William walked up behind Margaery and leaned close to her ear. "Don't worry, Margaery."
She turned around, her hair brushing past William's face, leaving a faint trace of its fragrance.
"I've arranged to meet Willas and Garlan," Margaery said. "It's time to tell them about magic and the... treatment. It's about time; let's go find them."
The two made their way through the maze-like grove of trees and soon arrived at a delicate courtyard.
Surrounded by greenery and filled with flowers, it featured a small pool on one side. A man-made waterfall, constructed from stacked stones, continuously fed water into the pool, causing fallen leaves on the surface to swirl and drift with the current. In the shade of the trees on the other side stood several stone tables and benches. Willas, as gentle as jade, was seated on one of the stone benches, while the handsome and imposing Garlan stood beside him, watching their approach with a broad smile.
After exchanging pleasantries and greetings, the three younger Tyrell girls obediently ran off to play by the poolside, their occasional giggles drifting back.
The four of them sat around the square stone table. Willas first thanked William for the generous gift he had sent, then apologized for certain people's offenses, before finally turning his gentle gaze to Margaery. "Margaery, what did you want to discuss with us?"
Margaery hesitated, her eyes shifting slightly. "William, you tell them."
"This isn't what we agreed on..."
Under the smiling gazes of Willas and Garlan, William felt a sudden but not flustered pressure. With his little rose by his side, demonstrating magic to gain their trust would be a simple task.
"Willas, what do you think of my epithet?"
"The Magic Knight?" Willas smiled. "From what I understand, people have been calling you that for quite some time."
William nodded; he wasn't surprised. It would be strange if Willas hadn't looked into the man pursuing his sister.
"Initially, it was probably meant as a joke. But later... well, for your age, winning so many tourneys, plus that fierce battle at Ten Mile Town – it all seems rather incredible. Perhaps people find these feats so remarkable that the title feels fitting."
William looked directly into Willas's eyes. "And what if I told you it's true? What if I really do know magic?"
Willas's expression remained as calm as ever. "Are you referring to your Valyrian steel link? That certainly lives up to the name."
William glanced at Garlan, who simply shrugged.
A mysterious smile appeared on William's face. He stood up, went over to the side, and broke off a section of vine. Bringing it back, he placed it on the stone table. Then he squeezed Margaery's hand, and the two exchanged a look.
Noticing this, Willas and Garlan shared a knowing smile.
The two brothers looked again at the vine on the table, finding nothing unusual about it. Just as Garlan was about to ask a question, the segment of vine began to tremble slightly. Before their astonished eyes, it visibly lengthened, growing bit by bit, winding and coiling until it gradually formed a shape on the tabletop resembling a rose.
Willas and Garlan were expressionless, silent. William and Margaery did not disturb them, allowing them to quietly process what they had just witnessed.
After a long while, Garlan took a deep breath. He picked up the vine, which closely resembled the Tyrell sigil, examined it, then handed it to Willas. He smiled at William, his eyes filled with approval.
Willas took the vine and toyed with it for a moment before looking up, his demeanor still unruffled. "So this is your magic? Not bad. It reminds me of the legends of Garth Greenhand."
"No!" Margaery said. "This is my magic."
Willas and Garlan could no longer conceal their astonishment. They turned their stunned gazes squarely on Margaery. Even the usually poised Margaery shyly lowered her head, like a mischievous child caught in the act.
William coughed twice, drawing their attention back to him. "I taught Margaery the magic. At first, she didn't want to learn, but at Ten Mile Town, she had to try it to save Garlan."
Garlan showed a look of sudden understanding; he had always wondered how his injury healed so quickly.
Willas simply watched William, seeming to know he hadn't finished.
"And later, it was for you, Willas. We can heal you. Are you willing to accept the treatment?"
Garlan's eyes lit up as he looked at Willas, seeming to want to say something, but ultimately remained silent.
Willas, however, seemed to fall into thought. After a long moment, he revealed a smile. "Of course... not."
"Good..." William started to respond before catching himself. "Huh? What did you say?"
Garlan and Margaery also widened their eyes in surprise.
"I've been to the Citadel. I had Archmaester Ambrose diagnose me. The best medical minds in Westeros cannot heal my leg," Willas said, his tone calm. "Do you know what that means?"
"Just say it was a doctor from Essos who left after the treatment," William immediately thought of a reason. "We don't need to prove anything to anyone."
"You're clever, William. But the lack of proof is, in itself, a kind of proof," Willas said meaningfully. "If my leg were to inexplicably heal, it would likely be worse than it remaining lame."
The smile slowly faded from William's face as he realized the problem—if Willas were merely lame, it would just put him at a disadvantage in the power struggles with the great lords of the Reach, but at least no lord would dare rebel outright on the grounds that the Lord Paramount was a cripple. However, if the Citadel suspected magic was involved, they would likely face a far more terrible danger.
Garlan and Margaery might not fully understand the affairs of the Citadel, but they could see that Willas wanted no association with something that couldn't be clearly explained.
Seeing Margaery's visibly disappointed expression, William couldn't hold back. "Do you remember last time when you asked me for my views on the situation in the Reach?"
Willas placed the vine back on the table and nodded.
"Then I'll speak plainly. House Tyrell's rule over the Reach has been tenuous from the start, maintained by a fragile balance. Your leg will only cause the situation to deteriorate further. That's why we wanted to heal it. Now you say even treatment is not an option. So, what do you propose we do?"
"Endure. Wait. Just as House Tyrell has done for these three hundred years," Willas's eyes were like deep, still pools, shimmering with a wise light. "Actually, I'm not overly concerned about my leg. While it's a disadvantage, it's far from a hopeless situation."
The atmosphere grew heavy. Except for Willas, who remained composed as ever, the other three seemed somewhat dejected, though for different reasons.
After a moment, Willas's hearty laughter broke the silence. "William, the fact that you've shared this secret with us shows your trust. So, I won't hide anything from you either."
The three looked at him curiously.
"I've investigated you in detail, even asked Prince Oberyn for assistance. I believe you have both courage and strategy. There's hope for a resurgence of House Whent, but that might be many years from now. So, Garlan genuinely hopes you two can be together. As for me, I didn't think much of your prospects from the start; I just didn't want Margaery... to make such a great sacrifice."
William felt slightly embarrassed.
"But now," Willas looked at Margaery, his gaze soft, "Margaery, you must be with William."
The expressions on the three faces became animated again. Garlan was pleased that Willas now agreed with him. William was somewhat surprised—hadn't he just been pessimistic about it?
Margaery slowly stood up, her expression resolute. "No, Willas. I will cooperate with Father and Lord Renly's plan. You men can shed blood and sacrifice for the family. I will also use my own strength to protect our house."
Having said that, she turned to face William, her gaze somewhat cold. After a moment, an elusive light flickered deep within her eyes. "William, you said that if I told you to leave, you would go. Well, I'm telling you now, leave!"
Without looking back, she walked away along the gravel path. It wasn't until she was almost out of the courtyard that the younger Tyrell girls, who had been playing in the distance, realized what was happening and hurriedly followed her.
After a moment of stunned silence, William let out a hearty laugh. "She told me to leave, so why did she walk off?"
Garlan and Willas couldn't help but laugh along. "Now I also think Margaery being with you would be quite good," Willas said. "Magic... mysterious and dangerous... Margaery will only be truly safe by your side. It's my turn to ask you: what do we do now?"
"Endure. Wait!" William clenched his fist tightly. "But we won't have to wait for many years. The right moment will come soon. Isn't Lord Renly's plan itself a sign?"
Garlan looked somewhat puzzled, but Willas nodded in approval.
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