Eskel shook his head after passing through the portal. Still hated them even after all these years. Taking stock of his location, he saw he was inside the front gate and more than a few guards had noted his presence. He sighed. Triss had been distracted when she cast it and must have missed Rayden.

"Who are you? Where did you come from?" The guard leveled his spear at Eskel's chest. Eskel slowly raised his hands and with his right, cast axii on the man in front of him. The man's face clouded over.

"I'm not going to harm you. Take me to the Emperor." The guard relaxed but kept his spear at the ready.

"Come on, you. I'm taking you to the Emperor." He gestured with the tip of his weapon and Eskel obliged. He was herded through the large doors and through a columned entry to the massive open hall. Rayden was standing on the dais, his back to the door talking to a man about his age in distinctly witcher style armor. They shared a laugh then the man's eyes snapped to Eskel. Hand on his weapon, he nodded in his direction. Rayden looked over his shoulder and grinned, patting the man on the shoulder, putting him at ease.

"Dad!" Rayden said pleasantly. Eskel briefly embraced his son, then pulled him back, hands on his shoulders. The guard stopped, shook his head, and looked around confused.

"Axii on my palace guards?" Rayden chuckled as he dismissed the soldier.

"That or he was planning to skewer me. You don't look nearly as bad as I was told."

"I've had a few good night's sleep since then. Come." He led Eskel down a side passage from the main room, Patrick close behind. At the end of the hallway a set of gold double doors open, and Rayden led Eskel into the Emperor's formal study. Tomas was hard at work at a side table. He looked up at the entrance of his master.

"What is going on Rayden?" Eskel began. "Your Mother said you were guarding yourself."

"Not anymore," he gestured at Patrick. "Meet Patrick. Captain of my personal guard, my training partner and friend. I'm sure you saw the others out there. These fellows have a certain domineering presence about them…"

"Rayden." Eskel knew he was dissembling.

"Fine. Someone is trying to kill me."

"Is that all?" Eskel said, a touch of sarcasm in his voice. Rayden seemed to have missed it as he looked around the room. Eskel had never seen him so jittery. They had been on The Path amidst all manner of danger and Rayden always remained steady. He suspected that being the prey instead of the predator made a world of difference.

"Yeah. Everyone seems to think it's a big deal."

"Because it is," Tomas interjected, rising from his work and approaching them. "You are no longer a Witcher's apprentice wandering the countryside. You are the Emperor of the greatest empire our world has ever known. There are a great many people that depend on you."

"He's right, you know." Rayden glared at Eskel and the witcher merely shrugged. "You have the power to change the world."

"I just wish I knew where to start." Rayden said quietly. He walked in front of the massive fireplace to a table and poured a goblet of wine then leaned on the mantle, watching the flames. Tomas was transported back over two decades ago, seeing a man hold that same pose. Yet this time, there was no fear in his chest and no darkness plagued his dreams.

"But you have already started." Tomas said. Rayden looked back at him. "The servants do not fear you but respect you for your kindness. Those that would do you harm have been rooted out. The lower classes have their own way of dealing with things like that. You have not punished your enemies for merely disliking or disagreeing with you. That has not gone unnoticed. You have engendered loyalty in such a short time where it matters most. The opinion of the people is swayed not by fancy words from you, but from your actions and the testimony of those that work for you."

"If only the nobility were that easy. All they want is power and recognition. They fight to climb the ladder to be the favorite. I have not met with any of them and I think they are mad. Maybe mad enough to try and kill me."

"Are there any others that would have sat on the throne?" Eskel asked.

"Yes. There are many that would like that honor. His mother was of House Voorhis so there would not likely be opposition there." Tomas said. "If there had been no heir, there very well could have been a factious war to seat a new Emperor. Emhyr was determined to keep that from happening. It would have torn the empire apart."

"His precious empire." Rayden scoffed. "He never stopped to think about all the damage he did acquiring it. Just didn't want anyone hurting his legacy."

"Be that as it may, you are now the one in charge." Tomas insisted.

"I'm not interested in their games."

"Then make your own." Eskel said matter-of-factly. Rayden met his gaze and for the first time in weeks, he felt confident he could come out the other side of this alive.

