The Mountain of Ice and Fire

Tyrion Lannister, the Imp, saw several indistinct black dots where the Mountain's finger was pointing, but that wasn't important. He knew he needed to forgive the Mountain's artistic skills. It was enough that there were words next to the dots: Iron Islands!

"Balon Greyjoy of the Iron Islands is taking advantage of the North's emptiness to invade?" The Imp was completely sobered up.

The Mountain didn't nod or speak, just glared at the Imp.

Did he even need to ask?

"My father is truly amazing!" The Imp looked at the Mountain. "It seems he treats you like his own son, and I'm the adopted one."

"Go screw yourself!" the Mountain cursed. "You're here as Hand, so the Lord just wants you to focus on King's Landing. If he doesn't tell you his military plans, does that make you adopted?"

The Imp chuckled. "How much influence did the witch have in this military plan? Is the Iron Islands occupying the North the witch's prophecy or my father's strategy?"

"I'm no green seer, dwarf. You've gotten the answers you wanted, now get lost!" The Mountain had no desire to argue with the Imp.

"Let's make a bet." The Imp was excited, completely ignoring the Mountain's 'get lost'. People with thick skin have many advantages, and their hearts aren't easily hurt.

"What bet?"

"I bet Robb Stark will send troops to take Casterly Rock."

The Mountain suddenly sensed that this was a topic best avoided.

The mystery of how Eddard Stark was rescued from the dungeon had always been unsolved. Although Varys took the blame, the Mountain's own changes were also significant. Fortunately, the Mountain's changes had started in the Westerlands, not after Eddard's disappearance in King's Landing.

What if the Imp started thinking too much, making the fact that Robb didn't attack Casterly Rock a point of suspicion? That wouldn't be good.

Eddard's disappearance in King's Landing was suspicious. Someone on the inside must have helped; although Varys took the blame, Varys' sudden departure was also suspicious. Varys had been doing a good job and was trusted by Queen Cersei.

It wasn't a problem to have suspicions, but it was a problem if someone became paranoid and connected things that weren't related. That was completely unnecessary.

Robb had taken Crackclaw Point, Castamere, and other places. Normal people would naturally try to take Casterly Rock, unless Casterly Rock had some kind of bad connection with House Stark…

The Mountain thought it would be best to end the Imp's drinking session as soon as possible.

It was best to stop dangerous topics in their tracks.

"Get out!" the Mountain said blandly.

The Imp chuckled, wanting to continue, with no intention of leaving. The Mountain didn't waste words, reaching out to pick up the Imp and carrying him to the window. This was the second floor, and the ground below was made of hard marble.

The cold night wind blew, and the Imp's little bit of alcohol turned into cold sweat. In his small frame, the second floor was already frighteningly high.

The Imp screamed without hesitation.

Bronn and Podrick, who had come with the Imp, were waiting at the gate. They looked up and saw the Mountain's gloomy face and the Hand of the King kicking his legs in the air, and the two guards were shocked.

Bronn dared to threaten others with words and his longsword, but in front of the Mountain, he chose to back down.

Bronn had once been forced by the Mountain to kneel in front of the Mountain's generals and offer a sincere apology. Only he himself knew what he was thinking at the time.

That incident was when Bronn used his knife to steal the prostitute the Mountain had arranged for Anguy: Shae!

Although the floor wasn't high, if the Mountain threw him down with force, it was very possible for the Imp to break his arms and legs. If he landed headfirst, it wouldn't be difficult to damage his wise head.

"Mountain, what the hell are you doing?"

"I've told you to get out twice already, can't you understand human speech?" the Mountain said calmly. From the Imp's panicked eyes and uneasy tone, the Mountain knew he had scared the Imp badly.

The Imp was the type to retreat quickly when things looked bad. Although he was ugly, he cherished his life.

The saying 'Don't BB if you can fight' is wrong. The Mountain believed that you should fight if you can, and also BB!

"Remember next time, when I tell you to get out, you get out, don't be long-winded. I'm not a patient person. If you weren't Tywin Lannister's son, I would have crushed you to death." The Mountain BB'd for a long time, and with the alcohol surging, he gave a full-bodied burp in the Imp's face.

The burp seemed like a gentle little fist hitting the Imp's face, making him feel suffocated and disgusted to the point of wanting to vomit. He closed his eyes, held his breath, and suddenly his body lightened. The Mountain released his fingers, and the Imp fell straight down.

The Imp's instinctive screams alarmed several nearby houses of knights. Many knights and ladies opened their windows and saw the Mountain throwing the Imp out of the window… Everyone's eyes widened, dumbfounded, in disbelief.

When the Mountain carried the Imp out of the window, several pairs of patrolling soldiers had already heard the Imp's screams. They followed the sound, and then wisely pretended they didn't see anything and quickly left.

The Imp was terrified. He wasn't a fearless person. He had a brave side, but he feared death!

Bronn and Podrick showed their loyalty to the Hand of the King, both rushing out and catching the Imp falling from the sky.

If they couldn't catch their boss from the second floor, then these two followers were definitely unqualified.

The Mountain knew this.

He scared the Imp, but he didn't hurt him.

It was all a routine!

The Imp was still in shock. He landed, stood up, looked up, and saw the Mountain's beast-like eyes flashing green. His heart skipped a beat, and he immediately lowered his head and walked away quickly, although his legs were still weak.

The Mountain was still the Mountain. Although he had changed, there was no doubt that his ferocity remained!

You can't touch a sleeping tiger's butt, because no matter how quiet and gentle it is, it's still a tiger.

If Bronn wasn't skilled, and Podrick wasn't loyal; if this wasn't the second floor, but the third, fourth, or fifth floor; the Imp believed his little body would have been smashed with a broken head and fractured bones.

