Wife of the Wolf, Husband of the Sun.
Book 2
Chapter One-Hundred and Twenty-Eight
This was not how she ever pictured the day that she would be married.
For a start, she had hoped that it would be at Highgarden. Margaery had always loved her home and she had never wanted to leave it if she had the choice to do so but her lord father had different plans in mind for her, he had sent for her late and night and he had taken her hand and patted it with a warm smile that had always given her comfort as a little girl but since she had become a woman grown it had always foretold a decision that she would not like.
"Margaery, my sweetest darling, I have wonderful news for you. You are going to be Queen, would you like that?"
"Father, my betrothal to Prince Torrhen was called off. Do you not remember?" It had not been too much of a disappointment in truth, though she knew that both her father and her grandmother had been wrathful when the raven had come to Highgarden with that message in it's claws, but Margaery had not been so disappointed as she knew that Prince Torrhen would not have made her happy.
Obviously that was not the point of marriage but she had hoped that her status as the only daughter of Highgarden, the daughter of one of the most powerful lords in the Realm, might have given her at least some say in her own future but she knew that had been a foolish hope, for the same reasons that she had it in the first place. She was the daughter of a powerful lord, she was coin to be bartered and the rope to bind another house to them.
And now her lord father wanted to lead her to the execution block himself, and he thought that he was giving her a gift by giving her a crown. She smiled at him when he explained his intentions to her, though all she wanted to do was scream.
The day after she took tea with her grandmother, who already knew it all. "Margaery, you need to have a son because that is the way that men have decided things must be but after you have the one pray that you do not have anymore, and if you do then pray that none of them are as big a fool as their grandfather. Alas, there is little we can do about it now, you will simply have to be very brave indeed my dear."
A few days after that she was sent off to Casterly Rock, she was accompanied by her cousins and while she loved them dearly, sweet Alla, daring Megga and witty Elinor, she would rather her brothers could have come with her instead. But Willas was the heir to Highgarden and could not leave the castle, Garlan was in the Red Keep and was a hostage to the Iron Throne in all but name and Loras was fled.
Thinking of Loras hurt her deeply, she loved all her brothers but Loras was the closest to her in age and he was her best friend, her truest champion and protector and now he was gone and a traitor to the realm, if he ever returned to Westeros then Eddard Stark would no doubt take his head and so Margaery had taken to praying that Loras would never return, for his own sake.
Casterly Rock was even grander than Margaery had ever expected it to be, with a mountain full of gold at their command who could truly blame the Lannisters for their pride? She was greeted by Lord Tywin's sister, Lady Genna who was the last of Lord Tywin's siblings to still draw breath and the woman was an intimidating sight, in spite of her roundness.
Her eyes were hard, all though her courtesies were perfect and Margaery truly wondered if her father had so little regard for her that he would bind her to a house whose only future lied in rebellion, and if they lost it would no doubt end with her head on a spike.
Lady Genna had Margaery and her cousins escorted to chambers deep within Casterly Rock, there was a chill in the air and even though the furnishings were even grander than the ones she was accustomed to in her own chambers in Highgarden but she could not help but feel like it was more a prison, there was no sunlight here and Margaery could almost feel the enormity of the mountain pressing down on her.
Her cousins did their best to cheer her and they had never been more dear to her, Elinor made a few jests about Lord Tywin's person and the size of the Rock that Margaery would have to deny she ever heard if asked but they still made her smile, Megga had brought out a beautiful dress that she had made for Margaery by herself and while she already had a dress picked out for the wedding it was certainly a dress that she could see herself wearing, a dress fit for a queen.
And Alla sang for her, a song that Margaery remembered her septa singing for her when she was a little girl. It was a sweet and silly gesture and so perfectly Alla that it made her want to cry, she loved them all so much and she did not know if she could protect them and yet she would do all that she could, she was the oldest and it was her duty and so she would.
But she had a trial to overcome first and so after thanking each of her cousins she had them dress her for her wedding night, it was a truly beautiful dress that had been prepared for her and the wealth of Highgarden was present in ever single stich of it, heavy green damask silk was the bodice with sleeves of cloth-of-silver and Myrish lace around the wrists, flowers were depicted on the bodice and the front of her skirts with red, yellow, and blue thread for the leaves and the centres were made of tiny rubies, sapphires and citrines.
She was fully dressed by the time the knock came at her door, Alla just finishing by placing the green silk cloak with the golden rose of Highgarden about her shoulders, and she had Megga open it for Lady Genna. "It is time my lady, your husband awaits you."
