The Mountain of Ice and Fire

Chapter 652: A Work of Art Perfected to the Utmost Degree

(Thanks to [Songzi A'hong] for the reward, more rewards mean more guaranteed chapters, combined into one)

*

“Shae, how old are you this year?” Bronn’s hand slid across Shae’s back.

“Twenty, my lord,” Shae said with a bright smile, revealing two rows of pearly white teeth. She was petite, pretty, with black hair and black eyes, and very lively.

Her liveliness wasn't just about her personality; she possessed an irreplaceable vibrancy in matters of pleasure that other women of the court lacked.

This was something Littlefinger was deeply infatuated with.

Bronn was also infatuated!

Compared to his wife, the obese Loris Stokeworth, Shae's beauty and unique vivacity surpassed Loris a hundredfold.

If possible, Bronn didn't want to kill Shae.

But the Queen Regent had given the order, and Bronn had to carry it out.

Shae had returned herself to her most primal state, like a newborn infant, full of hope, beauty, and wonder.

This stimulated Bronn, and he also allowed himself to return to his true self, displaying the beauty of his robust body.

Bronn's body was much stronger and more beautiful than Tyrion Lannister's, which also captivated Shae.

The two faced each other and indulged in the pleasure granted by the gods. A man and a woman had the right to enjoy mutual affection.

He didn't know how much time had passed, but as the red candle on the bedside table flickered and then dimmed, Shae and Bronn both fell asleep from exhaustion.

The sleeping Shae curled up, like a pitiful little cat.

Bronn woke up quickly. He opened his eyes, looking at Shae's long eyelashes, peaceful breathing, snow-white and slender neck, rounded little white rabbits, and smooth, silky skin. He did not hesitate.

Bronn rose like a leopard, silently walked to the wall, and took down the longsword hanging there.

The longsword was drawn, its cold light flashing!

A very sharp sword, which Bronn had ordered his little follower to specially sharpen yesterday afternoon. The whetstone, oil, and oilcloth were all the best.

The sharp sword ensured that it would not bring pain to Shae.

Shae's lips were slightly pouted, as if she was angry with someone in her sleep. The corners of her mouth were slightly raised, curved, as if in the next second, she would show Bronn that familiar and sweet smile.

With a flash of cold light, Bronn's longsword aimed at Shae's neck and slashed down!

Queen Cersei wanted Shae's head, and Bronn had to present it.

Poof!

With a muffled sound, the head and body separated!

Clang!

Shae's head fell to the floor, bounced once, and rolled into the corner.

Bronn's eyes flickered for a moment, and he felt a faint strangeness.

Bronn had killed countless people and rarely felt disgusted.

But this time, he felt a little discomfort.

Although he was the captain of the guards of Maegor's Holdfast, he was no different from the mercenaries he used to be, still doing things for money.

Whether he wanted to do it or not, whether he wanted to kill the person or not, Bronn had to fulfill the employer's wishes.

The previous employer might be a nobleman, a merchant, or an ordinary freeman who could afford it. Now the employer had changed to Queen Cersei, but they were all employers.

The previous employers had many identities, and people were constantly changing. Now the employer was one person.

That was the difference, the only difference.

Bronn walked to the wall, took down the oilcloth, wiped the blood off the sword, and then wrapped Shae's body in the blood-stained sheet...

Tomorrow night, Bronn would kill one of the Queen Regent's handmaidens. He knew that handmaiden, she was very beautiful, clever, sixteen years old, a thoughtful little girl sent by Queen Margaery to Queen Cersei. Bronn knew the reason she was being killed was because she came from the Reach and was a former handmaiden of Margaery Tyrell. In short, the Queen Regent ordered her head to be chopped off tomorrow night.

Bronn knew that he would be more decisive in killing tomorrow night. That handmaiden could not be compared to Shae. Bronn had already arranged the killing for the night after tomorrow. So who would he kill on the fourth night? Bronn didn't bother to remember. He knew that it was an officer in the city guard, anyway, someone would remind him when the time came.

A few days ago, Cersei asked him to prepare for killing. As a qualified mercenary, Bronn never needed to prepare for killing. He was no longer a novice and didn't need to build up his psychology before killing. The longsword was drawn, chopped down, and it was over.

