Chapter 7: Trials of the Heart
June 8, 1274...Kovir.
It was mid-morning when Margarita made a house call to check on Triss, but to her surprise the sorceress had already awakened from the night before and was already on her feet. The others had advised her to stay in bed for another day, but Triss refused. She was anxious to leave the house and wanted nothing more than to spend more time with her witcher, alone, but Margarita's stern protests convinced her to rest the day away. Triss had been sitting alone at the table as Margarita discussed her plans for administering the cure with Keira by the fireplace. Moments later, when Geralt approached and entered into the parlor, she invited him to sit at her side while Margarita and Keira privately discussed their agenda.
"Could you get us more wine from the cellar?" Triss asked, then she took the witcher's hand and stood. "I'll come with you, watching those two speak so quietly is only making me more anxious."
"In the mood for anything specific?" He replied.
"Something witcherly pleasant." The sorceress answered, as they slipped away to the kitchen and down into the cellar.
Geralt lit the lantern hanging on the wall to give them more light The shelves held bottles of wine with no particular arrangement. Geralt took two bottles of Est Est, then the enchantress took a third and their last bottle of Sansretour pinot noir. She blew the dust from the old marking, then gestured him over.
"What do you have there?"
"Est Est." He mumbled.
"Why didn't you get us a bottle of Erveluce? You love that wine...nevermind, I have the remnants of the last bottle we drank upstairs, I'll pour you a glass of that." Triss whispered, as they climbed up the creaky stairs into the kitchen.
She handed the witcher three wine goblets made of silver, then gestured to a large mug. He nodded and she took it, strolling to the counter to prepare an arrangement of fruits. Triss placed a wooden bowl on a silver tray, mixing strawberries, blueberries, sweet grapes and raspberries. She surrounded the fruit bowl, adding four each of bananas, apples, and peaches. A small tray contained a second mixture of dried fruit and nuts. Together, they carried the tray, wines, and goblets, then placed them on the dining table.
The enchantress walked to the wine rack sitting beside the window. She took an already opened bottle of Erveluce, then held the wall and hunched forward. Geralt closed the short distance from the table to the wine rack where she stood without thinking.
"What's wrong?" She felt his hand on her back.
"Feel a bit faint...just tired. Come, let's sit. We'll have to join them soon."
"Erveluce 1270, old." He mumbled.
"Not that old, Geralt." She replied. "Will you sit with me when I speak to Keira and Rita about our treatment? I want you by my side when I talk to them."
"Mmhmm, this concerns the both of us, so it's only fair. Besides, I want to hear what they have to say." He answered.
The enchantress' body needed time to recover from her ordeal and Margarita still needed a few more days to get the last ingredient before they could proceed. During her research, she had learned about a particular herb she could use to make the remedy less toxic yet more potent and effective. As fortune would have it, the location of the herbalist also took her close to the northern regions of Kovir where she had visited during her trip to Pont Vanis. Both sorceresses sat by the fireplace and continued their discussion, at times becoming tense as Keira voiced her concerns for Triss' safety. To ensure the sorceress' body would tolerate the medicine, she had modified the ingredients in the potion given to the witcher in Flotsam by the alchemists Gaspar and Farid.
The new brew would be administered with a second remedy developed by the enchantress Keira Metz to speed Triss' metabolism during treatment sessions. Imbibe, both medicines would act upon the sorceress' body, though it's effect was of great concern Margarita hoped, it's generative properties would mend the sorceress's reproductive system. Though there were no guarantees, they were hopeful the treatment would bear some fruit. They weighed each obstacle, pondering the witcher's body and its ability to quickly heal, as a concern. Because of the witcher's mutations caused by the Trial of the Grasses, Margarita was unsure if the medicine would take hold on him. All witchers' accelerated metabolism meant potions for their kind had to be much stronger than those administered to others. After a long and tense conversation with her sister, Margarita invited the lovers to join them.
"Do you think it'll work?" Triss whispered, concerned as they both rose from their seats and moved to where the sorceresses sat.
"Been years since the trials, reversing a witcher's sterility won't be easy. It could be painful." Geralt said. He massage the back of his neck, then took her by her hands, grabbed her waist and pulled her closer to him, "Don't worry, it'll be fine. We should see what they have to say."
"I've never really thought about having children, I mean, in fleeting I've wondered what my child would look like, if I could ever have one...but, it was never my dream until you asked me. Now it seems I want nothing more than to give you this child and be with you." She whispered as they walked to join the others.
"Stop worrying yourself, Triss."
"Alright, I'll try." She mumbled, as her expression hardened.
"Hmm." Geralt grunted. His reaction was to her mood, as he pulled out the bench for the sorceress.
"Could you fetch us some wine, witcher?" Keira asked him, as Triss used her magic to set the tray of fruits she'd had prepared and made it appear on the table surface before them.
"I'm not your servant." He muttered.
"No, love, but you are our host, are you not?" The sorceress laughed, "So serious...I'm only teasing you, Geralt."
He sat opposite both sorceresses, while Triss, still anxious and apprehensive, nestled herself next to him, anticipating the news to follow. Margarita and Keira were sure the new potion would have some success on the sorceress, however they could not be certain or foresee the ramification. With powerful magic, they planned to advance the healing process and if successful, the remedy would restore her ability to have children, though they were certain it would not be permanent. Triss stood, but Geralt pressed on her thigh, forcing her to sit back down.
"I'll get the wine." He mumbled, then stood and walked to the dining table.
He took two bottles of wine, then grabbed the three goblets by their stems and returned to the parlor where the sorceresses sat. Triss had followed, she held the opened bottle of Erveluce and a fourth goblet. She placed it where the witcher would sit, then poured him a drink as he opened a bottle of Est Est and poured for the sorceress Keira Metz. Margarita Laux-Antille placed her hand over the rim of her goblet, nudging her head towards the bottle of Sansretour pinot noir. Geralt frowned and the enchantresses chuckled. He opened and bottle and poured the sorceress a goblet, then calmly took his seat.
"Shall we begin this soiree?" Keira asked.
"Hardly a soiree, but let's." Triss mumbled, though the sorceress' question needed no response, it was merely a courtesy.
"Anxious are we?" Keira smirked, then pushed herself off the table and sat upright.
"Alright, we all know the reason for this meeting; Triss and her lover here wants a child of their own and it's never been done before." Margarita said, staring intently at the pair. "We've already tried to dissuade her, but her love for this witcher clouds her judgment."
"We need to make sure our lovebirds are safe during the treatment, so we plan to use magic too, and lots of it, to ensure this works." Keira added.
"Any moment now and they'll notice we're sitting right here...Maybe I should pour another drink like a servant boy." Geralt muttered, then shifted his body and gazed at Triss. He expected a lecture, but the enchantress gave him an amused smile.
"Did you hear something, sister? I thought I heard a bit of sarcasm and a whine." Keira teased, sipping from her goblet. "Sorry, witcher, we weren't listening, could you repeat that?"
"Of course. I said, go plough…"
"Geralt…" Triss interrupted and he paused, tensing his body and clenching his jaw.
"Stop trying to provoke him, Keira." Margarita said. She stared then placed her goblet on the table and slid it forward. "Could you pour me another drink, witcher?"
Triss smiled, then touched the witcher's chin. She jerked his head towards hers and kissed his skin. His low shaven beard tickled her mouth as the sorceress nibbled on the edge of his lips. "They're just teasing...alright, you've had your fun, sisters. I won't allow you to amuse yourselves at his expense."
"Pish posh, it's just a bit of fun."
"Forgive us, Geralt, I could not help myself, your reaction to Keira was tempting." The Lady Margarita gave a chuckle and a half-shrug. "Tell me again, witcher, why do you want this child so badly? You ask her to risk much, knowing Triss could never bring herself to say no…"
"Rita, don't..."
"Why not?!" The sorceress replied, then gave the witcher an unpleasant glare. "You know our concerns, but Geralt should be aware of them as well."
"We know the risks, but I am not changing my mind, so don't try to pressure him. It won't work. He'll give me what I ask."
"The little girl in our dreams." Geralt said suddenly, then placed both hands on the table. "She's ours."
"Your dreams? What 'little girl'?" Margarita asked She glared over the rim of her goblet at them.
"Can't explain it, but I feel it." Geralt said. He took a long breath, cocked his head, all the while his eyes had shifted as he gazed at Triss while speaking. "You ever wanted something so much, and you know only one person could give it to you? You see everything you've wanted, when you look at them?
"No." Margata answered calmly.
"Hmm. I know I'm just a witcher, a freak to most. A pitchfork to the gut, griffin's claw to the back, seeing a man impaled by a Leshen, will makes any witcher think about life on the path..." He nodded, then canted his head. "...but a woman like Triss, waiting at home, makes me believe someday I could die old in my own bed. I'll take that fate over a lonely death, but I'm not willing to lose what I have now for what could be..."
"I can't dictate terms to you, witcher, but your lover listens to you. Whatever your choice, it will be painful to you both."
Geralt shied his gaze and she knew his words were hers alone. 'Triss?' He said and his thoughts became as loud as his spoken words. The manner in which he'd called her name stirred her heart.
"Yes." She answered aloud.
'I see what I've wanted every time I look at you.' Geralt continued. She'd listened only to what the witcher had shared, then he lifted his eyes to the sudden silence, as Margarita fixed her gaze on them. "Don't intrude on our private conversation, don't try to read my mind."
"Eh, I shan't read your thoughts, it's rude and intrusive. Although I am curious…" Margarita replied, then placed her goblet to her lips once more.
"Well, I for one vote we move on, shall we?" Keira interrupted the conversation with a snap of her finger. She gazed at the curtains moving as the slight breeze entered, "We're to brew a potion specially for your woman. She's less tolerant, so we must administer it in small doses."
"Triss will drink it. Don't worry, it's a far less toxic mixture of the medicine you'll be drinking."
"Toxic to him? No, we have to make it safer!" Triss replied. "You must."
"'Must', she says. Well, it isn't so simple, sorceress." Margarita answered in a stale voice. "His body can tolerate and he requires a more potent brew to reverse his mutation."
"And me?"
"As for you, Keira and I will use magic to stabilize your body before you develop any permanent negative reaction to it." Margarita said, gazing at the sorceress' response, then Geralt's, her eyes never straying from them.
"What do we do during all of this?" Triss whispered. Her voice was soft, yet she showed no hesitation.
"You'll try your very best not to do anything stupid or risky! Your body will go through a great many changes during the process and you may momentarily lose the ability to wield your magic. So, no traveling through portals or casting spells, even the most basic of them. Externally, you'll see no change, but you'll certainly feel different, you'll feel ill and exhausted, for starters." Margarita answered harshly. "Forgive me, I am concerned for you."
"And Geralt?" Triss asked. She turned her head and met the witcher's gaze.
"Are you deaf? Eh, you care not for yourself...his mutation means his body can handle the medicine better than your, but we'll still have to monitor him closely to ensure nothing goes wrong." Keira said. She shoved her hair back and away from her face, then set her gown. "Even witcher's feel pain. They're more tolerant, but he isn't immune to it. You could save him the agony and…"
"Keira..."
"I'm teasing, love. Rita is right, however, and I do have my concerns." Keira replied, her eyes were on Geralt. She tried to draw a response, but the witcher held a steely gaze.
"And you've made them very clear, but this is what we've decided ...it's what we want."
"We? Or do you mean you, witcher?"
"Yes, we." Geralt muttered.
"Fine then...I've never seen a pair more dense..." Margarita asserted. She shrugged her shoulders then smiled. "It won't be easy and I don't have to remind you how dangerous this all is. You're foolish, you risk too much for this man!"
"No, sister I'm risking it all for us. I'm aware of the danger, but there's no turning back, we have to see this through." Triss replied. Her mannerism was convincing enough and settled the matter.
As the meeting progressed, Geralt said nothing else. The look in the witcher's eyes had said it all. It was clear to Triss and the other sorceresses as he wore his concerns for her safety, on his face. She sensed and felt his tension, then reassured him with a gentle rub of his hand and fingers. There was a long awkward silence as everyone pondered what to say next, and when Geralt begun to speak. Margarita lifted her eyes to listen when he turned his gaze to Triss once more, though the witcher did not make eye contact. He'd reserved his hard stare for the sorceresses Keira Metz and Margarita Laux-Antille.
"Will her life be in danger at any point during this?" He asked, his voice was dry, commanding, then he stared at Triss and waited.
"I can't give you a definitive 'no', witcher, the remedy and magic we use to stabilize her body may cause her magic to run a riot. There are so many factors...the changes she undergoes may also have unforeseen consequences we're not yet privy to." Keira answered.
"Again, I strongly recommend Triss refrain from casting magic until we're able to determine the full effects from the treatment. Geralt, you must speak with her. Your woman is stubborn. Stop her from taking such unnecessary risks, or the consequences may be more than he or you are willing to pay, sorceress." Margarita said, repeating her previous warning.
'Geralt, listen to me. I know what you're thinking, but we have to try, we need to try.' The sorceress drew him to her thoughts.
'You know I hate seeing you in danger, now I'm placing you in danger.'
'No, Geralt you aren't, don't say that. You've given us a chance at something special...something we weren't meant to have.' Triss replied, knowing Keira and Margarita had begun to listen to their private thoughts. She held his bearded face, pulling him closer to her, then clenched her hand into a fist and lightly nudged his chest.
"So much time wasted..."
"Do you intend to make me cry in front of them?" She whispered. Geralt took her by the waist and held her there, and the enchantress' head came to rest on him.
"We're all in agreement, then?" Keira asked.
"I'll be absent for a week, but I'll have the first treatment ready upon my return. I must retrieve a specific ingredients from a herbalist in the east and attend to my personal matters." Margarita mumbled, then raised herself from the table.
"Thank you, sisters." Triss nodded.
"Don't thank us yet, Triss. If we fail, you and Geralt could be injured, perhaps even disfigured. You must do everything we ask, there's no room for your pride." Margarita said, then she turn toward them.
"I understand." Triss whispered.
"Don't look so dreary, Geralt, your woman will be fine. We'll see to it." Keira whispered, straying her gaze to the witcher and then back to Triss.
***][***
Later that Day...
The afternoon was cool and the leaves on the trees were yellow; all signs of the coming winter. Triss had returned to bed so she could rest. Everything in her life had fallen into place, but Tancred's court was another matter. Keira had agreed to aid Triss in fully reestablishing the Council and Conclave and, in one week henceforth, the sorceresses would begin treatment for the lovers' sterility so she could give her witcher a child. The war in the north had suddenly become the discussion of the royal court as the news spread that Tancred's support for the mages had angered the Redanian king. Throughout the day, Triss received the news from the dispatches that had arrived from the sorceress Evelyne, and Keira filled in the rest.
As he had done each morning, the witcher Lambert retreated deep into the mountains to hone his swordplay, leaving his sorceress Keira Metz alone. She sat beneath the large tree across the yard gazing over the countryside and occasionally glancing at the mountain trails, waiting for his return. With his sorceress resting, Geralt had hoped to use the time alone to meditate. As he emerged from their manor, he noticed Keira sitting alone in a daydream. The sorceress was oblivious to his presence, her hair blew with the wind towards him, as she raised her hand to pull the strands from her face. When the soft breeze died, her blond tresses fell to their rightful place across her neck and back, softly curling along their ends. Geralt cautiously made his way towards her, then paused before interrupting the sorceress' silence. He'd sought to thank her, as her actions along with Margarita's had saved Triss. The witcher knew he was indebted to them.
