Songs of Fire °Jaskier, The Witcher

°0.7°

0.7 |My Julian|

VALERIA FELT RIDICULOUS. The dress she was wearing felt too revealing. She had no choice in what to wear to this banquet since the bard had already chosen the blue dress.
"I look ridiculous."
She glared down at the blue fabric barely covering her chest.
"You look fine."
Her glare shifted from her dress to the bard. She looked far from fine.
"You better pay me well after tonight."

Just a few more hours and she'd be in court again, inside a castle, surrounded by noble lords and ladies. She barely remembered the time she had to attend banquets as a princess.
How would she be if she had grown up like the princess she was supposed to be? Would she still have Rhenvys? Would she even be this caring about the low folk?
"You alright there?"
She sighed and turned around to face Jaskier with a fake smile.
"I'm wearing the most ridiculous thing I've ever seen and I have to pretend a whole night to be your wife. How could I possibly be alright?"

Valeria eyed the lute in Jaskier's hands.
"So do you get nervous for these sort of things?"
The bard shook his head.
"Not really no. This is what I enjoy doing."

"Hmm." was all the woman replied. She looked back down at her dress again with a sigh. God, she hated this thing. Yes, blue was a favourite of hers but not like this.
A soft melody could be heard from behind her, signaling the bard practicing on his lute.
"So, will you take requests on this lovely evening?"
Valeria faced the man sitting behind her with a smile.
His hands stopped moving over the strings of his lute.
"I might."

Geralt came walking in the room, looking as irritated as Valeria with his new set of clothes.
"Can I request you to shut up then?"
Valeria let out a loud laugh after Geralt's comment.
She walked towards the witcher. Her hands found her way to his hair. Standing on her toes, the woman tried to fix the loose white strands of hair, much to Geralt's dislike. He tried to swap her hands away with low grunts.
"Ohw, stop your complaining. Your hair looks ridiculous. Now hold stil and let me fix it!"

***

The trio arrived at Cintra. Geralt seemed to hate going to this event just as much as Valeria.
Walking side by side with Jaskier, and their arms linked, they looked like a convincing couple. Geralt was on the other side of the bard.
"Right, so stick close to me, look mean and pretend you're a mute. As for you, Valeria, tonight you'll be Valerie Pankratz, my dashing wife. Can't have anyone finding out who you two are."
The woman chuckled softly and muttered to herself, "Valerie, how original."

Valeria jumped when a bearded man not too far away from them shouted, "Geralt of Rivia, the mighty Witcher!"
Valeria eyed the two man beside her.
"Well, there goes that plan."
The unknown man approached the trio.
"I haven't seen you since the plague."

"Good times, Mousesack."
Valeria frowned and turned to Jaskier.
"What kind of name is Mousesack?" she whispered with an amused smile.
The man called Mousesack let out a laugh. "I've missed your sour complexion. I feared this would be a dull affair, but now the White Wolf is here, perhaps all is not lost."
Mousesack had his hands on Geralt's muscled arms and looked disapproving at his choice of clothes.
"Why are you dressed like a sad silk trader?"
Valeria had to press her mouth shut in order not to laugh seeing Geralt glare at the bard. Even Mousesack looked judgingly at Jaskier before pulling the Witcher along with him.
"That went well. Everything is going just as planned," Valeria stated sarcastically.
S

he let go of Jaskier's arm who gave a fake laugh at her comment.
With a sigh the bard walked further into the room, Valeria following closely behind.
"Oh, don't start worrying now. I'm certain the rest of the night will go just fine."
The bard took his lute in his hands and gazed around the crowded room.
"I hope you're right, Val."
Her eyebrows raised and she crossed her arms.
"Val?"
The bard nodded while his attention was still on the crowd behind Valeria.
"Since I can't call you by your real name tonight, I'll just have to call you that."

"Fine, I'm going to get myself something to drink. Don't start any trouble while I'm away," she turned to walked away. She stopped abruptly and turned back around with a grin, "I'll be right back, my Julian."
She dramatically spoke the last sentence and strolled off with a small smile.

Valeria now stood alone in the crowded room with a cup of wine in her hands. The feeling of being back at court surprisingly didn't feel that uncomfortable. It might have helped that she was a guest this time instead of a slave.
"What does a fair maiden like you, do on her own?"
Valeria rolled her eyes, hearing the voice behind her. Putting on a fake smile she turned around to the unknown lord.
"I'm here to support my husband, thank you very much."
The woman took a sip of her wine while looking up at the unknown man.
"And who might that be?"
Her eyes turned to Jaskier on the other side of the room.
"He's the one that will be performing tonight."
She nodded her head towards Jaskier's direction.
"That is your husband?"
Valeria gripped her goblet tighter when the man mockingly laughed at the bard. Her fake smile got replaced with a glare.
"Is there something wrong with him?" she whispered angrily.
With a small smirk, the lord turned back to her.
"Ofcourse not," he still sounded as if he was mocking Jaskier. Her Jaskier, or well for tonight he was hers.
"If you will excuse me."
Her blood was boiling. How dare he insult her friend. She walked away from him, but not before accidentally spilling all the contents of her cup over the man.

Her eyes widened when she saw a small, rather plumb, man with Jaskier. He did not seem happy at all.
Geralt silently had joined her side and together they approached the bard and the seething lord.
"Drop your trousers."
Valeria couldn't deny it was highly amusing to see the bard look up at the man in confusion.
"What?"

"I didn't get a proper look at the little shit's face, but that pimply are I'd remember anywhere."
Valeria nudged Geralt's side.
"Should we really intervene? This is quite amusing."
An amused smile graced the Witcher's face. He shook his head.
"If only we could."
Both of them neared the panicking bard.
"Well... Uh, uh.. Ah, Geralt, Valerie, my sweet wife."
To her dismay, she stepped forward and laced her arm with his.
"My Julian."
Good lords, she never knew she was this good at acting.
Geralt put his hand on the lord's shoulder.
"Forgive me, my lord. This happens all the time. It's true, he has the face of a cad and a coward." Valeria tried her hardest to surpress a laugh seeing Jaskier's offended expression.
"But, truth be known, he was kicked in the balls by an ox as a child."
Jaskier was about to protest but Valeria pinched his arm.
She layed her hand on his chest and looked saddened towards the lord.
"It is true. My dear husband has suffered greatly but I just couldn't leave him alone."

The man looked surprised and confused. In his state of shock he pulled a coin from his pockets.
"Apologies," he layed the coin in Jaskier's hand, "Here, drown your sorrows on me, eunuch."
The man turned to look at Valeria.
"And you are so kind for staying with him."
Valeria nodded with a fake smile and watched the man walk away in embarrassment. She let go of Jaskier and he lifted his hands up in frustration.
"Oh, wow. Thank you. Thank you so much. First of all, you hog all the fanfare, then you go and ruin my courtly reputation."
His hands rested on his hips.

"I saved your life. You're on your own from here on. Try not to get any daggers in your back before dawn."
Geralt started to walk away and Valeria shouted out to him.
"Wait for me!"
She quickly followed the Witcher, leaving behind the bard. When she caught up to him she leaned towards him.
"I'd rather not spent too much time with him."
Geralt eyed her from the corners of his eyes.
"Yeah, right."