𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐖𝐄𝐋𝐕𝐄 | Apple Blossom
{ Malkym }
✧✦✧
𝕮old air tugged at Malkym's cloak, threatening to pull him away from the graves that he stood in front of. To his left, stood Calym, now a man grown. Just like his brother, he shared the same dark curly hair and gloomy expression though with eyes of Northern grey from their mother. Beside Calym was Michayl, who had grown to tower over both of his older brothers, eyes downcast and fiddling with his fingers. The ten and five year old did not know what he was supposed to do now that their father was gone.
Their mother had not been able to leave her room.
The maesters had explained that a disease had taken their father during the night, one that their mother was still suffering from. It left the three boys to carry out their father's burial with the maester and their uncle.
"As tradition goes, to you, Lord Malkym, I pass a sprig of Apple Blossom. May all of your father's wisdom pass to you and may they watch over you for as long as they need to." The maester pressed a barely blooming sprig into Malkym's hand, testament to how quickly this sickness had taken his father. His grip tightened, heart stopping in his chest as he stared down at it.
"I accept their wisdom." Malkym echoed the words he had been taught since the age of five, "and I hope they guide me well, as their ancestors did for them. I hope they watch over my brothers too."
"They will protect us all." The maester nodded, before motioning for the body to be buried deep beneath the ground. Malkym clutched onto the sprig of apple blossom, as the three men watched the dirt grow and grow, forming a raised pile on the ground. The remainder of the graves surrounded them, and Malkym was sure that they were watching him now, wondering what he would do.
Malkym took a deep, shaking breath, before turning and walking away with Calym on his heels.
"Brother, what happens now?" Calym's voice trembled, despite how desperately he tried to hide it. He was trying to remain strong, but it was not fooling either of his brothers. "What do we do?"
"I shall have to call in the lords under our command and have them swear fealty." Malkym recited, making a list in his head of all the things that he would do. "I have to swear an oath before the Weirwood tree, secure my lordship, make sure that all is ready, check in with the soldiers."
His brain did not give him what he needed to do next, still focused on the father that he had just buried in the ground and the fact that his mother could soon be next if she did not get better.
"I-" Calym turned to Michayl, both of them thinking of how they could say to their brother what they needed to say. "What happens when you marry?"
"What?"
"You're marrying the heir to the Iron Throne." Michayl mumbled, all three boys standing around each other and speaking softly. "Does that not mean her place is in King's Landing? How are you to rule Alterwoode if you are not here."
"That will be sorted out when it comes closer to the time."
"Brother, your wedding is two moons away. We are already close to the time." Calym muttered, as Malkym turned to him. "The lords are asking questions already. Father fielded them away, saying that you were not needed back as he was st-"
Calym trailed off, his voice cracking as he took a deep breath.
"Father made sure that you were safe, that you could stay in King's Landing, but you are Lord now." Calym finished. "Your place is at home."
"Do you not think I know that?" Malkym questioned, cocking an eyebrow. "I am working it out, brother, alright?"
"I-"
"Calym." Malkym stopped him, before tugging his brother into a one armed hug. "Do not fret. I am here, I will sort it."
"I know." Calym sighed, looking down. "I am just worried. Mother is ill, and if you are in King's Landing, then it falls on me."
"It does not fall on you. It is me. I am lord, I will take care of you and our house, both of you." Malkym turned to his youngest brother as well. "I have had training, father has prepped me for what is to come as has the Small Council of King Viserys."
"Will we be sent away? If you are here, it is not good that both of your brothers are here as well." Michayl muttered. "Will we also have to leave home?"
"I am not going to throw the both of you onto the streets." Malkym shook his head, walking back towards the main keep. "You are my brothers. We are related, and mother would kill me."
The trio laughed quietly, before Malkym patted both of their backs.
"You can stay, as long as you wish, I will not throw you out. Though, you might be returning to your betrothed's home."
"We are second and thirds sons." Calym pointed out. "We marry second and third daughters, you are the eldest, which means you married the highest of all of us."
