The Mountain of Ice and Fire

"Queen Rhaenyra's era?" Master of Coin Gyles Rosby murmured in surprise. "That was the bloodiest civil war in the history of the Targaryen dynasty. Both sides deployed dragonriders, and many Targaryen heroes and dragons died in the sky... Cough cough... Cough cough... Cough cough cough..."

After a violent fit of coughing, Lord Gyles Rosby covered his mouth with a snow-white silk scarf, his face flushed as he looked at the others in the meeting, only to find that everyone else looked blank!

Jaime Lannister had only ever liked practicing swordsmanship since he was a child and had no interest in history books. When Lord Tywin hired a scholar to teach Jaime, Tyrion, and Cersei cultural knowledge, he would always take Cersei out the window to play. Only Tyrion had a high interest in reading and writing, and he would always help his older brother and sister learn the knowledge together.

Master of Whisperers Boros Blount was of common birth, formerly a mime and ventriloquist, and knew nothing about the history of the Targaryen dynasty. Anything he knew about the era of Queen Rhaenyra was hearsay and very limited.

Commander of the City Watch and Master of Ships Bronn was also a military man. Although he was of noble birth, he didn't read much either. His sword was far sharper than his knowledge.

And King Tommen and Queen Margaery seemed to know very little about the story of Queen Rhaenyra's era. Lord Mace seemed unable to recover from the shock of the Mountain possessing a dragon... His expression was strange and dull...

"Dragons, aren't they extinct?" Kingsguard knight Jaime Lannister said subconsciously.

Cersei's words that the Mountain had secretly tamed a dragon hit Jaime's heart like a hammer. He was already wary of the Mountain's growing wisdom and power, and suddenly, that guy who was no longer just a brute and evil now had a dragon, a dragon... But how was that possible?!

Under the table, Jaime's fists clenched subconsciously, and veins popped out on the back of his hands.

Old and frail, known for his sickly constitution, Lord Gyles Rosby was erudite and knowledgeable, proficient in the history of the dynasty. After changing two silk scarves to wipe his mouth, he said, "Your Grace, Queen Mother, Your Grace, King, Your Grace, Queen. Lords, Rhaenyra Targaryen was the eldest daughter of Viserys I. In the year 129 of Aegon's Conquest, she and Aegon Targaryen, the eldest son of Viserys I's second wife Alicent Hightower, fought for the inheritance of the Iron Throne. Both sides used all the power of the kingdom. At that time, the North, the Riverlands, and the Vale supported Queen Rhaenyra, and they were collectively called the Blacks; Aegon II was supported by the Westerlands, the Reach Hightower family, and the Stormlands, and this force was collectively called the Greens. And at that time, Dorne had not yet been conquered by the Targaryen royal family."

"In this civil war, all the decisive battles were focused on the dragonriders and their dragon mounts. Before this war, the entire Targaryen family had about 20 dragons, and after the war, only three dragons remained. Almost all of the Targaryen dragonriders died in battle."

Lord Gyles Rosby said a long passage in one breath, and then coughed violently again. After he evened out his breathing and changed several more silk scarves to wipe his mouth, Jaime said, "Lord Rosby, the royal family only had three dragons left after the war. Could one of them have escaped into the Mountains of the Moon?"

"Ser Jaime, Her Grace, Queen Mother, has already said that the dragon tamed by the Mountain is called Sheepstealer, and it was the mount of dragonrider Nettles. Sheepstealer is not a royal dragon, it was originally a wild dragon."

"Wild dragon?" Master of Whisperers Boros Blount was very surprised. Were there still wild dragons? Weren't dragons brought by Aegon Targaryen from the Valyrian Empire across the Narrow Sea? Could it be that wild dragons were still flying everywhere in the sky at that time?

Cersei said, "Lord Rosby is right, the dragon tamed by the Mountain was indeed a wild dragon on Dragonstone Mountain on Dragonstone Island more than a hundred years ago. Because it liked to steal the sheep of shepherds, it was called Sheepstealer."

After taking a sip of green tea to moisten his throat, Lord Gyles Rosby continued, "At the beginning of the war, the Blacks suffered successive blows. Faced with the predicament, the Queen's eldest son Jacaerys issued a decree, ordering the dragonseed bastards of Dragonstone to try to tame the wild dragons on Dragonstone Mountain. At that time, there were a total of six wild dragons on Dragonstone Mountain..."

