Donna ────── R. Targaryen

XXV

"Let us go." Rhaenyra rested a hand on Malkym's arm, tugging her husband away from where the funeral coffin had been.

"Go ahead. Laenor is here." Malkym turned to her, flashing a smile. He and Laenor had been decent enough friends when the man had been in King's Landing, often training together as Malkym did not like training with the King's Guard due to many, previous issues. "I should speak with him."

"Of course." Rhaenyra nodded, before holding her hand out for her sons, as they started the long climb up the cliff face to the pavilion where the reception would be held. Luke was clinging to two of her fingers, his other playing with the button on his cape, whilst Jace was attempting to mimic his father, holding his hand up for Rhaenyra to thread hers through. Jace pulled his mother and brother towards the edge of the courtyard that they emerged into, away from the crowd. "Are you two alright?"

"I do not understand." Luke muttered, as Rhaenyra bent down to speak to her son, smoothing his doublet and cloak. "I do not understand why this has happened?"

"The gods take who they choose. Everyone has a time and sadly, it was Laena's time to leave us." Rhaenyra explained softly, brushing his hair back from his head as she rested a hand against his cheeks. "But, she is still with us. With her daughters and her husband."

"You and father won't leave us." Jace turned to look at her, his eyebrows furrowed and words sure. "You will not be buried in the sea."

"Not until our time and hopefully, that is a long, long way away." Rhaenyra smiled gently, squeezing Jace's hand, "and we will not be buried in the sea. I will be given a Targaryen funeral, by Syrax, and your father will be buried with his father, and you will get a sprig of apple blossom, to show that he has passed his wisdom down to you."

"But we do not get a flower from you?" Luke's eyes went wide, worry appearing on his little face.

"You do." Malkym's voice sounded behind them as the boys both seemed to relax at their father being back with them. "You see that your mother has a lily? It is from her mother, and hopefully, you two might also get a lily. But not for a long, long time yet. We are not dying anytime soon."

Rhaenyra hummed, before standing up as Malkym reached for her once more, his hand finding hers.

"What is the matter?"

"Alicent is shooting you judgemental looks and if I had to guess why, I would say it was because Daemon is here and hovering like a fly around a carcass." Malkym kissed her forehead, his glare fixed on someone across the room as Rhaenyra patted his stomach gently.

"I think if I went with him, that would go against our wedding vows, which I take most seriously." Rhaenyra smiled as Malkym winked at her, before turning to the boys. "Your little cousins have lost their mother. They could use a kind word." 

"I do not understand why we have to be here. Why could we not have stayed at Alterwoode, like Camryn?"

"Because your grandfather asked for you two."

"You could have said that we were ill." Jace hissed. "I did not want to travel to a funeral..."

"The Velaryons are our kin." Rhaenyra reminded the boy, cutting him off swiftly as Jace pouted. "You will be kind and show sympathy to them."

Jace huffed.

"Look at me." Rhaenyra crouched once more, catching her son's chin. "Do you understand?"

"Yes, mother." Jace grabbed onto Luke, both of them walking over to the others as Malkym wrapped an arm around Rhaenyra's waist as she stood back up.

"They are watching."