"Can I sit?" He mumbled.
"Dammit, Geralt, you startled me! Of course you can sit." Keira Metz answered, then she caressed her dress and scooted over. She threw him her famous gaze and a soft smile.
"Didn't mean to startle you, just wanted to talk." He replied and shrugged off her comments with a brief grin.
"Of course you didn't. You simply relish being an arse, sneaking up on a woman and startling her." She whispered. The sorceress lightly patted the bench beside her, but Geralt failed to notice. "Unfortunately, I'm not naked and bathing."
"Hmm." He mumbled.
"I'm jesting witcher." She whispered. "To what do I owe the pleasure? I see you've finally found the time to speak to an old friend in private, but be careful what you say, I'd hate to be burned by your lover after this little chat."
"Just want to talk."
"Just talk? A shame, witcher." Keira said, "I thought you'd come to steal my heart, or perhaps you'd prefer another good show? Alas, talking will do..."
"So, let's start talking. How are you holding up, Keira?"
"Impressive, you're actually concerned for my wellbeing."
"What? I've always cared about my friends…"
"Geralt, Geralt, boring Geralt, how can you start a conversation with 'let's start talking'? You sound old and arcane, but you're far more than that."
"How so?"
"Oh well, since you've asked, I'll tell you. My days are boring, because I am stuck here all day without my work."
"Why don't you work in Triss' lab?"
"I have my own instruments and they're far more delicate, and precise. Besides, I don't want to sully her things with my work. Diseases and plagues, you see." She answered.
"I see."
"So this is what they call enjoying the peaceful life? You and Triss have such good taste." She replied, a hint of sarcasm in her voice.
"Yeah, Triss always had a good taste for this kind of thing. I could live like this, with her, forever."
"Oh, Geralt, you're block-headed just like my Lambi-poo."
"Lambi-poo?" The witcher laughed, "Can't imagine he likes that moniker."
"He doesn't, but he hasn't got a choice." She chuckled, rolled her eyes and leaned back, gripping the edge of the bench and looking at the skies above them. "He's obviously more charming, of course, but now I understand why Triss is so intent on keeping you far from politics. Like you, that witcher is also ignorant to matters of state. Do you not see what's happening? Soon Nilfgaard and Redania will come knocking at Kovir's door, what will you do then, witcher? How far will you go to protect her?"
"Hmm." Geralt sat silent and lowered his gaze, unsure of how to respond.
"Did I just ruin your merry dreams?" Keira asked.
"No, we witchers aren't oblivious to the state of things around us, but in most cases we choose to stay out of politics. We've known for a while that something is brewing, but politics is not our profession. Besides, I don't want to worry Triss...same reason why Lambert pretends he doesn't care about politics when he's with you." Geralt replied, his eyes focused ahead. "They tried to poison her, there's a reason. I'll find out, and then people will pay."
"What do you mean?"
"Hmm, by your reaction I'm guessing something is happening in Tancred's court. I have to be blind, deaf and dumb to miss it, Lambert too."
The look on the sorceress' face suddenly changed. She was unaware that Lambert held such concerns for the state of world and the political climate. She smiled, realizing his witcher neutrality had made it nearly impossible to share those thoughts with her.
"We should change the subject, Geralt, Triss would be upset if I involved you in politics and I have to respect your lover's wishes. You'll have to ask her if you want to know more about what happened at court." Keira said quietly.
"No. You asked, so listen to my answer." Geralt mumbled, then turned his head and stared directly at the sorceress. "I'm prepared to do whatever I need to protect her. He'd never admit it, but Lambert would do the same for you."
"Stop, Geralt, no more politics, please, Triss was very serious about her request, but...I'm curious, though…" She raised her voice slightly, then uncrossed her legs resting both hands on the bench.
"Curious? Why? What is this about, Keira? Just ask your question."
"Why did you agree to come to Kovir with Triss? We never got the chance to speak at Kaer Morhen, and now we have all the time in the world. I want to know what's changed. Why the sudden change of heart after chasing Yennefer for so many years?"
"What do you mean?"
"Come now, Geralt, I saw Yennefer at Kaer Morhen sulking as Triss glowed. Maybe it was the specter of the Wild hunt, but you had that silly grin on your face each time you'd look upon Triss."
"What silly grin?"
"That silly grin you have there now. I was aware of your relationship with Yennefer, we all were. Unusual as it was, you continued to pursue her. Now we're here, and you're entirely in love with Triss. Why the sudden change of heart, witcher? I know what you feel now, because I've skimmed your thoughts. Forgive me, they were rather loud when Triss was poisoned."
"I don't enjoy people violating my thoughts for their own amusement."
"Would you say the same if Triss did it?"
"No, but she won't, not without permission and I let her. Even if she did, it'd be different." Geralt mumbled.
"I see, it's different because it's your Triss...don't worry, Geralt, I didn't go any deeper, and I seen nothing you wouldn't want me to see."
Geralt paused, then propped his body against the tree. He hesitated for a moment and took a deep breath. Keira's questions were deeply personal, but the witcher felt once again he'd had the need to defend his choice to be with Triss. He remembered his brief yet memorable affair with the sorceress in their distant past, the feelings they'd shared, their time together at Kaer Morhen and how she'd cared for Cirilla. He also remembered those feelings that gripped him, when he laid eyes on her at the witcher's fortress after he learned she'd survived. His thoughts drifted to the time they'd spent together in Foltest's court, his feelings for her before his encounter with the King of the Wild Hunt and his amnesia, feelings he'd been unwilling or unable to explore. Those brief moments, Geralt knew, had left a deep and lasting impression. The sorceress' love for him had only gotten stronger, and he had fallen in love with her yet refused to admit it.
After Loc Muinne, with his memories fully returned, he made a choice to leave in search of Yennefer of Vengerberg. Heartbroken, Triss settled and started anew, but when he reunited with Yennefer in White Orchard, then again in Skellige, he found his feelings for the enchantress Triss Merigold had not changed or withered. Enduring that deep sense of loneliness, and an even deeper yearning for what he'd lost when they parted, Geralt learned the sorceress had settled in Novigrad and his heart raced. Longing to see her, his quest with the djinn and Yennefer on Skellige confirmed nothing he did not already know; his feelings for the raven-haired sorceress had changed; they had grown apart and he had fallen in love with another.
"You don't have to answer if you're so bothered by it, Geralt." Keira said, as the witcher sat in silence. "Your long pause is answer enough."
"No, I was thinking."
"About what, witcher?" Keira asked.
"All the times Triss and I have spent together." He answered, then folded his arms across his chest. "You know how things were with Yennefer, what we had wasn't all bad, but it wasn't always good. With Triss it...was...my feelings for her were different, there was always a calm, like nothing before or since. I value her friendship, I knew she'd always be there."
"What are you saying? You mean you've had feelings for Triss, yet all the while you were pursuing Yennefer?" She remarked.
"Hmm..."
"'Hmm, hmm, hmm'...Geralt?"
"Triss was…"
"Come out with it, witcher! Were you in love with her and, if you were, why did you leave her to go searching for Yennefer?! She never came searching for you!"
"I needed to know, Keira…"
"Know what?!"
"What I felt."
"So, you were in love with Triss?"
"Yes...I was...and I am now. Triss was never far from my thoughts. I think Yennefer, sensed it when we met on Skellige. I showered compliments on her, babbling like a fool, but my thoughts were never too far from Triss, that look in her eyes in Putrid Grove...I don't know what she sees in me."
"A fool, perhaps." Keira jested, then touched his arm with a smile.
"I was."
"'Putrid Grove', sounds positively romantic. You witchers are strange...beneath that dull gaze there's so much more. Go on, Geralt, please continue, your tale intrigues me." Keira replied.
"With Triss, I never had to change who I was each moment, I didn't have to smell nice or clean up before touching her, even covered in monster blood and guts, wearing her finest gown she'd still hug me like it's was her last."
"And you find that odd? That women loves you, she shames herself to show it."
"When we walk the path, it's rare to find someone who doesn't look down on witchers, have hidden motives, insults, a knife or pitch fork to plant in your back. To look at me the way she does...it feels good, almost magical...I don't want it to end."
"She's a sorceress you know, magic is her business." Keira smiled.
"Every moment of every day I feel like a witcher, but when I'm in her arms...when she looks at me…" He stopped when Keira interrupted him.
"And Yennefer...? Watching the two of you for so many years, I'd began to think you rather enjoyed being treated like a dog."
"You've said that before." Geralt sighed. He was silent, the witcher would say nothing else. "..."
"Why did you fall in love with Triss? Why did you go back to her?" Keira asked, and his cold eyes drifted to her. "She's kept secrets from you."
"Show me a sorceress who has no secrets, Keira. I've been down that road before, came full circle...Yen. Know where it leads, everyone expected it. When the road forked, I went left, a chance at something new, different…not easy, just a bit more calm and quiet We've been through scrapes, never liked everything she'd do, Triss can be secretive, but when I ask, I know she'll always give me the truth. She accepted things the way they were and fails to see how important she is to me. I know she doubts herself...but leaving her wasn't an option…couldn't make the same mistake again."
"You left her when she was most vulnerable, witcher...after Foltest's death, she'd lost everything defending your innocence...after all was said and done, you left to find your Yennefer."
"Hmm." He grunted. The witcher's face contorted and hardened. "Fate can be cruel, but words even more cruel."
"I have no desire to pick at old scabs..."
"Ever done something you've truly regretted? When I look into her eyes, I'm reminded of my own flaws."
"If that stupid girl wanted someone perfect, you'd be the last one she'd pick, Geralt, but her heart is selfishly set on you. Anyone who dares to gain her affection would be woefully cheated. She's incapable of loving another the way she loves you."
"When I regained my memories I wanted to find Yen, I feared my feelings for Triss would fade, we'd grow apart, more distant, but they didn't. Instead, it tore at me...and the further I moved, the more wanted to see her again."
"Sniff, sniff, Geralt, your doleful expression and forlorn love tale are bringing tears to my eyes! I thought Yennefer had placed a tighter leash on you." Keira Metz mocked him playfully.
"Keira...fine, if you won't hear my answers to your question then don't ask again!" He sighed, then shook his head and stood.
"Forgive me, love, I got carried away. Please, sit down…" Keira said, and Geralt hesitantly sat. He rested his forearms on his thighs and leaned forward. "You know, Triss is madly in love with you, she'd do anything and risk everything for you."
"I know…"
"Intriguing to see how you'll do the same for her now. What happened to the feelings you had for Yennefer?"
"What about them?"
"If you suddenly have another change of heart someday, Triss will be crushed. She's likely to retreat from the world." Keira whispered. Her hair tumbled forward over her face and the skirt of her gown swelled in the wind.
"I found her home in Novigrad but it was abandoned, ugly drawings and slanderous effigies were scribbled across the wall. I sniffed around and learned the witch hunters were still searching for her so I knew she was safe... at least for the moment. Found her days later...it was…" Geralt paused. He pondered his words then continued. "...it was delicate. She didn't need me, she'd settled, moved on..."
"Oh, pish posh! You know that isn't true."
"It felt…tense. I had no words, but I wanted her to know, in that moment, how much I cared." Geralt answered, rubbing the back of his neck. "She showed no hostility, like I hadn't broken her heart when we parted after Loc Muinne. We were together again, the perfect pair. We even did a few odd jobs together, as Novigrad's rat catchers."
"Argh, repulsive! I rather detest rats."
"I know…I remember you screaming my name in the cave when they surrounded you."
"You'll never speak of that again, witcher."
"Mmhmm." He mumbled. "Triss didn't mind, even brushed off their bites, ha."
"Foolishness! Do you know the diseases they carry?! They are riddled, absolutely riddled!"
"She didn't care, wouldn't even let me tend to her wounds...a lot like Ciri. While searching for clues to her whereabouts, tracing Ciri's footsteps, we learned she'd also been searching for Triss, but Ciri feared dragging her into a witch hunter's ambush, so she turned to Dandelion instead. Ciri fled from Temple Isle when they were cornered, that's how she ended in Skellige."
"It makes sense...Cirilla still hasn't mastered her gift of the Elder Blood...and that is how she landed in the Skellige Isles."
Keira took his arms and held it tight. She leaned her head on Geralt's shoulder, it was a friendly gesture, as they both gazed out far into the distance. A soft breeze took the honey-colored leaves up and into the air. They spun and swayed, an oscillating motion, some moved up and down as though they were climbing an unseen hill and others swayed side to side like a teeter-totter. There was a calm to the autumn season in Kovir. The sun teased them, occasionally straying between the clouds, washing everything in a golden hue. The leaves had a softness to them, a calming sound as the breeze pushed them along the ground. The grasses across the plain whispered from afar, and Geralt's mind begin to drift to the sorceress. The enchantress Keira Metz's quizzing only guided the witcher's yearning. He took a quick plunge in the silence, deep into his subconscious and visited his sorceress' scent. Some days she'd smell of plums and others strawberries. He liked them both, but her own scent the witcher could discern and held the deepest fondness for. The slightest nudge of Triss in his thoughts could make the witcher plummet into a daydream. He'd chase her, he a wolf and she a fox, both frolicking across the grass, Kaer Morhen at their backs. He'd bite her tail, and when she bit back, he'd lay docile to her charms. A vacuous daydream, he thought, as wild as his dreams of her when he slept, but perfect. He slipped a smile, then pondered what life would be had she left him forever. Maybe her smiles would fade, maybe he'd retreat from the world.
"I'm tired, Geralt." Keira whispered, then nudged him. "Stop daydreaming and tell me what happened between you and Triss."
"We went to the Vagelbud's masquerade ball together, I even wore a doublet…" He said with a hint of pride.
"Ah, Geralt, you can be dashing in a doublet. Well, do tell, what happened? What manner of mask did you both wear?"
"For me, a wolf...and Triss a fox." He paused as the sorceress laughed. "What?"
"A wolf and a fox? Could you be any more obvious?"
"She wanted a mask and so I got us one that was appropriate...we had wine that night." He smiled, it was soft but brief. "Triss wanted to see the nude statues perched in the garden. She ran through the maze and I...I gave chase. I caught her when she slipped by the fountain. When I kissed her, everything I'd felt for so long, suddenly gripped me in full."
"Geraltie-pooh..." Keira teased him, lifting her arms in a long refreshing stretch.
"While Triss was taking care of her affairs, I bought passage to Skellige and met Yennefer. Things were...uh...tense. Ciri had been on the islands, but we quickly discovered she had already fled. Traces of her magic had destroyed an entire forest. Later, we learned Uma was connected to her in some ugly way. Yennefer tried to restrain another djinn and failed, this time she made a wish and got what she wanted."
"What's that?"
"Yen asked the creature to undo the magic bound between...the wish I'd made years ago...the wish that bound our fate."
"Uma? Kissing your Triss at a fountain, djinns, wishes, destroyed forest….such amazing adventures." Keira replied.
"Witcher's life." Geralt mumbled, then gave a half smile.
"Curious. Wouldn't it be odd if the djinn freed you from the magic that bound you to her, but left her affected by your first wish? Djinn are very mischievous creatures by nature, you never truly get what you wish for, not in the literal sense, anyway."