The Emperor's hall was lavishly set. Rich foods were lain out on the tables lining the walls and servants poured and served the finest wine in Nilfgaard. Large vases of fragrant flowers from the castle garden stood at the entrance, by each of the four pillars and the base of the dais to the throne. The noblemen who milled about and drank the wine and ate the fine food had no idea they were being observed from above by the new young Emperor. Rayden and Eskel stood in the shadowed balcony and looked down on the assemblage. Eskel had been listening to the talk below but had not heard anything important. Like whom wanted to kill his son. Rayden merely watched. He saw those that swaggered and those that simpered. Those that had something to say to everyone and those that said nothing. Those that looked meanly on everyone and those that smiled large fake smiles to all who passed.

"They are getting curious," Eskel said softly.

"Time to give them what they think they want." Rayden left by a set of rear stairs where Patrick waited. The rest of the guard met him in a servant's corridor that led outside and around the hall to the front. Giving the signal, the large double doors were swung open and Rayden marched in, Patrick directly behind him leading the remainder of the guard.

Rayden's attire clashed with that of his guests. His black leather armor, while ornate, still harkened back to his witcher apprentice days. The six men at his heel were dressed similarly, a wolf head emblazoned on the shoulder guard of each.

He walked swiftly as all eyes fell on him. Whispers began to swirl around the room. The word 'sword' did manage to reach his ears. His black cape hung from two points, allowing the master crafted weapon to hover over his shoulder. Rayden walked up the steps before his throne, stopping at the top to unsheathe his sword as he turned to face the assemblage, letting the point rest carefully on the carpet. The room went silent as the lesser royalty of Nilfgaard examined the figure outlined by the red lining of his imperial cape.

"Welcome, Noble Houses of Nilfgaard!" Rayden began, his voice filling the room with ease. "The time has come to usher in a new era. Though we were related, I assure you, I am nothing like Emhyr var Emries. I will not send my minions to drag you away in the night or poison you behind closed doors. I'm a bit more straight forward than that. I will personally gut you in the street." He said all of this in a casual manner, but his tone was unmistakable.

"I am the Emperor of Nilfgaard, and I will protect the people of Nilfgaard and its territories from you and your petty games. An attempt has already been made on my life. I suspect someone in this room knows all about it. The ball is in your court. Let's play." Rayden grinned then turned and left down the hall behind the throne, leaving some of his guests questioning and others fuming.

Patrick followed Rayden into his private quarters to find Eskel already there, leaning against the window. They had made a circuitous route back, each guard peeling off from the group to set up a watch on the guests.

"Are you sure that was wise?" he asked Rayden, watching him fling off the cumbersome cape and flop into an overstuffed chaise. "Taunting them like that?"

"No. But that's the whole point, isn't it? I want them to know I know. Eventually some ass kiss will show up with some 'helpful news'. My game, my rules. And I'm going to make them play it." Rayden kicked his feet up and stretched. "Besides," Rayden gestured to Eskel, "It was his idea."

"It was a bit much." Eskel replied. "However, Patrick, Rayden is right. Sometimes you need big bait for big monsters."

"So, what now?"

"We wait." Rayden said with a smile. "Look, I know what it takes to bait someone into action…"

"Because you are easy to bait." Eskel interrupted. Rayden flipped him off and the witcher chuckled.

"Because I'm easy to bait." Rayden repeated his father's words. Unfortunately, truer words had never been spoken. Hope it doesn't go to shit, he thought.

Later that night, after the all the guests had left and the lights had been doused, Rayden sat on the balcony letting the darkness envelop him. The stars shone bright on such a clear night. It seemed like forever ago, but it was only last summer when he lay sleeping on the hard ground under the speckled canopy. The Path. It was a hard concept for most people. It wasn't just the road you physically travelled on; it was the philosophy you chose to believe. The ethics you chose to live by. If he had been raised by a less ethical individual, he may be willing to play the games these rich people wanted to play. But he had been reared by the most ethical person that he had ever known. Through his travels he had seen the underbelly of life. How others were forced to live because of the whims of those more powerful than they. War had ravaged the northern kingdoms, destroying families, homes, and livelihoods. Was he their last hope?

"What are you thinking?" Eskel asked as he joined him in the dark. Rayden shook his head slightly.

"Just how the stars look the same here as they do in Lyria or Pont Vanis."

"Hmm."

"You know, I never really thought of myself as some great knight rushing to someone's rescue, but it looks like that's what's happening. Isn't it?" Rayden mused.

"A little. Does that frighten you?"

"Don't know. It does put a lot of pressure to succeed on a man. But it doesn't matter. No one knows I'm here to help them anyway. But that's not the point of helping people is it…"

"No." Eskel watched Rayden yawn. "Why don't you get some sleep. I'll stay up." Rayden nodded and walked slowly back to his bedroom. Eskel took up his meditative position outside the door. With his presence, it gave the guard a night off to rest. And there was no one who would get past the witcher. Eskel would never allow what was his to be taken from him.

