New chapter! Sorry for making you wait. I hope you'll enjoy this chapter even more because of the waiting. It's also twice the length of the previous chapter.
TYRION IV
Under the rule of Quellon Greyjoy, the Iron Islands prospered more than they ever did in the past. The revenues from the mining activities doubled, then tripled in the first five years of his reign. The wise administration of the islands' resources allowed Lord Quellon to keep his people from starvation during the four winters of his reign. The population of the Iron Islands grew up again, fishing, trading and farming increasing. The coffers of House Greyjoy were filled during his reign and taxes on all economic activities were lowered to encourage production. However, the increase of population soon led the Iron Islands to depend on food importations more and more and left many people without employment. His son, Balon Greyjoy, would use it to bring the Ironmen to rebel against the Iron Throne, a decision that would lead to the invasion of the Iron Islands by Robert Baratheon and Eddard Stark, and ravage the lands of these islands, making the economic situation of the Islands even worse than before the rebellion. Today, the Iron Islands face a scarcity of food again, scarcity that Balon Greyjoy was unable to solve, being uninterested by trade and farming and fishing, while his coffers had been emptied by his useless rebellion. It is to be expected that the Iron Islands will rebel again as soon the Lord of the Iron Islands believes he can claim a crown again, since it would be the only way to fill again his chests and to give an occupation to all his people without work. Balon Greyjoy will certainly rebel again, only to be defeated like every time the Iron Islands rebelled.
Tyrion was reading the Social and Economic History of the Seven Kingdoms. However, as much the work was interesting, his eyes always came up at the end of a chapter, a paragraph, or a sentence, to look at his wife. It was still night, and again Tyrion had difficulty to sleep and read to pass time. He only had a candle next to him on the table to see what he read. It never woke up Margaery up to now when he wouldn't be able to sleep, and she never complained about it.
Tyrion set aside the book Willas gave him last month and contemplated his wife. She was lying on her chest, the sheets only covering her body under her waist. Her head was turned in the other way, so Tyrion couldn't see her face, but even in the dim light of the candle, he could see the brown color of her long curling hair. He could also see her soft skin, shadows playing on it because of the candle. Tyrion thought about the times he caressed and massaged her back and her shoulders. She was soft and sweet in every sense, and he liked the sounds she made when they made love, like the ones she did last evening. For a moment, he thought about awakening her and doing it again, but he decided not to. He didn't want to wear her out, or her to wear him out. The two scenarios were possible.
Doing their duty as husband and wife hadn't been difficult for them. In fact, it was the part of their marriage where Tyrion couldn't find anything wrong. In bed, they were only two people giving pleasure to each other, and nothing else. Tyrion knew that Margaery loved her time with him, and he certainly loved it more than her. Their wedding night had been sweet and passionate, and some nights that followed had been even better, Tyrion knowing more and more what she liked the most. Furthermore, she wasn't a shy maid. Margaery knew some things about lovemaking. Many things, truth be told. Tyrion had suspected she wasn't a virgin on their wedding night, seeing she hadn't bled. He hadn't really cared about it, truth be told, but he had been curious, and two weeks after their wedding he had asked his wife if she had been with a man before. According to her, she had never made one with a man, but she had done other things. Her explanation was possible. Some women among the noble ladies lost their maidenhead to a horse if they rode a lot, and Margaery actually did a lot of riding with her cousins and friends. Tyrion didn't think she lied on this, and for now he didn't really care if she lied about it.
He kept looking at the beautiful young woman he was married to. After a month of marriage, Tyrion already felt he couldn't live easily without her. She was everything he needed, or could dream of. Not only she was beautiful and made his nights wonderful, but he was amazed by her talents as a lady. She was here for barely a month, and already the people and most of his bannermen loved her. She disarmed people with her smiles, her sweetness and her kindness. No one could reproach her anything or find her any flaw.
