Gardening

Setting out, Jon eventually found Lord Mace Tyrell in a field near the castle, enjoying a small banquet that had been erected on a page underneath the glorious summer sun. The Lord of Highgarden and his kinsmen practically fell over themselves heaping praise on Jon and inviting the Targaryen to eat with them. He indulged the bootlickers for a time, but eventually moved on to his central point.

“My Lord, is it true that you’ve had bandit trouble?”

Mace Tyrell almost choked on the wine he was gulping down, but was quick to try and save face. “What makes you say that My Prince? The Reach is perfectly safe, I can assure you.”

“So it’s not true that there have been sightings of the new Smiling Knight and his band in the region?” Jon’s swirled his wine cup, “I would hate to think that such a danger exists so close to Summerhall, where Margaery and I shall be building a life together...”

The oaf Of Highgarden blinked. “Summerhall? I had assumed that the two of you would be staying in the Capitol?”

“For a few weeks, perhaps,” Jon agreed, “but His Grace the King has been kind enough to restore Summerhall to its former glory and gifted it to me as a wedding present. Though of course, being so freshly repaired it would rely on aid from our neighbours before it could truly be defensible.”

There was a moment of quiet consideration as Tyrell worked through the new kink Jon had thrown into whatever plan Lady Olenna had arranged. Without her presence though, Jon knew the man was going to fumble and make his own (flawed) plans.

“There have been rumours of such sightings,” he reluctantly conceded, “but nothing substantial....in saying that, it would do no harm in gathering a collection of knights together to go and investigate. Security is always wisest, yes? Better to be safe than sorry? I would even lead the party myself with Garlan if it brought peace of mind.”

Jon smiled, with a few Tyrells gone he would have free reign to nip Olenna’s plot in the bud. , “You are truly wise my lord.”