"This Snow is incredibly rude!"
"Exactly, all Bastards are ill-mannered and just love to talk nonsense. "
A group of girls around Margaery's age surrounded her; these were mostly girls from the collateral branches of House Tyrell or House Redwyne.
They were all Margaery's maids, and the girls were all quite beautiful. The sight of them gathered together was so exquisite that only a profusion of flowers could describe it.
But no one dared to have any designs on them, because the guards who stayed close by were not far away, protecting these noble girls.
Serving others is a skill, especially since only nobles often knew how to serve them. Those who could serve nobles were not ordinary village women brought from the countryside.
For example, Tywin's late wife Joanna once served as a maid to Mad King's wife Leila for a period of time. The maids or female companions of Margaery were also from the collateral branches of House Tyrell, or Redwyne, the girls of House Hightower.
At this moment, Margaery and her Young Miss friends are discussing Jon, who has been making waves lately.
However, Jon had a bad reputation among the young noble ladies because he rudely slandered Margaery and her brothers.
"This Jon is not just offending me and my brothers." Margaery took a bite of a pastry but put it down. It was red bean paste, too sweet, and not to his liking. "He's provoking my father and making him do something wrong."
"Then he shouldn't have said such rude things; he has absolutely no manners." These were the words of Margaery's cousin, Lydia Tyrell.
Lia is a girl who loves music and the harp. She is mostly melancholic and likes to play the tragic stories of knights.
Honor, romance, and even tragedy are what he pursues.
If Jon had gone south to avenge his father, killed Joffrey, and then been killed himself, perhaps he would have composed a song for Jon. But for now—
She can't stand people who use any means to achieve victory.
Lia's assessment was quickly endorsed by the other girls, and they all joined in criticizing Jon.
"I heard he's now a duke."
"It's Lord of Harrenhal."
"He definitely won't live long, and his family will soon be cut off. Humph, he deserves it!"
Seeing her female companions' complaints, Margaery forced a smile and put down the pastry in her hand again. The golden dates inside were too sweet for her.
Somewhat agitated, Margaery thought about her two engagements.
The first was Renly, who was assassinated. The second was Joffrey, who had just been killed by Jon not long ago.
What about next time? If her fiancé were to die suddenly again, she would probably go from being "famous" to being "infamous."
No matter how beautiful she is or how generous her dowry is, who would dare to marry her?
Of course, it's impossible for her to worry about getting married; it's just that there aren't many people who are good enough for Margaery, so her choices are naturally limited.
She could have chosen those less prestigious noble families, but as a Margaery, she was unwilling to accept that.
When Renly and Joffrey were still alive, her ultimate goal was to become queen, but now, looking around, there is no one suitable to marry her.
Margaery felt a little empty and lost. Looking at her female companions who were joking around, she suddenly said, "I'm suddenly a little tired. I'm going to sleep now."
"Want me to sleep with you?" Airo Tyrell, also a maid, asked Dao.
Maids, female companions, bed partners—as the daughter of a duke, Margaery was never short of people around her.
"No need, I'll just take a nap." With that, Margaery left alone. After all, what danger could he possibly encounter while in Highgarden?
Margaery walked through the garden where butterflies fluttered, watching the maids coming and going and bowing to her.
But she had no energy to change her expression. Having only recently come of age, she was suddenly overwhelmed by a sense of powerlessness towards fate.
If Renly doesn't work out, and neither does Joffrey, then who will be her final destination?
I'll be getting married in a year, or at most two years. Who will that person be?
Margaery was somewhat annoyed. Before she knew it, she had arrived at a study. The guard at the door said that Olena and the Highgarden steward were inside, so she wanted to go and see them.
As Olena's granddaughter, whom she was carefully groomed, she had the right to attend all Family meetings.
As soon as they got close, they heard Qi angrily shouting from inside: " How can Highgarden's roses be planted next to a dog kennel? This Stannis has gone too far!"
Without the Dragonstone fleet, he's nothing more than a deer without its antlers. To dare make such a request, I think he's lost his sense of self. The speaker was a man, Garth, Margaery's cousin.
Garth was older and fatter than Mace, known as "Big Fat Garth. " Uncle Garth seemed to have some digestive issues, but Margaery always seemed very gentle towards him; she wondered why he was so cheerful today.
So she slowed her pace and didn't immediately push the door open and go in.
" Stannis certainly doesn't have a formidable army, but he is now the de facto sole king, controlling the Crownlands and Stormlands. Moreover, the Florents have been eyeing our lands for a long time, and the Dornish to the south are no pushovers either. Mace's refusal was too blunt." Margaery recognized his grandmother Olena's voice.
The usually resilient Queen of Thorns showed signs of fatigue. Mace loved his children, and so did Olenna; he certainly didn't want his granddaughter to marry a bastard.
The clever Margaery had already guessed what was going on, but still didn't go in.
"Perhaps we can choose one from among the girls from the collateral branches. Although Jon is a bastard, Stannis will eventually make him a duke. Apart from Margaery, it wouldn't be a disservice to marry off any girl from House Tyrell." It was Willas who spoke.
