A month later, William returned to Highgarden.
Highgarden remained that beautiful castle, seemingly suspended among the clouds. But last time, it had been the journey's end; this time, it was merely a stop along the way.
Lady Alerie, along with Willas and Margaery, waited at the city gates. Alerie was noble and dignified, her long silver hair reminiscent of bright moonlight.
After dismounting, William paid his respects respectfully to Alerie, then walked up to Willas. The two shared a smile of understanding.
When he took Margaery's hand, he subtly stroked her palm. A faint blush crept onto the little rose's cheeks, and she quickly and discreetly pinched him in return, reminding him that roses have thorns.
As a woman in courtly attire descended from the carriage, Alerie found her strikingly familiar yet couldn't place which house she belonged to. A trace of confusion crossed her face. "Ser William, might I ask who this lady is?"
William first looked surprised, then his expression turned peculiar. Seeing that William seemed hesitant to introduce her, Alerie frowned. As the elder, should she really have to introduce herself to a younger woman first? That wouldn't be very proper.
The woman glided closer, wearing a long purple gown with a train that swept the ground. Her hair was styled in an elaborate and ornate updo, giving her an overall aura of graceful nobility.
A faint, almost imperceptible smile played on her lips as she spoke in a calm tone, "Alerie, it's been a long time."
Staring at this woman with fiery red hair and features somewhat resembling Margaery's, Alerie abruptly raised a hand to cover her mouth, stifling a gasp. It took a moment before she lowered her hand to her chest, her voice trembling slightly. "Sister? Is that you... Malora?"
Hearing this, even the usually composed Willas and Margaery couldn't help but widen their eyes and exchange astonished glances.
Malora walked up to Alerie, gazed at her for a moment, then reached out and embraced her. "Yes, it's me, my dear sister."
At first, Alerie's body was somewhat stiff, but she soon relaxed, even returning the embrace and giving Malora a few gentle pats on the back.
The two sisters held each other for a while before separating, looking silently at one another. Tears seemed to glisten in Alerie's eyes. She and Malora were close in age and had been very fond of each other. Sadly, Malora had gone mad in her teens, after which Alerie herself had married into Highgarden—replacing her insane sister. Since then, they had rarely met, let alone embraced like today.
Malora's expression remained placid, but her voice softened. "Alerie, let me see my good nephew and niece."
She had only seen Willas and Margaery as young children, and the Tyrell siblings had only ever known their aunt in her mad state, so this encounter was almost like a first meeting.
She seemed to examine Margaery with particular care, later casting William a discreet, meaningful glance, as if she had discerned Margaery's little secret.
After the greetings, the party moved towards the castle. Alerie and Malora walked ahead, Alerie chatting animatedly about something. Malora only responded occasionally, mostly nodding or shaking her head, but this did nothing to dampen Alerie's talkative mood.
Walking behind them and observing Alerie, who seemed twenty years younger, Margaery couldn't help but admire, "Mother is like a girl today."
William and Willas couldn't suppress a smile. They exchanged a few more words along the way, learning that Garlan and Leonette had gone to New Barrel and were thus not at Highgarden.
When William finally found a moment alone with Margaery, he placed several pieces of jewelry on the table between them.
Among them was a large, circular pendant. One side extended into an inverted triangular plaque adorned with rows of circular patterns. Held in the hand, it resembled a bunch of grapes.
Margaery glanced at it and set it back on the table. "The style is quite ancient, but the material is unusual. So light."
"It's made of Valyrian steel."
Looking at the antique-style pendant, William remembered the Shadowbinder whose face he never saw before her death. Her massive pendant was also made of Valyrian steel. Perhaps he could ask Malora to forge something else. So much time had passed that the feeling of disgust had faded considerably.
"No wonder," Margaery said, understanding dawning. "Recently, Uncle Garth has been gathering all the Valyrian steel in Highgarden, saying he wants to have a suit of armor made for Loras, too. This piece is quite sizable."
"This can't be used for armor, Margaery. It's for you to use." William picked up a griffin-shaped brooch and toyed with it. "The Valyrian steel used to make these accessories is special; it can store magical power. It's different from the kind used for weapons and much rarer. Try to sense this pendant, just like when we establish a mental link."
However, during their mental links, William was always the active one, so Margaery didn't exert much effort. This time, she needed to use her own power. It took her a while to sense the magic within the pendant, and a small thrill of surprise washed over her. "I feel it! There really is your magic in it. With this pendant, can I use magic myself?"
William smiled and nodded. "I've charged this pendant with magical power. If used carefully, the stored power should be enough for you to perform the healing spell about ten times. But you must be very careful not to let others discover it."
A smile played at the corners of Margaery's lips. "When you were in the tournament, with countless eyes watching, you still used magic."
"I'm not afraid of open attacks or hidden schemes," William said confidently, then gazed tenderly at Margaery. "But I don't want you to suffer the slightest harm. When I'm not by your side, you must protect yourself."
Margaery looked down at the accessories on the table. After a moment, she reached out and picked up a ring. "Are these all charged with magic as well?"
"These are for me to use," William said, placing the brooch in front of Margaery. "These accessories are also made from special materials and can store your healing spells."
Although Margaery's healing spell was excellent, William still regretted that his own magic lacked storage value. The most frustrating one was "Absorb." He had tried storing this spell in the brooch, but if he initiated an attack, the spell would only absorb damage directed at the brooch itself, which made him want to laugh and cry at the same time.
As for storing the other three spells, they might be somewhat useful if his magic were depleted, but how could he ever allow himself to fall into such a situation?
Their hands touched lightly, and their spirits merged. William provided the magical power, and Margaery channeled the spell. Soon, the four accessories were imbued with healing magic.
After pinning the griffin brooch next to the Golbat, slipping a ring onto each hand, and finally fastening the crab-shaped belt buckle at his waist, William felt a small sense of satisfaction. 'Finally, I have some magical equipment.'
Moreover, it was predictable that the journey to lift the curse of Harrenhal would be fraught with danger. Having these four healing spells added an extra layer of security.
Margaery couldn't help but smile, watching him look himself over with evident pleasure.
"These spells can heal others, which is significant," William said, smiling warmly at Margaery. "But more importantly, wearing them makes me feel like you are by my side."
Margaery gently stroked the large pendant, her eyes sparkling. She smiled without saying a word.
Since William and Malora weren't of high enough status, Lord Mace and the Queen of Thorns didn't even meet with them, nor did they attend the luncheon. After a modest but warm lunch, the Hightower and Tyrell relatives went to the gardens to chat and catch up.
William, meanwhile, was invited by Highgarden's master-at-arms, Vortimer Crane, to the training yard to spar with the knights of Highgarden. This gave many knights who hadn't had the chance to experience the prowess of the "Magic Knight" their long-awaited opportunity to get pummeled. With one willing to fight and many willing to be fought, the atmosphere in the training yard was lively, punctuated by frequent cheers and roars.
Early the next morning, under the reluctant gazes of Alerie and Margaery, William and five Hightower knight escorts mounted their horses. Malora and her maid, Dora, boarded a carriage. The party set off eastwards along the Roseroad, heading into the rising sun.
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