Arys Oakheart

Ser Arys Oakheart is a supporting character in the ASOIAF novel series and its TV adaption Game of Throne. He becomes a major POV character in Arianne Martell's storyline of A Feast for Crows. 
A knight of the noble House Oakheart, Arys is the youngest son of Lady Arwyn Oakheart, the Lady of Old Oak. He is also the lover of Princess Arianne Martell. Arys served in the Kingsguard to King Robert I Baratheon and his apparent eldest son, King Joffrey I Baratheon.
In the TV series, Arys Oakheart is portrayed by an unknown actor.
== Appearance ==
Ser Arys is a handsome man with leather brown hair and a comely face.
== Biography ==
In the past, Arys Oakheart always dreamed of joining the Kingsguard, an elite order of seven greatly-trained knights, who swore a sacred vow and oath to serve, guard, and protect the king and his family with their lives. In 290 AC, Arys' dream came true when he was named a member by King Robert I Baratheon a year after Greyjoy's Rebellion.
== Recent History ==
=== A Game of Thrones ===
Arys Oakheart and his fellow Kingsguard took part in the Hand's tourney, which was held by King Robert to celebrate Lord Eddard Stark's naming as Hand of the King. Much later, following Ned Stark's arrest, Ser Arys was present while guarding the newly-crowned King Joffrey Baratheon during the latter's first court session. After Lord Commander of the Kingsguard, Ser Barristan Selmy, was shamefully dismissed from the order by King Joffrey, and his mother, Queen Regent Cersei Lannister, Arys Oakheart laughed at his sworn brother's shame but abruptly stopped after Ser Barristan draws his sword.
=== A Clash of Kings ===
Though King Joffrey would order his Kingsguard, such as Ser Meryn Trant, Ser Boros Blount, and Ser Mandon Moore, to beat Lady Sansa Stark with no mercy, Arys Oakheart is regarded by Sansa as one of the much kinder knights; The two would also engage in pleasant conversations with each other, where Ser Arys would always speak in a kind manner. When he was ordered to beat Sansa, he once objected this and even protested but he was eventually forced to follow Joffrey's orders. However, when he hits her, he would do it as lightly as he can and not really rough. Because of how courtly he is, Sansa prefers being accompanied by Arys rather than by the other Kingsguard. 
Arys Oakheart accompanies Sansa to the tourney that honors King Joffrey's nameday, where he expresses his confidence of winning to her, though he admits that the tourney is not as fiercer as he desired. Being fond of gossips, Ser Arys tells Sansa that Lord Tywin Lannister refused the command of his daughter, Cersei, to march his army back to King's Landing.
Later, after Renly Baratheon's unexpected death, Tyrion Lannister, the acting Hand of the King, assigns Arys to accompany Princess Myrcella Baratheon to Dorne as her sworn shield, as the princess is betrothed to Prince Trystane Martell to ensure Dorne's neutrality, as it is well-known that the Dornish have a strong hatred of the Lannisters for the brutal murder of Princess Elia Martell and her children during the Sack of King's Landing. Along with Arys, Myrcella is accompanied by her own retinue of lady companions, servants, and guards, including her distant cousin and handmaid Rosamund Lannister, a member of the cadet branch House Lannister of Lannisport. They sail aboard the Lady Lyanna, a war galley of Joffrey's fleet, and they are accompanied by a small part of the fleet for their journey.
Arys, Myrcella, and the rest of the small fleet are sailing to Braavos, to evade attempts from the enemies in Blackwater Bay to purse them and abduct Myrcella. If the fleet spots any lone ship they are to run it off or destroy it, as Tyrion fears that Stannis Baratheon will attempt to take the princess. During the journey, Myrcella, Arys, Rosamund, and the rest of the entourage will be moved to the Seaswift. Should an enemy fleet appear and give battle (mostly expected to be Stannis's fleet), the Bold Wind will escort the Seaswift to safety while the rest of the fleet, consisting of the King Robert's Hammer, Lionstar and Lady Lyanna, gives battle. After stopping at Braavos for a short while, Princess Myrcella and Rosamund are made to swap places and then the fleet is to set sail to Dorne. 
