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GOT : Chapter 184
🕑 Added 2025-02-06 09:00:05 +0000 UTCNow…she would not dare to think what could happen to her little girl.
She was safe, at Highgarden, but for how long?
...
Margaery therefore spent her days in silence, watching as her father and grandmother bickered, sometimes sparing a snide remark for her or her cousins, but she did not care.
She just stood and looked out of the window, to watch over the city that had once been under her and her family's rule slowly rise to see the dragons rule it once more.
And after three days of imprisonment, the unknown began to take a toll on her.
She began to think of ways to get out. Break down the doors, throw herself out of the window, find one of these famed passageways that apparently dotted the Red Keep…her mind raced.
And on this morning, it was also racing with silly plans, more adventurous than the other, before she heard the door creak open. She immediately stood up from her chair, along with her father and mother.
In came Queen Daenerys, clad in a red and black dress which revealed her voluptuous form, her silver-blonde hair and her purple eyes. A Targaryen, through and through, in the flesh.
Besides her was another Targaryen, though he looked nothing like one. A pretty man, to be sure, with his dark brown hair and grey eyes, he might as well have passed off for Ned Stark's son that she wouldn't have questioned it…but that is what happened didn't it? He, on the contrary, wore simple grey and dark garments, with his sword attached to him at all times. Despite being a Targaryen, however, the three-headed dragon was nowhere to be seen on his outfit, while the wolf of house Stark decorated his buttons, belt and even clothing.
King Aegon was also there, with his dashing silver hair and purple eyes. With a more impressive build than his half-brother, he still held a cane to walk, just like her brother Willas often did. And unlike his half-brother, he wore the three-headed dragon proudly on his doublet, wearing a belt without a sword.
Also present were the Lord Hand, Edmure Tully, with his bright auburn beard and hair, wearing the chain of hands that her father wore only a few days prior, with a robe of purple and red. Prince Quentyn was also there, which at least gave Margaery some hope.
His gaze wandered around the room, as if searching for something, but his eyes seemed tired or disinterested. His stature also paled compared to tall men like Edmure Tully or King Aegon, though he made that up with a red-golden attire that attracted attention like flies to a light in the dark.
Finally, the Kingsguard closed the march. Ser Barristan first, in his white armor adorned with the three-headed dragon alongside his sigil, and two others that Margaery did not recognize, but one that looked quite like the Mountain, though he was even larger.
The door slammed shut.
"Your Grace," her grandmother scoffed, "have you finally decided that we have amused you long enough and have decided to remove our heads?"
"You'll find that I have quite different plans for you. Please, sit," Queen Daenerys immediately ordered as she sat at the large table the Tyrells used to eat at different hours of the day.
Margaery cautiously rose with the rest of her family, dragging herself towards the table, but taking a seat nonetheless. Herself, her grandmother, father and few cousins faced against the new most powerful people in the realm.
"You will be glad to know that your son, Ser or Lord Willas, however you wish, has bent the knee to me. The raven came a few days ago," Queen Daenerys started. "As such, and to my nephew's insistence…" Queen Daenerys' eyes darted to the Northman, "he will retain his position as Lord of Highgarden and Lord Paramount of the Reach."
Her grandmother and father seemed to breathe a huge sigh of relief.
"This does not change the fact that House Tyrell is still considered as traitorous, with you three still very much still traitors to me." Queen Daenerys narrowed her eyes, her tongue almost slipping out of her mouth, such as Margaery could have imagined a forked tongue coming out of her lips.
"House Tyrell will have to pay reparations to House Tully for their part in the war in the Riverlands." King Aegon turned to his Hand. "I believe the Lord Hand will give you some more precise estimates."
"Indeed, and House Tyrell and its vassals will also have to provide foodstuffs to the North at a fifth of the market value for the entirety of winter," Lord Tully added. "Alongside, of course, the means to transport it."
A fifth of the market value…Margaery knew the consequences. House Tyrell and the Reach would be plundered, and would not get any financial compensation for it. An action that would take decades to recover from, especially since this winter would be the longest in living memory.
