The Mountain of Ice and Fire

Chapter 393: No Mastermind Behind the Scenes (Update 1)

(How many updates today? Guess correctly and there will be 1 extra update tomorrow. Only one chance.)

*

Maegor's Holdfast is located in the very center of the Red Keep. It is a city within a city, square-shaped, with high walls and a moat.

The walls are about twelve feet thick and sixty feet high, and the moat is over twenty feet wide. It has dried up, and the bottom is covered with iron spikes. There are countless bunkers and crenellations on the walls for archers to shoot from. Thick stone railings, about four feet high, protect the edges of the walls. The heads of traitors are usually stuck on iron spears on the battlements.

The Mountain led Ser Alyn and Ser Glendon to the drawbridge of the moat. Alyn of the North was meritorious in the Battle of the Blackwater, and the king issued an order commanding the Mountain to personally grant him knighthood.

Alyn and Bronn, among others, were in the same batch of generals who became knights. Joffrey and the Mountain seemed to be of one mind, believing that bestowing knighthood was something that required no capital, and that these people who risked their lives were very eager for it. So, they held a knighthood wholesale in the throne room.

The three of them arrived at the drawbridge of Maegor's Holdfast. Guarding the moat was Ser Boros Blount of the Kingsguard, who had been dismissed by Tyrion when he was Hand of the King. As soon as Tywin's small council meeting was over, he was reinstated and wore the white cloak again.

Boros Blount was reinstated, and it was the Hand of the King who personally advocated for his reinstatement. This proved the strength of House Blount in the Crownlands. Being valued by Hand Tywin, the reinstatement of Boros Blount often led Boros himself to misjudge the situation and think that everyone else was trash.

The Mountain had been relieved of his military post as Commander of the City Watch, and all military power of the City Watch had been handed over to Addam Marbrand. The command of the red cloaks of Maegor's Holdfast and the Kingsguard had also been revoked. The Kingsguard are only responsible to the king. According to the rules, they are superior to all officials, regardless of whether you are an earl, a duke, or any other title. The Kingsguard represents the supreme kingship.

"Ser Gregor, what business do you have in the Holdfast?" Ser Boros Blount asked proudly across the moat.

The Mountain was already planning to kill Duke Tywin. Rampage and tyranny were never his code of conduct, but his little habits in life, especially towards scum: "Ser Alyn, tell Ser Boros Blount that if he doesn't lower the drawbridge immediately, he won't leave Maegor's Holdfast from now on. If he dares to go to court in the throne room, I will break both his legs and then break both his arms."

Alyn shouted: "Ser Boros Blount, lower the drawbridge immediately. This is Duke Gregor Clegane, Commander of the City Watch. If you don't lower the drawbridge, don't take another step out of Maegor's Holdfast."

"Ser Gregor is no longer the Commander of the City Watch," Ser Boros Blount said, intimidated, but still arguing.

"Lower the drawbridge, Ser. The Duke has the right to pass freely within the Red Keep."

"That's in times of war. Don't think I don't know the rules."

"Ser, if you don't lower the drawbridge, don't come to court in the throne room. We will break both your legs and then break both your arms. Do you want to test the Clegane's oath?" Alyn said in a deep voice.

Boros Blount was afraid. The Mountain dared to do anything. He had no doubt about this. He had only been reinstated and was in high spirits, with an overly strong sense of superiority, and disliked everyone. Tonight, he was on duty guarding the drawbridge and had made things difficult for more than just the Mountain. Just now, the Imp went into Maegor's Holdfast to find Qyburn, and he ridiculed and made things difficult for him before lowering the drawbridge.

The Imp dismissed him, but he, hehe, was back! Once a villain expands, he is more likely to lose control.

"Ser Alyn, don't think I'm afraid of you that I'm lowering the drawbridge. For the sake of camaraderie in the past, I'll let you in to handle business this time, but there won't be a next time! Remember, there won't be a next time," Boros Blount said with an air of official business.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The drawbridge slowly lowered.

The moment the Mountain stepped onto the drawbridge, Boros Blount suddenly felt a burst of fear in his heart. This fear came suddenly and caught him off guard. The fear came from deep within his heart, very abruptly, as if a dam had burst, uncontrollably.

"Brothers, you watch here, I'll go patrol the walls." Seeing that the situation was not good, retreating quickly was one of the rules for this type of person.

The Mountain and Alyn and Ser Glendon walked across the drawbridge and entered Maegor's Holdfast.

Maegor's Holdfast is a little smaller than Winterfell in the North.