"Mmhmm, I can vouch for the latter bit. Well, Yennefer's wish was granted...the magic was gone for me. She insisted her feelings remained unchanged, but I needed to be honest...my feelings had changed long before the djinn dissolved the wish. She told me to report to Emhyr, but…"
"You wanted something else."
"Yeah...to be back with Triss. We parted ways and I returned to Novigrad. Triss and I spent a few days together. She'd been making arrangements for the mage's to flee and it felt as though I was losing her, only slowly this time. Like an awful ballad and twisted jest, I'd finally decided but fate would deal me the stroke of death; I'd have to endure the anguish of watching her slip away forever. I tried...told her she could find a way to stay...you know, trying to say what I wanted, without saying what I wanted."
"Bastard, you should've simply admitted you were in love with her and ask her to stay!" Keira said, nudging him. "A woman can only stomach so much for so long, seeing the person she loves in the arms of another."
"If she had left me standing on that dock and never returned, I'd have deserved it. Never got anything good from destiny before that...except Ciri, and those brief moments with Triss. When she told me she was leaving, she'd already taken Tancred's offer here in Kovir. I tried not to believe it..." He chuckled, looking forward at the open plain as Keira's eyes fixed on him. "We stirred up the hornet's nest, trying to track down Ciri's whereabouts, slaughtering every witch hunter at their barracks, Triss killed Menge...their leader, then she burned the place to the ground."
"Sounds like something Cirilla would do."
"Mmhmm, they're more alike than not..." Geralt replied. "What she did for me...for Ciri...not many would do that."
"What happened, Geralt?"
"I'd rather not, Keira..."
"I'd wondered how you managed to trot into the witch hunter's barracks. She made you take her as a prisoner, didn't she?"
"Keira, stop."
"And they tortured her for you to hear it. I shan't ask why you let it happen, witcher..."
"I ask myself that every day. Triss can be…"
"Yes, Triss can be quite protective and rash when it comes to you. When she's angered, that woman is not to be trifled with….it's that fire of hers, I'm sure. Come on, tell me more."
"Eh…it's a long story, but I put it all together, Ciri's journey. The whole time fearing Uma was her, afflicted by some nasty curse, but the little ugly thing turned to be the Elven sage you encountered, Avallach." Geralt chuckled, though his face showed no hint of it. "I asked her to stay with me...I told her I loved her. Never felt more afraid of losing her as I did that moment."
"Truly? That sage? I'd always wondered what became of him before Kaer Morhen." Keira smiled, then ran her hand along her waist, tucking her hair. "In Velen, when you told me there was someone else, were you referring to Triss?"
"Mmhmm." He answered. "In Novigrad, before we had readied our forces to face the Wild Hunt, Triss even offered to refuse Tancred's job offer...said we'd live together, just wanted to be with me."
"But you didn't let her." Keira mumbled. "Well, she stayed, so it worked out perfectly, I'd say. You have each other."
"Yeah."
"Well, Geralt, it's time for me to leave you. I meant nothing by my nagging questions or the jests. It's merely a sorceress' curiosity." Keira replied, then she slowly rose to her feet.
"Not complaining, but why the sudden rush to leave? Ah...I see, Lambert's returned." Geralt jested, and the sorceress rolled her eyes.
"Yes, or perhaps it's because your lover Triss is giving me a dirty look from her perch by the door. She's waving at you, witcher, better wave back. Think of an excuse before you reach her, or I may have to save you from her wrath. She can be possessive, you know?"
"So can I."
"That's wonderful, love, but you haven't got much time to think of a good explanation in your defense."
"I don't need an excuse, Keira, She, knows there's no one else." He answered, walking towards their manor to his sorceress.
"Geralt." Keira called, his name. He turned and met the enchantress eyes. "Triss is a dear friend and she's risks too much for you and you for her. If you hurt her, I'll never forgive you. Take care, witcher, now more than ever she'll need you at her side."
"Thanks, Keira."
"Don't mention it, Geralt."
Moments later, he met Triss as he reached the front of their home. Geralt could not help but admire her beauty from afar as she stood by the doorway. She wore an evening gown and smiled at him, though behind her beautiful expression he could see her weariness. After their meeting, Margarita and Triss had another private meeting with Keira. He could sense she was worried, but the witcher refused to pry.
She will tell me when she feels the time is right. He thought to himself.
"You look exhausted, you should be resting." Geralt remarked. He kissed her forehead and pulled away.
"I'm fine. I've been bedridden long enough and I want to take a walk with you...to clear my thoughts." Triss whispered softly.
"Hmm, I'll wait for you to change into something more...?"
"No need, we aren't traveling that far." Triss answered, then took his hand and pulled him along.
The day was perfect, clear as far as the eyes could see. During their saunter she said very little. Triss held his arm and leaned her body against his. Her auburn hair flew wildly, but she made no effort to tuck it. Troubled, her thoughts were filled with dreams of their future, their life together in their quiet corner of Pont Vanis, but the looming threat of Redania's encroachment weighed on her mind. Adept in the trappings of politics, and resolved on ensuring Kovir remained a safe place for mages, her friends and her family, the sorceress had began to plot her next moves.
"I enjoy the serenity of this place." Geralt mumbled, as they walked along the path deeper into the hills.
"Yes, it's lovely up here. The sunsets and the way the city lights up." Triss replied.
"It's only lovely with you." He mumbled to her.
"You're sweet." The sorceress replied.
The evening passed quickly as the lovers became lost in their thoughts. The last glimmer of daylight turned into night, the city of Pont Vanis in all it's magnificence, could be seen from where they sat, as lamps began to light up the evening. First the lighthouse far in the distance, then the lamps of homes appeared like fireflies. They spent the evening on the cliffs, and soon the moon had risen high in the night sky. When they returned from their stroll that night, he placed two pieces of cut cedar in the fireplace as Triss rested on the bench nearby. Geralt ignited the fire then slumped on the floor before her, resting his head in her lap and closing his eyes when the enchantress ran her fingers through his hair in silence.
"Your hair...it's lovely this way." She spoke suddenly.
"Hmm, why?"
"Reminds me of our time together in Vizima." She replied.
"Mmhmm, Vizima, I remember those days…" He mumbled.
"Are you falling asleep?"
"No, just resting my eyes. Is there something you want to talk about?"
"Yes, but I don't know where to begin...I've told myself I would never put you in this position again."
"Just tell me what's wrong. I'll always listen to what you have to say, so just say it." Geralt replied, then sat upright.
The sorceress shifted her body next to his on the floor then leaned against his shoulder as she spoke, "Since Vizima and Foltest's death, I've never wanted to involve you in politics, not after the hell we had to endure, but things are bad, very bad, and they are spiralling out of control...I need someone to talk to."
"Losing your touch?"
"Maybe, Geralt...maybe."
"Hey, just talking is not getting involved, Triss. We can talk...about anything, even politics."
"I know. It's happening much sooner than I imagined, but things aren't going well at court right now. I received some disturbing news from Keira in our little private meeting." She whispered.
"How did Keira learn about Redania's plans?" He asked.
"That mage, Sigo Buntz, told her to pass the message... Hang on, you knew? How?"
"Witcher senses, I could hear a pin drop in a hail storm, remember?"
"Ah, yes, I remember, but seriously…"
"Alright, I overheard your conversation."
"You know what this means? Radovid and his dogs have their eyes set on Kovir. Makes me sick to my stomach even just thinking about the possibility of another war. The mages are in a frenzy, scared…" Triss said.. She shook her head and pressed her forehead atop the crown of the witcher's head.
"If Radovid attacks Kovir, he'll lose his armies."
"What a horrible thing to wake up to…"
"I remember you woke to my face, Triss." Geralt mumbled, looking up at her. He wrapped his hand around her ankles, gently rubbing them.
"I remember that too, lover. Nothing more pleasant than waking up with you at my side and knowing that you'd watched over me the entire time. Keira told me." She whispered into his ears.
"A Redanian delegation to Kovir isn't necessarily bad, Triss, but the the presence of emissaries from the Eternal Fire will complicate things. They're fanatics, no better than the witch hunters. Stirred the masses, 'the church is the way'...men lose their way and become monsters, all in the name of the Eternal Fire."
"I know...I had this feeling, I knew this day would come. Those words slipped from my tongue in Toussaint...I wanted a peaceful life, just you and me. Ciri would stop by carrying those disgusting trophies, we'd take walks...long endless walks. Every now and then, when your get those contracts, I'd go with you. I'd imagined and hoped for it..."
A Redanian delegation coming to Kovir means one thing, Radovid and the Eternal Fire are after the mages who escaped from Novigrad and Triss was the mastermind in their escape. Fucking shit! Triss will be in danger. I should have killed that whoreson Radovid when I had the chance! But, she'd say something like 'I don't want you to be a kingslayer'... She'll be in danger again because of me. Geralt was lost in thought when she suddenly interrupted.
"I have a plan, but I have to see what the mood is like at court." She answered.
"I've said this before, whatever happens we'll face it together, including Radovid. I should have…" He muttered and then gently bumped his body against hers.
"You should've what?"
"It's not important now, I'll tell you about it another time…" He mumbled.
"We should rest, I have a long day ahead tomorrow."
***][***
A Royal Return...
Early the next morning, Triss prepared for her return to Tancred's court. She'd been absent since the attempt upon her life during the ball and the sorceress was eager to get back to her work. In her leave, the politics of the royal court took a turn for the worse. It was no coincidence that the dispatch from Redania had arrived during her absence. The message was sent to Kovir via a royal courier and the official Redanian delegation would be arriving in three months. Inside the dispatch was a message from the Redanian king, Radovid. Redania had demanded Tancred's immediate expulsion of all mages seeking refuge in his lands beginning with the sorceresses of the Lodge and all the mages that had fled from Novigrad.
Tancred's court was abuzz with rumors and gossip, and the mages grew restless each day. The king needed the sorceress to use her influence as leader of the council and conclave to quell the unrest and reassured the other magic wielders that Kovir would honor her pledge and stand with them. Triss left their home that morning and emerged from a portal in the courtyard of the palace. She took in the beautiful sight and opulence of the architecture. A woman atop a destrier rode across that courtyard with guards in tow. Their eager proactiveness showed she was of great importance, but the sorceress took no interest in the entourage. She rested her eyes on a pair of royal guards who greeted her in reverence of herself and position.
"M'lady." One said, and the enchantress simply nodded.
Men in armor carried pikes and stood aligning the courtyard like sculptures. Her cheeks glowed red in the brisk Koviri air. Winter was fast approaching and the sorceress knew, at best, Kovir had months to prepare for Redania, and perhaps for Nilfgaard's armies. Triss removed her scarf and coat as she walked past the large marble statue that stood at the edge of the courtyard. The sculpture, made during the reign of Tancred's father Esterad Thyssen,, was set on a large pedestal amid a fountain of still water and beautiful manicured hedges shaped as shields.
"Attacking Kovir during the winter would be disastrous for Emhyr or Radovid, Kovir's armies are well adapted to the harsh winter conditions." She overheard a noble mumble.
"Calm yourselves, there will be no war, Redania is not foolish. I'd like to believe Radovid isn't completely mad." Another said, then they both met the enchantress' gaze. "M'lady." They greeted, and again she nodded.
Even the nobles are growing worried about war coming to their lands. Things are progressing even faster than I anticipated, and the delegation is months away. She thought. What about this kingdom's neutrality? She pondered to herself.
Although they prided themselves in their neutrality, it was common knowledge that Kovir's wealth and power meant it could wage and sustain a campaign during winter or summer. The citizens of Kovir and Poviss were fiercely loyal to their king and would answer his call to arms without hesitation. As persecution of mages and sorceresses continued in other northern kingdoms, Kovir had opened its doors in the far north as a safe haven for magic-wielders and non-humans alike. At his disposal, Tancred had hundreds of healers and herbalists of all skills seeking refuge, and a powerful force of magic-wielders willing to defend his kingdom as repayment for his aid.
As she entered through large doors of the grand hall, Triss encountered a young Koviri mage. Gazing at her with admiration, the woman's face reminded the sorceress of her days before the Battle of Sodden. Speaking for the first time, the enchantress Evelyne's words were unnerving, just as the guard delivered a message and summoned them to Tancred's war room. Young by the standards of the other mages and sorceresses, even Triss herself, Evelyne was youthful and kind. Her age was even more apparent by her sensitive demeanor. Tall and slender, her figure appeared sculpted. She had beautiful coiled brown hair, flawless skin and her hazel eyes dotted her face. However, none would dare compare her beauty to the sorceress Triss Merigold. Lacking life experiences, Evelyne, like Triss, believed in helping everyone, a quality some admired in her and others shunned. Unlike most in their profession, who exuded confidence with their manner, the young Evelyne was shy and often times apprehensive, until she laid eyes on Triss some months ago.
"Good morning, Lady Merigold."
"Good morning, Evelyne. How are you?"
"Forgive me, m'lady, but do you think Kovir will go to war with the north? Redania will send a delegation soon." The young sorceress asked.
"Redania would be foolish to attack us. If they attack, I'll be at your side and together we'll defend our home." Triss smiled.
"If I may say, it's very easy to talk to you, m'lady, compared to the others." Evelyne said, as a royal guard approached the two sorceresses and interrupted.
"Forgive the intrusion, Lady Merigold, Lady Evelyne…" The man nodded. "…but the council awaits your presence."
"Will you join me?" Triss said, as she walked toward Tancred's war room.
"But...I hold no sway on the council…" Evelyne replied.
"True, but you're to be my advisor and hence you're with me." Triss replied.
They walked abreast past the statues and guards, then through the corridor. As the two sorceresses entered the king's war room, Triss was greeted by the mage Sigo Buntz, to her flanks were two royal guards. Tancred's chair sat empty at the head of a large oval table, flanked by his generals and more guards. Surrounding the table were a few young mages of low status, yet all advisors at court. The king stood far across the chamber with his chamberlain. There was a woman before him, with courtiers at her side. She held his face and he placed his hand atop hers.
"The princess, his elder sister." Evelyne whispered, as the woman slipped away with her courtiers.
"His majesty, the King…" The chamberlain announced, his left hand resting on his chest.
"Welcome, Lady Merigold, I am pleased to see you safe and on your feet." Tancred remarked as he approached the table. He gestured for everyone to remain seated, then began to pace.
"Thank you, Your Highness, and, please, excuse my tardiness." She replied, as the chambermaid took her coat and scarf.
"Nonsense, sorceress, nothing to forgive. However, we must tend to the matters at hand. Everyone is aware of Redania's message. Radovid has asked me to expel all mages from Kovir beginning with the Lodge and those who escaped the carnage in Novigrad." Tancred spoke, as he peered through the large glass windows that overlooked the city. "In short, you Lady Merigold, your sisters, and the mages you helped flee that madness."
"Sire, we must immediately send an answer to king Radovid." Sigo asserted. The mage leaned forward, hands on the table.
"I do not move at the whim of that man!" Tancred answered. "Sigo, great kings are not born, they are made by those they rule. When I'm gone, my rule will be judged, I can not shame the name of Thyssen and send the mage's to their death. As a king, I gave my word to the sorceress when she accepted my request to be my mage advisor and revive the Council and Conclave."
"And what of the council Radovid revived at the summit of Loc Muinne?"