"My lord, next time you talk to the Mountain, don't bring so much wine," Podrick whispered in Tyrion's ear.

Bronn laughed. "If it were me, I wouldn't say anything to the Mountain at all. Anything that can be said can be said on the Iron Throne. Being alone with the Mountain and being verbally reckless is suicidal."

The Imp was still in shock. The Mountain throwing him out of the second floor was a big shock to his little heart. The Imp wasn't lacking in courage, but he was really afraid of dying, afraid of getting hurt, because it hurt so much.

"Go prepare the horses!" the Imp said.

Hearing the order to 'prepare the horses,' Bronn chuckled, not hiding his mockery of the Imp.

Besides fearing the Mountain, Bronn was unscrupulous towards everyone else, including the Imp. If there was a better place to go, earning more money, Bronn would abandon the Imp at any time.

The horses weren't prepared at the Hand's Tower, but in a hidden courtyard alley. The Hand's Tower had a secret passage leading to the courtyard outside the Red Keep, a secret passage Littlefinger had told Tyrion to help him meet Shae.

"Go prepare the horses," the Imp said almost through gritted teeth.

"Yes, my lord," Bronn chuckled. "My lord, when I was a kid, I was scared to death once. My master helped me find a prostitute. It was my first time, and since then, I've developed the same habit as you. Whenever I'm intimidated, or feeling nervous, or just bored, I go find a woman. There's nothing wrong with that. Mercenaries rely on the thing between their legs to recover after fighting."

"Oh, oh, stop talking nonsense!" the Imp said.

Bronn laughed and strode towards the Red Keep's gate.

*

Red Keep, Maegor's Holdfast, Queen's chambers.

Lady Tanda Stokeworth was complaining to Queen Cersei. She was worried about her daughter's marriage.

Lady Tanda Stokeworth was the head of House Stokeworth. After her husband's death, she was also the Lady of Stokeworth.

She had two daughters. The eldest daughter and heir, Falyse Stokeworth, was married to Ser Balman Byrch. The second daughter, Lollys Stokeworth, was mentally challenged. She was over thirty years old and had never been married, remaining a virgin until she was taken by a dozen rioters during the King's Landing riot.

"Your Grace, if the King's Landing riot hadn't happened, Lord Petyr Baelish had already promised to marry Lollys."

Cersei looked at the chattering, foolish lady, despising her in her heart, but outwardly showing concern, her eyes full of focused listening.

This lady had found someone to propose to Lord Tywin, wanting to marry her fat, silly daughter to Tyrion. Lord Tywin had agreed, but Tyrion would rather die than agree, and that beautiful marriage was broken.

The lady had put in a lot of effort for the marriage of her mentally challenged second daughter, Lollys Stokeworth.

"My lady," Cersei decided to stab Lady Tanda in the heart. "I heard that after Lollys was raped by a dozen rioters, it would be easy for her to get pregnant."

Cersei looked concerned, her eyes sincere.

Cersei knew that Lady Tanda didn't want to hear the old story of Lollys being raped by commoners, so she brought it up.

Lady Tanda's face immediately turned embarrassed and flustered. "Your Grace, I've already asked the Grand Maester to give Lollys contraception."

"It's been too long, my lady, contraception won't be effective, you must be careful. Although Lollys is mentally challenged…" This was also what Lady Tanda didn't want to hear the most. "But she's still a noble, if she gets pregnant with a… bastard of a rioter… tsk tsk…" Cersei looked at Lady Tanda's face turning green, which made her very happy. "It won't look good on your face, my lady."

"Your Grace, now that things have come to this, do you have any good ideas?" The lady paused. "Your Grace, as long as you're willing to help, give an order, I believe some knights would be willing to marry Lollys, her heart has always been pure."

Cersei had prepared several knives to stab Lady Tanda in the heart. At this time, the Hound's voice sounded outside: "Your Grace, a guard requests an audience."

The first priority of the Kingsguard was loyalty, absolute loyalty, because they understood and knew all the secrets of the royal family. It was also for this reason that the Kingsguard's martial arts requirements gave way to loyalty, which led to a sharp decline in the Kingsguard's martial arts starting with King Robert.

The late King Robert had many scandals, his indiscretions were countless, and the Kingsguard's loyalty and tight lips became the first priority, the most important thing.

There was only one reason why a guard soldier could come to Maegor's Holdfast to request an audience with the Queen. He was the Queen's eyes and ears. Otherwise, he couldn't even cross the drawbridge of Maegor's Holdfast.

"Let him in."

The soldier came in and knelt down. "Your Grace, Vice Commander Yarral Dym, Captain Hake, Captain Charlotte, Captain Bob, Captain Petyr, Captain Symon, and Captain Steelskin have all been suddenly arrested by the new Commander-General Jacelyn Bywater leading the City Watch."

Queen Cersei stood up with a whoosh, her voice distorted and out of control. "Why?"

The men of the City Watch all belonged to her. During the coup in King's Landing, Cersei relied on these men to eliminate Eddard Stark, slaughter everyone in the Tower of the Hand, and imprison him.

Lady Tanda saw her opportunity: "Your Grace, this must be the work of the Imp. Jacelyn Bywater was promoted to Commander by the Imp. If Your Grace has any need of House Stokeworth, please do not hesitate to ask!"

*

ps: One million words down, resetting my mindset and starting the next million. Thanks to 豆沙包0921's words, I'll keep writing, no filler, ensuring quality, and making this the longest work in the A Song of Ice and Fire fandom.

Thanks to [xuechao] for the donation, much appreciated, handshake!