𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐄𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 | Hunts
{ Rhaenyra }
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"𝕿he sooner we are married, the better in my opinion." Rhaenyra hissed, threading her arm through her betrothed's as they entered the tent. He hummed in agreement. "Then at least you can demand that I ride with you and not the screaming baby that is my new brother."
"He is a toddler. Toddler's scream." Malkym shook his head, before narrowing his eyes at the sight of the fussy child. "If we have children, I am sure they will be much better behaved."
"We are not having children until I am ready."
"Of course." Malkym rolled his eyes. "Who do you take me for?"
"You do not wish for me to answer that." Rhaenyra muttered, before grinning as Malkym shot her a sharp glare. "Sorry, sorry. I know that you will not."
"Thank you for your faith in me." They paused at the top of the dais, looking around for familiar faces, yet there was no one in the crowd. Rhaenyra did not believe that she had any friends here, and Rickard Thorne was outside.
"Who should we go and speak with?" Malkym asked, as the pair continued to look around, trying to find someone to talk with. "Or are you content with me?"
"My father is waving you over." Rhaenyra muttered, nodding towards the king as Malkym turned.
"I'm sorry, my darling dragon." The nickname drew a large grin to Rhaenyra's face, though she desperately tried to hide it. "I will come back to you as soon as I can."
"Do not rush, my father likes you just as much as me."
"Do not get into too much trouble then." Malkym sent her one last soft grin, bowing his head, before disappearing to go and talk with her father as Rhaenyra continued to skulk around. It took her another few minutes before she found an interesting conversation going on between the ladies of the court. They were speaking about the Stepstones.
"It's an inhospitable place suited only for savages." Rhaenyra crept closer, her head tilted in interest as she listened.
"Perhaps the princess can give us some insight." Rhaenyra froze at having been caught, before stepping inside of the circle.
"Oh, I'm not sure how I could, I've never been to the Stepstones." She clutched onto her hands ahead of her.
"Your dear uncle is the mind behind this war, is he not?"
"I would no't know." Rhaenyra shook her head. "I have not spoken to my uncle since..."
"Since you supplanted him as heir." Her sentence was cut off and finished by the elder woman, causing Rhaenyra to stifle her annoyance.
"Daemon made his choices, Lady Ceira." Alicent stepped in. "The Princess was more suited to the role."
"He's made a mess and the king must put an end to it." Lady Ceira continued. "Send fleets and men and clear out the Triarchy for good."
"But the Crown is not at war." Rhaenyra looked around at the gathered people with a discerning expression.
"The Crown is at war, Princess though your father refuses to admit it. We've been dragged into it by your uncle and the Sea Snake." In truth, all Rhaenyra could focus on was the fat dog that sat on Lady Redwyne's lap, who was chewing on the cake on her plate.
"I suppose we all must do our bit to help." Rhaenyra smiled, bowing her heads before turning and walking out of the tent. She was completely over the entirety of this farce, as if the boy would even remember what his second name day would look like.
Outside, in the fresh air, was much more bearable. It was filled with the sounds of people, feasting and laughing, and the crackling of fires.
"I wonder, Princess, was your own second name day as grand as this?" Rhaenyra turned at the new voice, finding (what she assumed to be) a Lannister knight.
"I honestly don't recall, and neither will Aegon." Rhaenyra chuckled.
"Lord Jason Lannister," The man introduced himself with a bow as Rhaenyra awkwardly smiled.
"I gathered that from all the lions."
"I don't think we've been properly introduced."
"Your twin serves on my father's council." Rhaenyra shrugged. She'd known of the man for a while, but only because of that.
"Tyland is frightfully dull, gods love him." He held a cup out to the girl, who eyed it warily. "The fines honeyed wine you'll ever taste. Made in Lannisport, of course."
"Of course." Rhaenyra took a sip, fighting the urge to shiver as she looked back out across the camp ground.
"The Kingswood, it's fine hunting ground." The Lannister stated. "But the best spot is to be found at Casterly Rock, near my home. Have you been?"
"Once...on tour?" Rhaenyra had a strange feeling where this was going, her stomach twisting in an unsettling manner. "With my mother and I honestly can't recall much of that either."
"The Rock is thrice the height of the Hightower in Oldtown, taller still than the Wall in the north." Lord Jason proclaimed, his smile growing as Rhaenyra's dropped. He sounded like he was trying to impress her, to sell Casterly Rock as a good place to live. "It's been said that if one ere to stand in the tower, on the perfect day, one could see clear across the Sunset Sea."
He turned her, facing her away from him as Rhaenyra stiffened at the touch near her back and the whisper by her ear. She wanted to pull away, looking for a way to get out of being near the man who was easily twice her age.
"It must be quite something."
"I don't have a Dragonpit of course, but..." He trailed off momentarily. "I do have the means and resources to build one."
Rhaenyra recognised this tone, now realising what this actually was. He was attempting to propose to her.
"My betrothed is in the same position, he is waiting for me to approve plans to create a Dragon Pit at Alterwoode that is to the liking of my dragon and myself." Rhaenyra smiled, though it held no warmth to it. "Thank you for the wine."
She turned, storming back to the tent as she searched for both her father and Malkym, disgusted to have been propositioned especially when she was already betrothed to another.
"I thought that I was betrothed." Rhaenyra turned to her father, as Malkym's eyebrows furrowed.
"You are." Malkym replied with a shake of his head as he found himself by her side. Whenever she was in the room, he always seemed to gravitate towards her.
"Then why am I getting propositioned by other lords?" Rhaenyra turned to her father as Malkym's eyebrows also furrowed.
