Rivers of Fire and Blood

Sam VIII

Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to the Ice and Fire Novels, Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon TV shows. However, I decided to have a little play around with the characters. I do not earn any money from writing these stories, it is for my entertainment and is something I like to share.

Two days after after the small celebration for Tyrion and Ranny, and to the birth of Rose for Gilly and Sam, Grand Maester Tarly was sat in the Maester's Chamber's with Jon, who had just returned from taking Gilly and the children to White Harbour. Little Sam was to become Brienne's squire, so Sam would see him in a couple of weeks time, which was some consolation. Jon and Sam sat down at the table, surrounded by books with a mug of ale each.

"We haven't talked about your hand." Jon said.

"Oh, it's alright. You did what you had to do I suppose." Sam said, although he knew his face had betrayed his words.

"It's not alright Sam. I chopped off two of your fingers. I'm sorry." Jon apologised.

"And I'd be dead if you hadn't have done what you did. I wouldn't have been able to help with the birth of my daughter and I wouldn't be here helping you right now." Sam sighed. "I've still got three fingers. I didn't really use those two that much anyway. I doubt I'll miss them." he joked and Jon laughed. "There's no need to talk about it any further." he added.

Jon nodded. "Alright." he said. "What did Bran want you here for?"

"I think it was about dragon eggs." Sam replied.

"I thought as much." Jon shrugged.

"How did you know?" Sam asked.

Jon frowned. "What do you do with dragon eggs when you find them?" he asked.

Sam knew something was amiss. Jon was being evasive, which he never was with Sam. Whatever he was hiding, worried Sam that his once best friend no longer trusted him to tell him this information. The best thing Sam could do was be truthful and tell his friend everything he knew.

"I'm not going to tell Bran you know." Sam said.

"I know." Jon nodded. "I just want to know what you have found out. Then I'll tell you what I know." he promised. "But I need to know what you were taught by the Maesters at the Citadel as well as what you've learned from here." That answer satisfied Sam somewhat, Jon must have his reasons and as a Targaryen, Sam suspected his friend would be protective of the eggs.

"The Maesters don't know a lot about dragons. They know about the lives of the dragons, but the Targaryens kept their mysteries to themselves. Well that is according to the Citadel. Of course there are accounts of putting the eggs into the cribs of Targaryen babes to encourage them to hatch. Although it didn't always work." he frowned.

"Why not?" Jon raised an eyebrow, which made Sam suspect Jon knew more than he did.

Sam shook his head. "I don't know. I was pulled from my studies and I never got to finish that part. I was told I knew enough about dragons, especially as I knew how Daenerys hatched hers. But something makes me think you know more." Sam looked at his friend quizzically.

Jon nodded. "The Maester's found a way to temporarily stop them from hatching. While here was a Maester around the eggs, they were unlikely to hatch, although the Targaryens didn't know about this. Sometimes the Maesters made a mistake and the egg hatched, but the dragons either died or were deformed."

Sam was agog with shock. "I never read anything like that. Why would they do such a thing?" he asked.

"I don't think they liked dragons very much. I can understand from their perspective. Many of the riders were a bit..." Jon frowned.