Chapter 29 - Temple
I led our group toward the one place in Braavos that felt safer than any alley or inn. The House of Black and White. The temple of the Many-Faced God. I didn't know the Sealord. I didn't have any connection to the Iron Bank.
But this place, this shadowed, ancient temple, was the only place that might accept the presence of a wounded assassin trained under its roof. At least they will not kill us the moment we knocked.
Leaf walked beside me, one hand glowing faintly as she pressed against the assassin's shoulder. She had slowed the bleeding, kept the breathing steady, and placed a strange green warmth around the wounds. It wasn't healing completely, but it was enough to prevent collapse.
"They won't die before we reach safety," she whispered.
Val nodded once, carrying one of the assassin's arms around her shoulder. I held the other side. The assassin's steps were weak and uneven, but they kept moving because we kept carrying.
We walked through smaller canals and narrow bridges. The air grew quieter with every turn we took. The noises of the market faded. The smell of fish grew less sharp. The people around us thinned. Braavos always felt alive, but this part of the city felt different.
Finally the building came into view.
The House of Black and White stood almost alone. A wide square of pale stone opened before it. A canal curled along one side, still and dark. The temple's walls were smooth and unbroken, except for the great doors that were half black and half white. The air around it seemed colder and heavier.
The square was empty. People avoided this place on purpose. In the tales, no one walked close unless they had business with death. And even then, they approached carefully.
We stopped a few steps away from the door.
In front of us stood the great wooden doors, one side carved from black ebony, the other from pale weirwood. The same as I remember in the books and the show.
I could feel something in the air, a silent pressure.
"We go in," I said quietly.
Val looked at me. "They will accept us?"
"They will accept the assassin," I said. "The rest of us… depends."
Leaf's hand tightened around Daenerys's. The little princess looked at the doors with wide, confused eyes. Viserys stood a little in front of her, his jaw set. Even dirty and exhausted, there was a spark of Targaryen pride in how he stared forward.
I took a deep breath.
Then I pushed gently against the door.
It opened without a sound, just like in canon.
The darkness inside was complete for a few seconds, cold and deep, like walking into a cave. Slowly, shapes formed. Candles burned in small bowls along the interior. The air smelled faintly of still water and incense. It was quiet, much more quiet than any place in Braavos. It was so quiet that it made you hear your own heartbeat.
A long hall stretched forward. At its center stood the great pool, dark as night. Smooth pillars lined the walls, carved with hundreds of faces. Some old, some young, some men, some women. Some smiling, some crying. Some peaceful. Some cruel. Every face was different. Every face seemed to look at us as we stepped inside.
I felt the weight of the place on my skin. This was not an ordinary temple. This was a place where death walked gently, patiently, waiting for anyone who came to it. I remembered how Arya described it in the books - the quiet water, the still air, the cold stone, and the feeling that the place was alive.
We carried the assassin forward. Nobody stopped us. Nobody spoke. The silence itself felt like permission.
At the edge of the pool, footsteps finally echoed.
A figure appeared from the shadows. Not silent like a ghost, not loud like a threat. Just there, sudden and calm. A man with smooth features, unreadable eyes, and a calm expression. His clothes were simple robes, brown and grey, the kind worn by priests here.
He looked at the assassin first.
Then at us.
Then at the children.
When he spoke, his voice was soft. "The Many-Faced God was expecting visitor today. And, you bring five."
I stepped forward, keeping my voice even. "We saved your… servant. Or student. They would have died outside."
The man inclined his head slightly. "Then you have offered a gift. And every gift must be answered."
That made me tense, but he raised a hand gently.
"The injured will be tended to. The rest of you will not be harmed as long as you walk with truth."
He gestured for us to follow into the deeper shadows of the hall.
And with slow steps, still carrying the wounded assassin, we entered the depth House of Black and White.
The room they gave us was small but clean, built from the same pale stone as the rest of the House of Black and White. The priest who guided us stopped at the door, inclined his head once, and said, "You will rest here tonight. Hot water is in the chamber to your left. Robes are inside the chest. Eat and sleep. Someone will speak with you tomorrow."
He said nothing more. He simply turned and walked away, his steps soft and even, disappearing down the torch-lit corridor. Two other priests came behind him and silently took the wounded assassin away, carrying her with practiced hands. Leaf had slowed her bleeding, but it was clear the assassin needed better tending. The door closed behind them, and our group was left alone.
Inside the room there were mats arranged neatly on the ground, a low wooden table, and one narrow window looking out on nothing but darkness. The walls had no decoration. Even the water jugs were plain, without color or carving. The air smelled faintly of oil lamps and something older, like stone that had never seen sunlight.
Viserys and Daenerys stood close to one another at first, both staring at us with wide, uncertain eyes. The boy who was prince in name only was the first to speak.
