her lips trembling slightly, her body bent backwards, her hands supporting her on the ground. Rhaenyra did not dare to move.

The Countess and Countess of Highgarden, the maester and knights, and the Hightower guards were all dumbfounded.

Both women's martial arts were outstanding. The King's female guard's sword was narrow and looked fragile, but it was as agile as lightning. And the flexibility and quick reaction of the fifteen-year-old Rhaenyra, who they knew well, who bent over and dodged with unparalleled speed, also surprised everyone.

"Rhaenyra, I am from the House of Black and White," Arya said calmly. "All men must die!"

"All men must serve," Rhaenyra said. Although her body was bent, her breathing was not disturbed. Her body seemed to be boneless and soft.

The conversation between the two girls made the Countess of Highgarden and others unable to believe it. One of the King's female guards was also a Faceless Man. The Faceless Men, who were always elusive, seemed to be everywhere.

In this peaceful and prosperous Oldtown, suddenly, Faceless Men confronted Faceless Men; it was truly unbelievable!

Whoosh!

Arya withdrew Lady of Lament: "Rhaenyra, besides your mother Emma, who else in Oldtown is a Faceless Man?"

"I don't know, my lady."

"Recently, has anyone special come to the Quill and Tankard?"

"An alchemist."

Arya and the Mountain exchanged glances.

The Mountain said: "An alchemist? He gave Pate a gold dragon in exchange for a key, the key to open the Citadel's basement. And your maidenhood is worth a gold dragon, and Maester Pate, in order to obtain you and your maidenhood, was easily persuaded by the alchemist to exchange the key for the gold dragon."

The Countess of Highgarden, Ser Elvis, and others suddenly understood that Rhaenyra's maidenhood was worth a gold dragon; this was actually a trap to trick Maester Pate into selling the key.

"Your Majesty, what does the Faceless Man want to obtain in the Citadel's basement?"

"The burning dragon glass candle."

"Dragon glass candle? I know about it. Citadel novices must stay in the dragon glass candle room in the basement for days and nights, to see who can make the dragon glass candle burn. Legend has it that when the dragon glass candle burns, magic will be revived." The Countess of Highgarden, who was obsessed with witchcraft research, knew a lot about the dragon glass candle.

"The dragon glass candle is a sacred object that the Faceless Men hope to obtain," the Mountain said.

"They are so despicable to steal the Citadel's dragon glass candle by such means," the Countess of Highgarden said angrily. "Ser Elvis, go and arrest Emma immediately."

Before she finished speaking, footsteps sounded outside the door, and a guard rushed in and knelt on one knee before the King: "Your Majesty, Emma has arrived, just outside the tower."

"Let her in," the Mountain said.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Emma walked in, passing through the maze-like base fortress. The base fortress was very large, and the roads and doors inside were all identical. Anyone who entered the base fortress without a tower man to lead them could not pass through the deliberately built maze smoothly.

In the tower hall above the base fortress, Emma saw Arya and the Mountain. The moment she stepped in, although she was mentally prepared, she couldn't help but change her expression slightly. The atmosphere in the hall was completely beyond her expectations. She noticed the Mountain's might and the narrow sword at Arya's waist.

Narrow swords were only used by swordsmen from Braavos and assassins from the House of Black and White.

From the Mountain's terrifying figure, Emma naturally thought of who the Mountain was. When she came, she knew that an uninvited guest who controlled dragons had come to Highgarden: the new King of the Seven Kingdoms, the Mountain.

The news that dragons had come to Oldtown had long spread throughout the land. The speed of the news was faster than the wind.

And Pate was dead, and the alchemist had completed his task. At this moment, the alchemist was walking in the complex and changeable paths of the Citadel in Pate's guise. There were many buildings inside the Citadel, layer upon layer, and stone bridges were built in the air between the towers. On the bridge deck, many square huts were built. The huts were inhabited by novices and novice assistants, while the archmaesters lived in the towers.

Emma, who had completed her mission, decided to come to Highgarden to rescue her daughter Rhaenyra.

"You are Emma?" the Mountain said calmly.

"Greetings, Your Majesty." Emma's eyesight was much better than Rhaenyra's.

"Take her down and throw her into the black cells," the Mountain shouted.

Clang clang clang!

Several long swords were drawn, blocking Emma's chest and back.

The knights knew Emma's true identity, and they drew their swords swiftly, guarding carefully, not daring to give Emma any chance.

"Your Majesty, why are you arresting me?" Emma was not flustered at all.

"Faceless Man Emma, I know your true identity. According to the rules of you Faceless Men, you can never use the name and face of Emma again."

Emma was shocked. How could the King who came riding a dragon know her secret? Even the high-level elders in the House of Black and White only knew her true identity.

"Your Majesty, I don't understand what you're saying?"

"Don't worry, Emma, I won't kill you or your daughter. Countess of Highgarden, please use iron chains to lock Emma and Rhaenyra up, lock them in the black cells, and send people to guard them firmly. I have great use for these two people."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"Arya Stark, you and Ser Elvis will escort Emma and Rhaenyra to the underground black cells. I want you to personally lock them with iron chains."

"Yes, Your Majesty," Arya said.

Arya and Ser Elvis led a team of soldiers and escorted Emma and Rhaenyra away.

"The King's guard is Arya Stark," the Countess of Highgarden said, looking surprised and delighted.

"Yes," the Mountain said.

"Oh, this is really gratifying. House Hightower will always have respect and gratitude for House Stark. It is the highest honor and incomparable glory for Your Majesty to bring Miss Stark to Highgarden as a guest."

"Countess, was the two-hundred-foot-high base fortress of Highgarden built by Brandon the Builder Stark?"

"Maesters have determined after studying history books that Brandon Stark built the base of Highgarden, but they don't know whether it was Brandon the Builder himself or his son Brandon."

"Countess, you can catch up with Miss Stark later. I came to Oldtown specifically to deal with the Faceless Men who stole the Citadel's dragon glass candle. I need your help."

"Please command, Your Majesty," the Countess of Highgarden said respectfully.

"Immediately send someone to the Citadel to tell them that Novice Pate is very likely disguised as a Faceless Man. The Citadel's dragon glass candle basement door must be guarded immediately, and the lock must be replaced immediately."

"Your Majesty, I will do it immediately," Maester Morton said directly, without waiting for the Countess to order.

"Okay, quickly release the raven."

The maester left in a hurry.

"Countess, please send cavalry to block all land and water routes to the Citadel."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"I also need you to personally lead the family knights to the Citadel to meet me. I will ride a dragon to the Citadel."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

A moment later, the Countess of Highgarden, who had not left the tower for more than ten years, wore armor, a long sword at her waist, and led the family knights out of the tower on the King's order. The sound of horses' hooves exploded on the bluestone road, the cavalry was mighty, and they galloped towards the Citadel.