"Yes, marrying the princess definitely put a lot of pressure on us." Michayl joked softly. "Father was very proud of that. He sent you away, and you were unwilling to marry, then nine months later he receives a letter from the king, informing him that you are to marry the heir to the Iron Throne. Mother thought he would faint when he received that letter. He was so proud."
"We're not sure how you managed it."
"The famous Thorne charm." Malkym muttered. "She thinks I am funny."
"Did she hit her head?" Malkym shoved both of them, as they entered the castle.
"Go on, off with you." He shook his head. "I have things to do. We're in a period of change, and I need things to go smoothly."
✧✦✧
Malkym had spent the better part of two weeks meeting with lords, sorting out his lordship duties and reaffirming his place as head of Alterwood and Lord of the Thorne house. It had been long and pressing and draining, leaving Malkym shattered. He wished that he had time to write a letter to his betrothed, but he had not even had time to properly eat, let alone sit and write a letter.
He had heard from her, she had told him that all was alright, she was planning the final touches for their wedding and speaking with her father on the issue of what would happen now that Malkym was Lord of Alterwoode. He had been glad to hear that she was alright.
"My Lord." The door opened and Malkym looked up.
"Uncle. What can I do for you?"
"Lords have been asking me questions." Rickard looked at his brother's eldest son, who looked more and more like his father with each passing day. "Asking about what will happen when you marry the princess. I do not know what to tell them."
"Tell them that I am working on it, that we are speaking to the king."
"I have. They are not satisfied."
"That is their own issue then." Malkym huffed, not in the mood to be speaking about it. "I am sorting it out."
"They wish to know whether or not their lord is going to be staying here or leaving to King's Landing."
"I am marrying the crown princess, it is a little more complicated than a normal marriage." Malkym pointed out. "The lords can wait patiently."
"They do not know the meaning of the word."
"Again, that is their own issue." Malkym spat back, reaching the end of his tether. "I am joining together the Targaryen house with our own. I am strengthening our lands, our position, our army, they should be grateful. When the decision is made, I will speak with them but for now they should wait!"
"Nephew." Rickard cocked an eyebrow, as Malkym fumed silently. "Have you been to speak with your mother yet?"
"I am not allowed. She is still ill and the maesters fear that if I speak with her, or she gets exposed to anything, then she will die." Malkym put his head into his hands. Rickard sighed, seeing the pressure and weight that had been so familiar on his brother's shoulders, had now fallen onto his nephew's.
"Speak to her from the door, take precautions. But speak to her, nephew. Your mother is not as frail as the maesters believe her to be. She is strong, of the North, and she will be able to help you with some of this. You are stressed."
"I am not."
"The Malkym I've known for years has never been like this. This is not you." Malkym looked up as Rickard watched him. "Speak with your mother, calm yourself, and then speak with the lords and calm their worries."
Rickard left, and Malkym put his head into his hands, running his hand through his hair and sighed.
He didn't know what to do.
"Please, father. Tell me what to do." He prayed into the darkness. "Please, send me a sign, something. What should I do?"
"A dragon!" The call from the guards had Malkym's head snapping upwards, staring to the window as he searched for what they had seen. "Dragon to the north."
The man was on his feet in an instance, rushing from the solar, through the courtyard and ascending the stairs to the battlements until he could see what his guards could see.
There, to the north of Alterwoode, was a dragon.
It had only just landed from it's flight, golden scales glinting in the sun as it roared and whistled, communicating with it's rider. The rider itself seemed to be walking towards the castle, and Malkym wondered who this was. Which of the Targaryen's had come to visit him? Was it Daemon? Or another?
He gripped his sword, finding his brothers next to him.
"Who is it, Malkym?" Michayl asked, turning to his older brother.
"I do not know. It is fine." He waved his hand, before turning to his guards. "Well, open the gates! Send a horse to them!"
His guards scrabbled to do as he commanded, as Malkym jogged back down the stairs and into the courtyard, finding his uncle.
"Who's dragon?"
