𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐖𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐘-𝐒𝐈𝐗 | Terror
{ Malkym }
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𝕸alkym thundered down the dimly lit corridor, pulling his armour over his head as his glare grew ever darker.
"What in the seven hells is happening here?" He threw open the doors to the main hall, Rhaenyra tight on his heels as he turned to look for his sons. Both boys were covered in blood, trembling with either anger or fear, Malkym could not tell. In that moment, all he saw was red.
"Jace. Luke." Rhaenyra and he rushed towards the boys. Jace turned, slamming into his father as Malkym pulled the boy close, hushing him softly and checking him over for cuts. Rhaenyra dropped down by their middle child, pulling Luke's hand away from his nose to examine the blood, her eyes narrowed. "Show me. Show me."
Malkym traced the bruises on Jace's face, hissing in displeasure as his son whimpered. The remainder of the court kept their eyes on Rhaenyra, waiting for the dragon to erupt.
But it was not the boys mother, who stood with eyes of cold violet, that spoke, it was their father, whose face was twisted in such displeasure that even his brother-in-laws looked away. Malkym Thorne was not someone to be trifled with and when his sons were harmed, then Malkym had no choice but to express his displeasure.
"Who did this?" His voice was deadly soft.
No one met his eyes. Rhaenyra stood, as Luke clung to his father now. They knew that, whilst Rhaenyra held the power of words and protection of being heir, Malkym would kill everyone in the room for them with his bare hands if he had to.
"Who has done this? Who has harmed my boys and why were they not brought to me first? Why were they dragged in front of the court?" He thundered, causing most in the room to jump as they twisted away from him. "They are children, mere children, and you denied them access to their parents? Answer me."
Malkym's glare was so dark that no one dared meet his eyes, trembling from his anger ridden voice. Rhaenyra stood by her husband, standing in agreement as she ran her hands through Luke's hair. Despite Malkym not being a Targaryen, he resembled a dragon in that moment, just as his wife did.
"Answer me!" Malkym thundered again, daring someone to meet his eyes.
"He attacked me!" Aemond turned, finally finding his voice and revealing a bloodied eye.
"He attacked Baela!" Jace growled, leaning around his father. The children erupted into furious squabbles as Viserys stood, turning to glare at all.
"Enough. Enough!" Viserys tried to mimic Malkym's commanding shout, but no one listened to him. "Silence!"
Everyone went silent as Rhaenyra and Malkym stood, towering in front of their boys, daring anyone to speak ill of their children.
"Aemond, I will have the truth of what happened." Viserys advanced on his son. "Now."
"What else is there to hear? Your son has been maimed." Alicent whimpered, "and their son is responsible."
"It was a regrettable accident, of that I am sure." Rhaenyra replied coldly.
"Accident?" Alicent spun, glaring. "The Prince Lucerys brought the blade to the ambush, he meant to kill my son."
It seemed that Malkym had trained both his boys well if they were already carrying daggers to fights.
"They have already said that they were trying to help Lady Baela." Malkym replied, pointing a warning finger at the woman. "Do not twist their words into something that is not. I know that is something you are good at."
Alicent's face grew red, rage appearing in her eyes at Malkym's insinuation.
"He called us bastards." Luke whispered, as his parents both tensed. Rhaenyra, who was ignoring Alicent's calls for Malkym to apologise for his comment, took a deep breath.
"It was our sons who were attacked and forced to defend themselves. Vile insults were levied against them." Rhaenyra finally shot back, as Viserys abandoned looking at Aemond's damaged eyes to turn towards his favourite child and listen to her.
"What insults?" Viserys looked shocked.
"The legitimacy of our sons birth was put loudly to question." It was Malkym who spoke up, staring directly at Alicent. He knew it was her who had started that particular rumour. "My own sons were told that they were not mine."
"What?"
"He called us bastards." Jace hissed, peering around his father as he tried to imitate his father's famed glare. Aemond only smiled in an infuriating sort of way that made Malkym glad that he had lost an eye.
"My sons are in line to inherit the Iron Throne, Your Grace." Rhaenyra stood, glaring down her nose at her half-brother. "This is the highest of treasons. Prince Aemond must be sharply questioned so we might learn where he heard such slander."
Malkym nodded, keeping both boys by him as they struggled to advance after their mother. They wanted to stand by her in support, but Malkym kept them by his side. They'd done their part. Now, it was their parents' turn to fight their battles.
"Over an insult?" Alicent looked on in disbelief. "My son has lost an eye."
"You tell me, boy, where did you hear this lie?" Viserys towered over the small boy.
"The insult was traded in the luster, the lot of boys. It was nothing."
"Aemond." Viserys continued to press. "I asked you a question."
"What of you, Ser Malkym, do you have nothing to say in the matter?"
"They are my sons, it is clear to see." Malkym growled. "They are Thorne's and Targaryens, no one else's. I take insult with anyone questioning my wife's honour, which is also of the highest of treasons."
"Aemond, look at me." Viserys turned back to the boy, satisfied with Malkym's words. "Your king demands an answer. Who spoke these lies to you?"
It was clear that Aemond was staring at Alicent, who looked more and more worried with each passing beat of silence.
"It was Aegon." He finally replied. Visery turned to the boy, who looked stunned. He was the only one who had been asleep throughout all of this.
"Me?"
"And you, boy, where did you hear such lies?" Aegon trembled. "Aegon! Tell me the truth of it."
"We know, father." Aegon replied. "Everyone knows. Just look at them."
Malkym stood upright, finally having reached his tether with this particular rumour.
