As the weeks passed, there was a question of where they would go next.
Monster contracts in Novigrad were starting to dry up, partly due to Ciri efficiently dealing with any monster that reared its ugly head and it made them realize that they needed to take some time away from the Free City in order for the demand to return.
They were weighing their options between Brugge, which was in the middle of a civil war right now and likely to have loads of monsters roaming the wastes and thus, lots of coin on the table, or Kaedwen, which was rumored to be dealing with a nasty kikimora infestation that didn't seem to have a cause behind it… that is, until a messenger passed through the doors of the Rosemary and Thyme and asked for a Cirilla Fiona Elen Riannon.
Ciri ignored her burning cheeks as she stood up and went to speak with the man, who, upon confirming her identity, reached into his satchel and passed her an envelope stamped with the royal seal of Verden's king, which she opened right there and read the letter, which was an invitation to a banquet.
There was an ulterior motive woven into the words scribbled onto the parchment in a neat, slanted cursive but Ciri didn't need much time to come to a decision and informed the messenger of her intention to attend the banquet in two weeks' time. He thanked her and went on his way, leaving as quickly as he came.
"Change of plans," Ciri said to Avallac'h as she returned to their table, tossing the invitation on top of the map spread out in front of them, "we're going to a banquet in Verden."
Avallac'h shot her a pleading look, which screamed "please tell me that you didn't just agree to something without consulting me" but unfortunately, that was exactly what had happened. Ciri had accepted the invitation without thinking and that left him in a difficult position.
"It's one night," Ciri insisted. "Please?"
Avallac'h didn't really like the idea of mingling with a bunch of dh'oine humans, even if it was only for an evening like Ciri claimed. The witcher flashed him an all-too-innocent smile and said,
"You wouldn't let me go alone to a foreign kingdom, would you? I mean, what if the king knows about the Elder Blood-"
"Fine. We'll go together."
Of course, she knew exactly how to get him right where she wanted him, though he refused to wear anything other than his elven attire and Ciri granted him that one wish, if only to keep him remotely happy.
When they arrived at the banquet hall, they were approached by an older-looking woman who introduced herself as Queen Adelle's lady-in-waiting - or one of them, at least. There were also other ladies-in-waiting of various ages, some even as young as the princess sitting on the dais next to the large, throne-like seat in the center.
"Princess Cirilla-"
"Just Ciri," the witcher insisted. She gestured to Avallac'h to take some of the attention off her and introduced him to the lady-in-waiting.
The title of 'princess' felt heavy on her shoulders, uncomfortably so like a giant boulder, and she decided right then that she would much rather be called "witcher Ciri", for at least that was accurate to who she was now and not the innocent Cintran princess she had been well over a decade ago.
"Ah, my apologies!" the lady-in-waiting apologized as she corrected herself. "I am Lady Violetta Laberge, and I would like to formally welcome you both to Verden! The banquet will be starting shortly but in the meantime, feel free to mingle among the guests."
"It's nice to meet you. Thank you for your warm hospitality."
"It is my pleasure. And before you go, there is something I need to speak to you about in private."
Ciri cast Avallac'h an apologetic look as she was forced to leave him behind and followed the lady-in-waiting to a quiet space behind the pillars that supported the roof of the great hall so they could speak without anyone eavesdropping. She didn't understand why this needed to be private but decided not to argue with Violetta about it, if only so she could get back to the elven sage much quicker.
"The king is on his third mistress in this year alone and no longer has any interest for Queen Adelle, nor does she for him. They still attend banquets to maintain appearances so make sure to be mindful not to say anything about them as a pair."
"Isn't that something Avallac'h should know, too?"
"Yes, of course, but you can always fill him in. Speaking of which, who is your elf friend?"
Did you really call me over here so we could gossip about Avallac'h? Ciri thought, feeling a twinge of irritation. Had her request for a private conversation been just that?
"He's just that, a friend. He helped me out during a time when my life was in danger and now he travels with me."
However, she didn't deign to inform Violetta that it hadn't been that long ago that she had been on the run from the Wild Hunt. They had retaliated against her for daring to rip Geralt free from the Red Riders but more so for her powers and she didn't want to think about what would have happened if they had succeeded.
"Sounds very exciting!" Ciri looked over and saw Violetta's eyes glittering with excitement. She obviously thought that she and Avallac'h had gone on the run and fallen in love, which was so far from the truth that even the notion was laughable.
It was a romantic idea that would never come true, for it was something that only happened in fairy tales that glorified such a thing.
Yes, they had scratched out a living together but they had also hit major bumps in the road and there were certain things they didn't dare discuss with each other, like Lara Dorren, who, as a topic, was a permanent, festing sore for Avallac'h. But she understood why and didn't push it, having accepted it for what it was because Lara had been his first and perhaps only love and he was allowed to cherish her, even if she was long gone.
On the other hand, discussing the Elder Blood was fine because it pertained to her and her abilities and there was always more that she could learn, despite not needing Avallac'h to mentor her anymore.
Just because people believe in fairy tales doesn't automatically make them true, she thought.
The once-princess and the elf who mentored and protected her from wraiths that brought frost and terror wherever they went sounded like a ballad that Dandelion would sing to dewy-eyed maidens in his tavern who were still in love with the idea of love. It wasn't a reflection of real life, where they had spent months living in uncomfortable, sometimes borderline-nasty environments, fleeing from the Wild Hunt through snow and muck and sometimes finding themselves at each other's throats due to the stress.
