The Mountain of Ice and Fire

Chapter 4: Measure (Seeking Subscriptions and Support)

Of all the valiant warriors of Dorne, only this one is unparalleled – this saying refers to the peerless grace and martial prowess of Prince Oberyn Martell of Dorne!

Many become legends after death, but some become legends while they are still alive, like Prince Oberyn Martell.

Born in Sunspear, Dorne, in the year 258 of Aegon's Conquest, Oberyn is now forty-one years old.

Although the youthful boy earned the moniker 'Red Viper' at the age of sixteen, the rumors surrounding him have only grown more terrifying as he has passed forty.

After being exiled across the Narrow Sea for the death of Lord Eylenwood, Oberyn first served in the Second Sons. Later, he formed his own mercenary company. After a few years of that, he disbanded the company and began traveling the nine Free Cities, trading with poisoners and learning various dark arts.

In the Free Cities, Oberyn created his own legend: rumors abounded about his tourneys, his wars, his duels, his steeds, and even his sexual proclivities... It was rumored that he slept with both men and women, and that he had bastard daughters all over Dorne, these girls were known as the 'Sand Snakes'.

However, although Oberyn had countless women, none of them bore him a son.

He had no sons, only eight bastard daughters!

Just how formidable was Oberyn? One could tell from his eight renowned bastard daughters!

In Dorne, the eight Sand Snakes were nearly as famous among the common people as Prince Doran, though they were still not as famous as their father, Oberyn Martell.

Oberyn's fame was the greatest in Dorne, surpassing even his brother Prince Doran, because of his love for his eight bastard daughters and his training them as warriors. The eight Sand Snakes also loved Oberyn more than they revered Doran.

The libertine Oberyn had a fiery temper, was highly skilled in martial arts, and possessed unparalleled spearmanship. He roamed the Narrow Sea, rarely suffering defeat. This shaped his unrestrained and flamboyant demeanor, and a personality that would act with just a scornful glance.

Such a man, upon learning that the nine noble Dornishmen he brought with him had been beaten in King's Landing, could not sit still.

*

The first incident involved House Brax of the Brambles.

Lady Lyra Brax was accosted by two knights on the Street of Silk. Her son, Penrose, had his forehead broken, and her daughter, Jonella, had her short sword stolen. Three knights suffered a fractured wrist, were rendered infertile, and were impaled by a longsword, respectively!

The perpetrators had a distinctive feature: a large head! And a terrible scar across the middle of their forehead!

*

Then there was House Dalt of Lemonwood.

Lemonwood is located south of the Greenblood River, southwest of the famous Planky Town, and is a coastal city.

House Dalt belongs to the 'Salty Dornishmen', one of the three major Dornish groups. Their sigil is the fruit of Lemonwood—lemons evenly spaced on a purple background.

Ser Denzil Dalt, the Lord of Lemonwood, and his knights were choosing longswords and armor on the Street of Steel when they clashed with three knights. One of the knights twitched his right cheek and blinked his right eye whenever he spoke. This man was the first to attack. He said he liked Ser Denzil's eyeballs and asked Ser Denzil for one. When Ser Denzil refused, it angered him. The lunatic suddenly attacked Ser Denzil.

His two companions immediately joined the fray, brawling with Denzil's knights and guards. Finally, one of his companions broke a soldier's arm with his bare hands and stomped on a knight's shin, and only then did both sides stop.

These three were also easy to recognize: the guy whose right cheek twitched was bald and very tall; another knight who attacked sneakily was always smiling; and the last one had a dark face but was the most skilled in martial arts. The broken legs and arms of the Dornish knights and soldiers were all his doing.

*

On the street selling brown stew in Flea Bottom, House Manwoody of Kingsgrave was attacked by a group of thugs for no reason on their way to 'see the underground beast fights'.

It was confirmed that they were suddenly attacked by a large group of thugs, not knights or soldiers.

There were two ringleaders of the thugs, one was as strong as a black bear, with immense strength; the other had skin so pale it was eerie, and teeth that protruded like fangs.

It was clear that neither of the two leaders were normal people.

It should be known that the humiliated House Manwoody of Kingsgrave is a very ancient Dornish noble house. The family's fief is Kingsgrave in the Prince's Pass, guarding one of the two roads leading from the outside world to Dorne.

