Artos Stark

The House of Black and White

Artos sat at the table with everyone else bouncing his leg as Any walked around it listening to Mossandor.
"Sons of the Harpy, they want to put a collar back on my neck. On all of our necks. Please, Your Grace, you must kill him." He pleaded.
"I would send a message." Dany thought out loud.
"I think you should exercise restraint, Your Grace." Barristan told her.
"Why?" She asked.
"For one thing, he may have valuable information." He told her. Artos nodded in agreement.
"The Son of the Harpy has no more valuable information." Daario argued back.
"How do you know that?" Barristan asked him.
"Because I questioned him." Daario informed them.
"And the information you did get, he is young and poor." Hisdahr said.
"He is born free." Mossandor argued back.
"Why should he want to bring back slavery? What did it do for him?" Hisdahr asked him.
"Perhaps the only thing that gave him pride was knowing that there was someone lower than he was." Dany suggested leaning into Artos who wrapped his arm around her waist resting in on her belly.
"They pay him. Great families afraid to do a thing. They pay poor man to do it for them." Mossandor said glaring at Hisdahr.
"And how do you know this?" Hisdahr snapped back.
"Everyone know this." He told him.
"I don't know it and I'm the head of a great family." Hisdahr told him.
"We do not know what this man did or didn't do. Give him a trial at least. A fair trial. Show all the citizens of Meereen that you're better than those who would depose you. Teach them a better way." Barristan suggested.
"I do not know the place from where Old Ser comes. Things maybe are different there, I hope. But here in Meereen, before Daenerys Stormborn, they own us. So we learn much about them or we do not live long. They teach me what they are. Mercy, fair trial- these mean nothing to them. All they understand is blood." Mossandor told them.
"Thank you all for your counsel." Dany said dismissing them.
"Your Grace, a word, please, I beg you." Barristan asked her.
"About what?" She asked.
"About your father. About the Mad King." Barristan told her. Artos sighed and dropped his head to the table. He knew this conversation was coming. He had talked to Barristan the other day about it.
"The Mad King? You're here to remind me of my enemies' lies? Consider me reminded." She said walking to the door.
"Dany just listen, please." Artos called out stopping her.
"Your Grace, I served in his Kingsquard. I was at his side from the first. Your enemies did not lie." Barristan told her.
"Go on." She said looking over to Artos briefly.
"When the people rose in revolt against him, your father set their towns and castles aflame. He murdered sons in front of their fathers. He burned men alive with wildfire and laughed as they screamed. And his efforts to stamp out dissent led to rebellion that killed every Targaryen except two." Barristan told her.
"I'm not my father." Dany told him.
"No, Your Grace. Thank the gods. But the Mad King gave his enemies the justice he thought they deserved. And each time, it made him feel powerful and right. Until the very end." Barristan informed her. Dany thought for a moment looking back at Artos who nodded his head. She knew he trusted and looked up to Ser Barristan. She also remembered the promise she made him. She would listen to his advice.
"I will not have the Son of the Harpy executed without a fair trial." She told them.
"Your Grace." Barristan said bowing his head and leaving the room.
"How can you not hate me for what my father had done?" Dany asked remembering the story of his grandfather and uncle.
"As you said yourself. You are not your father." Artos told her.

Dany was called to the throne room because Mossandor had killed their prisoner.
"Why?" She asked him once he had been brought before them in shackles.
"For you, Mhysa." He answered her then kneeled.
"You wanted the Harpy dead, but your hands were tied. I set you free, as you did all of us." Mossandor told her.
"He was our prisoner, awaiting trial. You had no right." Daenerys informed him.
"He would rather rip your city apart than see slaves lifted from the dirt." He pleaded back.
"There are no more slaves. There are no more Masters." She told him.
"Then who lives in the pyramids? Who wears gold masks and murders your children? When Grey Worm came to us, I was the first to take up the knife for you. I remember the look on my father's face as I struck down his Master, who had traded his infant son for a dog. My father died in the fighting. If we allow the Sons of the Harpy to return us to chains, he never lived." He told her. It made Artos think of his family and the men who killed them. They wouldn't survive him, so he felt for the man and stepped back from Dany. He knew he wouldn't make the right decision at this moment if she asked.
"The Harpy's life was not yours to take. Once, the Masters were the law-" Dany was cut off.
"and now you are the law." He said.
"The law is the law. Take him." Ordered with a heartbroken expression as they carried him away.

Artos held Dany close to him as they walked out into the city. The people were chanting Mhysa as they passed. They stopped at the pace they had planned for the trial and Artos made a move to step back so she could address them but she stopped him by a tight grip on his arm.
"You opened your gates to me because I promised you freedom and justice. One cannot exist without the other." She told him as the guards began to bring Mossandor out. Murmuring filled the crowd as they shouted brother to him while the former masters cursed in his presence.
"Mhysa, please! Forgive me." He begged her from his knees. Artos looked from the crowd and back to him only this time he saw his father's face. He mumbled a chick apology to Dany before excusing himself to stand back with Barristan.

"A citizen of Meereen was awaiting a trial and this man murdered him. The punishment is death." Dany spoke to them. They begged for mercy for him in return. She looked back at Artos who had told her once that his father taught him that the one who passes the sentence must swing the sword. He had promised to be her sword. Artos sighed and pulled the heavy blade from its sheath and walked up to the kneeling man.
"Mhysa." He called out one last time before Artos drew back his sword and swung hard cutting through muscle and bone. Mossandor's head hit the floor before his body did and the crowd fell silent before the former slaves began to hiss at their former masters. It was relatively silent as Artos wiped his blade and placed it back in its sheath walking up to Dany. He pulled her to him as he watched the first rock fly through the air and make contact with a man's head. A riot was starting and Barristan helped Grey Worm and Artos lead Dany and Missandei back inside. Rocks were being thrown and the Unsullied held their shields above their heads to protect them as they went.

The people had calmed down and stars littered the sky now.
"I'll stand guard outside your door tonight, Your Graces." Barristan told Dany and Artos.
"We all guard tonight." Grey Worm agreed.
"Leave us." Dany said looking out over the city. Once the room was empty Dany and Artos heard a soft thudding noise. They walked out onto the balcony on the opposite side of the room. A growl behind them made the turn and look up to see Drogon perched on the roof. He spread his wings proudly and Dany smiled at him.
"Drogon." She called up to him. He crawled down closer to the couple and Dany reached up with her hand. Drogon sniffed her for a moment before taking off once again, she watched him go for a moment before she fell against Artos screaming as a murky liquid engulfed their feet.

[She is in labor! Thank you so much for reading! Remember to send me your name and gender suggestions for the baby.]