But each time they fought, they apologized (after allowing their tempers to cool down, of course) and each time, Avallac'h had hugged her. She could count the number of instances on ten fingers but she treasured each one as if it was worth as much as gold.
"I noticed the way he looks at you, though!" Violetta giggled behind her hand like a lovestruck little girl.
"What? How does he look at me?" Ciri asked, cocking her head to the side in confusion. She spared a quick glance at the sage and managed to meet his steely gaze, which was too intense for her to hold more than a few moments before she looked away as casually as she could and pretended to listen to what Violetta was saying.
"He looks at you with such intense eyes, almost like he adores you!"
"I'm not sure you and I are seeing the same thing." Ciri prayed that her cheeks weren't nearly as red as they were hot because she knew Avallac'h would question her about it if he took notice.
She doubted Violetta's words and figured that the lady-in-waiting's enthusiasm over their perceived relationship was a result of boredom, spinning tales about two strangers she had met who just happened to be traveling together without possessing a deeper relationship beyond being comrades in arms… at least, they had been, once upon a time.
Now they traveled together, mostly to keep the loneliness at bay, and Ciri wasn't expecting anything else to come out of their partnership except, perhaps, learning to better control the Elder Blood until she really, truly, could say that she had achieved full control over her powers. There was always more she could learn; she just needed to tell Avallac'h that she wanted him to teach her.
She glanced over at the sage and couldn't help but notice how painfully out of place he looked standing with his back to the wall by the dais but then again, Ciri felt the same way even though she, unlike Avallac'h, could blend in perfectly with the nobles. From a distance, he could, too, especially if he wore his hood, but his pointy ears and sharp features naturally drew attention to him.
Sharing a species with the other nobles meant nothing. At best, they were her potential employers and she was the witcher who could solve their problems, being anything from hauntings to monster infestations to curse lifting.
"Do you know why I was invited to this banquet?" Ciri couldn't help but ask Violetta, gripping the reins of control as she steered the topic of conversation away from Avallac'h. Surely the queen's lady-in-waiting could know something about the reason behind her invitation.
"His majesty has a proposal for you," Violetta stated.
"That much I was able to figure out from his letter," the witcher scoffed lightly, "but what does he want, exactly?"
"You'll have to wait until he speaks to you, for I was not given any details."
Great, Ciri thought. It was never a good sign when the people around her couldn't give her any information and she braced herself, knowing that whatever King Kistrin wanted wouldn't benefit her in the slightest.
"Is it a monster contract?"
"Oh, Ciri," Violetta chuckled like she had just said the funniest thing, "if you're looking to kill monsters, there are none here."
"I had to ask. It's my job, after all."
"Fear not, it's nothing of the sort."
"That's not reassuring like you think it is," Ciri laughed dryly. Learning that there was a katakan haunting the mausoleum beneath the palace would have been more welcome news than, say, a proposal from the king.
Oh, gods, a proposal would be the worst thing ever. Let it be anything but a proposal. I'll even accept a contract on a higher vampire over a proposal.
"Sorry I was gone for so long," Ciri apologized when she returned to Avallac'h, who visibly relaxed once she was back at his side.
"It's quite alright," he told her even though she doubted the sincerity of his words. She could always tell when he was lying but now was not the time to press him, nor did it really matter. "What did that dh'oine tell you?"
"From what I was able to gather, there might be work for me here tonight. Violetta insists that isn't the case but she doesn't know, either."
"So which is it?"
"I don't know. She was far too evasive."
Just then, the doors on the other end of the banquet hall opened and a short, corpulent man bumbled in whilst accompanied by a retinue of knights and courtiers, with his presence being announced by a herald who called out, "all rise for his highness, King Kistrin of Verden!" as a reminder to all the guests to show their respect to the monarch.
Ciri wondered if his retinue was supposed to make him look more intimidating because, as she saw it, he was far from frightening even with so many knights in armor around him and she knew she would have laughed him right off the battlefield if she was on the opposing side. Granted, witchers didn't get involved in wars or politics but if she saw him leading an army of fit soldiers, it would have brought a smile to her face in an otherwise-grim situation.
"Ah, Princess Cirilla, it's been a long time," the king boomed as he noticed her presence, "though I was expecting you to look quite different… and wearing a ballgown, not… whatever it is you're wearing."
"I'm not a princess anymore. I'm a witcher now."
"Is that so?" Kistrin sounded intrigued. "Come, sit by my side. Let us share tales of glory."
Ciri agreed, though only on the condition that Avallac'h could sit with them as well.
Although the king seemed irritated by her request, he agreed and granted the elf a seat next to her on the dais. She found herself seated to the king's left, Avallac'h was next to her, and a few nobles of importance sat further down the table; on the right side of the table sat the queen, her daughter, and then some more nobles on the end.
"It's been quite a while since we last saw each other, Cirilla," Kistrin remarked. "You were so young when we were arranged to be married and a lot has changed since then."
"Indeed it has," Ciri said. That much, she could agree with.
"Would you ever, perhaps, consider rekindling what was snuffed out before it ever had a chance to flourish?"
Avallac'h felt a twinge of irritation at the king's words - there was so much wrong with it, including that he was already married and had the audacity to entertain the idea of making Ciri his mistress while his wife and daughter sat next to him - but he held his tongue and kept his head down so as to not get thrown out of the banquet hall.
After all, no matter how irritated he felt, this was not his problem and he had to trust Ciri could handle herself.
