Chapter 33 - Meeting the Sealord
I stepped forward to the guard and told him clearly who we were. I said, "I am Manny, a traveller from Westeros. These are my partners, Val and Leaf. With us are the Targaryen prince and princess, and a servant from the Temple of the Many-Faced God. We wish to have a meeting with the Sealord. Please tell him that our party has come for a conversation."
The moment I mentioned the Targaryens, the guard's eyes moved briefly to Viserys and Daenerys. But he did not seem surprised. The children had been in Braavos for years. Their presence in the city was known, whispered and gossiped about, but not shocking anymore. To him they were just two pale-haired western, formerly Valyrian, children under someone's guardianship.
But when I said that with us travelled a servant of the Many-Faced God, his entire body language changed. His shoulders straightened. His head lowered. And his eyes immediately searched our group.
He spotted Emma at once.
It helped that she still wore the old, faded robes of a priest or acolyte from the House of Black and White. The cloth was patched and padded for travel, worn from sun and sea wind, but to a Braavosi eye the meaning was unmistakable. A servant of the Many-Faced God was not just a priest. In Braavos, such a person carried a weight, a power, and a holiness that even the Sealord respected.
The guard stepped forward quickly and bowed his head in the Braavosi manner. "Valar Morghulis," he said with great respect.
Emma bowed slightly and replied in a calm voice, "Valar Dohaeris."
Hearing the proper response from her made the guard's posture straigher. He turned to me and said, "Please wait for a moment. I will go at once to ask the Sealord. Esteemed guests from the House of Black and White are always welcome."
He had misunderstood on purpose. He thought Emma was the reason we came, and perhaps it was better not to correct him. If the Sealord believed this meeting was about the Many-Faced God, he would meet us much sooner. So I simply nodded and said, "Please do so."
The guard signaled to the other guards to watch over us while we waited. They were careful but respectful. No one pointed a weapon. In Braavos, the presence of a priest from the Many-Faced God's temple was enough to keep tensions low.
The guard then hurried inside the Sealord's Mansion. He walked fast, almost breaking into a run, and soon disappeared beyond the carved wooden doors.
We waited in the courtyard. The mansion grounds were quiet, only the sound of the sea breeze brushing the tall cypress trees and the distant cries of gulls. The children stood close to Val. Leaf kept glancing at Emma, still trying to read her face, maybe trying to understand the weight of Emma's presence now that the Braavosi themselves were reacting so strongly.
After a short time, perhaps only a few minutes, we saw the same guard rushing back. His breath showed he had run through the mansion, up and down its halls. He stopped in front of us and straightened himself before speaking.
"The Sealord is pleased," he said quickly. "He will meet you in the great hall. Please come inside. He has asked that you be brought in at once."
His tone was far more respectful than before. But it was also clear that his respect was directed mostly toward Emma.
I glanced at her. She stood straight, expression calm, as though she had been receiving such respect all her life. Perhaps in her training, she had.
I stepped slightly forward and nodded. "Lead the way," I said.
The guard turned and began to walk toward the entrance. He kept glancing at Emma from the corner of his eye, making sure he did not turn his back too rudely on a servant of the Many-Faced God. That was Braavosi culture. Their fear and respect for the Many-Faced God ran deep, almost deeper than any loyalty to the Sealord.
Before moving, I signaled Emma to walk at the front of our group, with the children beside her. If the Sealord wished to see the holy figure first, it would be wise to follow the city's customs. Emma seemed to understand without question and stepped forward.
Val stayed near Daenerys, keeping a gentle hand on her shoulder. Leaf walked beside Viserys, whispering something to calm the boy, who always grew tense when anything felt unfamiliar or formal.
We followed the guard through the tall doors into the Sealord's Mansion. The air inside was cooler, filled with the faint scent of saltwater, polished wood, and old wealth. Braavos was a city of trade and hidden power, and this mansion reflected that. Quiet, elegant, understated, except for the enormous carvings of sea animals and Braavosi heroes lining the entrance hall.
Emma walked calmly at the front. Her faded robe looked strange among the expensive carpets and golden lamps, but the guards we passed bowed their heads to her anyway.
As we moved deeper into the mansion, I could already feel that the Sealord had taken our request seriously, far more seriously than he ever would have for any Westerosi house.