"That fraud!" Triss shouted. "A spineless council that bows to Radovid's commands! Carduin leads them and I assure you, he's learned how unpleasant Radovid's leash can be. Fear holds their allegiance now. Just a collection of old men hoping to regain what they lost when the Brotherhood collapsed."
"The Lodge…" Sigo said, but the sorcerer was immediately interrupted by Triss Merigold.
"The Lodge is no more. My sisters are alive, some are even here in Kovir, but I have no desire to revive it or be a member." She replied. "We've strayed from the purpose of this meeting, but I remember when the Council carefully selected mages to serve as advisors to kings, we were to prevent wars like these from happening...now everything is in chaos."
"It's already fallen apart, m'lady." A general said, "I cannot speak on matters of magic and sorcery, but the north is, and will be, in shambles."
"One more reason to hold the line against Radovid's threats. There must be order or the north will tear itself apart."
"I agree, Sire." The sorceress said.
"That is why you were given the task of reforming a Council and Conclave the other rulers could accept, Lady Merigold." Tancred mumbled, then turned and strolled to his seat. "Radovid must be mad, for what he demands I will not grant or consider!"
"Sire, you must consider all options, carefully." The mage insisted.
"'Must?' Do not presume to order your king, Sigo!" Tancred's voice echoed inside the chamber. The mage sighed and leaned back in his chair.
"If I may, Your Highness. I'd never wish war on the shores of Kovir. I speak for all the mages who fled here from Novigrad; we are tired of running and hiding like rats. Kovir is the only safe place left for us. Temeria is in ruins, Kaedwen is subjugated, I could go on...all the kingdoms now answer to Radovid or Emhyr. We'll defend Kovir with our lives if we must." Triss said, as the other mages shook their heads in agreement.
"There's nowhere left to flee." A sorceress said.
"If we are expelled, it would mean certain death for most, if not all, at the hands of the witch hunters. A pyre…"
"Novigrad was a perversion, a travesty! Radovid sent his delegation as forewarning of what's to come. It is not easy to say what must be said."
"It's isn't."
"Lady Merigold, you speak on behalf of the others? You would see Kovir burn to save a few of your friends? What about the citizens of Kovir? What about their lives if we go to war?" Sigo asked.
"Radovid won't stop with my friends. When he's finished with us, he'll come for you and, like Novigrad, mages will burn on the pyre. People will gather to watch, they always do. They'll scream all manner of insult and, when it's all said and done, more will die...pellars, herbalists and non-humans. We need to resist Redania now!" She answered. "I'd rather die on my feet, then cower for witch hunters! Radovid's threats are fruitless."
"Still, Radovid only demands the Lodge and mages who fled Novigrad. It's clear the Redanian King holds a grudge against you and your friends. Sometimes it's necessary to sacrifice some so the many can live peacefully." He replied.
"Necessary? I've seen men use that word to justify their horrid deeds." Triss muttered. Her eyes narrowed in anger at Sigo's comments. "I'll die to protect those I love, while you would cower here, Sigo, at Radovid's demands! That madman cannot be trusted."
"That mad man is still a King." Sigo answered.
"Master, do you wish to simply ignore what happened in Novigrad?" Evelyne asked.
"I am not suggesting we hand the sorceresses to Radovid, but we must find a way to appease him." Sigo countered.
"What you say is vile! I've seen the extent of appeasing that butcher. He burned and tortured my friends in Novigrad! You too, beside them, had you been there." Triss answered.
"Enough!" The King said and the room fell silent "What Radovid asks I will not offer. We do not bow before the will of the northern kingdoms. Our armies will prepare to defend our lands if they are invaded. I am the King of Kovir and Povis, not Radovid, his decree holds no meaning here."
"Radovid knows attacking Kovir will null the treaty, what does he hope to gain?" A young mage asked. He wore a robe and belt inscribed with runes and spells, across his chest were small leather pouches containing rolled scrolls.
"Alert the eastern garrisons and prepare to make war plans." Tancred commanded as he took his seat.
"Sire, please reconsider." Sigo pleaded. "We must engage Radovid in discourse."
"Our army is strong, but small. We could enlist the service of mercenaries as we did in the last war." One general said. Triss gazed at the man, she did not recognize the color of his cloak or emblem.
"War isn't upon us yet, provision the garrisons and look to preparing our defenses." Tancred replied, and the military men at the table all nodded.
The king adjourned the meeting with his generals and advisors. There was little discussion in the room as everyone set out to perform their task. Angered by his exchange with Triss, Sigo hastily fled the chamber and council meeting. As the sorceress retrieved her cloak, coat, and scarf to depart, she was summoned once more by the King's chamberlain to the terrace overlooking the city.
"Forgive my behavior, Your Majesty, I lost my composure." Triss said. "I've seen too much death and too many will so easily look to appease."
"There is nothing to forgive, you bring passion to your work, you care for your friends as I care for my people and my lands." The King remarked. He gazed across the city, at the gulls and birds circling overhead. "Sigo looks to avoid war at all cost, the man is loyal to Kovir, he means well. Though, if I grant what Radovid asks, war will be averted, but my honor will not survive."
"Everyone means well, at first." Triss answered. "Radovid understands only force, and he won't stop there if you hand us over. He'll try to annex Kovir for himself. If not Radovid, then Emhyr will come. Kovir was strong before, but with her mages Kovir has grown even stronger. Yes, we are Kovir's mages now."
Tancred nodded. "I must ask your forgiveness, Lady Merigold. You were attacked in my court, at my gathering, and I could not prevent it." He said, then turned to face the sorceress. "My officers are looking into the matter and this breach."
"Thank you, Sire, but my sisters were able to stop the poison in time. As for this matter, I intend to deal with it myself once I've handled my affairs with the Council and Conclave."
"That is good news, then. Also, there is some talk among the people about you and your witcher…" The king began to speak when the enchantress politely interrupted.
"Please, forgive me, Your Majesty, I don't wish to discuss my personal life with, Geralt…"
"Ah, yes, matters of the heart are best left private."
"Excuse me, Sire, if I may take my leave…" Triss bowed slightly then left the King's council chambers.
As the sorceress departed the chamber, she was approached by Sigo Buntz. The mage was clearly disturbed by their exchange. He bowed slightly and Triss returned his gesture as a sign of respect.
Forgive me, Merigold, I did not mean to…"
"No need, we all have our fears but I will not see my friends burn at the stake...not again." She replied.
"Thank for your understanding. I received a message from Geralt some time ago. He asked for my help, but I have no knowledge in this area, hence I am unable to help, I'm sorry." Sigo explained.
"It's alright, Geralt and I will certainly manage." She replied with a smile. "We've always found our own solutions before."
"Have you made any progress?"
"None so far. Excuse me, but I have another matter to attend to." The sorceress replied as she walked away.
The days passed in Tancred's court without further incidents. Triss attended meetings with the newly established Council and Conclave. With Evelyne at her side and Keira Metz's aid, she quickly quelled the mages' unrest. Assured that King Tancred and Kovir would not grant Radovid's demands, she succeeded in rallying the mages to Kovir's defense. Skillfully, but not without great effort, the enchantress had convinced her fellow magic-wielders to commit all their resources and efforts to the kingdom's defense should the need ever arise.
"We could summon the Lodge, if the need arises, with Tancred's permission of course." Keira suggested.
"No, I don't want to be a part of that, Keira and you know I can't trust Philippa and her schemes...the others are also unpredictable. Kovir is stable, better, and supportive of mages. I like to keep it that way. The Council and Conclave is the way forward." Triss replied.
"What about Yennefer?" Keira looked at her and the expression on Triss' face had changed to her query.
"Yennefer is the only logical choice, but I doubt she'd be happy to see us together. She seemed to take his decision well at Kaer Morhen, but it was all a show. Yen had always tried to humiliate me whenever Geralt was around, to cement herself." Triss answered with some hesitation in her voice.
"I think you're afraid, you are afraid that Yennefer will see Geralt content with you. He's yours now and you must stop dwelling on how she feels about it."
"I'm not afraid, but you know my relationship with her. She's my friend, and I still see her as a dear friend, But I'm not naive to think she'll agree to my request at the moment, given everything that's transpired...Geralt choosing to be here with me..."
"You can't possibly know what she'll do if you refuse to ask her." Keira replied.
"Keira, please, I doubt my life with him is a good enough reason." Triss replied as she closed her eyes and shook her head. "What am I to say, 'I need your help, Kovir is under threat of invasion'? Or should I say I don't want to lose my cozy life with Geralt, so come and help me defend this kingdom?"
"I know you feel some fucking guilt because Geralt chose you, but we're not trying to settle old scores. If Radovid captures Kovir, Yennefer's future would also be at risk. In any case, you must consider her a viable option and contact her." Keira replied, she folded her arms angrily.
"You're right, Yennefer's defenses are formidable. She could be very helpful in a war with Redania. With her help, our casualties could be low. However..." Triss whispered. She paused, then lowered her eyes to the ground.
"No 'however', just do it when the time is right. Why are you tormenting yourself? Cheer up, Yennefer would be overjoyed at the news that you and Geralt are trying to have a child." The sorceress sniggered.
"Are you insane? Shit, Keira! You know Yennefer will hurt when she finds out. I am not going to do that to her. If we're successful...when we're successful, I'll find a gentler way to share the news. Dammit, you sound like Lambert sometimes, your sarcasm stings."
"Truly? Do you really think so? Maybe I can call you 'Merigold' like he does, will that infuriate you?" Keira Metz chuckled..
"Keira, it's no time for your jest."
"Lighten up, sister, Geralt is enamored with you. You shan't feel guilty; you won." Keira whispered and placed her hands on Triss' shoulders.
"Oh my...I'm all better now after listening to that beautiful sermon." Triss smiled.
"Is that sarcasm? Don't let your knickers pinch you, love, and you aren't very good at being a catty bitch." Keira laughed.
"Try me."Triss muttered.
"On a serious note...try to be happy with Geralt, find your own happiness in everything you do, you both deserve that."
"Thank you." Triss whispered, with a sigh of relief. "I need a vacation from all of this."
With the mages willing to support the kingdom and her preparations complete, Triss requested some time away from court. To ease the tension between the other advisors, she had placed Sigo in command. As her intermediary, the mage would attend to her affairs and contact the sorceress immediately should any news arrive regarding the Redanian delegation. Triss' actions quickly demonstrated to the other advisors that she and Sigo had quelled their disagreement and were still allied, as they both represented Kovir and her mages.
***][***
A day before the sorceress Margarita Laux-Antille returned, exhaustion had taken a toll on the sorceress. It was late in the evening when she finished her duties at the royal court. She opened a portal to her home and stepped through it. Since Triss' return to court, Geralt had seen little of her. The developments in the northern kingdom and the mages' concerns had kept her busy, and often the enchantress would fall asleep shortly after returning to their home. With the war between Nilfgaard and Redania at a stalemate, she was aware that both kingdoms lacked the funds for a sustained campaign, hence they were forced to sign a temporary non-aggression pact. Emhyr had agreed to move his forces across the Yaruga and Radovid had also withdrawn his troops across the Pontar. Leaving twenty-thousand soldiers each to maintain their newly signed pact, Radovid and Emhyr turned their attention to Kovir, with the Redanian king the most eager of the two rulers to subjugate his northern neighbor. Unlike Radovid, Emhyr had made no demands, but the sorceresses knew it was only a matter of time before the Emperor revealed his intent.
Until recently, Kovir had enjoyed the protection offered by its neutrality, but this kingdom's vast wealth makes her a tempting target for both Nilfgaard and Redania. Triss pondered to herself, as she emerged.
When the enchantress left for her duties at court, the witcher would train, then spent the hours caring for his blades as he waited to greet her whilst she'd exit her portal. Remembering the teachings of his old master and friend Vesemir, Geralt made certain his swords were always ready. A flash of light and the deafening sound drew his attention from his task.
"Aaah, what a fucking day! I am exhausted." The enchantress voiced her frustration of her day. "Geralt, are you home?"
"Must have been a terrible day to make you so upset." The witcher replied, supportive in his gesture and words.
"I'm not upset, well, not anymore…" She smiled.
"I've missed you." Geralt mumbled. The ache of longing for the enchantress echoed in his bones, but he would not eagerly say it.
"As have I. I've been so busy trying to convince the mages to fight if Kovir is attacked." Triss replied, then removed her coat and threw her scarf.
"They'll fight, they know what happens if they don't. The mages need someone strong like you to lead them."
"We should rest, Rita and Kira will be here tomorrow to start the treatment. I don't know what to expect, I'm excited, anxious and afraid, all at the same time, but…" Triss paused.
"Don't worry. Besides there's no more time for doubts. We need to see this through, for us. I'm anxious too, can't be helped...your body is always so warm..." He answered holding her close to his body.
"I know that. You've always known what to say to make me feel better, Geralt."
"Mmhmm, that's why I'm here."
"That's not the only reason, I could think of a few more." She said flirtatiously. "Are you ready for bed?"
"I'm always ready to bed you, m'lady." He jested.
"No, sir, Geralt, not that, I meant sleep." Triss smirked, then playfully held the waist of his pants as her fingers walked across his chest.
"I know. Come on, we could use the rest." Geralt mumbled.
She felt the hotness of his breath on her neck, the tender brush of his lips against her skin. The witcher knew a single kiss and his hands would do her bidding. Triss ran her fingers through his hair, elbows resting on his shoulders. His kiss tested the sorceress' resolve, the warm delicate touch of his mouth. Geralt's hand slipped around her waist and pulled her even closer, she whiffed his scent, and he kissed her palm.
"'I'm sorry, lover. I promise, we'll have plenty of time to be intimate, but tonight we should unwind. I'll join you in bed shortly, I just need to freshen up a bit." Triss whispered, her hand latched on his chin as she kissed his lips gently.
She knew what he wanted, though she would only offer what the witcher truly needed, even as the entirety of her body craved his touch. Geralt placed his hands on her cheeks and, as always, his fingers sent a familiar rapture of sensation through her. Unable to thwart his lustful encroachment, Triss felt her resistance began to crumpled. She pulled herself away from his grasp, then removed her clothes. The witcher gazed as the sorceress while she undressed and donned a silky nightgown. Triss sat in front of the mirror, loosening then brushing her auburn tresses across her shoulders. The enchantress touched a drop of perfume on the right and left sides of her neck before she spun around and crossed her legs.
He's asleep. She thought to herself, holding a weary smile.
The night outside teased her with it's silence. Her heart was asleep, the whisper of his breath drew her near. Triss rose to her feet to join him. She climbed into bed, moved her hair aside, then nestled herself against the witcher's skin and placed her arms across his body. Triss rested her head on Geralt's chest as she listened to the slow steady beat of his heart. As if by instinct, Geralt wrapped his arms around her small body as she raised her thigh firmly across his. He opened his eyes as she closed hers. He had longed for her touch since they parted in the early morning, but she was weary. Softly, Geralt kissed her hair, running his fingers down her back. He'd cradle her, his gentle touch kindled her dreams.
