Samaya spent the following day with a constant feeling of excitement and a touch of anxiousness. She rose before dawn, secretly packing a few of her belongings, as to not alert her handmaidens too much. After breakfast, she went to see her grandmother who instructed her on how to behave in the South.
"Do not forget, my dear, Dorne is very different than Highgarden. Do not give into temptation, no matter which direction it comes from. Keep a cool head and a clear mind. And be cautious – even though House Martell and Tyrell were on the same side before the rebellion, there is no saying in how they feel about us now," Olenna said as she held the girl's hands in her own. She smiled at her beautiful granddaughter.
"And under no circumstances, not even in the hottest hours of the day, are you to swim, do you understand?" she asked vehemently. Samaya nodded her head.
"I understand what you mean, grandmamma," she said quietly.
"Very good. Now, the letter has been sent early this morning, we are taking a slight risk here, but I cannot see them reject you from entering or harm you in any way. The Dornish might be wild, but they do not hurt innocent girls," the older woman added. "Have you chosen your companions?"
"Yes, I will be accompanied by Ser Willam, Ser Bayard and his son, Beric. I asked them immediately after our chat last night," Samaya answered.
"I would remind Ser Bayard of this conversation, seeing how drunk he was when I retired," her grandmother chuckled. Samaya grinned.
"I've already spoken to Berric today, he kindly had to remind his father this morning, but they are still coming with me."
"Very good" Olenna sighed and touched her hand to the younger girl's cheek "I feel like I am sending you into a snake pit, my dear."
"Do not fear, grandmamma. If the snakes attack, I will kill, not wound them," her granddaughter answered with a dangerous look in her eyes.
"Do not cause any troubles for the family, Samaya. I strongly advise you to be as diplomatic about this mission as possible. I fear I will not see you again before you leave, so mind my words, and seven blessings on your journey," the oldest Tyrell family member stood up to hug the young girl. Samaya gave her a soft kiss on the cheek and left swiftly. There was a lot to do before she was to leave.
Hours later, in a secluded corner of the briar labyrinth, Samaya was sitting on the soft grass, twirling a golden rose in her hands. She had dismissed her handmaidens to get some last, valuable alone time before she left Highgarden for she didn't know how long. Just before she had gone down, she had written three letters. One for her mother, one for Willas, and one for her sister. If anything happened to her, she wanted to make sure that they knew how much she loved them. To her mother, she also apologised for leaving without saying goodbye. It was definitely the hardest letter she had to write.
This was her big adventure. The time had had come for her to leave Highgarden and venture out into this big, crazy world. Samaya thought back to all the times she feared her mother would never let her go. When she grew old enough to understand the significance of what would happen if people found out her biggest secret, a deep sadness had taken a hold of her. Where she was wild and carefree before, she became more cautious. She stopped swimming and diving in the Mander and focused more on her weapons training. One day, she might have to fight for her life, and she was not going to rely on any man to save her. It had been a rough few years, but with the help of her grandmother, she had finally accepted her fate. She had even accepted that she did not know what the future held for her. There were three people who knew. Three people who held her life in their hands.
As she pondered over her fate, a noise suddenly startled her and she grabbed the dagger hidden in her boot just as her older brother appeared from behind a bush.
"Do you know how hard it is for me to get to these parts now? Just because I love you dearly, Sam, did I make the effort," he smiled as he came closer.
"You shouldn't have," his sister got up immediately to support him by the elbow as he sat down in the lush grass. He gave her a long, judging look.
"You are up to something. Every time our paths have crossed today, you immediately disappeared around the next corner," he said as he eyed her suspiciously. His sister bowed her head.
"You're leaving, are you not?" Willas asked the inevitable.
"You know why. Ser Vortimer said you agree with what needs to be done," she asked him.
"I do, but I did not agree to send you on a diplomatic mission. Father will be furious when he finds out," he studied her face intensely.
"Grandmother is dealing with that, and besides, I think he's beginning to realise I'm too old to become a proper lady still," Sam answered him. Willas chuckled.
"Maybe you're right. Still, I do not want to put you in any danger," he reached for her hand and gently caressed her fingers when she put it in his.
"I'm taking very capable men with me. And all that training has to pay off at one point."
"I know. I'm just afraid you won't return. I've always had that feeling that once you set foot outside of Highgarden, the promise of adventure will take you away from me forever," he looked sadder than she had ever seen him before. Her throat threatened to close up, but she had to reassure him.
"My dear Willas, how could I ever be away from you? Wherever this journey will take me, I'll always find my way back to you. You are my big brother, and I love you more than you could ever imagine. No matter where the gods guide me, I'll either take you with me, or I'll just have to come back," she smiled at him.
"Promise me," he said with a hard look in his eyes. She took his other hand and locked eyes with him. Emerald green met dark amber, and more meaning passed between them than any words could express.
"I promise, brother. We will be growing strong together still," Sam put a kiss on their interlocked hands. Finally, the hardness in his eyes grew softer. He hugged her close and so they spent their last few moments together before their world would be turned upside down forever.
Her companions were waiting for her at the edge of the godswood. She nodded to the three men and walked over to her horse, Shadowfoot. He was a beautiful chocolate-coloured stallion with an agreeable temper and a very loyal streak. Margaery once tried to ride him, but he tried to throw her off repeatedly. The horse bent down his head to blow a wet greeting into Sam's ear.
"You ready for an adventure, my friend?" she asked him with a smile. He seemed impatient. A trait they both had in common.
"Lady Samaya, we should get on the road. It would be wise to get some distance between ourselves and Highgarden before dawn," Ser Willam Wythers advised her.
"You should not address me as a Lady on the road. We are just commoners, remember?" she turned around to face the three men. "If you do not mind, I will only be using your first names as well."
"Of course not. Sam," Willam answered and smirked a little. It was strange for the experienced soldier to address the young Tyrell in such a familiar manner.
Ser Bayard Norcross walked over and pat Sam on the shoulder in a playful manner. He was the one that had taught the girl many of her weapon skills, including archery, an art she was more than gifted in. "Are you gonna chop your hair off and pretend you're a boy as well, Sam? I'd sure like to see that," he laughed.
"Oh dear, that would be too much. Let's see first how well we fare," she grinned back at him.
"We'll protect you to the best of our abilities," Bayard's son, Beric, looked at the small company with a stern expression on his face. He was the youngest amongst them, 2 years younger than Sam herself, and he took his first official mission with great seriousness.
"Do not worry, son. This should be fun as much as it is important. But most of all, I fear it will just be a long, dull ride," his father said and they all chuckled silently.
Quietly and swiftly, the four riders fastened the few belongings they were taking with them to their saddles and mounted the horses. A few moments later, they were making their way out of the center of The Reach. Samaya refused to look back at the place she would always call home. Her eyes were trained on the road ahead, her breathing even and her heart full of longing. This was the start of something new, something good.
Thank you so much for all the views and the reviews I've gotten so far! They really are a great source of motivation :) I know this one is a little short, but I thought it was the perfect point to stop. Also, I was listening to 'Choices' by To Kill a King feat. Bastille & Friends when I finished it up and it's not just a beautiful song, but it fits PERFECTLY with Sam and Willas saying their goodbye. I recommend you check it out.
Thanks for reading this :)
Song: Choices by To Kill a King feat. Bastille & Friends