This shows that Winterfell in the North is indeed not very big. Although it is the capital of the North, it also proves the enormity of the Red Keep. Just one of the seven towers in the Red Keep is almost as large as Winterfell.

"Alyn, you guard the drawbridge here and wait for Boros Blount to come down."

"Yes, my lord."

"Ser Glendon, go report to Commander of the City Watch Addam Marbrand that Boros Blount came back from the brothel last night and humiliated a commoner girl in Hook Alley. Jeyne Heddle is a witness."

"Yes, my lord."

"Have Sweetrobin Heddle take care of this. Spend a gold dragon to find a prostitute to come out and testify that Boros Blount humiliated her last night."

"Yes, my lord."

"Tonight, I want to have Boros Blount spend the night in the black cells. After he comes out of the prison, have Bernie's thugs break his legs and break his wrists outside, whether it's in a brothel, a casino, or an underground dog racing track. Anyway, do it as soon as possible."

"I understand, my lord. I'll go notify Bernie when I'm done."

Ser Alyn stood by the drawbridge with his sword, and Ser Glendon hurried back to handle the matter.

For this kind of scum, the Mountain decided never to hold grudges. If he felt uncomfortable, he would take revenge immediately.

Since Boros Blount liked to reason and said there wouldn't be a next time, the Mountain decided to reason with him and act according to the law.

*

Horas Redwyne was very fat. His power in Maegor's Holdfast was as fat as his body.

Knock! Knock! Knock!

Someone knocked on his door.

"Who is it?" A panting voice asked.

It sounded like the fat man was practicing martial arts, his breathing rapid and labored.

Suddenly, the door began to groan in pain. The door bolt slowly bent inward as if it were a red-hot branding iron. The iron-clad oak door began to bulge inward, like a pregnant woman whose belly was getting bigger and bigger, from one month to nine months in an instant. Bang! The belly burst open.

A large hole was blown open in the iron-clad oak door.

All the doors in Maegor's Holdfast are oak doors, all reinforced with iron cladding. The doors to the king and queen mother's residence are reinforced with thick iron cladding on both sides.

A giant hand reached in through the hole, opened the latch, pushed open the door, and a huge figure bent over and walked in the swaying light of the red candles, then turned around, closed the door, and carefully inserted the bent bolt.

Thump!

The fat court steward Horas Redwyne knelt in front of the Mountain like a newborn baby: "My lord, I was wrong. Please give me a chance. I won't dare to do it again. I guarantee it to Her Grace the Queen Mother."

Guarantee it to Her Grace the Queen Mother?

There's something fishy about this! The Mountain came on Duke Tywin's orders and had nothing to do with Her Grace the Queen Mother.

The Mountain personally went out and only broke a door, showing his face, and Horas Redwyne confessed. It can be seen that the vision of a scholar is different from that of a warrior. The vision of Horas Redwyne and Boros Blount is completely different.

On Duke Tywin's orders, it was difficult for the Mountain not to walk sideways. As a crab, it was obviously impossible to change the way he walked.

If Duke Tywin wanted to act in a low-key manner, he would have sent Ser Kevan. Kevan Lannister, Duke Tywin's shadow, known as the Shadow Lion, the Master of Whisperers, was the best at traveling in a low-key manner.

The Mountain looked at the exquisitely carved bed. Something on the bed was rustling under the big red brocade quilt.

The Mountain walked over and lifted the quilt. A beauty as naked as a newborn baby was lying on her side, arching her body, her face buried in the pillow. Her milky white skin glowed like satin under the light of the big red candles.

"Turn your face around!" The Mountain said.

The woman trembled and dared not not turn her face around. It turned out to be Gracey, a handmaiden serving Queen Cersei, one of Cersei's confidantes.

The Mountain looked at Gracey's beautiful face. Gracey bit her lip tightly, and two big tears dripped down. Her eyes were full of despair. The Mountain saw many things in her big eyes. As long as the Mountain let her go, she was willing to do anything for the Mountain, including... those things...

The Mountain's eyes softened, and he looked at Gracey's body with the eyes of appreciating a famous painting, without any waves in his heart. He gently covered her with the quilt: "Be careful not to catch a cold, Lady Gracey. I have some private matters to discuss with Steward Horas. Can you please put on your clothes and avoid me for a while? I have never seen you here, and you have never seen me. Do you understand?"

The sudden gratitude of escaping death filled Gracey's throat. She couldn't speak. From her eyes, the Mountain saw a very eager look of wanting to repay the Mountain's kindness.

The Mountain signaled Gracey to leave quickly and reassured Gracey with his eyes that the Mountain would not tell Queen Cersei about her affairs.