The cold began to slowly turn, and the days became longer and warmer. There were still patches of snow on the ground when Rayden walked out to the dirt circle and the late afternoon air had a bit of chill clinging to it. There had been no move made by the mysterious assassin and no helpful news had been brought. But Rayden was not dismayed. Sometimes, you had to wait crouched in the bushes until your legs cramped before the beast would show its head. Yet another lesson from The Path.

He dropped his heavy cape on the ground and rolled his shoulders before pulling out his sword. Now that the weather had become more hospitable, he preferred to spar outside in the soldier's quarters.

"Come on, Old Man!" He taunted Eskel. The Witcher leaned against one of the torch posts around the circle and shook his head.

"Don't want to embarrass you." He said with a crooked smile.

"I figured we could show them how it's done," Rayden gestured to the gathering men. Eskel noted the eager faces around. His son certainly knew how to draw a crowd.

"Well?" Rayden asked. Eskel shifted ever so slightly before launching himself off the post and pulling his weapon simultaneously. The loud ring of steel on steel met with cheering. Rayden pushed off and the pair began to circle around, looking for a break. Eskel had a partial blind spot on his right side because of the damage done to his eye, so Rayden waited. He shifted his grip on his sword and Eskel drove in fast. Rayden rolled and drove the hilt into the witcher's side. Eskel staggered a step then turned and kicked Rayden square in the chest. As he lay panting on the ground, Eskel leaned over him.

"Didn't think I knew about that move, did you?" Rayden just looked up, then grabbed Eskel's jacket, put a boot to his chest and threw him across the circle.

"Didn't see that coming, did ya?" Rayden asked as he staggered to his feet, the men cheering around them.

"You little shit." Eskel laughed, realizing his sword was far from his reach. Rayden came toward him for the finish, but the witcher rolled, grabbed his sword and was on his feet in a flash. "So, what else do you have up your sleeve, kid?" Rayden spent the next half hour showing Eskel exactly what he had learned since leaving the Witcher's tutelage. Only when they were both panting and leaning on their swords, did they declare a draw.

Eskel straightened, sheathed his sword and walked toward Rayden when the breeze slowed against his cheek. He could hear the crunching of snow against stone, the creak of the trees as they swayed. No, not the trees…

"Down!" He shoved Rayden to the ground and pulled his sword to parry a volley of arrows from three directions. Surprisingly, only one got through his defenses, striking him in the thigh. "Get him under cover!" Eskel called unnecessarily, as the royal guard was already pulling him into the barracks. Patrick issued orders to the surrounding soldiers, rousing them from their dazed admiration of a true Witcher's skill. Not many had seen a Witcher parry arrows in flight and lived to tell the tale.

The men fanned out to search the grounds as the shadows began to cover the corners. Eskel followed the trajectory of the arrows, ignoring the pain in his leg. The castle gardens were designed for beauty and pleasure within the safety of the walls, but the trees were now offering cover to their enemy. He leaned against the trunk of a pine and downed a bottle of Swallow before pulling the arrow from his leg. In front of him, a rope swayed against the stone wall. Yanking on it, a hook fell from the battlements. Whoever it was, was gone. Again.

Eskel sat, pale, a towel around his middle as the apothecary tended the wound on his thigh. He had bled profusely and had to be half dragged back to the castle despite the potion he had taken earlier. The young woman wrapped the final bandage around under the eye of the elderly master.

"We could have just contacted Mom." Rayden said, leaning against the window of his apartments. Eskel shook his head and thanked the young blushing apothecary.

"No. I'm not dragging her into this."

"Why not?"

"She's the advisor to a rival court. It would not look good."

"Tancred is hardly a rival…"

"Not to you. But to some of these others…" They heard the door open then close and Patrick entered the bathing chamber carrying two more grappling hooks. He dropped them on the floor with a clang.

"There were three of them. Damn it!" Patrick swore loudly and clenched his fists. "We were lucky you were here, Eskel. But now they know as well. Whoever 'they' are." Rayden shifted on the windowsill and crossed his arms.

"How did they know I was going out today? I haven't been out there since the snow started in earnest."

"That means you still have someone inside." Eskel said.

"How do we find them? All the guard groups have been interrogated already. Most of them seem pleased that Emhyr is dead. It's not like we can read minds or anything. And it's not someone who knows what a Witcher is capable of."

