Sam

His days at the Citadel were less resourceful than he had hoped. Sam often found the only times he ever learned anything of worth was in his private time with Gilly, Little Sam, and the books he would borrow from the restricted area. After learning all he could about dragonglass, he switched to researching the first Long Night to find other ways to defeat the White Walkers forever. Unfortunately, he kept finding himself going in circles about an old prophecy.

He gave up on that and returned to researching ways that were known to kill the White Walkers. As far as he knew, he killed a Walker with the dragonglass dagger and Jon killed a Walker with Longclaw. Dragonglass and Valyrian steel were the only known materials that seemed to harm the White Walkers. From what Sam could already deduce was that both involved dragons. The origins of dragonglass seemed to be mixed.

The records in the Citadel say that it is a volcanic rock while stories about old Valyria say it was the dragons themselves that made it. As long as the cache in Dragonstone kept supplying the dragonglass, he didn't seem to matter of its origins. Valyrian steel, on the other hand, was far more complicated to figure out. The secret to forging it was lost in the Doom of Valyria, and less than a thousand weapons remained in the known world, Heartsbane included. Unfortunately, just over two hundred of them were in Westeros. If a well-seasoned warrior each wielded one, they would have to kill five hundred dead soldiers each.

Sam's research had led him to Tome of Old Valyria that dated back before the Doom. It was the only translated copy in the entire Citadel, possibly the world. The original was in a vault along with all other books dating back to the same period and before. The title was translated to Legend of the First Targaryen.

While Sam studied, Gilly was practicing reading some of the books the Arch Maester told him to make copies of. Little Sam was on a bed playing with a toy soldier he bought for him months ago when they first arrived.

In the book, Sam read that the first Targaryen's name was Vaelrion. He was said to have forged the very first Valyrian steel sword in history and that is how his family rose to greater power. But the things he read were only stories, not facts or historical records. But with all he had available, this was as good as he was going to get.

"What part are you at now?" Gilly asked, following along with everything he read. He might as well have read the whole thing aloud.

Sam kept his eyes fixed on the pages when he responded. "Vaelrion's dragon died of an age of three hundred years. Its final breath was a small fire that lit the forge that was used to make the sword."

"So, it's dragonfire then?"

"Unfortunately, no, it's more than that." Sam looked up from the book and saw Gilly's clueless face. "After the Doom of Valyria, the were many Targaryens who tried to make Valyrian steel by forging them with the fire of their dragons. But, right before the steel was finished, it would always shatter. The entries of those that tried all said the same thing just in different ways. The power forged by flames was too much to be contained in the steel."

"So, what contains it then?"

Sam sighed, getting a bit tired of the questions that he kept on giving the same answer. "I don't know."

"How did Valrin forge his sword then?"

"Vaelrion" he corrected. "All it says is he labored on the sword like any other, and then he quenched the blade in what would crack unworthy steel." Gilly seemed even more confused and continued to read the Diary of the High Septon Maynard.

Sam looked back into his book and continued reading, but he still didn't understand any of it. After the sword was forged, Vaelrion fought in the greatest tourney in living history. When he cut down his last opponent, he tossed his helm aside, raised his sword and declared his name for all to hear. 'I am Vaelrion of House Targaryen. From this day, until the last day, those of my line shall meet our enemies as I have this day. With Fire and Blood.' Fire and Blood. The words of House Targaryen. But they didn't make sense in this case. Vaelrion says it like he defeated his enemies that day with fire and blood, but there wasn't any fire of any kind.

Then, Sam just had an epiphany. When Vaelrion said 'meet our enemies as I have this day' he meant his sword, the valyrian steel. But how was the steel fire? It drew blood at the tourney, but no fire of any kind. But maybe he wasn't talking about killing enemies with fire and blood each, he was talking about his sword. It was made of Fire and Blood. Dragon fire and blood. The fire would imbue the steel with magic, and the blood of the dragon would contain it when the blade was quenched. Sam immediately began to write as many notes as he could, seeing as how he may have discovered a secret thought to have been lost forever. MAybe it was wrong, but it was the best he could do for now.

As he wrote down in a large notebook, Gilly continued with her questions. "Do you know how many steps there are in the Citadel?"

"No," Sam said, curiosity completely focused somewhere else.

"Fifteen thousand seven hundred and eighty-two." There was a moment of blissful silence before she asked him another question. "Guess how many windows are in the Great Sept of Baelor."

"None anymore," Sam replied.

She seemed unhappy that she couldn't say the number. "That's true. This high Septon Maynard, he recorded everything. He even recorded his own bowel movements." Sam was far from being done and was starting to get a headache. "What does, annulment mean?"

"It's when a man sets aside his lawful wife." Sam finished writing and turned his gaze back to the book.

"Maynard says here that he issued an annulment for a Prince Rag... Reg... Reeg… how do you say this name?" Gilly held the book out in front of Sam as he looked up. He didn't really pay attention to what it said but read it aloud all the same.

"He issued an annulment to Prince Rhaegar of House Targaryen and later married him to Lyanna of House Stark in a secret ceremony in Dorne." He looked back down at his book and continued to make notes.

"Thank you, Sam," Gilly responded with a smile and continued reading.