This was indeed a compromise, but Olena sighed. Dao: "Do you think Stannis only wants House Tyrell's daughter? He wants our submission in terms of dignity!"
The atmosphere in the room was somewhat oppressive. Willas spoke again, "Then perhaps we could find an assassin?"
An assassin? Whom to assassinate? Stannis or Jon Snow?
Margaery felt as if an invisible vortex was pulling her away. At the same time, she was surprised and taken aback that her usually gentle and refined older brother, Willas, had revealed an unusual ruthlessness when faced with this situation.
Ultimately, she chose to push the door open and enter.
"Ah, Margaery." Willas looked up, seemingly unsurprised.
"Sit down, my child." Olenna beckoned, and soon a chair was placed in front of her.
Olenna stroked her granddaughter's smooth, slender hand with her somewhat dull but wrinkle-free hand, her eyes filled with both affection and resolve.
This guy is a ruthless person who would poison Joffrey if he didn't like him. What is Jon, let alone Stannis?
"Grandmother, I want to go to King's Landing."
"What?!"
As soon as Margaery finished speaking, Willas, Garth, and Olena all turned to look at her.
" Margaery, we at House Tyrell are not at the point of kneeling and begging. We will never agree to Stannis's terms!" Willas, who was usually so pleasant, now revealed his sharp edge!
"Yes, Margaery, you still have Garlan and Loras, and so many cousins. Our House Tyrell will live on forever!" Garth encouraged Dao.
However, Margaery shook his head and expressed his opinion: "Grandmother, Uncle, eldest brother, I can't be so selfish as to make my brothers risk their lives for my own sake. Of course, I know that Dao and the others are doing this for the honor of the family, but I think there must be some other way."
" Margaery, you don't need to worry—" Willas wanted to say something more, but Olena stopped him.
"What ideas do you have? Why don't you tell me?"
"I think I could go see Jon. What if he refuses this marriage? That way, Tyrell's reputation can be preserved without bloodshed," Margaery explained to the crowd.
Despite Jon's dazzling achievements, many people still consider him a bastard.
Bastards are generally treated poorly by their families. Perhaps they could try to entice Jon with fine wine and gold to persuade him to give up the marriage proposal.
At that time, not to mention collateral branches, the daughters of other vassal families in Highgarden would probably be enough to satisfy Jon's appetite.
Margaery's idea made the three realize that they had always regarded Jon and Stannis as a single unit, but after Margaery's analysis, they realized that they might be able to defeat them one by one.
"As expected of Margaery, she's always been the smartest girl in our family!" Garth praised, and Willas smiled as he looked at his younger sister.
Olenna touched Margaery's hand and said, "Alright, I think we can give it a try. In that case, Willas, go and make preparations with your uncle. I'll also be going to King's Landing."
"Grandmother, are you going too?"
" Doesn't Stannis want the dignity that belongs to a king? Just give it to him, go ahead."
Willas and Garth left the room, but Margaery remained. She knew Dao's grandmother's habit: if she held her hand, it meant she still had something to say.
Sure enough, as soon as the two left, Olena moved closer to Margaery, looked into her bright brown eyes, and asked, "Are you feeling a little wronged?"
"Without a grandmother, what do I have to feel wronged about?" Margaery denied it outright, without even flinching in her eyes.
But Olena smiled slightly, taking everything in. How could she not know Dao, the granddaughter she had raised since childhood?
Do you know the story of me and your grandfather Ross Tyrell?
Margaery shook his head.
"Back then, I was supposed to be betrothed to Targaryen, but I didn't like those lunatics, so one night I climbed into your grandfather's bed. The next day, he took my hand and knelt before your great-grandfather." Olenna began, a smile blooming at the corners of her wrinkled eyes, as if she had returned to forty or fifty years ago.
Margaery was surprised that her nearly seventy-year-old grandmother would say these things to her, which made her very shy and even caused a blush to rise on her cheeks.
"I've recently gathered more information about Jon. When Robb first assembled his army, the lords were all provoking him. It was Jon who stepped in and made the most troublesome Roose Bolton back down." Olenna's expression changed as she continued, "Although everyone is saying it was Robb's idea, how could someone who would betray an alliance for lust have such a brain?"
"So, Grandmother, what do you mean—"
"This is very likely Jon's idea!" Olenna astutely pointed out the truth.
" You know about the Battle of the Green Fork, but what surprised me the most was that he prevented Robb from becoming king. Robb originally intended to transfer him out of the army and stop him from commanding troops, but he directly launched a coup in Harrenhal and seized Roose Bolton's military power. Do you think such a person would be willing to be subordinate to someone else?"
As Margaery listened to Olena's story, his eyes widened.
"So, Grandmother, you—"
"I want to go with you to see what this kid is really like. If he can really be of use to us, I'll give you anything but you! Of course, if you really like him, then I'll just have to accept it." Olenna winked at her granddaughter. "I, how could I—" Margaery was speechless, wanting to say how could she possibly like a bastard.
But recalling Olena's analysis, the qualities displayed by the rising star Bastard were truly dazzling.