***][***
Manor ...Pont Vanis…
Early the next morning, Triss woke to the sound of the winds howling. Winter was almost upon them, and early. The first sign of it came and went, soon the ground and trees would be covered with fresh white snow. She opened her eyes and realized Geralt had already awakened. The witcher sat on the edge of their bed, deep in thought, the world vanished in silence. She blew out the candles, the morning light was sufficient. The enchantress sat up in bed, she would have spoken had Geralt moved to her presence. She went to her knees, then sat behind and wrapped her legs around his waist and across his thighs, coiling them tight. She wrapped her arms around him, then laid her head on his back to listen to the echoes of his heartbeat through his flesh, but the reverberations were hers. Each heartbeat a call answered in kind by his own. Geralt ran his hands from her knees to her ankles, his heart slowed from frantic unsteady beats to a steady calmness as she used his body like a lever and propped her chin against her neck.
"What is it, Geralt? Is something bothering you?" Triss whispered into the witcher's ears and placed her face against his.
"I've been thinking, after we finish this treatment, maybe we should wait, just a little while, before trying to bring our child into this world? I can't risk putting you in danger." He replied, as he canted his body and stared into her eyes.
"Are you having doubts?" She asked in a low voice.
"No, never! I've never had doubts about what we have, but...I can't lose you, Triss, not again." He answer quickly.
"Bad things happen, Geralt, bad things always happen. We can't put our lives on hold waiting and hoping for things to get better, but we have to make it better for ourselves."
"You've gotten a lot stronger and you don't even realize it, everyone rests their hopes on your shoulders." Geralt answered. He grabbed her by the waist pulling on her chemise as he pulled her across his lap.
Geralt traced his eyes along her face, then her figure. He held her captive to his stare for a moment longer, until Triss pushed him back onto their bed and swiftly climbed on top, teasing him. She kissed Geralt's lips passionately, then let him slip her gown to run his hands along her thighs.
"Dammit..." He heard her whisper softly, hitching her breath and wriggling against the sheet. "Hey...stop it. Don't you dare kiss me there….dammit...you know what happens when you do that."
"Mmhmm, I do." He muttered. Triss placed her hands on his chest and sent a shock across his body, causing him to tense up. He tried to sit, but the enchantress' body, although smaller than his, prevented him. She kissed him long and hard as their soft moans gradually grew louder.
"Shhh! We should be quick. Keira is awake and Rita will be here any moment, you know how she likes to be punctual." Triss giggled.
"Don't really care or know if she likes to be punctual." He mumbled.
"I just told you." Triss replied.
Geralt quickly raised their bodies. The enchantress daren't move, she daren't breathe. She sat astride, frozen, her heart pounding deep in her gut. Their clothes slowly faded with magic as she mounted him. Shifting slightly, she felt the witcher's powerful arms tighten around her waist. Her eyes were daring, tempting, and his were luminous, belching forth a deep dark yellow. Geralt kissed her, then pried her hands from his skin, holding them behind her back. The enchantress slipped free, one hand, then the other, as she clutched his face, clinging to his lips with her teeth.
"Why are you hesitating?" She mumbled, then smiled and rolled her eyes. Her lips pouted, unwittingly beautifully. Her hair slipped past his face as the witcher leaned back.
"I have no reason to rush something so beautiful." He said, twisting his body to lay her on her back. Geralt moved his hand from her ankle along her calf, raising the sorceress' thigh as the entirety of his body hovered over hers.
She winced, taking soft breaths, as she held his wrist. Triss took him by the nape and pulled him down for a kiss, then planted another. "Then don't. Rita and Keira will wait awhile longer..." She whispered.
The witcher reciprocated the sorceress' kisses. His fingers wandered across her smooth skin, down the length of her figure, as Triss moved her body to meet his. Her every resistance gave way, inviting him into the fiery sultriness of her thighs, as they gasped in mutual gratification. Hers were long and lasting. Wantonly, she ran her hand along his sweaty brow, pushing his hair aside. The sweat from the witcher's body pooled on her belly down to where their bodies joined. As the evening passed, they'd all but drowned themselves in their wild affair. Their moans escaped their bedchamber into hall and parlor in fervid sequences, where the sorceress Keira Metz sat unable to escape them. Triss' moans became whimpers as they peaked, then she silenced Geralt's groans with a kiss and held his spent body against hers. Still entwined, the witcher buried his face on her chest. They sighed, gasped and took deep short breaths to regain some semblance of control. Moments later, she rolled him off of her and tried to slip away, but Geralt held her body against his, not wanting to let her go. Triss gave him another kiss, then together, they lay in bed.
"Where were you going?" He asked, as she pulled the duvet across the bed and covered her body.
"I'm taking a bath...and you will join me." She whispered.
"Mmhmm." He grinned, pulling the blanket.
"Don't do that, we haven't the time for more of your playful games, Geralt. We need to hurry."
Triss snatched the duvet back, ogling his body as he'd done to her moments earlier. The sorceress opened the door to their bedroom, unaware that Keira had positioned herself at the table. As they came out of their chambers, Triss' eyes met the sorceress sitting across the table, staring at them. By Keira's side was the witcher Lambert, who stood with his arms folded across his body as he leaned against the chair. Triss froze in the doorway, confident, though her face held a blush. She flinched when Geralt placed his hands around her waist, cupping tightly; she twisted herself, then reached up and kissed him.
"Good morning." Geralt mumbled in her ear, then bit her neck and she moaned.
"Geralt…" She whispered so softly it ensnared him. "We woke together...come on, don't do that now. Or I'll be tempted to drag you back into our bed."
"Ahem!" Keira Metz cleared her throat "Don't be ill-mannered. Do we need to give you more time?"
Triss glanced across the parlor to where their guests sat, but Geralt's attention had moved from their prying eyes to her body. "Good morning, Keira." She said quietly, as he nipped her neck and ear, eliciting a soft squeal.
Ill-mannered...tossing you and Lambert out so we get this place to ourselves, now that'd be ill-mannered. He thought, unaware his lack of concentration made it audible to them both.
"Geralt!"
"What? You in my head?"
"No...but…"
"I didn't say it aloud." The witcher answered, though his sincerity and absent mind made her laugh.
"You didn't, but then again, you didn't have to say it aloud. Your thoughts were surface deep and loud enough…I'm sorry..."
Before she could move or finish speaking, Geralt quickly pulled the sorceress back into their bedroom and noisily kicked the door shut. She opened it again in half-hearted protest, just as his knee pressed past her thigh and propped it shut .
"Stop being so tense...our intimacy can't hide you from whatever's to come. Rita will be here soon and we need to decide now, Geralt. If you've changed your mind, I'll understand..." Triss whispered and he trapped her mouth with his. They kissed as she reached for the door once more and Geralt lumbered into the parlor with the enchantress pulling him.
"Morning, love birds. Can't get enough of each other even in the early morning, can you?" Keira replied.
"Finally! It's been awhile since we've heard you two rearrange the furniture, I almost thought you had a problem, wolf." Lambert said. He pushed his body from Keira's chair when she nudged him.
"Fuck off, Lambert...it's way too early."
"The wolf shows fangs with me…but rolls over, tongue out, for a certain sorceress."
"You don't have a twenty-two inch waist, and your eyes just don't do it for me." Geralt replied. Keira rolled her eyes, smiled, then shook her head as both witchers nodded to each other in friendly gesture.
"I can assure you, Lambert, Geralt's just fine...why don't you hang onto Keira's coattails and annoy her? Your concerns about our furniture arrangements are wholly unwarranted." Triss said with a chuckle. "Now, how much longer are you and your woman going to keep staring at us? Mmhmm, I mean you, sister."
"Hey old man, what's the plan? Training today or just the usual slouching?"
"Go plough yourself, you're as old as I am."
"Yeah, but damn the years were unkind to you." Lambert answered.
"Lambert, Lambert...an aficionado for being the loudmouth." Geralt mumbled. He stood hands at his side.
"'Loudmouth', that's an improvement from a prick, I'm making progress. Look, we're blushing and bonding." He replied. "Damn, is it too early to get drunk?"
"For Geralt, yes." Triss interrupted.
Hwee Lambert whistled. "Damn, I heard the whip crack."
"Boys, why don't you both be quiet a moment and let the grownups speak?" Keira said softly, and the witcher waved his hand, propping himself on a small carved stool.
"So, Keira, are you two having problems?" Geralt asked, and the enchantress' eyes came to rest on him. She propped her elbows on the table, then rested her chin on her palm.
"Geralt, you're positively dashing when you try to be funny." Keira remarked.
He stood silent for a moment, then turned to Triss. The sorceress' lips held a smile, yet her eyes chastised him. "Hmm, I hate it when she calls me that." Geralt mumbled.
"I'm sure you do, Geraltie-pooh... what's wrong? You are positively dashing." Triss whispered, teasing.
"Hmm." He grunted. "We should bathe. You said Rita would be arriving soon."
"Good idea, come on."
"First she snatches you away while we sat by that tree, now she uses the ruse of a bath to tear us apart, love." Keira teased, as they walked away together. "Lambert?"
"What?"
"You're devilishly handsome when jealous...but I'd warn you to keep your eyes on me, witcher. By the way, glaring at me like that only makes you more appealing, so stop it. Now, come here..." Keira said.
"No."
"Oh?"
"I'm not a dog."
"You're not. Why would you say such a thing?" She rose from her seat, tugged on his armor to bring him closer, and merged their lips.
"I've told you before, Keira, I won't allow you to use me as your tool. I'm a witcher, but I still have my pride, that much I'll keep...won't be the butt of your jokes."
"Forgive me, love, I was only teasing."
"Because I agreed to follow you, doesn't mean I've forgotten how to find my own way."
"Lambert…don't dare think of hurting me. I've apologized and that is that!" She answered. Keira's voice was stern, but the enchantress' eyes hinted of the hurt she felt inside.
"Then that is that." Lambert replied.
"Witcher, stop." She commanded, as her voice wavered. "Forgive me." She whispered. "Do you remember what I said to you? I want a companion, not a tool or a pet. If you wish to leave, I won't stop you. Lambert, look at me."
"What is it?
"There's naught many things that make me more seduced and aroused than seeing you angry and pouting." The sorceress whispered into his ears, then she jutted her hips in a pout.
"Bribe?"
"No...my thighs positively ache for your tongue." She replied. "A pity we aren't in bed, I can think of so many places that mouth could wander. Stop looking at me that way or I won't make it to bed."
"Tempting...table looks sturdy enough." He mumbled.
"Dammit! You'll bed me, now! I'll be waiting for you. How's that for a bribe?"
***][***
Inside their bedroom, Triss opened the window to let in the cool air as the witcher removed his clothes and the hairs across his skin stood erect with gooseflesh. He stood naked while she ran their bathwater, pouring a few jugs of water into the basin. The sorceress heated it to a boil, then cooled it to Geralt's request, running her hand through to be certain it was to the witcher's liking. Triss handed him the jug, then dropped her robe.
"Just place that over there...we'll fill them later." She whispered, leaning over to twirl the water with her hand.
"Mmhmm." Geralt answered, then set the jug in the air and let it go.
She startled to the crashing sound of the clay jug breaking against the floor. "What happened?"
"It broke." The witcher replied.
"That's glaringly obvious." Triss answered, as he knelt down to gather the broken pieces of clay. "Leave them there, I'll mend it later, Geralt."
He nodded, then took a long deep breath to whiff the scent of her bath oils rising amidst the steamy vapors. Geralt stood in a moment of awkward uncertainty, allowing her to gaze at his muscled nakedness. Their bedroom now smelled of plums, which wasn't his favorite but that would be her scent for a day. An hour later, after thrice heating the water that had gone cold as they soaked in it, Triss climbed out and took a towel to dry her skin.
"Try not to stay in there too much longer or you'll look like a prune." The sorceress said, tucking her hair as she gracefully strolled around the bedroom. Geralt's eyes could not stray, he followed, and when she had moved out of sight, the witcher gazed, neck resting resting on the rim of the basin, admiring everything that was hers.
Later, when they'd both finished, she walked into the parlor. Geralt would join them, as they sat and drank to conversation until the enchantress Margarita Laux-Antille arrived. She appeared through a portal at the far edge of the manor, strolling to the porch with such grace it was as though she had entered a court. She wore an elegant gown of green and gold, with a deep neckline that revealed her chest and the softness of her shapely frame. The sleeves were flared so her arms protruded, revealing the gold inner lining. Her skirt draped down to her ankle, leaving much to be imagined with each graceful stride. Triss opened the door before the sorceress could knock, their greeting was uniquely pleasant. A kiss on the cheek would be accepted as a sign of friendship, but theirs was one of an even deeper meaning; so-so with a hint of the coolness of the outside air. They held to each other in a pleasant squeeze. The sorceress Margarita Laux-Antille gently ran the back of her finger across Triss' cheek where her lip had landed.
"Hello, Triss." She whispered, her voice held the sweetest of tones.
"Greetings, Rita."
"I say, it's bloody cold out there!" Margarita complained.
"Well, maybe you should've worn something more appropriate to Kovir." Keira replied.
"Or find yourself a man to keep her warm." Triss muttered.
"A man?" Margarita frowned. "Men are stupid and must be trained to tend to a woman's needs."
"So find and train one." Keira answered.
"Thank you both for your concern about my love life, sisters, but shall we move on to something else?" Margarita asked. She folded her arms across her chest eying them sternly.
"Maybe we could get Eskel for her. Looks to me, that guy needs a sorceress to train him." Lambert shouted. "He's as weird as this one...they'd make a perfect pair."
"Eskel? No, he told me not to get involved with sorceresses...or as they're known to him: 'dangerous women'." Geralt mumbled.
"'Weird'? Are you refering to me, witcher? Is your pet referring to me, Keira?" The enchantress asked. "I'd presumed his training isn't yet finish?"
"Hehe, pet." Geralt mumbled.
"You also have a master too, Geralt." Margarita said, gazing at them both. "She's right beside you." Both Geralt and Triss gazed at each other, he held a grin but did not dispute the sorceresses claim.
"Feisty, got a mouth too...might even provoke Eskel to speak more than three words. No one's training me, sorceress." Lambert replied, but he was quickly interrupted by the sorceress Keira Metz.
"Shut up, both of you." She and Triss spoke together, sensing Margarita's uneasiness.
"Alright, alright!...Yeah, yeah..." Both witchers answered.
A nod came for Keira, before she left her sisters. Margarita was in the midst of explaining the final details of their treatment, when the sorceress returned to inform them that the lab was readied. The each took to voicing their hesitance and need for caution, but Triss' quick and dismissive reply dissolved their discussion into a vehemently animated rebuttal, transforming the once jovial and warm aura in their home into a tense brewing stew. Both sorceresses were unsure as to the severity of the undesired effects of the treatment, but every warning of caution was met with even more determination. Geralt strained his ears to listen, though they stood only a few meters from where he stood. It was Triss' magic at work, she would not have him hear their concerns, lest he also would plea for caution and he was the only one she could not refuse.
"Let him hear us, then!" Margarita's voice suddenly broke from a whisper to a shout.
"Rita, please, don't! We agreed you'd help me and I'd help you, that was our deal!" Triss shouted back. "That was our deal..so leave him out of this!"
"Oh? Was it now? Is he not the be the father of your child? I never made a deal to to see you harm yourself, so I will not continue this charade and pretend there is no danger! I admit my curiosity, but the cost is too high, sister."
"No, it's not!"
"What's wrong?" Geralt asked, he stepped closer and each sorceress turned. halting him where he stood. "So, what do you need me to do?"
