Sure enough, at dusk, a squire arrived with news: House Tyrell had decided that Ser Garlan would return to Highgarden by ship the next day to provide a detailed report to Lady Olenna and Duke Mace.
Meanwhile, Lady Margaery Tyrell "requested" to stay in Valyria temporarily.
"She said she had long heard of Valyria's uniqueness, and that the dragons are like miracles. She hopes for a chance to observe them up close to deepen her understanding of the Empire and Your Majesty. Furthermore, she offered to serve as a lady-in-waiting to the princesses in her capacity as a noblewoman. She also said she would wait patiently and prove to Your Majesty that the 'value' of House Tyrell is not limited to grain and gold."
Oberyn, standing nearby, let out a whistle upon hearing this. "Listen to that silver tongue. She's determined to stay by your side and look for an opportunity. Your Majesty, you must be careful of this Little Rose; a rose's thorns are hidden beneath its soft petals."
Viserys, of course, knew all this.
After all, in the original story, Margaery Tyrell was single-mindedly set on becoming Queen. Beneath her gentle appearance, her political intuition and maneuvering were not to be underestimated; she was one of the few high-level players in the Game of Thrones.
Unfortunately, she met Cersei, who didn't follow the rules and flipped the table, resulting in her being deleted from the game. However, Viserys would not be seduced by her. If he were, the two brainless young girls in his harem whom he protected would surely be played like puppets in her hands.
"I know," Viserys said. "But keeping her under my nose is at least better than letting her return to Highgarden to scheme. Besides, it's not a bad thing for her to keep Rhaenys and Daenerys company. It's better than having them deal with the Sand Snakes' pranks all day."
Oberyn laughed loudly. "My daughters are giving you a headache?"
"A bit," Viserys admitted bluntly. "They are too direct."
"You could just take them all. Dornishmen are quite open-minded about such things, especially since the object is you. I'd support it with both hands."
That night, in the guest house at the docks, Garlan and Margaery had a slight argument. This was because Margaery had not informed Garlan in advance of her decision to stay.
"You shouldn't stay," Garlan paced the room. "What is this? Are you a hostage? Or a servant? Margaery, you are the Rose of Highgarden."
"It is precisely because I am the Rose of Highgarden that I must stay." Margaery stood by the window, looking toward Dragonwing Fortress. "Brother, did you not realize today? Viserys doesn't care about our alliance at all. He has dragons, he has an army, and he has a pact with Dorne. In his eyes, House Tyrell is merely the leaf to a flower that adds beauty but is ultimately dispensable. If we go back like this now, then Highgarden will truly have no place in the future."
Garlan stopped walking. "But..."
"No buts."
Margaery turned her head, her eyes resolute. "Grandmother sent us here to bind ourselves to the Targaryens, to ensure that House Tyrell continues to thrive in the future. Now that I am staying, I can get close to him and his inner circle. I can learn his preferences, his weaknesses—everything about him."
"The Dornish may have taken the lead, but that doesn't mean they will get what they want. Moreover, I can become friends with the princesses. At the very least, I can help Loras by poisoning their ears against competitors in advance, giving us an advantage in their future marriage alliances. These are all chips I can gain by staying."
Even now, the Tyrells did not know that Viserys intended to take multiple wives; after all, such a thing hadn't happened in many years. They assumed Viserys's previous reaction was for the sake of Dorne, using it as an excuse to reject a marriage alliance with Highgarden.
She walked up to Garlan. "Brother, go back and tell Grandmother that Margaery will not disappoint her. I will take root here and fulfill the family's expectations."
Garlan looked at his sister and finally sighed. "Margaery, you always look further ahead than the rest of us. But this is a foreign land, after all. You, alone..."
"I am not alone," Margaery smiled. "I have Grandmother's wisdom, and those 'emergency' trinkets she gave me. I also have Highgarden as my background. Besides, I find this place very interesting. There are dragons and the Unsullied; it's much more exciting than the gardens of Highgarden."
The next day, just as Garlan's ship left Valyria, Margaery brought a maid and a small amount of luggage and officially moved into Dragonwing Fortress instead of staying at the guest house.
Viserys had Ashara arrange her living quarters and directed her to accompany Daenerys and Rhaenys in their studies every morning. She was free to move about in the afternoon, though she had to be accompanied wherever she went.
Margaery adapted quickly. She stopped wearing those ornate, complicated gowns, opting instead for simpler attire and tying her hair back simply, all to better serve Daenerys and Rhaenys.
Daenerys was wary of her at first, mainly because the Sand Snakes spent all day whispering bad things about the Reachmen in her ear. However, Margaery always managed to find topics that interested the young girl. Within a few days, Daenerys began to seek her out to play.
Rhaenys was more cautious, but the insight Margaery showed when discussing history and politics earned a shred of respect from her.
Oberyn remained noncommittal about Margaery staying, but his daughters were not so polite. Nymeria once "happened" to encounter Margaery walking in the garden and blocked her path.
"Rose of Highgarden, are you getting used to life here?"
Margaery smiled. "Of course. One can see dragons here, a sight not found in Highgarden."
"Dragons?" Obara appeared out of nowhere. "Have you ever been close to one? Careful not to be burned to ash."
"If His Majesty permits, I shall approach with care," Margaery replied with poise. "After all, understanding the power of a future ruler is the duty of a subject."
"A subject? Didn't the Tyrells kneel to Robert? Are you now subjects of the Targaryens again?"
The smile on Margaery's face faded slightly, but her voice remained steady. "We were forced by circumstances then, but it is for that very reason that we must make amends. You ladies are guests, and I am a guest. As fellow guests, why should we make things difficult for one another? Dorne and The Reach have their grievances, but now we all stand on the soil of Valyria, facing the same future."
The words were beautifully spoken. The Sand Snakes exchanged looks and walked away without another word. Margaery simply gave them a slight nod.
In those days, while they had yet to receive a reply from Westeros, news arrived from Lys—the only Free City now completely surrounded by Viserys's territory.
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