The Fierce Falcon.

Part 32

Artys's Pov, 

Some Time Later, 


We're halfway there, just a few more nights and we should reach Winterfell... Ramsay must have heard worth that we're moving his way with a army. And he'll try to get lords to fight for him, and some might do it. Taking another sip of the ale I look over the camp, we've been at war for so long and hom much longer will it last? After this we will march South again and I will lay siege to king's Landing with the other armies and I could wish that after that it would be done, but then there's Daenerys Targaryen who lays east and may one day come West with her army and three dragons. 

I feel like this whole mess may keep many more years, Robert named me his heir and I'm stuck with the mess to honor his words. The Baratheon's are all dead, Stannis was killed by Lady Brienne after the Bolton forces took out the few that remained with Stannis. Renly is dead and so is Robert, Cersei's children aren't Baratheon's and they never will be. A Great House gone just like that with more on the verge of it. The Starks? Not many of those are left Arya is alive but no one knows where she is, Sansa spoke of that the Iron Born didn't kill Bran and Rickon but still they were just boys where can they be now? Are they even still alive? Jon is a bastard and nothing will change that fact. 

"It seems like many nights if someone wishes to find you that your always away from camp, Your Grace." The voice of Sansa says, and it pulls me out of my thoughts as I take another sip from my ale. "Sometimes I wish I could have walked away from it all. but that means that everyone that died fighting for me, that the deaths of my family will be in vain." I state as I once again sip from my ale before holding the cup out in her direction. 

"Walking away does sound nice." She says as she takes the cup from me and raises it towards her lips. "But then indeed their deaths would be in vain." She adds before drinking the ale maybe even in hopes to drown her own misery. 

"I know how hard it must be to lose your family, and I'm sorry how you lost yours." She whispers, gently handing me the cup of ale back. "And I know how much you miss them, because I miss mine too."

"They didn't deserve to die like that." I say, taking a sip of the liquid. "They were good people."

"So were we." She says, smiling sadly at me. "So were we."

We sit in silence for a while, savoring the comfort of each other's presence. We have been through so much, and we are maybe the only ones who can understand our pain. We are survivors, but we are also broken.

....................................................................................................

As I escort Sansa to her tent, I notice that Lady Brienne is already waiting for her. "My lady, you should not wander off by yourself."

"I was not by myself, I was with the King." Sansa replies and I flash her a brief smile. "Sleep well, my ladies, we leave at dawn. Goodnight." I say with a respectful bow before turning away from them.

"Goodnight." I hear Sansa's voice faintly and I feel a warm smile spread on my face as I walk towards my own tent.

"Ow that smile speaks a lot." Jace teases me as he approaches me with his mug of ale in his hand. "I have no idea what you're talking about, now go to sleep before you oversleep and I have to drag you out of your bed once again." I reply as I push him away from me and enter my tent.