Tyrion had seen quite quickly that Margaery Tyrell wasn't an innocent rose. The rose had thorns. He could see some similarities with her grandmother. She was cunning, and knew how to use her charms for her own interests. She was capable of making everyone love her. She had even succeeded with him. Tyrion couldn't help but love her. She was so perfect. He may not have loved her if she had been only cunning and beautiful, and using her beauty to gain power and influence. Margaery was another sort of cunning woman. Tyrion's sister was only manipulative and using her beauty to have services from other men. She used her body to get power like whores used them to have money. Margaery didn't do that. She was using kindness to get people to love her, unlike Cersei who only used lust and desire. And she was really caring for them.
Tyrion had accompanied her to an orphanage one day. She had been the one to insist for him to come with her. He hadn't been sure, but she had insisted so much that he gave in in the end. The children were afraid of him at the start, but Margaery managed to get them close to him and in the end he thought the children found the dwarf they had as a lord more funny than scary. However, what stroke Tyrion the most during this visit was the look on her face. She was looking at the children with the same fondness and pity Tyrion witnessed sometimes, when she looked at him and let her sweet smile down. You underestimate yourself, my lord. You are a much better man than you believe. It was the same face she had when she told him that. She really cared about these children. Tyrion knew she used her work with the poor to make herself popular. She made sure she was seen visiting the orphans, the beggars, the sick, the old and the dying, but she really cared for them. And sometimes, Tyrion felt she cared for him too.
The only thing that made Tyrion uncomfortable was her way to always smile sweetly at him, no matter what happened, as if she was always happy to see him. He knew she was acting very often. It was as if she had a mask she was wearing and only put out from time to time, like when Tyrion told her on their wedding night. It had happened again during the last month, but for every hour she put her mask aside, she spent an entire day with it. Tyrion cherished these few hours each week when he had the impression to see the true image of his wife. She told him she did it on habit, because women were expected to smile and to agree with everything their husband would say and think. Tyrion understood Margaery might have been forced by her circumstances of a woman to develop this behaviour, but he wished she hadn't. He wanted to comfort her, to hear her laugh, to come to him willingly, to bring him her joys, her sorrows, her lust. But more than everything, he wanted her to do it because she wanted it, without any second thought. Because she loved him. Right now, even though he was almost certain Margaery didn't hate him and even appreciated him, he wasn't sure if she loved him. There were times, especially at night when they came together, that he thought she loved him, but doubts returned as soon as he saw the same smiling face she always put on. Maybe she smiled sincerely sometimes, and she said she didn't fake her laughs. Tyrion wanted to believe it, but he couldn't shake the feeling that she was acting more than half of the time. He couldn't be sure of what she felt. He wanted to be sure about her. He wanted her to love him.
Tyrion got up from his chair walked around their bed to look at her face. They were well advanced in the night, so the moon was at the other side of the Rock by now. Still, it let some light to see the outline of her face. Tyrion could distinguish her eyebrows and her closed eyes. He knew they were brown under her eyelids and Tyrion loved to see the lust in them at night, or the concern and care he loved to witness when she dropped her mask. He managed to see her pink thin lips he kissed every day. He thought she was smiling. It wasn't the usual smile she made. It was a simple smile, one of contentment and peace, one of true happiness, not like the smile she always did as if she was excited. It was a natural smile, a reserved one. Tyrion stayed there in his dressing gown, looking at Margaery. He probably stayed still there for a long time since light shyly began to pour into their chamber, progressively illuminating her face. With the sun rising, she looked more beautiful, like a rose blooming. She wasn't made for the night, but for the day. She was a rose, and she was his. Her beauty was growing with the light of the day, and again Tyrion could only marvel at her and be unsurprised by how quick he had fallen in love with her.
Tyrion climbed into the bed and got close to his wife. He stroke her cheek and pushed aside some of her thick brown hair. Then he wandered his hand along her shoulder, her arm, her back, bringing it back to her cheek to caress it again. After a few minutes of this exercise he would have liked to last longer, Margaery opened her eyes. Her sweet smile returned to her face again, and Tyrion tried to convince himself she was really happy to see him.
"Hi," she simply said.
"Hi." He kept caressing her until she turned on her back, looking at him straight in his eyes, giving him permission. But for the first time since they were married, Tyrion didn't take it.
"You wanted to wake up early," he reminded her.
Her face changed all of a sudden. She remembered something. It relieved Tyrion to see her react naturally, but her sweet smile, returned almost instantly. "You almost made me forget."
