Artos Stark

Hardhome

Dany had the guards lead Jorah and Tyrin into the throne room where they stood at the bottom of the steps facing the thrones that now held the couple. Tyrion eyed Artos who was leaning forwards with his elbows on his knees. The dwarf could see a king in the Stark who was barely a man. He remembered when the news of his marriage to Daenerys reached King's Landing. Cersei was outraged, she hated the girl all the more. Not only did Daenerys have the man Cersei loved, but she could show off their love however much she wanted. When the news of the new heir growing in her womb found them Cersei became sinister. She would walk around speaking all the horrid things she wished would happen to the couple that would in some way shape or form drive Artos back to her. What worried him most is the fact that she spent more time plotting ways to bring Artos back to her than finding the son they shared.
"Your Grace, I want to say-" Jorah started bringing Tyrion from his thoughts.
"You will not speak. How do I know you are who you say you are?" Dany asked moving her attention from Jorah to Tyrion.
"If only I were otherwise. Artos knows me well He can tell you who I am." Tyrion told her.
"If you are Tyrion Lannister, why shouldn't I kill you to pay your family back for what it did to mine and his?" She said gesturing to Artos.
"You want revenge against the Lannisters? I killed my mother Joanna Lannister on the day I was born. I killed my father Tywin Lannister with a bolt to the heart. I am the greatest Lannister killer of our time." He told them.
"So I should welcome you into my service because you murdered members of your own family?" Dany asked him slightly humored.
"Into your service? Your Grace, we have only just met. It's too soon to know if you deserve my service." Tyrion told her matching the humor only slightly.
"If you'd rather return to the fighting pits, just say the word." She told him flatly.
"When I was a young man, I heard a story about a baby born during the worst storm in living memory. She had no wealth, no lands, no army, only a name and a handful of supporters, most of whom probably thought they could use that name to benefit themselves. They kept her alive, moving her from place to place, often ahead of the men who'd been sent to kill her. She was eventually sold off to some warlord on the edge of the world and that appeared to be that. And then a few years later, the most well-informed person I knew told me that this girl without wealth, lands, or armies had somehow acquired all three in a very short span of time, along with three dragons, and the heart of the man who could give you the largest part of Westeros without a fight. The North. He thought she was our best, last chance to build a better world. I thought you were worth meeting at the very least. You are a woman who has done the impossible you held onto the famous Artos Stark." Tyrion teased at the end.
"And why are you worth meeting? Why should I spend my time listening to you?" Daenerys asked choosing to question Artos about his jest later.
"Because you cannot build a better world on your own. You have no one at your side who understands the other half of the land you want to rule. The strengths and weaknesses of the houses that will either join or oppose you." He told her.
"I will have a very large army, very large dragons, and a husband who knows enough about fighting these houses by my side." She said stiffly.
"Killing and politics aren't always the same thing. When I served as Hand of the King, I did quite well with the latter considering the king in question preferred torturing animals to leading his people." At Tyrion's words, Artos let his fingers glide through Beast's fur with the arm that wasn't currently holding his son.
"I could do an even better job advising a ruler worth the name. If that is indeed what you are. I am betting that you are judging by how quick Artos is to stand by your side." He finished.
"So you want to advise me? Very well. What would you have me do with him?" Dany asked looking over to Jorah.
"I swore I would kill him if he ever returned." She continued.
"I know." Tyrion confirmed.
"Why should the people trust a queen who can't keep her promises?" Dany asked him.
"Whoever Ser Jorah was when he started informing on you, he is no longer that man. I can't remember ever seeing a sane man as devoted to anything as he is to serving you. He claims he would kill for you and die for you and nothing I ever witnesses gives me a reason to doubt him." Tyrion vouched for Jorah. Though Jorah was paying little attention to what was going on and more to the small baby that looked unreal in Artos's large hands.
"And yet he did betray you." Tyrion started and paused again taking a few steps towards them. The guards moved to stop him but Dany held them off with a simple gesture of her hand.
"Did he have an opportunity to confess his betrayal?" Tyrion asked after walking up a few steps.
"Yes. Many opportunities." Dany confirmed.
"And did he?" Tyrion asked another question.
"No, not until forced to do so." She said emotionally.
"He worships you. He is in love with you, I think. But he did not trust you with the truth. An unpleasant truth to be sure, but one of the great significance to you. He did not trust that you would be wise enough to forgive him." Tyrion informed her.
"So I should kill him?" She asked.
"A ruler who kills those devoted to her is not a ruler who inspires devotion. And you're going to need to inspire devotion, a lot of it, if you're ever going to rule across the Narrow Sea. But you cannot have him by your side when you do." Tyrion told her. Daenerys looked over at Artos for council.
"He has escaped death for this long. Maybe it's the Gods telling us all it isn't his time just yet." Artos told her lowly. Dany nodded at him before turning to look at Jorah.
"Remove Ser Jorah from the city." Dany ordered the guards. She tried to look strong as he left but Artos noticed a tear run down her porcelain cheek and quickly caught it with the pad of his thumb. Dany reached up and held the back of his hand and pressed her face into his palm. No matter how much pain she seemed to be in mentally or physically he always seemed to make it go away.