Kistrin was no different than Morvran Voorhis and yet, for some reason, he felt more protective of the Swallow from this king than from the emperor of Nilfgaard. Then again, even Voorhis wasn't so shameless to suggest something so vulgar in public; he didn't like the Nilfgaardian emperor but he could respect that he possessed tact.
That being said, Ciri was that much of a spitfire that Avallac'h wouldn't have put it past her to publicly ridicule the Verdenian king.
"With all due respect, our betrothal fell through for a reason," Ciri chuckled softly, as if the king had told her a funny joke. "We ought to just let sleeping dogs lie."
Kistrin was still fat, ugly, and stupid as ever and she swore that his bad breath had only gotten worse in the last decade or so and she couldn't help but pity Princess Sylvette, who was little more than a pawn in her father's schemes for power.
"Tell me," Ciri said as she turned the conversation away from herself, pretending to care about the reason behind tonight's banquet. "Which one of these noblemen will win your daughter's hand? Any that you have your coin on?"
"I've already got a suitor in mind," King Kistrin explained. "I married off each of my five sons to fine ladies that I chose for Verden's benefit and I shall do the same tonight with my youngest child."
"So why bother with the spectacle if you know who you want your daughter to marry?"
"For exactly that reason: the spectacle of it! To see these fools beg and grovel for the chance to take my daughter's hand in marriage!" King Kistrin guffawed like it was the funniest joke.
Utterly pathetic, both Avallac'h and Ciri thought.
With the newfound knowledge they had been given, Ciri wasn't nearly as interested to see these desperate nobles compete for the princess' hand - to be fair she hadn't been very engaged in the first place - and viewed every nobleman in attendance on the banquet floor as little more than beggars seeking a morsel. She couldn't help but wonder which noble was the lucky man that would receive Sylvette's hand at the end of the night and if he knew that his status was going to improve immensely.
And if he did know, Ciri wondered what he brought to the table that had been enough for Kistrin to select him out of everyone attending the banquet. The nobleman in question was likely of high birth himself, especially if he was to marry a princess who could net him lots of land and titles from their union.
"Since you are here tonight, there is a favor I've been meaning to ask of you."
"What is it?" The wariness in the witcher's voice was palpable, and even Avallac'h didn't like the king's tone.
"Things could get quite ugly tonight, especially once I announce who Sylvette will be marrying."
"I'm not interested," Ciri said bluntly, already sensing where this was going.
"I could compel you."
Avallac'h's eyebrow twitched. Did he just threaten Ciri?
"Perhaps if I were one of your subjects," Ciri scoffed as she lifted her flagon to her lips and took a sip of her ale, unaffected by any threat of death or imprisonment. It wasn't like any cage could hold her or any handcuffs could restrain her.
"Then name your price."
"I came here tonight thinking I was a guest at this banquet," Ciri pointed out, "not a mercenary for hire."
"You would turn down money? I thought witchers adored coin more than anything!"
"But isn't that what your knights are for? To keep the peace? You certainly have plenty of guards who could do the job better than I could…"
"Is that a no, then?"
"That is a no."
"Shame," the king tutted. "I've heard the rumors about you."
"What rumors?" Ciri asked, pretending to be none the wiser. She didn't like Kistrin's tone one bit, and neither did Avallac'h.
"That you possess great power, unlike anything a sorceress or mage is capable of."
"I'm afraid you're mistaken." Damn him! How did he find out?
"I don't think so. You can travel between worlds, ignore space and time as if it doesn't even exist and go wherever you please."
"Those are just fairy tales," Ciri laughed heartily even though she was panicking on the inside.
"All I am saying is that a child with that kind of power could make Verden a force to be reckoned with, more than Nilfgaard could ever hope to be!"
"You couldn't possibly be suggesting what I think you are."
"Cirilla, I am not a patient man and I do not like being told no," King Kistrin said dangerously. His face was so close to hers that she could smell his horrid breath and it took all of her willpower not to wince or pull away. "There will be consequences if I don't get my way-"
The sound of a scraping chair interrupted the king as Avallac'h stood up suddenly and came to glare at Kistrin, jaw clenched tightly while his aquamarine eyes were as sharp as daggers.
"How dare you threaten Ciri?" Avallac'h spat. Even Ciri was stunned at the amount of venom and rage that dripped from his words.
Unfortunately, this set off the king as well, slamming his hands on the table as he lumbered to his feet with great difficulty, and glared back at the sage as he shouted,
"Damn elf! You won't be so brave once I cut your ears off and have you hung from-"
Ciri was on her feet before Kistrin could finish his threat, emerald eyes glaring daggers so sharp that the king would be dead right now if looks could kill. The dangerous look in her eyes dared him to say something else to Avallac'h and she was bold enough to utter a threatening "that's enough" that only seemed to make the furious king's face even redder.
Thick tension hung over the banquet hall and Ciri didn't have to look at the rest of the guests to know that all eyes were on them. She quickly moved her hand away from her dagger before she gave off the impression that she was about to stab the king, having not even realized that she had instinctively reached for her belt, and prayed that nobody had noticed the positioning of her hand.
"S-Sylvette?" Queen Adelle shrieked suddenly.
Ciri peered around the king's gut and her eyes went wide when she saw what had happened to the princess: she was covered in fluffy, yellow feathers, her nails had grown quite long like claws, and a hooked beak stood where her nose had once been. Her clothes had ripped to shreds, littered all over the table in scraps as if they had been torn from her body. Worst of all, she looked terrified, brown eyes so wide that it looked like they were going to pop out of their sockets, and her hands were trembling uncontrollably.
