The long table used for the banquet was moved away, and the nobles from all sides retreated to the sides, making the huge ballroom immediately spacious and even empty.
The chandelier above the ballroom illuminated the hall so brightly that it was almost like daytime.
House Tyrell's men and Jon's men stood under their respective flags, and the center of the ballroom resembled a giant chessboard.
If you look closely, you'll notice that Tyrell's outfits are mainly light green, while Jon's are all different, with no uniform color scheme.
This further gives people a clear sense of distinction.
Both sides have sent out their vanguards, and a unique clash could break out at any moment.
In the center of the ballroom, Margaery, in a long turquoise dress, lifted her skirt and greeted the Duke, who wore a blue-grey coat. With her movement, the emerald around her neck reflected light.
The emerald green gemstones complemented her fair skin perfectly, and the curves of her waist and her slender neck seemed to demonstrate why she could be the Rose of Highgarden.
The musicians around them played music as needed, but neither side was relaxed. It was more like a battle cry than music.
Their hands rested gently on each other's shoulders and waists, but were essentially suspended in the air, feeling no weight at all.
The music started, the dance steps were fluid, and Jon smelled a fresh, sweet scent. Margaery's dance steps were light and practiced, and he quickly found an opportunity to speak: " Lord Stark, your dance steps—"
It has a very powerful feel to it.
"A sense of power?" Jon didn't know Dao Was Margaery implying something else? Was she referring to her somewhat awkward dance moves, or was she alluding to what had just happened between her and her cousin?
He still came up with an answer based on his own understanding, looking into the girl's brown eyes and saying, "Strength and gentleness are relative."
"Please enlighten me, Lord Stark."
"Where there is a front, there is a back; where there is strength, there is weakness; where there is a king, there are subjects; where there is a leader, there are those who are led. I am dancing with a beautiful young woman. If I were dancing with a giant, I would appear rather gentle."
" Lord Stark, insightful." Jon's slightly humorous explanation brought a smile to Margaery's face.
"Lord Stark." Hearing Margaery address him like that again, Jon felt a slight stirring in his heart. Most people addressed him as "Lord Jon," "Duke Jon, " or "Your Excellency," and very few people called him Lord Stark.
She must have put in the effort to study herself, at least considering what a bastard whose fate has suddenly changed would want; she's a smart person.
It's safe to say she's the smartest girl Jon has ever met since he came into this world. Since she's smart, many things can be simpler.
Skip the probing and entanglement, just exchange cards and see if it's acceptable.
After a whirling dance move, Jon adjusted his angle and asked Dao, " Miss Margaery, may I have a private chat with you later? I'd like to take a walk in the garden with you."
Margaery was taken aback by Jon's sudden increase in pace and quickly adapted: "Hehe, Duke Stark, you're a bit too eager. Most girls don't like being asked questions."
Margaery has bright eyes and speaks with a playful and slightly provocative tone, but no matter what, she's impossible to dislike.
"Then—I want to go to the garden, come with me!"
"Hmm—that's a bit too forceful."
"I'm going to the garden, do you want to come with me?"
"Another problem."
Jon quickly racked his brains and said, "I'm going to the garden, but it will be so boring without you."
" Lord Stark truly lives up to his reputation as a victorious general. But how are you going to get me out of here?"
Margaery directed Jon's gaze toward House Tyrell. Jon immediately saw Mace, whose face was dark and who looked like he wanted to devour him alive.
Mace was not only staring at him like a brown bear at the entrance of a cave, but he was also giving instructions to his guards and his son Garlan.
"It's probably to prevent Jon from abducting his daughter, and that's why they're setting up so many fortifications."
"This is not a difficult task for a general who has won every battle," Jon said confidently, his breathing calm and without any fluctuation.
Margaery simply nodded. It was clear that she was running out of energy. She could finish a dance without any problem, but talking while dancing was a bit too much for her.
When the dance ended, Jon and Margaery returned to their respective camps.
Interestingly, after stepping back, neither Margaery nor Jon looked at each other directly, but both turned their bodies to the side at a certain angle to observe each other out of the corner of their eyes, making sure they could see each other out of the corner of their eyes.
The two of them together have a total of eight hundred schemes.
Seeing that it was almost time, Alliser consulted Stannis and then loudly announced, "In the name of Stannis Baratheon I, the ball is officially open!"
As soon as the acting prime minister finished speaking, the musicians sitting in different corners began to play together. In this world where the technology level was similar to that of the Renaissance era, everyone experienced a surround sound effect.
Men and women dressed in various costumes began to dance, and Stannis even personally led the charge. Although his army was not large at the moment, this was entirely the royal family's domain.
The House Tyrell members were essentially under siege. King's Landing was now Stannis's territory, and he had already ordered his men to make arrangements to keep everyone in House Tyrell occupied, creating opportunities for Jon.
Sansa was also very helpful, actually setting aside her ladylike reserve and taking the initiative to invite Garlan.
Jon seized the opportunity and circled around the dance floor to get to Margaery's side.
They exchanged glances, and she placed her silk-gloved hand in Jon's, feeling the roughness and warmth of his large hand. Taking advantage of the chaos, they quickly left, about to open a second battlefield.
Liya, who was standing nearby, naturally saw what was happening to Jon. Seeing that Jon went to Margaery instead of her made her feel relieved, but at the same time, she felt a little jealous and disappointed.
But in any case, I feel mostly fortunate.
So what if he's a duke? He doesn't even have his own fiefdom yet, and besides, she has no intention of marrying a bastard.
However, no one cared about her thoughts.
— As Jon and Margaery said, Mace has indeed laid many obstacles for them.
As soon as you leave the hall, the light dims abruptly. The sun has long since set, and all you can do is rely on candlelight and streetlights for some illumination.
But those streetlights weren't electric lights after all, and their visibility was still limited. They could only barely push off the darkness, which made people feel that there was some danger lurking in the shadows around them.
The two walked quickly, Jon's clothes and Margaery's skirt fluttering behind them.
"Stop!" Jon gripped Margaery's hand slightly, and the two of them abruptly stopped, then darted to hide next to a set of decorative Dragon Scale armor.
This armor is clearly a decoration from the Targaryen period.
Margaery, hiding in the Dragonscale Armor and beside Jon, was surprised to see a House Tyrell guard suddenly appear and look around. She couldn't understand how Jon could "predict the future".
After the guard left, the two continued onward, but after only a few steps, Jon whispered to Dao, "Turn left!" Sure enough, as soon as they changed course, three guards arrived.
As Jon led her through the challenges, Margaery felt her heart pounding faster and faster. Tension and excitement made her eyes brighter, and it felt as if something primal within her was being activated.
At the same time, because the perceived temperature dropped suddenly as she left the lobby, she unconsciously leaned her body closer to Jon.
Along the way, Jon led Margaery through a series of dodging, evading, hiding, retreating, and circling maneuvers, as if they were playing a thrilling game. This gave her an extremely novel experience.
Before long, the two arrived at Red Keep's garden.
Also in preparation for the Tyrells, the garden was renovated, mainly by transplanting some fresher flowers.
" Miss Margaery, I think there are no guards around."
After being reminded by Jon, Margaery slowly distanced herself from him.
Beneath their feet was a gray cobblestone path that led deep into the garden. Jon and Margaery stood on opposite sides, the gray path resembling the border between two kingdoms.
A cool autumn breeze swept by, ruffling Margaery's hair and Jon's clothes.
The ambiguity of the ball and the excitement of conspiring to escape quickly faded, and the two became like diplomats about to begin negotiations.
We have now reached a critical juncture in defining power and interests.