To Thaw A Frozen Heart

~ chapter 24 ~

A sea of men flung themselves at Duny, swords flying and yells echoing. He fought them well, but was suddenly disarmed and flung towards the ground. He lay helpless, squirming on the ground before the man in front of him raised his pike, and swung.

Suddenly, the pike was intercepted with another sword - Geralt's sword. He cut the pike, saving Duny's life. Duny scrambled to his feet, and the pair fought the attacking guards. 

Antea froze, not knowing what to do, or if she could help in any way. She had an idea, but she had no idea if it could work. She closed her eyes and whispered to herself quietly, blocking out the surrounding havoc. She opened her eyes widely and there was a sudden commotion at the front door. A wolf, larger than most, and pitch black, burst through the door, and began fighting the guards along with Geralt and the knight. She breathed a sigh of relief, and Geralt swung his head around to look at her. She gave him a short nod, and began using her magic to tie men to the walls with vines, and knock them unconscious with her magic. 

Mousesack was viewing the girl with wide eyes, astonished at what he was looking at. Suddenly, a loud howl was heard and Antea let out a cry, whipping her head around to look for her companion. He had a sword impaled in his side, and was lying on his side, whining. Antea clutched her side as she hobbled over to the hound, pulling the sword out of his side, yelling as she did so. She glanced at her hands, they were covered in blood. Her hands shook as she placed them over the wounded wolf, and she began whispering incantations. Some guards noticed that she was vunerable, and made their way over to her to attack, but they were met with a large, and angry Geralt, who cut them down. He glanced quickly at Antea, who was still sitting beside the wolf. 

"Thea! Leave it - get up!" Geralt yelled, swiping at guards to approached them.

"Stop, Geralt! I can do it. Let me do it, please. It's fine!" She waved her hand behind her and a wall of vines sprung up from the ground to create a dome around them.

Geralt's eyes widened, and he returned his focus to the main hall, where there was bloodshed. He made eye contact with Mousesack, who looked at him with utter astonishment.

Geralt returned to the fight, cutting men down, left and right. He turned, and was met with the blade of the Queen.

"STOP." Queen Calanthe's cry stops all movement in the banqueting hall. 

Pavetta ran towards the cursed knight. "Duny." She spoke with urgency.

She embraced him and kissed him. "I told you to stay away."

"Your Majesty...the Witcher is telling the truth. I was cursed when I was a young boy." Duny knelt on the ground in front of the queen. "All my life a living misery until the day I saved your husband, King Roegner, from certain death. By tradition I chose the law of surprise as payment. Whatever he came home to find...would be mine."

 "Oh, the stupid bastard. Better you had let him die!" The queen screamed. 

"You knew he was coming, and you pushed me kill him..." Geralt's voice was deadly calm. Antea weakly made her way over to him, wolf at her side. She clutched his arm, and he wrapped his arm around her side, smiling slightly at the wolf looking up at him.

"And you..." The queen turned to her daughter. "Carousing with the beast that cheated your stupid father!" 

It was Eist who spoke up then. "'Tis no swindle. Asking for payment with the law of surprise is as old as humanity itself."

 "Don't lecture me, Eist." Queen Calanthe warned.

"It's an honest gamble. As likely to be rewarded with a bumper crop as a newborn puppy. Or...a child surprise. He couldn't have known. Destiny has determined that the surprise was Pavetta." Eist responded, trying to calm the queen down.

Antea noticed that the Queen was far from calm, tears brimming her angry eyes.

"When I realised that King Roegner had returned to find a child on the way... I gave up all thought of claiming the law of surprise. I knew... I knew no woman would ever accept me like this. And so I waited. I waited for the twelfth bell when the curse breaks. I never intended to meet her. Just to watch from afar." Duny explained and he and Pavetta joined hands.

"Until fate intervenes...and our hearts collide." Geralt had to fight not to roll his eyes, but he heard Antea's soft sigh, and noticed her light smile.

"And at dawn, I woke up with her in my arms and me... like this." Duny looked into Pavetta's eyes. 

"Who are we to defy fate? Life has been saved, the debt must be paid, or the whole world order crumbles." Eist urges the Queen. By the crease in her forehead, just between her eyebrows, Geralt could tell that she was thinking of her people.

"Honor Destiny's wish, or unleash its wrath upon us." Mousesack agreed.

"There is no us. I bow to no law made by men who have never given birth to a child! Is there not a man among you who doesn't cower before  destiny?" The queen cried out, then turned to Geralt. 

"You, Witcher...who have known monsters of every fang and claw...are you afraid too?"

"No. I have seen mothers lash themselves raw over the death of a child, believing they crossed destiny, ignoring the stench of the other 50 children in the plague cart outside. Destiny ...helps people believe that there is an order to this horseshit. There isn't." Geralt said.

"But... a promise made must be honoured. As true for a common man...as it is for a queen." He finished, and Antea smiled up at him.

"I love Duny, Mother. I will marry him. I will finally be free." Pavetta spoke.

Geralt looked at the woman next to him once more, with blood on her face and hands, she was truly beautiful. And he knew, despite being raised to be cold and heartless, that he cared about her. 

Calanthe gave her sword to Eist, then went to Duny, pulling him closer, like a hug. "Here is your destiny."She whispered, and everyone soon realised that the queen had a dagger in her hand, ready to stab Duny in the throat. 

"NOO ! Pavetta screamed, sending everyone flying backwards towards the walls. Geralt's back hit a column and he stopped Antea from hitting against it by holding her to his chest. Antea let out a wail as her wolf companion hit against the wall next to them. 

Pavetta began chanting Elder while levitating herself and the Urcheon off the ground, a huge barrier of wind surrounding them. 

"Antea, are you hurt?" Geralt shouted over the wind and she nodded. 

"Don't worry about me, stop them!" She screamed back, her black hair whipping in the wind and her hand reaching out to her hound, who was limping towards her. 

"I will be fine, Geralt. Go." Antea spoke, and he nodded, struggling to pull out a vile, and downing it. Jaskier appeared next to them, and took Antea's arm. Geralt nodded at him, then ducked into the circle of magic. He and Mousesack combined their efforts, pulsating magic at the barrier - and broke it.
"Do you believe in Destiny now? Eist asks the Queen. 

Calanthe stood up and kissed Pavetta. "I thought your grandmother's gift had skipped you...just like it did to me. Seems I was wrong. About so many things." The queen turned to the banquet hall. "Destiny has spoken! And I have listened. The law of surprise will be honoured. Pavetta will marry...Lord Urcheon." 

"React badly and you won't just face the Lioness, you'll face the Sea hounds of Skellige. Because Queen Calanthe has... accepted my marriage proposal." The two were smiling at each other.

Geralt made his way over to Jaskier and Antea, giving her hound a pet before embracing her, cupping her face with one hand, and noticing Jaskier's grin.

"Shut up." He grunted, and Jaskier raised his hands defensively.

 "There will be two vows here tonight! I assume that's agreeable." Queen Calanthe watched her guests. The guests were all nodding. 

"Delightful." She breathed out.