"House Tyrell will also have to dispatch a consequential force to the North in order to fight the Others," Prince Daeron concluded.
"The Others?" Margaery's grandmother scoffed. "Please, you could have used a better excuse to send men do menial tasks in the North."
"Well, my lady, I would gladly escort you to the dead men Lord Tully has brought to us, but I expect that you would like to live a few more years," Prince Daeron abruptly replied. "Lord Mace, of course, will have to deal with that experience himself sooner or later, though, it would do well to bring him to them now, as he will become used to it."
"Ah yes, which brings up to our second point." Queen Daenerys smiled. "House Targaryen will offer mercy to you all. Lord Mace, you will sail for Eastwatch as soon as weather permits. You will take the Black."
Her father's face seemed to have drained of color.
"Your Grace, I…"
"If you refuse, then you may go back to Highgarden and abdicate…" King Aegon shrugged.
"Ah, thank you, Your Grace, I will leave my position to my son..."
"Not quite," Queen Daenerys said. "You will leave your position to your son, who will become steward of Highgarden, which will be given to the Tarlys."
"What?" Margaery's father opened and closed his mouth, trying to find words.
"Oh, Mace, close your bloody mouth, you look like a carp." Her grandmother handwaved him away. "Either my son takes the Black or we lose the paramountcy, is that it?"
"Indeed, it is, my lady." King Aegon nodded.
Her grandmother stared at her father sternly for a few moments. There was silence, until her father finally blurted out: "I…I will take the Black, Your Grace."
"Glad to hear it." Queen Daenerys nodded. "You will meet Lord Kevan there, it seems he took the same offer as you."
"Well, it wasn't abdication, Your Grace, it was rather giving his head to the Northmen or the Black…" Lord Tully interjected.
"He goes to the Wall and his son inherits the Rock, does he not?" Queen Daenerys shrugged. "Then, why bother, it is more of the same. Though, you will sign one last act as Lord of Highgarden and Lord Paramount of the Reach."
"What would that be, Your Grace?" her father asked, dreading the question.
"Reinstating Samwell Tarly as heir, or I should rather say, as Lord of Horn Hill," Prince Daeron simply said. "He was coerced into joining the Watch, by his father, under pain of death. I would have asked for his father's head for such an act, but it seems the Dornish have done so for me. Thus, I will ask you to sign the document reinstating him as heir."
"Watch vows are for life, are they not?" Margaery spoke up for the first time in this conversation.
"They are, but a king's word may break them," Prince Daeron replied. "My brother Robb broke mine, and his word then extended to Samwell. As such, he is to receive his birthright, at once."
"Of course…" her father mumbled.
"And what about myself?" Her grandmother asked. "And my daughter? I suppose you don't expect us both to take the Black as well?"
"No." Prince Daeron shook his head.
"Lady Olenna, you will be exiled to the Arbor," King Aegon announced. "If you ever step foot on the continent again, you will be put to death."
"Hardly a mercy." Her grandmother sank back into her chair. "There's a reason I hated that island."
"You'll find the Ironborn did not really leave much of it untouched, unfortunately." Queen Daenerys sighed. "All of your cousins, though, will leave for Highgarden at once."
Margaery could hear a sigh of relief coming from next to her.
All of this, though, left one person.
Her.
"Lady Margaery, you will be sent to the Silent Sisters-" Queen Daenerys started, while Margaery tilted her head downwards, tears starting to flow, but was cut off by a new voice
"No."
Margaery raised her teary-eyed face back to face the Targaryens, who all faced Prince Quentyn.
"Princess Margaery will not go to the Silent Sisters," Prince Quentyn said with utter confidence.
"We agreed on this." Queen Daenerys frowned.
"Not with me." Prince Quentyn shook his head. "Princess Margaery is married to me."
"What?" King Aegon laughed.
Queen Daenerys blinked while Lord Tully and Prince Daeron looked at each other, both in disbelief and confusion.
"Lady Margaery was married to Tommen Waters, the boy destined for the Wall." King Aegon half-chuckled.
