𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐅𝐈𝐅𝐓𝐄𝐄𝐍 | Confrontations

{ Rhaenyra }

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𝕽haenyra smoothed out Malkym's mother dress, which was in the traditional red and silver colours of the Thorne house. It felt nice to have some part of her betrothed with her as she entered into the Godswood with an apprehensive look plastered to her face. Malkym and her had spoken of what this could be about when she had arrived at Alterwoode, but she had hoped that people would understand that Daemon kissing her was not in her control, and retreating to Alterwoode was to get away.

It was a fools hope.

Taking a deep breath, she made sure to compose herself before advancing towards Alicent, who was dressed in a deep red colour, fiddling with the rings on her fingers.

"What happened last week?" Rhaenyra knew that this had been coming, ever since she had accepted Daemon's proposal and then fled to Alterwoode to be back with her betrothed.

"What do you mean?"

"My father has made some worrying allegations about you." Alicent was fiddling with her fingers, as she always did when she was nervous. "Were you with your uncle?"

Rhaenyra flinched at that, still feeling Daemon's lips on hers, even after she said no. Her only source of comfort was the knowledge of Malkym's lips on her skin, his hands in her hair and how it had burnt Daemon's unwanted touch off from her skin.

"Oh, I...I haven't seen him in years. He asked to meet." Rhaenyra shrugged.

"Tell me the whole of it, Rhaenyra." Alicent demanded, stalking closer.

"Your father accused me of something. That I drank wine with Daemon? That we argued? Left the castle after dark?"

"That, after Daemon attempted to have his way with you, you flew straight to Alterwoode to escape the rumours." Alicent hissed. Rhaenyra scoffed, her face darkening as she glared at Alicent. She knew that the Small Council would suggest this, but for Alicent to? "Rhaenyra, you were alone with your betrothed. There is a rumour that maybe you slept with him whilst you were there."

"This is a vile accusation." She was lying through her teeth. Admittedly, Rhaenyra hadn't travelled to Alterwoode to sleep with Malkym, merely to speak with him but one thing had led to another and she had been perfectly content with the result. 

"Is it?" Alicent glared. "You Targaryens do have queer customs and Daemon certainly knows no limit and you were alone with Malkym. Alone, with no guards and no one to keep watch of you."

"Alicent, Your Grace, sister..." Rhaenyra trailed off. "I do not want Daemon. I do not care for Daemon, I only have eyes for my betrothed who is mourning his father. I would not travel to Alterwoode to fuck him, I merely went to support him whilst his family is going through this trying time. You must know, I would never. You cannot believe such gossip."

"My father is no gossip."

"Well, certainly he has been misled. He could not have witnessed such a thing." Rhaenyra pleaded. "I had a member of the King's Guard with me, whilst in Alterwoode, Ser Rickard Thorne, who guarded me."

"Why could he not have witnessed such a thing?"

"Because it did not happen. None of it happened." Rhaenyra replied. "You can bring Malkym here, ask him yourself. He will not lie to you."

"He is being questioned about this as is Daemon." The three King's Guard who had greeted them came to mind, and Rhaenyra paled, praying that her betrothed was alright and unharmed. She also prayed that he would not kill any member of the King's Guard as her father would not like that.

"He was told that you..."

"Told...?" Rhaenyra scoffed. "Who made these claims to your father? I am the Princess. To question my virtue is an act of treason."

Rhaenyra took a step back.

"I do not know specifically..."

"Your father did not tell you?" Rhaenyra found that hard to believe.

"He reported it to the king." Alicent took a deep breath. "I overheard."

Rhaenyra shook her head.

"So you are accusing me of slanders...you overheard?" Rhaenyra's hands trembled behind her back. What of her betrothed? Were they asking him? Were they harming him? Malkym could handle himself, but Rhaenyra did not know if he could not beat multiple knights simultaneously. 

"I only want to help you, Rhaenyra." Alicent pleaded, as Rhaenyra looked away and sighed.

