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An hour before Victoria would be sent to Jaskier, the woman was offered time to clean up.
She stood before the bath as it filled completely, staring at the fridges that moved across the water's surface and disappeared. Victoria pulled the strings to her dress loose, before allowing the material to slip from her shoulders and down her waist until it pooled around her ankles.
Victoria stepped into the water and walked to the middle of the large, circular tub. She sank down into the water, before hugging her knees to her chest.
She watched absentmindedly as the ginger entered the room. The woman neared the bath, placing a folded towel on the edge, along with a bottle of liquid soap.
"It's not relaxing if you're not relaxed." She said. Victoria watched through the mirror as she reached out and pinched the pin in her brown hair that held her hair up, and she pulled it loose.
Victoria's long hair fell, disappearing into the water. She hadn't had it down in years.
"Your hair is beautiful, and yet you keep it up." The ginger said as she poured water over her hair.
"My father used to yank at my hair." She explained. "He would wrap it around his hand like it was a handle. . . I've worn it up ever since."
The ginger massaged shampoo into her hair and against her scalp.
"Your father isn't here now," she said. "You should wear it down."
Victoria looked to the woman through the mirror. "I thank you for your kind actions. What is your name?"
The ginger smiled. "Amelda."
"Victoria," she said. "Thank you, Amelda. It's truly unnecessary but appreciated."
Amelda shrugged her shoulders. "I'm no stranger when it comes to helping those. . . Especially you."
"What do you mean?" She asked.
Amelda laughed. "You're a pure soul. Lost, but pure."
Victoria lowered her eyes as Amelda's words sank in.
She was dressed in a fresh set of clothes, being another dress, but a light blue with a grey cloak. Something Amelda said had talked her into wearing her hair down that evening. She didn't even feel like the same person.
She exited the gates to see Triss and Geralt waiting. Victoria couldn't help but stare at Geralt, who watched her as she neared them.
Triss smiled faintly. "Oh, she's a keeper, Geralt."
Victoria looked between the two.
"Your hair's down." Geralt commented. Triss rolled her eyes beside him but stayed silent.
"I'm trying something new." Victoria replied. She looked to Triss, who took a step forward.
"I'm going to create a portal for you. It will take you directly there, right inside of the inn."
Victoria nodded.
Triss turned away, and she lifted her hands. Victoria found herself looking up at Geralt as he walked towards her.
"You can hate me." Geralt said. "I haven't decided yet." She said.
"Hmm," Geralt hummed.
Victoria turned as a portal appeared. She inhaled before walking towards it.
Refusing to look back, she entered the portal.
She was engulfed by light. Wind whipped past her face, and she gasped as she felt the pressure against her bruised cheek.
And then it all came to a stop. Victoria lost her footing, and found herself falling onto her hands and knees inside of the tavern where she met Jaskier.
The room fell instantly as she created an unusual welcoming. The loudness of laughter and conversation died, and all eyes turned to her.
And just like that, Jaskier stood from one of the farthest tables. "Victoria?"
Victoria staggered to her feet and apologized to the man she had landed in front of. She quickly dusted herself off as Jaskier approached her.
The bard scoffed. "I'm glad to see you, but what are you doing here? And where's your bodyguard?"
"Geralt is the one who sent me here." She explained to him. Victoria exhaled as she rubbed her aching elbow. "I have to explain everything, but I would prefer to do it somewhere isolated. . ."
The entire room was still quiet, and all eyes were still focused on her. She cleared her throat and looked to Jaskier, who threw his hands into the air.
"Come off it! You all act as if you haven't seen a pretty woman before!" Jaskier yelled. He shoved the lute player forward, who began to play as Jaskier pulled Victoria towards the inn's exit.
They entered one of the houses on the path, and Jaskier clapped his hands together. "You can stay here while you're here, I can sleep on the floor, something I usually end up doing. But back to you, why are you here?"
Victoria sat down on the bed and sighed.
"My father is King of the Sorcerer's Guild inside of Nilfgaard, a conjoined realm." She said. Jaskier stared at her as his jaw fell agape.
"You. . . You are a Princess?" He asked. "Wow, Geralt really does leave out details."
Victoria shook her head. "My father blamed me for my mother's death, because of what I am. . . And one day, when I could no longer take the abuse and the hatred from my own flesh and blood, I killed my father."
Jaskier stared at her, his jaw still agape.
"I underestimated his power, and although I was already on the run, I discovered that he somehow managed to bring himself back from the dead. . . My father's been after me for the past four months, and last night he tried to find me by trying to possess my mind.
I don't remember it, which is a side effect. But Geralt was there. And he believes that my father saw that I was in Temeria, even though they stopped the possession."
Jaskier wiped his face with the back of his hand. "Wow, that's a lot, okay, um— so, I'm still not entirely sure why you're here, though. I mean, I feel like you'd be a lot safer with Geralt than me. I'm just a lonely bard who carries about a lute as if it's my child."
"He will believe I'm still in Temeria, and he won't know where I actually am." She said. "So, Jaskier, it seems that you're stuck with me."
Jaskier shrugged as he shot up to his feet. "Well, princess, let's make your stay worth time and remembrance. How about a beer, maybe some celebration?"
Victoria pursed her lips as she rejected his offer nicely. "As nice as that'd be, I'm really tired. I think traveling here by portal messed with my head."
"Huh," he said. "Maybe like a motion fatigue or something. But all right. Make yourself at home, I'll be back in a while."
Victoria smiled at him. "Thank you, Jaskier. Really. This was thrown at me suddenly, and I can't thank you enough."
Jaskier smiled. "You're a friend, Victoria. And also, I know Geralt will rip off my penis and feed it to the goats if anything happens." He said, slipping out the door. He peeked his head back in with a final farewell. "Goodnight!"
Victoria shook her head and laughed quietly to herself.
