In the Disputed Lands, a newly erected grey-white castle flew banners in the sky: grey-white Wolf Pack banners, the Free Army banner with broken shackles, and now a new black banner with a red dragon.
When the Wolf Pack and the Free Army had already occupied the vast majority of the Disputed Lands and Myr, Gendry was more accustomed to living near the original Firegrass Manor.
After renovation and relocation, a brand-new "Wolf's Den" was built. The exterior featured a moat filled with sharp spikes, and the interior had sturdy walls and white towers.
"Illyrio said these are dragon eggs from the Shadow Lands east of Asshai, fossilized over tens of thousands of years, yet still bright and beautiful!" Daenerys said to Gendry in the garden of Wolf's Den.
"These are indeed priceless gifts, but the fat man didn't give them for free!" The fat man gave up Daenerys and her brother, and in return received some gifts from Gendry, including gold and Myr products.
Gendry looked at the dragon eggs, or rather, fossils. A cedarwood chest adorned with bronze was open, filled with the finest velvet and brocade from the Free Cities... Upon them lay three enormous eggs.
Daenerys looked at the dragon eggs with great curiosity. They were the most beautiful things she had ever seen. The three eggs differed in appearance; their rich patterns made her think they were studded with jewels, and she needed both hands to hold one.
Daenerys carefully picked one up. She had expected it to be made of fine ceramic, enamel, or glass, but it was much heavier, as if made of hard stone. The surface of the shell was covered with tiny scales, which, when she ran her fingers over them, reflected the setting sun with a metallic sheen.
One was deep green, revealing various bronze-like spots as Daenerys turned it; another was pale milky-white with golden stripes; the last was black, like a midnight ocean, yet with vibrant dark red waves and swirls.
"Drogon, Viserion, Rhaegal!" Gendry thought, as the gears of Daenerys's destiny began to turn.
"I will cherish them forever!" Dany had heard all sorts of rumors about dragon eggs but had never seen them with her own eyes, much less expected to have the chance to witness them.
"May I take a closer look?" Maester Qyburn was the first to speak. As a runaway maester and strategist, Qyburn was still Gendry's mentor, and he had the right to examine the dragon eggs.
"These are creations of magic, the foundation of the true dragon family. House Targaryen has always guarded them very closely. Even fossilized dragon eggs are worth a fortune!" Qyburn circled the three eggs, examining them repeatedly!
"Deep green, bronze, milky white and gold, black and red. If a dragon can hatch, its color will be similar to the dragon egg!" Qyburn said. "Those ancient legends are true; a dragon often has several colors, and the dragon egg matches the dragon's color!"
Gendry also understood these things a little; in fact, he also had some dragon blood.
"However, in this era, there shouldn't be any live dragon eggs left!" Qyburn said regretfully.
"Live dragon eggs?" Daenerys asked in surprise.
"Yes, Princess! If these were live dragon eggs, even a city like Myr, the Archon probably wouldn't give them to us!" Qyburn slowly said. "House Targaryen's dragon eggs have always been strictly guarded, stored in crypts and cellars. Over time, some even turned into fossils."
"Even for fossilized dragon eggs, the fat man was still quite generous!" Gendry looked at the fossilized dragon eggs. With these three dragon eggs, he would sooner or later make the fat man and Varys cry.
The fat man used these dragon eggs to curry favor with him, knowing that the fossilization of dragon eggs was irreversible.
However, the fat man did not anticipate two things: first, that magic was slowly returning, and the Others were appearing, meaning magic would increase. Second, even fossilized dragon eggs, under certain blood magic stimulation, might have a chance to re-hatch dragons.
"So, can my dragon eggs hatch dragons?" Daenerys asked.
"Probably not, Princess!" Maester Qyburn replied with certainty. "In the past, even fresh, live dragon eggs sometimes failed to hatch. Moreover, these are fossilized dragon eggs; once a dragon egg turns into a fossil, it is irreversible!"
"Alright!" Daenerys was a little disheartened.
"Alright, Dany, protect them well! You also need to go to your lessons!" Gendry said to Daenerys.
"Jen! Then you must come see me!" Daenerys said expectantly; they seemed inseparable. But humans are always drawn to strength, especially when it's a gentle yet powerful handsome man.
"Mmm!" Gendry nodded.
The guards escorted Daenerys and the dragon eggs away, leaving Maester Qyburn and Gendry in the garden.
Gendry no longer needed to hide his identity and appearance, as the fat man had completely exposed him! The scandal of his birth was now common knowledge.
"The fat man was so generous to give me three fossilized dragon eggs; it seems he might have more on hand!"
"Most likely he does!" Maester Qyburn slowly said. "Many people say the fat man used to deal in smuggled dragon bones, so he shouldn't lack channels."
"What about the dragon eggs left by House Targaryen? It seems they have all disappeared!"
"That is indeed an unsolvable mystery!" Maester Qyburn said. "The dragon kings left many dragon eggs back then. Even after the dragons became extinct, they conducted many experiments with the remaining dragon eggs. For example, at Summerhall, seven dragon eggs were used at once!"
"But after the War of the Usurper, there was no news of the new dynasty discovering those dragon eggs!"
"It would be best to find better dragon eggs, live dragon eggs!" Gendry thought. With such dragon eggs, there would be no need for profound blood magic, making things a little less troublesome.
"Dragonstone, The Red Keep, Summerhall, no matter where they are, I will find those dragon eggs! They should belong to me and Daenerys, to my Child!"
"Your Highness, the Princess's matter is easy to handle; she is very attached to you and very well-behaved. After undergoing professional etiquette and knowledge training, she will surely bring glory to Westeros," Maester Qyburn said. "It's Viserys; he is still a threat! He is too old, higher in the line of succession, and has some psychological issues."
"Is Viserys still frequenting the Brothel?" Gendry asked.
"Yes!" Maester Qyburn nodded. "The two Unsullied sent by the fat man are protecting him! He feels that you don't keep your promises, and he hates our taxi soldiers looking at him like an idiot! More importantly, your birth status has amplified his fear and unease."
"Let him be!" Gendry said scornfully, "as long as he doesn't bother me and Daenerys." If Viserys continues to carouse outside like this, he will sooner or later die an unnatural death, without Gendry having to lift a finger.
"It was Illyrio who spread the news that I am a bastard!" Gendry said to Maester Qyburn.
"It must be him. Besides the fat man, the fat man also has informants in King's Landing!" Maester Qyburn analyzed.
"There is indeed such an informant, and he is very resourceful!"
"The fat man is not our friend; he might even be an enemy!" The fat man and the Spider used Daenerys and her brother to draw fire; their main protégé was someone else!
"All these merchants are like that!" Maester Qyburn nodded.
"The fat man's matters are irrelevant; the urgent task is to deal with the Tyroshi, the Lyseni, the Volantenes, and the enemies Across the Narrow Sea!"
"Tyrosh has the Black City and is part of an island chain. After we blockade it, taking it down won't be too difficult!" Maester Qyburn thought for a moment. "The key is to stabilize our rule and prevent rebellions from those exiled Archons, which will require a lot of manpower!"
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