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Margaery was born craving power.
Jon felt her grip tighten on his hand, fueled by sheer excitement.
They walked toward crowd. Mountain clansmen dropped to knees second they saw Jon, falling like wind-swept wheat.
Thousands of clansmen kneeling before Jon and his wife created heavy, suffocating atmosphere for welcoming party.
Anyone refusing to kneel felt immense crushing pressure.
Take Alester. Standing tall amidst sea of kneeling bodies made even ocean breeze feel violently harsh against him.
Having massive crowd grovel at your feet easily went to man's head. Jon refused to get drunk on that feeling. He ordered migrating clansmen to rise.
Vido, Cheyk, Harken, Sola. Familiar faces and rugged leathers from Mist-bound, Howling Mountain, and River-sever clans appeared before him again.
Vido and Cheyk stood at front, spotting Jon first. Half year had passed since they last saw him, but even deep in mountains, they heard tales of Jon stirring up storms and seizing bloody victories.
Two elders noticed Jon looked taller than they remembered. His bearing was ruthlessly calm, radiating pure, undeniable authority.
That impression came from hearing stories on their march south, mixed with sheer psychological weight of towering Casterly Rock standing behind him.
After taking in Jon, their eyes naturally shifted to Margaery.
Vido always thought his own daughter was beautiful, but Margaery's stunning looks forced him to marvel. Deep down, he knew only woman this gorgeous deserved Jon.
Harken had same reaction. He looked from Jon to Margaery, completely mesmerized by her beauty for breathless second before snapping out of it and averting his eyes.
First came raw awe, then paralyzing fear.
He wouldn't dare harbor dirty thoughts about Margaery. Even ignoring Jon's lethal combat skills, surrounding men would butcher him just for looking too long.
Then there was Sola. Her bright blue eyes stayed glued to Jon, never straying.
Jon and Margaery stopped. He let go of her hand, stepping up to Vido.
"On your feet, Elder Vido. Tell everyone to rise. That town over there is your new home now."
Hearing Jon's promise, crowd erupted in wild cheers. Only Alester and his entourage wore dark, murderous scowls.
Jon hadn't even bothered to greet him yet.
"My Lord, you gave us land. You are hero to all clansmen!" Vido stared at endless flat plains, face plastered with raw excitement.
"Our damn savior!" Harken chimed in, shooting hostile, mocking glare straight at Alester.
Alester forced boiling blood to cool. He reminded himself he wasn't here to bicker with filthy savages. He was here to crush rebellion and carve out future for House Florent.
Jon caught Sola in peripheral vision. Her eyes darted between him and Margaery, looking lost and utterly crushed.
But reality didn't bend to girl's wishes. They simply weren't meant to share a bed.
"Elder Vido, you've had grueling march." Margaery stepped up, offering him radiant, welcoming smile.
On road here, Margaery had grilled Jon for physical descriptions of key clan elders.
It paid off beautifully. Receiving personal greetings from Margaery made even cunning old foxes like Vido and Cheyk instantly respect young matriarch.
To them, Margaery's flawless beauty practically mirrored their sacred Moon Goddess.
"Honored Lady, it was nothing. Lord found us new home. Every blister and bloody footprint was worth it," Vido replied quickly.
"My Lady, Lord Jon gave us land. Our bloodlines will serve Casterly Rock's Stark for generations. We will never betray him!" Cheyk swore fiercely.
Margaery smiled, nodding, then shifted gaze to Sola. Sola's hungry, longing look at Jon hadn't escaped Margaery's sharp eyes.
"Is this your daughter, Elder? She is absolutely stunning."
"Not half as beautiful as you, My Lady." Vido swelled with pride at compliment. "Sola, bow to Lady."
"M-My Lady."
Caught in Margaery's sudden spotlight, Sola panicked. She bobbed, bowed, and looked desperately for place to hide. She managed stiff, awkward smile that felt entirely wrong.
"Elder Vido, I want her by my side as lady-in-waiting. Would you permit it?" Margaery took Sola's hand, playing part of smitten friend perfectly.
"Of course, My Lady. It is Sola's highest honor," Vido agreed instantly, then snapped at his daughter. "Thank Lady."
