To Thaw A Frozen Heart

~ chapter 25 ~

*smut warning* - at the end

The queen smiled at her daughter. "Pavetta. Duny. With my blessing...I thee bind."

She wrapped a blue scarf around their intertwined hands. The newlyweds embraced and kissed, and then Duny fell to the floor, moaning.

Antea went to help, but Geralt stopped her as Duny reverted to human form. "The twelfth bell has not yet rung..."

Calanthe looked shocked. "What"s happened?"

"I think your blessing of this marriage...fulfilled a destiny. The curse has been lifted." Antea spoke, letting out a breath of disbelief.

"Whew! I think this has the makings of my greatest ballad yet." Jaskier bragged.

"If you're alive in the morning. Don't... grope for trout in particular rivers until dawn." Geralt growled, pressing his hand to Amelia's wound in her side - how she got it, he didn't know. The trio made their way towards the exit

"No, wait! Hold on. You saved my life. I must repay you." Duny exclaimed and Geralt just looked at him.

"You have proven that you are the kind of man who would do the same." Geralt shrugged. "I do not want anything."

"No, please. Please, Geralt of Rivia, don't feel like you're doing me a service. I can't start a new life in the shadow of debt at life."

"Fine. I..." Geralt shook his head and lifted a shoulder nonchalantly. "Claim the tradition as you have it, the law of surprise. Give me what you already have, but don't know."

"No ! What have you done... Witcher?" The queen shouted and Geralt just dismissed her.

"Fear not, Your Majesty, if I'm seen in your kingdom again, it will be to kill a real monster, not claim a crop or a new pup. Destiny can go fu-" Geralt's sentence was cut off by Pavetta vomiting on the floor.

"Pavetta? Are you...? Oh..." The queen grabbed her daughter's chin and Antea's stomach sank.

"Fuck." Geralt grunted.

"Oh, my Gods..."  Antea muttered, looking at Geralt. "Geralt, you have to stay. You must be with this child."

He shook his head. "My place is with you." He said, shocking both of them into silence.

"Geralt." Antea gripped his arm, and knotted her brows together. He didn't look at her and kept walking.

Mousesack caught up with the two. "You are bound to it now, Geralt. Whether you like it or not." He spoke urgently.

"I'm not for changing. You know me better than that." Geralt said to Mousesack, bringing Antea closer to him.

"Antea is hurt, and I have to take care of her."

"Yes, I do, but you can't outrun destiny just because you're terrified of it. It's coming, Geralt. Not believing won't change that." Mousesack pleaded and Antea looked desperately to Geralt.

"Mousesack is right." She reasoned,

"Bullshit. She was just a girl who used her magic to stop her mother from gutting her lover. Nothing more." Geralt denied.

"So you say, but the bond that will come into being between you and this child when it is born will be... extraordinary. If you dismiss it, leave without claiming this... childish surprise, you will surely unleash a true calamity upon us all."

"I'll take that chance. Take care. True words are rare birds in courts like this. Watch for daggers in your back. Or, more likely, poison. Be careful, old friend." Geralt said farewell, then left towards the nearest inn.