What Bronn didn't expect was that for three consecutive nights, the three people Cersei wanted him to kill were all women, young, beautiful, lively, or clever women... The woman on the third night was the head of Queen Cersei's own handmaidens. Bronn was not willing to kill women. He preferred to kill men, especially those with better swordsmanship and more ferocity... Of course, if it was the Mountain, then forget it... If it was the Mountain, Bronn would be willing to kneel down again and swear allegiance to him once more.

Bronn always believed that the Mountain had exceeded the scope that a normal swordsman could face! The Mountain could no longer be considered a person!

*

In fact, the Mountain was a person, a man.

When Jane felt that she couldn't take it anymore, the Mountain was still not out of breath.

As a baby-like Mountain and Jane, Jane was a woman, and the Mountain was a man.

A truly heroic man.

The next morning, when the Mountain got up and rode Red Smoke to inspect the training soldiers, Jane was still unable to get up.

She was almost unable to move!

But it was a sweet fatigue.

She was very satisfied! She hoped to get pregnant, which was her urgent wish.

She was satisfied with the Mountain's performance last night. He worked hard, and Jane felt that the Mountain might not have slept all night.

His energy was simply endless!

It was broad daylight, and sunlight shone in through the window. Jane called the maid to help her up. A certain place was burning hot, but it was still a long-lost sweet burning.

“Boil the soup for me according to the method on this. I need to restore my strength.”

“Yes, madam.”

“Help me invite Lady Doughty Quntina in.”

“Yes, madam.”

*

Two days later, the training ground of Castamere.

“Wedge formation!” the Mountain shouted, his voice like thunder.

Four hundred of the Duke's guard cavalry immediately transformed from a square formation. Erin and Joyce protruded forward, and the two formed the tip of the blade. As the warhorses galloped, the legion quickly formed a huge triangle, but there was obvious chaos in the formation.

Those chaos were caused by the Moon Mountain cavalrymen who had just joined two days ago.

They had only practiced cavalry formation queues for two days, and on the third day, they were pulled out by the Mountain to practice square formation changing into wedge formation.

This requirement was very high, and most of the Moon Mountain cavalrymen were still unable to cooperate.

Fortunately, the Mountain's original two hundred cavalrymen were skilled in horsemanship and proficient in changing formations. Under their leadership, the formation barely took shape.

The new cavalrymen who were unfamiliar with the rhythm of the formation change were wrapped in the middle of the wedge formation.

Practice makes perfect, and skill makes refinement. To train elite soldiers, the first thing to do is to let them practice familiar formation changes.

The two hundred cavalrymen of Moon Mountain were still in the 'raw' stage. To go from 'raw' to skilled, there was only one word: practice!

*

On the other side, light cavalrymen were practicing archery.

Angai was instructing them to control the horses without moving and then shoot at fixed points. This was a basic cavalry lesson, the so-called holding the reins, hanging down the spear, and drawing the bow and arrow. Only in this world, it was holding the reins, inserting the longsword back, and drawing the bow and arrow.

“Ready!” Angai shouted loudly behind a team of cavalrymen on horseback.

The cavalrymen swished and inserted their longswords back, took their bows in their hands, and drew their arrows on the bowstrings.

“Release!”

Swish swish swish!

The arrows flew out, flying towards the target a hundred steps away.

Thud thud thud!

The arrows shot at the target, hitting the bullseye. A row of arrows, a row of bullseyes, neatly arranged. Every bullseye on every target was pierced with an arrow!

Julie's side was practicing mounted archery.

The cavalrymen lined up in a column and stood still.

“Ready!” Julie shouted.

The cavalrymen clamped their legs tightly on the warhorses, held the reins in one hand, and grabbed the longbow in the other, staring intently ahead.

“Attack!”

The first cavalryman kicked his legs, and the warhorse rushed out. The cavalrymen in the column behind him ran out one after another, still in a column queue.

Three hundred steps away, there was a target standing.

Julie followed on horseback, and when she reached a suitable distance, she shouted: “Release the arrows!”

