Artos Stark

The Dance of Dragons

Artos sat next to Daenerys in the arena with Tyrion to his other side. Little Ned was covered in a thin silk wrap while he slept safely in his father's arms. Artos still felt an almost unbearable guilt every time he looked down at his son. He missed Alastor and feared the boy would hate him when they were reunited. The people cheered as drums played and Artos rested his free hand on Dany's leg in comfort when he noticed the distressed look on her face. She hated the violence that the people cheered for and he knew it. Hizdahr finally joined them taking his place behind the couple next to Daario.
"Where have you been?" Dany asked him.
"Just making sure everything is in order." He told her doing his best to avoid Artos's gaze. It was evident to everyone around them that the king didn't like him. Artos only tolerated him for Deanerys's sake. The gates opened up and a man walked into the center of the pit and bowed to them before holding his hand out to silence the crowd.
"Free citizens of Meereen! By the blessings of the Graces, and their majesty the Queen and king, welcome to the Great Games!" He finished by raising his hands into the air making the crowd once again erupt into cheers. Artos rolled his eyes at the title adjusting in his seat. Two men ran out to join the announcer.
"My Queen, our first contest. Who will triumph: the strong, or the quick?" He asked motioning first to the large man than the smaller one. The smaller one stepped forward slightly.
"I fight and die for your glory, oh glorious Queen." He said bowing at the end. The other man stepped forward this time.
"I fight and die for your glory, oh glorious Queen." He echoed while the announcer walked off. It grew silent as all attention fell to Dany.
"They're waiting for you. Clap your hands." Hizdahr told her. Dany hesitated for a moment while she observed the two men before she slowly raised her hands and clapped them together making the crowd resume their cheers. The two men started their fight the smaller one dodging and weaving away from the larger one's swings before cutting him. Daario leaned forward onto Artos's broad shoulder.
"That one, the smaller man. No question, that's where you should put your money." He told him then Daario lightly ran his finer over Ned's nose. After the baby was born Daario let go of his interest in Daenerys and he and Artos began developing a friendship. He also doted on the small baby in his king's arms.
"The smaller man it is." Tyrion agreed.
"You are not putting your money anywhere." Daenerys told her husband in a warning tone. Artos gave her a cheeky grin but before he could say anything Hizdahr spoke up.
"Kings and queens never bet on the games. Perhaps you should go and find someone who does." He told Daario.
"People used to bet against me when I fought in the pits. He would have bet against me. Common novice mistake." Darrio told them.
"I've spent much of my life in this arena. And in my experience, large men do triumph over smaller men far more often than not." He said.
"Has your experience ever involved any actual fighting? You yourself? Have you ever tried to kill a man who was trying to kill you?" She asked him causing Artos to cover his laugh by clearing his throat.
"I've fought men larger than me and I'm still here." Artos said moving his eyes back to the fight before them.
"It's hard to imagine any man is larger than you. Fatter yes, but I can't imagine larger. Daario said patting his shoulders a bit roughly.
"Whenever I got into the pit against a beast like that one, the crowd saw me, all skin and bone back then, then they saw a pile of angry muscles ready to murder me. They couldn't get their money out fast enough. The pile of angry muscles never had nay muscles here." Daario said pointing his dagger at Hizdahr's head and then his neck.
"Or... here. And the big men were always too slow to stop my dagger from going where their muscles weren't. Yes whenever I saw a beast like that one standing across from me making his beast faces, I knew I could rest easy." Daario said just as the large man cut the smaller one's head off. Artos cleared his throat and turned his head to look at Daario raising his brow amused by the situation. Daario huffed and turned away from Artos who was laughing at his suspense. Artos had never liked things like this while he was in the capital. He was starting to realize that maybe he just didn't have the right company.
"You don't approve?" Hizdahr asked looking over at Tyrion.
"There's always been more than enough death in the world for my taste. I can do without in my leisure time." Tyrion told him letting his eyes fall to the now awake baby Ned to ease his eyes from the gruesome scene in front of them.
"Fare enough. Yet it's an unpleasant question, but what great thing has ever been accomplished without killing or cruelty?" He asked him again.
"It's easy to confuse what is with what ought to be, especially when what is has worked out in your favor." Tyrion told him.
"I'm not talking about myself. I'm talking about the necessary conditions for greatness." He said looking around the arena.
