The Mountain of Ice and Fire

Chapter 583: The Autumn Grasshopper's Last Leap

(Sorry for the late update.)

*

Under duress, Margaery Tyrell dared not disobey Prime Minister Kevan. She had no choice but to follow him out of Maegor's Holdfast, across the drawbridge, and towards the Red Keep's gate on the city wall.

Each message brought by the incessantly reporting messengers was like a whip, lashing at Margaery's heart. She couldn't believe that Loras would be humiliated to death by the Mountain. Loras was a young hero, a master of the lance, who had even dared to face the Mountain in tourneys. How could he die like this?

Margaery was wishful, unwilling to accept the news of Loras's death, nor was she willing to accept that her father had become a puppet-like hostage of the Mountain.

The messenger clerks were all commoners, daring to report without understanding the situation clearly.

Margaery looked around. Kevan was surrounded by twelve guards, and six knights from the Reach were behind her.

The six family knights gave Margaery a little peace of mind.

"Why am I not with His Majesty the King?" Margaery thought angrily. "What is Kevan trying to do? Use me as his hostage? Who does he want to threaten with me? To prevent the soldiers of the Reach from defecting and attacking the city?"

Margaery stole a glance at Kevan. Kevan was imposing even without anger. The twelve knight guards followed him closely, barely daring to breathe.

Kevan's face was terrifying!

Margaery had lived in the royal palace for quite some time, but this was the first time she had seen Kevan with such a dreadful expression.

Kevan was no longer the Kevan she was familiar with. He seemed strange and cruel, as if he came from hell.

"Father, brother, may you both be well!" Despair and helplessness filled Margaery's heart, and sorrow overflowed in her beautiful eyes. "Gods above, please have mercy, give my father and brother a way out, and severely punish the Mountain!"

However, no one knew whether the Seven Gods would hear Margaery's inner prayer!

Kevan strode down the drawbridge of Maegor's Holdfast. The pain in his heart was like a knife twisting. The Lannisters could not be destroyed in his hands. How dare the Mountain, this vicious dog, enter King's Landing to force his hand? Lannisters always paid their debts. Jaime, where the hell are you now? Kevan looked out, the figures in front of him blurred. On closer inspection, those were not people, but carefully manicured small trees.

"...Prime Minister...we need to recall the Reach soldiers at the River Gate..." Margaery said. She was not a timid woman. On the contrary, she was extremely courageous. But the current Kevan was so terrifying that Margaery saw another very terrifying person who had already died: the High Sparrow!

Kevan now seemed like the High Sparrow himself! Judging by his expression, anyone who dared to disobey him would be cruelly killed!

Kevan was on the verge of emotional breakdown! The accompanying guards were all fearful in their hearts, but they dared not show it!

Kevan glanced at Margaery as he hurried along, which made Margaery's heart jump.

However, this shrinking back made Margaery feel ashamed. She was not the daughter of an ordinary noble, she was the granddaughter of the Queen of Thorns, Olenna Redwyne, the apple of the Queen of Thorns' eye. She was a queen who had been betrothed to His Majesty the King. She had her own status and authority. Think about it, if Lady Olenna were here, the Queen of Thorns, what would she do?

Lady Olenna would definitely recall the Reach soldiers from the Mud Gate and would not let Kevan control her. With the Reach soldiers, Margaery would feel safe, not just with a few guards.

"Prime Minister, the Mountain killed my brother and captured my father. Our Tyrell family is your most loyal ally. Please allow me to recall the two thousand Reach soldiers from the River Gate. The Reach soldiers are rushing back from the River Gate, and there is still time." Margaery Tyrell tried her best to control her tone, doing her best to make it appear calm and unhurried.

The River Gate in the nobles' mouths was the Mud Gate in the commoners' mouths.

Kevan stared at Margaery, and Margaery raised her neck.

The little girl's trembling had disappeared on the surface, as if she had changed into a different person, but Kevan's sharp eyes saw the unease and fear in the depths of Margaery's eyes.