"Just shut up and listen, Geralt. This is untested and we must prepare for the worst. Your metabolism is faster, so your treatment will be first. Keira, and I will tend to it, Triss will monitor you physically and pay close attention to the effects of the potion on your body." Margarita replied, her tone of voice hinted anger and concern. "It shan't be pleasant, although the discomfort should not be excruciating for a witcher. However, I can't say the same for your lover. If you feel a great deal of pain, it means something has gone terribly wrong."
"Any discomfort, Geralt, do not hesitate to inform us immediately. The same medicine will be given to Triss, in a less toxic dose, of course. We've added some additives, because she's allergic to everything save you." Keira added.
"And me, what should I be doing?" Triss asked.
"Watch him...very closely. If something goes wrong, he'll need your help and care with those witcher potions you brew." Margarita replied. "You are the most experienced here with his potions and substances."
"Something goes wrong?"
"Calm down, Triss, it will be alright. This is the first of three treatments. If they fail, then a fourth could be too dangerous, even deadly to you both." Keira continued. She gestured with her hand towards the hall where the lab stood. "Shall we go?"
As they entered into Triss' lab, the sorceress Margarita Laux-Antille ordered Geralt onto the table, but the witcher preferred to sit. She handed him a vial brewed with identical ingredients to the potion alchemist Gaspar and Farid had given him in Flotsam. Using all the alchemical knowledge they possessed the sorceresses believed they had created a working formula that would remove the witcher's and his enchantress' sterility, however any unintended effects remained unknown. Margarita had also added a final ingredient she'd harvested in the eastern mountains mountains of Kovir. The sorceress believed the regenerative properties of this rare plant was the catalyst lacking in the potion to reverse their inability to bear a child of their own.
"This has to work!" Triss mumbled, then she dragged over a small stool and sat beside Geralt.
"During my days as headmistress of Aretuza, Tissaia de Vries often spoke of a plant that possessed such extraordinary healing and regenerative abilities...but I could not find its location until now. I came across it during my research."
"I hope it wasn't too much trouble." Triss answered.
"Not at all. The author is a mage long dead now, his notes consisted of scraps littered with warning after warning, but Keira is quite the expert in finding the cures for the incurable and I believe we've got it." Margarita answered.
"Hmm."
"Have something to say, Geralt?"
"Triss' body can't tolerate prolonged treatment, I won't watch her be tortured. She's allergic to—"
"Yes, unlike you, witcher, I haven't got amnesia and I am not senile. I know what your woman is allergic to, because you repeat it each time I say her name and the word 'potion'." Margarita interrupted him. "We are very aware. I've added something more as a safeguard,. Besides, we've haven't the time to move slowly."
Keira stood readying more vials, she filled a basin of water and a rag, then placed it beneath the table. With her insistence, Margarita had also included a familiar plant which would accelerate the effects of whatever the user imbile. She held out hope, that with the right science and quantity, they would succeed, and in so doing, prove Tissaia de Vries stories and the legends true.
"Hold still." Triss said, as Margarita raised her hands and cast a diagnostic spell to examine the witcher's body.
"Well, witcher, your body has everything needed to sire a child, except your mutations removed your ability to have a fertile seed."
"We know that already." Geralt answered. "Anything new?"
"Fortunately for you, yes. Though, I'm afraid this potion doesn't affect your manners." Margarita replied.
"Should it?" He asked, and his defiance caused Triss to smile.
"Do you find your lover amusing?" Margarita asked, her gaze cold.
"He's charming." Triss whispered with a smothered laugh.
"Eh. Very well, let's see if we can reverse the mutation to allow your body to produce a viable seed. You need naught, but one to take to her." The sorceress explained. "Well, drink up."
"Will this work?" Geralt asked.
"As I said, I believe it should, however, I can't be absolutely certain. I can say, however, it we are successful, the results for you both may not be permanent. Unlike Triss here, your body poses extraordinary healing abilities, so it is possible the effects of the potion will quickly wear off."
"How long? What will happen to Triss? I won't let her be harmed by some sorceress' brew."
"A sorceress' brew? Charming." Keira replied.
"A day, a week...maybe a month, or it could even be years, I don't know. If I were to guess, witcher I'd say a month at best." Margarita answered. "As for your lover here, we need just nurture her ovaries to produce one viable ova. Just one and our magic will do the rest. It been some time, Geralt, since Triss last endured her womanly pains, but she is young, for a sorceress, and stands the best chance of achieving such a feat."
"What we are saying is this: when we're finished here, do not go fucking every strumpet you encounter, or you'll have more children than your sorceress here can handle." Keira added. "Your woman will be ripe for the plucking, so lock yourselves in a hole and do whatever it is you do each moment you're alone."
"Keira!" Triss complained, as she gave the sorceress a penetrating glance.
"What? Am I wrong? I'm simply being honest. You know him, every witcher is a bastard." Keira jested. "Do you want to be cheated of his child?"
Geralt pulled the cap from the vial of potion, then took a whiff. It carried no scent, no hint of its ingredients. The witcher's mutations and extreme metabolism allowed the sorceresses to immediately witness the physical effects of the potion. Together, they applied their magic, twisting their hands in a beautiful dance to weaken his body as Triss observed. They used the strongest of magic to prepare him, advancing the process, as his body would easily recover from the changes caused by the potion without their interference. Sitting on a chair with Triss at his side, he took a deep breath, then brought the vial to his lips and consumed its contents. She moved closer, scooting her stool, then cradled his head in her arms so he'd rest on her. The witcher's body quickly metabolized the potion, then he began to feel its effects. Triss felt his body grow warm as his heart elevated, beating rapidly, then, just as quickly as it began, it slowed to its normal rhythm. Her hands came aglow with magic. She'd held her spell around him as Geralt leaned his head against her shoulder gently moving his face against her for comfort. Hours passed, as she sat there caressing the witcher's face and hands until he opened his eyes. He'd felt no pain, save a slight discomfort and a sensation of warmth.
"Geralt? How do you feel?" Triss asked, concerned.
"My skin feels numb, no pain, just...strange. It feels like my insides are changing, the feeling is mostly down...there." He answered.
"Not unusual, considering the ingredient." Keira replied.
Together, both sorceresses observed his body's reaction to the potion and, after another hour had passed, Margarita declared the first treatment a success. With no severe negative side effects and the potion's toxicity safely tested on him, it was time to begin Triss' treatment. Geralt rose from his chair holding her hand and resting the whole of his weight on her shoulder. The sorceress stood, her voice suddenly speaking with a cold formality. Visibly she was stern and unwavering, but he could sense her heart beating erratically as her breathing rapidly increased.
"I'll be here, beside you." He said. The voice she heard was soft, it bellowed sweetly, like the distant thunder of a far away storm, then she felt his hands on her waist. The deep sound of his words echoed in her ears once more. "I'm right here."
"Geralt?"
"Yes."
"Will you take my hand and hold it?" Triss asked.
"Alright." He answered, then wiped her cheek.
"I know how you must feel right at this moment, Triss, but Geralt will be right here by your side. Rita and I will make sure nothing goes wrong." Keira spoke, her words offering comfort to her friend.
"Remain still, there. I must check your body before we begin. When I examined you last, you and your witcher both appeared normal."
"We are far from normal."
"True, but as normal as a witcher and sorceress can be. Although, the recent events, especially the poison she suffered, warrant caution. I cannot say if the that experience introduced any permanent damage to your body." Margarita explained her concerns. She gazed at Geralt, but the witcher glanced at Triss so she could decide.
She climbed onto the table as the sorceress Margarita mixed a powdery substance with water. She filled a vial, then retrieved another and ordered her to consume it.
"What are those?" Geralt asked.
"The first will help her body process this potion. Your witcher mutation allows you to do that easily. The second is the medicine you consumed." Keira answered.
Triss sat upright. She placed the small vial to her lips then consumed the drink. They waited patiently with no change in her physical state. Using his witcher senses, Geralt began to examine her. He strained his ears to listen, his head moved slowly back, and forth as he took her whole body into his arms to carry her away. Margarita protested and the witcher heeded. Triss' legs curled upward, she clutched his shirt. His witcherly eyes ran across her skin, the flesh on her nape and throat had reddened.
"Argh." She mumbled, mashing her lips together.
"This is hurting her." He muttered.
"Yes but she'll stop us if we try to halt it now." Margarita replied.
"It's not as bad as it appears, Geralt. I intend to intervene if this get any worse." Keira whispered. Her hands were aglow, but her spell was merely diagnostic.
As Geralt peered, diligently observing his sorceress' vitals, he would panic to the change in her body temperature and heartbeat, more so than she. He sat on the floor as her breath became ragged, then placed her on a hide, before prying open her gown. Her skin had discolored like surface burns from a fire. An hour had passed before the enchantress calmed. She closed her eyes to his touch on her skin, sending waves of soothing sensations, dulling the pain she felt. She'd clutched him as he hovered over her. Triss' heartbeat had slowed and her pulse shallow, almost undetectable even to a witcher's senses.
"Keira! Her pulse is fading!" He grumbled, as her eyes closed shut. He slapped the sorceress' face, gently at first, then harder to wake her. "Don't do that!"
"Move aside!" Keira ordered, but he remained.
"Now, Geralt! Move aside, dammit!" Margarita shouted, pushing him. He lifted her onto the table, then stood, her sisters on opposite sides casting magic spells to repress her body's rejection to the mixture. They held their spells, stabilizing her, chanting in the most ancient of magical incantations. Triss' breathing labored, her hands grew cold to the touch, and the witcher grew unnerved. He turned his gaze to the enchantresses, as Triss clenched her jaw in anguish.
"What's going on, Keira?! Her heart's slowed down and her hands are cold!" Geralt asked. "She's in pain!"
"She's fine. The spell will slow her body and prevent any fatal reaction to the medicine, it's like making a figurine, but not quite." The sorceress answered angrily.
"Doesn't look that way, she's no figurine!" He growled to her words. "Not the time for jests."
"No, it's not, witcher. Get out if you mean to panic every moment your lover flinches. The processes are comparable, save a spell to turn a person to a figurine is quicker and brutishly unpleasant." Keira muttered. "It looks awful, but if we stop now she may not be able to endure another and we'd have to start again."
"Try to stay calm, Geralt...this isn't their fault." Triss mumbled, barely coherent. She reached out and touched the witcher's bearded face, then groaned, clutching her belly.
A wave of pain swept over her, her mind screamed to the verge of fainting. It was unpleasant, then came nausea. The twinges in her abdomen came like a branding iron, each robbing her of speech. The sorceress felt her skin burn, like her own blood had become acid in her veins. A soft whimper escaped her lips, tears rolled down her face into her hair.
"Grr, stop!" The witcher barked.
"No!" Triss grunted. She writhed in silence, his hands were no longer soothing to her. Each gentle rub felt as though she was burning beneath her flesh, like boiling in water. Her bones felt as brittle as shards of glass. He wants to help, but his touches are killing me. Triss clung to her thoughts and searched for everything pleasant about their love.
She screamed, like a baby piercing the air, then came the garbled muffled cries, her eyes were locked on him, in terror, every muscle rigid, her voice pitiful. Geralt took the sorceress into his arms, his hands cradled her body beneath the knee and back, as she clung to him clawing at her own belly.
"I'm ending this!" He muttered angrily. "Where is it? Give it to her!"
"Witcher, please do not interrupt! We must concentrate, this is a delicate task." Margarita mumbled, then together she and Keira intervened with magic.
"Are you alright, Triss?" He asked.
"My body feels so weak... Your hands felts like knives piercing my flesh!" She answered, through the agony, as she took a handful of his shirt. "No! Don't put me down now, please just hold me awhile longer."
"I'm hurting you."
"You were." She whispered. "I still want you to kiss me."
"What happened?" Geralt asked, but the sorceress Margarita remained silent.
"The unexpected." Keira answered. "Did you think it easy, what you asked?! This is dangerous, Geralt!"
"Something isn't right, Geralt…I feel like I am burning from inside, it's excruciating!" Triss cried out.
"She's feverish, and now her skin is blistering! Do something, stop the damn treatment! It's killing her, I don't want this!" The witcher warned.
"No, please! I beg you, let them finish! I have to...don't make them stop. Close your eyes...close your eyes, so you don't see me like this..." Triss pleaded amid her soft cries.
"I won't." Geralt answered.
"You don't have to see this. I'm sorry, it's too much make you endure something like this, but we have to finish it, I want to see this to the bitter or sweet end." The sorceress insisted, gripping his arm.
"Forget about me. You're the one in pain. I don't want this..."
"You've seen our dreams, witcher. Now I want more than dreams, I want more…"
"And if you die, I'll be left with nothing but dreams and memories. I don't want dreams...don't do this if it means risking your life."
"Forgive me, Geralt, but it's no longer for you to decide. There's no going back." Triss replied, her voice wavered.
"Keira, Rita, make her understand! She could die!" He mumbled. "Damn you, sorceress, you don't know when to be stubborn."
"I'm your sorceress, remember?" She smiled weakly, pulling him to kiss her forehead.
"You don't know what you've done, witcher. You've made her believe there's a future for you all and you cannot simply halt that." Keira said, then she took a deep breath. She held the edge of the table to balance herself when their magic faded. "Your lover is determined to risk it all for your happiness. Don't fret, love, we'll heal the burns on her skin when it's all over."
"It seems the worst has passed." Margarita mumbled.
"Perhaps." Keira answered.
Moments before the enchantresses took their seats to rest, Triss' temperature began to rise sharply. Her hands and face felt like hot coals, a burning sensation licked at her body like scorching fire. More blisters appeared. Geralt grabbed the enchantress Margarita's shoulder, she was the closest to him. She winced angrily, to pull her shoulder free, his hands could shatter bone.
"Unhand me, you bloody brute, and let me help her!" She shouted.
"Help her. I didn't mean to…" He muttered.
"I know, or I'd have you on your ass." Margarita replied, her voice hinted of fright.
Triss had calmed once again with the aid of her sisters' magic, but the air in the room grew hotter though there were no visible fire. Parchment and books strewn about burst into flames, turning to ash, as the sorceress' magic went awry. Margarita and Keira sweated profusely as they frantically tried to control her and failed.
"She's losing control, witcher." Keira mumbled. "If she doesn't regain herself, your woman will wreak havoc here and the city will not be spared!"
"Someone open the window, please!"
Geralt clutched Triss' face, his hands felt aflame. He kissed her and she opened her eyes. His groans against her lips gradually grew louder the enchantress could feel all control over her magic slipping. The air that surrounded them heated like a parched desert, he clutched to the sorceress' lips in agony as she forcefully pushed him away.
"Are you mental, witcher?! She could kill you unwillingly!" Keira shouted at him. When they parted, his face, chest, and arm were singed where Triss' hands had touched.
"I could make her regain control of herself, if you let me try." He muttered, then winced to the stinging across his body.
"It's too risky."
"Soon, it'll be too hot in here, too difficult to breath."
"Open the window then, witcher?" Margarita asked politely, though her voice alerted him to the severity of their plight.
"Argh! Mmmmm...mmmm...aarrgghh!" Triss began to groan. Her body contorted, her limbs and fingers curled awkwardly.
"I'm going to ask you to test those bonds you spoke of so confidently."
"Keira, what are you doing?! Geralt, don't touch me! I could hurt you!" Triss muttered, then grabbed the edge of the table.
"If you don't regain control, you'll harm your lover further, or worse, you'll kill him." Keira said, then turned to the witcher. "Hold and keep holding her hands, Geralt! She's slipping...try to reach her...and be careful!"
