Gretchen found herself laying in the steaming hot water, hair pinned up, staring across at her husband who laid across from her. It was less than two days since their wedding, and yesterday evening Cahir returned never speaking of where he had been. Since he returned the two hadn't left their chambers once. Instead she allowed him to take her again, and again, and again. Both exhausted now had fetched the chamber maids to draw them a bath, and now for the last twenty minutes laid in the water, soaping themselves up, and nudging each other's bodies smiling at each other, before finally settling down into a relaxed smile.

Gretchen still barley knew this stranger who she called her husband, but she found a strange twisting fluttering feeling of overcoming love sweeping through her body. She suspected she was in love with him, and forever grateful for him taking her out of that miserable life. When he had returned and they made love that same overwhelming exploding feeling burst through her body over and over again, and by dawn she knew every inch of his body as much as she guessed he now knew hers. Staring at him, she gently smiled before playfully flicking some water in his direction.

"Lost in your thoughts?"

Cahir blinked, before staring at her and giving a small smile.

"Yes...I suppose I am."

"I heard you are stationed to the coast tomorrow."

Cahir nodded, looking disappointed.

"I shall be back by the month's end. My mother and sisters were take care of you. When I return we will find a proper home."

"But...you are taken away so often, am I to never see you?"

Cahir shook his head.

"Nilfgaardian is my home, this is where our home will be. Besides, moving about with the military is no place for..."

"A woman?"

Gretchen asked smiling. Cahir smirked before shaking his head.

"No...my wife."

"I hope I've proved I've been able to perfectly take care of myself..."

"Yes, but you've done that long enough. It is time for me to start taking care of you."

Gretchen sighed, looking troubled for a second as she stared down at the water. Instantly seeing it, Cahir raised an eyebrow.

"What is it?"

Gretchen lifted her eyes before shaking her head.

"I'm not like most women...not like your mother...or even your sisters. All of this..."

She motioned around the room.

"The dresses, the painting of my face...it isn't me. I know I'm a woman...but I was never treated as a lady. I would just be happy learning how to ride a horse wearing slacks than to sit around like some glass doll, sitting on a shelf, scared that it may break."

Cahir smiled and nodded.

"That's why you caught my eye. I know you aren't like most women. Most of this is just for show for my family. Once we're in a proper home you will be to do as your pleased. You say you're not like most women, well I am not like most men."

Gretchen sat up more in the bathwater now interested.

"Is that so? What about us marrying and me providing you with a male heir?"

Cahir smiled.

"That will come in due time, but you're different Gretchen. You will never be a prisoner again. My family will be horrified, but I am a man of my military and crest...not of my family. You...you are all that matters."

Gretchen smiled before moving and swimming towards her husband. Laying against him, nuzzling her head against his thin chest she kissed his wet skin as his arm wrapped around her.

"How did I ever get so lucky? Are you even real?"

Cahir smiled, leaning down and kissing the top of her head as they continued to bathe in silence.

The next day...

Gretchen stood outside, gazing up at Cahir, dressed in his armor before he mounted his horse. Hating this sudden overwhelming surge of emotion, she clung onto his thin body for dear life, before gazing up at him.

"Return to me safely."

Cahir tilted her head back gently before gazing down at her before pressing his lips against hers. Their eyes closed, they waited before finally the kiss broke and Cahir smiled. With that he turned, breaking their embrace before he climbed upon his horse and stared down at her. Gretchen hated the fact she was fighting back tears. Instead she simply stood there before he smiled, then clicked his tongue, causing his horse to start down the cobble stoned street with the other military men. Standing there, watching him, Gretchen suddenly felt horribly depressed. As welcoming as Cahir's family had been, she still felt like so much of an outsider. Praying he would return safely, she returned inside spotting Cahir's sisters and several other women from the kingdom in the next room. They were all sitting around knitting, and gossiping by the fire.