She was afraid!

"There is no time, Margaery," Kevan refused, his voice muffled!

"The River Gate is very close to the Red Keep, Your Grace. We urgently need troops to defend the Red Keep," Margaery couldn't understand why Kevan wouldn't recall the nearest Reach knights to defend the city.

"Your father is in the Mountain's hands," Kevan continued walking. "He can easily be coerced by the Mountain to order the Reach soldiers to defect and open the city gate. We cannot take the risk."

"..." Margaery was choked with anger!

Footsteps sounded in a chaotic manner. A group of mercenaries came from the direction of the Prime Minister's Tower, two hundred-man squads, surrounding a small figure in full armor.

Margaery saw that this small figure was wearing King Tommen's armor. A row of stags was embroidered on the left side of the armor's chest, and a row of lions was embroidered on the right side. Short sword and shield, with the emblems of stags and lions also painted on the shield. Judging from the figure and bone structure, this small figure should also be a child. He was about the same size and height as Tommen, and it was just right for him to wear King Tommen's armor.

The small figure lowered his visor, and Margaery couldn't see his face.

"Margaery, remember, this is King Tommen. I need you to stand side by side with him on the city wall. In this way, the Mountain will not dare to use arrows, nor will he dare to attack strongly," Kevan's voice contained murderous intent, and his eyes were very cold.

So that's how it is!

Kevan wanted King Tommen and the Queen to guard the Red Keep together. Margaery was real, and Tommen was fake. The real King Tommen had already hidden in the secret chamber of Maegor's Holdfast.

*

The Mountain led his cavalry to the bronze gate of the Red Keep. Behind him were a total of thirteen hundred-man cavalry squads, of which two cavalry squads were Bronn's guard and Lord Mace's guard.

Mace's hundred soldiers guarded the corpse of Loras Tyrell, and they were among the Mountain's eleven hundred-man cavalry squads.

In front of the Mountain's vanguard cavalry, Captain Thoros Curtis and his tribal captain Sharp Curtis held long spears, with two bloody heads stuck on the tips of the spears, one was the head of Earl Harren Swyft, and the other was the head of Court Steward Austin Arryn.

The Mountain had already released Lord Mace Tyrell. Mace, Bronn, and the Mountain rode side by side and arrived at the bronze gate of the Red Keep.

Mace looked miserable. Although the Mountain did not kill Loras with his own hands, Loras died because of him. As the Lord of the Reach, he held heavy troops, his territory was vast, his soldiers were well-equipped and his food was sufficient, and his treasury was abundant. At this moment, he could do nothing to the Mountain.

A moment of victory lies in strength; a lifetime of victory lies in reason!

In the current situation, the Mountain had a complete victory for the moment, winning in strength! And also winning in reason!

On the city wall, flags stood in rows. Under the royal flag stood Kevan Lannister, Margaery Tyrell, and King Tommen, who was fully armed and whose face could not be seen. Lannister guards and Reach guards closely guarded these three people. The Kingsguard were on the outer perimeter of the eighteen guards.

Of the eighteen guards protecting Kevan, Margaery, and Tommen, twelve were Kevan's men, and the other six were from the Reach.

Under the city wall, the Mountain and others saw that King Tommen was also there, because King Tommen's family crest was very special. On the armor, on the left and right sides, were rows of stags and rows of lions.

"Mountain, the King is here, why don't you kneel?" Kevan shouted sharply.

Kevan wore plate armor, an iron helmet, and did not lower the visor to prevent stray arrows.

The Mountain shouted, "Your Majesty, is that you?"

Tommen did not answer. Margaery was also unsure whether the fake king's voice could imitate Tommen. If not, it was better not to speak!

Kevan answered for the fake Tommen: "Traitor Mountain, how dare you question His Majesty the King?"

"Traitor Kevan, you are no longer our Prime Minister," the Mountain shouted, his voice like thunder, and hundreds of thousands of people in half the city could hear his roar.