And all because of Emma's presence.
We continued down the long corridor toward the great hall.
The Sealord was already waiting for us when we were led into the great hall. He stood beside a long table of dark polished wood. Lamps of green glass shone softly around him, giving the hall that quiet Braavosi glow. His sharp eyes went first to Emma, since she walked in front, and then slowly moved across each of our faces, one by one. Only after studying us did he offer a small smile.
"Welcome," he said in the smooth Braavosi accent, every word sounding practiced, almost musical. "Welcome to my hall."
Emma bowed her head in the calm manner of the House of Black and White. "Valar Morghulis," she said.
"Valar Dohaeris," the Sealord answered at once, giving her the proper respect.
Then he looked at Viserys and Daenerys. "And welcome to you as well, Prince and Princess Targaryen."
He looked at me and asked, "And you must be Manny. Where in Westeros are you from?"
"I am from the North and an acquaintance of Lord Stark of Winterfell."
He was a little surprised at that information.
"I confess," he said gently, "I am surprised to see the Targaryens here… in the company of one claiming to be from the North. From House Stark, no less. Last I heard, your houses were not so friendly."
He left the rest unsaid, but the meaning hung in the air. The rebellion, the deaths of Lord Rickard and Brandon, Lyanna's disappearance, the fall of the Targaryen rule. Viserys stiffened. His jaw tightened, and he glanced toward the exit as if reconsidering coming with us at all. But it was too late to step back now.
I answered, "Sealord, there are moments when one must stand against something, even if it leads to rebellion. The past is not the present. We have come for something much greater than Targaryen and Stark, and greater than Essos or Westeros."
The Sealord raised an eyebrow. "You speak boldly. It seems you are the leader here, and not the servant of the House of Black and White."
Emma gave a small nod and stepped back slightly in agreement.
I bowed my head. "Yes, Sealord. These are my companions Val, Leaf, and Emma, who is also a servant of the Many Faced God."
The Sealord inclined his head with measured dignity. "I am Uthero Wedge," he said. "You are welcome here. Please, sit. Let us speak of what you have come for."
We took our seats at the long table. A few servants brought light food. Olives, warm bread, cheese, and watered wine, the usual simple welcome of Braavos. After a moment, I spoke.
"Sealord, we are here because we heard you possess old dragon eggs. Eggs turned to stone with time."
The Sealord hesitated, fingers tapping lightly on the table. "I do," he admitted. "But not many. And I do not know how you came to hear of them. Few know. And if you hope to hatch them…" He shook his head. "Stone does not give life."
"I am not asking to hatch them," I said. "I simply need the eggs themselves."
The Sealord narrowed his eyes. "Who told you? I do not think many know of my collection."
"The main priest," I said. "The leader of the temple. He said we could use his name if you asked."
The Sealord did not fully trust my words, so he turned to Emma. She answered with a calm nod. "Yes. The leader sent us here."
Everything changed at that moment.
If it had been just us asking, the Sealord could have refused without a second thought. But a request touched by the House of Black and White was another matter entirely.
"You place me in a difficult position," he said slowly. "I cannot deny them. But the eggs… I cannot sell them for gold. What trade could match the worth of such things? I spent years, coin, and effort to gather them. How many do you want?"
"All of them."
"All of them? Every last one?" he said in disbelief.
"Yes," I answered.
He leaned back, fingers crossed. "Then offer me something worthy. Not gold. Give me something that would interest the Sealord of Braavos."
I looked toward Val and Leaf. Before I could speak, Leaf leaned and whispered into my ear. What she said shocked me. I asked her softly, "Are you sure?" She nodded once.
I turned to the Sealord. "Sealord… what I want to say should be spoken alone. Not before the others."
His brows lifted. "And what if you try something? Alone, you would be at my mercy."
"You may keep only one person with you," I said, pointing toward a man standing at the side. "Your First Sword, him."
The man stepped forward lightly, balanced as a dancer. His dark eyes studied me.
"He is Syrio Forel."
I nodded towards him, "Let him stay. The rest may leave."
The Sealord exchanged a look with his First Sword, then waved his hands.
The servants and other guards bowed and retreated at once. And the hall grew quieter.
-----
End of Chapter 33 - Meeting the Sealord