"Ser Harwin and I shared the same skin tone and hair colour, that is all." Malkym snarled, as both of his sons nodded along to their father's words. "Everyone is so desperate to latch onto some form of insult to throw at my wife, that they would dare question my marriage to Rhaenyra. I can assure you, having spent near to every waking hour with her for the past ten years, that these sons are mine! To question this is an insult to both Rhaenyra, myself, the heirs to the Iron Throne and the vow that we took before the gods to remain by each other's side until death had done us apart. Are you questioning all of that, Prince Aegon? Are you questioning the gods?"
Malkym cocked an eyebrow, before grinning as the boy paled and shook his head.
"Next time we decide to have a child, I will let you watch every process that goes into that as you seem to be ignorant on that matter." He grinned, as Aegon made a disgusted face. Rhaenyra stepped onto her husband's foot, knowing that the man needed to get a hold of his anger before he spat further insults. "Would that put the claims to sleep? And further more, if you are only creating these rumours because you despise to see a woman on the throne–"
Malkym caught eyes with Alicent and Otto Hightower.
"-then admit that you are a traitor, and keep your forked tongue behind your teeth! Let us be done with all of this."
"This terminal fighting must cease!" Viserys finally spat, glaring at his sons. "All of you! We are a family, now make your apologies and show good will to one another. Your father, your grandfather, your king demands it!"
He began to walk away.
"That is insufficient." Alicent shook her head. "Aemond has been damaged permanently, my king. Good will cannot make him whole."
"I know Alicent. But I cannot restore his eye."
"No, because it's been taken." She stumbled over her words.
"What would you have me do?"
"There is a debt to be paid." Malkym tightened his grip on his boys, sharing a glance with Rhaenyra. "I shall have one of her son's eyes in return."
The hall began to murmur, as Malkym pulled his boys closer, more than ready to fight his way out of this if they so decided to attempt to injure his boys.
"My dear wife–"
"He is your son, he is your blood."
"-do not allow your temper to guide your judgement." Visery turned to walk away.
"If the king will not seek justice, the queen will." Alicent tilted her chin up. "Ser Criston, bring me the eye of Lucerys Thorne."
"Father! Mother!" Luke tried to run, but Malkym caught him, lifting his son into his arms. If Luke ran then someone could grab him and harm him. "No!"
"I have you, my boy." Malkym muttered, putting Luke's head in his neck as Jace grasped onto his mother.
"Alicent!"
"He can choose which eye to keep, a privilege which he did not grant my son." Luke gripped onto his father's armour, burying his head even further into the crook of his father's neck.
"You will do no such thing." Rhaenyra hissed, as Malkym pulled his own dagger halfway out of his sheath, turning to face Ser Criston with a menacing look. If he moved one step from that podium, Malkym would take his eye and show him where Luke learnt his skill from, and then kill him on the spot as he had been dreaming of.
He would finally have a reason to murder the Kings Guard member.
"Stay your hand."
"No, you are sworn to me!" Alicent thundered.
"As your protector, my queen." Ser Criston muttered.
"Alicent, this matter is finished. Do you understand?" Alicent was teary eyed, backing away. "And let it be known, anyone who's tongue dares to question Rhaenyra's sons, shall have it removed."
"Thank you, father." Rhaenyra turned, starting to usher Jace out as Malkym nodded, rocking Luke carefully in his arms. The boy seemed on the verge of tears, possibly from a mixture of the pain, the adrenaline rushing through his body, the lack of sleep and the fear. He needed rest.
"Your Grace!"
"Alicent!" Malkym turned, watching as Alicent advanced towards them, holding a knife high in the air. Rhaenyra caught her as Luke screamed, bursting into tears. Malkym tightened his hold on his middle son, as chaos erupted around them.
"Jace, stay with me." Malkym called, keeping both sons with him as he pulled his dagger free, ready to defend his boys should anyone get too close. He swiped out as people began to get too close to him, causing them to jump back.
"You've gone too far!" Rhaenyra shook her head, holding Alicent back from advancing any closer towards her family.
"I-What have I done but what was expected of me?" Alicent cried, as Malkym watched the dagger cautiously. It seemed to get closer and closer to Rhaenyra's neck, and he was more than ready to jump in and grab the woman's arm. "Forever upholding the kingdom, the family, the law, whilst you flaunt how you do as you please."
"Alicent, let her go!"
"Where is duty, where is sacrifice! It's trampled under your pretty foot again." Alicent glared, as Rhaenyra's expression darkened.
"Release the blade, Alicent."
"And now you take my son's eye and even that you've been entitled."
"Exhausting, wasn't it?" Rhaenyra growled. "Hiding under the cloak of your own righteousness. But now they see you as you are."
Alicent brought the knife down, as Malkym lunged forward, feeling his wife slam into him. He looked down, watching as the blood ran through her fingers, before his eyes went wide. If he hadn't have been holding onto her, he would have shot forward to strike the woman down for daring to harm his wife.
"Rhaenyra?" The Thorne family all looked up, staring at Alicent in horror as Rhaenyra grabbed onto her husband.
"Do not worry, Mother, it was a fair exchange. I may have lost an eye, but I gained a dragon." Aemond muttered.
"This proceeding is at an end." Viserys growled, as Malkym quickly covered Rhaenyra's wound, trying to stem the flow of blood as best he could, with only one hand available. The other was holding his still crying son, and the back of Jace's nightclothes.
"Come, Rhaenyra. Please, back to our chambers." Malkym muttered, glaring at Alicent. "Let us heal this."
"Of course."
Hiya,
So this was the rollercoaster chapter, and I am very much in love with Malkym being snarky and done with all of this. He just doesn't like Alicent or any of her spawn. Also, we love that Malkym is just very happy that his sons have learnt enough to bring a dagger to a fight, and are also able to take our people's eyes.
Let me know what you think,
Love Li xx