"What's happened to me?"
"Oh, gods!" Kistrin stumbled and fell backwards onto the floor behind the table, just as horrified by Sylvette's transformation as Queen Adelle was.
Ciri suddenly realized why she could hear whispers and looked out towards the guests in the banquet hall, who all stared at Sylvette with stunned expressions; there was no question that they had witnessed the princess transform into a monster. A few noblemen had even stood up, hands on the hilts of their swords and faces dark and grim, as if they were preparing themselves for a slaughter.
"Kill the beast!" Kistrin suddenly cried out.
Avallac'h watched as the banquet hall succumbed into chaos but it wasn't until he looked over just in time to see Ciri disappear in a flash of green light that felt his heart drop into his stomach, knowing that things couldn't possibly end well.
A moment later, the silver-haired witcher appeared on the banquet floor in front of the dais, just in time to intercept a nobleman who had been running at top speed with his sword drawn, intent on stabbing the princess.
She managed to parry his attack with a swift swing of her sword, the shrill shriek of their colliding blades piercing the air as she diverted his attack and countered with a punch to the gut, sending him stumbling backwards. More nobles eager to draw blood drew their swords and lunged forward but there were too many for Ciri to handle.
One young, blonde nobleman wearing armor joined the fray on Ciri's side but it didn't change the fact that they were still horribly outnumbered.
"Everyone stop!" Ciri commanded. "This is no monster! She was cursed!"
Her pleas fell on deaf ears and the nobles started to close in, countless swords gleaming dangerously as they sought blood. Whether it was witcher blood or the monster's, it didn't seem to matter anymore.
Avallac'h barely managed to utter a spell in time and cast it, raising a shield to protect Ciri just as swords rained down on her and the dh'oine who had decided to fight alongside her… for some reason. The shield knocked the nobles back and it gave Ciri enough time to gather her bearings.
"Call them off!" she demanded as she looked over her shoulder at Kistrin. "Your daughter is no monster! She was cursed!"
"Kistrin, please!" Queen Adelle begged. She had her arms around Sylvette's feathery frame and her eyes were just as wide with fear as her daughter's.
"Oh my goodness! What is going on here?" Lady Violetta exclaimed as she ran up to the dais, stopping short because of the shield that was in the way. "Sylvette, what's happened to you?"
Avallac'h's eyebrows furrowed; where had she been while the rest of the guests were moments away from starting a bloodbath?
"You idiots, put your swords away!" Kistrin ordered, huffing and puffing as he finally managed to climb to his feet. He sounded like he'd run a marathon and it took all of Avallac'h's willpower not to roll his eyes at this pathetic dh'oine, who had to lean on the table to keep himself standing but thought he could use his power to threaten a witcher.
His crown is clearly far too big for his head.
"Fear not, Sylvette, I'm a witcher," Ciri said as she approached the table where the princess cowered in her mother's arms. "I can help break this curse."
"I'll pay you! Just name your price!" Queen Adelle blurted out.
"For something like this, it could get pretty expensive…"
"It does not matter! No price is too steep to return my daughter back to normal!"
Ciri and the queen agreed on a price, which didn't take long at all because Adelle agreed to the first number that was offered to her, and then, the witcher asked,
"Now, have you a garden, preferably with a fountain?"
It was a full moon tonight and if Ciri's suspicions about the construct of the curse were correct, the magical energy on this night would likely be enough to help break the curse and revert Sylvette back to her original form, so long as the princess was willing to soak in water under the glow of the moon.
With the queen leading the way, the five of them were escorted into the garden by knights and then locked into the garden, to prevent the guests from storming in and attempting a second assassination.
"It's quite cold tonight, Ciri. Does she really have to sit in the fountain?" Adelle complained.
"I'm afraid so. But if it doesn't show any signs of working within the next half hour, she can get out and we'll try something else."
"Here, take my coat," the blonde knight offered, slipping off the thick cloak he wore that appeared to have been made from the skin of a grizzly bear. Sylvette, though grateful, appeared uneasy.
"But it'll get wet."
"It doesn't matter," he assured her with a warm smile, "so long as you're warm."
"Thank you, Ruiseart…"
"Zireael," Avallac'h said, immediately catching the witcher's attention, for it was the first time he'd spoken up in a while. He waved her over with a nod of his head and she followed him over to a secluded corner of the garden, behind a hedge that resembled a rabbit.
"What is it?" she asked the elf once she was sure they were out of earshot of the queen and Ruiseart. Still, she made sure to keep her voice low just in case and he made sure to do the same.
"Be wary of that woman."
"You mean Violetta? Why is that?"
"There's no telling where she was when the nobles were all trying to kill the girl."
"Are you saying she wasn't in the banquet hall the entire time?" Ciri gasped.
"Precisely."
"That explains a lot! And didn't you notice that the curse came out of nowhere? As if whoever cursed her had timed it so that she turned into a feathery monster during the banquet?"
"You think someone planned it?"
Like the lady-in-waiting, perhaps? he wanted to add but didn't have to, for he knew that Ciri was thinking the same thing he was.
"I know they didn't transform her because they wished to study the effects of extreme stress on half-bird, half-human girls."
Her mother would know best, Ciri thought, and returned to where the queen sat on the edge of the fountain so she could question her. With all of the spies at court, Adelle was likely to know something.
