The Mountain of Ice and Fire

Chapter: Receiving the Submission of Volantis

The Hound walked out and ran into the person he disliked the most: Joff of the Tiger Cloaks.

Joff was here!

He had chased after the Mountain all the way to the Red Temple to welcome him.

The Hound noticed that Joff's sword belt had been removed, and he had no weapons on him, long or short.

When the Hound entered, the Hand of Fire did not make him remove his weapons.

But when Joff entered the Red Temple, the Hand of Fire took his weapons: no swords or blades were allowed inside the temple.

This made the Hound's mood instantly brighter and more relaxed, and he whistled a melodious tune at Joff.

Seeing that Joff was just as foolish as he was, the Hound felt a sense of 'belated kinship'.

He looked at Joff and smiled: "Greetings, my lord. His Majesty the King and Prince Arianne are in the R'hllor Temple."

He gave Joff a little lie.

The Mountain and Arianne were in High Priest Benerro's private chamber, and the Hound had just come out of it.

"Oh, thank you, General," Joff said politely.

The King's own brother, no wonder he was so ugly and hateful.

The Hound looked at Joff as if he were looking at a stray dog about to be beheaded, which made Joff feel very uncomfortable, but he thought that this guy hadn't gotten the King's dragon, while he had, and this guy must be full of jealousy and regret.

The Hound's heart was filled with relaxed contempt: Joff of the Tiger Cloaks had been completely fooled by the Mountain's words, thinking that he had really received a dragon as compensation. Tsk tsk, why are people so easy to deceive?! Use your toes to think about it. Joff surrendered without any merit. How could His Majesty the King reward him with a dragon? How could that be possible?

But at that time, the Hound and Duke Eddard and his party all believed that the Mountain's absurd promise was true, and the soldiers felt uncomfortable, and the people of the East City were unwilling to believe it.

The Mountain's fist was the biggest, invincible, and the Mountain's brain seemed to have become the Mountain among men. Joff and he seemed a little inadequate in front of the Mountain.

The Hound didn't care, anyway, the Mountain didn't give him a dragon this time, so he wouldn't take his life. The Mountain gave Joff a dragon, but he wanted Joff's life.

As soon as he thought that the Mountain wanted Joff dead, and Joff was still running over to curry favor with the Mountain, express his loyalty, and show his gratitude, the Hound felt both contempt and pleasure. He despised the Mountain's brutality and bloodiness, which had turned into despicable and insidious backstabbing, and he was pleased with Joff's fate.

Looking at Joff's fawning appearance, there was not even a trace of the dignity of a Tiger Cloak leader. The dragon hadn't even arrived, it was just an empty promise, and he was already so humble. This was really 'wisdom' inferior to others!

The Hound and Joff brushed past each other.

"Lord Joff, I'm sorry about your child," the Hound suddenly threw out.

Joff stopped and turned around: "General, the matter is over." He extended his hand to the Hound to show reconciliation.

Although the Hound's eyes were not friendly, since he had chosen to apologize, he must have been 'criticized' and 'ordered' by His Majesty the King.

However, the Hound did not shake his hand. It was unlucky to shake hands with a dying person.

The Hound glanced at Joff, didn't shake his hand, shrugged his shoulders, and left.

Joff gave a dry laugh and awkwardly withdrew his hand.

What a strange person. He forced His Majesty the King to give a dragon as compensation because he killed my tiger. This must make him feel very uncomfortable, right? That's why he gave a perfunctory and insincere apology. Hehe, for the sake of His Majesty the King and the dragon, I forgive him, this crude man. Joff is a true nobleman and would not lower himself to the level of a strange and crude person.

Joff turned around, put the unpleasantness behind him, and strode towards the Red God Temple.

*

The Hound came to the outer square and saw a hundred-man regiment of Tiger Cloaks brought by Joff. The Hound was in a good mood, walked to the unicorn, flipped over and mounted it, and with an order, led his five hundred KasGoths warriors away from the Red Temple to the Governance Hall Square in the city.

At the city gate, the Hound ran into Eddard Stark and his guard camp, who had just crossed the Long Bridge. More soldiers were still moving forward at a steady pace on the Long Bridge.

"Lord Eddard, His Majesty the King is in the Red Temple."

During his time in East City, Eddard had learned about Volantis in detail from the people. He was already clear about the geographical location of the Red Temple and High Priest Benerro, but Eddard believed in the Old Gods. The place where the weirwood trees were was where his gods stayed. The Red God held no attraction for Eddard.