"Six wild dragons?" Boros Blount's small eyes widened.

There were six wild dragons on one mountain, which made Boros hard to believe. One dragon was already a remarkable miracle, but wild dragons were casual, and there were six on the mountain of an island. This was too unbelievable!

Jaime stretched out a hand and shook it at Boros Blount, signaling him not to interrupt Lord Gyles Rosby's words. Boros nodded repeatedly. His subconscious impulse to interrupt Lord Rosby was not intentional.

Lord Rosby overcame the urge to cough, because Her Grace, Queen Mother's eyebrows were furrowed a little deeply. He evened out his breathing, drank tea to moisten his throat, and then continued: "Queen's eldest son Jacaerys Targaryen told everyone that anyone who succeeded in taming a dragon on Dragonstone Mountain would be immediately granted noble status, fame and fortune, and enjoy the wealth and glory of the royal family."

"Unsurprisingly, most of the warriors who went to tame dragons were burned to death by dragons, but four people still succeeded in taming dragons. They were Addam Velaryon, Nettles, and two other dragonseed bastards. These four people who succeeded in taming dragons were quickly sent out to fight. Two of the dragonseed bastards betrayed the Queen. In the Battle of Stonehedge, they turned around and burned the Black army to a disastrous defeat. Soon, the common-born female dragonrider named Nettles... was secretly reported to be hooking up with the Queen's husband. Queen Rhaenyra was furious and immediately ordered Nettles to be killed. In the end, the Queen's husband, Prince Daemon Targaryen, secretly released Nettles and her dragon in Maidenpool. The last time the royal army saw Nettles and engaged in battle was in a cave in the Mountains of the Moon. If it is true that the Mountain secretly tamed a dragon in the Mountains of the Moon, then that dragon must be the wild dragon Sheepstealer tamed by dragonrider Nettles."

The Small Council chamber was silent, with only Lord Rosby's coughs echoing.

After a long while, Jaime broke the suffocating atmosphere: "So, the Mountain really has a dragon."

"I've already said, the news is absolutely true," Cersei said decisively. "The name of the dragon tamed by the Mountain is Sheepstealer."

The meeting hall fell into silence again.

This news made everyone feel strange after the shock, and the happiest of them was Boros Blount. He was so happy that his whole body seemed to be drinking honey, and he was also very excited, and just wanted to stand up and sing a song. But he didn't do anything, lowered his eyes, wrung his hands, and maintained the same composure as everyone else.

Lord Mountain has a dragon! This great surprise made Boros feel so uncomfortable! Boros really wanted to walk two steps in this Small Council chamber like a crab.

This time it was Lord Gyles Rosby who broke the silence, he murmured, "If that Sheepstealer is still alive, it is now more than two hundred years old. Once a dragon is over a hundred years old, the dragonflame it spews can burn the hardest rocks into liquid, and can easily melt armor. Even the most carefully crafted steel cannot withstand the scorching of dragonflame. They will turn into water in a very short time. The dragonflame of an adult dragon is irresistible, and as long as the dragon is willing, the flesh and blood body will be burned to ashes in an instant."

This generation has never seen a real dragon, nor has it experienced the power of dragonflame. Everyone's understanding and concept of dragons comes from rumors, books, stories, and the bones of real dragons in the basement of the royal palace.

But no one doubted what Lord Gyles Rosby said.

"Lords, the Mountain has a dragon, and he has not announced it to the public. Our kingdom's loyal and valiant Lord Commander of the Kingsguard, the Mountain, has become even more powerful, which is something that makes me very excited and happy, and it is also a great thing to be proud of for the kingdom. Our enemies will be terrified by the Mountain's power, and they will cry in the dragonflame. The rebel Stark in the North, the remnants of the Targaryen family across the Narrow Sea, and the Dornish who are hostile to us will all have sleepless nights. I like to hear their people cry out of fear. I propose that our royal family should congratulate the Mountain on the miracle he has achieved, and commend him for his unparalleled achievements, and show his supreme glory," Cersei Lannister said with emotion.

Margaery Tyrell finally understood that the Queen Mother Cersei invited her to attend the Small Council meeting not because Her Grace, Queen Mother, suddenly liked her, but because the Mountain's sudden acquisition of a dragon broke the power balance that the royal family was barely maintaining. Cersei was afraid that the Mountain would rebel, and she urgently needed the power of the Tyrell family. She looked at the brocade box in front of her. This beautiful and exquisite brocade box was a signal that Cersei was eager to unite the Tyrell family around her.