"Do you know if anyone might have something against your daughter?"
"Why do you ask such a thing? You think somebody does?" Queen Adelle seemed horrified by her suggestion.
"Because this is a particularly vicious way to curse someone," Ciri explained. "Since the curse came to light during the banquet, whoever cast it must have been hoping that the curse would send the guests into a frenzy… and they almost got what they wanted."
"What did you just say?"
Ciri looked over just in time to see Kistrin storm over, face still red with anger as it had been back in the banquet hall, and it took all of her willpower not to roll her eyes and groan, for the king had been the last person she wanted to see right now.
Yes, she knew this concerned his daughter but he was a nuisance through and through… and after his blatant threat towards Avallac'h, she wanted him to go far, far away, preferably back inside where food and drink and whichever mistress he was keeping would keep him occupied while she worked on helping the princess.
"Like I just said, whoever cursed your daughter was hoping that she would be killed tonight."
"What? That's preposterous!"
"Are you blind?" Ciri spat. "Did you not witness what happened in the banquet hall? Every single one of your guests tried to kill Sylvette… on your orders!"
"Is there anything you need, witcher? Just name it," Adelle insisted.
"I need time," Ciri answered honestly. This was no simple curse and there was no telling if she would crack it in two hours or twelve hours from now. "But if I need anything else, I shall find you."
"Come," Kistrin gruffed at Adelle. "Let the witcher work in peace!"
"I'll be fine, Mama," Sylvette said when the queen hesitated, though she sounded equally unconvinced. Adelle nodded understandingly, took a moment to kiss the top of her daughter's head, and then followed the king back into the castle.
"Everything will be okay, Sylvette," Ruiseart insisted once the monarchs were gone.
"I only said that to my mother to keep her from worrying. I can't imagine how scared she is."
"I'll do my best to break this curse soon," Ciri said. Unlike Ruiseart, she was not about to be making any promises.
"I sure hope so. I don't want to look like this for the rest of my life."
"You're beautiful, Sylvette!" Ruiseart gushed.
"Don't you have eyes? If the witcher doesn't figure out a way to cure me, I'll always look like this… a monster! It'll be better to get it over with and let her kill me than to let me stay like this!"
"No need to be rash," Avallac'h insisted. It was quite irritating that Sylvette had immediately presented the worst outcome before they had even started trying various methods to cure her.
"He's right," Ciri agreed. "We'll figure this out and have you back to normal soon enough."
"So the curse… it will go away?" Sylvette echoed, a sliver of hopefulness clear as day in her nervous, mousy voice.
"I'll do everything I can to reverse it."
"Thank you for protecting her," Ruiseart said gratefully. "All of those nobles, they would have killed her."
"Why didn't you try to kill her?" Ciri couldn't help but ask out of curiosity. She hated how accusing her voice sounded but she had seen Ruiseart fighting the very same nobles who had tried to kill Sylvette; fortunately, he did not seem offended by her inquiry.
"Isn't it obvious? I love her and as a knight, I know I can win her hand-"
"Are you aware that her father has already chosen a suitor? The whole feast was a ruse for his enjoyment at your expense."
Ruiseart's face fell, and Ciri realized that her words must have sounded awfully cruel to the young, hopeful knight but she didn't see a point in hiding the truth from him, either. It was better that he knew the truth, than to be disappointed later on.
"Really?" he stuttered. Suddenly, he was no longer as confident as he had been mere moments ago.
"The king told me himself."
"I don't want to marry whoever he chose for me!" Sylvette protested in a moment of rare defiance. It was almost like Ciri was seeing a completely different person from the timid princess who did her best to avoid her father's attention so she didn't incur his wrath. "I want to marry Ruiseart!"
"You… you do?" the knight echoed. He seemed taken aback by Sylvette's admission, yet pleasantly surprised as well. "Oh, Sylvette, we could live happily in Toussaint for the rest of our days, producing wine at my pappa's vineyard and living in the land of fairy tales!"
How sweet, Ciri thought, and didn't have the heart to crush their dreams.
Kistrin would, unfortunately, shut down any notion of Sylvette marrying anyone who wasn't the suitor he'd chosen - using his only daughter as a pawn to gain more power was the only thing that mattered to him - but she felt genuinely sorry for the pair. They were around the same age, with Ruiseart being just a little older, and he didn't wish to marry her for power or wealth but because he truly loved her.
It's a shame that nothing will come out of it.
Ciri went inside to interview the guests and planned to start with Violetta, only to realize that she was nowhere to be found. Suddenly, what Avallac'h had told her was starting to seem plausible, especially when she remembered that he had seen the lady-in-waiting return to the banquet hall after Sylvette had been cursed.
And now, she was missing again.
"Lady Violetta? She was just here a moment ago," Queen Adelle insisted when Ciri asked about the woman. "And where is Camilla?"
"Who is Camilla?"
"One of Sylvette's ladies-in-waiting. She has brown hair and is wearing a blue dress."
The girl who had stood by the princess' chair, Ciri quickly deduced. She was nowhere to be seen, either and she was starting to suspect that something was brewing and that Violetta was behind it, maybe Camilla, too.
"May I have a look upstairs? There may be clues in the bedchambers-"
"Absolutely not!"
"Kistrin!" Adelle protested.
"The east wing is strictly off-limits to anyone who is not part of the royal household!"
