Heir of Fire

chapter nine

As the boat glided into the misty harbour of Braavos, Serena stood at the bow, the salt air whipping through her hair, her heart racing with anticipation. The city unfolded before her in a breathtaking display of canals, towering statues, and domed temples. Braavos was nothing like she had imagined—vast and alive with the bustle of trade and the constant hum of water lapping against stone. It was a world she had only dreamed of.

Beside her, Sam watched the horizon with quiet awe. His hand slipped into hers, his grip warm and steady. Serena glanced at him, and a sudden wave of emotion surged through her. Here they were, together, free from the chains of the past, stepping into a life they were about to build.

"Look at it," she whispered, unable to contain the wonder in her voice.

Sam smiled, his gaze soft as it flickered to her. "I've never seen anything like it."

Neither had she. The city felt like the promise of a new beginning, far from the nightmares of her past, far from the shadow of Tywin Lannister and the ruins of House Reyne. It was a place where no one knew her name or her history. Here, she was no longer Gemma or the hidden daughter of Castamere—she was just Serena, a woman discovering the world alongside the man she loved.

They disembarked from the boat, Serena's heart light with a sense of freedom she had never felt before. They wandered through the winding streets of Braavos, marvelling at the architecture, the marketplaces filled with strange foods and silks, and the towering statues that seemed to watch over the city like silent guardians.

Sam pointed to the Titan of Braavos, the massive statue looming over the entrance to the harbour. "Can you believe something like that was built?"

Serena shook her head, laughing softly. "It's incredible." But her gaze kept drifting back to Sam, to the way his eyes lit up as he looked at their new surroundings, to the way his hand never let go of hers. She felt a warmth spread through her chest—a warmth that had nothing to do with the foreign sun.

They crossed over a canal bridge, the water glistening beneath them as the sounds of laughter and foreign tongues filled the air. Serena took it all in, but she couldn't stop thinking about the man at her side. There had been so many times she'd pushed him away, convinced she wasn't meant for happiness, convinced that her path was one of revenge and darkness.

But now, here in Braavos, everything felt different. Lighter. And as she looked at Sam, his face alight with the same wonder she felt, Serena realised something she had been too afraid to admit before.

Sam was the man she had always wanted.

He had stood by her when she thought she had nothing left. He had given her a reason to hope when she thought her only purpose was revenge. And now, he was offering her the kind of life she had never believed she deserved—one filled with love, with laughter, with the possibility of happiness.

They stopped by a small fountain in the centre of a square, where children played and vendors shouted out in the Braavosi tongue. Serena watched as Sam crouched by the water's edge, splashing his face with the cool water. He looked up at her, grinning like a boy, and her heart swelled with affection.

"Come on," he said, standing and pulling her toward him. "We've got a whole city to see."

Serena laughed, letting him pull her close. She rested her head against his chest for a moment, feeling the steady beat of his heart. It was a sound she never wanted to live without.

As they continued exploring, the day stretched out in front of them like a dream. They walked the streets of Braavos until their legs were sore, stopping by small taverns for food and watching as the city lit up with the soft glow of lanterns at night. Braavos was beautiful, but what made it all the more special was Sam—his presence beside her, his laughter, his endless curiosity about the world.