Token of Love

In the king's study, Stannis sat behind the table, with Davos and Grand Maester Pycelle standing beside him.

To his right, directly opposite him, Olenna sat in a chair, with Mace and Margaery standing behind her, while Stannis stood directly opposite Jon to his left.

The two sides reached an agreement on some details of the wedding. Once it was confirmed that Tyrell had agreed to marry Margaery to Jon and would provide support during the subsequent invasion of the Westerlands, he was no longer concerned with other issues.

He had so much to deal with that he often worked late into the night these days, a stark contrast to Robert.

Jon felt that the old Grand Tutor, "Pycelle," often had to accompany him while he worked overtime, and he suspected that Pycelle wouldn't survive the winter.

Now that the general direction has been determined, Stannis plans to leave.

"In that case, Lady Olenna, I will leave the room to you. Sir Davos, you stay as a witness."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"Farewell to Your Majesty."

Everyone bowed to Stannis until he left the room.

"Lord Tyrell, Lady Olenna, Lady Alerie, Lord Jon, I think you may begin," Davos said politely.

Mace glanced quickly at his mother Olenna. Before they came, the two had agreed that one would play the good cop and the other the bad cop, trying their best to get promises and guarantees for Margaery.

So Mace had been wearing a long face ever since he entered the room, and now that Stannis was gone, he was even less likely 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 of a man insulting his father-in-law before the wedding. You must be the first," Mace said, sizing up Jon.

Margaery, listening to her father's resentful words, couldn't help but want to laugh.

Olenna was also secretly observing, wanting to see how Jon would react.

Jon looked at Mace with such sincerity that it gave Mace goosebumps.

"Your Grace," Jon teased, "That day I used your love for your children to provoke you, causing you to attack the city in a fit of rage. When you ordered the attack, I did feel a sense of triumph, a satisfaction at my successful scheme, and a relief at being able to survive. At the same time, I envied Margaery and her brother. I wished I had a father who treated me like that. You know, I, this bastard, have never seen my mother since birth. I've only vaguely seen her in my dreams. I imagine she must have been a gentle and elegant woman, like Alerie Alerie. But I never imagined my mother would have silver hair." Jon smiled shyly.

She appreciated this subtle praise.

Then Jon turned to Mace and continued, "My father—I've always called him Stark —when I came of age, although it was my own request to go to the Wall to become Night's Watch, his unquestioning agreement still made me feel somewhat wronged, especially since he just dumped me on the Wall and that was it. Although I will naturally need Highgarden's support in manpower and resources to conquer the Westerlands in the future, what I want most is your love, even if it's just a little bit."

Mace and her son had originally planned to coax and scare Jon into treating Margaery better in the future, but they didn't expect that he would end up making himself the more pitiful one.

After all, no one can be more pitiful than an orphan, right? Sure enough, Jon's actions had a significant effect.

"You—" Upon hearing Jon's words, Mace flushed red. "You, why are you saying all this, you brat? Don't think I'll soften just because of this!"

Despite saying that, Mace had already turned her head to the side, while Alerie beside her was also tugging at her handkerchief with heartache.

Margaery and Davos both smiled, surprised that Jon had so easily defused Mace's challenge.

Seeing that her pieces had been defeated in just one round, Olenna shook her head. It was her turn next.

"Good boy," Olenna said to Jon, "I've heard about your story. Lord Eddard Stark has raised you very well, and the people of the Seven Kingdoms call you a young hero. But I know it must have been very tiring for you to get to this point." Olenna spoke with concern, as if she were Jon's true elder.

"It's not tiring, Lady, but for the sake of avenging Lord Eddard, and for His Majesty the King," Jon said.

"You must be very tired, but I have to add some more pressure to you," Olenna said helplessly. "Margaery is someone I watched grow up, and she's my only granddaughter. I know many people like to use Renly and Joffrey's affair to attack her, but it's not her fault, just like being a bastard isn't your fault. I beg you, please don't blame her for this."

Olenna was over sixty years old, while Jon was not yet sixteen.

For an elderly person to plead with a young person in this manner is undoubtedly another form of aggression.

When Margaery saw her grandmother doing this, she shed tears at the opportune moment. At this point, any promises Jon made seemed powerless.

"Lady Olenna, I believe this must be the will of the gods. Margaery and I have both been made into ominous people in the eyes of the world because of fate, but fate is the arrangement of the gods. He made two incomplete people whole, and we are destined to be together." Jon said to Olenna with the respect due to a junior.

As he spoke, he made a point of glancing at Davos beside him, Davos nodded in agreement and said, "Yes, madam, just as someone like me from Flea Bottom is able to serve His Majesty, it is all the arrangement of the gods."

Seeing Jon's response, Olenna could only nod in agreement; she found Jon increasingly interesting.

Then Jon looked at Margaery and said, "Margaery, I really want to marry you right now and give you the title of Lady Stark, but without a country there is no home, and without His Majesty Stannis there would be no me today. I must first quell the rebellion for the King, and then I will marry you. I will leave tomorrow!"

Compared to the hints and veiled manner during their last meeting, Jon is now straightforward and honest.

Margaery has never lacked admirers, but most of them have been cautious. Now, when she faces such a frank confession, her heart still races.

Mace, who was standing to the side, seemed to want to say something, but she opened her mouth and then swallowed her words.

Davos also liked Jon's words. "Without a country, there is no home; without Stannis, there is no one like me today."

Isn't this statement also a reflection of himself?

"Yes, Jon, I await your triumphant return." Margaery also appropriately expressed the reserve befitting a lady.

Finally, the two exchanged tokens of their love.

Jon gave Margaery his own gloves, Margaery gave Jon a handkerchief she had embroidered herself.

After meeting the parents, the matter was considered settled, but Jon still had to overcome many obstacles to marry his wife.

The first hurdle is to get Robb to put down his crown.

Of course, what he wanted wasn't just a wife, but to accumulate enough resources to withstand disaster before a real crisis struck!