=== A Storm of Swords ===
Arys Oakheart has sent a letter from Dorne, which Lord Tywin Lannister received. He informs Tyrion Lannister that Princess Myrcella and Prince Trystane had gotten along well with each other and the princess took a great liking of Princess Arianne Martell, the daughter and heiress of Doran Martell, the Prince of Dorne.
=== A Feast for Crows ===
In Dorne, at the castle of Sunspear, the ancestral seat of House Martell, Arys Oakheart remembers his family's hatred of Dorne, as both the Oakhearts and the Dornishmen were enemies with each other for years. He considered that being in Dorne is unlikely. As he left Myrcella, who is playing cyvasse with Trystane, Arys recounts the time he first met the Prince Doran Martell, who advised that the princess will be safe at the Water Gardens. Arriving at Princess Arianne's secret location, he was immediately overwhelmed upon seeing Arianne naked and he was seduced by the Dornish princess. This caused him to declare his love for her.
Having had dishonored himself as a result of being seduced, Arys Oakheart felt guilty of it even though he doesn't want to dishonor his lover, but he found it hard to disregard due to Princess Arianne's seductive words and gestures. When she reminded him that he told her that he loved her, Arys responded by saying that he had sworn a vow, causing Arianne to bring up the names of several Kinsguard who had broken their vows in the past such as Ser Lucamore the Lusty and Ser Terrence Toyne. When she also mentioned Prince Aemon Targaryen the Dragonknight, Ser Arys didn't believe the story.
Arianne then assures him that their love didn't dishonor him but rather the "monsters" he serves and the "brutes", whom he called his brothers. While Arys tells her that while King Robert Baratheon is not a monster he cannot help but think that she is right about King Joffrey Baratheon. He tells her that Joffrey is ill-suited to be king and that the only good things that can be said about him are is that he was tall and strong for his age. Arys can't agree with Arianne's persuasion that Princess Myrcella would be a better, even though her brother King Tommen I Baratheon is the exact opposite of King Joffrey.
Arys and Arianne's conversation then changes subject and began conversing about Ser Criston Cole, the Lord of the Commander of the Kingsguard to King Viserys I Targaryen. After Viserys died in his sleep, Criston convinced the king's eldest son Prince Aegon to take the throne, which in turn led to the Dance of the Dragons, a civil war between Aegon II Targaryen and his half-sister Rhaenyra Targaryen, who was her father's legal heir. Arys Oakheart was then reminded by Princess Arianne that the eldest child rules in Dorne and had it not been for Criston Cole then House Targaryen's royal succession laws could have been rewritten. She then reveals to Arys that the reason Myrcella Baratheon is being moved to the Water Gardens is that she has to be kept away from those who seek to crown her. Ser Arys tells her that the Water Gardens is not a prison, but she warns him that Areo Hotah, her father's Captain of the Guard will ensure that Myrcella will not leave and is claimed to be terrible when aroused.
While seducing him, Arianne manipulates him into rebelling against the Iron Throne and helping her in a secret conspiracy plot to crown Princess Myrcella, as Arianne believes that Lord Anders Yronwood, the Lord of Yronwood, is supporting her brother, Prince Quentyn Martell in his claim to succeed Prince Doran Martell. Having fallen to his lover's seduction, Arys agrees to defend Myrcella's rights for the throne by the Dornish law.
As part of her plot, Arianne has Myrcella curl the hair of the child handmaid Rosamund Lannister. Then Myrcella dresses Rosamund in her own bedrobe, and paints dots on the girl's face so it appears she has redspots. Having Rosamund posing as Myrcella's body-double, to stay at Sunspear in place of the real princess, Arys tells Maester Caleotte about the redspots, and the maester keeps away to avoid contracting the disease, which is lethal to adults, but harmless for children. This way, no one will get close to Rosamund, while they will think she is Myrcella.
That night, when he and the princess arrived at a hidden well in the ruins of Shandystone, three of Arianne's companions, Garin, Drey, and Spotted Sylva, immediately swore their fealty to Myrcella, calling her, "Your Grace", "My lady liege" and "My queen" before bending the knee to her. Confused by this, Myrcella asks Ser Arys Oakheart on who they are. When she asks Arianne on this and that if anything happened bad happened to King Tommen, Arianne tells the princess that her brother had fell in with "evil men", who conspired to steal her throne. 
