Artos Stark

The Winds of Winter

"So you married the... Dragon Queen." Sansa said recalling everything Artos had just filled then in on.
"Yes." He confirmed.
"You had another son and named him Ned." She repeated.
"Mhmm." Artos answered.
"She is going to make the North independent again." She continued.
"That's what she promised when we got married." Artos told her.
"And you trust her?" She asked him.
"I did marry her didn't I?" Artos teased.
"Well, you had a baby with Cersei Lannister. Not that I don't love my nephew more than life itself... that took some questionable judgment." She teased him back making Jon and Rickon laugh.
"Ouch." Artos laughed with a mock-offended look on his face.
"In all seriousness. I trusted her enough to walk through a fire holding my son. I trusted her enough to ride a dragon against everything I've ever stood against with heights. I trust her with my life and I trust her with yours." Artos told them.
"Okay, and I trust you." Sansa smiled at him.
"I need you for a few things. It's time I catch you up on our situation now." Jon said standing from his seat. Artos nodded and stood after him.
"I want to go." Alastor called after his father. Artos smiled and lifted the boy up on his shoulders before following Jon.

They made their way into the dining hall and were soon joined by a woman in red.
"When we had feasts, Our family would sit up here... and I'd sit down there." He said pointing to the empty room.
"Could have been worse, Jon Snow. You had a family. You had feasts." She reminded him. Jon chuckled.
"Aye, you're right. I was luckier than most." He agreed.
"Artos." He greeted holding his hand out to her. She placed hers in his and he placed a gentle kiss on the back of it.
"Melisandre. I don't think I've ever been greeted so gently by a king before." She said looking Artos up and down. Artos shook his head.
"I'm just a man married to a queen." He told her. Shortly after a man walked into the room tossing her something.
"What is that?" Jon asked as he and Artos looked between them.
"Tell them." He demanded.
"Tell them who it belonged to." He demanded again when she stayed silent. The man was hoping the stories he had heard of Artos were true enough for him to behead the woman.
"The Princess Shireen." She answered, her voice cracking slightly.
"Tell them what you did to her. Tell them!" He demanded even angrier now.
"We burned her at the stake." She answered fiddling with the slightly charred stag. Artos took several steps away from her to get Alastor back who was holding tightly onto his father's head.
"Why?" The man asked through his tears.
"The army was trapped. The horses were dying. It was the only way." She tried to defend herself.
"You burned a little girl alive!" She shouted back at her.
"I only do what my Lord commands." She argued back.
"If he commands you to burn children, your Lord is evil." He told her.
"We are standing here because oh him. Jon Snow is alive because the Lord willed it." She told him. Artos frowned his brows and looked over to Jon who shook his head in an 'I'll tell you later' fashion.
"I loved that girl like she was my own. She was good. She was kind. And you killed her!" He continued to shout at her.
"So did her father. So did her mother. Her own blood knew it was the only way." She continued to argue her point.
"The only way for what? They all died anyway. You told everyone Stannis was the one. You had him believing it, all of them fooled.  And you lied." He accused.
"I didn't lie. I was wrong." She protested.
"Aye, you were wrong. How many died because you were wrong? I ask your leave to execute this woman for murder. She admits to the crime." He asked looking to Jon who looked to Artos.
"I helped execute men who thought the only way to make their slaves listen was to crucify their children. I buried hundreds of children because the cruel craved power. Do you have anything to say for yourself?" Artos asked her. She smirked at him.
"I've been ready to die for many years. If the Lord was done with me, so be it, but he's not. You've seen the Night King, Jon Snow. You know the great war is still to come. You know the army of the dead will be upon us soon. And you know I can help you win that war." She turned pleading with Jon.
"Don't ask me for mercy. He is the future king of Westeros." Jon told her. She looked over at the angry man fearfully.
"How do you kill the army of the dead?" Artos asked Jon not taking his eyes off the woman.
"Fire, Valyrian steel." Jon answered.
"Valyrian steel." Artos echoed pulling Ice from its sheath.
"We have plenty of fire coming." Artos said nudging Alastor to Jon who covered his eyes.
"I don't know who your Lord is, but he isn't welcome in my house." Artos told her before swinging his sword and watching her head and then body hit the floor.
"If you wouldn't mind..." Artos trailed off not knowing the man's name.
"Davos Seaworth. Thank you." He stuttered out.
"Please?" Artos asked gesturing to the body. Davos nodded walking over to her.
"Make sure you burn it. We don't want her coming back." Artos said replacing Jon's hand with his own over Alastor's eyes and picking the boy up leading Jon from the room.

