Artos Stark

The Wars to Come.

It had been a few months since the dragons were locked away and Dany's belly had grown. It had become impossible to hide the new prince or princess within. Artos was overjoyed but also felt guilty about the new baby. It made him hate himself and miss his son all the more.
"The Sons of the Harpy?" Dany asked bringing Artos out of his thoughts and back to the conversation at hand.
"Yes, Your Grace. They left it on the body." Barristan said presenting them with a golden mask.
"They've never killed before." Dany said looking down at it. She placed her hand on her belly when the baby moved around at her worry.
"It was only a matter of time, Your Grace. Conquerors always meet with resistance." Barristan told her.
"I didn't conquer them. Their own people did." Dany told him taking a step back into Artos's chest. Artos placed a hand on her belly and the baby inside seemed to calm.
"They do not see us as people, Your Grace." Mossador told them.
"Then they will have to learn to see things differently, Mossador. He did not risk his life fighting for his freedom so cowards in masks could take it away. And I did not take up residence in this pyramid so I could watch the city below decline into chaos. What was the name of the man you lost?" She asked Grey Worm.
"White Rat, Your Grace." He told her.
"I want him buried with honor, publically in the Temple of the Graces." She told them
"The Sons of the Harpy will hear that message." Barristan told her.
"Make them very angry." Mossador agreed.
"Angry snakes lash out. Makes chopping off their heads that much easier. Find the men who did this and bring them to me." She ordered Grey Worm who nodded and led Mossador out of the room.
"Your Grace." Barristan said with a bow and followed them out.
"Why do things have to go bad now?" Artos asked hiding his face in her neck.
"Why are you worried so much about now but not another time." She asked him reaching up and weaving her fingers through his hair.
"Your far along now. What if the baby comes as a war breaks out and you have complications due to it... I can't save you from that." He told her refusing to pull away from her neck.
"I don't need you to save me." She told him in an attempt to comfort him.
"You never have nor will need anyone to save you. You are strong enough to save yourself, but that doesn't mean I won't try and fight to save you, down to my very last breath. I did vow after all." Artos told her finally pulling back and locking his eyes with hers.
"I hope the baby has your eyes." He told her resting his hand on her cheek. Dany smiled up at him.
"If the baby is a boy... perhaps." She said in thought.
"And a girl?" Artos asked her.
"I want her to have yours." She told him kissing his lip.

Dany was leaning into Artos as he stood behind her to support her acing back. Daario was back after taking Yunkai.
"Our mission to Yunkai was a resounding success. The Wise Masters of Yunkai have agreed to cede power to a council of elders made up of both the freed men and the former slaveholders. All matters of consequence will be brought to you for review." Hizdahr told them.
"Good." She said rubbing slow circles on her belly.
"They did ask for some concessions." H told her.
"Concessions?" She asked.
"Politics is the art of compromise, Your Grace." He told her.
"I'm not a politician. I'm a queen." She reminded him.
"Forgive me. You're right, of course. Still, it's easier to rule happy subjects than angry ones." Hizdahr told her.
"I don't expect the Wise Maters to be happy. Slavery made them rich. I ended slavery." Daenerys informed him.
"They do not ask for the return of slavery. They ask for the reopening of the fighting pits." He told her.
"The fighting pits? Where slaved fought slaves to the death?" Asked him harshly.
"In the new world that you've brought to us, free men would fight free men. The pit fighters you liberated plead for this opportunity. Bring some here and ask them yourself." He pleaded with her.
"No fighting pit." She said finally.
"Opening them would show the people of Yunkai and Meereen that you respect their traditions." Hizdahr continued to argue.
"I do not respect the tradition of human cockfighting." She shut him down once again.
"If you-" He started once again.
"How many times must she say no before you understand?" Artos cut him off in a rough tone.

Artos was standing on the balcony bare naked embracing the cool night breeze. Dany walked up behind him resting her head on his back and wrapping her arms around him.
"Whatever he wants from me he's not going to get it. If he really believes I'm going to reopen the fighting pits..." Dany trailed off.
"Maybe you should." Artos told her.
"What? Why?" She asked him pulling away.
"People in Weastros have tournaments. Men die in those all the time, yet they are not seen as a bad thing because the knights sighed up for it. If these men want it then make sure every man fighting wants to fight." Artos told her turning to face her.
"I think you should let them out. They will help you enforce your rule. Everything bad started to happen once they were locked away." He added pulling her into his arms, her sweaty skin molding with his.
"I don't want another child's bones dropped at my feet. No one's seen Drogon in weeks. For all I know, he's flown halfway across the world. I can't control them anymore." She told him with teary eyes.
"Maybe you should stop trying to control them and try to guide them instead. Or at least go and see them" Artos told her. Dany nodded and walked back inside to get dressed before leading him to the catacombs.

Artos and Dany walked inside together once the door was opened.
"Viserion? Rhaegal?" Dany called out into the blackness. You could hear the chains rattle in the void of inky black. The room light with fire from one and the other snapped at the couple. Artos quickly pulled Dany behind him and the snarling dragon snapped again.
"Easy. Easy." Daenerys chanted as they brew fire above their heads. Artos started to sweat from the heat as he held Dany close to him. They had grown almost as fast as her belly had and are not triple the size they once were. Before they were big enough to roll around with Beast and now they would dwarf Cersei's large wheelhouse. They continued to roar and screech as Artos pulled Dany behind a large stone pillar.

[Thank you so much for reading!]