"I didn't mean to," he said as she sat into the bed.
"I know. Or else you wouldn't have reminded me." She kissed him, first almost lightly and timidly, but the kiss grew deep and even passionate. Their tongues met and Tyrion wanted to go forth, but she broke the kiss at the moment he was thinking about it. Their foreheads still connected, and Tyrion was breathing heavily. "We'll do it later. I promise."
She had a wicked smile as she stood up, all naked, and slowly walked to her dressing gown lying on the back of a chair. Then she slowly put it on.
"Do you want to take your bath with me? We would save time," she suggested.
"Unlikely. The last time we took a bath together, we remained in the tub for an hour."
She laughed lightly. He loved her laugh. "You're right. It wouldn't be wise. Not now. We'll take a bath together another time. It doesn't bother you?"
"Not at all. Your family is leaving very soon. Go to them. I'll see you later when they'll leave."
"Thank you."
This time, her smile was different and the usual one didn't return as she walked away. Again, Tyrion wished this happened more often. He remained in the bedroom, waiting for Margaery to be done with the bath her handmaidens had prepared, though he would gladly go to her and fuck her like he did last night. With the way she behaved when she woke up, his wife had made sure he would only think about making love to her for the rest of the day. She was mostly good at making people love her, but she could also make them desire her, and she always succeeded with him. For a moment, he wondered if Cersei did the same with Jaime, and the thought almost made him sick.
Tyrion went to take a bath when Margaery was done, then broke his fast on the food Ty had brought him. Then he went to the library. He thought he would find someone there, and he wasn't deceived. Even only two hours before the Tyrells left, Willas Tyrell was still reading the many books in the main library of Casterly Rock.
"Too absorbed by the lecture?" commented Tyrion as he approached his cousin-in-law, who almost jumped. He had dark rings around his eyes and had obviously not slept. He probably spent the night reading.
"Tyrion. I'm glad to see you. Is the night already gone?" Willas Tyrell asked. You couldn't tell if it was day or night in this part of the library. There were no windows.
"It is, I'm afraid," confirmed Tyrion.
"Damn it. I won't have time to read everything I want."
"You can still bring this book with you, if you wish, and send it back once you're done with it."
"No, I already took too much, and our party cannot bring all the books of this library with them anyway."
He looked exhausted. Tyrion supposed the Tyrell wasn't used to reading all night like him. "What were you reading?" the Lord of Casterly Rock asked. Willas Tyrell looked at the first page of the book.
"The Hobbit by John Ronald Reuel Tolkien. There's a dragon in the story, but he doesn't look much like those we had two hundred years ago."
"No, indeed. Smaug is much different from Balerion the Dread or Vhagar. First, he can speak, and dragons could never speak, though some maesters say that dragons are more intelligent than men, but we don't see it since they are intelligent in a different way than us. Still, I like the stories of this man. The smaller men are the heroes in both The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, and it doesn't happen often. Hence, The Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales of Númenor and Middle-Earth are less interesting for a dwarf like me."
Willas Tyrell smiled. "I suppose so." He looked around. "I'll miss this place."
"Aren't you eager to see your home back?"
"Of course, I am. But still, I like Casterly Rock, and you have a larger library than we have in Highgarden. And I'll have to leave Margaery behind."
Tyrion felt a pang of guilt for the cripple. He had grown quite fond of Willas Tyrell during the last month. They both loved books and the man was very civil with Tyrion. The only other member of Margaery's family that Tyrion really liked besides Margaery herself and Willas was Ser Garlan. The knight strangely seemed to have a great respect for him. Tyrion knew the two brothers were very close to Margaery. "I'm sorry to take her away from you."
"Don't be. Margaery will be happy here, I'm sure. I'll probably come back to visit her, or you could come to Highgarden one day."
"I will," assured Tyrion. "I don't want to keep my wife away from her family forever. But that won't be before a few years. I haven't been Lord of the Rock for long, and the lords of the Westerlands have to get used to your cousin. But I think that in two or three years I might be able to bring her back to her home."
"I look forward for it. In the meantime, take care of Margaery."
"I will," promised Tyrion.