"Rhaenyra, you are the crown princess. You are in a position of power, and the Small Council feel it's best-" Rhaenyra scoffed, "-that we keep our options open. Ever since you came of age, I've been slowly drowning in a lake of parchment flung from every corner of the realm. Marriage proposals, all. And I have tried to discuss it with you but you have been stubborn and refused to see if there is anything better."
"There is no better match." Malkym's hand touched Rhaenyra's arm, as she snarled. Her entire body was tense with rage, like a trapped animal, ready to spring. "He has taken lessons with the Small Council. He has put up with everything that has been thrown at him and I will not marry another. You can not force me."
"I am still the king." Viserys hissed, glaring at Rhaenyra as she vibrated with anger. "You must look at other options."
"I will not. I have made my choice." Rhaenyra spat, before Malkym's hand slid to her wrist and Otto Hightower stepped forward to separate the two. It was only then that the pair noticed that the others around them were watching them carefully, trying to work out the contents of the argument.
"You will do no such thing." Viserys hissed as Rhaenyra took another step back, before turning to Malkym with wide eyes. Otto Hightower joined them. "Yes?"
"The royal huntsman has sent a report, Your Grace. There's been a sighting of a white hart." Otto Hightower explained. "The stag is the 'King of the Kingswood', Your Grace. A regal portent for Prince Aegon's name day."
With that, Rhaenrya grasped onto Malkym's hand, tugging him from the tent. That was all she needed to hear.
"Princess..."
"No." Rhaenyra shook her head, turning to the horses as she snatched her reins from the servant's hand.
"Rhaenyra." Malkym pleaded, grabbing his own horse that was being brought over. Rhaenyra vaulted up, before turning and cantering out of the encampment, refusing to listen to anything more until she was far away from that tent. "Shit."
Malkym climbed onto his gelding, following after the girl as fast as his horse would allow him. The pair thundered out of the encampment, through the forest around them as Malkym heard the call of the Kingsguard further behind.
"Princess, wait! Princess, slow down!" Malkym urged his horse faster as the knight of the Kingsguard began to catch up, not wanting Rhaenyra to become spooked by another. He leant across, catching her reins in his hand as he began to pull up, attempting to stop the mad dash that the horse was in.
"Rhaenyra!"
"No!" Malkym ignored Rhaenyra's protest, pulling the horse to a stop as the pair approached a large lake. Rhaenyra could only watch the water, taking deep, shuddering breaths, as Malkym turned back to the Kingsguard.
"Wait there!" The sound of horse hooves dimmed, and finally stopped as Rhaenyra took another deep breath, her rib cage reverberating as she leant forward. Blood rushed through her veins, pounding in her ears and clouding her vision. "Wait!"
Malkym's face came into view beside her, as he reached a hand up. He'd gotten down from his own horse, keeping one hand by her leg and another hovering by her back in case she fell. Rhaenyra turned to him, white hair obscuring the knight from seeing her face as Malkym smiled.
"Rhaenyra..."
"How are you not angry about this?" Rhaenyra glared at the man, who never seemed to lose control of his emotions. He was always in control, never once faltering from his calm persona. "Have we not sacrificed enough? Yet, they still question my choice! Was I not named heir to the Iron Throne?"
"Rhaenyra, we did promise a three year period, to give you time to look and see the other options and then make your decision." Rhaenyra turned away, huffing, before a finger on her chin had her turning back to face Malkym. "We promised. That three year period is coming to an end, and you refused to look at other options. Yes, you wish to choose me and I am your choice, but hold up your end of the bargain. Look at the others, I will not be annoyed by it."
"I do not want to. I chose you then, I choose you again now."
"Then the matter is settled for us. But we did promise." Malkym shrugged. "A promise is a promise."
"What happens if they force me to marry another?"
"Syrax and I will kill him." Malkym grinned. "He will obviously not have a dragon pit, that is enough for Syrax to warrant burning him alive, and I will go with her to rescue my darling dragon from her tower."
That drew a half-smile to Rhaenyra's face.
"You are only looking, not committing to anything." Malkym squeezed her hand tighter. "Come, we have given your guards enough of a heart attack, I do believe. We should get back to the camp."
"It is a beautiful day." Rhaenyra bargained. "We should take in the Kingswood."
"Not at breakneck speed, I hope." Rhaenyra laughed, before allowing Malkym to help her down from her horse. As her feet touched the floor, her legs threatened to give out, the rush of emotions finally leaving her but Malkym's arms were waiting to steady her. "Lead the way, my darling dragon."
"That nickname is growing old."
"I like it."
"Of course you do. You find it funny." Rhaenyra rolled her eyes, the pair of them walking through the woods as the Kingsguard member finally removed his helm, revealing Ser Criston Cole. Malkym scowled, his eyes narrowing as they continued to walk. "I just cannot believe my father."
"Surely we can move on from this topic." Malkym shook his head. "It is infuriating, but what more can we do? Do not think too hard on this, your father will see the truth, of that I am sure."
"I suppose." Rhaenyra's fingers brushed against Malkym's, intertwining carefully as she tugged him slightly closer to her side. "Who would you marry if you had the choice?"
"I did have a choice and I chose you." Malkym smiled. "I will always choose you, every single time."
Rhaenyra's little smile appeared.
"Come now, no more talk of this. We are both alright and still betrothed. They will not take you from me, nor will I be separated from you unless Syrax kills me."
"You do not think I could kill you?"
"No." Malkym shook his head. "You like me far too much."
Hiya,
So, Rhaenyra's having to honour her promise of looking at others though she wishes to be betrothed to Malkym. Malkym is also convinced that he and Syrax would be a dream team at killing anyone who stole Rhaenyra away from them. I love them.
Let me know what you think,
Love Li xx