𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐖𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐘-𝐅𝐎𝐔𝐑 | Home

{ Malkym }

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𝕲etting used to being back at Alterwoode after months away took a little getting used to. The boys needed time to adjust to their training with their cousins whilst Rhaenyra and Malkym had to get used to having support and help from others that they could trust, something that had been sorely missing in King's Landing.

The seven cousins were now often found either playing, training or collapsed in a heap because the excitement of being back with each other once again would make all of them extra sleepy. Myra found it amusing, knowing that it was exactly how Malkym, Calym and Michayl used to behave.

The dragons had returned to the Dragon Pit at Alterwoode, and Syrax was more than happy to be back once more. She was often found romping through her favourite hunting grounds, teaching the younger dragons how and where to hunt.

Malkym had also found that his wife was far more content than she had been in a few months. Rhaenyra was more at ease and comfortable at home, a smile back on her face as she laughed with the other wives of the Thorne siblings. Malkym had often found her giggling as she told stories of dragons long dead to the children, rocking Camryn in her arms.

"You are far happier now." Was all he told his wife one morning. She had one violet eye blearily opened, staring up at him warmly. "I adore it."

Rhaenyra had not responded, just squeezed his hand a little tighter and burrowed into him a little further.

"If you keep staring at your wife, you will get stabbed." Malkym tore his eyes away from his wife's smile, ducking under an incoming stroke, to turn and bat his brothers away with ease. Calym cursed at his eldest brother, who (despite being distracted) had still managed to dodge the blow. "Gods above, even when distracted you are still a good fighter. It is not fair."

"You will never be able to catch me off guard."

"You have to get him completely focused on something else." Michayl suggested. "For example, if Rhaenyra waves at him, we will be able to win. He can not focus on anything other than her most of the time."

"She is my wife, I expect you are the same."

"Oh, absolutely." Calym nodded. "Except when I am sparring with my older brother. The desire to beat you grows each time we fight."

"Yet you never will." Malkym goaded. "Because you two are not strong enough."

"Says the shortest of us all." Michayl spat back, their blades clashing against each other in a whirl of sparks and swirling metal. "Someone will beat you one of these days, Malkym."

"That is a fool's hope!" Malkym twisted, ducking under one blade to latch onto Calym's hand and send him flying into Michayl. The pair groaned, as Malkym used his dagger and sword to press against both of their throats. "Maybe one day, you two will be able to compete with me but alas that day is still far off."

"This is why we hate you so." Michayl sighed. "Could you not have gotten yourself killed in King's Landing?"

"Bold of you to assume that they could kill me. I would murder a King's Guard member before that could happen."

"I think that would honestly be an improvement to their ranks." Michayl sat up, blowing dirt from his dark hair. "But, on a serious note, brother, what was so bad this time around? Normally, you are able to stomach it for the time that you are there. You did not even last the full three months."

"It is a den of snakes, more so than ten years ago. Everything we try to do is sabotaged or watched and scrutinised." Malkym unbuckled his armour and slung it over the racks. "The way they treated Rhaenyra after the birth was nothing worse than horrifying. They had no form of empathy for her. None. The queen is a mother herself, yet she demands that Rhaenyra bring our new born son to her before Rhaenyra had even delivered the after birth. It is nothing short of barbaric."

"They incite war at every turn, shoot down propositions and attempts for peace. The queen's spawn are unhinged..." Calym rolled his eyes at the thought of the queen's children. He had met Aegon once when he had travelled with Malkym to a tourney and had decided then and there, that Aegon was quite frankly the worst behaved child he had ever seen. "There is only so much that we can continue to blame on Otto Hightower, at this point, Alicent's twisted mind is just as bad."

"I agree." Michayl nodded. "Now, with Ser Harwin being dead..."

"What?" Malkym spun, his eyebrows furrowed. "What did you say?"

"Ser Harwin being dead?" Michayl repeated it slower. "Did you not know? A letter came this morning. It was already open so I assumed you knew and that was why we were training with swords and armour. Normally we are just playing around, but you said we had training, and I thought it was to take some of the anger out."

"I did not know." Malkym shook his head. "What happened?"

"A fire started at Harrenhal, it burned both Ser Harwin and his father alive." Michayl leant back, as Calym watched his brother's face. "I am sorry, brother, I know the two of you were friends."

Malkym's face flashed through a rage of emotions, before settling on resignment. He huffed once, running his hand down his face, before placing his sword and dagger away.

"Are you alright, Malkym?" Calym checked. "You know, we can train more? You can let it out."

"No." Malkym shook his head. "No, I think it's bes-"

"Father!" He was cut off by a shout, turning to find Luke barreling towards him, laughing hysterically as he was chased by one of Calym's two daughters. Malkym immediately plastered a smile onto his face, letting Luke hide behind his legs.

"Hello trouble." Malkym grinned at his niece, ruffling her hair. "Have you been causing trouble? It looks like you have been up to something."

