Artos Stark

The Dragon and the Wolf Pt.2

The wight was in two pieces now. The bottom half wiggled while the top half crawled toward Sandor screeching as it went. Sandor swung and lopped off its hand while Artos looked over at Cersei. She looked terrified as she held herself flush against the back of the seat. Her new Hand stood walking over to the hand and picking it up. He seemed to be examining the twitching fingers. Jon walked up to him and he gave it over, Davos handed a torch to Jon lighting it.
"We can destroy them by burning them." Jon paused lighting the hand on fire making the wight screech painfully from the ground at his feet. Jon tossed down the hand and bone clattered to the stone flooring.
"And we can destroy them with dragonglass. If we don't win this fight, then that is the fate of every person in the world." Jon said pulling out his black blade and running it through the wight's heart. It fell limp as Jon released it and the arena fell silent.
"There's only one war that matters- the Great War. And it is here." Jon told Cersei.
"I didn't believe it until I saw them. I saw them all." Daenerys added in.
"How many?" Jamie asked her hesitantly.
"A hundred thousand, at least." She answered hoping to hurry this along as Artos's eye dropped a little. Euron stood and walked over and kneeled next to the dead wight.
"Can they swim?" He asked playing with its hair.
"No." Jon answered him.
"Good. I'm taking the Iron Fleet back to the Iron Islands." He said standing back up.
"What are you talking about?" Cersei asked him.
"I've been around the world. I've seen everything, things you couldn't imagine, and this... this is the only thing I've ever seen that terrifies me." He said before turning and walked over to Daenerys and Artos.
"I'm going back to my island. You should go back to yours. When winter's over, we'll be the only ones left alive." He told them before leaving.
"He's right to be afraid. And a coward to run. If those things come for us, there will be no kingdoms to rule. Everything we suffered will have been for nothing. Everything we lost will have been for nothing. The crown accepts your truce. Until the dead are defeated, they are the true enemy." Cersei said speaking directly to Artos.
"In return, the King in the North will extend this truce. He will remain in the North where he belongs. He will not take up arms against the Lannisters. He will not choose sides." Cersei said smugly. If she couldn't have him now she would do everything she could to separate them. Then without him and the northern forces adding to what Daenerys already had, they had a better chance at winning the war, and then all he would have is her.
"Just the King in the North? Not me?" Dany asked her.
"I would never ask it of you. You would never agree to it. And if you did, I would trust you even less than I do now. I ask it only of Ned Stark's son. I know Ned Stark's son will be true to his word." She said looking the now alert man over. Artos looked over at Dany then at Jon and back. His wife sent him a nod and gentle smile and the king sighed standing up.
"I am true to my word. Or I try to be. You see I've already given it to someone else. Daenerys is my wife and queen. I've pledged my life and service to her the day I wrapped her in my cloak." Artos told her softly. He felt for Cersei. He loved her once and he hated to hurt her. He almost felt guilt at the pain that shot through her eye at his words. The pain however quickly turned to anger.
"Then there is nothing left to discuss. The deal will come north first. Enjoy dealing with them. We will deal with whatever is left of you." She told them harshly and stormed off. It took everything in her not to beg him to stay, but in the end, her pride won.  Dany walked up to Artos taking his jaw in her hand and tilting his face to look at her.
"I'm grateful for your loyalty, but my dragon died so we could be here. If it's all for nothing, then he died for nothing. She said you had to stay in the North, she never said I couldn't as well." She told him with tears heavy in her voice.
"I know." Artos told her shaking his head.
"I am pleased you show such loyalty to our queen. But have you ever considered learning how to lie every now and then? Just a bit?" Tyrion asked him.
"People who start lying never get to stop. This whole world is built on lies and I'm not going to let my family go down with it when it crumbles. Before you say anything about my father and how this same attitude got him killed, just know I'm not really scared of death anymore. I've been at its door ever since I rode South for the first time. Every Stark who comes South shortens their life like a curse. I'm not going to spend the rest of mine trying to deceive people." Artos told him.
"Then we're fucked." Tyrion told him.
"Any ideas as to how we might change that state of affairs?" Davos asked.
"Maybe one. Everyone stays here, and I go and talk to my sister." Tyrion said.
"I didn't come all this way to have my Hand murdered." Dany protested walking towards him.
"I don't want Cersei to murder me either. I could have stayed in my cell and saved a great deal of trouble. Artos will be joining me. He will keep me alive, ha had before." Tyrion told them. Dany started to protest again but Tyrion stopped her.
"We go see my sister alone. Or we all go home and we're right back where we started." Tyrion told her. Dany nodded and pulled Artos close to her to kiss his cheek. Artos returned the favor and followed Tyrion the way Cersei had gone.
"Beast stay." Artos ordered making the large wolf take a seat next to Dany.