A Journey of Passion and Confusion

"It's been five days already, are the Duke and the others going to have to do it a hundred times already?"

"That's impossible. Sir Sandor has already given us the exact number. Eleven times on the first day, but the lady is still Maiden. On the second day, the swelling was going down, so there was only the sound of talking in the room. Ten or so times on the third day, and slightly less on the fourth day, but still about the same. We'll be at Casterly Rock by the afternoon at the latest. How could we possibly have time to do it a hundred times?"

Escorted by a dozen other warships, two Swan Ship with intricate sails were moving swiftly forward; their pristine white sails truly resembled swan feathers.

The prow of the Swan Ship, in particular, is raised high, resembling the neck of a real swan.

There's even a small observation deck of about two square meters on top, which can be used to look into the distance and as a place to enjoy the scenery.

These two ships were the Highgarden Rose and the White Wolf Knight, which Dorne presented as gifts.

Several soldiers were huddled together on the deck, discussing something animatedly.

It takes four or five days to get from Highgarden to Casterly Rock, even by water.

During those four or five days, Jon and Margaery didn't leave the cabin at all. The maids and servants' only tasks were to bring in food and then bring out the chamber pot, which led some of the old hands to gossip.

They even started betting on whether Jon could make it up to Casterly Rock on his own.

"My lord will definitely be fine. First of all, you are so young, and you fought for so long in King's Landing. What is dealing with a woman to you?"

"Hehe, you don't understand, do you? Young people have energy, but they don't know how to control their strength—"

"But adults eat a lot too."

Just as everyone was discussing animatedly, a shadow loomed over them. Turning around, they saw it was Sandor.

"Alright, enough chatting. We'll be at Casterly Rock soon. Get ready."

"Yes, sir."

The crowd laughed and walked away, soon spotting the beacon of Casterly Rock flashing in the distance.

Sandor arrived at Jon and Margaery's door and was about to knock when the large man, whose head was almost touching the doorframe, suddenly felt a little guilty. As their bodyguard, he was the one who "basically" relayed all the details about the two.

Bluffs like "Jon, I really can't take it anymore" and "Clamping your legs won't help" have already spread far and wide.

Sandor is now filled with regret; he estimates that it won't be long before the news reaches Jon's ears.

Sandor coughed twice, then knocked on the door. "My lord, we're almost there."

"Knew."

Inside the room, Jon was already mostly dressed. On his way back, he didn't forget to use his Raven to scout and warn, so he started getting dressed quite early.

Margaery was still fast asleep in bed, her thick, glossy brown hair spread out like clouds beneath her.

The fair skin that hugged her delicate shoulders and collarbone still showed signs of lingering flush.

Several days of intimate contact allowed them to explore every corner of each other's bodies.

"Miss Margaery, we've arrived at Casterly Rock!"

Upon hearing Jon's voice, Margaery slowly opened her eyes. Her brown eyes were still bright, but compared to before, they held a gentle, watery tenderness and a hint of confusion.

"Arrived? Where are we?"

"Casterly Rock."

"So fast?!" Margaery was somewhat surprised. She tried hard to recall, but couldn't remember anything about what had happened on the journey. She only felt sore all over, and even the slightest movement sent tingling sensations through her bones.

She frowned slightly, trying to get her brain, which had been almost melted by their crazy actions along the way, back to work. She then remembered that the two of them hadn't left the room since they entered.

Besides her natural fragrance, there was also a lingering fishy smell in the air.

A blush crept onto the Maiden's face once more.

No, she's not Maiden anymore.

Margaery's hand, hidden under the blanket, reached towards her lower abdomen, feeling a seed thrashing about inside. She had a premonition that she would soon be conceived as a second woman.

Jon opened the window, and a cool but gentle breeze blew in, making her feel much more awake.

But after trying for a long time, he still couldn't even control a single finger.

"Should I call the maid in?" Jon asked, noticing Margaery's embarrassment.

She buried half her face in the blanket and nodded.

Jon walked out of the room, feeling refreshed and invigorated by the still-warm sea breeze, shutting out the allure behind him.

"My lord, how are you feeling?" Sandor asked with a wicked grin.

"Dare to spread my private affairs, I'll dock a month's pay from you."

"Huh? Oh."

Sandor couldn't understand how Jon knew, but a duke capable of artificial rainmaking was beyond his comprehension.

"However, you've been quite dutiful throughout the journey, so your pay will increase by 20% starting next month."

"Ah! Thank you, sir!" Sandor knew that Jon was rewarding him even though he hadn't studied arithmetic much, and compared to that, a month's pay was nothing.

Seeing that Jon didn't seem angry at all, Sandor felt relieved and mustered his courage to say, "My lord, you now bear the weight of the entire Westerlands on your shoulders. You must have many sons with Miss Margaery so that your rule will be secure."

