Sure enough, Margaery continued, "I am going back to personally persuade my father and brother. After all, they are currently on Renly's side. If possible, I ask that you spare them, so that House Tyrell will be more inclined to submit to you."
"If they surrender in advance and hand over Renly, I can forgive them," Viserys said. "But if they are captured in battle, I can take charge and give them the choice to Take the black and go to the Wall."
After all, during the coming long winter, he might still need the grain from The Reach for support; there was no need to completely alienate them. Moreover, House Tyrell had previously been part of the Royalist army, not to mention that his 'little head' was currently under control.
Margaery was silent for a while, then nodded with a relaxed expression.
"That is enough," she said, nuzzling against Viserys. "Thank you, Your Majesty."
Viserys ran his hand through her hair. "What, aren't you going to fight for more rights for them? Perhaps in a moment of passion, I might have agreed?"
Margaery shook her head. "I know my father. He isn't a bad person, but he's too naive and too easily blinded by ambition. He has always wanted to prove himself, but I believe he is truly unfit to be a Duke. Loras too; he only cares for tourneys, and his orientation is problematic—he loves Renly. So letting them Take the black means they at least won't be tormented by the game of thrones anymore."
"Furthermore, Willas, my eldest brother, is the one truly suited to inherit Highgarden. He is well-read, kind-hearted, and clear-headed. He is also much more steady than Father, and Grandmother thinks more highly of him. If this war makes Father understand that he is unfit for power, it might actually be a good thing for House Tyrell."
Viserys looked at her with some surprise. Margaery looked up to meet his gaze and smiled slightly.
"What? Didn't expect me to say that?"
"I indeed didn't expect you to think this way."
"I have been in Valyria for nearly a year," Margaery said. "In this year, I have seen what true power is. It's not armies, it's not money; it's dragons, it's people like you. If Highgarden continues to be ruled by Father, it will be swallowed up sooner or later. Instead of that, it's better to let Willas take over. No matter how you distribute Westeros in the future, at least House Tyrell can be preserved."
"And now that I am yours, I also need to consider your interests so as not to make things so difficult for you."
Viserys did not speak, but simply held her a little tighter. Margaery leaned against his chest, listening to his heartbeat.
"Your Majesty," she whispered.
"Hmm?"
"I won my bet, didn't I?"
Viserys looked down at her. Under the moonlight, those emerald green eyes were sparkling, filled with expectation and a hint of unease.
"Yes," he said. "You won."
Margaery smiled, a smile completely different from her usual dignified and proper one, radiating genuine emotion. She arched her body upward and pressed a deep kiss onto Viserys's lips.
"Thank you," she said. "Next, I will show you that I am someone worthy of your favor."
That night, Margaery slept very soundly, only occasionally nuzzling into Viserys's arms, as if dreaming of something, murmuring under her breath.
The next morning, when the sunlight shone through the window, Margaery woke up. She opened her eyes to find herself still lying in Viserys's arms, and a satisfied smile immediately appeared on her face.
Viserys had already been awake for some time—his physical constitution was exceptionally strong—and he was watching Margaery.
"Good morning, Your Majesty," Margaery said softly, her cheeks flushing slightly, her boldness from the previous night gone.
Margaery sat up, the quilt sliding down to reveal her fair shoulders; she naturally pulled the quilt up to cover herself.
"About last night... thank you."
Viserys reached out and pulled her back into his arms, saying in a teasing tone, "Why are you thanking me?"
"I will go and prepare today," she answered somewhat sheepishly, trying to change the subject. "About following the army back to Westeros..."
"Alright," Viserys said, lifting the quilt and pressing her down again. "But first, let's do some morning exercise."
Just as Viserys had finished, a knock came from the door.
"Brother?" It was Daenerys's voice, sounding a bit huffy. "Are you up? I have something to say to you."
Margaery was still savoring the moment when she heard the voice and was stunned for a second. Then, she quickly got up, picked up Viserys's clothes from the floor, and threw them on. Her movements were swift, and her face was full of panic.
Watching this scene, Viserys had a hint of an amused expression. However, he also quickly got up, but only casually draped on a garment before walking to the door and opening it.
Daenerys stood outside, wearing her black and red Dragon-riding gear, her silver hair tied in a ponytail. Seeing Viserys, she was about to speak, but her gaze went past him and saw Margaery, who was currently wearing Viserys's clothes.
Daenerys was stunned.
Margaery nodded to her awkwardly. "Good morning, Princess." Then she turned to Viserys. "Your Majesty, I shall take my leave."
She walked out the door, curtsied slightly as she passed Daenerys, and then pretended to leave calmly. However, her strange gait betrayed her.
Daenerys watched her figure disappear at the end of the corridor, then turned back to glare at Viserys.
"Brother, didn't you say before that she was a dangerous woman?" Mainly, Daenerys felt that Margaery was very beautiful and a very formidable rival.
"What did you want to say just now?" Viserys asked, intentionally changing the subject.
Daenerys opened her mouth, momentarily unsure of what to say. The words she had held in all night were now stuck in her throat.
After a long while, she managed to squeeze out, "You... weren't you with Priestess Kinvara last night?"
Viserys raised an eyebrow. "How did you know?"
"I guessed," Daenerys's face turned red. "Last night, I wanted to come find you, but Rhaenys said you and Priestess Kinvara had official business to discuss and told me not to disturb you. And it turns out you..."
Viserys reached out and ruffled her hair, saying in a gentle tone, "What did you come to see me about?"
Daenerys dodged his hand and said huffily, "I originally wanted to say that while you are still in Valyria, you should spend more time with me and go dragon riding together. But now, I don't want to talk to you anymore."
After saying that, she turned and ran off, her silver ponytail swinging behind her. Viserys watched her run into the distance, the corners of his mouth curling slightly, thinking he should spend some good time with her tonight.
At that moment, Rhaenys walked over from the other end of the corridor. She saw Daenerys's running figure and then saw Viserys standing at the door. She walked over and asked, "What's wrong with Dany?"
"She saw Margaery coming out of my room."
Rhaenys was stunned for a moment, then laughed, her purple eyes filled with mirth. "Brother, you were certainly busy last night."
Viserys looked at her. "You've come to tease me too?"
"I wouldn't dare," Rhaenys said with a smile, but then she stood on her tiptoes, gave him a light kiss on the lips, and turned to leave. "I'll go check on her."
Viserys nodded and said to her, "Remember to tell her that I'll be sleeping with you both tonight."
In the following days, Valyria entered the final stage of war preparations. In the harbor, hundreds of warships were being loaded with supplies. Viserys also took the time to properly accompany Daenerys and Ashara, sleeping in their rooms during these days.
In the blink of an eye, the scheduled date for the march arrived.
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