"Sir Garlan." Viserys's voice was calm, but a distinct coldness could be heard in his tone. "Daenerys and Rhaenys are my family. Their marriages are not for you to propose."
Garlan had not yet realized he had misspoken and explained, "Your Majesty, I meant no offense. We simply felt that if we could strengthen our ties through marriage, it would be more conducive to consolidating our alliance."
However, Margaery, who was by his side, saw that something was wrong, but it was already too late for her to pull Garlan back.
"Alliance?" Viserys leaned forward slightly, his eyes staring straight at him. "When did I agree to that? What right does House Tyrell have to discuss an alliance with me now? Do you have dragons? Do you have an army that can sweep across Westeros? Or do you think the golden roses of The Reach are worth more than a dragon?"
These words were too heavy. Garlan's face turned somewhat pale, and fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead; even he, as slow as he was, realized he had said the wrong thing. Margaery's hands clenched inside her sleeves, but she still maintained her composure.
She glanced at her brother and spoke, "Marriage is indeed the most common way to consolidate an alliance. Grandmother hoped I could become your queen in the hope that House Tyrell could be bound together with the House of the Dragon; our loyalty in this regard is unquestionable. As for the matter of Loras and the Princesses' marriages..."
She showed a helpless smile. "That was more because my brother was eager to express our sincerity, but it was also due to our lack of thorough consideration. The Princesses' marriages are, of course, for Your Majesty to decide."
What a Margaery Tyrell; at least her ability to adapt was much sharper and more flexible than her brother's.
But Viserys did not intend to let her gloss over it just like that.
Viserys continued, "Miss Margaery, you are indeed very well-spoken. You are beautiful and very clever."
He looked at Margaery, and the girl straightened her back to meet his gaze. "But I do not lack candidates for a queen. Princess Arianne Martell of Dorne and I already have a betrothal."
"Dorne?" Garlan blurted out, his expression changing. There was a blood feud between The Reach and Dorne, and this news clearly shocked him greatly.
Just then, the door to the council chamber was pushed open. Oberyn Martell was as casual as if he had just returned from a stroll, wearing thin silk robes in the Dornish style and holding an apple in his hand. When he saw the Tyrell siblings in the hall, a smile that was a mix of mockery and provocation immediately appeared on his face.
He sat directly opposite Garlan and then began peeling the apple with a small knife, ignoring the two people in front of him.
"Oberyn the Red Viper." Garlan's expression darkened, and he instinctively stood up, his hand moving to his waist to draw his sword, but he quickly realized that his sword had already been confiscated.
Toward this sinner who had crippled Willas's leg, Garlan had never had a good look to give.
"Oh, I was wondering who had come; it turns out to be the roses of Highgarden." Oberyn then spoke leisurely. "What, seeing an opportunity for profit, have you finally deigned to crawl out of your castle full of floral scents and schemes?"
Garlan was pulled back into his seat by Margaery and only said in a cold tone, "Watch your words, Dornishman."
"What's wrong with my words?" Oberyn took a bite of his apple. "Am I not stating facts? When has your House Tyrell ever been truly loyal to the Targaryens? Your so-called 'Growing Strong' is nothing more than being a fence-sitter, swaying whichever way the wind blows strongest. And you still want to shove your family's little rose in here to be queen?"
He sneered, "The position of queen belongs to us Dornish; this was personally promised by His Majesty Viserys."
Margaery took a deep breath. She did not look at the provocative Oberyn or her foul-faced brother, but spoke directly to Viserys: "Your Majesty, since the position of queen has already been decided, Margaery would not dare to ask for it. But an alliance is not the only path. House Tyrell's loyalty to the Targaryens is unquestionable, and we are willing to prove it with our actions henceforth. Whenever you have need, the gates of Highgarden will always be open to you."
"If you want to prove it, you can, but it requires specific conditions and plans."
Viserys took up the conversation, his tone brooks no argument. "First, I need you to deliver a fixed amount of grain annually to ports I designate, and it must be settled using my dragon coin. Furthermore, when I go to war with Robert, I will levy Highgarden's army, and the command will be mine. As for the future power and interests in Westeros that you hope to gain, that will depend on your actual performance and contributions in the time to come. Those are my terms."
Garlan's face fell immediately, becoming even more unsightly. This was equivalent to completely rejecting House Tyrell's attempt to bind themselves to the core, instead treating them as ordinary allies and merchants who could conveniently provide supplies.
"Your Majesty, this is quite different from what we anticipated," Garlan spoke with difficulty. "House Tyrell is one of the most powerful families in the Seven Kingdoms, we..."
"One of the most powerful families, yet nowhere to be found when I needed you most." Viserys stood up. "My terms will not change. If you are willing, you can leave a specific contact person and method, and Count Elisha will discuss the details with you. If you feel you cannot accept them, then thank you for coming all this way; there are ships at the docks that can take you back."
This was a blatant dismissal, without even the polite words of inviting them to stay in the castle.
Garlan stood up abruptly, clearly angry to the extreme, but he did not dare to vent his rage in front of Viserys. He looked at Margaery, hoping his sister could make one last effort.
Margaery also stood up and curtsied slightly. "Your Majesty, your terms are clear to us. But this matter is of great importance; please allow us to report to our family first."
Viserys nodded. "As you wish. Someone will take you to the inn at the docks to rest. You can deliberate there."
"Your Majesty," Garlan couldn't help but say, "we have come from afar; do we not even have the right to stay temporarily in the castle?"
Viserys said in a flat tone, "Rooms in the castle are limited, and there are many female residents. The inn at the docks is clean and comfortable, more suitable for hosting guests. This way, please."
Garlan wanted to say more, but Margaery gently took his arm and shook her head. She turned to Viserys and bowed again. "Thank you for the arrangements, Your Majesty. We shall take our leave."
Watching the Tyrell siblings leave the council chamber accompanied by attendants, Oberyn chuckled. "Well done, Your Majesty. That's exactly how to deal with these calculating roses. Watching the expression on that boy Garlan's face was truly more interesting than watching a farce."
Viserys sat down. "Olenna of Highgarden won't be so easy to deal with."
"That Old Queen of Thorns?" Oberyn curled his lip. "She's only troublesome with her words, but you now hold dragons and half of the western continent of Essos. No matter how troublesome she is, she has to weigh her options. However..."
He leaned in a bit closer, a playful look in his eyes. "That little rose Margaery is not simple. She is much smarter than her brother and more enduring. From the way she looked at you at the end, it didn't seem like she was going to give up on the marriage alliance."
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