"I'm going to take you into my arms. Whatever you do, don't blame yourself." Geralt mumbled to her.
"Keira...get him away." Triss pleaded.
"Too late for that." Keira replied.
"Don't fight me." Geralt mumbled, then he took the sorceress from the table and into his arms. He tucked her body and kissed her lips. It felt warm, but her touch was pleasant.
Keira raised her head and searched the room, Margarita was entranced mid-incantation. "Lambert, get in here!" She yelled.
"What the fuck are you witches doing?! Great...we're all going to die." Lambert mumbled as he entered. He hesitated, halting just inside the door. The witcher could feel the change in air. "Fuck, it's hot in here! My lungs are burning...it's like working the old forge."
"Lambert dear, do you mind opening the window?" Keira called to him in feign calmness. She gazed at Geralt, the witcher's lips were still locked on Triss'. "Did she regain control?"
"No, he confines her. Her fear of harming him keeps her there, but barely. She'll lose...it's only a matter of time. We must intervene. Geralt, I am going to put her to sleep before she causes more harm!" Margarita warned. She all but cringed when the witcher lifted his gaze.
"Do it." He said.
"Open the window, Lambert, quickly, please!" Keira interrupted, then joined Margarita in her enchantment. Their voices echoed in fluid elder speech, as they both set their fingers on Triss' forehead.
"Shit, it's fucking cold out there." Lambert said grumbling as he opened the window.
"What went wrong, Keira?!" Geralt asked, his voice rife with concern.
"Remember those side-effects we discussed? Well, her magic has become unstable and her body has changed. She'll return to her normal self after the treatment is over. These ugly blisters and burns aren't lasting and we'll care for them shortly." The sorceress answered him. "A day or two and they'll all fade. She held on, just so she wouldn't hurt you, but that was a dangerous effort."
"You said she's unstable? How?"
"Well, she could've opened a portal and take you with her. Triss could do something and kill you both...not intentionally, of course. Or she could've rained down fire and burned the entire valley, city, and everyone in it. Perhaps the bond you share could've shielded us all." Keira replied with a hint of sarcasm. "Anything is possible at the moment, but that's the worst case. I haven't the slightest idea to what extent her magic has been affected. This has never been done before, remember?"
"Hmm." Geralt grunted, then he gazed down at his lover.
Triss had succumbed to their spell and she laid unconscious in his arms While she slept, the air around them returned to its natural state. He took her to their bed and placed her in it. The witcher peeled her clothes from her skin. He gazed woebegone and horrified at the burns on her hands, chest and abdomen. The sorceresses began to restore Triss' skin using remedies Margarita had made and amulets Keira had fashioned. As they worked, Gerlt drank a brew of witcher's potion to aid the singed skin on his hands and face. Triss' magic had scorched him, but his wounds were minor compared to hers. An hour later, the sorceress awoke with Geralt ever close at her side. She rose from their bed, but he coaxed her down to rest as her sister's medicine continued to work through her body. Keira had recommended she rest for a few hours, but, stubborn as always, Triss refused to stay bedridden. She got up to prepare dinner for the five she thought remained, but the sorceress Margarita had already left. The enchantress carefully removed the bandage from Geralt's hands and tended his wounds. Her fingers slid across his face, inspecting the burns she'd inflicted on him, then she opened his shirt and examined his chest.
These wounds will heal and leave a scar if I do nothing. She thought to herself, then muttered an incantation that caused the witcher's body to stiffen when her hands came near. "Will you forgive me? For this?" She whispered, her eyes swelled as she lowered her head. "I did this...I lost control like some fucking novice and did this, Geralt."
"It'll heal."
"Yes, witcher, and leave a scar if I do nothing."
"I'll add them to my collection. Another story to tell Ciri someday." He said. His hand cradled her cheek, her tears pooled between his fingers and against his palm.
"Let me see." The sorceress mumbled, then strolled to the dresser and took an ointment to rub on his skin and face. She kissed then rested her forehead on his chest. "This is my doing. There's no going around it, my magic did this to you."
"It's superficial, I said I'll heal." He mumbled, stepping back. Geralt tucked her hair inspecting her face, his eyes went down to the sorceress' neck. He tugged on the neckline of her gown, it was torn, his doing, then the witcher ran his hand across her neck and she closed her eyes. He continued down to her breast, kneeling to inspect her belly. When he lifted her gown high to inspect her thighs, she pressed it down and pushed him away, smiling at his tenderness.
"Your skin is still irritated."
"Mmhmm, but Keira and Rita managed to heal my injuries, I'll have no permanent blemishes you could look at."
"Nothing on you is a blemish." Geralt answered, grabbing her thighs and lifting the sorceress up onto the dresser.
"Gently, witcher...my body doesn't recover as quickly as yours."
He kissed her fervently, crashing their bodies and shattering a small glass; she was as eager as he. They would sleep late into the evening that day, then wake. She taught him what she needed and he her. They'd make love once more, taking and giving pleasure, not just physically to satisfy each other, but their affair also delved deeper into the void that lingered whenever they parted. He'd kiss her body as she lay amongst the sheets. Every stroke, every glance, every brush of his lips, the sorceress returned in kind. When they parted, they'd lay there together, admiring each other.
"What we share when we're together are our hopes, dreams, trust, and the deepest of friendship. When we lay together, we aren't just satisfying our physical desires...it's with promises of what our future holds. I've finally conquered you, witcher and you me, but we'll never speak of such things, lest it's in this bed, our bed, between your soft kisses..."
"I'd keep you in bed then, with me and we'd go for days. If you let me, I'd stay lost in those eyes..." Geralt mumbled, as he lay gazing into her cornflower blue eyes, nuzzling in the tenderness that lingered there. "I don't know what you see in mine, but I love you."
She could not hold herself from him, so they hid away in their bedroom for two days. They'd lay by the fireplace, on their backs, she'd spread a duvet on the floor beneath the window. Geralt gazed at her until she closed her eyes and slept, and when the sorceress woke, his were there. His smiles were subtle, but each would draw her gaze and he'd amass an even deeper yearning for her. She'd take his head and cradle him when they eventually drifted to sleep.
"I want a baby of my own, Geralt." She whispered into his ears while he slept, so when he woke he'd take her into another fervor affair.
When they finally emerged, it was late into the night, Keira had grown tired of waiting and had prepared their evening meal. Triss wore a robe and the witcher a shirt and trousers.
"Look, they've already made up." She teased them. "I made something simple. Lambert and I have retired to the hills. We'll leave you two for the evening."
"No need for that." Triss whispered. "We've been locked in our bedroom for days."
"I'm not doing it for you." Keira replied, then slipped away into the night, leaving them at the dinner table.
They feasted, then quickly returned to their bedroom for the remainder of the evening. Two more days had passed before Geralt and the sorceress emerged once more, when the ravages of hunger overwhelmed her urge to remain in bed. He was ragged and unshaven. Her hair was in beautiful tatters and tangled like hay straw. They carried their meal back to their bedroom and she fed him from her own lips in play. They bathed after, then climbed into bed their bodies still wet. She'd sleep naked on his chest, as Geralt pulled the sheets and wrapped it around her.
"Wake up." He mumbled to her. When she woke, her eyes met his as the witcher held her face.
He pulled the duvet from her body to cover himself, and the sorceress would not have it. She threw the feather quit across the room, it'd cheated her of his body obscuring him. Geralt held her face and kissed her deeply.
"You're amazing, you know."
"I've heard it before." He replied
"Oh, really? From who?"
"Uh…you."
"Exactly. Just be quiet." She kissed his bare chest, relishing the feel of his skin on hers. The sorceress lay on their bed, eyes half-closed, and waited for him. Her breaths were shallow, hitching when he touched her hands. She opened her eyes to peek just as he pressed soft kisses between her breasts. They had laid together many times, yet it was never the same, they could never get the same feelings, so each encounter was stronger, more meaningful than the last. Making love wasn't sufficient, their love had 'remade them', they'd say. Triss climbed atop. It was too beautiful to be simple love, they were changing right before each other's eyes to become what the other needed.
After all these years, I am still getting to know you, witcher, and you are still getting to know me. Every day I see something new that takes my breath, and nurture what we have like a spark that starts the flame anew. She smiled.
"You're so damn beautiful..." Geralt said from his back when their eyes met.
His hands reached up at her neck. She swatted them away, then grabbed him by the throat in a fit of possessiveness, "Make love to me once more, and then again." She said. Her words rang with a hint of familiarity, but they were uttered from a place he'd hadn't reached.
"What do you want?" He mumbled.
"Everything." She answered, "And you?"
"More time with you." He said, and she set to the task.
His flesh beneath her hands felt familiar, as did the taste of his skin; he moaned ever so softly. The witcher gazed up at her, her skin felt unfamiliar, everywhere he touched heated and burned. Her cries were passionate and he teased her about them when they finished, entwined and drenched in sweat. He hooked her body with his legs and held her there, naked, where they stayed until morning.
***][***
A week passed and it was time for Margarita and Keira to administer the second treatment to them. Triss watched as Geralt consumed the second dose. She closely monitored his body for signs of rejection, but as it did with the first, his results were the same. Her witcher's body quickly absorbed the remedy, leaving no signs of physical change save, the temporary blackening of his veins. He sat upright and attempted to stand, but his balance was shaken as he collapsed on her shoulder. Triss struggled helping Geralt back into the chair. She held his arm, leaning over and checking his body with care. Sweat pooled across the witcher's brow, his flesh heated, and she quickly unfastened his shirt, taking a damp rag to his skin.
She placed both hands on his cheeks and looked into his eyes when he opened them. "How do you feel?"
"Groggy, pain, but it's wearing off."
"Maybe you should sit awhile." She replied.
"No, I want to be at your side. Help me up." He replied, then took her arm and stood up.
As Triss tended to him, Margarita sat nearby watching her. Like a mother would a child, Triss tended to her lover. Puzzled by her treatment of the witcher, Margarita observed their tenderness with a certain interest. Triss had always seemed to place his needs above her own and never hesitated to make reckless choices when they involve his wants. As Margarita gazed at the pair, it was blatantly obvious she had questions, questions she hoped she'd get to ask someday or perhaps answer through her own experience. Margarita then ordered the enchantress to lie on the table, and she obeyed.
"We've made some improvements." Keira said, resting her hand on her hip.
"Let's begin." Margarita said. She took a tray with carefully arranged vials on it and placed it on the table. Keira took the first vial and Triss was handed the mixture. As the enchantress consumed the first, they raised their hands to cast their spells.
Triss canted her head to gaze at their work. Their magic would help her contain her own should she lose control. Geralt at her side and ever vigilant, stood watching. A dreaded feeling took him in an icy chill, he felt his belly tighten. As he gripped the table, his body stiffened like days-old corpse, his jaw and teeth latched shut. Just moments after they'd begun, he sensed something had gone terribly wrong. Like before, the temperature of Triss' body had risen dramatically but the air in the room did not change. Sweat rose from her skin like vapor, blisters and burns appeared across her body. She shook violently, then fell silent as her eyes rolled back into her head, white and devoid of all semblance of beauty and warmth. A cold sweat drenched his skin, rolling down his back. Geralt gritted his teeth, then spoke to her. The throbbing of his heart surpassed hers, as the sorceress let out a wretched scream that vibrated his entire body. His hand curled, fingers digging into his palm as fear gripped his conscience and pushed aside every thought. Triss fell into a trance-like state. Suddenly, the distinct sound of portal a crackled. The deafening noise could be heard outside their home.
"Try to hold her, Geralt!" Margarita screamed.
"Shit, shit...shit! Hold her steady, witcher!" Keira grumbled,
"What's happening now?!" Geralt asked, concerned as he tried to keep the sorceress restrained. She twisted her body, then slowly calmed. "Answer me!" He barked.
"I don't bloody well know, Geralt, do I?! Give me a moment to think! We haven't got many options..." Keira shouted back at him. The sorceress muttered another conjuration using an amulet to channel the sorceress' power. "Nothing we do here has been done before."
"Our spells are failing, we can't stop her!" Margarita muttered. "I've tried every enchantment, even simple spells, and she's blocking everything I do!"
"What the hell do you mean she's blocking?! You're the Lodge, the most powerful sorceresses alive! So do what all sorceresses do!" Geralt replied angrily. The veins across his face and pale skin became visible like small connected rivers, as blood surged through them.
"Do you even know what your woman is capable of?!"
"Yeah...I've seen Triss lay waste to half the forest near Kaer Morhen and tear apart the Wild Hunt with fire from the sky." He answered.
"Fire from the sky? Is that it?! Shut up, witcher!" Margarita replied. Her inability to take control had caused annoyance to bellow forth in her tone. "I can do no more without raising the danger to me, and especially to her. She's all but lost control..."
"Make her sleep! Make her sleep!"
"That would not be wise...I want see what happens next. Be ready to subdue her quickly if we must!" Keira said, then she brought her hands forward, but their magic collided in a violent spark. "Dammit!"
"Keira, this is not one of your crazy experiments, it's Triss!"
"Yes, yes, yes, I know that, witcher!"
"Geralt, we sorceresses use our bodies as conduits of magic. When a change happens, it affects how we channel the power we access." Margarita said. "There is another option, it's the most dangerous to us, because whoever goes could be harmed irreparably if she perceives them as a threat."
"That?!" Keira said, halting everything she was focused on. "You can't be serious?!"
"We haven't got many options. Someone must enter her mind, but I—"
"I'll do it, tell me what I need to do! I'll do it, she'd never see me as a threat." He mumbled.
"Wait, hear me out. You assume she'll see you as you are now. I admire your certainty about your lover, but her unconscious mind is not as rational. You must know, if you do this, you'll feel everything good and bad she's experienced in her life." Margarita explained. "You'll know her fears, because you will live them. You'll feel every pain she's endured and it's toll...yes, witcher...even the pain you've caused her. It's the most intimate of connections you'll ever make with her...even more intimate than when you lay together."
"We're wasting time we don't have, Rita!" Geralt muttered.
Remarkable. "Would you die for her, witcher?"
"Without a second thought." He answered. "We have to hurry!"
"This is not a beauty spell or another simple sort… There are other forces at place. Be patient, Geralt."
"How could she do all this from her unconscious state?" The witcher asked.
"Triss' talents are rare, her ability to conjure the most complicated of spells without the aid of another is frightening. If we simply sever her connection now, we'd harm her. It's a shock you see? Worse, actually."
"Couldn't get any worse than this." He mumbled, contorting his face.
"It can and it just did. Do you sense that, sister? I do not think it's just magic, this is something else." Keira mumbled, as the witcher's medallion began to rattle violently.
"Triss..." Geralt said, leaning over her. "Danger nearby."
"Alright, we'll focus on her burns and heal them quickly, then keep her stable until it's safe out there. You can let her go, Geralt, you're squeezing too tightly and she's calm now." Margarita added.
Outside, Triss, still in her unconscious state, had inadvertently opened more portals to the bogs, swamps, dark forest thickets, and mountain caves where all manner of beasts dwell. Packs of Drowners and Drowned Dead emerged. The witcher Lambert, training outside, quickly dispatched the monsters. His rapping on the door alerted Geralt to the strangeness of events occurring outside.
"What are you going to do?"
"What a witcher does." He answered.
