Pairings: Mal Volari x Daenarya with Rayden (OC), Lydo (OC) Book: Blades of Light & Shadow (Book 1 AU) Word Count: < 700 Rating/Warnings: General, no warnings

Synopsis: The map that sent them on their latest adventure has brought them home. This is part two of "The Hidden Path" mini series.

Background: This is the final chapter in The Hidden Path series. It also comes after previous attempts at Mal proposing: A Proposal (of sorts) and To Have and To Lose.

Her pulse quickened as she lifted the key, questions racing through her mind. She carefully traced the dark metal of the lock, the corner of her lip tugging upward at the familiar design.

For a moment, all she could think about was her family—her boys... and Mal.

Her hand shook as she slid the key in place, twisting it until she heard a faint click. She chewed her lower lip, not sure what waited on the other side. The wooden gate eased forward with a comforting soft squeak.

She stepped forward, her breath catching.

Red rose petals were scattered delicately at her feet. Candlelight flickered on either side of her, inviting her to follow their light. She took a slow step forward, the petals shifting softly beneath her feet.

The yard was quiet except for the giggles and excited squeals from the boys trailing just behind her.

"Mal." His name was a wordless whisper on her lips as she approached a floral arch illuminated with lanterns at the center of the space.

He held his hand out, guiding her forward. His other hand rested on her swollen stomach. "I love you both." His voice was quiet, just for her. "I'm sorry things fell apart today."

Rayden and Lydo moved behind him, checking their mark to make sure everything was perfect.

Mal leaned forward, brushing a lingering kiss on her forehead before lowering to one knee in front of her.

"Daenarya—" his voice cracked as he said her name. He opened his mouth, but his words failed. He shook his head. "I practiced this so many times, but with you, I lose what I thought I knew."

"There hasn't been a moment since I met you that I've wanted to be anywhere other than by your side," he continued. "When you paused this morning outside of the city, talking about home, I had to fight against myself to propose on the spot. That moment may have been beautiful, but it wasn't our home. When the rain fell, and you were once again in my arms, I was reminded how far we'd come since that first dance and how I never want that dance to end. I thought about asking you then, but it wasn't where I wanted to grow old together. But then—" his gaze fell, his head shaking. "—Then I hurt you... I never meant to make you feel like I didn't trust you. It took everything in me not to tell you. To know I hurt you today—Daenarya." Tears filled his eyes, slipping down his face. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay," she mouthed, her eyes glistening. She offered a gentle nod. "It's okay."

"If I had, I could have spared you so much pain. I'm sorry... but it's not just about us anymore. It's about our children and the home we share. It's not just about where we are now, but where we've been and where we're going. There is no greater treasure in this world or the next that compares with you.

Daenarya, will you marry me?"

Her breath hitched at the question hanging between them, her hands clasping over her mouth. A soft laugh broke through her tears. "Mal..." Her gaze flickered between him and the boys bouncing excitedly behind him. Her heart swelled. She nodded before she could answer. "Yes!" Her voice trembled, but her smile never faltered. "Of course, yes! I'll marry you!"

Mal slipped the golden ring onto her finger, his hands steady and sure.

He rose swiftly, pulling her into a kiss, his arms wrapping around her as he held her close, never wanting to let her go.

The boys' cheer broke their embrace. Their small hands tugged at them, waiting for their time to celebrate. The newly engaged couple fell to their knees, gathering their boys into their arms. Their shared laughter broke through the last of the tears as they held their family close.

This was just the beginning of their greatest adventure. 

You can read the synopsis of each chapter on the masterlist.

Part 1 - Our Next Adventure

Part 2 - Ready or Not

Part 3 - Worth Pausing For

Part 4 - Certain and Sure

Part 5 - My Kind of Trouble

Part 6 - Something Familiar

Part 7 - A Little Longer

Part 8 - One Step and Then the Next

Part 9 - It‘s All Connected

Part 10 - Our Greatest Adventure (+ art)

Blades of Light and Shadow: Nyx

My Guiding Light : a poem for LunaRose (for national unicorn day)

Hollywood U / Red Carpet Diaries: Thomas x Alex

Inevitable (fic + art): Hollywood newcomer Alexandra Spencer is working on her first picture at a major studio. Veteran Thomas Hunt is going through the motions. Despite being from different studios, their paths continue to cross. Is it coincidence or something more? A one-shot AU told through a series of vignettes.

I'm really excited to share this mini series with you. It's been a long time coming but it tells a story I've been waiting four years to tell. I hope you enjoy it!

