bonus chapter | dragons dance
𝕮old air swirled and tugged at Rhaenyra's dress and clothes as she watched the sky above Alterwoode. The morning air was brisk, the dew not yet evaporated from the grass at her feet and the sound of the castle not reaching her ears.
No one was yet awake, yet she was.
Rhaenyra did not know why, but she had awoken that morning and left her bed, pulling on a dress to slip outside, past the gates and into the fields beyond. The cold did not bother her, as she watched the sky, waiting for the sun to finally burn away the morning fog.
There came the quiet call of her name, almost disappearing through the wind as the woman turned to see who had called to her. Walking towards her across the meadow grasses was her husband, his hands buried beneath his arms as he huffed. The warm air turned to smoke immediately, as if he were a dragon.
"My love."
"It is most cold, yet you are out here in a dress as if you do not feel it." Rhaenyra held her hand out, allowing her taller husband to walk into her arms. Malkym shivered, his arms wrapping around her tightly as he buried his head into her neck.
"Ah, Malkym, you are freezing. No." Rhaenyra whined, trying to pull back from her husband, who kept her close. "Why are you so cold?"
"Well, last night, someone said that they were too warm so asked for the fire to be put out, and then they left our shared bed, taking my heat source with them." Malkym pulled away, narrowing his eyes. "I love you dearly, Rhae, but I do believe that I will have no toes left if you keep leaving me with no heat."
"But it is far too hot."
"You are a dragon, you naturally seem to be quite hot." Malkym chuckled. "Please be sympathetic to your darling husband, who feels the cold more so."
"Then why are you out here?"
"Because I could not find you. I mean to drag you back to bed so that I am able to warm up, and so that I can steal all of your attention before the children wake." Malkym rolled his eyes. "Gods know that they seem to enjoy stealing you away from me."
"Malkym, come now, they are our children."
"Precisely why I know they steal you away. They take after me far too much, and thus enjoy having your attention just as I do." Malkym huffed, before wrapping Rhaenyra into his arms once more. "Come, let us sleep for a while longer. We do not have to be up this early, not when the sun has barely risen."
"I suppose I can allow myself to give my husband some attention. Especially when he pouts so." Rhaenyra teased, reaching up to run her hand across the man's cheek. Malkym beamed brightly, before turning back to the castle.
"Come now."
"I cannot walk this fast. My joints are stiff."
"You have been standing in this field for far too long." Malkym replied, leaning down quite easily to pick her up and into his arms. She laughed, clinging to his shoulders as he stalked back inside of their home.
Alterwoode's walls were just beginning to wake up. Servants were starting to appear, guards changing shifts, but Malkym ignored all of them to open the door to their chambers. It seemed that a servant had been in to light the fire in their rooms. Malkym hummed, a smile adorning his face as he set his wife down easily.
She stumbled, though his hands were there to hover by her waist just in case she were to fall.
Malkym pulled his boots off, setting them aside as his doublet followed. Rhaenyra simply unbuttoned her overdress, knowing she was still wearing her nightclothes underneath, and settled back into their bed. It was covered in thick furs, blankets and pillows, as if a sort of nest. Malkym had called it a dragon's nest only once, and so it had been dubbed that ever since.
Malkym sighed in relief, sliding in beside her as he wrapped himself around her. Just as he had the first time they had slept in the same bed, he still attempted to protect her even whilst he slept. He had also retained his uncanny ability to fall asleep within a matter of moments, no matter where he was in the world.
Rhaenyra was truly jealous of that.
But, she had found that, if she was with Malkym in their home, she could also fall asleep swiftly. It was something to do with being in his arms, feeling him breathe behind her and hearing his soft snores as he slept. It was comforting, and also incredibly good at making her feel drowsy.
Thus, Rhaenyra found her eyes falling shut, and sleep taking over her body.
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"Quiet. Come now, hush." When Rhaenyra's eyes opened once more, it was to Malkym's soft voice. She opened one eye slowly, finding her husband walking in with her youngest in his arms. "You shall wake her. Hush now."
The little girl whimpered, her hands clinging to Malkym's shirt as Rhaenyra opened her eyes once more.
"Reyanna, come little one." Malkym sank back into bed, letting the young baby rest on his chest as he brought the furs further up around them, keeping her warm. "Morning, Rhae. You slept."
"I'll admit that being in your arms was nice." Rhaenyra whispered, rolling over to smooth her daughter's dark hair off of her head. She had been cursed, it would seem, with five children who all took after their father. Each of her children shared the same dark, curly hair and dark eyes that Malkym sported.
It had annoyed Rhaenyra to no end that none of her children took after her looks.
"There's my little girl." Rhaenyra cooed at her baby girl, who began to giggle, clutching onto her mother's finger gently. The elder dragon leant forward, pressing a light kiss to the baby's small hand, her heart warming. She loved all four of her boys, but something about her daughter had Rhaenyra's heart melting further.
She wondered often if this was how her own mother had felt with Rhaenyra.
"I could hear her crying from down the hall. I thought she might wake the boys, and gods help the poor person that wakes Jace up before it is time to break our fast." Malkym chuckled, knowing that his eldest valued his sleep more than anything. "So, I went to go and get her before she could annoy her brothers."
"Gods know that she had them wrapped around her little finger." In truth, Reyanna had all of her family wrapped around her little finger. "But I do believe she gets the quality of whining from you, my love."