House Manwoody has a deep foundation. The founder of the house became famous for killing an invading King of the Reach in Kingsgrave, so the Manwoody sigil is a white skull with a golden crown on a black background. The crown and skull represent the slain King of the Reach.

House Manwoody is martial, but they were caught off guard by a sudden attack from all sides.

Lord Dagwood Manwoody didn't even have time to draw his longsword before being knocked down by the bear-like giant and unable to get up.

The Earl's eldest son, Mors Manwoody, was also knocked unconscious by a punch from the black bear giant.

The second son, Dickon Manwoody, was bitten on the arm, shoulder, face, and calf by the strange fang-toothed man with particularly long hands.

His brother, Ser Morys Manwoody, had his head broken with a wooden stick, and blood flowed non-stop.

The three accompanying knights and five soldiers were all injured, each wounded, and all were knocked down.

The attack came suddenly and ended even more quickly.

Lord Manwoody got up and thought he was dreaming.

It was a premeditated attack!

The most seriously injured was the second son, Dickon Manwoody. His bite wounds were so deep that bone was visible, shocking to the eye, and difficult to heal in a short period of time.

The two ringleaders were also very easy to identify: a giant like a big black bear; a strange man with long hands and sharp teeth.

*

Other nobles were not spared either.

House Qorgyle of Sandstone on the River Road, House Wyl of Wyl at the Mud Gate, House Allyrion of Godsgrace on Cobbler's Square, House Gargalen of Salt Shore in front of the Alchemists' Guild, House Jordayne of the Tor near the Red Keep, the entrance to Hook Street—they were all attacked and beaten.

*

When these unusual situations erupted, in addition to Oberyn's great anger, there was another person who felt anxious and began to think that sending Myrcella to Sunspear might have been a huge mistake.

If the situation worsened, and the Dornishmen suffered losses in King's Landing, and the heads of these great nobles and their heirs were killed in King's Landing, Tyrion was worried that Dorne would retaliate on Princess Myrcella Baratheon.

Especially Prince Oberyn Martell, who could not afford to suffer the slightest loss.

Judging from the timeline, someone reacted immediately after he went to see Prince in Chataya's brothel. This person was undoubtedly Janei Westerling.

But how did she know about the Lannister-Martell conspiracy?

Martell liked to frequent brothels, and so did Little Devil, isn't it normal for two people to meet in a brothel? Unless there are Janei's eyes in the brothel.

Little Devil realized that he had underestimated Lady Janei too much.

Little Devil felt it was natural for the Mountain to win with violence, and he wouldn't feel any discomfort, but Lady Janei was unparalleled in beauty, a lady carefully trained by the great noble House Westerling, yet her actions were more decisive and tougher than the Mountain.

Just because Little Devil and Oberyn 'accidentally' met in a brothel, she took the lead and opened fire in all directions.—But she controlled the measure. The heads and heirs of the nobles and their families were at most injured, and were only slightly injured without any broken bones; the highest status of those who were beaten to death or killed was a knight, and the unlucky ones were ordinary soldiers.

Measure!

Lady Janei was sending a signal: a warning signal.

A very stern warning!

Little Devil remembered what Janei had said to him that night:

—The Mountain and the Clegane army act according to national law. Anyone who crosses the law and wants to cause us trouble, we will beat him back, or directly cut off his head!

Anyone!

Now thinking about it, Little Devil felt that the content contained in this word was actually very terrifying, very decisive, very cruel, and unthinkable.

—If the Dornishmen dare to provoke the Clegane army by entering King's Landing, we will beat him hard! If the Dornishmen dare to raise an army, we will go to war with him!

Whoever provokes will be beaten hard!

Janei had told Little Devil and warned him, but Little Devil obviously didn't pay enough attention, and then... things suddenly happened...

This time, Little Devil knew that what Lady Janei said would be fulfilled, it was real!

Her and the Mountain's actions—were completely in the style of a family!

*

Inside the Red Keep, the Stone Tower where Oberyn resided.

Knights and generals were in action.

The flags of the various families fluttered in the wind, rustling loudly.

Dornishmen's favorite round iron shields, bundles of throwing spears, and double-curved Dornish bows, which they were used to riding and shooting on horseback, hung on the intricately decorated saddles.

The armor of the various earls and knights was densely decorated with polished copper pieces, shiny silver, and soft red gold. The steeds under their crotches were some chestnut red, some golden, and some as white as snow. Each was slender and swift, with a slender neck, just like beautiful girls.