"Soldiers of the Red Keep, warriors of the Kingsguard, listen carefully, I am the King's Master of War, in charge of all the troops in the Seven Kingdoms, the King's decree is here..." The Mountain waved the King's decree in his hand, "The entire city's soldiers and civilians already know that Kevan has betrayed the country, colluding with the Iron Islands rebel King Euron Crow's Eye to rebel. The facts are certain, and the evidence and witnesses are all here. Euron Crow's Eye has been brought to justice and imprisoned in the black cells of the Red Keep. Now you listen to my military order, capture Kevan, and open the city gate."

The soldiers on the Red Keep's city wall looked at each other, and no one answered. Of course, no one moved.

"His Majesty Tommen has been deceived by the treacherous Prime Minister. Those who collude with Kevan are given one last chance, otherwise, I will break through the city wall, and you and your families will be punished together!" The Mountain's roar suppressed any other sound, and only his voice was booming between heaven and earth.

The soldiers on the Red Keep's city wall were silent.

"Mountain, I have found out that two years ago, you privately released Eddard Stark. The evidence is conclusive, and you still dare to reverse right and wrong here," Kevan shouted loudly.

However, his voice could not compare with the Mountain's. The 'prestige' of the two sides was too different, and the Mountain's momentum under the city wall completely crushed Kevan's on the city wall.

"Two years ago?" The Mountain laughed loudly, "Kevan, do you believe what you said yourself? Quickly release His Majesty, open the city gate, kneel down and submit to the law, and you can still get a whole corpse, otherwise, once the city gate is broken, there will be no bones left."

No bones left!

Duke Tywin had no bones left!

Kevan's heart jumped. He knew that the Mountain's words were not false. He would not plead guilty. Once the city was broken, with the Mountain's cruelty, he would definitely ravage him. The Mountain wanted to leave him with no bones left, and no one would dare to stop him.

Beside the Mountain, Bronn and Mace Tyrell were silent.

They had no power to fight the Mountain. All around them were the Mountain's fanatical followers, and any movement would mean death. If they did not resist, and the Mountain and Kevan were facing each other, to which side did they belong? They were in an awkward situation.

Mace Tyrell suffered not only the humiliation of honor, but also the tragic pain of losing his son. Bronn was spared his life by the Mountain, and the gratitude and grudges were difficult to distinguish, and his heart was filled with mixed feelings.

Kevan shouted, "Soldiers under the city, listen, I am ordered by His Majesty the King to crusade against the rebel Mountain. You quickly capture the Mountain and atone for your sins. Do not make mistake after mistake. Otherwise, when the day comes for the Mountain to be brought to justice, you will all be beheaded."

"Soldiers on the city wall, listen, I am ordered by the King to capture the rebel Kevan. It has nothing to do with all of you. Whoever dares to protect Kevan will be punished together. Queen Margaery, brothers of the Kingsguard, protect His Majesty Tommen well, and do not let His Majesty be frightened. I will definitely break through the city at the latest by tomorrow morning!"

The sound of horses' hooves sounded, and a team of people came from River Gate Street, holding up the rose flag. The leading general was Garlan Tyrell, who was crippled by the Mountain with three swords in the throne hall, known as Garlan the Gallant.

Garlan Tyrell and Loras Tyrell had once challenged the Mountain in the throne hall. They were defeated by the Mountain in a two-on-one battle, and both brothers were seriously injured. Garlan suffered internal injuries that would take people's lives because he used Randyll Tarly's Heartsbane to withstand the Mountain's three swords. It took a long time to barely recover, and since then he had an invincible shadow of fear of the Mountain.

This time the Mountain came to attack the city, and the Tyrell family was stationed at the River Gate and the King's Gate to deal with the naval fleets of Beron and Wagner. The two brothers did not directly face the Mountain at the Gods Gate. They had a huge shadow of failure to eliminate the Mountain. Loras Tyrell's fear of the Mountain had lingered in his mind. In that battle, Loras was sure that if Lady Janna had not arrived in time, the Mountain's greatsword would have cut open his stomach and killed both of them.