💛

Read Series on AO3

Part One: Our Next Adventure (prompt: forgotten, map)

Daenarya makes a curious discovery on an old, forgotten map

Part Two: Ready or Not (prompt: whisper)

Readiying for a new adventure means saying goodbye to the boys.

Part Three: Worth Pausing For (prompt: doorway, echo)

Mal and Daenarya are off on their next adventure, but something's different.

Part Four: Certain and Sure (prompt: hidden)

Mal and Daenarya continue their journey until an unexpected moment interrupts them.

Part Five: My Kind of Trouble (prompt: hollow, moss, key, trace)

A simple discovery leads to unintended consequences for Daenarya.

Part Six: Something Familiar (prompt: map, hidden)

The map takes them somewhere familiar, giving them a moment to pause.

Part Seven: A Little Longer (prompt: secret, silence)

A fork in the path reveals more than either of them expected.

Part Eight: One Step and Then the Next (prompt: secret, hidden, return)

Mal and Daenarya continue on but the distance between them grows.

Part Nine: It's All Connected (prompt: return, secret, key)

Mal and Daenarya return home but being with the boys only brings more questions.

Part Ten: Our Greatest Adventure (prompt: secret, key, whisper, truth)

The map that sent them on their latest adventure has brought them home.

A/N from the start of the project:

The river turned pink beneath their hands as they washed their wounds.

They shared a quiet understanding in their weary gaze. His mouth opened to speak, but she shook her head once.

What was there to say?

They were no match for her. They were foolish to think that being a team would save them. The Shadow Court had never left them this... defeated. There was a pause when Nia was taken, but it had only strengthened their resolve. Now?

Now, they were unraveling.

After one fight. One fight. And they were barely breathing.

No. It was more than that.

Physically beaten down, they could come back from. This was something else. Something worse.

Hopelessness.

The river swallowed the evidence of their injuries. The ribbons of pink that surrounded them drifted downstream in the darkness.

His rough hands grazed over her back with restrained tenderness, letting the water drift over her injuries from when her body had cracked against the tree.  

Her body trembled beneath him, the memory threatening to rise again.

His touch stilled.

"Daenarya."

Her eyes closed as he whispered her name.

It was softer now.

Safer.

Unlike the last time.

Her eyes squeezed together, a vile taste rising in her throat.

He screamed her name as Valax held her by the throat, dangling above the ground like she was nothing.

Her fingers reached for her neck. Her breathing became ragged.

"I can't—"

Mal shifted in front of her, taking her hands in his own. "It's okay. You're safe. It's okay."

"It's not." She choked to catch a breath. "We can't beat her."

Again, he opened his mouth, but no reassurance came.

No clever remark to make her laugh.

No promise of comfort.

Only silence. A silence that he felt just as she did.

His head dipped a moment. He wasn't used to words failing.

Daenarya tried not to think about fingers crushing against her throat. About how her vision blurred as her breath left her. About the way she heard Mal shouting her name as if from somewhere impossibly far away.

The water shifted softly around them.

Mal reached for her slowly, pushing a strand of hair away from her face.

She flinched, but she didn't pull away.

He rested his forehead on hers, holding her as her breath began to shallow. His lips drifted down, brushing kisses over her eyes, her nose, her lips, down to her throat. His lips paused, hovering over the skin that had yet to bruise from Valax's grasp. Gently, he pressed a kiss to her neck.

Valax could not have any part of her.

She inhaled sharply. The memories threatened to pull her back. She wrapped an arm around him, holding him there with him. Even in the pain. Even with the fear. Even in the hopelessness, he was there. They were together. And even if it could only last a moment, it was a moment she needed to hold on to. Without it, the current would pull her down, extinguishing the last embers of light in her.

She nodded slightly, encouraging him to continue.

His hand cradled the back of her neck as he tilted her head, giving him more room. He kissed her throat again.

Not in hunger.

Not in desperation.

Something softer. Something fragile. Something he was terrified to lose.

His kisses slowed, letting her pulse beat against the warmth of his lips. A reminder that she was still there.

The fear did not disappear, but beneath Mal’s touch, it loosened enough for her to breathe again. It wouldn't replace the nightmares or the bruises that would darken her skin by morning, but in the moment, it was enough. It was her anchor. It would keep her from drifting.

The darkness still waited for her, but tonight, she was not facing it alone. Neither of them was.

A/N #2: I haven't replayed Blades 2 since right before Blades 3 so my memory isn't perfect, but I think this fits the battle with Valax from Chapter 4.

Daenarya is pregnant here but she still doesn't know it. This isn't that long after she returns from the other side and since in my AU time works differently, she was only gone a week (for her) but a year for everyone else. So she's about 6 weeks pregnant maybe.