"Are we truly doing this at this time?" Malkym turned to look at her, eyes narrowed as Rhaenyra chuckled. Reyanna also began to laugh, reaching for Malkym's hair. He dodged her little fingers easily, chuckling. "You see this? She is trying to grab things, just like you."
"I do not grab things."
"Oh, I'm sorry, you are possessive."
"I am not." Rhaenyra reeled back, staring at her husband with narrowed eyes. "I am most certainly not."
"I am sorry, did I imagine you proposing to me because you refused to allow me to marry someone else or join the King's Guard?" Malkym snarked back, grinning widely.
"You are infuriating."
"You married me."
"There are times I regret that decision." Malkym placed a hand to his heart, shaking his head. "Especially when you make stupid comments."
"It's a bit later for this sentiment, Rhae. You've been married to me for nearly twenty years now, and we have five children together."
The woman could not hide her smile any longer, shuffling closer to wrap her arms around his waist.
"I jest, I do not regret a second of marrying you." She hummed, before leaning up to press a soft kiss to her husband's lips. He grinned, tracing the shape of her face with his hand. "You are too perfect a man for this world."
"How can that be? I am married to a goddess amongst women, yet she attempts to tell me that I am too good for her."
"This is sickening." Luke walked into his parents room, a disgusted look on his face. Both parents sighed, turning to face their second eldest who was kicking his shoes off. "Move."
"Luke, you are ten and four." Malkym allowed his teenage son to slump down in between them. "Soon enough, you might be doing this with your wife."
"Gods no. You two are are another level of disgusting." Luke huffed, making himself comfortable. "Mother, your elbow is digging into me."
"You are in my bed. If you do not like it, then leave." Rhaenyra flicked her son's ear as he huffed. "Where are your manners, young man?"
"They were gone the minute I heard Jace stomping around in his room. He sounds like a dragon."
"Well, he is the son of one." Malkym mused, smoothing his son's hair. "Your brother merely likes to sleep."
"He is infuriating, is what he is. He gets annoyed at the slightest sound." Luke huffed, as the door opened once more.
"I told you that as soon as the children are awake, you and I would not be left alone." Malkym winked at his wife, as Cameryn clambered over his mother and brother to join his sister on Malkym's chest. "Cam, my boy, you are too big for this."
"No, I'm not." Cameryn denied. "Just move Rey."
"I am not moving your sister." Malkym huffed, as Rhaenyra laughed at the pair. "I am glad you find this amusing."
"I do, truly very amusing." Cameryn giggled, turning to look at his mother. Just like Luke, and Rey, his dark curls were a mess, brown eyes tired. "Why are you awake?"
"Jace."
"When he was born, I did tell you that he had the lungs of his father."
"I am not this loud. He gets this all from you." Malkym shifted so that all three children could fit comfortably beside him.
"Mother, up." Rhaenyra turned, before leaning to pull her second youngest up onto the bed. Viserys was only three, and still just light enough for Rhaenyra to be able to pick him up and place him with his brother. The young boy was quick to curl into her side, sucking on his thumb as she smoothed his hair.
Whilst she did curse that all of her children looked like her husband, she could not deny that she adored their dark hair and dark eyes, their freckles and their laughs. Those were some of the best parts of her husband, and she adored that her children had been gifted those.
"There are too many." Luke complained, wriggling to grow comfortable once more, as Malkym sighed and handed Reyanna to her mother. Rhaenyra was quick to take her daughter, holding her gently, as Malkym switched Cameryn into his other arm and pulled Luke closer. The boy sighed in relief, starting to doze off as Malkym chuckled.
"Now, where is the other one?"
"Probably believing that he is too old for this." Malkym guessed. "He is almost a man grown."
"Do not say that." Rhaenyra shook her head. "I refuse to believe that he is grown."
Malkym chuckled, before the door opened once more and Jace appeared.
"I have been looking for you." He huffed. "I could not find you."
"We were ambushed." Malkym shrugged. "There are too many of you at points."
"It was your choice to have this many of us." Jace snarked, leaning down to kiss his mother's cheek and then Reyanna's head. He then seemed to make it his life's mission to annoy Luke, forcing the boy out of his father's embrace to settle half on top of him.
"Jace, be kind to your brother." Malkym laughed. "There is more than enough space."
"There really is not." Luke glared, kicking at his brother's leg. "Not when there is someone so fat sitting atop me."
"Luke." Rhaenyra shook her head. "Be kind."
"That was me being kind." Luke scowled, as Malkym forced down a laughter. Rhaenyra sighed, shaking her head. Unfortunately, she could not even blame this trait on her husband, for it mostly came from her.
Jace finally settled down, not squashing Luke, as Rhaenyra chuckled. Malkym was also laughing, though his was more pained and Rhaenyra could probably guess that his arm had fallen asleep from the children laying atop it.
But she knew that he would not wish to be anywhere else in that moment, and nor would she. Surrounded by her family, her husband and her children, Rhaenyra was content.
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Hiya,
You asked for fluff and I shall deliver. The Thorne children never grew out of their affectionate phase, and still cuddle with their parents which is the cutest thing ever. Also, I just love the Thorne kids because they are all sweethearts, as are their parents.
Let me know what you think,
Love Li xx