"My heart is full of joy, I promise that I shall love him dearly and be the finest wife I can be," Margaery knew what she had to say, she had spent all the days leading up to her journey here learning them. Garlan and Loras fought with swords, to defend their house then she would have to fight with words and she had been taught by the best in how to use them in the most effective way.
Lady Genna nodded and bid for them to follow her through the long stone passageways that made up her new home, the sheer amount of stairs that they had to climb was almost ridiculous and at one point they had to climb into a wooden cage that had to be hauled up by a large length of chain to reach another level of the Rock and Margaery had never been more terrified in her entire life but she did not let it show and instead simply held Alla's hand when she saw her shaking in the corner of her eye.
When the cage had come to a stop it was another long walk to the feast hall of the Rock but she would take that over more steps or climbing into another cage, the doors of the sept were massive and made from dark wood and lions wrought in gold standing on their hind legs stood proud underneath the seven pointed star.
When the doors opened the light from within the sept was almost blinding, but Margaery did not flinch from the light and did not hesitate to follow Lady Genna inside and towards the dais.
Margaery had done all she could to learn about the houses of the West before coming here and she did not miss the fact that the sept was more full than she expected or feared, it was treason what was being done here there could be no doubt about that and yet the hall was filled with lords and ladies who showed not a hint of fear on their faces, indeed they simply chattered on to one another as if there was nothing more than just another wedding like the hundreds they had attended before.
Her husband was waiting for her in the shadow of a great golden statue of the Father was her soon to be husband, he had already been crowned before she had arrived at the Rock and the golden crown that had been placed on Tygett Targaryen's brow threatened to swallow him whole. The man was a little older than her in truth but he looked younger, he did not hold himself as a king should and he looked to be shaking slightly.
The King's grandfather was standing on his right, and looked more like a king should to her eyes dressed in a dark red doublet with golden buttons shaped into tiny lion heads with their jaws open wide in a roar, on his breast also wrought in gold was the pin that marked the man as the young king's hand and Margaery wondered how much power her new husband actually had compared to his grandfather or if it was just that he was nothing more than a puppet to sit the throne while Lord Tywin ruled in all but name.
Regardless it did not matter now, she was here and there was nothing she could do about it and so she made sure that her smile did not slip for even a single second as she took her placed at the other side of her soon to be husband.
The septon came forth, Margaery wondered if the Faith's hierarchy knew of this or if this was just Casterly Rock's septon doing as his lord bid him, and raised his crystal censer and gently swung it back and forth side to side and filled the air with sweet smelling smoke that seem to have a heavy helping of lavender in it, such a calming scent and Maegaery found herself wondering if that was for her benefit or for Tygett.
The septon began to of about marriage and loyalty and devotion and love and Maegaery might have laughed if she wasn't so disgusted, once the septon was done it was time for Tygett and herself to speak their vows. The man she had been commanded to marry spoke the words, a tad quietly but loud enough that everyone could hear and his voice only broke at the very end of it.
And so it was done, her husband gently took her hand and lead her down the path in the middle of the assembled lords and ladies of the West who were clapping for them so loudly that it threatened to deafen her but Margaery would not flinch, she kept walking forward with her head held high.
The wedding feast was held in the great feast hall, with walls that would seem to be made of gold and their food served to them on plates of the same precious metal. Margaery ate and drank sparingly, people needed little and less to spread gossip and she meant to give them nothing, she would not have anyone calling her a glutton or a drunkard.
Her husband on the other hand made her look like she over indulged compared to what he ate, the food all looked and smelled delicious and yet he only took small bites from a few of the plates that had been laid before him, if anything he looked paler than he had done in the sept and it looked to her that he had small black bags underneath his eyes.
The guests came up to them and offered their congratulations and some of them made a few jests about what to expect on their wedding night and Margaery was the one who had to answer them, her husband was practically a mute.
It was her new goodfather who spoke to the lords and ladies and it was to him that they spoke of politics and ruling, supplies and future battles while their King simply ignored it all.
When a lord with flame red hair began to speak to Lord Tywin in a hushed tone Margaery leaned across to her husband and gently took his hand, and she could not help but frown when she felt him flinch under her touch but she forced it away almost as quickly as it appeared. "Is your Grace well?" she kept her voice gentle, almost a whisper and made sure there was a warm smile on her face when he turned his head to look at her. "You've barely eaten."
"I...I am not very hungry, my lady," Tygett's gaze cut over to his plate where a cold slice of beef and mushroom pie was resting it's gravy congealing into a thick unpleasant puddle, her husband regarded it like someone had placed a serving of roasted rat before him. "You should eat though my Lady, my Lord Grandfather's cooks are very talented and have worked very hard, I am sure it will please them to know that their...that you enjoy it."
