𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐒𝐈𝐗 | Regrets
{ Malkym }
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𝕽haenyra had been avoiding him and Malkym was now fed up with it.
He knew that he had scorned her when turning her down, but he had hoped that she would see that what he was doing was trying to help both of them, trying to prevent either of them from being harmed. Malkym wished to marry her, more than anything, because she was one of his closest friends, but he knew that he was a common lord, not a highborn one.
"Princess." Malkym glared at the bard who sat under the giant Weirwood tree, strumming slowly. The bard turned to run away as Rhaenyra hissed a command.
"Stay."
"Go." Malkym reiterated, grabbing onto his sword and narrowing his eyes as the bard seemed to decide that Malkym and his blade was more intimidating that the teenage princess at that time. He turned, catching Rhaenyra's eyes as she watched him. "Are we able to talk, Princess, or are you going to ignore me still?"
"You dare speak to the princess as if she were a child?"
"When she acts like a child, yes. Can we be mature and have a conversation about this?" Malkym cocked an eyebrow.
"That is treason. To speak to me so."
"No it is not. I am still addressing you by your titles and I bowed when I came in, though you were determined to ignore me." Malkym finally sat beside her, a respectable distance between them. "You cannot have me killed for that."
"Syrax will enjoy burning you."
"I still have your favour." Malkym watched Rhaenyra's expression change, watching as the princess snapped her book shut to glare at him. "Yes?"
"What do you want? Apart from to annoy me."
"As I said before, to speak like adults." Malkym sighed. "We can manage that, can we not?"
"No."
"This is a good start." Rhaenyra began to stand, moving to walk away as Malkym reached out to catch her hand. The pair both froze at the feeling, staring at their interlinked hands before Rhaenyra's violet eyes slid to look at Malkym. "Princess, please. Let us talk."
Reluctantly, Rhaenyra sank back down, pulling her hands from Malkym's grip as the pair fell into silence.
"What is there to talk about? You made your thoughts known."
"Because I do not want to lose you either." Malkym tilted his head, trying to catch her eyes as she stared at the ground, pulling tufts of grass loose. "I wish I was able to marry you, more than anything, but I know that you have to marry for power and status, not because you do not wish to lose me. I cannot provide either of those things."
"But can you not see, you can." Rhaenyra's eyes were wide as she finally turned to look at him. "You are a good soldier, you fight well, your family is loyal to the crown, you are kind and respectful, what more could I look for in a husband?"
"Money." Malkym shrugged. "Power, large areas of land to control, marrying someone who could secure said areas of land for you."
"I am already heir to the Iron Throne, what power could I possible want for?" Rhaenyra sighed. "I don't want money, or land, or power, I just want you. Why can you not see that? I wish for us to court, and be betrothed, I wish for us to be able to act on the feelings that both of us keep pushing down. I wish to fall in love, and with no random high lord who may not treat me well, but with you and I will gladly argue with my father until I die for this. Can you not see that I want this?"
"I know you do, and I want it to, but-"
"But what?" Rhaenyra took a deep breath. "I will not marry if it is not with you. I do not wish for marriage if it is not with you."
"Princess." Malkym ran his hand through his hair and down his face, before groaning into the palm of his hand. "That is not the way of the world and you know it. You are ten and five, and I am ten and seven. You can not be married for another year and I should have already been married. You do not even know if there are other options out there that would be better suited to you."
"I do not want better options." Rhaenyra was stubborn, more so than Malkym and the man could only protest so much at this idea, for he also truly wanted it to be her. His head was not in the argument if his heart was not, and his heart had already wandered into the palm of Rhaenyra's hand.
"You are making this much harder than it should have been."
"Good." Rhaenyra folded her arms. "Why are you making excuses to get out of this? If you do not wish to marry me, say so."
"You know that is not the case. I am trying to protect you."
"I have a dragon for that." Rhaenyra replied. "I do not need you to decide my fate."
"Your father will not like it."
"He shall come around."
"The Small Council will not like it!"
"Fuck them." Rhaenyra cursed, as Malkym shot her a look. This was one of the first times that he'd heard her cuss.
"My father might have an issue."
"You would be marrying a princess, and the heir to the Iron Throne, he will have no issue." Rhaenyra smiled at that. "He just wants you to marry."
"How do you know this to be true?" Malkym turned to stare at her, a joking smile appearing on his face as he tried to lighten the mood. "Have you two been plotting behind my back?"