Sam continued to write his notes, thinking about how many more questions he could answer. 'Why would anyone care what the Prince Rhaegar did, royalty can do as they please…' He finally realized what Gilly asked him to read and became incredibly confused. 'Rhaegar Targaryen left Elia Martell for Lyanna Stark… the woman who Rhaegar kidnapped and raped… and married in a secret ceremony?' Then it all hit Sam. His quill slipped from his fingers and he slowly looked up at Gilly, wide-eyed. "May I see that again?" Gilly handed him the diary and he scanned over the words he obliviously read earlier. His jaw fell as low as it could when he went over the words again and again. "Oh my," he exhaled. His thoughts wandered to what he knew of Jon and it all fit perfectly. It made too much sense to be wrong.

"What is it?" Gilly asked. "Is the Prince important?"

Sam dropped the diary and fell back into his chair. "Gilly," he said, "I think you might have just uncovered one of the greatest secrets in Westeros." She looked at him puzzled. "I think you just discovered who Jon's mother is."

"Jon's mother?"

Sam got out of his chair and walked over to a satchel he brought with him when they left Castle Black. "Before we left, when we said goodbye to Grenn, he slipped me a small scroll and told me to keep quiet about it. I forgot about it until we got to Hornhill. It only said five words, but I've never had the right answer until now." He found the scroll and handed it to Gilly. She unrolled it and read what it said.

"Could Jon be a Targaryen?" she looked up at Sam was very confused.

"During Robert's Rebellion, Ned Stark rode to Dorne to find his sister Lyanna Stark. She was being guarded by Ser Gerold Hightower and Ser Arthur Dayne of the Kingsguard in a castle. Ned Stark defeated them, but his sister died of a fever and he returned with his bastard son."

"Jon." Gilly correctly stated.

"Something that always puzzled me is why was the Kingsguard there? They were charged with protecting the King, not guarding captives. But they weren't guarding her, they were guarding their future king."

"Was it Jon?" Gilly asked, seemingly lost in this whole story.

Sam quickly nodded. "I think Rhaegar never kidnapped Lyanna or raped her. They ran away together and married. I think it wasn't a fever that killed Lyanna, it was childbirth."

"But what does that have to do with Jon?"

"Don't you see? He's their son!"

"But I thought Ned Stark was Jon's father."

"He must've lied to everyone and said that to keep Jon safe. Robert Baratheon didn't regret the murder of Rhaegar's other children and he sent assassins after Daenerys Targaryen and her brother when they were still only children."

"So does that make Jon a Targaryen?"

"It does far more than that, it makes him the rightful heir to the Iron Throne."

"The chair people keep fighting over?"

"Yes, that one."

Gilly seemed to be in a daze, not knowing what she should be feeling. "Is that a good thing?"

That was the first question she asked that he paid real attention to. How would that affect Jon if he found out? From what Sam knew, Jon was in the middle of negotiating with Daenerys Targaryen, his aunt, about her conquest to claim the Iron Throne. Would he make a claim if he knew? 'No, he wouldn't. He's not that kind of person. But he needs to know.' Sam closed his notebook and stacked it along with a few other books he already had. "We need to leave for Winterfell."

"When?"

"Now. I'm going back to the Citadel for a few more things. Get yourself and Little Sam ready." Gilly nodded as he bolted out the door with a large empty satchel. Upon arriving, he immediately gathered as many other tomes and scrolls he would need to study. He didn't care how scarce or valuable the materials were. If the Night King wins, then it won't matter.

Sam had all he needed from the Citadel. No one but him would put to use the information he had. Sam was nearly out the entrance before a voice stopped him. "Did you really think no one would notice your late-night prowling?" Sam turned around and saw ArchMaester Ebrose in the hallway of the Citadel. "I've allowed you to progress in your campaign, hoping you would realize it utterly pointless, but it seems I was wrong."

"Pointless?" Sam turned around, anger pulsing through him. "You and many others are lucky enough to sit on the greatest sources of knowledge in the world, and all you do is record things that don't even matter anymore. I'm the only one here who's actually learned something by looking for answers while the rest of you record the movements of a High Septon's fifteen thousand seven hundred and eighty-two shits!"

The Arch Maester remained silent for a moment. "Then tell me, Samwell of House Tarly, what have you learned that we haven't?"

"I uncovered two of the greatest secrets that were practically lost to the world, yet the answers to them were in plain sight. I know how to make Valyrian steel once again and I learned it in a fortnight of research. How many have spent their lives trying to uncover that?"

The Arch Maester remained silent. "And what was the other?" he finally asked?

Sam scoffed at him, "I know who the rightful King to the Seven Kingdoms is, and I'm going north to help him. I've seen the dead, I've fought them. It doesn't matter if people are crazily shouting the end is near. If we all sit doing nothing, then it is the end!"

The Arch Maester only looked at him, unfazed by his information. "Then be gone with you, Tarly, but don't come back ever. If everything you say is true, then I'll listen to anything you have to say when it's over." The Arch Maester walked away back into the Citadel, leaving Sam. He probably wasn't going to return, but he still had to survive what's coming to worry about something like that.

On their wagon, Sam and Gilly took a moment before they left to look at the great tower behind them and the blazing fire atop of it. If he could, he would spend several lifetimes reading everything the Citadel offered. He finally whipped the reigns and they began to make their way to the docks of Oldtown to book passage to White Harbor.