A quarrel erupted during the first meeting of the Small Council, which was something Stannis did not wish to see.
The Loyalists and The Queens Party were now arguing fiercely, spitting saliva everywhere. The Queens Party, represented by Yassel, accused The Loyalists of believing in a False God.
The Loyalists, led by Davos, believed this was blasphemy against the Divine.
"When I was still in Flea Bottom, sailors like me went to the Sept at least once a week, and my wife goes three times a week and prays once a day at home. Your Majesty, the Seven Gods are far too important to the common people. Burning the idols of the Seven Gods is absolutely unacceptable!" Davos pleaded excitedly, but he was quickly met with criticism from The Queens Party.
"Where were the Seven Gods when Your Majesty was attacking the city? Where were the Seven Gods when Lord Eddard Stark was falsely accused and beheaded?
It is precisely because the Seven Gods are False Gods that the lord of light sent Duke Stark south to assist Your Majesty. Otherwise, you and I wouldn't even be able to hold Dragonstone!
The people of King's Landing, and indeed the people of the Seven Kingdoms, will sooner or later have to accept the fact that the lord of light is the only True God!" Yassel spoke wildly, his points grounded more in reality. Of course, the Duke Stark mentioned here was Jon.
And as they talked, the topic shifted to Jon; his attitude was extremely important. Even Stannis looked toward the youngest man among them.
Jon knew he couldn't avoid it, so he stood up and said, "My Lords, I have indeed witnessed the greatness and Divine Power of the lord of light throughout my journey. If nothing else, without the wildfire made by the Pyromancer, I might not have been able to defend the city."
"Exactly—" Yassel was about to agree when Stannis glared him back into silence, as the wildfire had also burned Stannis's fleet.
"But we must also admit that the Cultivators representing the Seven Gods have long been integrated into the daily lives of the common people. This deeply rooted influence spanning thousands of years cannot be eliminated quickly. Forcing it will only lead to backlash. King's Landing has a larger and more complex population. Your Majesty is the King of all Westeros, not just the King of the lord of light's followers." Halfway through, Jon looked at Stannis. "Your Majesty, you are in the prime of your life, and you have time ahead of you. You can slowly promote the lord of light's influence among the common people. As for the coronation ceremony, I believe we can merge the Seven Gods' coronation and the lord of light's coronation. Furthermore, autumn has arrived, and winter is not far off. When the common people realize that the Seven Gods cannot bring warmth and hope, they will naturally know which one is the True God."
Jon's suggestion was a compromise, but it provided a solution that both opposing sides could accept.
Although neither was completely satisfied, it was not unacceptable.
But Melisandre raised an objection: "We may refrain from burning the False God idols for now, but the True God must never associate with a False God! Your Majesty cannot accept the False God's coronation in the presence of the True God. This is unforgivable blasphemy."
Melisandre's stance undoubtedly broke the balance again. Jon felt speechless regarding this shrewd but incomprehensible woman.
"Indeed, the language of fanatics is incompatible."
"Then let Your Majesty accept the lord of light's coronation inside the Sept, and the Seven Gods' coronation outside the Sept," Davos suggested.
Accepting the Seven Gods' coronation outside the Sept would satisfy as many common people as possible and better express a certain inclination towards Westeros.
The Onion Knight was playing a small trick.
But this time, Stannis was the one who objected. He spoke, "The lord of light's coronation will be accepted outside the Sept, and the Seven Gods inside the Sept. It is decided."
Since he had spoken, the others naturally had nothing more to say. Jon was indifferent; after all, once he reached The Westerlands, he would still prioritize the Seven Gods, and the lord of light could just be a formality.
Royal authority above, Divine authority below—this is the order that should never be overturned.
He needed to quickly conquer The Westerlands, and then accumulate men, money, and supplies. Other messy matters of faith were not what he should be worrying about now.
Jon was concerned about what task Stannis would assign him.
Seeing that the matter of the coronation ceremony was finally settled, which meant the end of the Small Council meeting agenda, they waited for Stannis to announce Jon's "task."
"Jon, cough cough," Stannis cleared his throat and said, "I hope you will marry Margaery, but—"
"Me?" Jon's response was filled with surprise and disbelief.
Although he knew he possessed the Targaryen Bloodline, no one believed it. Therefore, the wisest course of action was to treat himself as a bastard and negotiate with all parties based on reality.
Although Jon had learned from Varys that Stannis was inclined to use him for a marriage alliance with Tyrell, he thought Stannis would ultimately dismiss the idea.
The idea of him marrying Margaery was simply unrealistic.
Seeing Jon's look of surprise, Stannis paused mid-sentence, seemingly unsure how to continue. Davos, seeing this, decided to play the bad guy himself.
Davos instinctively started to pull his chair closer to Jon, but realizing it might be inappropriate, he simply leaned his body forward.
"Jon, here's the thing: House Tyrell's condition is actually to marry a collateral branch Young Miss to you. Of course, she is also surnamed Tyrell, and her appearance is certainly not bad. But concerning your marriage to Margaery, they have consistently refused to budge, because, because—"
"Because they believe I am not worthy." Jon simply finished the sentence for Davos.