Margaery Tyrell looked at Boros Blount. This guy was of humble origin and was the Mountain's man. His surname was bestowed by the Mountain. She saw the corners of this dwarf-like ugly guy's mouth with a smug smile. Through this smile, Margaery glimpsed the joy and ecstasy in the dwarf's heart.

Lord Hand Mace Tyrell suddenly spoke: "Your Grace, Queen Mother, is your news definitely reliable?"

"Yes," Cersei said slightly displeased. She had already emphasized it, why did Mace still have to doubt it.

"How will Her Grace, Queen Mother, commend the Mountain?"

"Lord Hand, when a vassal establishes great merit, of course he will be promoted and ennobled," Grand Maester Qyburn said.

"Promoted and ennobled? The Mountain is already the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard, Warden of the West, and his title has reached the highest level, he is a Duke of the kingdom. If we want to give him land, the Mountain already owns Dragonstone, Castamere, Tarbeck Hall, and Clegane's Keep, and he is still the King of the Crab Coast."

"The territory in the North of the kingdom is currently occupied by the rebel Stark family and needs to be eradicated," Cersei said coldly. "The Duke of the Vale, Robert Arryn, is only ten years old this year, is weak and sick, and still cannot be weaned. How can he guard the East for the kingdom?"

Jaime felt something was wrong: "Your Grace, Queen Mother, the Vale has only recently submitted and the people's hearts are unstable. At this time, we must not have other plans for the Vale; the Starks in the North are gathering forces to fight against the Others, blocking the Others army from going south for us. In this extraordinary period, we should not rashly order the Mountain to attack the North."

"The Others?" Cersei sneered, "Jaime, you went to the Wall, were you really frightened by the rumored Others?"

"That's not a rumor, Your Grace, Queen Mother," Jaime said seriously.

"I don't care if it's a rumor or not, the Mountain has established great merit, he is loyal to the royal family, and our Iron Throne needs the protection of the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard. Taming a dragon is not easy, it comes at the cost of life. The Mountain's courage and loyalty need to be rewarded accordingly." Cersei looked at King Tommen, "Your Grace, King, I propose to grant the Mountain the title of Warden of the North and Warden of the East, and order the Mountain to ride the dragon to conquer the North, and persuade Lord Edmure Tully of the Riverlands to pledge allegiance to you."

Jaime Lannister said decisively, "Your Grace, Queen Mother, no."

"Why not?"

"The Mountain's strength after having a dragon is too great. Once he becomes Warden of the North and Warden of the East, I am worried that the people of the North will be conquered by him, and the people of the Vale will be subdued by him. In this way, his strength will be even greater. I think the Mountain's ability to lead troops is no worse than Randyll Tarly's. At that time, the legion soldiers will all obey the Mountain's orders, and no one in the kingdom will be able to restrain him."

Grand Maester Qyburn glanced at Cersei's face and said softly: "Ser Jaime, your worries may be excessive. You are afraid that the Mountain will conquer the North, and the rebel traitors in the North should be eradicated, and then new nobles who are loyal to King Tommen should be supported. This is the great cause of unification that we must complete. You don't have to worry too much about the power of the Mountain's dragon. In history, Aegon I led the Black Dread Balerion and other three dragons, and could not conquer Dorne, but suffered many defeats. In the end, the real conquest of Dorne relied on King Baelor walking barefoot to Sunspear in Dorne to conduct the most sincere peace talks, and finally incorporated the territory of Dorne into the territory of the kingdom through marriage."

"I also plan to marry the Mountain," Cersei continued after Grand Maester Qyburn's words, "King Tommen and Queen Margaery's children will marry the Mountain and Janei's children. In this way, the Lannister family, the Clegane family, the Tyrell family, and the Baratheon family will all be one family. The security of the kingdom will be as solid as the walls of the Red Keep."

"Ser Jaime, once married, the Mountain's dragon will be our King's dragon," Qyburn said with a smile.

"I agree to the marriage." Mace Tyrell, who was already in a mess, grabbed a straw like a drowning man to save himself. Since the Mountain killed Randyll Tarly, killed Loras Tyrell, and destroyed Kevan, Euron Crow's Eye, and others, he had a deep fear of the Mountain. "The Mountain's character is not upright, but his military strength is too strong. With a dragon, he is simply invincible. For the sake of the kingdom's peace and the stability of the Iron Throne, marriage is the best way."