"That is greatness?" Dany asked wrinkling her nose in distaste when one of the men cleaning up the body held up the head for the people to see.
"That is a vital part of the great city of Meereen, which existed long before you or I and will remain standing long after we have returned to the dirt." Hizdahr told her.
"My father would have liked you." Tyrion told him.
"Mine wouldn't." Artos threw in just as the gates opened again.
"We ask again: Who will triumph?" The man from before asked again.
"One day your great city will return to the dirt as well." Dany told him.
"At your command?" He asked almost smugly.
"If need be." She answered.
"A Meereenese champion?" The announcer shouted. A man stepped forward to speak but their conversation drowned out his words. If Artos had to guess it was something along the lines of 'I fight and die for your glory'.
"And how many people will die to make this happen?" Hizdahr asked her.
"If it comes to that, they will have died for a good reason." She told him strongly.
"Those men think they're dying for a good reason." He said nodding to the competitors.
"Someone else's reason." She said stubbornly.
"So your reasons are true and theirs are false? They don't know their own minds, but you do?" Hizdahr asked her, and Artos would never admit it out loud but he agreed with the man.
"Well said. You're an eloquent man. Doesn't mean you're wrong. In my experience, eloquent men are right every bit as often as imbeciles." Tyrion spoke up but a few words caught Artos's attention from below.
"Or a Westerosi knight?" The man called out and Artos turned to see Jorah standing below them.
"I fight and die for your glory, oh glorious Queen." He said staring up at them. Artos leaned over to Dany to ask her something when he was stopped by a voice.
"Your Grace-" Hizdahr started to speak over Artos.
"Shut your mouth." Daario said before nodding to Artos.
"Do you want me to step in? I know you care for him, and part of me still wants to kill him... What do you want?" Artos asked her softly in a tone reserved for her and his family. Dany looked over at him and placed a sweet and short kiss on his lips, sending him a small smile before turning back to face Jorah. She locked her eyes with his and raised her hands in a clap. She was facing forward with worry on her beautiful features. Artos reached over and cupped the back of her head before tucking her side curl behind her head and placing a kiss on her cheek. He leaned back over letting his hand trail down her arm to lace his fingers in her own. Six men were broken off in pairs and began to fight. Dany tightened her grip on Artos's hand as she watched Jorah closely. Artos began to bounce his leg when Ned started to cry seeming to have picked up on Artos's distress for Dany. Beast peeked around the back of the chair at the first noise the babe had made, he was ready for attack but he too noticed his master's state and the worry seeping out of Daenerys. Jorah was knocked to the ground bleeding from the mouth, he barely got to his feet before he was knocked down once again. He finally got the upper hand and drove his dagger into the heart of his opponent claiming his temporary victory. Jorah started to walk toward a man who had just killed his own competitor and Artos wrinkled his nose at the poor attempt the unknown man pulled trying to impress them by twirling his sword around his head.
"My Queen?" Artos asked her again when he noticed Missandei and Tyrion both begin to worry. Dany hesitantly shook her head no at his unasked question. Jorah was cut up and on the ground once again and the crowd only grew louder. Artos noticed Daario roll his eyes from behind him and couldn't help but agree with the man.
"You can end this." Tyrion said leaning around Artos.
"She cannot." Hizdahr disagreed.
"Shut your mouth before I shut it for you." Artos growled out at him.
"You can." Tyrion continued silently thanking Artos. Dany's eyes welled with tears and she shook her head again in protest. The man was standing above Jorah now ready to plunge his blade into the knight's chest when he was skewered from behind by the last man to finish his fight. Dany took a deep breath when Jorah picked up his sword and stood to face the last man. Jorah found himself on his back once again. He barely caught the spear before it was embedded into his heart. He pushed the man back and was quick to his feet. Jorah rolled under the swinging spear and drove his blade deep into the man's stomach. The people yelled in anger at his victory as Jorah stood to face them. Jorah picked up the sear and threw it towards them. Artos seemed to forget Dany excited for a split second as he shielded Ned. Relief filled him once he noticed the spear was in a masked man behind them and Daario had covered Dany. Daario released her to make it to the man behind them and Artos was fast on his feet and kneeling in front of his wife. Dany was beyond thankful that Artos protected Ned over her as she looked down at the crying baby.
