Game of Thrones White Wolf

Chapter 181 183: The Bride's Bargaining Chip

Read more my new story:

Game of Thrones: Azeroth? This Is Westeros!

Game of Thrones: Starborn Conqueror

Game of Thrones: My Pets Evolve Into Dragons

Game of Thrones: Joffrey the Ruthless Emperor

At the mention of seeing Margaery, everyone smiled and looked at Jon.

Only then did Jon remember that he was expected to greet the guests alongside Margaery. The custom in Highgarden was that the couple could be seen together, as long as they didn't enter the bridal chamber before the wedding.

But knowing that Euron was present at his wedding made him uneasy. Letting that man out of his sight filled him with a hundred different worries.

Fortunately, the situation hadn't reached a critical point yet. The wedding wouldn't officially begin for another two days. On the surface, the enemy was hidden while Jon was exposed, but in reality, the enemy was exposed while Jon remained hidden. Jon still had time to prepare.

Led by Arya, Jon temporarily bid farewell to the crowd and headed for Margaery's chambers.

"Jon, when you go to the bedding ceremony, I'm going to tear the dress. I didn't get to tear Jeyne's dress, so I definitely have to tear Margaery's," Arya said excitedly, pulling on Jon's hand.

"Bedding ceremony? Do you even know what a bedding ceremony is, huh?" Jon ruffled Arya's hair.

"The bedding ceremony is when you and Margaery sleep together and then make babies. Who doesn't know that?" Arya said proudly.

However, when the siblings reached a corner, Jon suddenly stopped in his tracks, pulling the bouncing Arya to a halt.

"What's wrong, Jon?"

"Arya, there is a bad man at my wedding!"

"A bad man?" Arya was puzzled but excited. "Where is he?" She eagerly reached for her waist, only to realize Needle had long been confiscated.

"Right now, only I know he's a bad man. No one else knows. So I need you to protect Lady Catelyn. Don't let any strangers get close to you two, understand?"

"Don't worry, Jon. Leave it to me."

Given that the Stark family were all wargs, and Bran was the most talented among them, Jon worried he might attract Euron's interest.

Although wargs weren't unheard of, he had to guard against this guy.

Jon would arrange for men to protect them as well, but Arya had maxed out agility and luck. Briefing her added an extra layer of security; at the very least, she could get a message to him in time.

At this moment, Margaery was surrounded by a group of noble girls in her room. They were helping her with her hair, adjusting her dress, and applying her makeup.

Sansa was naturally there as well.

It is worth mentioning that some "Flowers"—bastard daughters—were also present.

Generally speaking, bastards were not allowed to appear at important occasions.

But weddings were different. Although bastards symbolized rebellion, they also represented vigorous vitality. The implication naturally went without saying.

Right now, there were a few bastard daughters in Margaery's room acting as cupbearers for everyone, running back and forth serving tea and water. This was one of the few opportunities for them to see the world.

Considering the groom this time was also a bastard, to some extent, they felt a sense of shared honor.

Especially since there was a girl in the room who was a year or two older than Margaery, yet could be described as plump and beautiful. Her name was Falia Flowers, a bastard daughter from the Shield Islands.

Although people kept ordering her around, Falia was always cheerful.

"Sansa, what kind of hair ornament do you think Jon would prefer?" one of Margaery's companions asked, pointing to the jewelry that filled the dressing table.

Laid out together under the sunlight streaming through the window, the jewels emitted bursts of rosy light, simply breathtaking.

"Uh, Jon—Jon doesn't seem to have talked to girls much." Sansa racked her brains. She couldn't even recall Jon interacting with any girl other than Arya when they were young.

Perhaps to help Jon make a good impression on Margaery, Sansa smiled and said to her, "If we don't count Jon dancing in the mud with Arya, then Lady Margaery will be the first person to dance with him? Maybe Lady Margaery will also be the girl who has spoken to him the most."

Margaery gave a noncommittal smile: "Is that so? Then I hope so."

As Margaery's companion, Lia picked up on the subtle undertones.

Ever since Jon stormed King's Landing and supported Stannis, he had been called "Ned Stark the Second."

His loyalty and honor were unquestionable, but what if he was like Ned in that aspect too?

Now that Casterly Rock was his spoil of war, filled with beautiful blonde maids, what if he couldn't control himself and something like that happened...

Lia knew that since Margaery showed such an attitude, she might have heard some rumors. After all, Tyrell intelligence was also quite formidable.

But she didn't say anything. For some reason, she felt a slight sense of balance in her heart.

The topic was quickly skipped over, and the girls began to chatter about other issues.

Suddenly, Arya's voice came from outside: "Lady Margaery, my brother has come to see you!"