This left Myrcella more confused and she denies that her brother never stole the Iron Throne. Before she could tell that he is king, Arianne interrupts her by saying "younger than you surely?" and Myrcella tells her that she is older by a year than Tommen. In response, Arianne tells her that it means the Iron Throne is hers by rights. She then ensures Myrcella that while her brother has bad counselors she has friends on her side. Arianne then introduces the princess to her most trusted companions, which includes Garin, Drey, Sylva, and Ser Gerold "Darkstar" Dayne, though Arianne is distrustful of the latter given his cruel nature and for being shrouded in enigma. 
When Darkstar complained that while his house of House Dayne originated ten thousand years ago ever since the dawn of days, he wondered on why his cousin, Ser Arthur Dayne, is the only Dayne that is widely-remembered. Arys Oakheart responded by stating that Arthur was a great knight and he had a great heart before asking Arianne for a moment alone. Once the two are alone, Arys reveals to her the death of Tywin Lannister, which shocks Arianne. When she further learned that Cersei Lannister had become queen regent, she decided that it was all to the good, thinking that this would make it easier for the lords of Westeros to bend the knee to Princess Myrcella if they grew accustomed to Cersei's regency. When she asked on what became of Tyrion, Arys reveals that the dwarf had fled and Cersei is offering a lordship to whoever delivers to her his head.
When he attempts to seduce Arianne, she broke free of him while laughing, noting that they don't have time for it but she promised that he will do it later. Arys then joins Arianne's party in their journey to the Greenblood. During the trip, while under the moon, he and Arianne took the lead while Princess Myrcella rode in between them. After several hours of traveling, she began complaining and asks on where they are going, Ser Arys tells her that Arianne is taking her to a place where it is safe. 
==== Death ====
Since Princess Arianne had considered crowning Myrcella at the castle of Hellholt, which is under the rule of Ellaria Sand's father Lord Harmen Uller, the group reaches the river Greenblood where a poleboat is waiting for them, as the Orphans of the Greenblood, Garin's people, had built it to await their arrival. When the party got closer, Arianne noticed something strange; the Orphan crew of the barge is nowhere to be found. When Garin called out to them, Areo Hotah reveals himself on the boat along with a dozen Martell men, who were sent by Prince Doran to arrest them. Panicking, Princess Arianne immediately orders her companions to make a full retreat before Ser Arys was ordered to protect Myrcella. When Areo orders Arianne to yield and Drey tells her that surrendering is the wisest choice, Arys Oakheart rebuffs this and, in his arrogance, declares to Areo that he won't let her take Arianne while he continues to draw breath. 
This was met with disapproval by not only Gerold Dayne but also Arianne, as they knew that it is suicidal; while Arianne, in her mind, calls him a reckless fool and demanded him of his actions, Darkstar proceeded to mockingly ask Arys if he is blind or stupid before warning him that they are outnumbered. While Darkstar and Drey then urges him to surrender, Princess Arianne couldn't bring herself to call out to her lover that he should surrender and that his death will not give them freedom. 
Giving Arianne a last longing look, Ser Arys charges forward on his horse while the former tries to stop him but in vain; As Arys was wearing armor made of parchment instead of metal and his shield was made of oaken wood, he was not provided with appropriate protection and he was hit with several bolts. When he reaches the barge's deck, he hears Princess Myrcella fearfully screaming at him to stop, but this fell on deaf ears as he continued fighting. After Arys killed two Martell men, his horse was soon brought down but Arys managed to break free. As the wounded Kingsguard struggled to his knees he attempts to kill Areo Hotah but as he raised his sword too slowly, the Captain of the Guard immediately chopped off Arys's right arm before decapitating him with his longaxe. Seeing her lover meeting a brutal end with her very eyes and now knowing full-well that her plot had failed, a horrified and shaken Arianne immediately finds herself on her hands and knees in the sand shaking, sobbing, and vomiting at the same time.
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