To Thaw A Frozen Heart

~ chapter 23 ~

Geralt sat next to the Queen, with Antea to his other side. Jaskier was playing a tune on his lute with other members of his band at the side of the room, and the two sent each other a grin.

"So, Antea." The Queen began, and Antea leaned forward to engage with her, "Where is it you hail from?"

"Um, I'm from Oxenfurt, your Majesty." she said with a forced smile.

"Ah. Quite the distance. How did you wind up here with our Witcher?" She pressed, and Antea tensed slightly. 'Our' Witcher? Hmph.

"Well, your Majesty, I served Geralt in an inn, where I was a barmaid. He saved me from  vile man, and I've been travelling with him since."

"We have been travelling together, your Majesty." Geralt corrected, smiling at Antea, which she returned to him. 

The Queen smirked, and gazed into the crowd of men before her. 

"Idiots. The lot of them." She stated, and the two followed her gaze. "Still, I'm glad of your company, which could prove handy." She continued, looking at Geralt ."I have no doubt blood will spill here tonight."

"It would be a dull affair if it didn't." Antea spoke confidently. 

The Queen raised her eyebrows, looking at Antea. She scoffed, and Geralt laughed slightly.

"Unfortunately, Your Majesty, I'm not for hire as a bodyguard." Geralt continued. 

"You were hired just so by the bard." she argued.

"I'm helping the idiot free of his coin." He continued,

"And he's the idiot?" the Queen laughed.

"He's my cousin, Your Majesty. Geralt wouldn't have done it unless I had forced him to." Antea spoke, poking Geralt in the ribs.

"I'm impressed that you convinced him, dear. But I maybe get the feeling you might not have to try too hard." She smirked, and Geralt felt a heat rise to his face. She continued;

"I'm simply saying, surely if all goes to hell here tonight, I can count on you to... strategically remove certain irritants that may present themselves?" She asked in a quiet tone. Geralt looked skeptical.

"I can't help you." He stated, and Antea eyed the two nervously, noticing the annoyance on the Queen's face.

"So perilously direct." She snarked, "As Queen - I could command it."

"If I was one of your subjects..." Geralt responded, in just as snarky a tone, turning to face the Queen, and Antea gently touched Geralt's shoulder.

Lords began to approach the table, and started to introduce themselves, in order to compete for Pavetta, the Queen's daughters hand. Geralt and Antea stole some glances, and found themselves discussing and giggling about the proposed suitors.

"How much more of this peacocking must I endure?" The Queen asked, clearly irritated. "This - all because male tradition demands it. I could simply tell the whole lot of them to fuck off, declare outright who Pavetta should marry and have done with it."

"Or... let her decide on her own, poor girl." Antea proposed, earning an impressed smile from Calanthe.

Geralt coughed slightly, "Something tells me this isn't the first time youve navigated the vagaries of male tradition. In fact, I'd wager you thrive on it..." He spoke, smiling.

"Spoken as one who has navigated his own share of fools." She spoke, eyeing him carefully.

Geralt huffed out one of his famous 'Hmms', and Antea grinned.

"Tell me, Witcher, why aren't there so few of you anymore?"

"It is no longer possible to create more of us, since the dismissal of Kaer Morhen. Tell me, Your Majesty...why do you risk your life on the battlefield when you can rest on your throne?" Geralt quickly changed the subject.

"Because there's a simplicity to slaying a monster, isn't there? It seems we're quite the match, Geralt of Rivia." Antea felt Geralt tense, She placed her hand on his thigh reassuringly.

Suddenly, a knight in armour burst through the door, assaulting two guards as he did. Antea shifted in her seat, firming her grasp on his thigh.

"Geralt?" She whispered, and he shook his head.

"Forgive my late intrusion, Your Majesty, and for the misunderstanding with your guards. Please! I come in peace." The stranger yelled and Antea looked in Dandelions direction, making sure he was okay.

The two friends' eyes met and they shared a reassuring nod.

"I only need a moment of your time. I am Lord Urcheon of Erlenwald and I have come to claim your daughter's hand in marriage." The unknown knight said and Antea and Geralt shared a confused look.

"Christ, this won't end well..." She whispered

"A knight...without fame...from a backwater hamlet...who dares enter my court without revealing his face?" Queen Calanthe's voice was raised, trembling with anger and her hands gripped the arms of her throne.

"I apologise, Your Majesty. A knight's oath prevents me from revealing my face until the sound of the twelfth bell." The knight said, but Eist shook his head in disbelief.

"Bollocks at that," he said and ripped off the knight's helmet to reveal his face was half human and half - hedgehog? There was gasps from the whole ball room.

"Kill it." The queen ordered Geralt.

"No." he gruffed.

"Whatever the price is." She urged.

"This man is not a monster, Your Majesty." Antea quipped.

"You are as useless as the rest of them." She said angrily, shooting daggers at both of them. "Slay it!" She shouted to the rest of the room.

The guards threw themselves at the man, but he disarmed them with ease.

"Lioness of Cintra," He adressed Calanthe, "I come to claim what is rightfully mine - Pavetta - by the Law of Surprise!" 

"Oh fuck..." Geralt grumbled.

"This should be good." Antea sighed, her eyes glowing the faintest hue of green.