"This is our daughter we're talking about! We should allow the witcher to do whatever she needs to-"
"Our bedchambers have nothing to do with the curse! You should know what you're doing, witcher, or are we paying you for no reason?" Kistrin taunted.
If I didn't feel sorry for Sylvette, I wouldn't be bothering with all this, Ciri thought as she stormed out of the banquet hall with a huff and returned to the garden. To her relief, everyone was still fine but Sylvette was trembling from the cold.
"How much longer does she have to endure this?" Ruiseart demanded. "Poor girl's going to be encased in ice soon!"
"It doesn't seem like Vesemir's method is working," Ciri remarked.
"So I can get out of the fountain?" Sylvette asked, which Ciri confirmed with a nod.
While Ruiseart doted on the princess, dragging several unlit fire bowls to the fountain and setting them alight so the princess could dry off and stay warm, Ciri pulled Avallac'h off to the side so they could speak in private.
"Violetta has disappeared and so has another lady-in-waiting, which has led me to believe that your suspicions may not be completely unfounded. However, it's not that clear cut."
"Why is that?"
"Kistrin forbade me to search the bedchambers when I suggested it. Makes me wonder if he's hiding something, too."
Avallac'h didn't respond, merely letting out a sigh that conveyed frustration, which his stoic features did not betray. He seemed incredibly irritated but was trying to keep it under wraps; she could read him like a book, though, and unfortunately, there was nothing either of them could do except work hard until the curse was finally broken.
He could always portal back to Novigrad but Ciri desperately needed Avallac'h's help, too, because she could not be in multiple places at once and there was nobody she trusted more than him to ensure Sylvette didn't end up gutted like a boar the moment she turned her back. Ruiseart was the princess' sworn protector but he was only human and would likely die if he was left to protect her all alone.
"He doesn't exactly love his daughter," Ciri noted with a heavy sigh. "Seems like he sees her as an inconvenience more than anything."
An inconvenience that had finally come of age and that he had planned on marrying off tonight, to get her off his hands once and for all and make her someone else's problem. Of course, the banquet likely would have ended hours ago had Sylvette not been cursed, and they could have returned to the comforts of their room in Dandelion's tavern by now.
"I don't trust anyone at that banquet so I'm going to do some reconnaissance anyways. I'll need you to cover for me while I'm gone. Be evasive like how I know you can be if anyone starts asking questions."
"Snooping. You're going to go snooping."
"Not snooping," the witcher protested. "Reconnaissance."
"Snooping," Avallac'h insisted, at which Ciri waved him off.
"Same difference!"
She spun on her heel and scanned the garden for a secluded place to teleport from, only to feel Avallac'h grip her wrist tightly, which prevented her from leaving. It prompted her to turn around and look at him, and she found herself gazing into desperate aquamarine eyes.
"Be careful," he pleaded. He'd seen how vicious the nobles had become when they had seen Sylvette transform into a feathered beast and the idea of Ciri fending off countless armed knights wasn't one that sat well with him.
The king wasn't an ally, either, and was just as if not more dangerous than the person who had cursed Sylvette… just in a different way.
He wanted to trust the Swallow and not shackle her when she had a job to do, but he wanted her to stay safe and for no harm to come onto her, either. Ciri smiled as she came to understand that he was simply worried for her safety and not trying to suffocate her or lead her to think that he didn't trust her.
"Always," she assured him confidently. Avallac'h was then forced to let her go and watched as she disappeared in a flash of green light.
Good luck, Ciri.
Ciri found herself on the roof of the palace a moment later and nearly slipped, for the roof was still wet from this morning's rain and caught her by surprise. She managed to catch herself before she slipped and, once she was steady, she stood up straight and scanned the area.
From her high perch, she could see the entire estate and in the southern direction of the grounds, she could see the top of the fountain. She couldn't see Avallac'h, Sylvette, or Ruiseart because her view was obscured but she trusted they would be fine until she returned.
Wind whipped at her cheeks as she carefully made her way across the slippery shingled rooftop towards the east wing and once she reached her destination, Ciri hopped down onto the balcony and eased the door open as she peered into the room, and was relieved that it was empty.
It was just as likely that every bedroom on the entire floor was deserted but with Violetta and Camilla unaccounted for, Ciri knew she needed to be careful. If she ran into them when she wasn't supposed to be snooping around, as Avallac'h had put it, things were bound to get ugly quickly, especially if the king's guards decided to punish her on the spot.
She could hear guards making their rounds outside in the hallway, metal armor clanking with every step, but trusted her presence would go unnoticed as long as she was quiet as a mouse. Sneaking between the rooms would prove to be a little more difficult but it wouldn't be her first time slipping into places where she wasn't welcome.
A breathing exercise helped slow down her heart so it wasn't racing and causing blood to rush in her ears - with how quiet it was, she was going to need her senses to be as sharp as possible and unimpeded by any and all noises, including those caused by her body's own functions that were simply keeping her alive - and then she started her investigation.
The bedchamber she had snuck into was furnished with a king size bed that could easily put Dandelion's Ruby Suite to shame, complete with silk sheets and a regal canopy that appeared as if they had been spun from gold and she figured that the room likely belonged to Kistrin.
Ciri searched the room from top to bottom - without making it obvious that she had ever been there, of course - but it yielded no results and she continued on to the next chamber, sneaking her way across the hallway to the room just across the ways as soon as the guard patrol had turned the corner.