Although the Hound told him that His Majesty the King was in the Red Temple, Eddard Stark did not intend to change his route to the Red Temple. His goal was still the Governance Hall Square, where they would accept the surrender of the Volantis Archons and hand over power.

"Did the General go to the Red Temple?" Eddard was a little surprised. The Hound had long been at odds with the Mountain, and even after the Hound submitted, he was still at odds in his heart. But the Hound would actually change his route to the Red Temple to see His Majesty the King, which was a bit against his usual behavior.

The Hound answered Eddard's question: "Yes, Duke, I went to the Red Temple."

"When will His Majesty the King go to the Governance Hall?"

"I don't know. He didn't mention it to me, and I wouldn't ask him, but we may have to wait for him at the Governance Hall for a while."

"Oh? Why? Is the prayer ceremony long? Is High Priest Benerro performing a ceremony for His Majesty the King?"

"Joff of the Tiger Cloaks went to the Red Temple and looks like he'll be staying for a while. Maybe Joff will believe in the Red God, too," the Hound said with a playful smile.

Eddard looked at the Hound: "The General went to the Red Temple and seems to be in a much better mood. Did His Majesty the King tell you something wonderful?"

"No, I just realized that the King is not stupid." The Hound's words—naturally referred to the dragon that His Majesty the King gave to Joff—he thought that matter completely exposed the King's hidden stupidity.

"When did you think the King was stupid?" Eddard laughed.

"All along, I have thought His Majesty the King was stupid and brutal."

"And now?"

"Now, uh, maybe it's my problem."

Eddard couldn't help but fall silent.

His Majesty the King's brutality was recognized by the Seven Kingdoms, but that was when he was still Tywin Lannister's vicious dog; since the Mountain rescued him from the Red Keep's dungeon, Eddard's view of the Mountain had been slowly changing, until the Mountain led the army to support the North, fought against the Others, and designed to kill the Night King, stopping the wights and Others from going south, saving the people of Westeros from danger—after the Mountain killed the Night King, Eddard had completely changed his view of the Mountain, and the Mountain had changed from brutal and bloody to brave and wise.

The Hound's words reminded Eddard of the various miracles about the Mountain!

There were rumors that the Mountain was Azor Ahai reborn, the Lightbringer, the son of the Red God. Now it seems that maybe the rumors are true.

"Maybe we should wait for His Majesty the King outside the Red Temple," Eddard said.

"You're going to the Red Temple to wait for the King?"

"He is the King, and we are his subjects. Wherever the King is, we should be."

Eddard made a decision. He raised his hand, and the rumbling forward team immediately stopped.

*

The Mountain and Arianne Martell came out of the Red Temple and saw the neatly arranged Northern Army, Clegane Army, and Crownland Army in the square.

Eddard Stark was at the head.

Little Jon Umber stood next to Eddard, a head taller than Eddard.

The Mountain walked in front of the army, Eddard Stark knelt on one knee, and with a bang, the soldiers knelt on one knee together, everyone looking down at the ground.

Joff of the Tiger Cloaks, who had walked out with the Mountain, also hurriedly knelt on one knee, and his hundred Tiger Cloaks followed suit.

The Hand of Fire guard Oogden, who was beside the Mountain, also knelt on one knee.

On the Red Temple's huge square, black masses of iron-blooded soldiers knelt on the ground.

High Priest Benerro chanted loudly with his hands clasped together, and then a thousand flame warriors also knelt on one knee, bowing down.

The priests and acolytes all clasped their hands together and closed their eyes slightly to show respect for His Majesty the King.

When High Priest Benerro finished chanting, the Mountain said, "All rise."

Eddard Stark took the lead in getting up, followed by Joff of the Tiger Cloaks, and then the soldiers raised their heads together and stood up together, making a rumbling sound.

In the square, tens of thousands of soldiers were arranged neatly, in blocks.

The Hand of Fire guard Oogden got up.

In the entire square, except for High Priest Benerro and other priests and acolytes, and Prince Arianne who did not kneel, all the other soldiers knelt down to pay their respects to His Majesty the King.

Two dragons, one large and one small, looked sideways at the square formation of ten thousand soldiers.

Even with the dragons and legions in the same square, the square did not appear cramped.

Eddard Stark said, "Your Majesty the King, the surrender of Volantis was not smooth, disturbing Your Majesty. Please punish your subject."

This was a humble remark, but it was necessary for military and royal prestige.

The Mountain looked at Eddard Stark, looked at Joff of the Tiger Cloaks, and he said, "Small twists and turns, all misunderstandings, Lord Eddard, Lord Joff, let's go to the Governance Hall first."