Davos felt uneasy seeing Jon face his identity so frankly.
"It's alright, Ser Davos. Please continue with His Majesty's arrangements. Prejudice in the human heart is a great mountain, and I can understand that," Jon said calmly, patting Davos's arm with his hand.
"Prejudice in the human heart is a great mountain."
Everyone silently pondered Jon's words, finding them philosophical.
Davos sighed and continued, "Here's the situation, Jon. Although House Tyrell proposed marrying a collateral branch Young Miss to you, His Majesty still hopes you can strive to win Margaery. Because this time, Duke Mace and Lady Olenna will also bring Margaery to King's Landing. We will create opportunities for you to spend time alone."
"Yes, you can do anything you want to the rose of highgarden during that time—" A lewd smile appeared on Yassel's face, but Jon's expression instantly turned cold.
"Your Majesty, if you require me to do such a thing, I must refuse!" Jon stood up and spoke solemnly and seriously.
Stannis frowned, looked at Yassel, and then said, "Get out!"
Yassel realized he had done something stupid, reluctantly apologized, and left the meeting. Davos quickly tried to mend the situation: "It's not like that, Jon. His Majesty absolutely didn't mean that. His Majesty hopes to give you and Margaery a chance to interact. If the two of you are willing to be together, His Majesty can then bestow the marriage. This way, Highgarden won't have anything to say, after all, the help you can get from marrying a collateral branch Young Miss is completely different from marrying an official daughter!"
Davos simultaneously soothed Jon's emotions and urged him to sit down.
Seeing Jon's face still dark, Stannis said with some displeasure, "Do you think I would make you do such a thing?"
"No, no, Your Majesty, I was too agitated. As you know, I am a bastard. I do not wish to get a girl pregnant before marrying her. I do not want my Bloodline to learn to resent its father before learning anything else—" Who doesn't know it's good to marry a rich wife? But Yassel's despicable suggestion had to be strongly countered.
"Enough, enough, I don't blame you." Seeing Jon's sincere attitude, Stannis waved his hand, signaling Davos to continue.
"The general situation I need to explain is this: the collateral branch Young Misses brought by House Tyrell are one named Aelora Tyrell," and the other should be Lyl Tyrell.
"Lia Tyrell," Stannis personally corrected.
"Right, Lia Tyrell." Davos apologized and continued, "Both of these Tyrells are close to your age. They are currently Margaery's handmaidens. Once His Majesty's coronation is over, there will be a ball. We will find a way to create opportunities for you during the ball. If you and Margaery like each other, that's best; if not, you won't be forced, nor will you be asked to do that kind of thing."
"Oh, right," Davos suddenly remembered something. He clapped his hands, and an attendant entered from outside, holding a portrait clearly in the style of Myr. As soon as the portrait was revealed, many eyes were drawn to it.
The portrait depicted a beautiful and elegant girl, about fourteen years old, with long brown hair reaching her waist like expensive silk. Her bright brown eyes seemed ready to speak. She was sitting there quietly in a green dress, like a silently blooming flower, especially with the perfectly placed lace on her cuffs and collar.
It could only be said that although this world was somewhat backward in productivity, its aesthetic standards were quite high.
"Jon, look, this is Margaery, although it must be a portrait from a year or two ago. She must be even more beautiful now. Margaery should be the same age as you. What a coincidence, don't you agree?" Davos seemed to revert to his old smuggling profession, starting to use persuasive sales talk.
"Indeed, she is a beautiful girl," Jon said, looking at the painting and nodding, giving a very objective assessment. However, he still asked, "I just wonder what kind of person she is."
Seeing that Jon was not merely swayed by beauty, Davos nodded in satisfaction and said, "She is the queen of thorns Olenna's most beloved granddaughter, and Olenna is the de facto leader of House Tyrell. When Rhaegar Targaryen was defeated at the Ruby Ford, she didn't immediately choose to swear fealty to King Robert. Instead, she made the Tyrell army fight a battle with Lord Eddard before withdrawing from the Royalist Party, preserving the Family's honor. And after you defeated Tywin, she immediately ordered Mace to pursue Tywin, as House Tyrell could use the excuse of being misled. In short, she always makes the most correct decisions. Since Margaery is her favorite granddaughter, she should be excellent as well."
"Moreover, Margaery is very popular in Highgarden. This isn't just because she is beautiful; she often steps down from her carriage, lets minstrels accompany her singing, and chats warmly with street vendors. Managing her public image like this is something most noble Young Misses cannot achieve." Listening to Davos's analysis, Jon gained a rough impression of Margaery.
"Good, I understand. I will definitely find a way to approach Margaery." Jon nodded, expressing his commitment.
Seeing Jon accept his "task," Stannis issued his final command.
"Jon, starting today, I will send people to instruct you in noble etiquette. I don't think this will be difficult; even if you didn't learn it in Winterfell, you've at least seen it. Additionally, you must learn social dances and balls."
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