"I do not know." Malkym shrugged. "Golden but that was all I could see. Do you know who's it is?"
"No." Rickard and Malkym both turned to face the gate, watching and waiting for the horses to return with the Targaryen. Calym and Michayl were both tense on either side of Malkym, not knowing what to do, but Malkym stood firm.
Finally, after what felt like hours of waiting, but in reality was mere minutes, the horses returned.
Malkym paused, searching for the white hair before his eyes went wide. There, sat on the back of his mother's horse, was Rhaenyra Targaryen. She looked paler than normal, her white hair left loose and a mess due to the flight, but she was not dressed in her traditional riding clothes, merely a tunic and trousers.
Malkym's eyes went wide, before Rhaenyra met his eyes and the man turned.
"Run a bath, fetch some of my mother's old clothes. Now!" Everyone scrambled to attention, rushing to do as he said as Malkym turned back to Rhaenyra, holding his hand out to help her down from the horse carefully. "Rhaenyra, what's going on? What are you doing here?"
"Malkym..." She could only breathe his name, her voice trembling as she grasped onto his hand. "Do not leave me again, please."
Malkym's worry only grew, before he held his arm out for her.
"Come. Let us get you inside, warm you up and feed you, aye?" Rhaenyra managed a nod, as Rickard fell in beside them, falling back into his duty as a member of the Kingsguard now that the Crown Princess was here.
✧✦✧
Once Rhaenyra was bathed, and dressed in one of Malkym's mother's old dresses, he lead her to the hall where Michayl and Calym had managed to find some food for the woman to have. The servants had not begun to make the food for lunch, so the two teenagers had taken it upon themselves to locate something for her to have.
"It is not much." Calym muttered sheepishly, the two boys looking at the spread they had produced. "We are sorry we can not offer more, Princess."
"It is enough. Thank you." Rhaenyra smiled at the pair, who nodded, before leaving Malkym and his betrothed alone. Malkym waited until they'd sat back by their uncle, before looking at Rhaenyra.
"What has happened?" Malkym took a hold of her trembling hand, squeezing it gently as she clung to him. "What made you get on Syrax and come to Alterwoode?"
"Is it enough to say that I missed you? That I wished to see Alterwoode?"
"I have missed you too, but you normally treasure your alone time. Why are you here, Rhaenyra?" The teenager shivered, her shoulders slumping before she looked at Malkym.
"I-" She stopped herself. "I do not-I-"
"The moment you showed up here, I became a part of whatever has happened." Malkym reassured, as Rhaenyra sighed. "It will not cause me pain, Rhaenyra. Tell me. Then we can sort things out together."
"I got a message from Daemon, asking to speak with me a few nights ago." Rhaenyra whispered. "I thought this would be about my having stolen his birth right, and partly it was. He wanted to tell me that the people of King's Landing believed that my younger half-brother had the better claim simply because of his cock."
"Yes?" Malkym rolled his eyes. "People are stupid and you are the better option. It's known."
"That is not all. I just wanted a night of being free, before I became shackled with the burden of my inheritance, the Iron Throne and the rest of it all." Rhaenyra shook her head. "I thought Daemon and I would be able to speak on our differences, clear the air, but then, one thing lead to another and he...he kissed me in a brothel."
Malkym's expression dropped, pulling back from Rhaenyra as she shook her head.
"Malkym, listen to me, it meant nothing and I pushed him away." Rhaenyra shook her head. "I came straight to you."
"But why did you even go to speak with him in the first place?"
"I thought he was going to question my rule." Rhaenyra explained. "I do not want any animosity between us, so I thought I was doing what was best. This was not my plan, I swear that to you."
"Regardless, do you know what people will say? If he kissed you in a brothel, in public, there will be rumours of what happened next. They will say things."
"Things that are not true."
"And then you came to Alterwoode with no chaperone, no royal guard? If they do not already think that Daemon has taken your purity, they will believe that I have." Malkym ran a hand through his hair, groaning. "The Small Council will cause an uproar. They already have reason to hate both you and me."