The first cavalryman took an arrow in his hand, drew the bow and shot an arrow, hitting the bullseye. He turned his horse's head and ran out diagonally. Behind him, the second cavalryman filled the position, drew the bow and arrow, and with a swish, the arrow flew out, and with a thud, it also hit the bullseye. The second cavalryman kicked his legs, raised the reins, and the warhorse ran out diagonally, turning and closely following the cavalryman in front. The cavalryman behind him filled the position, drew the bow and arrow, and with a swish, shot the arrow. This arrow was even stronger, shooting in from between the two arrows, still hitting the bullseye... The warhorse turned and followed the retreat, and the fourth cavalryman came up on horseback, and with an arrow, hit the bullseye...

After the last cavalryman finished shooting arrows, he rode back, and the cavalry column was still neatly arranged in its original position, as if this team had not moved. The targets in front were filled with arrows, all hitting the bullseye, with no misses!

*

However, the most imposing force was not the cavalry, but the sword and shield soldiers.

Rows and rows of sword and shield soldiers stood facing each other, fully armed with helmets, armor, leg guards, knee pads, and combat boots, short swords, and shields.

The sword and shield soldiers used short swords, also known as one-handed swords, which were less than one meter long, about seventy centimeters, and shields to protect themselves.

“Ready.” Xia Ga shouted.

The sword and shield soldiers made an offensive posture. The soldiers on both sides stood facing each other, shields protecting their bodies, and training short swords hidden behind the shields, like the fangs of a poisonous snake.

“Attack!”

Clang clang bang bang!

The shields of the soldiers on both sides collided violently, and shouts rang out at the same time. The short swords in their hands stabbed at each other through the gaps in the shields. The opponent's shield tilted slightly, blocking the short sword's surprise attack. Under the counterattacking impact, the opponent's short sword then stabbed back.

Before long, the formations on both sides were broken by each other. A soldier was violently knocked down by the opponent's shield, and a training sword fiercely stabbed the soldier's calf, but unfortunately, the opponent's comrade next to him came to sneak attack. A shield slapped the attacker over, and the soldier on the ground lost his shield, rolled over and stabbed, and in the loud shout, the training sword hit the opponent's lower abdomen, perfectly countering the kill. But before he could get up, his left rib was also hit by a sword. The person next to him also attacked him, and the soldier fell down.

The sword and shield soldiers trained in pairs, and in the fierce collisions with each other, they quickly turned into a melee.

Only a square formation can maintain its formation for a long time.

But on the battlefield, square formations are used before and during battles. The final arrival of the impact is often a melee scene.

While the Mountain focused on training for square formation collisions, he strengthened melee training. This was a tactical training that was not available in the training of other legions.

In a melee, to survive and not be hit, you must pay attention to all directions. When assassinating an opponent, you must pay attention to the situation in front, behind, left, and right.

“Find your comrades and form a team.” Xia Ga shouted, his voice like thunder.

The soldiers quickly formed teams with their comrades around them. There were teams of two, forming back-to-back tactics, and teams of three, four, and five, forming small teams with offense and defense. Small teams often have the highest survival rate in a melee. The result of the training was that any lone sword and shield soldier would eventually be killed and could not escape.

*

The most powerful momentum, however, was not from the cavalry, but from the spearmen training array transformations, attacks, retreats, and various coordinated tactics in a meticulous manner on the far east side of the training ground. The sharp military whistle was commanding all the changes in the spearmen's array. But the most striking thing was not in the training ground, but on the hillside outside the training ground.

On the hillside, the Crab Claw Peninsula's 1,500 main cavalrymen were practicing outdoor charges. The shouts were earth-shattering, and the sound of horses' hooves exploded like thunder. The sound from the hillside suppressed the shouts in the training ground, and it seemed as if thousands of troops and horses were fighting outside.

*

The other places in Castamere city, because of the noise of the training ground and the shouts on the hillside outside the city, seemed as quiet as water. On the city wall, Scholar Hali and Court Scholar Page were admiring the scenery of Castamere. A raven came from the sky, circling over the heads of the two scholars, then flew down and landed on Page's shoulder.

The raven knew Scholar Page, and Scholar Page also knew the raven. This was a raven from the court, and on the small iron cylinder on its leg, there was the King's stag and lion emblem.

