"My lords!"
A clear shout came from the front row of the hall. The young King Aegon Targaryen understood the queen's hint, turned his head and gave her a slight nod, then immediately rose to his feet. His tall, thin figure in black-and-red formal dress suddenly stood out among the seated nobles.
He paused for a moment, waiting until that shout had drawn the attention of the murmuring lords and the discussion had quieted enough for everyone to hear him, before speaking in a clear voice: "There is no doubt that it was a mistake not to decisively abandon the supplies during the Battle of the Blackwater Rush. But today's agenda is to discuss how to resist the enemy, not to determine who was responsible for that defeat in the Crownlands. In the name of Aegon VI, I order that no one mention the Battle of the Blackwater Rush again in this meeting. At the same time, I implore and ask all of you, do not put the cart before the horse. Let us first unite to overcome this difficulty, and then vent our emotions afterward!"
Aegon's voice was not especially loud, and he had not yet established much prestige or power, but his seat in the front row and his status as king were not to be taken lightly. Margaery's swift return to his side amid the chaos of rumors had already clearly shown House Tyrell's stance through practical action: they still recognized Aegon as their good-son, still recognized this young king, and had no intention of abandoning him.
For the majority of the Reach lords, King Aegon was the symbol of the justice of this war and the guarantee of its legitimacy. Although this Targaryen had neither dragons nor had yet displayed any extraordinary abilities or noble virtues, he was still nominally everyone's liege, the banner under which everyone in this room could unite against a common enemy. That alone, in the present time of crisis, was enough to make him a supreme authority that overrode all else. The rule of the king's game was this: no matter how much you might look down on him in private, you must never openly contradict him on important occasions.
As for the Golden Company and Jon Connington's group, they had not brought up old matters in public to stir up trouble or disrupt the meeting. It was only an outlet for their anger toward the Reach lords' recent tendency to "negotiate with Daenerys Targaryen separately and leave them aside." Publicly, Aegon was also their leader. Privately, this young man represented the interests of their faction. From any angle, it was impossible for them to truly continue arguing without regard for what mattered most.
The combination of these factors was the real reason why King Aegon, despite not possessing absolute authority in his words, could still achieve the effect of absolute authority. And this was exactly what Margaery had considered when she saw the argument about to break out and escalate, and immediately hinted for him to step forward and take control of the situation.
Not everyone was clear-headed enough to understand the stakes, but since everyone was in the same boat, most rational people who did not want to drown would work hard to make sure that the small number of hotheads could not ruin the greater cause.
The hall quieted noticeably, and the few hot-blooded men who were still muttering in dissatisfaction shut their mouths under the pulling and persuasion of the other noble lords around them.
With the situation successfully brought under control, Aegon nodded to Loras, who had been speaking earlier, and sat back down.
...
At the speaker's platform, the Knight of Flowers bowed to the king who had spoken with righteous authority, steadied himself, and continued briefing the assembled lords on the general situation of Daenerys's western expeditionary army. Meanwhile, Margaery, seated in the front row below, secretly glanced at her husband beside her and let out a silent sigh.
To be able to quickly grasp her intention meant he was intelligent. To be able to react decisively and step forward to control the situation before the argument escalated meant he had courage. To be willing to do so further showed that he had a clear head and a strong sense of the greater picture. Added to that were the tall and handsome Targaryen looks he naturally possessed, and a bloodline worthy of a king.
Aside from lacking sufficient power and sufficient luck, Aegon met all of Margaery's standards for a spouse and could be called a perfect husband. However, only she knew that beneath the beautiful surface of this cooperative and mutually supportive couple, the marriage was still only an empty shell.
By returning in time to stand at his side, Margaery had successfully silenced the rumors, but gossip from the outside could be dealt with. The feelings between husband and wife, however, could not be conjured out of nothing. This seemingly well-matched pair had a huge flaw from the beginning: the wife had originally wanted to marry him, only to be cruelly rejected; the husband had been fixated on his aunt, and had likewise been rejected. In the end, it was only because the groom had settled for the next best choice that this marriage had finally come to pass.
A marriage that had already bred resentment before the wedding, whose wedding had then been interrupted, and in which the couple had not begun living together immediately afterward, was like a child born deformed. Even if it were given the best possible environment to grow, the chance of it becoming a completely normal person would be tiny. Worse still, Margaery's marriage was not merely unable to reach "normal." It had not even reached "complete." Not only were there no feelings between husband and wife, they had not even established a physical relationship.
On the first night after returning to Aegon's side, Margaery showed him the finished powder product and explained all the effort she had made during her absence, successfully winning his understanding and approval.
On the second night, the two talked late into the night, trying to come up with a good way to put powder into practical use and ensure that it could be used effectively. Although they reached no conclusion in the end, at least their relationship warmed, and they became more familiar with one another.
Then came the third night. Feeling that their relationship had been sufficiently repaired and that the time was right, Margaery finally gathered the courage to take the initiative, wanting at last to do the "proper thing" as husband and wife, which had already been delayed for over half a month. That would not only put her mind at ease, but also completely reassure her husband and the Golden Company faction he represented about House Tyrell's position.
But what she could never have imagined was this: she, the flower of Highgarden, the beautiful and noble princess of House Tyrell, the woman second only to Daenerys Targaryen in desirability throughout the Seven Kingdoms, had summoned her courage and, blushing, taken the initiative with her own wedded husband, only to discover, when they reached the final step, that her husband could not rise!
Amid his embarrassment, the young man even gave a very righteous explanation: until this war was over, and until he could ensure the safety of his wife and future children, he had no mind for such things.
No mind for such things!
Margaery, having been personally taught by the Queen of Thorns, was not entirely ignorant of matters between men and women, and naturally scoffed at this. After secretly consulting her grandmother, she learned that this sort of situation generally fell into three categories: psychological, mental, and physical.
Either Aegon's dislike of Margaery was so strong that it had reached the point of aversion, thus causing his inability, or the great defeat at the Blackwater Rush and the experience of having his wedding shelled had caused psychological trauma to the new king, which in turn affected his physical response, or there was a genuine physical problem that left him incapable.
But while Olenna explained this, she also assured her granddaughter that no matter which case it was, she had plenty of ways to solve it. What Margaery needed to do now was pretend that her married life was blissful, appear radiant and exceptionally happy as though nourished by "rain and dew," and absolutely not let this matter become known outside, lest it shake morale and affect unity!
Margaery suppressed her confusion and grievance, firmly keeping her grandmother's instructions in mind and carrying them out. In her heart, however, she could not help secretly praying that her new husband was not in the most extreme kind of situation, like her former Renly.
Inability could still be treated, and if he simply did not like her, she had many ways to turn things around. But if she had encountered a situation like Renly's, where he could never truly "love" her, then she would be tormented for the rest of her life.
...
"Bang."
A light sound of impact pulled Margaery back into the hall. Her brother Loras, who was speaking at the front, had already finished describing the general state of Daenerys's western expeditionary army. Now, as he concluded the military report, he took out a small jar from beneath the platform and gently placed it on the table.
"My lords, what I am about to show you is the result that the Reach craftsmen, under the personal guidance of my sister, Queen Margaery, have developed over the past half month through concentrated effort and with only a small amount of useful information: what the Night's Watch calls Powder!"
(To be continued.)
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◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 200 Power Stones.
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