She figured out that it was Sylvette's room from the elegant clothes that hung in the wardrobe, which were truly fit for a princess, as well as a few mementos from childhood, a stuffed dollie for comfort, some wooden toys fashioned in the shape of horses and soldiers, and a music box that played a soft, lilting melody.
No clues here, either, she thought after she'd finished her search. Where to next?
Ciri knew from her own time as a princess that the ladies-in-waiting had their own chamber and wondered where it was, for there were no beds in this room. Just as she started for the double doors that likely led into an adjoining room, she heard the doorknob jiggling and quickly ducked beneath the bed, willing her heart to slow down and praying that it wouldn't give away her position.
Two people entered the room but seemed completely unaware of her presence, much to Ciri's relief.
Unfortunately, she was in quite a bind right now and doubted she could use her powers to teleport away without drawing attention to her position beneath the bed, which meant that she had to stick it out and hoped that they would leave soon.
A man and a woman had entered, which Ciri had deduced from the blue silks that flowed like a skirt and the regal boots that she could see from her hiding spot, and their voices were also good indicators, too.
"Now's our time to strike. She's in the garden now. There's no sign of that witcheress and if you went right now, you could probably kill the little, feathery bitch. That elf is useless, anyways."
"He's not as harmless as you think," the male remarked.
"Sure, he dresses fancy but he's no different than any of the elves that live in Novigrad!"
"I saw him, though! He… he can cast hexes!"
"Oh, please! What you saw was a parlour trick at best!"
"You didn't see what I saw! The barrier he cast was impenetrable-"
"Enough! I don't want to hear anything more!"
"Please, listen to me for one moment-"
"No, I will not allow anything to affect my plans!"
So this woman wasn't present when the nobles attempted to assassinate Sylvette, Ciri thought. It didn't sound like Violetta, though, which ruled out the lady-in-waiting.
Her companion knew that Sylvette's in the garden. Sounds like he was at the banquet…
The pair never mentioned any names and once they were finished plotting, the duo quickly left, first the woman and then the man a few moments later, after he gave his accomplice time to leave so they weren't seen together. Once Ciri was sure they were gone, she slid out from underneath the bed and continued her investigation.
So these two, whoever they are, want to assassinate Sylvette… but why?
Ciri knew she should have leapt out to confront them both but wouldn't have been able to explain away why she had been trespassing, even if doing so would have helped her catch the conspirators red-handed. Kistrin would have likely thanked her for capturing the ones who had cursed his daughter and thrown her into jail in the same breath for trespassing.
Unfortunately, I'm just not interested in spending time in the Verdenian dungeons for crimes against the crown, and I still need to find a cure for Sylvette's curse. Hopefully, there's clues lying around here somewhere…
She needed to find something, anything, and fast.
The next room was as unremarkable as the others, though much smaller and furnished with a bed that could sleep one person instead of two but there was no telling who it belonged to; the room just across the hallway was furnished with multiple beds, which likely belonged to the ladies-in-waiting but no amount of searching through their effects yielded her any results and prompted her to return to the room she had been in previously.
Vesemir's medallion began to vibrate when she neared the bookshelf by the bed and the Cat medallion looped around her belt did the same when she clutched it in her fist, confirming that there was intense magic in that corner of the room.
Ciri walked over to the bookshelf and brushed her fingers over the spines of the spines as she searched for the book that would open the bookshelf but there was no telling which one was the 'switch'.
What I wouldn't give to have a certain elven sage remove this illusion…
She was on her own this time, though, and would need to figure it out by herself.
I really must look into procuring an artifact that can dispel illusions, for future circumstances like these, anyways. Geralt's likely to have something, she mused as she turned around and leaned against the bookshelf with her arms crossed, pondering if the switch was something else in the room, like a lantern that needed to be moved from one spot to another.
She didn't get very far along in her thought process because the bookshelf suddenly gave way, causing her to let out a surprised yelp when she stumbled backwards, finding herself in a secret room that had been hidden behind the bookshelf.
The tiny alcove was furnished with a desk, a smaller collection of books on the shelf on the wall, and little else.
"An illusion? No wonder my medallions are humming," Ciri mused as she took a moment to observe the portal that swirled on the secret side of the room.
Whoever had cast the illusion seemed to have a decent grasp of magic, for they were powerful enough of a sorceress or mage that they could cast an illusion that looked like and felt like a bookshelf until someone leaned on it. However, to say that it was a powerful illusion was giving them too much credit, because they weren't that proficient and Ciri had seen better illusion casting from first year Aretuza mages.
It was only convincing from a distance, and whoever had cast the illusion obviously had a very rudimentary understanding of magic. At best, they had no formal education and dabbled in the arts when they had a moment to themselves.
Now then, Ciri thought as she forced herself to get back on track, there must be some evidence here. Why else would there be an illusion?
She quickly discovered a diary in the desk drawer that was embossed in leather and marked with the initials C.L., and as she flipped through it, three yellow tail feathers with green tips fluttered out onto the desk. They looked just like the ones covering every inch of Sylvette's body… only much smaller, looking as if they had been procured from a small bird.
That sounds like a nithing, Ciri thought as she skimmed through the entries, all of which seemed to point to that exact deadly curse and detailed the diary owner's research of the curse over several months until they had finally been able to cast it.
However, the most recent entry had little to do with the others, for it was quite short and the vitriol that dripped from the pages surprised Ciri but also helped confirm that the owner of the diary hated Sylvette.