Knowing she wouldn't even know what to begin to talk about, she figured she would go back upstairs to their chambers and lay down for a bit. Last night she had tossed and turned, worried about Chair's departure, and now alone without him she suddenly felt very depressed. As she climbed the stairs, she shook her head. Here she was, a woman married not more than a week and all ready feeling less of a person now that her husband was no longer there. Once she reached her room she shut the door behind her before finding some of Cahir's clothes laying discarded on the floor that the maids hadn't collected yet. Smirking, she walked over before picking up his black slacks and shirt and lifting them to her face. They still smelled like him. A horrible ache filled her chest before she sighed and folded the clothes in her hands before smiling. Looking around she knew nobody was around, and knew there wasn't any harm in doing such a silly thing. She knew it was stupid, but these clothes smelled so much like her husband, and not knowing how long he would be gone, she wanted to feel closer to him.

Carefully she slipped out of her dress, hating how tight and suffocating it was before letting it drop to the ground. Stepping out of her slip, she then pulled on Cahir's slacks and then his shirt. The clothes were a little long and big for her but nevertheless fit. She smiled before spotting his extra pair of boots. Slipping them on, it helped once she tucked in the pant legs of the slacks into the boots. Standing, she smoothed out the black material before laughing at how silly she looked in the reflection. With her hair pinned up, she could almost pass as a man. Laughing, knowing she better change out of her husband's clothes before a maid, or even worse one of the members of his family came in and saw.

Just as she was about to pull the shirt over her head she froze. Taking a second, suddenly the pain ripped through her. Snapping her eyes shut she swayed. That's when the pain came again, a terrible ripping sensation starting in her back, right down to her spine.

Crying out, her knees buckled before she fell down hard onto the floor. Hunched over, she gasped before the pain came again, worse this time as she felt what she believed was her own skin being ripped apart. Yelping, she tried to roll over but found she couldn't. Nails clawing into the floorboards of the room, the veins in her neck straining as she screamed. Weakly she twisted her hand back, lifting underneath Cahir's shirt, where she felt where the pain was. She felt as if she was being completely torn apart. Tears filling her eyes, she felt wetness. Taking her hand back, she stared at her hand completely covered in blood. Eyes widening, she stared at the blood in complete disbelief before the door slammed open. Dheran, Cahir's sister along with two maids stood in the doorway. One of the maids shrieked, as Dheran's eyes widened.

"Good Heavens!"

Before she could say another word, Gretchen scrambled to stand up, feeling blood gush down her back. Dheran gasped and pointed at her, looking completely horrified.

"YOUR EYES!"

Gretchen blinked, having no idea what she was talking about. Frightened, she nearly tripped, before she ran as fast as she could. Pushing back the women, she heard them scream as she nearly stumbled down the stairs wearing Cahir's boots. Flinging herself into the door, slamming it open, she stumbled out into the street. The sunlight outside suddenly seemed too bright. Seeing village people glance in her direction, she knew she needed to run and run fast. Taking off, she ran down the street as fast as she could.

Later...

Gretchen had no idea how long she had been running. She had ran out of the kingdom, desperate to try and see if she could find Cahir and his men, It wasn't until she saw the tree line was that she had taken the wrong direction in her panic. Reaching the forest, Cahir's boots crunching into the snow, she ran into the forest, her chest burning, and her back feeling as if it was being ripped open from the inside.

Once she was deep in the forest, she suddenly tripped over the large boots she was wearing and fell forward onto the crunchy snow. She fell down hard, before sprawling down. She gasped for breath as it came out in tiny clouds. That's when another pain came, causing her to scream out loudly, causing it to echo in the forest. She could feel blood trickling beneath her, dribbling into the snow. Laying there, she suspected she might be dying. Her vision began to cloud, when suddenly she faintly heard footsteps. Her eyelids fluttered open, before she stared up. That's when she saw him. The Witcher. He approached her, his amber eyes looking concerned. Squatting down, he tilted his head to the side, his long white hair drifting down his shoulders. Reaching out with a gloved hand, he gently cupped her face before he sighed.

"Your eyes..."

Before he could finish his sentence, Gretchen felt her vision blur completely before everything became dark.