The three Stark men stepped out onto the wall that surrounded Winterfell.
"No tolerance when it comes to children then?" Jon asked.
"Not since I became a father." Artos answered him. The boys turned to look at Sansa as she joined them.
"I'm having the lord's chamber prepared for you. Artos refused it." Jon told her.
"Mother and Father's room? You should take it." Sansa told him.
"I'm not a Stark." Jon told her.
"Do you want to be? I am a king now." Artos asked him.
"You're the Lady of Winterfell once Artos leaves to join Daenerys again. You deserve it. We're standing here because of you. The battle was lost until the Knights of the Vale rode in. They came because of you. You told me Lord Baelish sold you to the Boltons." Jon said.
"He did." She confirmed.
"And you trust him?" Jon asked. Artos listened to the conversation while he rocked Alastor into a nap.
"Only a fool would trust Littlefinger. I should have told you about him, about the Knights of the Vale. I'm sorry." She said sadly.
"Last time I was in the Vale I nearly fell down the moon door." Artos told them with a shiver.
"I need a raven. My wife is going to kill me if I wait any longer to write." Artos told them patting Jon on the shoulder and kissing Sansa on the side of the head and walking inside.

Just as Artos send the raven on its way Sansa knocked on his door to inform him of a meeting. Artos followed her through the halls and the Northern men cheered among seeing him. Artos smiled and hesitated before sitting in his father's seat.
"Shall we begin?" He asked once he was seated.
"You can't expect Knights of the Vale to side with wildling invaders." Their commander wasted no time shouting.
"We didn't invade. We were invited." A large ginger man bit back.
"Not by me." He argued back.
"And this is not the Vale so you have no say. The free folk, the northerners, and the Knights of the Vale fought bravely, fought together and we won. My father used to say we find our true friends on the battlefield." Artos was cut off by a man standing up.
"The Boltons are defeated. The war is over. Winter has come. If the measters are right, it'll be the coldest one in a thousand years. We should ride home and wait out the coming storms." He said looking around.
"The war is not over. And I've been told the true enemy won't wait out the storm. He brings the storm." Artos said looking over to Jon who nodded while murmuring filled the room. Little Lyanna Mormont stood catching Artos's attention. She look at him as if asking permission to speak and Artos bowed his head to her and held out his hand gesturing to the room.
"Your son was butchered at the Red Wedding, Lord Manderly, but you refused the call. You swore allegiance to House Stark, Lord Glover, but in their hour of greatest need, you refused the call. And you, Lord Cerwyn, your father was skinned alive by Ramsay Bolton. Still you refuse the call. But House Mormont remembers. The North Remembers. We know no king but the King in the North whose name is Stark. He took care of the North long before the wars started. I don't care if he says he is no king. He's my king from this day until his last day." She said strongly. Artos knew Jorah would be proud of the Lady of Bear Island. He knew he was. Lord Manderly stood from his seat.
"Lady Mormont speaks harshly and truly. My son died for Robb Stark the Young Wolf. I didn't think we'd find another king in my lifetime. I didn't commit my men to your cause 'cause I didn't want more Manderlys dying for nothing. But I was wrong. Artos Stark and Jon Snow avenged the Red Wedding. He is the Fierce Wolf. The King in the North." He shouted pulling his sword and kneeling before Artos. Lord Glover stood after him.
"I did not fight beside you on the field and I will regret that until my dying day. A man can only admit when he was wrong and ask for forgiveness." He said looking at Artos.
"There's nothing to forgive, my lord." Artos told him.
"There will be more fights to come. House Glover will stand behind House Stark as we have for a thousand years. And I will stand behind Artos Stark... the King in the North!" He shouted pulling his sword and kneeling as well.
"The King in the North!" Another man shouted prompting the rest of them to stand with their swords drawn and chant.
"The King in the North!" They all chanted over and over again. Artos looked over to his brother and sister who both nodded in encouragement. Artos stood before them and bowed his head shortly and looking back up at the sea of chanting men.

[This marks the end of season 6 and the end of my work for the day. Thank you so much for reading!]