"Friends?" The young man handed his hand for Tyrion to shake it, and Tyrion accepted the invitation.
"Friends. I wish your other cousin was like you."
Willas Tyrell chuckled again. "Don't be too rude with Loras. He'll come to heel in time."
"Before his father passes out and that he becomes Lord of Highgarden, I hope."
"If this happens, then Margaery, Garlan and I will have him under our thumbs, believe me. Loras may be good when it comes to win a tourney or to fight in battle, but when it comes to politics, he needs help."
"He's much like his father, then."
"My grandmother wouldn't disagree."
They both laughed. At this moment, someone came out from the shelves. Tyrion recognized the book she held to be an exemplary of Septon Barth's Unnatural History.
"Lord Tyrion," she said, curtsying even with the book in her hands.
"Lady Mira. I thought you would be attending my wife," Tyrion said.
"Lady Margaery told me to help Lord Willas to prepare for departure."
"She did well," commented Willas. "With my leg, I would never be able to gather all these tomes. I'll miss you, Lady Mira."
"We'll see each other again soon. I'm sure of that."
Willas Tyrell smiled fondly at the young handmaiden as she laid the book she was holding on one of the many piles. Willas Tyrell wouldn't lack lecture in Highgarden with everything he borrowed from the libraries of Casterly Rock. In the meantime, however, his eyes didn't give any attention to the books and more to the girl arranging them. Tyrion felt a little out of place and excused himself.
Tyrion had noticed the large amount of time his wife's cousin was spending with her handmaiden. The girl was far from ugly, though she couldn't compete with Margaery in Tyrion's eyes. She was also very kind, and to the opposite of the other handmaiden of his wife, she didn't seem afraid of him. It was obvious the cripple young man was fond of the northern girl, though Tyrion never noticed any sign that she reciprocated the interest. That was probably one of the reasons why he said he would regret Casterly Rock. Tyrion's wife was keeping her handmaidens with her, along with a few of her female cousins from minor branches of House Tyrell, and a hundred knights and guards sworn to her family as a household. Tyrion didn't expect something less. His marriage was a political alliance and the Tyrells wouldn't leave their Rose here without symbols of their power… and means to protect her. At least, his brother-in-law wouldn't be among the household.
Tyrion went to his solar in order to verify a few things before the Tyrells left. He verified the accounts of the taxes paid by his bannermen to Casterly Rock over the last few years. He was considering a curious drop in the taxes paid by Clegane Keep when Ty came in to announce that Lady Tyrell wanted to see him. Tyrion didn't know if he would rather face the mother-in-law who hated him or the father-in-law who was more stupid than he was fat.
Lady Alerie Tyrell was a tall woman with the same brown eyes than her daughter. She was handsome, but not beautiful and gorgeous like her daughter. She stood with all the dignity a great lady could have. She had been very cold towards Tyrion ever since she arrived, though her behaviour may have been a little more civil recently. Maybe she realized her daughter hadn't married someone who would eat her.
"Lord Tyrion," she greeted him.
"Lady Alerie. I thought you would like to spend the last hours here with your daughter."
"I have come to present you my apologies, Lord Tyrion." Tyrion was surprised by this. "I know I have been rather rude with you ever since I arrived, but you seem to treat my Margaery very well, and she never stops to tell me you are very good to her. So I want to present you my deepest excuses for my behavior towards you these last weeks, and for the inappropriate behavior of my son as well. I have been unfair to you."
"That's alright, my lady. No sane mother would happily give her daughter in marriage to the Imp," Tyrion joked bitterly. Lady Alerie's face remained impassive. She may be making apologies, but she wasn't about to hug Tyrion either.
"I just want to ask something to you. Something as a mother. Take care of Margaery. I don't want her to be sad while she's here."
"Don't worry. I will never harm your daughter, nor let anyone harm her. You have my word."
"Thank you. Now if you will excuse me, I must prepare to leave, my lord."
She left. With some hope, she didn't want Tyrion dead anymore. Two hours later, the Tyrells left. Margaery hugged and kissed on the cheeks all the members of her family who were leaving. Lady Alerie gave Tyrion an almost imperceptible smile before they left, but Ser Loras only shot him angry glares like always. Tyrion hoped Mace Tyrell would live long. The Lord of Highgarden and Willas were very warm in their farewells, and Garlan Tyrell and his wife were very civil, but in the end they all left, even though Margaery tried to make the goodbyes last as long as it was possible.