"Daemon invited me out under the pretence of us putting aside our animosity at my replacing him as heir." Rhaenyra shook her head, stepping closer to Alicent. "He would not take no for an answer, and I thought that I would be helping you and my father if I spoke with him. It was getting later, and Daemon told me that there was one more place we had to visit. I did not know that it was a brothel until we were there, and then I didn't know how to get out and I got lost and then he kissed me. So, yes, I left."

Alicent scoffed, shaking her head. "You did not realise it was a brothel?"

"I trusted him not to take me to a brothel." Rhaenyra replied, shaking her head. "When he did, I left as fast as I could. I got on Syrax and I flew to Alterwoode, to my betrothed's home. His brothers and uncle can confirm all of this. I was scared, and worried and I felt betrayed, so I ran to the person that I trust most. Malkym did not touch me, he did nothing but feed me, find me clothes and speak to me about it as he trusted me with his own issues. He, himself, is under a lot of pressure at the moment to think of the legacy of his house, so we would not have done anything. We are to be married in a moon's time, so why would either of us do something like this before our wedding?"

"So you did not?"

"Must I truly refute that?" Alicent turned, as Rhaenyra shook her head. "Malkym never touched me. Daemon did, but without my consent and betraying my trust in the process. I swear this to you, upon the memory of my mother."

The lily on her chest burnt into her skin, but Rhaenyra grasped onto Alicent's hands all the same. Alicent stared at her once friend, before shaking her head.

"It was foolish of you to place yourself in a position where your virtue could ever come into question." Alicent pulled her hand away. "You are not yet married, and even if Lord Malkym is your betrothed, he could have changed his mind the moment that your virtue was put into question. If your virtue was sullied, it would ruin everything."

"I know, Your Grace. I regret it, and it is why I went to speak with Malkym immediately." Rhaenyra bowed her head, looking away as she was finally given leave to search for Malkym. It did not take her long, he was stalking back to his quarters when Rhaenyra found him. "Malkym!"

The man turned, allowing Rhaenyra to see the split lip and various bruises that littered his face.

"Malkym!" Rhaenyra rushed to him, letting her hand ghost over his cuts and bruises. Her lip began to tremble, as her eyes went wide. "I am so sorry."

"What are you apologising for? You did not attempt to beat me into submission." Rhaenyra flinched, as Malkym grasped a hold of her hand, grinning. "You should really see the others."

"What happened?"

"Well, they attempted to question me nicely about whether I had defiled you and after a lot of back and forth, I was able to convince them that I had not. Then I had to go before the Small Council, publicly state that I hadn't defiled you and that you only came to me for advice, remind them that we are to be married in a moon's time and there would be no point for me to, demand an apology for them setting the King's Guard on me and also apologise that I might have left all three at the Dragon's Pit nursing various, possibly serious, injuries." Malkym chuckled. "They are making up rumours to discredit you and myself, that is all. That is what I told them."

"I am so sorry." Rhaenyra repeated again. "I cannot believe they did this to you."

"I am alright."

"But you do not look it."

"I know they have marred my handsome face before the wedding, but I have hope that this will have all cleared up by then." Malkym promised, before smiling. "Do not fret, Rhaenyra, all is well."

"All is not well. I will put this right, I swear to you." Rhaenyra promised, before motioning him along. "Go to your chambers. I will send a maester to you, lest they fear that my virtue is to be further sullied the moment I enter your chambers."

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"Father!" Rhaenyra stalked towards her father, eyes narrowed. It was at that moment, that Viserys saw the dragon in her more than ever. It reared it's head, growling and snarling in protest. He also saw his mother in her, in the expression and the snarl at the corner of her mouth.

"Rhaenyra."

"You've yet to ask me the truth of what happened." The doors to her father's chambers slammed shut behind her, as Rhaenyra shook her head.

"The truth does not matter, Rhaenyra." Viserys glared. "Only perception. You have exposed yourself. Now we must both suffer the consequences."