"I did not want to kiss him! I did not want any of this."
"I know that you didn't, and I will kill him later for even daring put a hand on you, I swear it, but I am more worried about your father killing me if he even thinks that I put a hand on you." Malkym corrected, his nerves frayed and anger rising. "I shall kill him."
"Malkym, please." He turned, looking back at his betrothed. "I am sorry. I did not mean for any of this, I know that this has not put you in a good position, but I could not stay there. I could not be around him, what happens if something else happened? They would not let me leave quick enough, and it would take too long to get here by horseback. I-"
She trailed off, as Malkym's thoughts turned to death and all that he would do in the name of his betrothed. Someone had been able to kiss his betrothed before he could? And had done it all without Rhaenyra's consent?
"Malkym, please, say something, anything!"
"You should eat, Rhaenyra and then sleep. The flight would have been tiring." Malkym stood, catching eyes with his brothers, who immediately grew cold and tense. "I will see you in the morning."
"Malkym."
"Look after her, uncle." Malkym turned to Rickard, before his brothers followed him out. He had a lot to do between now and his wedding, and his brothers would help him. Malkym had an idea.
✧✦✧
It was late when Malkym returned to his chambers, an idea having been laid out in his head and he knew what he needed to do. He had a letter drafted to the king, informing him that Rhaenyra was at Alterwoode with Ser Rickard for protection and he hoped that it would save him from the man's wrath. After that, everything would fall into place as long as he managed to sort out what would happen after the wedding.
A knock sounded at the door, and Malkym stood with a sigh, expecting the worst. He was sure that someone was about to tell him that his mother had passed as well. But it was not a guard, or his uncle or even his brothers, it was Rhaenyra.
"Rhaen..." She refused to let him finish his sentence, pulling him down until his lips collided with hers in a mess of passion and tongue and teeth. Malkym was stunned for a moment, his hands hovering over her waist as his brain went blank. "What...?"
"I am not shackled to you, nor have you ever made me feel that way." Rhaenyra's hands came to rest on his cheeks, staring into his eyes as she implored him to listen. "You are the only person that I care about in this world. The only one."
"I-"
"You are all there is for me." Rhaenyra whispered, her lips an inch from his as Malkym's eyes darted between them and her face. "I will have no other."
"Rhaenyra."
"I am his and he is mine." Rhaenyra stated the words to Malkym, who's hands tightened on her waist, pulling her closer to him, though it was barely possible. "From this day until my last day."
The silence surrounded them as Malkym watched her. Rhaenyra was repeating a wedding vow to him, and Malkym's mind turned warmer, a smile forming on his face as the thoughts of all he had to do left his mind.
"I am hers and she is mine, from this day until my last day." Malkym's heart pounded in his chest as he pulled her even tighter to his body, staring down at her.
"With this kiss, I pledge my love." Rhaenyra kissed him again, longer and softer this time, her hands tracing shapes on his cheek as Malkym allowed himself to give in to his want, kissing her back as he played with the ends of her hair. When he pulled away for air for the next time, Rhaenyra smiled. "I only need the gods as my witness, for I will only marry one person in this lifetime, Malkym Thorne, and it will be you. I will have no one else, I will take no one else. You are mine now."
Malkym's lips trembled as he let his forehead rest against Rhaenyra's. She clung onto him, before the boy finally managed a chuckle.
"Did you fly all this way on dragon back just to kiss me, Princess?"
"Yes." Rhaenyra laughed, brushing his cheek. "I also might have gotten a letter from your uncle stating that you needed me."
"He meddles."
"Because he cares." Rhaenyra pulled back, as Malkym relished in being able to kiss her lips. "Now, what is on your mind? Tell me all. Let me see if I can help."
Hiya,
Basically, Rhaenyra went to the brothel, thinking she and Daemon could clear things up, he kissed her and she immediately got onto Syrax and flew to Malkym, who is deep in an existential crisis. He's not having fun. But, he's also now on the war path, because this man is out for Daemon's head, as are his brothers.
Let me know what you think,
Love Li xx