She climbed to a tower to look at her family leaving and watched their convoy as they disappear on the horizon. Tyrion was with her and he could see his wife was sad. Her eyes never left the convoy as it rode farther and farther from Casterly Rock. She loved her family. Tyrion remembered how he felt when Jaime had left their home for Harrenhal, knowing he was to become a member of the Kingsguard. He had been a little boy but still, his big brother had ben gone. A few months later, his father, furious about the decision of the Mad King to make his heir a kingsguard, had come back to Casterly Rock with Cersei. Far away from his brother and close to his sister and his father. Nothing could have been worse for Tyrion.
"You already miss them?" he asked to his wife.
"Yes." She didn't turn her head.
"I'm sorry."
"It's not your fault. It had to happen one day."
"We'll visit Highgarden. I promise."
"Thank you." She turned. She had a sad smile this time, and it wasn't fake. Tyrion noticed the Tyrell retinue had disappeared at the horizon. They were far away. His wife was separated from the rest of her family. "How did you feel when your brother and your sister left?"
Tyrion was startled by the question. He wasn't expecting it. "Well, I was only six when Jaime was named in the kingsguard. I almost didn't understand why he had to leave. I cried for days."
They exchanged a little smile. He preferred not to speak about the time when Cersei left, but his wife didn't leave him be. "And your sister? How did you feel when she left to be queen?"
"Relieved for myself, terrible for the Realm." She looked quite surprised. "We don't get along very well Cersei and I," he explained. He hadn't told Margaery about the attempt of murder, and he didn't think it would be a good idea. Anyway, now wasn't the time.
She recovered from her shock and sighed. "Well, let's take a day off. I don't really feel like working today."
"Of course, I understand." He couldn't blame her. The last month had been very tiring for everyone at the Rock between the festivities for the wedding, and Margaery had to be introduced to her duties as Lady of Casterly Rock as well. That and she was the center of all the attention of the hundreds of lords and ladies from the Reach and the Westerlands who had come to assist the wedding. She barely had time for herself. Tyrion wasn't the one who would pressure her to work on the day her family left.
"Anyway, I think I promised you something this morning, and I heard that since I'm a Lannister, I must always pay my debts," she said with a wicked smile.
Tyrion chuckled. "I won't argue with you about it." They walked away, both grinning.
Some time later, Tyrion didn't know, they were lying in their bed. His wife was breathing heavily by his side. Tyrion was too, but he thought he did it less than her. It was almost a competition when they were lying together to wear her out more than she wore him out. He looked at her, still recovering, and could only note once more how beautiful she was. He allowed her some more time, then closed the distance between them and kissed her on the lips. She returned it and took his face between her hands. They both sighed in their kiss, and after some time Tyrion went to kiss her neck. She giggled as he caressed her throat with his lips.
"Are you going to do this all day?" she asked between two giggles.
"Should I remind you're the one who started it?" He unburied his face from the curve of her neck all the same and looked at her. "But if you want me to stop, I will."
She caressed his cheek with the back of her hand. "Just give me some time, or else I won't be able to come out of bed tomorrow."
They both laughed lightly and Tyrion laid back. After some time, Margaery rose and put on a golden dressing gown. Tyrion already thought about the best way to remove it. She went to the small table in the corner and poured two cups of wine.
"I suppose I should thank the girls you visited before we were married," she said as she filled the cups.
"One good thing that came out from my whoring," said Tyrion, bitter.
He wasn't very proud of it anymore. He had visited brothels assuming he would never marry, that no woman would ever want of him. But now he had Margaery, and he wouldn't break his vows.
"I should thank the Mad King as well, for naming your brother in the Kingsguard," she resumed. "My father wouldn't have agreed to our marriage if he hadn't done it."
"No. If Jaime hadn't been a kingsguard, he would be the one with you actually." Or he would be with our beloved sister in another room while you would be alone in here.
