𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐅𝐈𝐕𝐄 | Friendships

{ Malkym }

✧✦✧

𝕿he next six months became a sort of mesh of colours and words. Malkym had the same routine day in, day out. He would wake and train for hours on end, then he would read and eat and then sleep. The only addition was, that now, instead of him doing this by himself, he had come to find that he was often accompanying a small, white haired dragon, who was prone to muttering to herself when he started to annoy her.

"You are brooding, Your Grace." Malkym called at the sight of the Targaryen woman, who span around in a whirlwind of white and red. Her brooding features softened for a moment, a brief smile appearing, before it hardened into the face she showed all around her.

"Why did you not put yourself forward for the Kingsguard?" Rhaenyra questioned.

"Because I would prefer to enjoy my life, father children, own my own land and so forth." Malkym was confused. "Have you been picking the new Kingsguard member?"

"Aye and all were tourney knights bar Ser Criston Cole." Malkym groaned, scoffing in annoyance at the thought of the other man. "You do not like him? This is not anything to do with you letting him beat you at the tourney."

"It might have something to do with that." Malkym shrugged. "Men's egos are fickle things."

"Yours included?"

"Most certainly." Malkym nodded sagely. "I do not like when people rid me of the honour of winning for the princess who blessed me with her favour. It makes me look bad."

"Yes, I do suppose even my competitiveness was hoping for a win that day." Rhaenyra hummed in agreement, before waving her hand as if to say, no matter. "But he will be a good addition to the Kingsguard."

"I hope so. If not, an unfortunate accident might befall him." He broke out of laughing as Rhaenyra batted his arm, shaking her head and rolling her eyes. "What?"

"You can not plot murder in front of me."

"Oh but you can threaten to burn me alive? That is not fair!"

"I am the heir to the Iron Throne." Rhaenyra protested. "I can do what I wish."

"And that makes it all better?" She smacked him again as the man laughed. "I jest, I jest. You are not allowed to burn me. I still have your favour from the tourney."

"You will not have it for long." Rhaenyra hissed, as Malkym tried to get away, dodging the smaller girl's attempts to grab him. He dodged from side to side nimbly as she attempted to snatch at him. "Stay still."

"No." Malkym laughed, twisting once more, before Rhaenyra finally managed to grab onto the man and hold him in one place, grinning madly at the elder boy in front of her. His heart fluttered at her little grin, before he winked. "There's the smile."

"What?"

"You were looking so downtrodden earlier, so gloomy." Malkym shrugged. "I am glad that I made you smile."

"I needed it."

"What is the issue now?" Malkym rolled his eyes, settling back beside her. On instinct, her arm hooked through his. "You always seem to be in the thick of something or other. Who has caused issues?"

"Who has not? The Small Council has no respect for me." Rhaenyra replied, shaking her head as she tightened her grip on him. "It has been half a year since my mother died, and already they try to marry my father off and replace me as heir. I know men and how they plot in their secret meetings when they send me away to do menial tasks like picking a new Kingsguard member."

"I would not call that menial-"

"Malkym!"

"Sorry, sorry." Malkym grinned sheepishly at the girl. "But you cannot worry about their wagging tongues. There is nothing that you can do on that matter except prove that you are the far more worthy heir. It is common knowledge that you are. Who is the other choice? Prince Daemon?"

Malkym scoffed at the notion, causing Rhaenyra to sigh.

"And even if your father were to remarry, would he have any other heirs?" Malkym turned to look down at the smaller girl, who's nose was scrunched in annoyance. "He loves you dearly, I doubt he would want to make that sort of choice."

"He did not even choose me, Malkym, he merely used me as a device to spurn Daemon." The pair walked through the corridors slowly, with no particular destination in mind, just content to be speaking with the other. "I am already fed up with this."

"Imagine what it will be like when you become queen." Malkym muttered, before winking at her. "All the more people to lie and attempt to stab you in the back."

"Are you about to tell me that you have been lying to me? If so, regardless of the favour, I will set Syrax on you." Rhaenyra hissed, not wishing to believe that Malkym would do such a thing.

"I am not a good liar, Your Grace." Malkym admitted.

"That is what a good liar would say." Rhaenyra smiled at the man, who sighed, knowing that he could not disprove her thoughts. "I just do not wish to be displaced the moment that my father remarries."

"Maybe it is time you speak with your father about all of this." Malkym suggested with a shrug. "He might be able to help ease your worries, about all that is going on."

"Perhaps. Your idea holds merit."

"Thank you." Malkym grinned. "I am known to have good ideas at rare points."