"Marriage?" Jaime sneered, "The Mountain has no children, and Queen Margaery is not yet pregnant. Even if Janei and Queen Margaery are both pregnant, who can guarantee that they will be a boy and a girl?"

"I propose that Princess Myrcella Baratheon marry Janei's younger brother, Ser Reynard Westerling." A flash of inspiration flashed in Mace Tyrell's mind.

"Lord Hand, Reynard's mother was born from a lowly spice merchant, not a noble," Cersei said with great displeasure. "Queen Margaery, for the stability of the kingdom, you need to get pregnant as soon as possible. If you and Janei give birth to boys or girls, then exchange each other and become adopted sons or daughters. I have a suggestion, let's make a marriage contract with the Mountain first, and after the children are born, we will hold an engagement ceremony."

“What if the Mountain refuses?” Jaime poured another bucket of cold water.

“Jaime, the Mountain is loyal and patriotic. He would never refuse. A marriage between the King's prince or princess and the Mountain's child would not be a disgrace to the Mountain.” Cersei's confidence made Jaime choke. Cersei's proud and contemptuous gaze flashed across Jaime's face. What Cersei didn't say was that she and Grand Master Qyburn had already devised a way to make the Mountain unable to refuse, which was to arrange for the High Septon of the Great Sept of Baelor to act as a marriage broker. The Mountain and the High Septon had a very close personal relationship. If the Mountain could listen to anyone's advice, it would be the High Septon.

The idea of ​​having the High Septon act as a marriage broker was suggested to Cersei by Grand Master Qyburn. If Jaime had half the loyalty and cunning of Master Qyburn, Cersei's heart would be much more comforted.

Cersei's beautiful eyes swept over everyone. She had Boros Blount participate in this meeting to have Boros pass a message to the Mountain, which was both a show of weakness and goodwill, and a show of strength. The fact that the Queen could know the Mountain's top secrets immediately proved that the royal family secretly had the ability to control everything.

“If you lords have no objections, I will ask His Majesty the King to order the Mountain and Lady Jeyne to come to King's Landing together. In the Great Sept of Baelor, under the witness of the High Septon, we will grant the Mountain the titles of Warden of the North and Warden of the East, and arrange a marriage contract with the Mountain.”

Jaime Lannister felt very uncomfortable. He knew that once the Mountain was appointed as Warden of the North and Warden of the East, it would be justified for the Mountain to recruit soldiers and horses in the future, and to win over the nobles from all over the place to serve him. This made it impossible for the nobles to object to the Mountain, even if they disagreed.

Jaime was about to stand up to express his firm opposition, but Boros Blount was here, so he swallowed a large mouthful of saliva and suppressed the words in his heart.

It would be better to get through this first, and then reason with Cersei in private.

Mace Tyrell said: “Your Majesty the Queen Mother, the most secure marriage is to first let Princess Myrcella Baratheon marry Ser Reynard Westerling, and then let the royal princess or prince and the Mountain's children get engaged. A two-pronged approach is doubly joyous.” Mace did not dare to say what was in his heart. He was equally afraid of Boros Blount.

This Mountain guy has planted a nail in the palace, and it is a nail that cannot be pulled out.

“Lord Mace, please do not mention the marriage between Myrcella and Reynard again.” Cersei would never allow her daughter to marry Reynard Westerling, but if it was the children of Queen Margaery, then it would be fine.

Knock knock knock!

The door of the council hall was knocked, and then someone pushed the door open. The only people who were qualified to push the door open to enter the council hall of important officials to report matters were the Kingsguard.

The knight who came in was indeed a member of the Kingsguard, one of the triplets from the Goodbrook family of Hammerhorn in the Iron Islands: Gormond Goodbrook.

The second brother Gormond and the third brother Garlan were both recommended by the Mountain to work as Kingsguard in the palace. Their eldest brother, Gerold Goodbrook, was the Mountain's personal guard—a loyal servant in the Mountain's guard camp.

Gormond Goodbrook handed an urgent letter to Qyburn. Qyburn looked at the wax seal and said, “Your Majesty the Queen Mother, Your Majesty the King, it is the most urgent military intelligence letter from the Mountain.”

Apart from Boros Blount, everyone else felt a chill in their hearts!

There were chapter directory errors earlier, which have been corrected here, so it jumps from chapter 680 to chapter 682, but the content is related, and chapter 681 is not missing.