She came back with the two cups filled. "I never met him. How does he look like?" she asked while she handed him one of the cups. Tyrion took it.
"Tall, handsome, with blond shining hair. The greatest swordsman in the Seven Kingdoms. Everything that I'm not. Tywin Lannister had two sons. There's the pretty one, and there's the clever one."
"Which one are you?" They both laughed. "Is he good in the bed?" she asked, a malicious smile, but the short laugh escaping from her throat betrayed that she was probably only teasing him.
"He is a kingsguard. Kingsguards are forbidden to marry and to have children." Though Jaime hadn't fulfilled the latter. As for the former, he had taken no wife before the altar, but he had taken their sister to bed, and very often.
She seemed to think for a moment, her eyes looking at the ceiling with a faked concentration. "Then I'm glad I married the Imp instead of the Kingslayer."
They both laughed, but Tyrion went half back to seriousness very quickly. "Never call him this way before him."
"Promise. I won't." She took a sip of wine. "It's strange when we think about it. If Willas was my brother, he would be heir to Highgarden and he would have no trouble to marry. But since he's not, no girl is interested in him. All that just because he walks with a stick."
She looked exasperated and angry as she said the last words. Tyrion had the same resentment for being left aside all his life just because he was a dwarf. His only crime was to be a dwarf, and Willas Tyrell's only crime was to be a cripple. "I know. It's unfair. Truth be told, with all the respect I owe to your brother, I think your cousin would make a much better Lord of Highgarden."
She smiled. "Don't worry. You're not the only one to think the same."
"I suppose Willas Tyrell, future steward of Highgarden, will rule the Reach for your brother just like the Queen of Thorns rules the Reach for your father."
She scoffed. "It's not so bad as that. Yes, my grandmother is a great advisor of my father, but he does a lot of ruling actually." With a lot of advisors to tell him what to do, certainly. Advisors who make the Reach prosperous and bountiful, and of course history will forget about them and only remember the Fat Flower. "I would like to help Willas. He should be married. He deserves it."
"I agree." Tyrion did. He thought about the way Willas Tyrell looked at his wife's handmaiden this morning.
"Don't you think there is something we could do? Surely there must some lord in the Westerlands who would be ready to marry his daughter to Willas if you suggested it?"
Tyrion thought about it for a moment. "Well, maybe. In fact, your father asked me the other day to intercede with Lord Leo Lefford. He wanted to propose your brother Loras in marriage to Lady Alysanne," he revealed all of a sudden.
Margaery showed surprise, but Tyrion couldn't decide if it was real surprise, or if she faked it. She had hesitated before she reacted. Did she begin to talk about the matter of her cousin to bring up the matter of her brother? Tyrion couldn't know. She was very good at acting, it was obvious. "Really?" she finally said. He still wasn't sure, but he thought she wasn't completely honest in her reaction.
"Yes, he did. But I'm afraid I won't be able to help him in this matter. And if he ever hopes for the heir of the Golden Tooth to marry his son, then he's fantasizing."
Margaery was frowning now. "What do you mean? My brother is the future Lord of Highgarden. Why would Lord Lefford refuse without hesitation his daughter to marry Loras?"
She was interested in what he said, but he couldn't get anything more from her expression. "When I became Lord of Casterly Rock, I wasn't married like you know. Kevan started to look immediately for someone I could marry, and like you probably know he wrote to your father."
"Not something I will complain about," she said with a smile. The same smile like always.
"Well, you see, you weren't the only match that was considered for me," Tyrion explained. "My uncle was planning to ask Lord Lefford to marry his daughter to me if your father was to refuse."
"Oh. I see. But you didn't ask for Lady Alysanne's hand?"
"No, of course. But still, around the time your father finally gave us an answer, the word had somewhat spread that my family was actually thinking about marrying me and Lady Alysanne. Lord Lefford started to send ravens, inviting me to spend some time at the Golden Tooth, suggesting that his daughter would like to see me again. I had met her a few years ago. Well, everything to say that he was expecting me to propose to marry his daughter. And then the news of our betrothal came."
Margaery seemed to understand. "I suppose he wasn't happy about it."
"He wasn't. He didn't attend our wedding. He said he had health problems, but that's not the real reason."
