Something Wild (Child of the Winter Moon Book 1)

31: The Ball

When Geralt arrived to escort Triss, she took his breath away. She was dressed in a dark green sleeveless dress with gloves that reached her elbows. She looked very much the part of a noblewoman. She turned around and smiled when she saw Geralt.

"Oh my, certainly took my request to heart," she said, admiring his black doublet.

"Mean you weren't being serious? Still got time to change..."

"Don't you dare! You look great. You get everything?"

He handed her a golden fox mask. "Everything's ready."

"A shame events like this are so rare. Without them, I'd never get to see you dressed up."

"Damn doublet's chafing my armpits," Geralt complained, much to Triss' amusement. "And it feels like they sewed wires into this."

"I'll be sure to admire your valiant suffering the whole time."

Geralt shot her a look, which amused her even more.

"Shall we go?"

Geralt offered his arm. "Let's go."

~~~

"Greetings, m'lord, m'lady," the sentry at the Vegelbud's gate greeted.

"We're Lady Ingrid Vegelbud's guests," Geralt informed him.

"Your invitation, please."

Triss handed him her invitation.

"All's in order. You'll find Lady Vegelbud in the estate's yard. Look for the parrot mask. One more thing," he looked at Geralt. "Leave your swords here, please."

Geralt removed his swords. It wasn't the first time he'd been asked to do so in his life and he somewhat understood the reasoning. They couldn't help Albert if the Witch Hunters immediately saw he was a Witcher.

"A pleasant evening to you both." He opened the gate for them and they entered.

"It's beautiful here!" Tris exclaimed. "I haven't been outside the city in ages!"

A man wearing a red doublet and a bird mask stumbled towards them. "Hello, Vivian!" he said. "No use pretending you don't know me! Is that any way to treat an old mate? Refuse to acknowledge him?"

Triss just looked at him. "There's been a mistake," she said. "I don't know you, sir."

"Don't be foolish, Vivian... I'd recognize that mane anywhere. You might play the great dame now, but before that Baron Edward... something... pulled you from the gutter, you were a common —"

"Enough," Geralt said. "The lady says she doesn't know you."

The man looked the Witcher up and down. "Who's this? The new one? Older than the last, it seems. A decrepit moss-covered prick. So, the less they can, the more they pay, is that it?"

"Let's go, Triss. Wouldn't want to make a scene."

"Vivian! Hey!" the man called after them as they walked away. "Ah, I liked you much better when you worked the carriages outside the Passiflora."

"What a jackass," Triss commented.

"I'll agree."

As they moved towards the main courtyard, they ran into a friend of Triss'.