"Beast." Artos ordered lowly nodding his head towards the man and the direwolf started to snarl while it slowly stalked towards him. Artos kissed Dany firmly on the lips before placing the baby in her arms and resting his hand on Missandei's cheek silently asking if she was okay. After receiving a nod from her Artos turned to join Daario.
"Fuck." Artos breathed out once they noticed more masks raising from the crowd.
"Beast, protect them." Artos ordered the growling bear-sized wolf who ran quickly over to Dany and Ned.
"Protect your queen!" Artos ordered the guards. The tone in his voice made Daario happy to be fighting on his side and not against him. The masked men were slaughtering everyone they got their hands on in the stands making their way to the royal box. The first few made it to the front and Artos grabbed ahold of one tightly around the neck and shoved his sword roughly up through his rib cage and into his heart. The Unsullied were making their way through the people now as man after man fell at Artos and Daario's feet. Hizdahr shoved his way through the guards creating a hole for the Sons of the Harpy to push through. Artos growled to himself caught in the fight and unable to help them. Daario pulled the attention of the mand Artos was fighting.
"Go to them!" He shouted at a thankful Artos who started to make his way to his wife and son. With a whistle, Beast jumped off into the pit with Artos right behind him. Jorah quickly joined him and helped Dany down after she passed Ned over to her husband. Once her feet were firmly planted she took her son back and held him close between her chest and Artos' back. She could feet Beast close to her heel and for the first time since the fight had started, she felt safe. One of the men cut them off as they were trying to escape, but Jorah was quick to kill him.
"Shit." Artos cursed looking behind them.
"What is it?" Dany asked him fearfully.
"We left Missandei and Tyrion behind." He told her before turning to Daario. The sellsword nodded and prompted Artos to turn around and kiss both Ned and Dany on the forehead before walking back off into the pit ordering Beast to stay close to them. Artos ran through the pit to see Missandei and Tyrion standing close to the wall. Tyrion was doing his best to hide the girl from the men in front of them. Artos ran his sword through the back of the first one letting it go briefly as he twisted the other's head around so far he was staring into his eyes. He let him go and pulled the sword free of the other and held his hand out to them. Missandei grasped it then Tyrion's as Artos pulled them through the crowd back towards Dany. Missandei reached out to her friend and Artos followed close behind the dwarf to keep an eye on him. The Unsullied formed a circle around them as they moved across the pit. As they reached the middle of the pit they were surrounded but the Sons of the Harpy. They more than doubled their numbers and for the first time, Artos felt fear before a fight. Fear for his friends and his family.
"Ready?" Artos asked Daario who stood next to him.
"Yep." The sellsword replied looking around them at all the people. They began to fight each man they ran at them, Artos could hear Beast ripping apart anyone who slipped past him. Artos was bloody and out of breath when a dragon screech sounded above them. The fight halted as all heads turned to the sky. The Sons of the Harpy bean to run only to be met with fire as Drogon lit the path ablaze. The dragon began taking spears and Artos turned to look at his son and wife before cupping Dany's face.
"You get to him and you go." He told her almost too harshly. Dany began to protest leaving him but Artos held his thumb over her lips.
"No! You go to him and you go. I need you both away from here right now. I love you and I can't lose either one of you." He told her. Having only been the second time Artos had told her he loved her Dany knew not to argue with him.
"Drogon!" She shouted before holding Ned and Artos close to her and walking towards her other child. Artos grabbed ahold of one of the spears and pulled it free only for Drogon to turn and roar loudly in his face. He knew if it wouldn't have been for Dany clutched to his side the dragon most likely would have eaten him. Dany reached her free hand up to stroke the dragon when a man snuck up behind and speared him in the leg.
"You need to go now. He's strong up he can only take so many of those." Artos told her softly this time. Dany smiled sadly at her husband worried for him before pulling him into a passionate kiss. She pulled away and wrapped Ned up in one of her long-sleeve-like cape pieces so he was nestled tightly to her chest and climbed on top of the screeching dragon.
"I love you. Be safe." She called down to Artos before calling the dragon into the air. Artos felt his lips pull into a smile as he watched her fly.

[Thank you so much for reading! I just realized I forgot to say it so happy pride month!!! I will only be posting one chapter today as it's father's day. I hope you guys enjoyed another long chapter and have a great day.]