Scholar Page took out the parchment, which had the King's wax seal.

“The Queen Regent's letter.” the scholar said.

“Lord Gregor is at the training ground.” Scholar Hali said.

“Let's send it over. What if there is an emergency?” Page said.

Hali nodded. The two scholars went down the city wall, asked the soldiers guarding the city for horses, and galloped towards the training ground.

On the training ground, Old Tyrim, accompanied by his son One-Eyed Tyrim, stood on the wall of the training ground and watched the Mountain train his soldiers. He had never seen such a way of training soldiers, nor had he seen a legion fight in such an orderly formation.

One-Eyed Tyrim's two mothers were also watching the soldiers practice on the wall. The two old women watched intently, in disbelief. Whether it was the horse archers, heavy cavalry, sword and shield soldiers, or spearmen, they all shocked the two old women. They had lived in the tribe for their entire lives and had never seen such orderly military training.

The Mountain rode on Red Smoke, his mighty and unparalleled aura like a god.

“I want to stay.” Old Tyrim said, his voice murmuring, “In our tribe, a set of armor can be used as a family heirloom, but here every soldier has it, it’s too common. Lord Mountain is a noble lord who has never appeared before who respects us. He is worthy of my oath of allegiance.”

"Father, what about the sacrifices and offerings at Cloud Mist Mountain?" asked One-Eye Tiemei.

"I'll go back and find a new person to inherit the position and make him the new Red Hand. After he takes over, I'll bring your other mothers to Casterly Rock," said Old Tiemei.

One-Eye Tiemei's single eye gleamed. "Father, have you accepted Lady Janei's suggestion?"

"Yes, I have. The Lady is the most intelligent, beautiful, and kind noblewoman I've ever met. Her advice is a blessing to me. The Mountain and Janei's kindness to our Scorched Men tribe is equivalent to that of our own parents. I went down the mountain when I was young and suffered all kinds of humiliation from the noble lords in the Riverlands and King's Landing. The Mountain and Lady Janei are completely different from those noble lords."

"Father, you don't know the Mountain's reputation in the outside world. Those noble lords say the Mountain is the most ferocious, barbaric, cruel, and bloodthirsty man in the Seven Kingdoms!" One-Eye Tiemei said coldly.

"Those noble bastards' tongues should be cut off and sacrificed to the Son of the Fire God," Old Tiemei said with a curse, his emotions agitated.

"No, their eyes should be gouged out, their tongues cut off, their manhood severed, and they should be left to die in agony, bleeding out their last drop of blood, before their bodies are burned to ashes and sacrificed to the Fire God," cursed One-Eye Tiemei's biological mother. On her wrist, she wore a pair of gold and jade bracelets given to her by Janei, and around her neck was a gold necklace. The smooth and shiny silk she wore was also a gift from Lady Janei. Tiemei's mother had never received such respect and care, never been shown such love and genuine concern. Her affection for Janei was indescribable. In her heart, Janei was even closer than family.

Another old woman had also received exquisite and valuable gifts, things she had never dared to imagine before. The tall, clean, tidy, and comfortable houses they lived in also made them feel like nobles. That feeling was like entering paradise.

The sound of hooves echoed. The Tiemei family of four turned around and saw two maesters riding towards them. The two maesters nodded to the Tiemei father and son and the old women, greeting them loudly as they rode straight into the training grounds, heading towards the Mountain.

"News is here," said One-Eye Tiemei.

"If enemies come to provoke us, Tiemei, you must lead the Scorched Men to volunteer as the vanguard," Old Tiemei instructed his son.

"I will, Father. I have never retreated from battle. The Scorched Men have always been at the forefront."

Old Tiemei nodded, satisfied with his son's performance.

"The Scorched Men cannot lose to the Stone Crows," Tiemei's mother said. "Except for his brute strength and looking like a stupid bear, Xia Ga knows nothing. Son, you cannot lose to Xia Ga in battle."

"The Scorched Men cannot lose to any tribe. Our warriors will always be the best," another mother said decisively.

"Xia Ga has never been my match in battle. Kang En, Qi La, and Mala Ji are all very poor," One-Eye Tiemei said without any shame.