"Go, we'll care for your woman. Lambert is out there and he needs your help." Keira said, not lifting her eyes from Triss' body as she applied her magic once more.
"I'm entrusting Triss to your care." Geralt muttered, his words cold and gritty. He took a sword from the wall, then made for the door.
The heavy tread of his boot echoed as he entered the hall, then walked to the parlor and out to the front of the manor. The skies above had darkened as far as the eye could see in a magnificent hue, glowing red and crimson like a great dragon bellowing fire deep inside. The air smelled of sulfur, the winds howled as more portals opened nearby and others were whisked out of existence. Both witchers remembered the familiar sky during their battle with the Wild Hunt at Kaer Morhen. Geralt gazed up then at the creatures before them. A Swamp Bints, and a Water Hag appeared. Much like the Water Hags, with two spans of bony growths sticking from its back, hair tangled like seaweed, with powerful claws, it was the color of moss, with puss-filled boils on its back and green glowing eyes. Both hags appeared as shocked of their surroundings as the witchers were to see them. With thick sickle-shaped claws, her eerie muttering drew Geralt's gaze and sword. He dispatched the Swamp Bints, then turned as the Water Hag retreated.
Merigold's fire, if she does that here she could burn the entire city! He thought to himself.
A pair of powerful Chorts with curled horns emerged from portals far across the manor, then an old ancient Leshen surrounded by crows and wolves slowly emerged from a portal beside them. The two beasts engaged in a gruesome but brief brawl, the Leshen burrowed it roots and impaled the Chort, twisting its lifeless body in a mass of flesh and shattered bones. A Godling appeared, terror stricken, running frantically towards the witcher, but Geralt did not lift his sword. A cluster of Mucknixers and Foglets appeared and the witcher cut them to pieces, dousing himself in blood.
"What the fuck is going?! Drowners, Mucknixers...shit! Even Leshens and Chorts, every monster known to witchers is emerging from portals and, last time I checked, the swamps were nowhere near here! Monsters don't use portals, Geralt, not these kind…"
"Hmm, it's Triss. She's unable to control her magic right now. Not going to be easiest monster kills we ever made. Watch yourself...that Leshen is old, powerful."
"First, we need to close every portal, wolf...prevent any more surprises. Oh, and try not to take your sweet time, your woman is about to burn down the entire fucking city!" The witcher Lambert shouted, pointing his finger upward.
"Yeah, not much time left."
Inside the manor and Triss' lab, Margarita employed the most powerful of magic to suppress Triss' powers, but the enchantress could only contain her partially. Margarita stayed with the sorceress, focusing on healing the injuries she had inflicted to her own body. Keira hurried to the parlor and glanced outside.
"I need dimeritium, witcher!" The sorceress shouted from the window. "Do you have any?"
"We have monsters, lots of monsters...busy right now!"
"I can see that...there's so many of them!" Keira said. She teleported herself outside, then quickly sealed the portals nearest to them. A beast growled, the deafening sound stunned the senses, as a Chort charged them. The enchantress opened a portal before the creature and it vanished through.
"Hwee...neat trick." Lambert mumbled.
"Where did you send it?" Geralt asked.
"Let us say, I dropped it from a very high place. Unless the creature can swim, there's not much to discuss." She answered. "Now, about that dimeritium…?"
"In the barn, behind the haystack, look in a chest. I don't keep ingots in our home, they interfere with Triss' instruments and it's dangerous to her." Geralt replied. He glanced over his shoulders at the enchantress.
"Fend of the monsters whilst I retrieved it." Keira replied. Two portals opened nearby and necrophages poured out like an angry mob. A rotten stench filled the air. Both witchers cast Igni and flames licked the ground, belching fire and consuming the creatures. They spasmed and swelled, thrashing around in tremors. One exploded, triggering the rest.
"They're going to blow!" Lambert barked. He grabbed the enchantress and both witchers cast Quen to guard themselves from the blast.
"Why do you need dimeritium? It's like fire asking for water." He asked.
"I intend to use the ingot to block Triss' magic until she wakes. We'll fashion something to bind her."
"That will be painful for her."
"We'll take measures."
"Keira, she'll be defenseless." Geralt grumbled.
"You'll protect her, Geralt, until she is back to her old self. Hurry, we haven't got much time!"
Keira made for the barn. She would not risk opening a portal, so Lambert followed, leaving Geralt to fend of the beasts nearby. When the sorceress returned safely, both witchers fought abreast. Together, they cast Quen shielding themselves from the blows, then set out to slay the remaining Drowners and Drowned Dead. Outside, the smaller portals began to vanish as a single larger portal of blackness formed above them. Geralt, tensed his body, the witcher could sense the strong evil emanating from the aberration.
"We have trouble…big trouble..." He said. "This isn't good. Can you close it, Keira?"
"I haven't the time, it will take too long. I must get back to your woman." She replied.
"This can't be good..."
"Then you both go and handle it!" Keira replied.
"What about Triss?"
"Just deal with the monster, Geralt. Rita and I will take care of your witch!" Keira replied angrily, then she retreated towards the manor. "Be careful, Lambert, whatever emerges from within will possess an arcane evil form of power, a monster perhaps from the time of the Conjunction of Spheres."
Hmm, it's worse than that. Not a monster, something else...something worse. Geralt pondered his thoughts.
The witcher twirled his swords with skill, then advanced to joined his brother. Both witchers stood poised waiting for whatever manner of beast on the other side to emerge. The aura grew stronger around them, their witcher medallions rattled, thumping against their chest. Lesser monsters perished and faded like ash where they stood. The ancient Leshen retreated far beyond the old tree and stood firm, other monsters retreated only to fall dead.
"Do you feel that?" Geralt asked.
"What the fuck is it?! I have never felt anything like it." Lambert asked, "Damn, that aura is strong.".
No, I defeated him...no way he could come back...not here. "I don't know, but it's pure evil."
"No shit, Geralt, I can sense it too. How did this shit happen? Merigold calling every monster here. Now this..."
"Triss, her condition is bad, her magic is unstable, Rita said, but she'd never do this intentionally, but in her current state, anything could happen if they don't get her under control soon."
"Damn, I'm too young to die." The witcher Lambert jested. He stared at the sky above, then, with a nervous grin. "You sure know how to pick them. Merigold is about to burn this entire valley, kill us all."
"It won't come to that, Triss will pull through. It looks like she's regaining some control." Geralt said confidently.
"What?!"
"Look at the sky, it's not raining fire." Geralt mumbled, "As long as it remains like that, Triss has some control.".
"Merigold is that powerful?"
"You blind? Look around you." Geralt replied, as they inched forward slowly. "Remember what she did to the Wild Hunt during the battle at Kaer Morhen? Don't underestimate her."
"Yeah, I remember saving your ass too when Merigold tried to roast us." Lambert answered, then he focused on the portal and the powers emanating from it. "You like it when sorceresses try to kill you, I don't. Yennefer threw you into a portal trying to drown you, and Merigold tried to burn you...It's coming."
"Keep your sword at the ready, we're about to have a hard fight."
"You afraid, wolf?"
"Yeah, anyone tell you you talk a lot when you are nervous, Lambert? Stay focused."
There was a sudden eerie silence around them. Everything had frozen, the winds no longer howled, leaves halted mid-air, birds refused to sing, others were frozen amid-flight. The grass stood with a slight bend, time had stood still around them yet they were unaffected. Both witcher's inched closer and out appeared a man. He climbed down, each step revealing a translucent stair from the ground to the portal above. Beady, unfocused eyes defined the stranger's feature. He approached with a curious stare, then took interest as the witcher Lambert raised his sword in anticipation.
No, it's him. I banished him...how. Geralt thought to himself.
"Yes, its me, Geralt." The man replied.
Unimposing, the stranger was dressed as a simple peasant, clad in a yellow shirt and blue pants with a pouch attached to his waist, he looked ordinary, but Geralt knew the man was no ordinary monster, there were no pages in the bestiary for him, no witcher had ever faced such a creature. He was no relict, cursed one or specter. Their witcher's medallion continued to vibrate, alerting them to the graveness of the threat they faced. Lambert, always brash and easily angered, moved forward towards the man, but before he could raise his hand to the witcher, Geralt spoke.
"You." Geralt muttered as he narrowed his eyes.
"Who? Know this man?" Lambert asked. "Is it even a man? What is it? A doppler?"
"Dopplers are harmless, this is no man, he's no Djinn, but a demon.. He's the cruelest and foulest of monsters." Geralt muttered. "Deals in half-hearted jests, makes you believe you'll get what you want, then twists it into a horrible fate."
"Ah, Geralt of Rivia, you remembered me." The stranger turned his gaze away from the witchers and stared curiously at the manor to their backs.
"Who is this fucker? Why the hell is my medallion vibrating for him?!" Lambert asked as he raised sword.
"Don't provoke that thing, Lambert...he's dangerous."
"'Thing'? I am neither a thing nor a man. I am no demon or a Djinn, and naught in between." The stranger slowly paced from left then right, his eyes still focused on both witchers. He paused, then bowed, fingers laced. "Let me introduce myself: Gaunter O'Dimm, the Man of Glass, also known as Master Mirror. It's a trade, you see. Geralt and I were acquaintances in the not too distant past—"
"Don't have time to listen to this shit!"
"If you had no ears, you'd hear not what the wind whispers...if you had no eyes you'd see not what the mirror reflects. If you had no tongue, you'd speak not." The mysterious stranger answered.
"Easy, Lambert. It's a long story, don't give him a reason to attack us." Geralt continued. "Why did you come here, O'Dimm?"
"Ah, witcher, but the question is why did you disturb me? Who opened a gateway to my domain? You cast me into the abyss...into blackness, silence...infinite silence. ." O'Dimm said, his eyes narrowing slightly, a false smile across his face. "This land...Kovir...Pont Vanis, known by another name in ancient time. It's been eons since I last visited this place, poverty-stricken then, not many people need my talents here now."
"Nothing here for you...so go back to whence you came." Geralt said, as he tightened his grip on his sword.
"When the contract is done and deed completed, payment must be got." O'Dimm removed a wooden spoon from his jerkin and the witcher stepped back.
"I beat you before at your own game."
"You alluded me from what was mine, witcher..." O'Dimm muttered, "...but I'd wager…"
"I'd wager nothing!" Geralt growled. "I'll find a way to defeat you for good and kill you."
"I can't be killed...I always return..." O'Dimm muttered. The bones in his face shifted, his eyes were like the eyes of a snake, face pale and demonic.
"We'll see!" Geralt answered.
Suddenly, the sky above them was torn opened in a loud rumble. Geralt looked up, the blackness parted as fire rained down like dragon's breath, scorching a patch of field in the open plains near their manor. The Leshen vanished in a haze of black smoke, then reappeared far across the field with the crows and wolves. Balls of moulting fire and rock belched from the heavens, singeing the ground where the creatures stood. The yelp of the wolves echoed, as a trail of flame blackened the ground. Naught was left but the charred husk of the Leshen's wood like form, crumpling, and withered.
"Intriguing..." O'Dimm said. The demon's demeanor and aura was less threatening as it once again turned its gaze towards the witcher's home and made Geralt anxious. "Sorceresses...is she the one you hold dear? Intriguing...she's not alone. Bog witches...they trifle with forces they can not fathom or hope to master. This one is strong enough to bridge the darkness that is my domain and awaken me? Contemptible, corrupting the source with a novice's knowledge and children's magic."
Was that fear? Hmm. He fear them, Triss especially, but why? Geralt pondered. "Whatever you're after, whatever you're trying to do, I won't allow it." He replied angrily. "I know your fear of sorceresses...they aren't defenseless against your powers. "
"Geralt, Geralt, Geralt, impatient as always. I sense someone you have deep feelings for is in trouble. Do you want my help? A wish, perhaps, to save one so dear?" O'Dimm asked. "I grant what the client desires and demand appropriate payment. I know your heart's desire...ask and what you desire will be yours."
"No, what I desire you can never grant in full. I've seen the results of you wishes. You give hollow truths that lead to a miserable end and payments are steep and unbalanced. I've already one miserable ending, I won't allow you to ruin my life here. Now, leave!"
"Is she what you truly desire?"
"You know nothing about my desires.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk." O'Dimm waved his finger, grinning wickedly. "That is no way to talk to an old acquaintance, remember what happened to the last man who annoyed me so? It was at the alchemy's tavern, as the story began—"
"I know the story I was there...now leave!"
"I'll leave, for now, but return. Someday, I'll come calling...two souls for two souls, remember that, and warn your witch never to disturb me again."
"I owe you nothing."
"Olgierd von Everec's soul?" O'Dimm mumbled.
"I wagered my soul for his and won the game." Geralt replied defiantly. The screams Vlodimir made when you sent his ghost from the living world haunted my dreams and Triss had to intervene...
"The woman, Marlene de Trastamara's soul?"
"You cursed her because she refused you food, the curse was lifted as it was spoken: I dined with the spotted witt of my own free will. She's no longer your concern." Geralt replied. "I banished you, begone!"
The skies returned to their natural blue color and the last of the smaller portals disappeared as Triss regained control of her magic.
It worked, she's fine... Geralt thought to himself. The witcher would have delved into reminisce had the Man of Glass' voice not snapped him to his senses.
"Ah, there they are." O'Dimm smiled wickedly, then slowly retreated, fading into thin air. "Farewell, Geralt, we'll meet again."
"What the fuck was that?!" Lambert asked.
"Evil incarnate itself."
"What?!"
"Long story, ask me later. He won't do us any harm for now. Don't mention this to Keira and the others, we have enough problems already."
"That display with the Leshen...what was that about?"
"Hmm." Geralt grunted, as Lambert sheathed his sword. "Triss, fending off O'Dimm for me, I guess."
"Your woman is awake and she wants you, Geralt, hurry!" Keira exited and alerted the witchers. He quickly sheathed his sword then glanced at Lambert.
Keira made a subtle nod before returning into the manor. Geralt opened the door, and made his way to the lab. As he entered, the sorceress Margarita held a rag in a small bowl of water.
"She fell asleep, Geralt. We've healed her injuries, but she cannot fully control her magic abilities." Margarita mumbled, then moistened the rag and wiped her sister's hands. "Take her to your bed, please."
"Hmm." Geralt grunted. "How long?"
"I cannot say for certain, witcher." Margarita whispered. She paused, observing them. "Are you alright?"
"What I feel is beyond reason. I love everything about her: her soul, body, mind. Even her smile, down to the simplest of things." He mumbled. "I feel this way in everything I do with her, even walking through a sewer...everything we say, even when we are both silent."
Geralt ran his fingers along her face, the sorceress' burns were gone, her blisters healed. In the dull light, her skin appeared honeyed. She opened her eyes, her gaze rose up to his, the hue of her cornflower blue eyes appeared like stars on the darkest of nights. The way she smiled, so gentle. He took the enchantress off the table and folded her into his arms. In that instant, they were one, the warmth of their bodies entwined, like the feelings they shared. The sorceress' hair smelled of scented oils, her skin of strawberries. He paused at the door only to offer gratitude to her sisters, before carrying Triss to their bedroom. He placed her in their bed, then removed his sword. That day, both Margarita and Keira would stay by Triss' side to care for the enchantress while she slept.
Thanks for reading this chapter. I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it. Let me know what you think I am always looking forward to improving my writing and ideas.
