enticing {𝖌𝖊𝖗𝖆𝖑𝖙 𝖔𝖋 𝖗𝖎𝖛𝖎𝖆}

chapter three

"Heaven has no rage like love to hatred turned, nor hell a fury like a woman scorned."

-William Congreve

IT HAD BEEN A WEEK, AND AMELIA HAD NOT SLEPT ONCE.  She didn't feel the need to, but it made the days without Geralt longer. Her legs seemed to know her commands, but she still had to walk with a cane.

This morning, Amelia went to the Grand Old Tree, where the curse was written many eons ago, but now all that was there was un-touched bark. Amelia smiled as she ran her fingers over the wood, thinking about her adventures.

"Do you never sleep?" An unknown voice asked behind her. Amelia stood, leaning on her cane, but brought out a dagger and stood in a defensive position. 

"Who are you? They don't call me a butcher for no reason, I'll remind you."

"I'm a friend," The voice stepped out of the darkness. It was a tall man with dark hair and green eyes. He looked like a knight from a kingdom she didn't recognize. "I knew your father."

"Yeah, a lot of people knew my father, big shot," Amelia said sarcastically and the man laughed, a smooth smile on his face.

"I only am a friend, Your Majesty. I come here to clear my mind, just like you." He said, walking past her and going deeper into the garden.

"I'm sorry, who the fuck are you?" Amelia asked and the man smirked.

"My name is Nikolai. I'm a knight for Traven." His eyes dragged over Amelia's body before returning to her eyes. "You must be Princess Amelia."

He tried to kiss her hand, but she gripped his hand and shook it. "I don't let men kiss me without permission, Nikolai."

Nikolai just laughed softly. "My apologies, Your Majesty."

Amelia rolled her eyes and limped into the garden. Anger bubbled into her chest as she heard the knight follow her.

"Did you dream while you were asleep?" He asked and Amelia rolled her eyes again. "I know you've been asked that an impossible amount of times already, but I am genuinely curious."

"Yes, I did dream when I was asleep." She said, looking at the rose bushes nearby. "It was more like reliving the good memories of my life. But it felt like a dream."

"Did it feel like ten years?" Nikolai asked, still following her through the garden.

"No." She replied shortly.

"Did Prince Erik really send fifty men to kill you when you went to Oxenfurt?" He asked again and Amelia's shoulders tensed.

"It was more like thirty."

"What is that amulet hanging from your neck?"

"Christ Almighty!" She whipped around. "Do you always ask this many questions?"

"That's a witcher's amulet." His eyes were glued to Geralt's medallion. "Did you kill one? I heard they are great murders, brutal creatures. Wear the face of a man but are just a hollow shell." 

Amelia's jaw clenched.

"I've only killed one, and he was a tough one. Had to get him in his sleep."

Amelia had never felt this kind of anger before, bubbling rage that made her hands shake. "You killed him while he slept?" Her voice trembled with seething hate.

"Why yes." Nikolai seemed cool and collected, not noticing how enraged Amelia was. "Witchers are foul things, after all. Disgusting mutants."

Everything that Amelia loved about Geralt floated into her head, only fueling her growing hatred for the knight. His bravery, his gentleness, and his near-obsession with doing good. 

"You foul, sick, son of a whore." Amelia seethed, placing the end of her cane on the chest of Nikolai and pushed him back forcefully. "You pathetic bastard. To call you a coward and a cad would be a terrible offense to all cowards and cads!"

"Amelia?" Nathaniel's voice was suddenly beside her, his hands gripping her shoulders.

"Witchers feel, you sad sack of shit!" She yelled, swinging her cane and whacking Nikolai on his jaw with a satisfying crack. Nikolai stumbled back and Nathaniel pulled his sister back before she could do more damage.

"Amelia, tell me what happened," Nathaniel asked, steadily, trying to calm his sister's anger.

"This pathetic man who calls himself a knight of our kingdom killed a witcher in his fucking sleep!" She screeched, her eyes burning with a rage neither man had ever seen so intensely. "He boasts as if he killed a prize boar!"

"What in the gods' name is going on here?" Joseph suddenly was in the royal garden as well. "Hello, Nikolai."

The knight bowed deeply, which was just close enough for Amelia to fling a leg out and connect her foot to his face.

"Amelia!" Joseph exclaimed, taking his sister's face in his hands. "Did he touch you? Did he hurt you?"

"He killed a witcher," Nathaniel muttered to his brother, holding a thrashing Amelia in his arms.

"In his sleep! While he had his guard down because that sack of horse balls couldn't take him as a man." Amelia thrashed in her brother's arms, Nikolai looked purely pissed.

Joseph grimaced as his eyes turned to Nikolai. "Is this true, friend?"

"Friend?!" Amelia tried to lunge again, but her legs gave out and she had to lean on Nathaniel. 

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"You know that killing a man in his sleep is a direct violation of the knight's code?" Joseph asked as Nathaniel gripped onto Amelia, calming her down.

"A witcher is not a man." Nikolai seethed, shooting a glare at Amelia.

"You dare glare at my sister, Niko?" Now Joseph was starting to get angry. "Should I let Prince Nathaniel let her go so she can tear out your eyes?"

"Is that treat your fiance, Amelia?" The way her name slid so easily off of Nikolai's tongue made all there siblings angry. "Your father promised your hand to me in marriage when I was a boy."

The siblings exchanged looks.

Then burst out in side-splitting laughter.