Raising oneself up while belittling other tribes is a common problem in the Brightmoon Mountains. Every tribe's warriors believe they are the most powerful, and the other tribes' warriors are all trash.

In fact, Xia Ga was more courageous than One-Eye Tiemei, but Tiemei was more cruel when it came to killing.

There was no tribe leader more cruelly murderous than One-Eye Tiemei. Although the other tribe leaders would never admit it, it was a fact.

Old Tiemei and the two mothers frequently nodded, feeling very pleased, when Tiemei said that he was the bravest warrior among all the tribe leaders in the Brightmoon Mountains. These boastful words were not only what the old women and Tiemei's elders liked to hear, but also what they liked to say themselves.

They were very cruel to their enemies, men, women, old and young; but to their friends and family, they were extremely good, protecting them to the extreme. They had almost no sense of right and wrong, only a sense of closeness and distance.

*

In the training grounds, the Mountain crushed the wax seal and unfolded the parchment letter. The letter was from Cersei, inviting him to attend the wedding of Tommen and Margaery in a month and a half. The letter also expressed the hope that the Mountain would set up the paper money factory in the royal mint outside the suburbs.

"The wedding of His Majesty Tommen and Queen Margaery is in a month and a half. The Queen Mother has invited us to attend," the Mountain folded the letter and handed it to Maester Hali for safekeeping, while Ser Guber, who was used to eating letters, was training beside him.

"If the Lord and Lady are going to attend the wedding in a month and a half, we need to start preparing," said Maester Paige.

"No need to prepare."

"Oh?!" Paige and Hali exchanged glances, looking at each other in dismay. Queen Mother Cersei had sent out an invitation, and it was a major event for the King and Queen's wedding, but the Mountain was not going to attend. This was too impolite.

"Don't be surprised. I have more important things to do. We won't go, but the gift must arrive. Hali, go tell the Lady to prepare a gift. Paige, write a reply to Queen Mother Cersei, using tactful words, explaining my desire to go, but because I really can't spare the time, please ask the Queen Mother and the King to forgive me."

"Yes, Lord. What reason should I give the Queen Mother? Is it because the Lord has been unable to leave due to the silk village affair, or is it to settle the work of the silversmiths in Lannisport?"

"Neither. Think of a specific excuse yourself, but don't say that the Lady and I are sick, I am against that."

Paige felt his lips turn bitter. It seemed that the Mountain simply didn't want to attend the wedding. So, how should he make up an excuse that would make Queen Mother Cersei feel only regret instead of resentment?

This was not a simple problem!

The Mountain was waiting for a very important person to arrive in the Westerlands, a person with a resounding name: Melisandre!

It wasn't because Melisandre was so important, but because Melisandre was a Red God priestess and a fire wizard. The Mountain needed Melisandre's help to persuade Old Tiemei to approach the sheep thieves.

Perhaps in ten days, perhaps in a month, Melisandre would appear in the Westerlands. The Mountain could not leave the Westerlands to go to King's Landing. The King's wedding was a big deal, but his plan was even bigger.

Paige and Hali rode out of the training grounds. On the wall, One-Eye Tiemei shouted down, "Maester, is there any news you can tell me?"

Old Tiemei and the two old women were full of anticipation. They hoped to hear news of an enemy attack.

"The King of King's Landing is getting married, and Duke Gregor has been invited to attend the wedding," Maester Hali replied with a smile.

"Oh!" One-Eye Tiemei was slightly disappointed. "When will the Mountain be leaving?"

"The Lord is not attending the wedding," Maester Paige said sullenly. To be honest, his reply was difficult to write without clear instructions from the Mountain.

"The Lord is not attending the King's wedding?" Old Tiemei's face beamed with joy.

"Yes, the Lord has more important things to do and will not be attending the King's wedding."

The two maesters rode away.

"A very correct decision. He shouldn't go. None of the Kings are good people," Tiemei's biological mother asserted.

The other three nodded in agreement.

*

A month later. On the road of the new village of Clegane in the Westerlands, a woman came riding a small horse, wrapped in a red robe and her face covered in a red veil. The woman's shawl-length hair was also as red as flames, and her charming eyes seemed to have red shadows of flames. Just this pair of extremely bewitching eyes already showed her soul-stirring charm.