The famous horses born in the Dornish desert are smaller than Northern horses, but legend has it that they can run for two days and one night without feeling tired at all.

Oberyn Martell, the leader, rode a charcoal black steed with a fiery red mane and tail. He was tall, slender, and elegant, as if fused with his mount. A light red silk robe fluttered over his shoulders, and his shirt was decorated with layers of copper pieces, shining in the sun. A gilded helmet was adorned with a copper sun in front, and a round shield hung behind the horse, its polished surface decorated with the Martell family's sigil of a golden spear piercing the sun.

Beside him was a tall banner, the banner was orange, with a red sun in the middle, pierced by a spear—a golden spear piercing the sun.

The golden spear represents the Martell family, and the red sun is from the emblem of the heroine Nymeria from across the Narrow Sea. Thousands of years ago, the Rhoynar heroine Nymeria landed in Dorne with two thousand ships, and in the conquest war, she married into the local noble Martell family, unifying Dorne. From then on, the Dornish Martell family's emblem was formed by the fusion of the paternal and maternal family emblems.

A golden spear piercing the sun!

Little Devil, who dared to stop Oberyn Martell, saw Oberyn so heroic and knew that he had encountered a very tricky problem. Before his silver tongue could open, he swallowed hard in bitterness.

Now he was trying desperately to stop Oberyn from going to war, not out of kindness to save Oberyn, but for the sake of the princess who had been sent to Dorne—Myrcella Baratheon.

That was his niece, an innocent and pure girl, she should not pay the price for the disputes and filth in this world.

If Oberyn Martell dared to lead a thousand Dornishmen to attack Janei Westerling's military camp, there would be only one outcome: complete annihilation!

Tyrion understood this.

Although the Mountain was not there, the beautiful woman living in the military camp was a female version of the Mountain! Perhaps in some places, she was more decisive, resolute, and daring than the Mountain. It was rumored that she had studied medicine since she was a child and dared to saw off people's hands and legs piece by piece with a saw... Now it seems that the rumors are very likely true...

Bronn, who was following Little Devil, was wearing a new coat and cloak today, with a burning chain badge on his chest, looking very much like a knight in a story.

Of course, Little Devil knew that it was impossible to rely on himself, Bronn, and Podrick to stop the furious Oberyn and the angry Dornishmen, so behind him, there was also a strong team:

The two-meter-tall Kingsguard Osmund Kettleblack, the sword-and-arrow master Balon Swann, and the captain of the Iron Guards, Loras Tyrell.

Ser Flement Brax, the heir to Hornvale.

Earl Gyles Rosby of Rosby.

Prince Jalabhar Xho, a banished wandering prince from Red Flower Vale Island in the Summer Isles.

Ser Harys Swyft, Ser Kevan Lannister's father-in-law, he stood with Kevan Lannister; behind these two was Ser Philip Foote.

Littlefinger Petyr Baelish!

Of course, there was also the Minister of Justice Mace Tyrell and his Reach knights, as well as the centurions of the King's Landing Garrison.

When noble disputes occur, it is the Minister of Justice Mace Tyrell, the Master of Laws and the Commander of the Garrison who should really come forward.

But the Master of Laws, Ilyn Payne, and the Commander of the Garrison were not present. The Prime Minister ordered them to go to the Riverlands to pursue the Brotherhood Without Banners, so this burden fell on Mace Tyrell.

However, the humble Mace Tyrell chose to stand at the very back of these people. From his appearance, it seemed that he couldn't wait for the Dornishmen to go out in full force to cause trouble for the Clegane army.

Last night, Mace Tyrell very kindly expressed to his mother—Queen of Thorns, Olenna Redwyne—that if Oberyn couldn't hold back and wanted to go to war, he would be responsible for cleaning up the Dornish corpses and sending them to Dorne to be handed over to Prince Doran.

Lady Olenna highly praised Mace's compassion and said that she fully supported Mace's kindness.

So, the Minister of Justice, who should have stood side by side with the Prime Minister and made a stern statement, chose to stand at the very back of the large group of civil and military officials—as if these conflict events in King's Landing that needed to be dealt with by the Minister of Justice... had nothing to do with him.

Thanks to [Chau534]'s reward, thank you, handshake!