This handmaiden Gracey, who was close to Cersei, could get some return from her in the future, such as contacting her through Qyburn. It seemed easy.

Gracey left quickly, not even wearing shoes, and sneaked out of the door hole like a cat. From beginning to end, the little girl did not look at the court steward kneeling on the ground.

"Get up, put on your clothes, do you have red wine?"

"...Yes...my lord...please let me do it for you..."

"Forget it, I don't want to think about what your hands just touched. I'll do it myself," the Mountain said.

The room was not big, but it was not small either. There was a fireplace with a blazing fire.

The room was very warm, and the floor was covered with a thick carpet.

"Who are the people next door on the left and right?"

"Empty rooms, my lord." Horas realized that his hands were shaking badly and he couldn't put on his pants properly. He was too fat and usually had someone to serve him. Tonight, he was going to handle some private matters to satisfy his brothers, so the steward had sent all the maids who served him away.

There are hundreds of rooms in Maegor's Holdfast, and most of the rooms are not inhabited. It is possible that building so many empty rooms was to show off the atmosphere.

"I am here on Duke Tywin's orders to ask you something." The Mountain sold out Duke Tywin first. Although this was obvious, there was a difference between saying it and not saying it. "I don't want to waste time. I ask, you answer. Don't tell a lie, and don't hesitate. If you hesitate, I will be very angry. When I get angry, I can't control myself. You see, I didn't bring a sword, so I have to use other things to smash your head. That's very troublesome."

"...I understand...my lord..."

"Put on your robe, don't wear pants."

"Yes, my lord."

"Who told His Majesty the King to give me the letters of patent and the appointment as Master of Ships?"

"I don't know, my lord."

"Who do you guess it would be?"

"All I know is that Maester Qyburn is very close to the king and is often with the king."

Qyburn?! One of our own! What is the medical vivisector and necromantic scientist thinking?

"Does the king like Qyburn?"

"Yes, the king likes to dissect cats and dogs alive, and Qyburn teaches the king how to use a knife. The king has set up a new operating room in the basement of Maegor's Holdfast, and he and Qyburn study medical dissection in the basement whenever they have time. He now trusts Maester Qyburn very much."

"Well, I have a multiple-choice question for you to do. You have to answer truthfully without any hesitation."

"Yes, my lord."

"If Qyburn and Queen Cersei asked the king to do the same thing, who would the king choose to listen to?"

"Qyburn!"

"Very good, you answered quickly, you are very honest. Then, who drafted, revised, and finally transcribed and stamped the letters of patent and the letters of appointment for the king?"

The job of the court steward is to draft, revise, and finally transcribe for the king and hand the king's badge to the king. Sometimes, with the king's permission, he would personally affix the king's seal.

"I did the final transcription."

"What about the draft copy?"

"After I transcribed it, I felt something was strange, so I took the copy back."

"Why did you feel something was strange?"

"Because these things should have been done by me, but someone had already done them for me."

"Didn't you ask the king why?"

"I didn't dare to ask, my lord."

"Show me the copy."

"Yes, my lord."

The copy is the evidence. You can find the guy who drafted it by the handwriting. The king is a very difficult person to serve, but some people are very talented and can serve the brat very well.

Everyone has their own unique talents and abilities.

The Mountain took the copy in his hand, looked at it, and recognized all the words, but couldn't tell if it was Qyburn's handwriting. He was not familiar with Qyburn's handwriting. But it was easy to verify. The same sentences, broken down into individual words, in different situations, would make Qyburn write them without any precautions, and the answer would come out.

But the Mountain thought there was a more convenient way.

"Lord Horas, when you got this copy, didn't you privately check someone's handwriting?"

"I checked it, my lord."

"Whose!"

"Qyburn!"

"You are a good person and a great loyal minister. Who did you tell about this?"

"I didn't tell anyone, my lord. I don't want to cause any trouble."

"You didn't even tell Queen Cersei."

"No, my lord."

"You took the copy back to verify if it was Qyburn's handwriting?"

“Yes, my lord.”

Horace Kevin answered fluently, without any pause or hesitation.

“Good, my lord, could I trouble you to pour me a glass of wine?” The Mountain handed his empty goblet to Supervisor Horace.

“I am honored, my lord.” Horace took the goblet and turned to pour wine for the Mountain. The Mountain stood up, walked to Horace's side, and suddenly reached out and slapped him on the back of the head.

Horace's head slammed into the stone wall in front of him…

The decree of nobility and the letter of appointment were not manipulated behind the scenes!