WILOW-Ch.428: Welcome to Politics
Imperial Army Camp
POV of Domeric Bolton
"You want tips on relationships?" Domeric said, trying not to let the disbelief show on his face.
He must have failed pretty badly, as the next second Jon turned his head and looked away.
But the fact that Jon actually wanted to talk to him about girls was truly unexpected for him.
"Yeah… I think you have a pretty good relationship with Ygritte. And I'm sure that I'll be married off to Margaery soon after we take King's Landing. So, I wanted to know if… You know… Do you have any tips about impressing girls?"
"Okay, first of all. Stop the 'impressing girls' thinking right now." He said with a frown, "You're not trying to impress a girl here. You don't need to court her. You and Margery are already getting married. And if she's half as smart as her grandmother, then you'll be deeply in love with her before the end of the week, and she might even love you back by the end of the month."
"What do you mean?" Jon asked with a frown as they left the campsite and walked around near the riverbank.
He considered whether to tell Jon the truth. In the end, he decided to go with it.
He stopped and looked Jon in the eye. "Jon, do you think that Margaery is some blushing virgin maiden for you to be courted?"
Jon frowned harder. "Isn't she?"
He almost pitied the boy. Almost.
"No." He said, "She lost her virginity quite early in her youth. Mostly under her grandmother's direction so that she could learn how to please a man."
Jon looked crestfallen, and he thought about stopping for a moment, but then decided to continue, "Arianne might be known for her tastes in men in Dorne, but I know for a fact that Margaery has fucked more male whores than ever Arianne did."
Jon was looking positively murderous at this point. "And you want me to marry a woman like that?"
"Yes." He nodded, "At the end of the day, you're not sitting on the Iron Throne because it's comfortable. You're doing it because we need a leader who can unite the Five Kingdoms and lead us through the Long Night. And you're not marrying Margaery because of the tight cunt. You're doing so because the Tyrells have the men and resources we need for the Long Night."
Since Jon didn't seem able to answer him, Domeric added, "Welcome to politics, Jon. When politics get involved, you have to sacrifice something to gain something. That includes marriages. And whether you come out on top depends on how powerful you are."
Jon was at a loss for words. "I… I don't want to end up like King Robert. With a wife who fucks other men and gives me bastards for children."
"Whether you become like King Robert is up to you. King Robert was a man who constantly cheated on his wife, cared only for alcohol and his own pleasure, and instead of dealing with the Realm's problems, he dumped them all on Jon Arryn. You don't have to be like that. Deal with the Realm's problems, and don't forget to spend time with your wife. And don't be unfaithful after you get married." He said.
"I can do that. But how can I know if Margaery will remain faithful to me?" Jon asked.
He sighed, "Look, Jon. Margaery is not a fool. Everything that she does, she does for a goal. And believe me when I say that she is not going to cuckold you. The reason she fucked other men was so that she could learn how to pleasure her husband in ways he had never even thought of."
"Are you really trying to help me?" Jon asked in despair, and he laughed.
"I'm telling you the harsh truth about your life. Whether you see it as help or not is up to you." He said, "With that said, despite her manipulative tendencies and the fact that you'll be eating out of her hands in a week, she has a good heart and is a far better woman than Queen Cersei ever was."
"That doesn't make me feel better at all." Jon slouched.
"Perhaps." He smiled, "But rest assured. Margaery won't dare cheat you. And even if she tries, the moment she acts, my men will find out and tell me. And when I find out, you will, too."
Then he paused for a moment, thought for a moment, then smirked at Jon and said. "You know what? I know just the thing that'll make you feel better."
With that, he led Jon to a tavern on the nearby road.
Half an hour later, they were both in a room with three of the most beautiful whores in the nearby area.
Jon looked at him in betrayal and then looked at the whores before he gulped.
"I… I cannot do this." Jon said.
He rolled his eyes. "Try saying that after they have your cock buried in their cunts. Besides, you wouldn't want to feel inadequate on your first night with your future wife, would you? So, practice." He said and pushed the girls toward him.
The girls laughed and fell upon Jon like a pack of vultures, and he closed the door before leaving.
He might have hurt Jon today, but if that makes him a little less naive about the world and a little less likely to fall head over heels for Margaery at first glance, then he would consider it a win.
But he was still not very optimistic about that.
Margaery had long been training under her grandmother's tutelage. And although she lacked real political experience, it wouldn't be difficult for her to manipulate someone like Jon, who was unaware of the realities of life.
Therefore, Domeric needed to keep a close eye on the Red Keep and King's Landing. He had to appoint official advisors and assistants to Jon on behalf of the Empire to ensure things went as the Empire desired.
He also needed to speak with Lyra and deploy several spies there. Perhaps even sending a few mannequins would be a good idea.
The Iron Throne would rule over five kingdoms. Therefore, politics and intrigue would be more prevalent there than in other kingdoms.
That's why Domeric couldn't simply leave it in the hands of someone as inexperienced as Jon and retreat.
He needed to monitor events both openly and from the shadows, and would likely sometimes have to intervene himself as Emperor.
But there was nothing he could do about it. Being an Emperor came with responsibilities.
At least he was the one who decided the course of events and issued orders to others accordingly.
Otherwise, he would have to be on the receiving end of orders, and Domeric had no intention of being on that side.
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Next Chapters' Name:
Ch.429: New Sworn Shield
Ch.430: A Reckless and Desperate Plan
Ch.431: Incompetent Tyrells