"Geralt, there's an elf at my tavern crying his eyes out and drinking all the alcohol. I recognise him, he was with you before so I'd appreciate if you could talk to him and get him to leave? He's driving away customers," Dandelion said.
Geralt raised an eyebrow. "Was he the one who stayed at the Ruby Suite?"
"Yes, the very same elf," he said.
At the tavern...
"Geralt, if I told you my feelings, would you make everything right?" Avallac'h said.
"This has something to do with Ciri?" Geralt asked.
"It has everything to do with Ciri. I told her I loved her, but she rejected me." Avallac'h took a swig of his drink. "I don't want to live any more." He burst into tears, lying his head on the table next to bottles of alcohol.
This is worse than I expected, Geralt thought to himself.
"Come, let's get you to bed." He slung Avallac'h's arm on his shoulder and managed to drag the elf to his room.
Inside, the room was a mess. Papers strewn all over the floors, hand drawn pictures of Ciri. It was unmistakably her this time, Avallac'h drew her with her scar. Geralt dumped Avallac'h on the bed, he was already snoring.
Geralt settled himself on an armchair and meditated until morning.
Next morning...
"Geralt. Was it you who brought me to my room?" Avallac'h asked.
"Mhmm," he replied.
"If not for your presence this morning, I would've thought my meeting you last night was a dream. What brings you here?" Avallac'h asked.
"You're driving away customers. The tavern owner called me for help," Geralt said.
Avallac'h's pale cheeks colored in embarrassment. "My apologies to the tavern owner."
"You said something about Ciri rejecting your love?" Geralt asked.
"Yes," he said simply.
"Why did she reject you?" Geralt asked.
"The she elf you met, I was going to dismiss her earlier because I've already ended my relationship with her. I swear that I have not bedded the she elf ever since my feelings for Zireael. But we had more important matters to settle so I didn't think... I didn't mean to keep this a secret from Zireael. Now she will not trust me nor will she forgive me." Avallac'h stared into the distance.
"Hmm. I feel like you're telling the truth," Geralt said.
"Thank you for believing me," Avallac'h said.
"So you're just going to let the one you love go, just like that?" He asked.
"She's already gone," Avallac'h replied.
"Huh. No wonder you lost Lara," Geralt said.
"I didn't lose Lara. Cregannan didn't steal her from me because she never loved me in the first place," Avallac'h replied. "I was just too proud to accept her rejection and chose to blame her lover."
"What about Ciri? She loves you, you know," Geralt said.
"You knew?" Avallac'h asked. "She said something about a female lover too."
"It was plain to see. The way she spoke highly of you, trusted you when no one else did. And after we came back from your lab, I could see the jealousy and betrayal in her eyes," he said. "And I think she was just bringing up a past lover to hurt you."
"So what do you suppose I do? It all seems so hopeless," Avallac'h said.
"Well for a start, you can stop moping around and drinking yourself to death. Yennefer did not fight to keep you alive just for you to kill yourself," Geralt said sternly.
"Ah. Lady Yennefer. I owe her my life. I hope things with you and her are well," Avallac'h said. "Thank you for coming here and talking to me."
"I just want Ciri to be happy, that's all," Geralt said.
"And Geralt? One more thing. I don't hate your kind anymore. It would be hypocritical of me to love Zireael yet continue to hate her kind. The humans I've met, you especially, have been nothing but honorable. I am humbled in your company," Avallac'h said.
Geralt smiled and gave Avallac'h's shoulder a pat. "There's hope for you yet. I would never have expected the Avallac'h I met earlier to say such words. You've definitely changed for the better."
Meanwhile...
Ciri was passing through a village and there was a wedding going on. Seeing the happy couple, she felt a twinge in her chest.
Stupid Avallac'h, she fumed internally. But the truth was, she was afraid. Mistle was dead. Every guy who tried to bed her ended up dead. Hjalmar wasn't but they were too young before they got separated.
Somehow, she had drifted forwards with the crowd. Without thinking, she caught the thing flying towards her. It turned out to be a bouquet of flowers.
Cheers and people congratulating her. Ciri stood dumbfounded and tried to return the bouquet to the bride.
"Here's your flowers," she said.
"Oh no, that's an extra bouquet. You're supposed to keep it," the bride said. "Whoever catches it will be the next one to marry."
Ciri smiled. "Perhaps this bouquet will prove lucky after all."
...
By the end of the feast, there were several men interested in her. Her head was spinning and she regretted drinking so much.
They were getting a little too friendly with her. Ciri cursed inwardly. She didn't want to cause a scene but they were forcing her to act.
She pretended to be drunker than she really was, looping her arm around the nearest guy's neck... before she grasped him in a chokehold, her other arm drawing out her sword. The guys promptly ran for their lives. She released the guy from her hold and he ran after the others.
How she wished Skjall was still around. He wasn't the hottest guy around but he had a good heart.
Was she cursed, perhaps? She would've asked Avallac'h... no, she wouldn't meet with him. Perhaps Yennefer could help.
...
"Yennefer, I want to ask if you're able to detect any curse on me?" Ciri asked.
"A curse? What sort of curse? There aren't any outward signs of a curse on you, Ciri, but if you tell me the symptoms, maybe I can identify it for you," Yennefer said.
"I..." Ciri was too embarrassed to meet Yennefer's concerned gaze. She looked elsewhere and her eye fell on the drawings on the table. They looked awfully familiar. "Avallac'h? He's here?"
"Dandelion came the other day. Said Avallac'h was causing a nuisance at his tavern. Geralt brought him here instead," Yennefer replied.
"Geralt did what?! Where are they?" She asked.
"Outside. Geralt's been training him. I think he misses you so he's relishing having a new student," Yennefer smiled.