To Thaw A Frozen Heart

~ chapter 11~

As we sat, watching the guarded castle, I felt uneasy in the silence.

"Geralt," I whispered, and looked over to him. He was still staring at the guards standing at the gate.
"I wanted to talk to you, about "

"You were told to leave Temeria." Triss interrupted as she walked over to us.

"Oh, come on. These views." Geralt joked. Now, he spoke - not even a glance at me,  though.

"Are you going to kill her?" she asked, her eyes moving between the both of us.

"I don't want the miners coin."

"Or mine, apparently. What is this girl to you? Why do you care?"

I stared at Geralt, awaiting an answer to possibly the question I wanted answered most. Why do you care?

"You first. I saw how Foltest and his boy spoke to you. Why help those who won't listen?" He countered.

The witch sighed, "I'm sure someone as legendary as you had already figured out several ways to get past the guards." She cleverly avoided the question.

Geralt paused. Did he not have a plan? I smirked, picked up a stone, and threw it behind the guards, making a loud noise. They looked at one another and ran off. I giggled and earned a look of fondness from Geralt.

We all crossed the bridge and entered the castle. We tried to open each door to look for answers, but they were all locked. There were bodies littering the hallway - it was difficult not to step on them.

"Temeria reeks of secrets. I can sense them." Triss said as we walked the hall, "Just liked imI sensed these bodies before we entered. I imagine you sense them too." She looked at Geralt for confirmation.
He didn't respond. Charming.
We continued down the hall and Triss continued to ask vague questions, which remained unanswered by both myself and Geralt. 

Geralt paused for a moment, looked at us and said, "Pretty sure Foltest is the father."

No details, of course. That would spoil his mystery.

All of the doors seemed locked, and I scoffed.
"They're all locked, I don't know why we're bothering."
Right as the words left my mouth, the door Geralt was jiggling opened, and he turned to smirk at me.
I rolled my eyes and brushed past him.

"Adda's bedroom. Do you think he cursed her? Foltest?" Triss asked, AGAIN. Form an opinion, please.

"Why would he curse her if he loved her? She was his sister and possible lover, after all." I said, opening an old book.

"Love makes you do weird things." Myself and Triss turned to look at Geralt. Triss looked away after a moment, but I held his gaze, "Ir so I've heard."
I walked over to the bed where Geralt was standing, and stood next to him, avoiding his eyes that I could feel burning into my head. I opened my mouth to speak, but was once again interrupted by the auburn haired witch.

"Letters. From Queen Sancia, Foltest and Adda's mother." she called out.

Following the discovery of the letters, Triss arranged to meet the King's soldier, Ostrit, whom they had met in the mines. They met in Triss' chambers.

"A Queen mother cursing her own children for their affair. This could destroy the throne." Ostrit told us, after finishing the letters.

"Sancia wanted Adda to get rid of the child." Geralt stated, leaning against a pillar.

"Seems she refused, repeatedly.' Triss added,

"And now she's taken that curse with her to the grave." Ostrit finished.

"What was your relationship to Adda?" Geralt asked the man. Something wasn't right. I could tell.

"Well, I like to think that she saw me as a confidant. And protector, even. We used to talk to great length about her troubles. She could be very naive." He answered.

"Did she ever mention a brother to you?" I asked him, sensing his uncomfortableness.

"Certainty not like this."

"She was ashamed." Triss guessed. Wrong.

"Or she was frightened." Ostrit countered, "What if the relationship was not... consensual?"

"Hmm." Geralt grunted. A 'hmm' could only mean one thing - he had figured it out, "You think he raped Adda and then cursed the child to cover it up?"

"Well, Kings have done more for less..." He answered.

"True." Geralt agreed before taking a deep breath, and I knew this was it. The big reveal. "There's only one wrinkle, though." He slowly stalked over to the cowering man. "Your scent was on her sheets."

"Geralt..." Triss began,

"Old ones... and new ones." Geralt growled.

"What would I be doing in a dead girls bed?" Ostrit tried to argue, but his body language alone made it clear that he was guilty. He was visibly shaking and would not meet the Witcher's eyes.

Geralt leaned in closely - "I smelled what you were doing." He snarled.

Ostrit finally let go.
"Foltest had no right!" He yelled. "He seduced Adda! Abused his position! He was always nagging her for attentions Always nagging! But he didn't lover her... I did!"

"I didn't know that cursing someone is a way of showing them affection. Is it a new trend?" I asked the quivering man.

"I cursed Foltest - not her." He spat.

"Countless are dead because of your jealousy." Triss added, finally catching on.

"Countless are dead because of Foltest!" he argued, "He spoiled Adda with his seed! He refuses to kill this striga. He lies to his people! And yet you wag your finger in my face."

There was a stream of bickering for a while. It was clear that Ostrit was a coward, claiming to not want to hurt Adda, to try and protect her memory. What a load of crap.

"Tell us how to lift the curse." Geralt said firmly.

"No," He refused, "Foltest will watch Temeria turn against him - just as he turned Adda against me!"

"I think you did that to yourself." I spat, before taking a breath and punching him in the nose. I shook my hand in pain.

Geralt smirked at me before lifting the man up and leaving the room.