"Ah~ the groom is here."

The girls laughed and teased. Before leaving, Sansa even gave Jon an encouraging look, dragging away Arya, who wanted to linger a bit longer.

The others looked at Jon with smiles, except for Lia, who kept her head down, daring not to look at him.

When everyone had left, Jon closed the door and looked at Margaery.

It had to be said, Margaery was already beautiful, and dressed in her finery today, she was stunning. She stood on a blue carpet, wearing a pale green dress, her white silk-gloved hands resting on her lap.

The sunlight reflected from the vanity mirror illuminated her face, her earrings trembling slightly with her faint smile. Jon had intended to tell her to be careful of Euron the moment he walked in, but his thoughts were momentarily interrupted by such a beautiful sight.

"Lord Jon, congratulations on becoming the new master of Casterly Rock." Margaery tilted her head, adorned with intricate hair ornaments, as if trying to tilt straight into the heart of the person before her.

Beside her was a flower pot made from Daven Lannister's helmet. Whether planted or transplanted, it was now blooming with fresh flowers.

"It must be because Lady Margaery prayed for me before the Seven, otherwise I wouldn't have been so successful," Jon responded with some polite formalities. To be marrying on only their second meeting, despite Westerosi customs, was inevitably a bit awkward and unfamiliar.

Margaery rose gracefully and walked toward Jon. Jon also stepped forward. Just as he was about to bring up Euron, Margaery spoke first, in a tone that was playful, provocative, and laced with a hint of complaint: "Respected Lord Stark, why haven't you written me a single letter during this time? Is it because your ravens have never been to my room and don't know the way?"

Clang—

A brief look of surprise flashed through Jon's eyes. He quickly realized what was going on.

Most likely, news of him and Roslin had leaked, or perhaps Margaery had actively investigated.

Jon recalled the Tyrells he had met. It was possible Olenna had checked for her, or perhaps Willas.

But after meeting them, he hadn't noticed any clues at all. The Tyrells were truly impressive.

It also couldn't be ruled out that someone around Stannis had told them, but whichever it was, it didn't matter now.

Jon composed himself and said, "Lady Margaery, please be patient. I don't know how much you know about the matter, but I have no intention of hiding it from you. I will confess every detail to you, but now is not the time. There is something more important you need to know right now."

"Something more important?" Margaery had imagined Jon might make excuses or frankly tell her the whole story.

In fact, she thought the latter was more likely, and Jon's current attitude confirmed it. However, Jon clearly knew what she was referring to, yet he insisted on changing the subject to something else. This made her feel that the matter might be unusual.

"That adventurer who claims to have been to Valyria. He is very dangerous."

"The adventurer who gave my father the dragon egg?"

"Exactly. If it were up to me, I would throw him in a dungeon and use the cruelest torture I could think of to force him to reveal his true purpose for approaching us. But I have no evidence right now, and he just presented a dragon egg and is Duke Mace's honored guest. But as your future husband, I need to tell you to stay far away from him, and do not let any unfamiliar servants near you." Jon lowered his voice, speaking very seriously.

Seeing Jon's earnest expression, Margaery's expression also became grave. "Is he the most terrible enemy you have ever met?"

"Not necessarily the most terrible, but definitely the most dangerous and insidious! If the Lannisters are lions, then this guy is a viper, and one with several heads, even with fangs on its tail!"

Margaery didn't expect Jon, the "invincible" new upstart, to be so wary of that adventurer. She immediately raised her internal alarm, her face turning slightly pale. She nodded, her emerald earrings swaying gently with her movement.

"Alright, I understand." Then her bright eyes flashed as she looked into Jon's eyes and said, "Lord Stark, you told me that day that for people like us, the most important thing in marriage is to help each other achieve success. I think you will keep your promise, right?"

Jon knew this was Margaery establishing boundaries and power dynamics with him. It was like two merchants discussing the basis of their cooperation and the terms of their rights.

When they first met, she called him "Lord Stark," which represented an affirmation. But using "Lord Stark" now was undoubtedly a form of distancing.

Of course, Jon wasn't much better, having constantly addressed her as "Lady Margaery."

"Of course. You will soon become the Lady of Casterly Rock, and the mother of the children who will inherit all my titles. Furthermore, I will do my best to ensure you are as healthy and long-lived as Lady Olenna. This will never change."

The conditions Jon offered far exceeded her expectations, especially the last "supplementary clause." It even made her doubt the accuracy of her intelligence.

This was equivalent to completely cutting off the possibility of another woman rising to power.

"Good. Lord Jon is a man of his word." Seeing Jon being so "sincere," a smile bloomed on Margaery's face, and she proactively stepped forward to take Jon's arm. "Tell me about that adventurer."