Chapter 83 - House Of Tyrell (II)

“This is a woman who stole her sister's husband on their wedding day and slept with him the same day. The poor man couldn't get up the next day...?” Aenar Targaryen commented, watching Olenna Tyrell.

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ROARRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!!

The loud, powerful and savage roar shook the white walls of High Garden. The sound of deafening wingbeats echoed throughout the castle before everyone heard a loud, heavy thud on the ground.

Caraxes had landed in High Garden. The poor dragon had been flying for almost half a day. With the spectacle he had put on in King's Landing, he was really exhausted at that point.

Aenar loosened the belt that held him together with Leda and finally felt able to move as he pleased. Instead of climbing down the iron mesh below the saddle, he slid down the membrane of the dragon's wing, falling gently to the ground as he removed both gloves from his hands.

Leda followed her king down after him. The girl had an expression of relief as she finally felt the ground beneath her feet. If it were possible, she would never want to fly again. However, knowing her king's slightly sadistic personality, she knew that her wish was impossible.

Without knowing what Leda was thinking, Aenar walked up next to Caraxes' neck and skillfully stroked the dragon's long scales.

“Thank you, brother,” he said in a grateful tone as he felt the warm touch of Caraxes' scales.

Caraxes let out a trill, similar to the sound of a cat, and seemed to enjoy the caresses. The tremor in his scales clearly showed the pleasure he was feeling.

Leda was speechless as she watched that huge dragon melt under Aenar's caresses. The scene was so absurd that she couldn't say anything, just letting out a sigh. However, her eyes focused on the man behind a branch of meticulously trimmed bushes.

It was a gardener, who was completely frightened.

Olenna, along with Mace, Lord of High Garden, Lady Alerie Hightower, Garlan, Loras and Margaery, surrounded by hundreds of knights, approached and observed the scene of a man stroking a huge dragon as if it were a cat.

Seeing the golden-white hair, Olenna didn't need to be a genius to deduce the man's identity, or rather the boy's, noticing some still childish features on his face.

Looking at her son, who was paralyzed and had no intention of greeting the future sovereign, Olenna discreetly stepped on his foot and gave him a cold stare.

The pain in his foot and the look on his mother's face roused Mace from his shock. Suppressing the fear in his heart, the Lord of High Garden took a step forward. But the moment he did, the next scene made his blood run cold.

The huge dragon suddenly raised its head and moved it forward, showing off its large, extremely sharp teeth.

“Relax, Caraxes. It's not food, at least not at the moment.” Aenar laughed as he noticed the frightened expression on the High Garden Lord's face and spoke in a gentle tone to Caraxes, who merely blew smoke out of his nostrils before resting his head back on the grass.

Watching the scene, Olenna sighed wearily. With her hands on her stomach, she bowed slightly and spoke in a calm tone:

“Welcome to High Garden, Prince Aenar.”

As soon as she spoke, Mace awoke from his fear and bowed, followed by his wife, sons and daughters.

“Welcome to High Garden, Prince.”

“Sorry for the abrupt arrival, Lord Mace and Lady Alerie.” Aenar spoke first to the lords of High Garden.

Mace seemed flattered to be greeted before his mother, which brought a smile to his lips and dispelled his fear of the dragon. Alerie just nodded, watching the Targaryen prince curiously. It wasn't every day that you saw a real Dragonlord.

Aenar then turned his gaze to the old woman wearing green clothes that covered even her hair, leaving only her face showing.

“The famous Queen of Thorns.” He commented in an amused tone, noticing that, even in front of Caraxes, there was no fear in her eyes.

“The famous Dragon Prince.” Olenna pretended to be impressed and replied with a sarcastic tone: “I'm really surprised, you look like your father.”

Aenar laughed at her words, without feeling offended by her tone. After constantly dealing with fanatics and sycophants, Olenna's attitude seemed like a breath of fresh air.

Leda, however, cast a cold glance at the woman who dared to speak to her king like that. Perhaps noticing the young woman's deadly stare, Olenna looked at her curiously. But her curiosity was satisfied when she looked at the hilt of the sword.

Dawn.

With the armour and white cloak over her shoulders, Olenna quickly recognized the girl's identity and position. Nevertheless, she was surprised. There had never been a woman in the Royal Guard, even though a woman had created the order. This showed that the prince was more open-minded than many men in Westeros. After all, being protected by a woman wasn't exactly frowned upon.

Even so, Olenna showed no weakness in the face of the cold gaze of such a young girl. She didn't fear the dragon, let alone a girl wielding a famous sword.

“My Lady Commander of the Royal Guard and I are starving after half a day's journey.” Ignoring the exchange of cold glances between the two women, Aenar spoke with a smile on his face.

“I will arrange it urgently, Your Grace.” Seeing that Aenar seemed easy to talk to, Mace relaxed and invited him in with an enthusiastic smile.

The idea of marrying Margaery was discarded the moment he saw the dragon. Just the thought that his grandchildren could possess such a great beast made Mace abandon any intention of marrying Margaery to Prince Joffrey.

Seeing her son's expression, Olenna wanted to hit Mace again, but held back in front of the Targaryen prince. However, she was determined to teach her son another lesson at another time.

Aenar smiled and followed the whole of House Tyrell as he felt everyone's gaze focused on him, whether out of curiosity or for some other reason. Noticing a particularly intense gaze on him, Aenar looked discreetly to the side and saw Loras Tyrell watching him with a passionate expression...

Aenar was speechless, but decided to pretend he hadn't seen anything. He had nothing against it, but his sexual orientation was completely towards women. He wasn't attracted to men at all.

However, another look caught his eye. Following the source, he saw a beautiful girl with voluminous brown hair and large, lovely eyes, looking at him with a shy, curious gaze.

As he blinked at her, Aenar heard a soft laugh coming from the young woman and smiled too.

Margaery Tyrell, one of his three mistresses. The son she would have with him would be a figure of great importance in the future, being one of the Twenty Primarchs.

Olenna noticed the small movements between Aenar and Margaery, although she didn't show it. The Queen of Thorns' eyes analyzed her granddaughter carefully, in a deep gaze that carried years of wisdom and expectation.

She knew Margaery better than anyone. Olenna had taught her everything she knew. Every graceful gesture, every carefully calculated smile, every gentle glance and even the melodious laugh that seemed spontaneous - it was all part of a skillfully molded arsenal for winning hearts.

Margaery was ambitious. Perhaps even more so than Olenna had been in her youth. The desire for power burned in her like an intense flame, and the crown wasn't just a goal; it was an absolute dream, the destiny she was determined to reach.

Olenna saw this clearly. Every word Margaery exchanged with Aenar was wrapped in a layer of charm and intent. Every move, even the most subtle, was a move in the great game. The old matriarch wasn't sure whether to admire or fear her granddaughter for this.

"Have no regrets, Margaery. Everyone must bear the consequences of their actions, “ Olenna thought, watching the two of them gradually converse, apparently having a normal, fun conversation.

Margaery, for her part, certainly didn't know what her grandmother was thinking - and if she did, she wouldn't have cared. In her eyes, all the focus was on that handsome, powerful dragon rider by her side.

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Author's note: I'll make an exception: if you really want Myrcella to join the harem, write +1 in the comments.

As always, Sunday is my rest day and there will be no chapters.