"Or they did, which is why there were three of them. That did push me to my limit." Eskel sighed, gesturing to his leg. "Also, there might be a way to find out who the rat is. I remember Geralt telling me Yen used to get in his head all the time…"

"No." Rayden said firmly. "I'm not doing that to her. I won't force her to come back. She's been through enough. We will find another way." He started to walk out. "You really should tell Mom you were hurt. You know how she worries." He said as he closed the door, Patrick in his wake.

The following morning, Eskel and Rayden made their way down to the hall side by side. Rayden noticed a distinct lack of limp in his father's gate.

"No limp this morning?"

"No. I saw your mother last night."

"Saw?" Rayden asked, arching an eye.

"Yeah, I used your mirror and told her what happened. She felt the need to…uh…comfort…me in person." Eskel replied with a satisfied smile. Rayden ran a hand over his face.

"Oh, gods…sorry I asked." They rounded the corner into the great hall. His guard stood waiting as ordered and on full alert after the events of last night. Several of the men still looked at Eskel in awe.

"Alright, Tomas," Rayden addressed the clerk, "What's the word? How are we going to do this?"

"Well, Your Eminence, I have listed each guard section by region. That is the best way to keep track of who we have interrogated and who, if any, might be missing. I have done the same with the servants. The gates have been closed and until all are questioned, no one will come or go."

"Good." Said a voice behind them. "That will make my job so much easier then." The men tuned to find Yennifer standing there, outfitted in black and white and smelling of lavender and gooseberries.

"Triss told you." Eskel said bluntly.

"Yes. After I noted her rather flushed return." Yen smirked at Eskel.

"You don't have to do this." Rayden told her.

"I appreciate your concern for my welfare, but the attack last night is not the reason I am here. Not entirely. There have been some disturbing reports of young women going missing in Redania and it's not monsters. At least not the kind you are used to dealing with." Yen replied.

"What reports?" Rayden asked, his curiosity peaked.

"Nothing formal. I did some shopping in Novigrad. People talk. It sounds like you may need to up your game, Emperor."

"You can find out who is behind this?" Rayden asked her.

"No guarantees. I can tell you who knows what if anything. For instance, your guardsman with the bow has been thinking of his woman for the last few minutes or so. It seems I remind him of her." Rayden looked over at the guard in question as the man turned red but did not move. Rayden chuckled.

"What do you need?" He asked the sorceress.

"I need you to clear the castle of dimeritium for starters. There is still plenty of it in the dungeons. Then I'm going to need my quarters cleaned and prepared. My maid will know what I require. I assume she is still here. It is going to take me several days to comb through this many minds and it can be exhausting."

Eskel led the search for the dimertium since he was the only other person who could locate it. Tomas sent for the maid, who personally tended to Yen's needs without help not knowing who to trust. Rayden and Patrick split the list Tomas had made. They brought the groups in for interrogation. It was taken much more seriously when the Emperor himself brought you before the court sorceress. The first group brought to the great hall was the day and night wall guard, a rather large group. Yen stood wither her hands on her hips as the men filed in and lined up before her, many gaping at her beauty.

"You have been brought here because there has been another attempt on the Emperor's life. I recommend that you step forward if you have any information, no matter how minor. Anyone missing from duty, someone around who shouldn't be, anything out of place. You may not even realize what you know which is why I am here. I will be scanning your minds for relevant information. I am not interested in your womanizing, cheating on your wives or other unsavory personal habits. I am looking for very specific instances. So, if no one has anything…" Yen paused looking out over the group, "we will begin." Yen cast her spell and a light blue miasma spread over the men. They looked around nervously. Closing her eyes, she tilted her head slightly back and forth, mentally sorting through the debris.

After about twenty minutes, she dropped her hands and her shoulders sagged. One of the Rayden's guardsmen led her to a chair. Patrick began moving the men out. Rayden leaned against the wall and a voice sounded in his head, that one. He instantly zeroed in on a middle-aged man with blonde hair. He stuck his hand out, stopping the man in his tracks, fear instantly popping into his eyes though he hid it reasonably well otherwise. After the room was cleared, Yen spoke.

"You saw crumbled stone on the wall…" her voice was tired.

"Yes, my lady. It's not uncommon on that portion of the wall. Two days ago, there was a bit more than usual…come to think of it, there was a crate in the northeastern tower that wasn't there before. I just assumed it was supplies to make repairs."

"You assumed?" Yen asked, irritated.

"Repairs are made during the day; I walk the wall at night." Yen starred intently at him, casting her mental net again, but finding nothing. She shook her head.