Eddard and Joff agreed together.

Eddard said to Joff, "Lord Joff, please."

Joff refused to be presumptuous: "Lord Eddard, please go first."

"Let's go together," Arianne said with a smile.

She was radiant, her belly protruding, wearing a red robe, smiling and chattering like a ball of fire.

The red robe was given to her by High Priest Benerro. It was woven from some kind of high-grade silk. It had no weight at all when draped over her body, as light as a feather, but as warm as a stove. It was smooth to the touch and felt excellent.

The Mountain also wore a string of ruby gems given by High Priest Benerro on his wrist. Each bead was round, the same size, exquisite and lustrous, beautiful and eye-catching.

At the suggestion of Prince Arianne, Eddard and Joff no longer declined, mounted their horses together, and rode side by side.

The teams began to leave the square in blocks, walked onto the riverside avenue, and rumbled into the city.

"High Priest, tomorrow I will go to East City to give a speech and talk to our people. May I ask the High Priest to move to the Punishment Square in East City, talk to the people with me, and ask the High Priest to rename the Punishment Square."

"If Your Majesty commands, how dare I disobey? Tomorrow morning, I will wait for Your Majesty at the Punishment Square in East City."

"I wouldn't dare. Tomorrow morning, I will wait for the High Priest at the gate of the Red Temple, and then we will cross the Long Bridge together to the Punishment Square to meet the people."

"I wouldn't dare let His Majesty the King wait at the gate of the Red Temple. Let's meet at the head of the Long Bridge," High Priest Benerro said humbly.

"Okay, ten o'clock tomorrow morning."

"Ten o'clock!"

*

The Mountain felt relieved.

In Volantis, getting the support of High Priest Benerro meant that the general trend was set. When the Mountain and High Priest Benerro appeared together in the Punishment Square, it would be a carnival for the people. Almost all the people of East City were believers of the High Priest, believers of the Red God.

As long as the newly arrived King stood with the High Priest, that was the best way to gain the greatest support from the people.

The Elephant Party and the Tiger Party Archons were elected every year. They all regarded being able to invite High Priest Benerro on the day the Archon was sworn in as the most important thing, although High Priest Benerro never went, they dared not not invite him every time. And the Mountain, on his first visit, was able to invite High Priest Benerro to the Punishment Square in East City, which was an unprecedented miracle for Volantis.

At the end of the 300th year and the beginning of the 301st year of Aegon's Conquest, the Mountain's great achievements in killing the Night King in the North of Westeros also echoed on the continent of Essos and reaped rewards.

*

The giant dragon soared into the sky, and the white dragon followed, swept over the Black Walls, and landed on the Governance Hall Square. The square was already full of people. These people were all nobles or descendants of nobles. The bloodlines of these people could be traced back to the royal families and noble bloodlines of the Valyrian Empire. Many women and men had purple-gold eyes, silver-gold long hair, snow-white skin, and delicate features, just like Daenerys Targaryen's appearance.

The Mountain and Arianne got off the dragon's back. The square, the streets, the steps, the passages, wherever there were people, all knelt down.

The Mountain comforted the noble people. His mighty and unparalleled aura made countless men and women succumb, and his friendly words and smiling face made them feel friendly and amiable.

The following things went extremely smoothly. With the full support of Joff of the Tiger Cloaks and High Priest Benerro, various surrenders, power transfers, garrison arrangements, staff of affairs officers, taxes, trade, naval reorganization... etc., etc., were unusually smooth, so smooth that Eddard and the Hound felt incredible. They felt as if they were in Westeros dealing with small matters within their own territory, as relaxed and comfortable.

But in Eddard's heart, there was still a small regret. He knew that the reason why Joff of the Tiger Cloaks spared no effort to cooperate and support His Majesty the King's government affairs was because he was about to get one of His Majesty the King's dragons: Tehmē!

His Majesty the King promised that after handling the government affairs, he would return to the continent of Westeros and bring him the little dragon Tehmē. Tehmē's mother was the Sheepstealer ridden by the Mountain, and the father was Rhaegal, the bronze dragon that followed Jon Targaryen on the Wall.

Joff was also very satisfied with the inheritance of the dragon's bloodline and was excited at the thought of it.

The Joff family's bloodline could also be traced back to the Valyrian nobles of the Valyrian Empire and was also related to the bloodline of the Valyrian royal family. Once Joff had a dragon, he thought that he might be able to awaken the dragon bloodline that had been diluted for hundreds of years within their family.