Warm light flickered from the fire centered on the wall at the end of the room. Paintings reflected the light ominously while the copious bookshelves absorbed it, casting shadows in the corners. A tall man stood before the fire, strong hands clasped behind his back. He stared deep into the flames as if looking for the answer to a very important question. And he certainly had one, but he wasn't about to voice it. Fate had handed him something that was beyond his control, and Emhyr var Emeris did not like it when he was not in control. But that would change. He would force fate to bend her knee to him just has he had everyone else. Everyone but Geralt of Rivia. That damned Witcher. It was because of him he stood in the position he was now and fate had taken away his chance at revenge. No matter. He would make the rest pay for their brother's sins. Pay dearly. Footsteps in the doorway interrupted his reverie and he gave a slight turn of his head to acknowledge the intruder.
"Yes?" his asked, his deep voice filling the room.
"Your Eminence…I'm afraid she did not survive." The messenger stood warily, prepared to weather whatever mood his Master would heave at him. Emhyr merely turned his face back to the fire.
"It is of no consequence." The clerk sighed silently in relief.
"Master Plaman said she was not strong enough to cast the spell more than once."
"Then we will have to find stronger ones."
"Indeed, Your Eminence. Master Plaman suggested he try but he is too valuable."
"For now. What of the Guild of Merchants?"
"They are…placated… for the moment."
"What of the other?"
"We are tracking them as we speak."
"I must think. Leave me." The clerk bowed low and backed out of the room easing the door closed. He wiped the sweat from his brow and thanked the gods that the Emperor's mercurial temper spared him. Inside the great hall, the Emperor of Nilfgaard continued to stare deep into the flames.
The door opened quietly to a dimly lit room. Lambert looked the length of the room taking in the various suits of armor and the set swords that hung over them. He nodded in appreciation. He and Keira closed out the cold and walked deeper into the room. It was well appointed with elegant furniture, fine art and tapestries, and wine. Lots of wine.
In another room there was a thump and a deep groan mingled with a woman's cry of ecstasy. Lambert grinned lasciviously over his shoulder and Keira rolled her eyes. He flopped down into a chair and kicked his feet up on the smooth tabletop while Keira strolled around the room. A few minutes later, the bedroom door opened and Eskel stood shirtless with his sword in hand. Lambert grinned as he got to his feet.
"Sorry for showing up unannounced. We're not…interrupting…are we?" Eskel lowered his blade and went to greet his fellow witcher. "Sounds like someone was having a good time. Gonna kiss and tell?"
"No."
"You're no fun." The door to the bedroom opened a second time and Lambert glanced passed Eskel's shoulder. "Fuck me." He said under his breath and Eskel laughed. Triss came to Eskel's side as Lambert continued to sputter and gawk.
"Merigold?"
"I hate to put a damper on the love fest, but we have a problem and I'm not sure being in Toussaint is going to help," Keira said. She handed the folded parchment over and Triss read it silently, her hand reaching out to grip Eskel's. Keira also shared what Yen had said and wondered at the wisdom of being so near the Emperor's cousin. Triss began to tremble and Eskel led her to a chair.
"Not again. I thought we had moved past this."
"You can always go back to Kovir. You are the property of a powerful King. The rest of us are at loose ends." Keira dropped down into the seat Lambert had vacated. Triss felt a little hurt at her words but knew they were true. Tancred Thyssen was not someone to trifle with, especially that he now had other means of war at his disposal.
"Then there is the matter of my neck," Lambert groused. "I rather like my head where it's at." The door opened to admit a cold gust and Barnabas Basil-Foulty. He did not seem surprised at the additional faces around the table.
"Ah. I see our guests have arrived." Lambert gave Eskel a questioning glance as the steadfast steward set down his ever-present ledger and tea cup then sat at the head of the table. Eskel slid the notice toward him. Barnabas pulled out his spectacles and read. "This is not…unexpected."
"Not unexpected? What the fuck? Emhyr wants to enslave Keira and put my head on a pike!" Lambert raged.
"A lone witcher should encounter no trouble…"
"I am not leaving her." Lambert said emphatically.
"I was not going to suggest that you do so."
"What about the Duchess?" Keira asked. "Are we safe here?" Barnabas took a sip of his tea before answering.
"I would say so. Yes. As long as you follow certain rules."
"Rules?" Lambert interrupted.
"Shut up and listen, Lambert." Eskel admonished.
"You trust this guy?"
"Without a doubt." Lambert swallowed the rest of his arguments and sat still.
"As I was saying…You will be safe as long as you follow certain rules. Eskel has had no trouble moving about Toussaint and neither should you, Lambert. Keira, however should remain at the vineyard. While the Emperor allows Her Grace to rule as she sees fit, there is a Nilfgaardian embassy in Beauclair."
"I have gone to Beauclair with no problems." Triss said.
