Alliser, the temporary Hand of the King, spared no effort for this coronation ceremony; he truly wished to remove the word "temporary" from his title.
His Majesty Stannis also knew that the coronation represented the prestige of the royal Family, and even if funds were scarce, this was absolutely not the time to save money, especially when facing a wealthy Family like the House Tyrell, so he allocated a large sum of money.
Thus, the tablecloths for the feast were ordered from Myr, featuring subtle stag patterns on the white cloth, making them look luxurious and beautiful.
Even some music and singers were selected from the Free Cities, which was thanks to that "Salladhor."
He contributed over a dozen ships to Stannis's fleet, nearly all of which were lost at the Blackwater Rush. Since Stannis was unable to repay him, he gave him half of Westeros's trade with the Free Cities.
This, in turn, gave Salladhor greater influence, allowing him to quickly raise another fleet, which is how he procured these fine goods for Stannis.
Furthermore, perhaps to show allegiance or for some other purpose, almost every dish on the table was adorned with blue, red, and white roses.
The roses even had dewdrops on them, having been picked and placed on the dishes just before serving.
Stannis and Queen Selyse sat at the head table. Jon sat next to Selyse, and Mace sat next to Stannis.
If one disregards the title of "Prince" specifically retained by Dorne, then the title of Duke is already the highest rank.
Next, influence is determined by who has the largest domain, can raise the most Soldiers, and has the fullest granaries and treasuries.
Currently, Jon is lacking in all these aspects. From a strength perspective, looking across the entire nation, he could be called the weakest Duke.
Jon watched the members of the House Tyrell take their seats one by one. Lady Olenna sat next to Mace, followed by Mace's wife, Alerie. Originally, the seat next to Alerie should have been Miss Margaery or Garlan, but it turned out to be Lyra.
Lyra was next to Garlan, and only after him was Margaery.
Mace had physically isolated Jon from the possibility of approaching his daughter. It was clear he intended to push Lyra forward to muddle through.
Jon saw that Mace was either talking to Lady Olenna or staring at the wine cup in front of him, showing no intention of speaking to Jon, and he immediately understood Mace's plan: to completely ignore his existence, neither making a move nor responding to one.
At this point, Stannis also noticed the arrangement of seats for Mace's Family and spoke first: "Duke Mace, why don't I see Ser Loras?"
"Your respected Majesty, Loras fell slightly ill and was truly unfit to travel to King's Landing. However, thanks to the protection of the Seven Gods, he has greatly improved. If Your Majesty has need, Highgarden's tens of thousands of troops are ready for your command at any time," Mace said, looking into Stannis's deep blue eyes.
Jon's gaze shifted between Stannis and Mace, but through Gods Perspective, he noticed that Lady Olenna and Margaery were secretly looking at him.
He saw that Sansa was striking up a conversation with Margaery; they were chatting about something and seemed to hit it off immediately.
But Jon didn't believe Sansa was a match for Margaery. At the very least, Margaery already knew how to "play a persona," and looking across Westeros, no third person could be found besides himself and her who understood this.
Arya, however, looked a bit dazed. She truly disliked these kinds of occasions and was just staring blankly at the banners on the wall.
Jon refocused his attention on the conversation between Stannis and Mace. Mace's recent statement could be interpreted both as an expression of loyalty and as a "show of force."
Tens of thousands of troops are the foundation of Highgarden. The three great Families of the South—Tyrell, Hightower, and Redwyne—have long been closely united through marriage.
This is the truly troublesome aspect. Especially the Redwyne Fleet belonging to House Redwyne, which is one of the three major fleets of Westeros.
After Stannis's Royal Fleet suffered heavy losses, only the Redwyne Fleet and the Iron Islands Fleet remain.
And Balon the Great King of the Iron Islands has once again declared independence.
Stannis's situation is truly dire: externally, he faces Dragon Mother Daenerys and Young Aegon; internally, rebellions are springing up everywhere, and he still has no son.
His only remaining advantage is his age; being under thirty-five, he can definitely still father children.
However, Jon realized that Mace truly spoils his children. Loras dislikes, perhaps even resents, Stannis because of Renly, and yet he can simply skip an important event like the coronation.
Jon believed that without Mace's protection, Loras could not be so willful.
After Stannis's question, it was Mace's side's turn. Lady Olenna suddenly spoke: "Your Majesty, has the Martell Family pledged allegiance to the iron throne? If necessary, the House Tyrell and the Martell Family once formed a friendship, and perhaps we could persuade Sunspear to swear fealty to the True King."
Lady Olenna's tone was very sincere, but to Stannis's ears, it carried a different meaning.