"Nothing, uncle!" Malina, the eldest of Calym's girls, shook her head vehemently having appeared behind her younger sister, Beatryce. "We have been being good."

"I do not believe that for a moment." Calym scoffed at his daughter, who stuck her tongue out as a response. "That is precisely the reason why. If you are going to lie, at least make it believable."

"Would you please stop teaching our daughter how to lie!" Lena was on the top parapet, with Rhaenyra and Thalia, a dark glare on her face as Calym and Malina winced. "You are incorrigible!"

Malkym and Michayl both cackled, smacking their brother's back.

"I think lying is a truly useful life skill." Calym pushed them off, as Malkym nudged Luke, making the young boy shoot off towards Jace as the rest of the cousins gave pursuit. The brothers followed their children inside, walking up to meet their wives on the top floor of Alterwoode. "How else are you supposed to be a good fighter if you cannot lie? Deceit makes for a better fighter."

"Perhaps that is something you also need to work on then." Malkym suggested. "Your feints were horrific today."

"Right, just because everything you do is seemingly perfect doesn't mean you have to come for my feints." Malkym laughed, shoving his brother once more, before escaping to kiss his wife's cheek in a greeting.

"You know you should not bully your brothers, not when they are unable to retort back." Rhaenyra smiled, as she got dark glares from Michayl and Calym. Their wives laughed as Malkym chuckled, leaning to kiss her cheek softly. 

"Watch it, sister." Michayl warned. "Or else."

"I am shaking. I have a dragon, what are you going to do?" Rhaenyra teased, grinning widely as both men huffed. They could not beat her on that. 

"Training looked like it was a success." Thalia squeezed Michayl's hand, as he hovered next to her, his other hand brushing her growing belly gently. She was pregnant with their fourth, but only a few months into it. "Was it?"

"It was good to train with Malkym again. It is always more challenging to train against someone who is better than you. It forces you to learn more." Michayl explained gently, smiling down at his wife as she nodded. Fighting was not something she knew a lot about, so Michayl was always happy to take the time to explain each bit to her if she wished for him to. "It is just infuriating that, despite never seeming to train, Malkym is still better than us."

"It is because father is the best." Luke nodded his head, as the cousins began to bicker over who had the better parents.

"I swear." Lena turned to the other adults around them. "They would bicker if the sky was blue, just to be able to argue with one and other."

"I think it is how they show love." Rhaenyra replied, before turning to look up at her husband. "If I recall, you, Michayl and Calym would not stop bickering with one and other at all when they came to King's Landing for our wedding."

"I was just more worried of all the horrific stories that they would tell you." Malkym sighed, shaking his head. "Unfortunately, we came to live with them and I could not save you."

Rhaenyra winked, before a servant hurried over.

"My Lord, a scroll." Malkym hummed, taking it from the man's hand and reading through it quickly. His face dropped, eyes narrowing as he read through it.

"What is it?" Michayl asked.

"Give us a few minutes." Malkym turned to his brothers. "Take the boys."

Both nodded, gathering the children and hurrying them out as they and their wives left, before Malkym sat beside his wife, watching her softly. Rhaenyra's face grew apprehensive.

"What has happened?"

"Your cousin."

"Laenor?"

"Laena." Malkym corrected, reaching for Rhaenyra's hand. "She has died, in childbirth. They are inviting us to Driftmark to bury her."

"No." Rhaenyra shook her head. "That is not possible."

Malkym handed her the letter, letting Rhaenyra read it as she took a deep breath, her hands trembling. She bowed her head, placing the letter down as Malkym reached for her in an instance, letting her lean into his touch.

"I should have been with her. I should have gone and joined her, not let her do this alone."

"You were pregnant. You were heavily pregnant, Rhaenyra, you could not have travelled there."

"She died alone, without her family. I should have been there, Malkym, even if I were pregnant. I should have gone. No one should die alone, like that."

"Then you would have put a risk to our son." Malkym pointed out, catching her chin as he leant her head against his. "I am so sorry, my darling dragon, and I am even more sorry that you could not have been there for her. I am so sorry."

Rhaenyra stayed quiet, her eyes screwed shut as Malkym sighed. He pulled her tighter, kissing her hair as he rocked them from side to side. 

"They asked for the boys to go to the funeral. I think it will be a comfort to Lord Corlys to see them." Malkym pulled away from Rhaenyra as he spoke, brushing her tears before cupping her face. "If you do not wish to go, we will not. The boys can stay here with our family and just you and I can go."

"No. Jace and Luke should go. I do not want Camryn to go. He is too young, barely four months. I do want to take him all that way."

"Of course." Malkym nodded.

"We should go."

Malkym agreed, despite the feeling of dread that was settling in his stomach. But for his darling wife, he would ignore his intuition and throw caution to the wind.

Hiya,

The brothers are so much fun, and they just love to bully each other and Ser Harwin and Laena Velaryon are both dead, meaning that they're off to Driftmark for the funeral. These next few chapters are gonna be interesting so, have fun?

Let me know what you think,

Love Li xx