"He was angry that you chose me over Lady Alysanne," said Margaery. She was clever, Tyrion couldn't deny it.
"Indeed. He will not want to hear anything about House Lannister or House Tyrell for a very long time. He was just despoiled of the hope to see his daughter Lady of the Westerlands. And by your family."
"But… surely he could reconsider. After all, his daughter would be Lady of Highgarden and the Golden Tooth if she was to marry Loras."
"No, he won't. He will not consider any marriage with a Lannister or a Tyrell, not before a few years at least."
"Are you so sure? It would be in his interest to marry Lady Alysanne to Loras. He would have many benefits from that." She was arguing. If she didn't know about her father's request, she was fighting for it. Fighting for her family. Tyrion would do the same.
"I know that he will refuse to hear me, you, and any member of our families. I hold this information from someone very well placed."
"Who?"
"Lady Alysanne Lefford." This time she truly looked surprised. Tyrion supposed her previous surprised expression could have been faked. "She came to see me a few days before our wedding, and she explained everything to me. She didn't want this to tarnish the relationships between House Lannister and House Lefford, so she told me everything."
Hi wife needed some time to recover from her surprise. Finally, she sighed. "And I had been thinking for a moment while she was there that I could propose Willas to her."
Tyrion wanted to laugh on this, but he refrained. "Lord Lefford would never accept, even without this business. His daughter is the heir to the Golden Tooth. He will marry her to someone who has something to bring him. I'm afraid Willas won't find his wife at the Golden Tooth."
Tyrion felt sorry for the man who had called him friend this morning. He would have made a good husband to Alysanne Lefford, he was sure of that, and she would have made a good wife for him too. And he would have the Golden Tooth.
"Anyway," Tyrion resumed, "it's probably for the better."
"For the better?" Margaery asked.
"For your family, I mean. You are already married to me. If your brother, the heir to Highgarden, had married a lady of the Westerlands, all the children of Lord Mace Tyrell would have been married in western families. I suppose the Florents would have liked to use that against you, and to make the others believe your family was selling herself to the Westerlands. Your brother would probably be better to marry someone from the Reach."
She was looking at him with a very strange look now, as if she didn't know what to think of what he just said. She looked down at her cup, a pensive look. "You may be right," she said in a low voice. Finally, she shook her head and emptied her cup. "I'm sorry my father bothered you with that. Really, I am."
She seemed sorry by her expression. "No need to be sorry. No harm was done."
He emptied his cup as well. Margaery took it and brought them back on the table. She sighed and turned back to him. "No more talk about politics. It's supposed to be a day off."
"I agree. No more politics."
Tyrion preferred it when he didn't talk about politics with his wife. He had seen quite quickly that she was trying to convince him to make things that would mostly benefit her house, sometimes to the detriment of Tyrion's house. In some way, it was funny. It was some sort of game for Tyrion, to undo her attempts to make him do certain things he wouldn't do in normal times, but at the same time, it unnerved him that his wife was trying not only to influence him, but also to manipulate him.
They exchanged smiles all the same. She climbed back into the bed and came over him to kiss him. She still had her dressing gown, but she started to slowly remove it as she kept kissing him. "Though… if you put a… child... in me… I suppose… there is some… politics… in that."
She was naked once more and they made love again. When they set aside politics, when they were simply talking, walking, enjoying their time together, or fucking like they did right now, Tyrion loved Margaery. She was beautiful of body and mind. When they were done, Tyrion wondered, like he did sometimes, if all this was only a dream. It seemed almost too beautiful to be real. He looked at his wife breathing heavily on his left, then looked at the ceiling and closed his eyes. He kept them closed for some time, then opened them again. He looked at his left, afraid that Margaery would be gone, but she was still there, her eyes closed, a peaceful smile on her lips. Tyrion went to her and kissed her. Their tongues played together. She was real. The woman he loved was real.
I couldn't resist to include Tolkien's books in the story. :)
So that you may know, I always reply to the reviews people make (unless they have no account, because in this case I can't reply to their reviews). And I also include an excerpt of the next chapter in my replies. Those who want a foretaste of the next chapter only have to review.
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Next chapter: Margaery
