Chapter 32 - Emma
We were a little shocked and even a bit alarmed at her gesture. The woman stayed kneeling on one knee, her head bowed like we were some lords from a great house.
I raised my hands quickly and said, "Please, don't… don't do this. You don't need to bow. It's okay. You helped us and helped the children. We couldn't leave you to just die. Don't fret over it."
But she shook her head firmly. "No. Whatever your reason may be, you have saved my life. From now on, my life is yours."
It felt like a headache forming. A proper, long-term, unavoidable type of headache. I looked hopelessly toward Val and Leaf. They both looked back at me, waiting to see what I would do. Even Viserys and Daenerys stared, confused.
I sighed and finally asked, "What do you want now? And who exactly are you?"
The woman lifted her head slightly. "My name is Emma. I was an assassin of the House of Black and White. My duty towards the Many-Faced God and the temple is now completed. Now I am free from the temple. But I am indebted to you. So I will follow you."
I rubbed my forehead. "Why would you want to follow me? I don't have any work for you. Go live however you want. Or stay in the temple. I don't have issues with that."
But she was stubborn. "No. I will follow you. This is a sign from the Many-Faced God. From now on, my life belongs to you. I will go wherever you go."
Now it was confirmed. She was going to be a headache. And not one I could shake off.
Val leaned closer and whispered, "Let's take her in. She has impressive techniques. You saw her yesterday. She can be useful. And she said her life belongs to you now. Once someone becomes free and if they are not really meant to stay, then it will be difficult for her here."
Leaf nodded too. "Sometimes freedom creates more complications than servitude."
I looked at the girl- no, the woman- and asked, "So tell me something. From when did you serve the Many-Faced God?"
Emma actually smiled, proud. "Since infancy. I was left on the temple doorstep as a baby. The priests took me in. I have grown up there my whole life."
"So you mean," I said slowly, "all your life you were trained inside that temple?"
She nodded again. "Yes. My whole life has been dedicated to the Many-Faced God."
I exhaled. A whole life inside the House of Black and White. That explained everything: the calm, the deadly precision, the strange devotion. It reminded me of Arya Stark's training, how she learned the faces, the lies, the silence. But this one had never stepped away. She had never tested life outside those stone walls.
"And what can you do? What are your specialties?"
Emma straightened a little. "Assassination. Infiltration. Espionage. The changing of faces. Every skill taught there, I have learned and mastered. I can pass unseen. I can kill silently and gather information. Whatever can be taught in Braavos, I know."
Val muttered under her breath, "Impressive indeed…"
I nodded. "Okay. You said your name is Emma. Then listen carefully. From now on, you will travel with us. Let me introduce ourselves properly. I am Manny. This is Val. That is Leaf. And you already met the children, Prince Viserys and Princess Daenerys of House Targaryen."
Emma stood and bowed her head to each of us. "I know who they are."
Daenerys seemed shy, and Viserys stood taller, looking pleased at the idea of someone kneeling to us. I shot him a sharp look, and he swallowed it down.
I continued, "Good. Now we are going first to the Sea Lord's manor. After that, we will go to Pentos. But before anything else, you must take an oath in your God's name. You will not betray us. Not for gold, not for orders, not for any temple."
Emma immediately pulled out a small dagger. Before I could stop her, she sliced across her palm and spoke clearly, "I swear an oath of silence, loyalty, and secrecy. My life and my skills belong to you, to serve you."
The words echoed the old Braavosi style, a bit like the oaths the Faceless Man once mentioned in the books. Some of the Faceless Men made blood-oaths before a mission, and hers sounded like that, heavy, binding, and absolute.
I held up my hand. "You didn't need to take an oath of servitude. A simple promise of loyalty would have been enough."
She nodded but said nothing, as if disagreeing silently.
Leaf quickly stepped forward and touched Emma's hand. Magic shimmered faintly as she closed the bleeding wound. Emma blinked in surprise, unaccustomed to such magic.
"Thank you," Emma whispered softly.
We then started moving toward the Sea Lord's house. The streets of Braavos were already warming under the morning sun. Boats pushed gently through the canals, and the Titan's shadow lay across half the district.
Emma walked a step behind me, silent and watchful like a shadow that refused to detach. Val glanced at me and whispered, "You really picked up a follower this time."
"I didn't pick anything," I whispered back. "She attached herself."
Val smiled. "Same thing."
Leaf walked on my other side and said, "It might be useful. Someone trained like her, we may need such skills later."
I sighed. "Let's hope she won't cause trouble instead."
Behind us, Emma walked steady and calm, eyes scanning every corner, every person, every rooftop. Her training was clear. She did not talk. She only followed, like someone who had already accepted a new purpose.
The road to the Sea Lord's Manor was longer than it looked on the map. Braavos always looked small from above, but once you walked its bridges and canals, you realised how wide and winding the city truly was.
We took the narrow stone path that curved along the canal, passing by small arched bridges. The water moved quietly beneath them, dark green and still, reflecting the bright colours of the Braavosi houses. Some buildings were painted pink, some blue, and some even gold, because Braavos was a place where people liked to show their freedom. The smell of fish, salt, and spices travelled with the breeze. Sailors shouted from the docks, and the high masts of ships swayed like thin trees.
Further ahead, the bridges grew wider and the streets cleaner. The houses suddenly became grand, their walls decorated with carved faces and iron balconies. This was the richer part of Braavos, where the Sealord's guards patrolled in pairs. Their armour was lacquered in black, and they carried spears decorated with silver tips.
Finally, the Sea Lord's Manor came into view.
In the books, it was described as a palace of pale pink marble, and that was exactly what stood before us. The walls shone in the sunlight, smooth as polished glass. A line of tall cypress trees led to the entrance, their shadows reaching out across the courtyard like long fingers. Water fountains shaped like mermaids sang softly, and the sound echoed in the open air.
The manor looked like something from a Braavosi story - half beauty, half mystery. The balconies were carved into the shapes of dolphins and sea dragons. The doors were made of dark oak and covered with silver studs that glittered like stars. Guard posts stood on both sides, each man wearing the Sea Lord's colours, purple and grey.
Inside the first courtyard, the ground was covered with tiles arranged in swirling patterns, like waves frozen in stone. This design was mentioned briefly in canon, and seeing it felt strangely familiar. Servants dressed in clean linen moved around quietly, carrying scrolls, trays, and baskets.
The Sea Lord's Manor was not a place where people crowded. It was built to impress and intimidate. Everything was grand, but also controlled. The air itself felt quiet, as if people were expected to behave properly here.
We slowed down our steps as we approached the outer gate. The guards raised their spears in greeting, crossing them lightly. One of them said, "Welcome to the Sea Lord's Manor. State your names and purpose."
I took a breath, looked at my companions, and stepped forward. Our journey in Braavos was far from over.
End of Chapter 32 - Emma