A/N #3: Again this was written without any rewrites and literly just word vomiting from my head so forgive any typos or things that don't make sense with canon.

"What do you have there?"

Mal barely turned his head toward Daenarya entering their bedroom. "This old thing?" He angled the worn, faded parchment toward her. "It's nothing."

She came to a stop beside him, her gaze settling on the document in question. "Is that a map?" She didn’t wait for an answer before reaching for it. She settled on the armrest of his chair, one hand cradling her stomach and the other holding the document up to the light of the flickering flame. A smile pulled on her lips as her gaze danced over every line. "How long have you had this?"

"Who can say?" He shrugged, his arms guiding her into his lap. "Is that really what you are interested in right now?"

Daenarya relaxed into his arms, tilting her head to allow him access to her neck. "I'm really good at multitasking."

A chuckle rolled from his lips as he lowered them to the warmth of her skin. His fingers brushed the top of her blouse to the side as he peppered her with a series of deepening kisses.

Despite his best efforts, her focus never left the forgotten map.

"Did you ever try to follow this?" She carefully traced a fold in the paper with her finger.

"It's nothing, really." He barely replied before kissing her neck, though his gaze lingered on her. The hint of a smirk grew as he kissed her again.

"I think there's something below the ink," she hopped off his lap, moving closer to the flame. "Have you tried adding heat?"

"Hmm?" His eyes widened, his posture straightening.

She shook her head. Nothing changed. "What about lemon juice? Something acidic to draw out any underwriting?" She rushed downstairs to the kitchen, digging through the fruit bowl to find a lemon. "Ah ha!" She carefully cut the yellow fruit in half. Gently, she ran a citrus wedge across a section of the parchment, bringing it back upstairs to the fire. "Look!" She didn't wait for him to come closer before continuing. "These lines, they kind of look like the city wall on the right bank. Could it really be that easy? Where did you say you got this?"

Mal ran his fingers through his hair, leaning against the wall beside her. "Uh I, uh… I don't remember."

"Mal!"

He held his hands up, half-smiling. "What? It's an old map."

Her lips pressed together. "Somehow, I don't believe you, but that doesn't matter. I'll figure out what you're not saying soon enough."

"You will, will you?" He teased. "And how do you plan to do that?"

Her gaze shifted out the window to the crescent moon hanging low in the sky. "Tomorrow," she decided.

"What's tomorrow?"

"Perhaps, our next adventure!"

Keep Reading: Part Two

*This takes place in my Book 1 AU and set in the time/location of The Orphanage. In this timeline, books 2 and 3 don't happen. I created this timeline in the years between book 1 and 2.

Kade.

He had heard his name enough times that it was ingrained in his head.

She was so sure that they would save him.

He knew better.

Life was cruel. The ones we loved were often the ones to suffer most. His life had taught him that.

Don't get attached.

Don't expect good endings.

Don't have hope.

Keep moving.

Follow those rules, and you might make it out alive.

She hadn't had the easiest upbringing, at least from what she shared. The boy wasn't even her biological brother, just a kid she was raised with. She shouldn't have let him get that close. It was her mistake.

He watched her across the deck of the Sun Maiden. She leaned over the edge of the ship, her gaze transfixed on the sea.

She had hope.

It was a fire in her eyes when she spoke.

Despite her confidence, despite the skills she clearly had, her view of the world was flawed. She hadn't seen it yet. But, on this journey, she would. That light, that hope, would become the thing to break her, and he didn't want to be around when that happened.

He stepped toward her, his feet carrying him forward.

He knew better, but he couldn't stop it.

"Enjoying the view?"

Her gaze barely left the horizon. "Have you ever seen anything so beautiful?"

He paused a moment before nodding. "A few things."

She turned toward him, leaning back slightly, the hair dancing in the wind. "Let me guess, some famed treasure?"

"You say that as if it's a bad thing!" He chuckled with an ease he hadn't had in a while.

"Okay, tell me, what are these great treasures!"

"For starters, the ruby of Queen Althea, the tiara of the Duchess Aurelis, the sapphire rivière of..." his voice trailed off as she mocked a yawn. "Am I boring you?"

"Gemstones? Really? You mean after all your adventures, the most beautiful thing you've seen is a collection of expensive rocks?.... I thought you'd have a bit more to offer, oh great adventurer." Daenarya sighed softly, turning back to the turquoise waters.

He shook his head, shifting behind her, his voice lowering. "Well, there's the crystal lakes of Whispering Way, the moon bridge of Eldor, and the lost temple of the Twins...."