"But, I believe, never near the embassy and you are also the advisor of a powerful monarch and everyone knows it." Triss glanced at Keira as she looked away, embarrassed for her harsh words earlier. "And this is only the second time you have been here. Once on an invitation from the Duchess and now. I would recommend that you also stay at the vineyard, if only for Eskel's peace of mind." Barnabas rose and began packing bottles of wine into a crate as delicious smells began to emanate from the kitchen. They were soon joined by Marlene as she came to lay out a teapot and four cups.
"Breakfast will be done soon. There is a basin and fresh linens in the spare room if our guests would like to freshen up." Eskel thanked her as he rose to dress.
"How did you know we were coming?" Lambert asked the majordomo before heading up the stairs behind Keira.
"Given the political climate, it was only a matter of time."
Triss left the bedroom fully dressed as the others were finishing their morning meal. Eskel did a double take at her very formal appearance and his heart sank because he knew what it meant. She kept a magic mirror to keep in contact with the Council while in Toussaint. One of the leaders of the Council had contacted her.
"I'm afraid I must return to Kovir." She said.
"If you're going because of what I said…" Keira began, her voice apologetic.
"No. I'm not. Anyway, you were right. To the rest of the world I am the property of a King. No, I have been summoned."
"You aren't due back for a couple of months yet." Eskel was concerned and a little sad. This was their first winter together and now it had been cut short.
"Tancred is reconvening the court at Lan Exeter. It seems that Emhyr has taken up residence in Vizima. He has also brought a large portion of the army with him, which hints at a long term stay. With such large troop movements, Tancred is rightly concerned as to why. I certainly hope he isn't going to move against Kovir. I am so tired of the fighting." Eskel stood and took her hand, raising it to his lips.
"I'll join you as soon as it's suitable to travel." He leaned down to kiss her and Triss reciprocated eagerly before leaving via portal. Eskel stood staring at the empty space until Lambert broke into his thoughts.
"You and Merigold, huh? How long that been going on?"
"End of last spring Triss came here. It was the first time I'd seen her since I left her in Kovir. I'd never thought about her that way but after that winter…it just happened. It sounds stupid, but I feel a little more alive when she is around." Eskel stacked his and Lambert's plates on the tray. Keira handed hers over and as he took it, their fingers grazed one another. Keira jerked her hand back quickly, her eyes wide. She reached over and grabbed Lambert's hand shaking her head.
"Exactly how strong is your magic?" She asked Eskel. Lambert guffawed.
"He can completely incinerate shit if he's not careful."
"What are you talking about?"
"When I touched you just now, I could feel a magical vibration. I'm not trained to detect magical talent so if I can feel it...Has Triss never mentioned it?"
"No, she hasn't." But it explains a great deal, Eskel thought. Her reaction to the simplest touch, the way she responded to him in bed. "But I will be sure to ask her."
Winter turned to spring and spring to summer and the court of Tancred Thyssen relocated to the cooler royal seat at Pont Vanis. Triss stood beside her King on a particularly brutal afternoon as he saw petitioners. She was wondering how much longer it would take to see to the needs of those that milled about the hall when she noticed someone at the very back of the crowds. He kept to the shadows and moved with a predatory gait. Eskel. He had made the trip from Toussaint safely for a second time. The King's steward called her attention and when she looked back, he was gone.
As the sun began to lower in the sky, her day finished in the King's service and she walked out the large castle doors. In the small garden in front of the palace a tired witcher leaned against a tree, eyes closed, arms crossed, horse grazing quietly beside him. Triss stood and watched him, how serene he looked yet knowing too, how deadly he remained.
"Are you coming or are you just going to watch me all evening?" Eskel said, his eyes still closed.
"How did you…"
"I could hear your heartbeat speed up." He opened his eyes and looked up at her with a smile as her cheeks flushed. He held out his hand to her. She came down the steps and took it, their fingers lacing together and they walked home beneath the summer sunset. They walked in silence until passing out of the city gate. It was then she noticed his hands were bare as he squeezed a little tighter. She sighed, savoring the hum as it slid further under her skin.
"Can you feel it?" Eskel asked quietly.
"Yes," she replied, instinctively knowing what he was referring to. "Every time I touch you."
"What does it feel like?"
"A vibration. A hum. The closer we are, the more intense it is."
They lapsed into silence again and once home, Eskel stabled Scorpion then followed Triss through the door. Behind closed doors, he grabbed her and held her tightly against him and laid a crushing kiss on her lips. Triss wound her arms around him, thrilling at the magical shockwave that coursed through her. Eskel broke off and nuzzled her ear, his breath tickling her skin.
"As much as I would love to take you straight to bed, I could use a bath."
"I think I can help you with that," she said with a grin. She took his hand and pulled him toward the bedroom. She cast her spell conjuring a large hot bath as he carefully laid his gear aside and dropped his filthy clothes.
He let out a sigh as the hot water lapped over his skin and he slid beneath the surface. Coming back up he leaned against the side as Triss pulled up a chair and lathered soap in her hands. She washed his hair and massaged his scalp saying a small spell under her breath to rid him of any lice he undoubtedly picked up on the road. Rinsing her hands, she grabbed a silver ewer, filled it, and poured it over his head washing away the soap. He leaned back, eyes closed and Triss just watched him. She began to trace over the features of his face. From the rough stubble along his jaw, to the ragged scar that partially marred his features. She ran her fingers over his brow and down the bridge of his nose, circling his closed eyes. I wonder what color they were…
"Dark brown." Eskel said, his voice surprising her.