"Alright, I got it." Jon waved his hand, seemingly a little impatient, but Sandor happily retreated to a distance.

Jon knew that this was the thought of most people. In the future, more people would entrust their lives and fortunes to themselves and Casterly Rock. If they could not have a son with Margaery as soon as possible and have a sufficient number of heirs and offspring, some people would remain in a wait-and-see state and unable to make a decision.

Not to mention, the Westerlands also have a considerable number of Lannister blood relatives, whose influence remains significant.

It is said that Jeyne gave Robb to twins, a boy and a girl, which is quite a cause for celebration for Winterfell, which has just experienced war and lost an old wolf king.

In the future, Jon will also have to send someone to deliver gifts.

Jon used his Raven to observe the fleet behind him, because after what happened with Alerie, Mace and Willas insisted on sending someone to escort them.

So they dispatched ten warships to return to Casterly Rock with Jon and his wife.

In addition to Jon's hundred followers, a thousand Tyrell soldiers were responsible for escorting him.

Of course, these thousand soldiers will be stationed directly in Casterly Rock Casterly Rock to become its defensive force.

Not only the soldiers, but also the cooks, grooms, maids, and servants were almost all generously sponsored by Highgarden, totaling about two or three hundred people. Jon certainly knew that it would be better to use his own people.

However, the people of Casterly Rock were all Lannister who had been left behind, and he dared not use them at all. He also had no time to find a group of qualified servants, so he could only use the Tyrell for the time being.

However, Jon also needs to train his own people as soon as possible, otherwise he will fall into a situation like Robert's.

He and Margaery are deeply in love right now, and he even saved Alerie not long ago, so there's nothing wrong with that. But in the long run, it's not a good thing.

However, this is the foundation of a great family, something Jon couldn't buy even with money; it could only be accumulated slowly over time.

Based on the timeline, the first group of the Mountain Clans should have already arrived at Casterly Rock. According to the previous plan, they would settle in the towns surrounding Casterly Rock.

Their children would be sent to school to learn to read and write; the boys would become warriors, and the girls would come to Casterly Rock to become handmaids and maids.

Adult men will receive daily training, while women will be responsible for household chores.

They don't have to pay in gold coins, but they will have to pay a blood tax in the future.

Jon defined these people from the Mountain Clans as "military households," meaning they would be required to serve in the military for generations to come.

This system may become rigid in the future, for example, leading to soldiers who are not suited for military service but are still conscripted.

But for decades or even centuries, Jon and his successors could maintain a large army at very low cost using this household registration system.

Overall, the benefits outweigh the drawbacks.

About half an hour later, the outline of Casterly Rock became clearer, and Margaery, supported by her maid, came to Jon's side.

Her handmaid was Falia, whom Jon had rescued that day, and other female companions, including Lya, also accompanied her to Casterly Rock.

Margaery walked slowly, each step carefully, as if she were walking barefoot on pebbles, but she still tried her best to maintain the demeanor befitting a lady of Casterly Rock.

"This will be our home from now on," Jon said, putting his arm around her shoulder.

"Home—" Margaery murmured softly. Now, when she thought of home, she still pictured the beautiful castle filled with flowers and vines, not this unfamiliar place before her.

But then he thought that Jon had only arrived a month earlier than him, and this place was also very unfamiliar to him, so a strange feeling welled up in his heart.

It's like two people going to explore an unfamiliar cave together.

Thinking of this, Margaery moved closer to Jon.

Jon could naturally sense Margaery's feelings; Casterly Rock was indeed a place that needed two people to manage together.

The Sunset Sea, casts a golden glow, bathing the world in gold. This is the perfect time to create beautiful memories.

Just as winning over a subject requires special care, the relationship between a husband and wife needs to be built and nurtured.

Would you like to try what it feels like to fly?

"Fly?"

Jon approached Margaery from behind, intending to walk with her onto the bow of the Swan Ship, which had just been raised.

However, if she took even a slightly larger step, Margaery couldn't help but let out a soft hum.

Jon simply picked her up and carried her to the bow of the ship.

"Come on, close your eyes, open your arms, and imagine your hands as wings."

Following Jon's instructions, Margaery opened her arms and felt the power of the wind.

Margaery realized that because they were standing at the bow, there was no obstruction in their view, and the waves beneath their feet were receding rapidly, making it feel as if they were truly flying.

This gave her a sense of freedom and joy she had never experienced before.

With the strong, warm chest behind her, the feeling of freedom and security pushed her upwards, as if she were touching the clouds.

At this moment, Margaery was absolutely certain that if she had married Renly or Joffrey, she would never have felt this way.