The Fierce Falcon.

Part 26

Ser Barristan, Pov  

Some Day's Later,  

I stare at the motionless body of Artys, lying on the bed in his chamber. I feel a surge of guilt and anger, mixed with disbelief and sorrow. How could this happen? How could Robin Arryn, a mere child, stab our King three times and almost end his life? If I hadn't caught him sneaking out of the room, Artys might be dead by now. I had sworn to protect him, to serve him, to fight with him. He was my King, my friend. 

Robin was a spoiled child, a child who never heard the word no from his mother. But his mother was no more, for Artys had ordered her death for betraying the realm for betraying him. We should have watched Robin more closely, but we thought he needed some space to grieve. Artys planned to talk to him soon, to explain why he had no choice but to do what he did.

How could he let Lysa and Little finger live? They betrayed him and tried to take the Vale form Artys, she never loved that boy from the moment she came to King's Landing she looked with  disgust towards Artys. If it wasn't for him her son would have been Warden of The East and Lord of the Eyrie..... Jon loved Artys differently than he loved Robin, he made Artys study and got him the best of the best to train the boy. 

Robin had always been frail and feeble, deprived of the joys of life by his mother's overprotectiveness. Lysa had smothered him with her love, but never taught him how to be strong or brave. No one expected him to hurt Artys, and yet people can do many things out of hurt and grief. 

Artys knows the price of loyalty and betrayal. He saw his friend and his mother, his wife and queen, and his son fall to the treachery of the Freys and the Boltons. He blames himself for not being there, for not saving them, for not dying with them. He lives with the ghosts of his past, and they have changed him. He is not the same man he was before the war. He is harder, colder, more ruthless. He does not trust easily, nor does he forgive. He knows that war can make monsters out of men, but he also knows that it can forge diamonds out of coal. He is a diamond, and he will not break.

As I hear a faint moan and turn to look at the man who lay still on the bed, his stomach wrapped in bloody bandages. His haunting blue eyes flutter open and meet mine. "Where is Robin?" He rasps, his voice barely audible. Even after everything, he still worries about the boy. Robin is his half-brother, but many others would have wanted him dead for what he did... for trying to assassinate the king.

"He is locked in his room, your Grace." I say softly and he gives a faint nod of acknowledgment before his eyelids fall shut and he slips into slumber.

I watch him with a mix of pity and admiration, wondering how he endures so much pain and sorrow. He is the king, but he is also a man. A man who has lost his wife, his son, and his hope. A man who is haunted by his past and tormented by his enemies. A man who needs someone to love him, to heal him, to save him.

He is a king, and a desirable one at that. His looks, his courage, his virtue, all make him a sought-after match for many women who dream of wearing the crown. But he has loved and lost before, and his heart is not easily mended. He had a son, his pride and joy, but fate was cruel and snatched him away. Now he may face the pressure of producing an heir, a duty he cannot escape. But will he ever find a woman who can heal his wounds and reignite his passion?

Tyrion's Pov, 

I can't stand this infernal heat. It feels like I'm being roasted alive in this carriage. How can anyone live in this godforsaken land of Essos? Even Dorne was more bearable than this. And to make matters worse, I have to share this cramped space with the spider Varys. The eunuch who whispers secrets and plots in the shadows. He's the one who convinced me to come here, to seek out the dragon queen. He says she's our only hope to save Westeros from itself. 

"You have a wild imagination, my friend. How do you expect Daenerys Targaryen to marry Artys Arryn, when they are both enemies in this war? He claims the Iron Throne by the right of succeeding Robert Baratheon, and she claims it by right of birth. They will never agree to such a match, nor will their allies. You make me laugh with your absurd proposal. Here, have another cup of wine, maybe it will help you see reason." I speak with some laughter as I hand him a cup of the warm wine. 

"What do Artys Arryn and Daenerys Targaryen share, besides their grief and their compassion? They share a vision of a better world, where the weak are protected and the oppressed are liberated. They share a strength of will, to fight against the enemies of peace and justice. And they share a claim to the throne of Westeros, by blood and by merit. Together, they could unite the Seven Kingdoms under their rule, and end the bloody war that has torn the realm apart." Varys counters as he looks me dead in my eyes. 

"He's not the same Artys we grew up with, not after they took his Margaery and their son Jon from him. How could he be? He's seen too much pain and blood. I watched him crush Jaime's skull, a man he admired, a man he trained with for hours. And he did it without a blink of an eye." I sigh and take a sip from my cup as I recline in the seat while the carriage bumps along the dirt road.

"He has changed, but he still understands his people's needs. He would not risk a war with Daenerys, who commands three dragons. Artys is a wise man and he knows that she has no husband, just as he has no wife. His counselors and lords will urge him to marry again and secure his legacy."

"You are dreaming, my friend, if you think that the Dragon Queen will ever marry the heir of Jon Arryn, or that he would accept her hand. Do you forget how Jon Arryn rebelled against her mad father and helped to end his reign of terror? Do you think that old wound has healed? " I say with a hint of a smile as I look at Varys. 

"Maybe it's a foolish dream, but how many marriages are made to unite houses? The Starks have almost perished, Daenerys and Artys both despise the Lannister's, the Baratheon's are nearly extinct, the Martell's are tied to Joffrey by marriage... The Reach? They support Artys and Lor-" He begins, but I interrupt him."Favors those with a cock, but Daenerys and Artys are close in age are from Great Houses and yet I don't think it would change the past Varys." I say before downing the cup of wine. 

"You are wasting your time and energy on a hopeless dream. Artys Arryn has no interest in marrying Daenerys Targaryen, nor does she have any reason to accept him. They are from different worlds, different cultures, different dynasties. You might as well try to wed a dragon to a falcon. It will never happen, no matter how much you wish it."

"The duty of a ruler is to put the realm and its people above their own desires. Artys did not marry Margaery for love, but for the alliance and the resources that her family offered. Love grew between them gradually. Daenerys and he have the same responsibility, to avoid a bloody conflict that would harm the innocent. They do not need to love each other, they need to do what is right. Neither of them would willingly yield to the other, so marriage is the only option." He argues, and he has a valid point. If they want to prevent a war, they have to unite their forces and their claims.

"You better have a good pitch for this plan, because I won't be part of it. I still remember how Artys killed my brother with Robert's War Hammer. He now hates us with a passion, and I can't blame him after what's been done to him." I gulp down my wine as we ride on through the heat, heading for Meereen.

Author's Note,

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Pa-=tr-=Eon The-Last-Wolf1998