ᴡʜɪᴄʜ ᴡɪᴛᴄʜ (Geralt of Rivia)

ᴠɪɪɪ.

ᴡʜɪᴄʜ ᴡɪᴛᴄʜ

ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ: ᴠɪɪɪ.

All eyes fell to the scene.

"Forgive my late intrusion, Your Majesty," the knight said, "and for the misunderstanding with your guards." He turned, raising a hand as the guards started to advance on him. "Please! I come in peace." Looking toward Calanthe, he urged, "I need but one moment of your time."

He lowered down to one knee. "I am Lord Urcheon of Erlenwald, and I have come to claim your daughter's hand in marriage."

Pavetta's eyes were terribly wide.

Calanthe took a deep breath. "A knight... of no renown... from a backwater hamlet... who dares to enter my court without revealing his face?"

"I apologize, Your Majesty," Lord Urcheon said. "A knight's oath prevents me from revealing my face until the sounding of the twelfth bell."

"Bollocks to that," Eist declared, making his way over, pulling the helm from the man's head, jerking back sharply as he came to a realization.

A man, certainly, but wrong. With spikes like a hedgehog and a pointed nose like one too.

Geralt leaned forward in his seat.

Lord Urcheon rose slowly to his feet, looking around at all the eyes that had fallen on him.

"Witcher..." Calanthe said, her words weak, "kill it."

"No," Geralt said firmly.

"Whatever the price."

"This is no monster."

"I order you."

"Calanthe," Thazina snapped, eyes locking on the queen, a sternness taking over her expression that Calanthe had not seen since she was a child.

"This knight has been cursed," Geralt said.

"You're as useless as the rest of them," Calanthe answered. She looked to Thazina. "The both of you."

And then her voice rose to a shout as she pointed at the poor, cursed knight in the middle of the hall. "Slay this beast!"

The guards ran at him. Pavetta was shaking in her seat, tears in her eyes.

Lord Urcheon caught the arm of the man closest to him, giving the man two hard punches to the face.

The others backed away as he drew his sword, pointing it at Calanthe, speaking firmly. "Lioness of Cintra, I come to claim what is rightfully mine! Pavetta. By the Law of Surprise."