MARGAERY I

The North was not as bad as she thought. While horribly cold, Winterfell was welcoming and warm. Even so, her situation was outrageous, her father should never have agreed to take her so far. If only her brother had been able to save Lord Renly everything had been different, now he would take black while she would marry Winterfell's heir.

Robb Stark was a handsome boy, more southern-looking than northern. However, he was not a prince and she would never be queen. Her family had promised her a crown and let her down, Garlan had even dared to call her a summer girl, being the biggest insult, she had ever received in her life.

Yet there she was, in the Godswood of Winterfell being escorted by her brother Garlan. Robb was in front of the tree, there were no priests, there was no incense, only the gods of the North. In front of the hearth tree was Lord Eddard Stark, who would officiate the ceremony.

"Who comes before the Old Gods this night?" asked the Warden of the North.

"Margaery, from House Tyrell, comes here to be wed," Garlan replied. A woman grown and flowed, trueborn and noble. She comes to beg for the blessing of the gods. Who comes to claim her?

"Me, Robb of House Stark", replied her fiancé, "heir to Winterfell and the North. I claim her. Who gives it?

"Garlan, from House Tyrell, one of her older brothers.

"Lady Margaery, are you taking this man?" Lord Stark asked her, pointing to Robb.

"I accept," replied Margaery, resigned to fate.

The banquet was better than I expected, perhaps due to the King's presence at Winterfell. Seeing him drunk gagged at her and reminded her of the creepy rumor that she would marry Robert instead of Prince Joffrey. Such a rumor made no sense, why would Lord Renly prefer her as the consort of his obese brother instead of his nephew, the heir to the kingdom?

Unfortunately, Renly was dead, and no one would solve her doubts. She would stay in Winterfell, away from the beauty of the south, while her brother Loras would languish on the Wall for his importunate presence in the inn where Renly was killed. Just thinking that her father was hiding information from her infuriated her, not even Loras had told her in detail what happened in Lord Peake's lands.

"Time for bedriding!" cried the King.

The drunken nobles shouted and began to take off her clothes. Even the southern aristocrats looked at her with lust and if not for the presence of her brothers, the most morbid would have touched her breasts or her butt.

She was certainly a beautiful woman, why else would they look at her so much? Still, what good was her beauty if men were going to treat her so degradingly? She then remembered her grandmother, who had taught her to manipulate men, hwe beauty should not be a weakness, but her strength.

"You'll be mine tonight, Robb Stark", she thought proudly.

And just as she planned, Robb Stark was hers. The man desired her, but he also looked at her sweetly, as if the child within him overcame the worst defects of men. Margaery would grow strong, like the winter roses her cousin Maester Medwick told her about, before disappearing years ago. She may never become queen, but she would be the best lady Winterfell had ever had.

When she woke up the next day, her husband was still in bed. He looked like a fully rested man, a happy man, after all Margaery was good. Just one man was lucky enough to have the little Highgarden's rose as his wife and that man was Robb Stark, a man she didn't love yet, but who was handsome and kind enough to enjoy his company.

"Good morning, my lady", Robb Stark said as he yawned.

"Margaery, call me Margaery", Margaery replied with a smile on her face. "We are now husband and wife, it is fitting that we call each other by our names."

"I'm a lucky man, you know?

"Oh, really?"

"Yes. I have at my side the most beautiful woman in the world. I am the most envied man in all of Westeros, did you see how Prince Joffrey looked at me?"

"Yes, I saw it", Margaery admitted. "Even so, the prince should not be jealous. Your sister is a beautiful woman, she will be a great queen."

Robb didn't say anything for a moment and Margaery feared that he hadn't believed her words. Luckily for her, he spoke:

"You're right," he added, yawning again. "My sister will be a great queen and Bran will join the Kingsguard."

"The Kingsguard was Loras' dream", Margaery lamented.

"You love him, don't you?" Robb asked as he got up from the bed.

"Of course, don't you love your brothers, including Jon Snow?"

"I would give my life for them, including Jon, being a Snow doesn't make him a stranger."

"I didn't mean that", Margaery apologized, "only not everyone gets along with their bastard relatives. But others do, my father holds his cousins Garrett and Garse in high regard. They will accompany Loras on Night's Watch."

"I hope your brother adapts to the Wall."

"We'll help you, won't we?" Margaery asked.

"The North does not forget its duties with the Watch. Maybe one day in Lord Commander Tyrell will visit us, when I am the Warden of the North."

"I'll look forward to that day", Margaery confessed. "It's nice to know that a brother of mine will remain so close to me."

When they went down to breakfast Margaery noticed the multiple mischievous looks that were thrown at them. Her bridesmaids were waiting for her to tell them all the details of the night, which would have to wait for the Septa Nysterica to retire to pray. There were things that could not be spoken in the presence of the septas, yet she would remind her to fulfill her conjugal duties.

The septas used to set a bad example for dornishwomen. Even so, Margaery knew that any man or woman, no matter how much she complained about Dorne, wanted to be a Dornishmen. The Reach men were supposed to hate Dorne, yet Margaery did not share that view, perhaps because she had few restrictions in Highgarden.

"Did you fulfill your duties, my lady?" asked Septa Nysterica.

"That's right, my sweet septa."

"I hope it wasn't a sinful act."

"It wasn't", Margaery lied. "I have learned my lessons well and I will not forget it."

"Good", replied the septa. "I will retire to the sept, we will see you in the afternoon for embroidery."

Margaery nodded and hoped that she was far enough away to start talking. On that day the men would leave the castle to go hunting, so they would have more freedom to speak. Before starting her story, she noticed how a child climbed the walls of the castle, which surprised her, suddenly she felt a chill, as if something bad was about to happen.