"Very well," Rayden said. "You may go." The soldier bowed low and left. Yen rested until evening then conducted another mental interrogation. It went the same as before, she gave them opportunity to speak up then cast her spell before sending them on their way, having learned nothing. For three days, Yen learned everything she didn't wish to know in the life of a castle soldier. She became irritable and annoyed. Rayden let her bad attitude slide. Being a man, he had an idea of what she had picked up and couldn't blame her.

On the fourth day, their luck changed. Done with the men, the interrogation turned to the indoor servants, most of whom were women. Yen gave the same tired speech as before, cast her spell then nearly collapsed. Rayden once again stood by as the servants left the hall only to have Yen's voice pop into his head again. Her, the one with the red hair. She's not a threat, but you might handle her better than I. Something happened to her… Rayden stopped the young maid at the end of the line. She immediately began to tremble and tears filled her eyes. Rayden gently took her by the arm and led her to the little desk where Tomas usually sat. He pulled out the chair for her, then knelt on a knee. She bowed in her seat, afraid. He lifted her chin.

"You don't need to be afraid of me. What's your name? Delia, right?" Rayden was trying to put her at ease. She seemed surprised.

"Y-you know my name?"

"You're hard to forget," he said with a smile, bouncing one of the curls that hung down by her face. Delia blushed.

"Oh, yes…my hair." She looked at her hands, and he saw a few tears splash down on her pale skin.

"Does it embarrass you?" He asked. She nodded slightly.

"It is not exactly ideal. Blonde or dark brown is considered highly beautiful, not red."

"My mother's hair is red." Rayden said softly. Delia's head popped up.

"Really?"

"Yeah." He thumbed over his shoulder to Eskel, "My father certainly thinks she's beautiful. But he's just a Witcher." Rayden chuckled. Delia looked up to Eskel, blushed and returned her gaze to Rayden. "Delia, something happened to you. We need to know what. Yen couldn't get a clear reading. Five days ago…do you remember?" Delia nodded.

"It started before that." She began softly. "I float between chamber cleaning and the kitchens. My aunt is the cook. She brought me on after a bunch of servants left. She said you were kind and wouldn't…wouldn't…" she shook her head.

"Wouldn't what?" Rayden asked but the girl steadfastly refused to say. Patrick cleared his throat.

"Unfortunately, many red-haired women find themselves in brothels in Nilfgaard. It's an aesthetic that is not always appreciated. My…wife had red hair." Rayden looked wide-eyed at his friend. Wife? He'd get into that later.

"Delia? Please, continue."

"This young man flirted with me when I was out running errands. Five days ago, he followed me back. Said he was curious where I lived. I was off that morning, so we had a small picnic under the trees on the south side of the castle. The wind is blocked there, and it wasn't as cold. My aunt let me bring a pot of hot tea out…He said I was beautiful…The next thing I remember is my aunt shaking me awake, saying I would catch a cold sleeping outside."

"Do you remember what he looked like?" Rayden asked and Delia shook her head and began to cry.

"Celendine." Eskel murmured.

"Celendine is harmless." Rayden replied.

"Not if you over steep it with a touch of wolfsbane. It's not enough to hurt anyone, but it can render the drinker unconscious and affect short term memory. It's an old trick." Eskel shook his head. "The south side of the castle wall has a low point where the ground has settled. There is also a stairway from the kitchens directly to the wall. It's a fairly common design but also one that someone would have to know about. Delia was targeted to get close to the wall." Eskel sighed and looked dismayed. "She was easy prey." Delia cried harder. Rayden stood and had the cook summoned to care for her niece.

"Come, child," the robust woman cooed as she led her away.

"Delia." Rayden called. The cook stopped and both turned back to face him. "Thank you. You were very helpful. And one day you'll find an honest man to love you." The cook squeezed the young woman beside her as Delia gave a weak smile before proceeding back to the servant quarters.

"That was kind of you," Yen said.

"Yeah, well, what was done to her was fucking heartless. Can't wait to find this bastard and put an end to it. So, after all this, we know…what?" Rayden sat on the edge of his throne and bounced his foot impatiently.

"We know that it is someone outside the castle but is familiar with it." Patrick said.

"Great. That's a long and ugly list." Rayden snarked.

"They are working remotely." Eskel surmised. "Why else would there be months between each assassination attempt?" Rayden slouched back and stared at the floor.

"Patrick, still have that arrow?"

"Of course."

"Let's find out who made it."