Artos Stark

Kill the Boy

Grey Worm and Ser Barristan were found yesterday after the city was searched. Grey Worm was alive and currently seeking medical attention, Ser Barristan though hadn't been so lucky. Artos hurt while he looked down at the old man. He was the last thing of home he had here and he was a good knight. Ned had brought him some peace in these times, and the men who killed his friend are challenging that. He was angry and ready for blood. Arts had yet to hold his crying son, too afraid to hurt the small and fragile babe in his fits of rage. He was currently standing over Barristan's body with Dany and Daario. His wife was holding herself close to him in her sorrow and Artos was doing all he could to keep his grip soft.
"I'm so sorry, my queen. My king, he was a good man." Hizdahr said walking up behind them.
"Barristan the Bold they called him. He crossed a continent to serve me. He was a loyal friend. And he died in an alley, butchered by cowards who hide behind masks." Dany said angrily.
"We could pull back to the pyramid district, secure it, and use it as a base from which to operate. Then we clean the city out, neighborhood by neighborhood, street by street, until the rats have nowhere left to hide." Daario said more to Artos than he did Daenerys.
"I prefer your earlier suggestion. Round up the leaders of each of Meereen's great families and bring them to me." Dany said turning to look at Hizdahr.
"But I'm the leader of my family." He said just before two guards pulled him away.
"No. Your Grace. I had nothing to do with this. Your Grace!" He begged as he was pulled away. Artos would normally ask her to think rationally but at the moment that was the last thing he himself was doing.

Dany had led them all down where they were keeping the dragons. Artos watched them closely as they trembled at the sound of the soft sheiks echoing off the walls.
"Walk forward." She ordered in Valyrian. The guards began pushing them forward with the dull end of their spears.
"You cannot do this." One of them pleaded.
"Another step." She said once they stopped moving. They whimpered and cried as they were forced into the darkness.
"They will eat you if I tell them to. They may eat you even if I don't. Children. Some say I should give up on them. But a good mother never gives up on her children. She disciplines them if she must." Dany paused nodding to a guard who shoved one man further to the dragons shrouded in blackness.
"But she does not give up on them." She finished. A small flame was seen before the dragon's face was lit up by its own breath. The man screamed as he was engulfed in fire. When he stopped screaming the dragons picked him up and tore the dead man in half.
"Who is innocent? Maybe all of you are, maybe none of you are. Maybe, I should let the dragons decide." She said turning to look at Hizdahr.
"All men must die." He told her.
"Don't want to overfeed them. Tomorrow perhaps." Dany said prompting the men to be led away. Artos walked up to her placing his right arm over her chest and pulling her back into him.
"We will find who did this and I will rip them to pieces." Artos said lowly to her as they watched the dragons feast.

The next morning Dany sat at the table with Ned wrapped up in her arms while Artos leaned against the wall next to her with a cup of wine in his hands. He felt useless and lost. Missandei walked quickly into the room with news of Grey Worm and Dany stood to talk to her. She took the cup from Artos's hand on her way. He never drank and she didn't like that he was doing it now.
"Now that you have given the Masters what they deserve." Missandei stopped herself.
"If I give everyone what they deserve, I'll have no one left to rule. Ser Barristan counseled mercy when I took this city right up to the morning he died. Daario Naharis thinks I should kill the former Masters and let the rest of the city fend for itself. My husband was blood for blood. What do you think?" Dany asked her.
"Your Grace, I think that I am not fit to have an opinion on these matters." Missandei protested.
"You are as fit as anyone I know. You know why I'm here. And you know who will suffer the most if this all falls apart. So what do you think?" Dany corrected her.
"I can only tell you what I have seen, Your Grace. I have seen you listen to your counselors. I have seen you lean on their experience when your own was lacking and weigh the choices they put before you. I have seen you lean on your husband in matters of battle and people. And I have seen you ignore them all... because there was a better choice. One that only you could see." Missandei told her making Artos chuckle in agreement. Dany stood from her seat and carefully placed Ned in Missandei's arms before taking the hem of Artos's shirt and pulling him from the room Beast looked as though he wanted to follow but with a low whine he curled up at MIssandei's feet keeping an eye on Ned. She led him all the way down to Hizdahr's cell before she released him. The guards opened the door and Hizdahr quickly got to his knees.
"My- my queen, please do not do this." He pleaded.
"What about valar morghulis?" She asked him.
"I did not want to die a coward. Apparently I do not want to die at all." He sniffled.
"It takes courage to admit fear. And to admit a mistake. I came here to tell you that I was wrong. I was wrong and you were right. About tradition. About bringing the people of this city together. I will reopen the fighting pits. To free men only. Slavery will never return to Meereen, not while I live." Dany told him.
"Yes, my queen." He nodded to her. Dany looked him over and left the cell with Artos in toe.

[Thank you so much for reading!]