In the King's study, Stannis sat behind a table, with Davos and Grand Maester Pycelle standing beside him.
Directly opposite him, to his right, Lady Olenna sat in a chair, with Mace and Margaery standing behind her. Jon was directly opposite Stannis's left hand.
The two parties had reached an agreement on some wedding details. After confirming that Tyrell would marry Margaery to Jon and provide support in the subsequent attack on the Westerlands, Stannis was less concerned about other issues.
He had too many matters to attend to, often working late into the night these days, a complete opposite of Robert.
The 'old Maester' Pycelle often had to 'work overtime' with him. Jon felt that at this rate, Pycelle might not live to see winter.
Now that the general direction was settled, Stannis intended to leave.
"In that case, Lady Olenna, I shall leave the room to you. Ser Davos, you stay as a witness."
"As Your Majesty commands."
"Farewell, Your Majesty."
Everyone bowed to Stannis until he left the room.
"Duke Tyrell, Lady Olenna, Lady Alerie, Duke Jon, I believe you may begin," Davos said politely.
Mace quickly glanced at his mother, Olenna. Before coming, the mother and son had already agreed that one would play the good cop and the other the bad cop, to secure as many promises and guarantees for Margaery as possible.
So, ever since Mace entered the room, he had worn a grim expression. Now that Stannis had left, he was even less inclined to give Jon a friendly look.
"Lord Jon, you are truly remarkable. I don't think there's ever been a precedent in the Seven Kingdoms for someone to insult his father-in-law before marriage. You must be the first," Mace said, scrutinizing Jon with a curled lip.
Margaery, listening to her father's resentful words, couldn't help but want to laugh.
Olenna also secretly observed, wanting to see how Jon would respond.
Jon looked at Mace with such sincerity that it almost gave Mace goosebumps.
"Duke, that day I used your love for your children to provoke you, making you furiously attack the city. When you ordered the attack, I truly felt a kind of, a kind of excitement from a successful scheme and relief at being able to survive. At the same time, I was very envious of Margaery and her brother. If only I had a father who would treat me like that. You know, I, a bastard, have never seen my mother since birth. I've only vaguely seen her figure in my dreams. I think she must be a gentle and elegant woman, just like Lady Alerie, though I never imagined my mother would have silver hair," Jon quipped, and Alerie smiled shyly.
She was quite pleased with such subtle praise.
Then Jon looked at Mace and continued, "My father—I've always called him Lord Stark. When I came of age, although it was my own request to go to the Wall and join the Nights Watch, his unhesitating agreement still made me feel a bit wronged, and he simply cast me off to the Wall. Although my future attack on the Westerlands will naturally require Highgarden's support in manpower and resources, what I truly desire is your love, even if just a little, I really want it."
Mace and his mother had intended to coax and intimidate Jon into treating Margaery well in the future, but they didn't expect him to turn himself into the more pitiable party.
After all, no matter how pitiful one might be, could they be more pitiful than an orphan? Sure enough, Jon's tactic had a significant effect.
"You—" Seeing Jon say this, Mace's face flushed. "You, what are you saying, you brat? Don't think this will make me soft-hearted!"
Despite his words, Mace had already turned his head away, and Alerie beside him was clutching her handkerchief, feeling distressed.
Margaery and Davos both smiled, surprised that Jon had so easily defused Mace's challenge.
Seeing her son defeated in just one round, Olenna couldn't help but shake her head. It was her turn now.
"Good boy," Olenna began, speaking to Jon, "I've heard about your affairs. Lord Eddard Stark has taught you very well. People throughout the Seven Kingdoms say you are a young hero, but I know you must be very tired to have come this far, to this point." Olenna said with concern, as if she were Jon's true elder.
"Not tired, Lady, for Lord Eddard's revenge, for His Majesty the King," Jon replied.
"You must be very tired, but I have no choice but to add more pressure on you," Olenna said with a hint of helplessness. "Margaery grew up under my care, and she is my only granddaughter. I know many people now use Renly and Joffrey's affairs to attack her, but this is not her fault, just as being a bastard is not your fault. I implore you, please do not blame her for such things."
Olenna was over sixty years old, while Jon was not yet sixteen.
An elder pleading with a young man in such a manner was undoubtedly another form of attack.
And Margaery, seeing her grandmother act this way, shed tears at the opportune moment. At this point, any assurances Jon made would seem somewhat powerless.
"Lady Olenna, I believe this must be the will of the gods. Margaery and I, we have both become inauspicious in the eyes of the world due to fate, but fate is all arranged by the gods. They make two incomplete people complete; we are destined to be together," Jon said sincerely, bowing to Olenna with the courtesy of a Junior.
As he spoke, he specifically looked at Davos, who also enthusiastically nodded and said, "Indeed, Lady. Just as I, who came from Flea Bottom, can serve His Majesty, it is all the gods' arrangement."
Seeing Jon say this, Olenna could only nod. She found Jon increasingly interesting.
Then, Jon looked at Margaery and said, "Margaery, I truly wish to marry you now, to bestow upon you the title of Lady Stark. But without a country, there is no home; without His Majesty Stannis, there would be no me today. I must first eradicate the rebellion for the King, and then I will come to marry you. I depart tomorrow!"
Compared to the hints and subtlety of their last meeting, Jon was now direct and honest.
Margaery had never lacked suitors, but most were cautious. Now, facing such a frank confession, her heart still pounded.
Mace wanted to say something, but he opened his mouth, then swallowed his words.
And Davos also liked Jon's words: without a country, there is no home; without Stannis, there would be no him today.
Wasn't this also a reflection of his own life?
"Very well, Jon, I await your triumphant return," Margaery responded, maintaining the proper decorum of a lady.
Finally, the two exchanged tokens of love.
Jon gave Margaery his glove, and Margaery gave Jon her embroidered handkerchief.
After meeting the parents, the matter was settled, but Jon still had to overcome many obstacles to marry his wife.
The first obstacle, of course, was to make Robb lay down his crown.
Of course, what he wanted was not just a wife, but to accumulate enough capital to resist disaster before the true crisis arrived!
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