✧✦✧

"Up." Malkym brought his sword further up, before turning to slam the sword against the back of his uncle's knees, yet the man only slightly stumbled. "Good, good."

Ser Rickard nodded his head. He twisted, turning to attempt to smack the younger Thorne, who jumped backwards quickly to avoid it. He landed on his feet, ducking low, to twist and bring the man down, pulling a dagger free to press against the throat of the man.

"I win." Malkym grinned, before looking up at the now dark sky. It was late, they had been training for hours.

"We shall make a knight of you yet." Rickard patted Malkym's head, pushing the man's hand away as he stood. "I must admit, I was worried when your father sent you to me."

"Why?"

"I feared that you were useless." Rickard teased as Malkym scoffed and unbuckled his armour. "Your father made me worry that you could not fight, but I find you are more proficient that I believed. Better than a lot of knights that I train. You would make a fine member of the Kingsguard."

Malkym let out a bark of laughter at the notion.

"You do not wish to join them? It is a noble profession, to swear yourself to the crown, especially should you wish not to marry."

"Absolutely not." Rickard fought a grin, knowing exactly what had his nephew so against that idea.

"Unless you intend to use your blood oath for something else? To swear it to someone else?" Malkym turned away. "I feel that this might have something to do with a certain princess, unless I am mistaken?"

The younger teenager went red, his cheeks flushing, though he hoped that it was played off as exertion after the fight.

"It is nothing."

"I disagree, I feel." Rickard gave the boy a gentle nudge, as Malkym turned to look up at him. "Whether or not anything shall come from it, it is not your choice. She is the princess, the heir to the throne, and she has to choose the person who would be most beneficial to her in that regard. You are, unfortunately, not a highborn Lord. We are a strong house, but whether we are strong enough to support the princess is another matter."

"That I know, but I can dream." Malkym sighed shaking his head. "Nothing will come of it, but she is a good friend. I know my place and my own duty."

"But, maybe that is the pessimism of an old man." Rickard wrapped an arm around his nephew's shoulders. "You and her get along well, and who knows? If a woman can be heir, maybe she is allowed to choose her own marriage like most men are? You might have a chance here, so do not let my old thoughts get into your head."

Malkym chuckled again, before nodding and patting his uncle on the back.

"When are you to send a message to my father telling him that I am actually a truly decent man?"

"I will send it when you find a wife."

"Then he will be waiting a long time." Malkym laughed, before shaking his head and staring at the candlelight that had been lit in his rooms. He could just make it out from the training yards. "I should return to my bed."

"Aye. Sleep well, Malkym. I will see you on the morrow, for more training."

The man bowed his head at his uncle, before retreating to his own room to rid himself of his armour and his training clothes. He quickly polished his sword, brushing down the sand from his blade, sheathing it once more into it's scabbard before startling at a knock sounding on the door. 

Malkym's hand went for a dagger, eyebrows furrowing.

"Who is it?"

"Open the door, Malkym. Open it." Rhaenyra's voice shook Malkym from his position, and he hurried to open the door to the princess. Her face was filled with sorrow, violet eyes red and threatening to spill over with tears. If that was not a clear sign of her feelings, then the frizziness of her hair was another clear giveaway. "Malkym."

Her words were a mere whisper, and Malkym stared at her for a moment.

"Your Grace. What is it? What is the matter?" Looking around, Malkym ushered the teenager into his room, making sure that no one saw the pair together and sparked a malicious rumour that would harm their reputations. "What has happened? Why are you crying?"

He led her to the table, sitting her down as he rushed to get her a glass of water. Crouching ahead of her, he found her eyes.

"Your Grace?"

"I have been betrayed."

"By who? Tell me their name and I shall try my best to help." Malkym looked at the woman, already creating plans in his head of how he would punish the man who had made Rhaenyra cry like so.

"By Alicent." Rhaenyra allowed the tears to finally spill from her eyes, tracing silvery patterns down her cheeks. The candlelight only served to further illuminate them. "By Alicent. She went behind my back. She is marrying my father, and she did not tell me."

Malkym did not know what to do.

"When did this happen?" 

"I have just been told. There was a Small Council meeting and they told me of this." Rhaenyra cried, trying to quieten her sobs and quell her feelings of betrayal as she placed her hand to her chest. "She has betrayed me. My own sister. I trusted her and lo-look what happened."

"Your Grace..." Malkym did not have any words to say that would comfort her, nor any action that would cheer her up. Taking a deep breath, he licked his lips. "Please, do not set your dragon on me for this and let me know if I overstep any boundary."