Speaking of which, a few years ago, Mace's eldest son, Willas, dueled with Oberyn of the Martell Family—the man known as the "Red Viper" who had a whole host of bastard daughters.
During the duel, Willas was injured, resulting in a crippled right leg. However, Willas did not seek revenge; instead, he forgave Martell and became friends with Oberyn.
This is the source of the "friendship" Lady Olenna mentioned.
Lady Olenna's question was veiled criticism, essentially questioning Stannis's competence indirectly.
Stannis did not speak; Selyse spoke first: "Lady Olenna, the Martell Family has already sworn allegiance to the iron throne. It is just that Prince Doran is unwell, and Prince Oberyn is overseas and could not return immediately. His Majesty has reserved a seat on the Small Council for Prince Oberyn."
Selyse explained, pressing her thin lips together, while Stannis took over: "Prince Doran's loyalty is beyond doubt, but this also owes much to the efforts of Duke Stark."
Stannis looked at Jon, and Mace, Lady Olenna, Alerie, and the others also focused their attention on Jon.
Margaery, who was chatting with Sansa, also turned her head.
Even if Mace didn't want to look at Jon, he had to now.
"Duke Stark captured Amory, who shamelessly murdered Rhaegar's daughter Rhaenys, during the Battle of the Green Fork, and later executed Gregor, who killed Rhaegar's wife, beneath Darry City. Gregor's head and Amory were recently delivered to Dorne."
Stannis meant that even if Willas forgave Oberyn, Jon had killed the murderers they had long wished to eliminate.
Amory was originally supposed to have been killed by a bear, but now that he has fallen into the hands of the Martell Family, he is likely to suffer greatly.
Listening to Stannis's praise, Jon humbly said: "Even the most benevolent Mother Above would despise men like Amory and the Mountain, who draw their swords against the weak."
Whether the Tyrells were willing to admit it or not, Jon was indeed very lucky to have gotten hold of these two men.
Even if he hadn't aligned with Stannis, taking the Mountain's head to Dorne would have secured him a decent status.
"The Duke despises evil as he does his enemies; he is a true Knight," Lady Olenna praised.
"Lady Olenna, you flatter me." Jon drained his cup, accepting her compliment.
"When is the Duke's nameday?" Alerie, Margaery's mother, suddenly asked.
Jon was slightly surprised, thinking she was challenging him. Truthfully, Jon had little impression of Alerie and didn't know what kind of person she was.
Lady Olenna, realizing something was amiss, gave a slight shake to the hand holding her teacup. Stannis also frowned, showing dissatisfaction.
Sansa, not far away, also froze for a moment, because a bastard and a nameday shouldn't really be associated.
Lyra, sitting right next to Alerie, sneered slightly. Would anyone really care about a bastard's nameday?
Alerie's question chilled the atmosphere of the conversation. The decorative roses stacked together suddenly fell from the plate, making the mood even more awkward.
Jon didn't know Alerie's intention in asking, but he replied calmly: "Well, I suppose if my mother were still alive, and if I could find her someday, perhaps I would know my nameday."
Jon scrutinized Alerie's silver-gold hair and blue-green eyes, trying to figure out what this woman really wanted to ask.
She suddenly covered her mouth with her hand, realizing she had spoken inappropriately.
"I am truly sorry, Duke," Alerie's eyes flashed with panic. "I merely heard that people born in different months have different temperaments, and I was just curious about you. I meant nothing else."
Seeing her explanation, Jon offered a smile of understanding. Indeed, two different kinds of people cannot be bred in the same bed; no wonder you've been able to stay with Mace for so many years.
Speaking of which, Margaery and her four siblings are all spaced about two years apart, one after the other, showing that the couple's relationship must be quite good.
Alerie should be around thirty-seven or thirty-eight, older than Stannis, yet there wasn't a single fine line visible around her eyes.
Compared to Lyra next to her, some people might even believe they were sisters.
"Lady Alerie, there's no need to blame yourself. I think none of us should dwell too much on the past. Looking toward the future and building it is what matters most. Just like how the House Tyrell ultimately chose to stand with His Majesty Stannis, the future of the Seven Kingdoms will surely be brighter," Jon said with a smile, seemingly completely unbothered by the small interruption.
Stannis also smiled, a rare sight: "Duke Jon is right," he said, raising his cup. "To the future of the Seven Kingdoms."
"Long live the Seven Kingdoms! Long live His Majesty Stannis!"
Alliser, Yassel, and other members of House Florent, Davos, Melisandre, Adrian, and others seated further away also raised their cups.
Then Davos spoke: "Your Majesty, Jon is your most capable vassal, and Young Miss Margaery is Duke Mace's favorite and only daughter. Why not let the young people open the upcoming ball?"
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