Garlan Tyrell came with a long spear, which was a weapon specially chosen to face the Mountain: horse warfare with a long spear, which would not suffer from the length of the Mountain's greatsword.

"Stop!" A general galloped out of the Red Keep Square, followed by a hundred-man squad, who was the Mountain's guard captain, Ser Alyn.

Garlan Tyrell was still on the street and had not yet entered the Red Keep Square. He saw that Ser Alyn had a very conspicuous two-handed greatsword on his back. He recognized the hilt of the sword. It was the Valyrian steel sword 'Heartsbane' that he had once borrowed from Randyll Tarly.

The famous general Randyll Tarly was killed by the Mountain, and Randyll's three thousand cavalry were completely wiped out.

A master swordsman following Garlan was Randyll's cavalry officer, Hyle Hunt. He was one of the very few knights who escaped from the cavalry battle.

"General Alyn, please make way."

"Without Lord Mountain's military order, no one is allowed to approach the Red Keep Square," Alyn said sharply.

The Northerners were known for their stubbornness and inflexibility!

If the Mountain had ordered it, then it would definitely not be possible to pass, unless Garlan killed Alyn and his hundred-man squad.

Behind Garlan was a two-thousand-man infantry regiment, crowding the street. However, Alyn's hundred riders did not lose momentum to the opposing thousand-man regiment.

"I heard that the Mountain killed my brother," Garlan said astringently.

"Your brother did not distinguish between right and wrong, and did not understand black and white. Lord Mountain awakened his ignorance. He couldn't figure it out for a while, and his anger attacked his heart. He fell off his horse and died."

"Hmph!" Garlan snorted heavily, "General, can I go and see my father alone?" Garlan shouted.

He feared the Mountain in his heart, knowing that he was no match for him, but the courage and spirit of a knight would never allow Garlan to retreat. He was really worried about whether his father was safe.

Of the three Tyrell brothers, Garlan was the first in courage; Willas was the first in erudition; and Loras was the first in lance skills and handsomeness. But the three brothers all had shortcomings: Garlan was brave but lacked strategy; Loras was narrow-minded; and Willas had more literature than military power.

"General Garlan, please wait a moment, I have to report to Lord Mountain."

"Then go quickly!"

Alyn gestured, and a cavalryman quickly ran across the Red Keep Square and ran to the Mountain under the bronze gate.

Before the cavalry could respond, another street erupted with clamor and fluttering banners – the royal standard, the Mountain's banner, and the Royal Navy's ensign. Moments later, shouts and the rustling of marching soldiers echoed from yet another street. Tall banners appeared first, the royal standard, the Mountain's banner, and the seashell banner of House Velaryon.

The Royal Navy legion and the Dragonstone legion had arrived as well!

Gawen Velaryon's Dragonstone fleet had never actually withdrawn from the Blackwater Rush. The warriors hadn't even fully returned to their warships when Lord Gawen received a second message from the Mountain, ordering them to return to King's Landing and enter the city, to set up camp in Mud Gate Square, and to prepare for battle.

When the Mountain attacked the Red Keep, Gawen and Burne Hogarth immediately led their troops to reinforce him. Their slogan had always been clear: Seize the traitor, and be loyal to the King!

After Gawen Tyrell led the main force away from Mud Gate and Lion Gate, the defending soldiers, at the request of the Master of Coin and the Master of Ships, opened the city gates, allowing the Royal Navy warriors and Dragonstone fleet warriors to enter the city.

The news that the Mountain had entered King's Landing from the Gate of the Gods along with Bronn and Lord Mace quickly spread throughout the city, making the soldiers at the seven city gates lose their will to defend them.

Nearly ten thousand Dragonstone and Royal Navy soldiers besieged the Red Keep from two streets, assisting the Mountain in capturing Kevan!

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