He reached up, letting the smaller teenager fall into his chest, rubbing his hand up and down her back. Her sobs quietened, before her hands wrapped themselves into Malkym's shirt, fingers digging into the flesh. Every bit of grief and emotion that she felt on her mother's death, her brother's death, Daemon's betrayal, her father remarrying and her closest friend betraying her, she let out into Malkym's chest. She knew that this was improper, but this was the first, true, amount of care that someone had shown to her in a long time, and she craved it.

"I am sorry." Malkym muttered once more, rocking her gently "I am incredibly sorry."

"Do not leave." Rhaenyra begged, pulling away from the man so that she could stare at him. "Please, do not leave. I cannot lose you too. I ca-I cannot."

"Whatever gave you the idea that you were rid of me?" Malkym chuckled, brushing her pale hair back from her face and behind her ear. Rhaenyra stared at him, bottom lip trembling as Malkym grinned. "You are stuck with me until such time as I am sent away."

"I am not going to send you away." Rhaenyra shook her head, looking at him with wide eyes, her hand finding his as if for strength. "I would never send you away."

"Your husband might." Malkym replied. "Or you might get annoyed with me or Syrax might burn me. I am still very worried about that."

"Syrax will not burn you." Rhaenyra muttered, her sobs turning into sniffles as Malkym tentatively brushed her tears away, trying not to let his hand linger on her cheek. "She will not."

"Well, that is good news."

"And I would not marry anyone who would send you away. Who would take you from me."

"Men are jealous creatures. He would worry that I would steal you away from him." Malkym chuckled. "Do not worry, I am sure that I will also be married off and back in Alterwoode. I will have to annoy you by scroll."

"No." Rhaenyra shook her head. "Because then you would be too far away from me. I would lose you."

Malkym's heart fluttered, smiling softly at Rhaenyra as she clung to his hand. For the first time since her mother's funeral and their talk at the Weirwood tree, Malkym saw the princess vulnerable.

"Princess, it will not happen for a year or two yet. I still have to find someone to be shackled too."

"Marry me."

"What?" Malkym reared back, looking down at the younger teenager, his eyebrows furrowed. "What?"

"It makes sense."

"No it does not." Malkym shook his head. "Are you crazy?"

"Did you just call the heir to the throne crazy?" Rhaenyra shot up, glaring at him and raising an eyebrow.

"Yes, I did!" Malkym cussed under his breath, thinking it over. "I am not even a powerful lord, Princess. Marrying me would be the worst possible idea you could have."

Rhaenyra did not look impressed at that statement.

"I thought it was a good idea."

"Please, think again!"

"Did I misunderstand something from the past six months?" Rhaenyra questioned. "Because I believed that you and I were getting on incredibly well. The flirting, your pining glances, all of the little jokes...?"

"Yes," Malkym relented. "It is true, I do like you. I think you are wonderful, but Princess, you...I...I am not worthy. It would be wrong."

"Wrong?" Rhaenyra's eyebrows furrowed. "How would marrying you be wrong, my Lord?"

"Princess please." Malkym looked down at her, his eyebrows furrowed as she glared. He knew that the title was spat out as an insult. "You know precisely why it is wrong."

"So I am losing you as well today?"

"You are not losing anyone." Malkym replied. "You are not losing me but I cannot marry you. As much as I would love to, I cannot. I do not want to cause any issues for you, what with me being not of royal blood or from a high-standing family. I want you to be safe and I know that means without me."

"What do you not understand? I would be safe with you." Rhaenyra replied, pleading with him. "We would be safe. They would not harm me, or you, or anyone. I am the princess, the heir to the throne! Does that not count for something?"

"Of course it does." Malkym replied. "But I am not worthy enough of it."

"Malkym, you know my views on marriage. You know how much I despise it, and the thought of birthing heirs, but I am willing to put that aside for you."

"You should not have to put aside your beliefs." Malkym fought back. "Neither of us wished to be married and you do not wish for children, we should not set that aside."

"I want to! Gods above, would you listen to me and let me make my choice." Rhaenyra cried. "Why does no one let me make my own choice?"

"I am trying to protect you." Malkym replied, causing Rhaenyra to glare, before storming towards the door. "Princess, please."

The door slammed shut behind her as Malkym tugged at his hair, cursing it all. Why could he not have abandoned his morals and said yes? Why could he not have allowed both of them that?

"Fuck."

Hiya,

So, this is set six months after the last chapter so there's been a lot of flirting. Rhaenrya has major abandonment issues and doesn't want to lose Malkym, but Malkym doesn't want people to harm her. It's a good combination but they are sweethearts.

Let me know what you think,

Love Li xx