"Were I born a man, I could bed whomever I wanted." Rhaenyra shook her head. "I could father a dozen bastards, and no one in your court would blink an eye."

"You are right...but you were born a woman!"

"So, you will strip me of my titles and name Aegon in my stead, all over something that is completely false." Rhaenyra scoffed.

"I would!" Viserys replied, his voice rising. "But it is mine to hold the realm together, not sow it with further division. Your courtship is at an end. You will marry Malkym Thorne, and you are lucky that I am still granting you that after what has been said."

"So that you are aware, Malkym never touched me. I was scared." Rhaenyra turned, staring at her father's back. She could not see Viserys' face, and the hurt that appeared on it. His daughter had been scared and yet not come to him? "I was scared, and I felt alone and the person that I trust most was not here so I went to him. I went to him because I had to let him know first."

Viserys turned, noting his daughter's posture and despite her clenched fists and glare, he could see the tremor in her body and the wetness of her eyes.

"Malkym has just lost his father and become Lord of Alterwoode! He is trying to keep the lords of his lands in check, because they wish for him to be in Alterwoode though he knows that my place is here. Malkym would not dare touch me," Rhaenyra took a deep breath, "and his uncle was there. Ser Rickard Thorne, a member of the King's Guard. I had a knight present. To come back here, and immediately be interrogated over something that did not happen and then find out that you had three of the King's Guard set upon my betrothed, after everything he has sacrificed for me and the realm!"

She trailed off, taking a deep breath.

"Your lack of trust in me is disheartening to say the least." She took another deep breath, trying to calm herself. 

"Rhaenyra..."

"I wish to stay in Alterwoode." Rhaenyra looked up, her heart set in that moment. "You have insulted me, but worst of all you insulted a man who was grieving for his father and who's mother is on her death bed. I do not care if I am punished, but I refuse to allow Lord Malkym to be punished any more than he currently is. After the wedding, I will go with him to Alterwoode until such time as I am needed back in King's Landing."

"You are heir to the throne!"

"I will also be Lady of Alterwoode." Rhaenyra's stance hardened. "I will not take away Malkym's home and house. He is already Lord of Alterwoode, whereas I am not yet Queen. Staying at Alterwoode will allow me to learn to rule, to meet the people that I will rule over. To have a family!"

They both went quiet at Rhaenyra's words. She had no family here, bar her father. Everyone that was here wished to stab her in the back, or prevent her from becoming queen in one way or another. Viserys watched her carefully, softening. He could remember a time when he had been in love with Rhaenyra's mother, so devoutly so that he would have done anything for her. Rhaenyra was merely doing the same, and he could not fault her.

"I do not appreciate these rumours that have threatened myself and my betrothed."

"I see." Viserys sighed.

"And what will you do about the vulture that perches upon your throne?"

"What vulture?" Viserys scoffed.

"Your Hand." Rhaenyra stopped fiddling with the model city, turning to watch her father. She was pushing her luck here, but she had to try.

"Otto Hightower has served two kings loyally and faithfully." Rhaenyra pulled a face, scoffing.

"He wants Aegon to be named heir, and he will stop at nothing to see it done." Rhaenyra nodded, her anger growing once more. "Including spying on me and creating lies to bring about my ruin. You have spoken of the Conqueror's vision to me and the need for strength and unity across the realm but how can that be accomplished with your most trusted advisor so self-interested?"

"Every lord and lady that calls for an audience with me, every man on my Small Council, and all councils past, have been self-interested." Viserys explained carefully. "It is unavoidable."

"I disagree." Rhaenyra shook her head. "I have always promised to do my duty as heir, and I will wed Lord Malkym because that is what I want and I know that we will bring strength to this family. But, first, you must do your duty as king."

Hiya,

So, everyone created rumours once it was discovered that Rhae was in Alterwoode with Malkym, and Malkym is just not having a fun time at all. Poor man is struggling. Also, Rhae's just struggling always because men don't like her that much and keep making lies,

Let me know what you think,

Love Li xx