The harpist's fingers ran gracefully across the strings of the tall harp. The hall fell silent, and Hamish sang on — about how Lord Renly had managed to return from the world of the dead to enjoy one last kiss from Lady of Reach and to take revenge on Joffrey's enemies.
Yes, the author was clearly trying to please the king. And although it was all very beautiful — even touching in places — I somehow doubted that Lord Renly was worrying about how to help the king in the afterlife.
Margaery's eyes filled with tears, and a few rolled down her cheeks.
The song turned out to be very sad, and the guests grew somber. I think that was intentional. The next tune was about duty and honor, followed by a lively song sung by Hamish, and at the very end came a ballad about love and happiness..
The people mourned for a while, then cheered up and got carried away.
The next dish was served — hot oatcakes and corn fritters. Apparently, in Westeros they don't know words like "proper nutrition."
Food and entertainment began to alternate at an unreal pace, and the guests washed it all down with a staggering amount of wine.
Ser Josib worked his jaws tirelessly at his table. I even felt a little sorry for him. Although, looking at the enormous wineskin that could only loosely be called his stomach, I realized that the cupbearer had plenty of room to store all the food.
Gallon after gallon of wine, mead, and ale disappeared. The men and women became first content, then merry, then wild and frenzied.
The knights told bawdy war stories, filled with surprisingly intimate details. The ladies giggled, blushed theatrically — but kept up with them. Sure enough, a drunk woman has only one thing on her mind.
Many were no longer merely laughing — they were hiccuping with exhaustion. Some couples were eating from the same plate, drinking from the same cup, and even kissing openly. I realized it was time for me to forge my own happiness.
"Margaery," I called to the girl. She turned around, and in that moment, I slipped my arm around her shoulder, pulled her close, and kissed her softly on the lips — just barely brushing her with my tongue.
She froze for an instant, then responded with such a sincere and affectionate kiss that my heart began to pound. Her slender, graceful hand slid around my neck, and her fingers tangled in my hair.
One of the guests spotted us and shouted to the entire hall:
"To Joffrey and Margaery!"
The crowd took up the cheer, and we, with some disappointment — yet very happy with each other — parted our lips.
***
Margaery
A couple of years ago, Grandmother Olenna had promised her that she would do everything in her power to make her a queen.
King Robert was still alive then, and he had two sons growing up — Joffrey and Tommen. Tommen was younger than she was, but Joffrey, who was her age, seemed a perfect match in every way. Moreover, by that time, the knights of the Reach and House Tyrell itself had gained such power and influence that even the king would have benefited from becoming allied with them.
But life had not unfolded the way Lady Olenna had expected. First, King Robert left with his entire family for the North — to his old friend, Ned Stark. He made Ned his Hand, and his daughter Sansa was promised to Joffrey as his wife. The union was announced throughout the kingdom, and there was not a house, inn, or crossroads where people didn't gossip about it.
And then King Robert died. A rebellion broke out, and thanks to the persistence and eloquence of her younger brother, Loras, Lord Mace leaned toward an alliance with Renly Baratheon. At first, their military affairs went well, and she was married to Renly.
Although, it must be admitted, Grandmother Olenna had initially opposed this alliance — and now Margaery understood why.
But her father, Lord Mace, refused to listen to anyone and followed his son's lead, driven by his own ambitions.
Thus, Margaery became a formal queen. Renly was not a legitimate king — he was merely waging war for the Iron Throne. And he was also a sodomite. At some point, Grandmother had come to terms with the marriage and convinced herself that perhaps it was for the best. The main thing was for him to seize the throne and then once managed to make her pregnant. After that, he could sleep with whomever he wished — even his squires or their horses.
Margaery herself did not particularly like this approach, but she had to respect her grandmother's opinion.
The worst part was that Renly was physically incapable of intimacy with a woman. Time passed, and she remained a virgin. And then Renly died…
It seemed that all their plans had collapsed, and disaster was inevitable. But Lady Olenna miraculously managed to turn the situation to Highgarden's advantage. Very little time passed, and now Margaery was betrothed to King Joffrey.
Rumors about whether Joffrey was Robert's child or his uncle Jaime Lannister's did not trouble them much. First and foremost, there was the political value of such an alliance — and the groom was the king. Both houses benefited from the marriage, creating a great and powerful union.
Whether Joffrey was legitimate as king was not so important. The main thing was to hold the throne at first. Then people would grow used to it and forget. Glory to the Seven — Westeros had seen much stranger things in its long history!
And so the knights of the Reach set out for King's Landing.
Margaery remembered perfectly the sunny day when her procession entered the city gates — the sky was cloudless, bells rang in every key, and thousands of laughing, cheering people showered her with flowers, expressing their delight and joy. How could they not be happy? After all, the Tyrells had brought a vast supply of food and wine to the starving city.
Overall, she liked King Joffrey. He was tall for his age, well-built, eloquent, and possessed refined manners when speaking with others.
But behind that mask lay his true nature — cruel, suspicious, and easily offended. And he clearly didn't know how to behave around her when they were alone; it was obvious that dealing with girls was not his strong suit.
Grandmother Olenna reassured her, saying that any man could be easily tamed.
"All men are like stallions. They bare their teeth, kick with their hooves, and may even bite. They imagine themselves to be strong and rebellious. But sooner or later, almost every one of them allows himself to be bridled and saddled. Remember that, my dear."