She turned her head over her shoulder, her face inches from his.

His lips pulled in the corner, his gaze tracing her features, "... among other sights of beauty."

"So many wonders," she marveled. "To see them all, that's the dream. There's so much beyond Riverbend. Now that I've left, I can't imagine going back."

His smile faltered. He had seen them, and they probably were beautiful, but he'd never paused long enough to notice. He kept moving. Kept running.

"Maybe you can show me when this is all over."

There it was. Hope.

He had gotten too close.

"Maybe." It was all he could offer.

"Kade, too," she added, her voice sure they'd see this through.

"Yeah... I'll take you both," Mal offered, more confidently than he should have.

She brushed a kiss on his cheek. "Thank you, Mal. You didn't have to stick with us, but you did. I'm not sure I could do this without you, but I'm glad I don't have to."

His fingers rested on his cheek, even after she had turned back to the horizon.

He had lived by a code from a young age, and it kept him alive. With her, something was changing.

She was dangerous.

With her, he kept breaking his own rules. He gave her hope for something in the future.

He was many things to many people, but he had never promised tomorrow to anyone. Not until now.

A/N: I love Daenarya, she is one of the most fun MCs to write for, but I also love Mal. He is such a complex character and I don't think he's fully explored in the books, so I'm going to continue with these drabbles of things from his point of view. He has a lot of bravado on the outside, but inside, he's damaged and searching for more, even if he doesn't know it or believe it. He's spent his whole life surviving, he never stopped to see what else there was. I think Daenarya is one of the first people he feels safe around. Yes she wants to rescue Kade, but she's genuinely a good person and he's seeing that and it's causing him to break the rules he's learned to live by and I love that for him!

I hope you love it too!

This is the third part in the series

→ Mal x Daenarya Full Masterlist

Blades 1 + Beyond

Mal's Orphanage

Beyond the Bravado (Mal's POV)

Blades 2 + 3 AU

Background: Brief references to Blades 1 Chapter 1 in canon and my fic: Beyond Riverbend

The door to the orphanage clicked shut behind her, the sound quieter than she expected. Her fingers lingered on the worn metal handle. 

"Everything okay?" 

"Of course." She nodded, slowly starting down the steps. "Let's see where this leads." 

She focused on the map in her hands, fighting the urge to look back. She continued down the streets, turning this way and that, never pausing until she reached the city's edge.

"Daeny—" he rested his hand on her wrist. "Talk to me. You've been quiet since we left."

She remembered the first night they met in Riverbend. He couldn't stand still. His words echoed in her head. "I don't have time for some kit who's still wet behind the ears." He couldn't get away fast enough—off to the next adventure, the next treasure. 

"Daenarya," he called again, pulling her focus. 

She shook the thoughts away. It had been a couple of years since then. The face that met her now was filled with concern for her. Wherever this map led seemed of lesser concern than her.

She lifted her hand to his jaw, her thumb brushing over his beard. "I've just been thinking about the boys. When I left Riverbend to help Nia and Scholar Vash—" a smirk danced on her lips, "—and rescue your ass from those thugs."

"Admit it, you love my ass," Mal interrupted, leaning into her touch. "Besides, I had it handled."

"Sure you did." She laughed at the memory. "But, when I left, I didn't think about it. I just left. I didn't think about the friends I was leaving behind or the people who cared for me. I just left without a second thought. But now," her gaze shifted back to the city, "—now, things are different. I have someplace pulling me back. The orphanage... Our boys... You." 

"As do I."  He rested his forehead against hers. "It's okay, if you want to stay."

"I don't want to hold you back, either."

"Shh," he brushed away a tear forming in the corner of her eye. "You could never. Where you go, I go. Where you lead, I follow. If you stay, I stay."

The warmth of his breath grazed over her lips. "Do you ever wonder what would have happened if we hadn't met?"

"No." He shook his head firmly. "It's not a question I ever want answered."

Her lips brushed over his, savoring the warmth and comfort his embrace brought. "I love you, Mal."

"My beautiful, Daenarya, I love you more than you know." He kissed her again, holding her close. "If you want to turn back, we can."

"No, I want to go. It's just, I never thought I'd feel like this, that I'd have a place my heart ached to return. This time... it feels different." 

"I know what you mean."

She pulled away, shrugging to herself. "Pregnancy mood swings, I guess. This child must take after you, they're already trouble!"

"Well, that I can't deny, but... having some place to call home? That's something worth pausing for." 

Keep Reading: Part Four

I'm really enjoying exploring this series with Mal and Daenarya. If you're reading this, I hope you are enjoying it too!