"That marriage is invalid." Prince Quentyn looked directly into the monarch's eyes. "I wed Princess Margaery in the Red Keep's sept three days after King Joffrey's death."
"This is preposterous!" Queen Daenerys spit out. "You were never wed!"
"I hid such a wedding so as to not be accused of either collusion with the enemy or favoring the Tyrells in any discussion, Your Grace," Prince Quentyn countered calmly.
"Any ceremony has to be overseen by the Faith," King Aegon pointed out.
"It was," Margaery made out in a small voice. "Septon…Septon Junicer wed us…you can ask him…he has the documents."
Margaery blurted out the name of one of four Tyrell septons that had joined the host in order to perform ceremonies for the small garrison in the castle's sept.
Prince Quentyn reached into his pocket and withdrew several papers, which he handed to the monarchs.
"Septon Harlan, my sweet."
The Dornish prince smiled at her slightly, which Margaery answered with a kind nod.
"In any case," Queen Daenerys angrily pushed the papers away, "a marriage is not valid until it has been consummated. If you wed her all these days ago, then she would be pregnant with your child by now."
"Clearly, all marriages are supposed to conceive a babe on their wedding night," Prince Quentyn scoffed. "Thus, I could ask you how far along you are in your own pregnancy, Your Grace. The marriage has been consummated; you have my word."
"And I suppose you wish to claim Floris Flowers as your own?" King Aegon questioned in an angry tone.
"No, but I wish to spare an innocent girl from a terrible fate." Prince Quentyn answered. "Give Floris Flowers to me, to be raised in the Water Gardens. She will not leave Dorne, I can swear this."
The Targaryen monarchs looked at each other with half-annoyed, half-worried faces.
"Prince Quentyn does well seem to be wed to Lady Margaery, Your Grace." Prince Daeron showed them the documents again. "They were indeed wed before Lady Margaery married Tommen Waters…"
"And the consummation leaves no doubt." Lord Tully scoffed. "Dornish…"
"And I suppose you can prove this consummation too?" Queen Daenerys asked.
"I don't suppose you want me to describe things that would very well be very degrading for my lady wife?" Prince Quentyn annoyingly replied. "And no, you are not welcome to watch, either."
"You claim that Lady Margaery is your wife, yet you have not shown her a single sign of affection since we arrived here, nor did you worry for her health when that area of King's Landing exploded." Queen Daenerys continued to dig into the Prince, trying to find some sort of response.
"At what point? I knew Princess Margaery would be in the Red Keep, and when I finally entered it, I was told that she was confined to her rooms with her family, with no one but the Kingsguard allowed to visit." Prince Quentyn frowned. "If it is a sign of affection you wish…"
Prince Quentyn rose up, made his way around the table, and beckoned Margaery to stand by extending his hand. He then nodded at her with a wink, brought her cheeks towards him, and kissed her fiercely, much more than the stolen kiss they had shared all these moons ago, in the same room. This time, the kiss lasted for longer, with his tongue entering her own mouth, seeking hers, before retreating again.
He then helped her sit back down and addressed the Queen once more.
"There. You have your sign of affection. Now, do I need to make love to her here, in front of everyone, as well?" he asked without a moment of hesitation.
"I think that is quite enough." Lord Tully chuckled, amused.
Queen Daenerys looked at Margaery with fire in her eyes, and turned to Quentyn, her voice completely annoyed now. But before she could even speak, Prince Quentyn smirked and added: "Oh, I almost forgot, we never really settled the issue of the dowry. Starpike and Dunstonbury and their lands around will do, I do need a castle for my little brother and his wife."
"Starpike will do," Queen Daenerys angrily grumbled. "We are done here."
With a gruff motion, the Queen stood up and left the room, clearly annoyed. King Aegon, though, stayed a little while longer, his gaze still fixed on all three of them.
"I expect you to have signed my brother's document before the end of the day, Lord Mace," the silver-haired man simply said. "As for the rest, you are still confined to your rooms, though I expect Princess Margaery can see her husband if she likes, but under strict guard."
Margaery breathed a huge sigh of relief, sinking back into her chair.