"I do indeed," Margaery said as she reached out and gently cupped Tygett's cheek, he was shivering slightly under her fingertips. "but I am your wife and I worry for you and love you deeply your Grace, would you please indulge me and try eat a little more for me?"
Tygett sighed heavily which was not what she wanted but while he looked miserable and defeated he still turned around and picked up his fork to stab into the pie and shovelled it into his mouth. Margaery thanked her new husband by giving him a kiss to the cheek but he seemed to take little enjoyment from that as well, simply staring ahead while his skin seemed to pale even more than it already was.
The feast continued for a time, Margaery watched as each of her cousins danced with several handsome young lords and knights who asked for their attention but even though several of them came and asked her to dance she turned all of them away, wanting to make it clear that her place was at her husband's side and he had already turned away every maiden who asked him for a dance.
It ended when Lord Tywin rose to his feet and the herald slammed the butt of his staff on to the floor which filled the hall with silence, Lord Tywin raised his cup and spoke. "I believe it is time for us to put the new couple to bed."
A cheer went up throughout the hall and Margaery summoned up her courage, her mother had told her that this would happen to her as it happened to every bride at their wedding and that she would need to be brave when it happened, and so when the drunken men swarmed about her and lifted her up she bit her tongue and kept her smile firmly on her face.
It was about as she expected it to be, as the men pawed at her and tore at her beautiful dress and it was at least over mercifully quick as she was placed into her bedchambers to await her new husband.
He came to her, naked from his legs up and somehow looking even worse than he had done before. Lord Tywin, Lady Genna, Lord Tyrion, the red-haired lord from before, Casterly Rock's maester and the septon who had wed them had brought him in and none of them had left yet and her mother had not taught her about this. "I am afraid that we won't be leaving yet your Grace," Lady Genna spoke, "I am afraid we must be sure that the marriage is consummated."
Oh, Margaery knew that sometimes the sheet of the bed was presented the day afterwards to the wedding guests to show off the maiden blood on it as proof that the marriage had been consummated but she had never heard of anything like this.
"I won't do it," it was so quiet that for a moment Margaery thought that she had been hearing things but when all the other eyes in the room turned to look at the King it was clear that she had not imagined it. "You abducted me, brought me here and forced me to play along with this treason and now you want me to humiliate myself even further? I won't do it."
"You will," was all that Lord Tywin said in response as he glared at his own grandson in such an awful way, Margaery wondered what she would do if Lady Olenna ever looked at her in that way.
"Just do it lad," for all of his ugliness Lord Tyrion's voice was gentle. "It will be over before you know it and then you can be left alone, trust me."
It seemed that was enough as her husband crumbled and walked over to the bed, he gently took her hand and laid her down on the bed and climbed on top of her after he pulled his trousers off.
Margaery allowed her thoughts to drift to Highgarden as the deed was done, thinking of the harvest balls and sailing along the Mander, eating bread with honey spread thickly upon it, of riding and hawking and fox hunting, of the warm rain hitting her face as her husbands tears rained down on her in the cold cruelty that was the world that they lived in.
Soon enough it was done and Tygett rolled off of her, the maester came forth to examine her and the feel of his eyes going over her made her flesh want to crawl off her bones and when he announced to the rest of the room that the deed was done and they took their leave from the room Margaery did not think that she had ever been so glad before her.
Her husband was weeping on his side and Margaery pushed herself up to look at him, there was very little of his father in him that Margaery could see and for a moment she wondered what it would have been like if she had been wed to Aemon instead, she reached out and rested her hand on Tygett's shoulder, sighing slightly when he flinched. "It's all right, they've gone."
"I don't want this," Tygett whispered into the darkness, his voice choked with his sobs. "I was going to Oldtown, I was going to be a maester. I was going to be good and loyal, Aemon's the traitor not me. But they took me and grandfather said, he said that if I didn't do as I was told then he was going to, he-"
He could speak no more, Tygett began to sob and Margaery sighed and ran her fingers through his golden curls to try and give the poor sad thing some kind of comfort.
So, this was the price for a crown.
End of Chapter One-Hundred and Twenty-Eight.
Yeah, there is a lot here. But all the weddings are done and next time we're going back to King's Landing for a chapter from Elia's P.O.V.
I also just want to comment on Margaery's characterization, she's much more based on her book portrayal here than in the shows, still politically savvy but much less ambitious in my opinion.