ᴡʜɪᴄʜ ᴡɪᴛᴄʜ (Geralt of Rivia)

x.

ᴡʜɪᴄʜ ᴡɪᴛᴄʜ

ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ: x.

The guests stood there in the darkness, huddled to watch, candles held in hand. Thazina had not left Geralt's side, not clutching so desperately at his hand anymore, but leaning slightly against his side, fearing that her legs would give out at any moment.

Pavetta and Duny were getting married.

Calanthe laid a cloth over their hands. "Pavetta. Duny. With my blessing... I thee bind."

Pavetta smiled up at her mother. Duny took a deep breath, facing his bride, taking her hand and kissing her.

A deep bark sounded from the back of Duny's throat. He jerked forward as Pavetta's eyes went wide with confusion.

He growled sharply as Pavetta let out a gasp, letting him clasp her arm before he toppled forward, laying on the stone floor, growling and groaning.

The crowd watched on, stunned, as he lifted his head, hedgehog quills gone, revealing the face of quite a handsome human man.

Pavetta grinned as he sat up, pulling off his gloves to show his human skin.

She kissed him again, all smiles.

"The twelfth bell has not yet rung," Pavetta noted.

"What has happened?" Calanthe asked.

"I think your blessing of this marriage... has fulfilled a destiny," Mousesack answered as Pavetta kissed Duny again. "The curse has been lifted."

Beside Geralt, the bard let out a breath. "Whew!" He laughed softly, clutching his heart. "I think this has the makings of my greatest ballad yet."

"If you're alive in the morning," Geralt stated. "Don't..." He glanced to his friend and the noblewoman who was currently clutching onto him, "grope for trout in any peculiar rivers until dawn."

Geralt gave Thazina a small nod before he turned to leave, stopping at Duny's words. "No, wait! Wait. You saved my life. I must repay you."

Geralt shrugged. "You've proven yourself to be the kind of man who would do the same. I want nothing."

"No, please. Please, Geralt of Rivia, do not feel like you're doing me a service. I cannot start a new life in the shadow of a life debt."

Geralt gave a small nod, considering. "Fine," he said. "I... claim the tradition as you have, the Law of Surprise. Give me that which you already have but do not know."

"No!" Calanthe stated as Geralt turned once more, prepared to leave. "What have you done, Witcher?"

"Fear not, Your Majesty, if I am seen in your kingdom again, it'll be to kill a real monster, not lay claim to a crop or a new pup. Destiny can go fu- -" Geralt began.

And then Pavetta vomited onto the floor. Duny and Calanthe quickly lowered to her height. "Pavetta?" Calanthe questioned, looking the girl in the eyes. "Are you... Oh..." She looked at Geralt, eyes going wide. Pavetta and Duny seemed to realize as well, looking to the witcher.

Geralt looked around at the stunned faces. "Fuck," he stated.

Then he turned on his heel, leaving without another word, crunching broken glass beneath his feet.

Mousesack was the first to follow, then Thazina.

She waited for Mousesack to finish speaking before she stepped in front of Geralt, blocking his path.

"Your visions didn't show you that, did they?" he asked, a touch of mocking to his voice, though there was no humor in his expression.

"No," she said, her voice strangely weak. "I would have told someone if I'd seen anything like that."

"So what do you want?" he asked. "The same as Mousesack? For me to stay here and bond with whatever child I've just got myself saddled with?"

"I wish you would," she admitted. "But I can't make you. But you've seen now what destiny can do to complete its will. You can hide wherever you wish, but someday, you'll feel the call, and that will be the moment you understand that this child is bound to you."

"Whatever call I may feel can be ignored," he stated, starting to turn away.

She grabbed his arm, pulling him back. "This child will never understand why it feels as though a part of them is missing. You will need to claim your surprise one day, Witcher."

"I don't need to claim shit," he answered. 

Thazina let out a growl at that. "I can endure stubbornness, Geralt of Rivia. Trust me, I've lived with Calanthe for too many years."

He pulled his arm free, looking her up and down. "You're stubborn yourself," he said. "Maybe that's why you've lasted this long."

"And what is that supposed to mean?"

He shook his head, starting to turn away again. "A girl like you can never last here. You're stubborn, but you're soft. Calanthe will drive you insane one of these days."

"As if I'm not already?"

She was smiling softly, goading him on. "All mages are destined to go insane someday," she said. "I'm just hanging on until it happens."

She took a breath. "Farewell, then, Geralt of Rivia. You cannot say this meeting was uneventful."

Tall as she was, she had to stand on her toes as she pressed a kiss to his cheek. As she drew away, their eyes met, blue locked with amber for several, agonizing seconds.

She brought a hand up to brush along his jaw and she kissed him again, this time on the mouth, softly and sweetly and lasting for only a few seconds but it said enough.

Geralt was frozen as she said once more, "Farewell."

"Farewell," he echoed in a faraway voice.

He watched her turn away and return to the great hall. For a few moments, he didn't move.

When he did, it felt a momentous task.