"Your uncle told me."
"Gods above, I can trust no one to keep things from you it would seem." Malkym huffed in disbelief.
"If this is about your ego being bruised that I asked you to marry me before you had the chance, then I can rescind the offer so you can ask me yourself."
"I was more worried that you were making a decision to spite Lady Alicent and your father because you asked me this after crying into my chest for ten minutes."
"It was a moment of clarity after all that mishap." Rhaenyra rolled her eyes.
"Of course, of course. Sure." Malkym rolled his eyes sarcastically. "There was no element of spite in there at all."
He was met with a shove in return, falling off of the root that he had perched on to land on the floor. Malkym groaned, opening his eyes to glare up at Rhaenyra. She stood over the top of him, her hands on her hips and an eyebrow raised.
"So, what will it be?"
"I did not come to Kings Landing to marry the princess." Malkym shook his head. "I did not come to Kings Landing to marry at all. Neither of us wanted to marry."
"You should have thought of that before you walked into me and made my change my views."
"You walked into me." Malkym cried in indignation. "If you are going to bully me for all of our years of marriage, I will go back on my idea immediately."
"Is that a threat?"
"No." Rhaenyra stuck her tongue out at him, not thinking of a response, before stomping off. "Where are you off to?"
"I have to go and convince my father that marrying an idiot is the best way to go."
"Well, do not make it sound so appealing, please." Malkym scrambled to catch up. "You almost made me sound worthy of your hand in marriage."
"You are not."
"Harsh."
"I just like you so that is your redeeming quality." Rhaenyra stopped in the doorway, turning to look up at Malkym's half grin as a small smile started to dawn on her face. "I will even let you propose to me."
"After two ever so romantic proposals from the princess, I do not think there is much that I can do to top that." Malkym's hand brushed against hers, tentatively intertwining their fingers. "May I make a request?"
"I suppose I can allow that."
"I will not marry you-"
"Excuse me?"
"Allow me to finish my sentence." Malkym shot back. "I will not marry you now, right this moment. We will wait. You still have a year to go before marriage age and I wish to give you time to mature and find yourself. I have had the time to grow, but you have not. You should be allowed that, just as I was. If by the time you are of age, you find that your thoughts are still the same, then we shall marry. If not, then at least we tried and did not end up in a loveless marriage, something that the both of us would despise."
"I know what I want." Rhaenyra softened for a moment. "I am a year shy of marriage age, yes, but I know what I want and what is best for me. My mother always told me that when I met the person I would love, it would just click and my mother's knowledge is with me, always."
Her hand brushed the brooch on her dress as Malkym hummed.
"I know I am right. I know that it is you that I want for, no one else." Malkym's face had grown soft, his eyes going wide. "Do not undermine my decision just because of age or spite. Alicent marrying my father merely reminded me of what a woman's place was in this world and how I would most likely be married off on my father's whim when I was of age. I did not want anyone else to choose my husband lest it be me. You know my views on marriage, my fear of child birth, and I would rather choose the person who knows me best and would care for me above all else than some random lord that is merely looking for a prize Targaryen to show off. You treat me as an equal, and my mind will not change."
"Three years." Malkym stated. "Three years. Give me time to prepare to become a prince and speak to my family. Give your family time to come around to the idea of you marrying a common lord and not a highborn one. Give yourself some time to think over it all."
"I do not want to lose you."
"I am not going anywhere," Malkym reassured. "If you wish, I will swear it to you before or after our betrothal is confirmed, by blood as is the Thorne way. Then, you will not lose me ever. A Thorne's loyalty is till death. But please, give yourself time to work out whether we are companions or lovers."
"You have already worked out what you wish us to be?"
"I believe so." Malkym smiled. "But it is not my decision to make. It is yours and I will be happy with whatever outcome comes from this."
"If we do not marry, what will you do?"
"Protect you, as I swore to do." Malkym shook his head. "Do not worry about me, Your Grace. Worry about convincing your father and the Small Council that waiting three years to marry a common lord, who can offer no land or title, is the smartest choice to make."
"I am a persuasive woman. It will be simple."
Hiya,
Malkym wants to wait to marry Rhaenyra, who knows what she wants and knows that she'll grow to love Malkym. These two are whipped for each other, but we'll see what happens. A reminder that there's a three year time skip for next chapter, the same as in the show.
Let me know what you think,
Love Li xx