"Thank you, My Lady." Sola felt dizzy, jerked around like cheap puppet. She didn't even notice when heavy, gleaming gold bracelet suddenly wrapped around her wrist.
Margaery also ordered servants to fetch fine pair of leather boots for Sola's dumbstruck younger brother, Thor, who stood staring nearby.
Jon didn't even know when Margaery had prepped these gifts.
Casterly Rock's new matriarch casually established dominance and grace among wild clansmen with few smiles and whispers. Sandor and Brynden watched in silent awe. Even Jon's respect for his new wife skyrocketed.
But her next move truly caught Jon off guard. Margaery turned to clansmen showering her with gratitude and told them every gift and kindness was Jon's idea.
Thanks to Margaery's cunning political play, Jon absorbed another massive wave of fanatical worship.
Jon looked at Margaery. She shot him subtle, wicked arch of her eyebrow—half showing off, half demanding her reward.
Elder Cheyk, quiet until now, finally spoke up.
"My Lady, please bless our new land with name."
"Name it, My Lady. It would be our honor."
Margaery looked surprised but deeply thrilled by request. She glanced at Jon. He gave her encouraging nod.
"Casterly Rock is my new home now. Surrounding lands are yours. A new homeland..."
A new homeland. New York? Jon thought, fighting smirk as he watched her.
"Let's call it—New York!"
"New York! Good! Clansmen, this is New York now! Our new home!" Vido roared to masses behind him.
"We are New Yorkers!"
"Long live New York! Long live Lady!"
Crowd erupted. Margaery turned back to Jon, only to find him staring at her with wide, utterly stunned eyes.
"What? Is name bad?"
"No, it's great. Fucking perfect, actually. You name everything from now on. Even our kids."
Jon's promise made Margaery beam. Finally, after working clansmen and naming their town, Jon led Margaery over to Alester.
"Hard journey, Lord Duke," Alester said flatly, bitter resentment dripping from every syllable.
"Grueling. Exhausted my lovely wife. Let's head inside." Jon ignored Alester's darkening, furious glare and turned away. "Addam, prep carriage. We ride for castle."
Group moved toward Casterly Rock. Massive welcoming feast awaited them. Jon and Margaery climbed back into carriage as it rolled through giant gates.
Inside carriage, Margaery murmured.
"My Lord Jon."
"You want to ask about Sola?"
"No. But if you want to confess, I'll listen."
Jon didn't expect to get played. His hand gripped her waist, squeezing hard. Margaery let out sudden, breathless gasp.
She begged for mercy through soft giggles, then whispered.
"I actually wanted to say... back in King's Landing, you kept swearing you'd return to Wall. You never planned on going back, did you?"
"You struck deal with those clansmen early on. They gave you swords, you gave them fresh land. True?"
"Your mind is sharp as winter ice."
Praised, Margaery pushed further.
"Jon, I know you crave power. Tell me how far you plan to take this. Let me prepare."
Jon stared into her bright brown eyes.
"Truly smart players just wait for perfect bloody moment."
Casterly Rock's towering, stacked structures were draped in lanterns. Even narrowest alleys burned with firelight.
Glowing halos mirrored sprawling starlight above.
New master claiming Casterly Rock demanded massive, alcohol-soaked feast.
Jon hosted banquet in Hall of Heroes. Walls were still infested with Lannister lion carvings, so heavy banners covered them up.
Servants from Highgarden suggested hanging Tyrell rose beside Jon's Stark banner. Margaery shot it down instantly.
Red Keep hung Lannister and Baratheon flags together, and Robert and Cersei's marriage was toxic, rotting corpse. Margaery knew wielding real influence didn't mean fighting over petty wall decorations.
So everywhere you looked, Jon's white wolf on black field dominated.
After rough, rowdy dinner with clan chiefs and brushing off Alester's sour presence, couple finally headed to bed.
Just as Jon and Margaery locked hands and walked toward master bedroom, Jon's squire, Robert Frey, interrupted. Alliser had arrived.
"Alliser?" Margaery frowned, confused why anyone would dare visit this late.