The small horse moved slowly, heading towards the new village of Clegane.

At the entrance of the village, the soldiers on patrol and guard looked at the approaching woman, who looked like a ball of fire, with lewd smiles on their faces. The general on duty was one of the Mountain's cavalry generals: the artist Polliver. His bald head was shiny, and as the woman approached slowly, Polliver's breathing became rapid, and his right cheek twitched uncontrollably.

It was a pair of beautiful eyes he had never seen before, a pair of perfect eyes, surpassing all the works of art Polliver had carefully collected before.

Polliver felt his heart beat faster, his heart thumping. His body also began to heat up. As the woman came before him, Polliver felt like he was drowning.

"Lady!" he stammered, his palms, the tip of his nose, and his back covered in hot sweat. "Your eyes are so beautiful, so perfect. I am willing to pay ten gold dragons to buy them, although I know they are worth more than a million gold dragons, but I only have ten gold dragons in my pocket. This is really damn. I am willing to exchange a house full of my works of art for your eyes. My treasured eyes, fingers, palms, and skin are all dung compared to your eyes."

The woman rode her small horse and looked at the flustered Polliver, the bewitching light in her big eyes flickering hazily. Polliver's breathing suffocated, and he quickly grabbed his neck with his hand, his right cheek twitching rapidly, and his right eye blinking uncontrollably. His neurotic characteristics were fully displayed, perfectly.

"Are you Polliver Clegane, the knight who likes to collect human organs and make them into works of art?" the woman spoke in fluent Common Tongue. She tilted her head slightly, revealing a patch of snow-white skin.

Polliver nodded frequently, and several soldiers rushed forward to pat Polliver's back and tap his shoulders to relax him, lest he faint in excitement.

Polliver, who had collected many exquisite human organs, completely collapsed when he saw this pair of perfect eyes.

"...Yes...Lady...I am Polliver Clegane..."

"Polliver, you have taken a fancy to my eyes and want to dig them out and make them into works of art?"

"...Yes...Lady..."

"One hundred gold dragons, and I will sell you my eyes, so you can soak them in a wine bottle and make them into works of art," the red-clothed woman said, with no hint of teasing in her voice.

The woman's voice was indescribably beautiful, making the cavalrymen's hearts itch. But strangely, the cavalrymen, who were usually used to being rascals, did not say any dirty words to tease the red-clothed woman.

The red-clothed woman had a natural inviolable temperament that made these rogue cavalrymen consciously maintain their etiquette.

This was very mysterious!

"...One hundred gold dragons...Lady..."

"Yes, is the price high?"

"No, no, no, no, a very reasonable price," Polliver said, "But I can only take out ten gold dragons, Lady."

"Go borrow them. You have comrades, and the Mountain, they will lend them to you."

"Yes, yes, yes, the Lady is right. I will go borrow them now. Lady, please wait here for me. Before I come back, you can't leave, and you can't sell your eyes to anyone else, yes, anyone, even if someone else offers a higher price, the Lady must swear."

"I swear I will not sell these eyes to anyone else, even if someone else offers a higher price," the red-clothed woman said lightly.

Polliver was overjoyed, almost fainting with joy. He reined his horse, "Brothers, watch this Lady carefully. If anyone loses her before I come back, I will take their life."

The soldiers quickly agreed.

The red-clothed woman said softly, "Polliver, let's go get the money together. The Mountain will lend you the money. Let's go see the Mountain together. That way you don't have to worry about me running away."

Polliver hesitated and stammered, "Okay, Lady. But the Mountain may not allow me to buy your eyes. He has scolded me many times... This is a bit troublesome, but as long as you are willing to sell, I am willing to buy. We are not forcing the sale, and he will agree. The Mountain is the most reasonable person."

"Then let's go, Polliver," the red-clothed woman took the lead and walked towards the village.

"Go, go, go, good, go!" Polliver followed, both happy and nervous.

The cavalrymen looked at each other in dismay. This woman was strange, with an unusually large amount of courage. One of the cavalrymen made a decisive decision, detoured into the village, and went to report to the Mountain first.

Thanks to [God King of you] for the reward and support, thank you, handshake!