"Who are you?" Viserys asked. "Why did you save us? Why have you brought us here? "
His voice shook even though he tried to make it sound firm. Daenerys did not speak, but her gaze was sharp, almost questioning. She clutched the worn fabric of her sleeve as if steadying herself.
I looked at them and said, "Viserys Targaryen, I think. And Daenerys Targaryen."
Viserys nodded once. "You know our names. You know our identity." He swallowed, eyes darting. "How? And why bring us to a place like this?"
I asked back. "Do you know what temple this is?"
He frowned. "This is the House of Black and White. The temple of the Many-Faced God. People come here to die."
"People also come here to live," I said. "You were unsafe outside. Here, you will not be touched. And I saved you because you were necessary and because one of your relatives asked me to."
Viserys stiffened. "Which relative?"
"You will know later," I said. "For now, wash up, both of you. Then rest. It doesn't suit a prince and princess to be dressed like that."
His jaw tightened at the words, like I had struck some wounded pride in him. I raised my hand lightly. "It is just a joke, Viserys. Calm down."
Daenerys looked between us. She seemed unsure whether she should laugh or frown.
Viserys wanted to take Daenerys with him to wash, but I stepped forward gently. "Let Leaf help Daenerys. You take care of yourself first."
The prince did not like that. I could see it in the tightening of his shoulders. But he was tired, disoriented, and clearly unsure of his place here.
He looked at Daenerys. She did not move toward him. Something in her eyes said she was comfortable not going with him and staying here.
Viserys saw it. And slowly, he nodded.
He went to the small bath-chamber alone, closing the door behind him. The sounds of water echoed softly.
Daenerys stayed where she was, watching him leave. Her face was calm but shadowed by a year or more of fear and uncertainty. I crouched down so my eyes were level with hers.
"Hello, Daenerys Targaryen," I said quietly. "I'm Manny. This is Val. And she is Leaf."
Daenerys tilted her head. "Leaf? What a strange name."
I smiled. "My name is strange too."
She studied me. "Yes… you sound weird, like many things."
I laughed softly. "Yes, I suppose so. But no worries. If you need help washing up, they will help you. Sleep tonight. We'll talk later."
"Will we be safe?" she asked. "Will the people looking for us stop?"
"Don't worry," I said gently. "We'll take you somewhere safe. Out of here. Away from all that."
She stared at me for a long breath. "Would you truly?"
"Absolutely," I said. "You're safe now."
She half-believed me. Not because of proof as there was none, but because she wanted to and she needed to.
Leaf and Val took her to wash and helped her afterwards, making sure she had one of the simple grey robes the priests had left. Daenerys looked almost unrecognizable in it after. She looked clean, neat and much calmer. Viserys returned soon after, also dressed in the same kind of robe, his silver hair still wet but combed.
Val wore one too and Leaf as well. All of us looked like acolytes in training. I could have given them something better from my storage, but this place was not ours, and I did not want to reveal more than necessary here.
They understood. They knew I had secrets. They also knew I would speak when it was time.
A priest brought food. It was simple broth, bread, and water. No spices, no excess. Everything was plain, like the building itself. We ate quietly. When the meal was done, the priest bowed once and left without a word.
The hall was silent except for our breathing.
Daenerys fell asleep quickly, her small body relaxing for the first time in what might have been a year. Even Viserys who was previously restless, worried, and alert finally sank into sleep, though his shoulders were still tense.
But Val, Leaf, and I did not sleep.
We sat together against the wall. Leaf on one side of me, Val on the other. Both of them held my arms lightly, grounding themselves and me.
Leaf whispered, "The girl… she has some power. Something which has not awakened. Not the same as yours, but strong."
I nodded. "She is the Mother of Dragons. She would have something special."
"And the boy?" Val asked.
Leaf shook my head. "No. Just like any other person."
I shrugged and thought in my mind 'So the Beggar King is just a beggar after all. Another ordinary Targaryen.'
Silence stretched for a moment.
Then Leaf looked around the room. "This place feels strange. The power here feels different but also a little comfortable.
I breathed in the scent of the stone and candles. "This temple belongs to Death. And your power is predominantly related to Life. They are not enemies, Leaf. They complete each other. Life and death are a circle."
She nodded slowly, half-understanding. "I felt it outside. On the door. The faces. The carvings. It was like… life and death holding hands."
"Yes," I said. "That door is the truth of this world. Without one, the other has no meaning."
"It complements each other," I explained. "Life and death together. Too much life is chaos. Too much death is emptiness. But together they balance."
Leaf leaned her head lightly on my shoulder. "I see."
We sat like that for a while, the quiet of the House of Black and White wrapping around us like a second robe. The House felt calm.
Daenerys breathed softly in her sleep. Viserys muttered something about "Father" and "the Red Keep" before turning on his mat.
Val closed her eyes for a moment. Leaf tightened her grip on my arm. We retired for the night, not asleep but cautious.
End of Chapter 29 - Temple