"W…what?" She stammered as she looked down into the yellow eyes and narrow pupils.
"You wondered what color my eyes used to be. Dark brown."
"I didn't say that out loud."
"No, you didn't. Sometimes…sometimes I can hear what people are thinking. More often with you. It comes and goes. I don't have any real control over it."
"When did this start? With me, I mean."
"In Toussaint." His said softly as he recalled the night they made love for the first time. Being with her seemed to awaken something inside him. Where she felt a physical hum, he felt a psychic hum. Some deep magic that drew him to her, something that told him what he sought, he would find with her. Ever since that night some of his more erratic abilities had become less erratic. Aside from the pseudo-mindreading, he was somewhat prescient; an ability that manifested as a slowing of time. He had attributed his slightly fewer scars to this ability. And not getting mixed up with politics, thrown into prison and flogged.
Triss rose and magically undressed beside the tub. Stepping into the water she kneeled over him and leaned in to kiss him. His hands found her waist and pulled her gently down into the water until they were joined together. The silence was punctuated with their breathless sighs and the gentle slosh of water as they rocked together, but it wasn't enough. Eskel pulled his feet under him and stood, Triss holding on tightly. They fell to the bed and he pushed hard against her, gripping her forearms as he thrust. Triss writhed beneath him and finding it impossible to get any closer moaned his name as a torrent of pleasure rolled over her. Eskel collapsed with a groan, sliding his hands up and lacing his fingers through hers. This certainly wasn't what he had planned. He had planned something that lasted much, much longer.
"Sorry about that," he chuckled sheepishly pushing up to his elbows. "It's been awhile."
"What, no stops at the local brothels?" Triss teased. She watched as his face became thoughtful and he released her hand to stroke her cheek.
"Why would I do that when I have you waiting for me? I love you, Triss. And I won't say that then crawl into another woman's bed, paid or otherwise." Triss swallowed the lump that formed in her throat. Every day, men proclaimed their love then visited the ladies of the night. Even Geralt. To have someone forgo all other pleasure simply because of her… She reached up and pulled him down to her, kissing him gently. They then proceeded on to Eskel's original plan.
Vizima, Winter
Vizima was beautiful in the winter. Especially the palace. All the dirt and misfortunes were hidden beneath a blanket of soft white. Rays of the winter sun glinted off the pointed icicles that hung from ledges of the courtyard. The inner grounds were small being in the heart of the city, but Foltest's tastes had run on the extravagant side creating impeccable grandeur in such a small space. The damage that had been done over the last several years had been repaired, the Temerian coat of arms replaced with that of Nilfgaard.
The other change was the fear that seem to permeate the very stone the castle was built with. Foltest's court had been full of intrigue, every court is, but the arrival of Emhyr var Emries brought a rare kind of fear. His word was law, and his law was ruthless. There was no room for dissent. Dissent brought death. Or worse. A line of men and women chained together shuffled down the hall under their watchful guards. In a room to the side a handful of young women were shackled in dimeritium. The fate of these young sorceress was dire indeed. Their time had run out.
She kept her head down and hood pulled low as she made her way up the steps from the lower recesses of the castle to the servant's quarters. With any luck, she could make it past the guards to the hall where the Emperor sat in judgement over those that had crossed him.
Sure enough, there he sat, on the once great Temerian throne, issuing his commands as each person was dragged before him. The deep tenor of his voice filled the hall without effort ensuring that each pronouncement was heard by all.
Skirting the great open space, she remained in the shadows of the pillars. No one turned to look at her as she made her way to the end of the line. For what seemed like hours she moved slowly up listening to the condemned sniffing in fear as they cried silently, the pleas for mercy that fell on deaf ears, the heavy doors to the dungeons slamming shut.
"Step forward," the guard said as he grabbed her arm roughly and shoved her forward to the steps. One foot after another she walked up the smooth stone not with fear but with courage borne of having already faced innumerable fears. There was a shuffling and whispered voices.
"Your Eminence, I have nothing on this woman."
"What is your name? Lower your hood." The stern voice of the Emperor said. Slowly she reached up and with a silent deep breath, she lowered her hood and looked straight into the brown eyes of the Emperor of Nilfgaard. An evil smirk spread across his stone like features. "Yennefer of Vengerberg. Your arrival is very…fortuitous."
"What do you want with me? Why have a kill order on the Witchers?"
"Does that upset you? Then let us make a deal. I will spare their lives in exchange for your service." Yen thought of Keira and Lambert, of how wrong she had been about Lambert. He was coarse, but he had stayed by Keira's side unwaveringly. She thought of her own grief on the news of Geralt's death. That was a pain she would never wish on anyone, much less a friend. She would do whatever it took to spare Keira that pain.
"Rescind the order and I will stay."
"Very good," he said as a guard clapped a pair of dimeritium shackles on her wrists.