On the night of her fifteenth birthday,
Princess Sylvette will breathe her last.
No nobleman will want her hand in marriage
when they see her for the monster she truly is.
Fortunately, her departure will leave a place open
at the royal table for another who is more deserving
than that mousy wretch. She couldn't rule her way out
of a sack and she's to be married off to a nobleman
or even a king?
The thought is laughable! I deserve everything she has!
I should be the one bearing the title of "princess"
and soon enough, I will finally have what is rightfully mine!
Ciri hurried back to Sylvette's room, narrowly managing to avoid getting spotted by the guard patrol as she did, and discovered the nithing beneath Sylvette's bed. The cow's skull was hard to miss and she could only wonder where the curse caster had procured such a garish thing, especially if they were an affluent member of the royal household, which was what all of the signs were pointing to.
What's important now is finding out who C.L. is. I have a diary and the nithing. Shouldn't be too hard convincing the curse caster to show themselves…
Ciri stood up, closed her eyes and imagined herself in the garden, only for them to suddenly shoot open when the door flew open with a loud bang! and a man wielding a sword stormed in. As he strode in, she happened to glance down at his feet and her eyes widened at his boots.
I recognize those boots… and his voice.
"There's only one way out of this room, witchy. Let's see if you can get out alive," the brigand taunted, waving his sword around as if it was supposed to intimidate her. Unfortunately for him, Ciri was not frazzled in the slightest and raised her sword in preparation for a fight.
"Come on, then!"
As their swords collided, Ciri heard a loud scream from outside and instinct told her that she needed to investigate. In the brief moment that she was distracted, the bandit lunged for her just as she activated her powers and she wound up teleporting both of them out of the room.
While Ciri managed to land on her feet when she teleported into the garden, the momentum at which her opponent had been running when he grabbed her arm when she had teleported away sent him flying through the air and crashing into a pillar. She heard a sickening crack as he landed, followed by screams of agony, but she couldn't say that she felt sorry for him.
"My leg! My leg, I think it's broken!"
"Kill it! Kill it!" Sylvette shrieked.
"I'll deal with you later," Ciri gritted before she ran off with sword in hand, teleporting to cover more distance quickly and coming up right behind the arachnomorph as she cut it down with her blade, driving her sword through its head before it could scuttle away and cause more trouble for them.
"Is everyone alright?"
Sylvette and Ruiseart quickly affirmed that they were, though they looked quite shaken from the large spider, and Avallac'h seemed fine, as well. He looked relieved to see her and Ciri would have been lying if she said she didn't feel the same way.
It was nice seeing a familiar face and after all of the running around she had done, it felt nice to be able to relax for a moment and breathe but she quickly snapped back to reality when Ruiseart asked,
"Have you any news?"
He sounded hopeful and even Sylvette stood at attention, waiting to hear what she had to say. Her eyes were filled with careful optimism and although it had taken a while, Ciri was glad that she had something of actual substance to show the princess.
"I found a diary and the totem used to curse you. All we need now is to figure out who cast the curse. Do you know anyone in the castle who has the initials C.L.? Or do you recognize this handwriting?" Ciri asked, passing the diary over to Sylvette, who opened it to a random page and began to read, only to drop it and cover her mouth in shock.
"This is… no, it can't be!"
"Who? Who does it belong to?"
"It belongs to Camille, one of my ladies-in-waiting! I don't believe this…"
"Hey, you! Where is Camille?" Ciri demanded as she stormed over to where the brigand wallowed in pain.
"Who in the ploughing fuck is Camille?"
"Don't lie to me!" Ciri snapped. "I know that you're not working alone!"
"I swear I am!"
Frustrated, Ciri grabbed the man's face and squeezed it as she glared at him dangerously.
"Don't lie to me! Now, I won't ask again: where is Camille?"
"You were looking for me? Well, you found me."
When she turned around, Ciri was surprised to see such a tiny girl standing before them but then again, appearances could be deceiving. If she had managed to successfully curse the princess and turn her into a monster that had motivated all of the nobles in attendance at the party to make an attempt on her life due to her appearance alone, there was no telling what else she could do.
"You're Camille?"
"I'm your worst nightmare," the girl cackled. She was dressed in black trousers and a tunic rather than a dress but Ciri could recognize that voice anywhere: it belonged to the other conspirator she had overheard earlier. "I've waited for this moment for a very long time and you, witcheress, are not going to get in my way. I'll kill you if you try, which is why you would be wise to step aside."
"Camille, why are you doing this?" Sylvette asked, sounding as if she was on the verge of tears.
"Why did you curse Sylvette?" Ciri demanded.
"You see, there are things that I am owed, including the princess' crown. It's a shame you were invited to the banquet or my plan would have worked out splendidly and everyone would be calling me the princess now."
"You lying wench! You think I wouldn't have protected Sylvette to my last breath?" Ruiseart spat angrily. "She is the true princess of Verden, not you!"
"I am as well, though the circumstances of my birth do not allow me the title, since my mother was just another one of the king's mistresses before she was cast aside once she could no longer satisfy him. Of course, this also means that my father is not my actual father."
"You can have it all!" Sylvette blurted out. 'I don't want it!"
"That's not enough," Camille scoffed. "I need you dead, just to ensure that you don't ever have second thoughts years down the road."
"Camille, she's giving you what you want. Why don't you reverse the curse so Sylvette can go back to normal?" Ciri implored. "There's been enough suffering here tonight."
"Perhaps I'll keep her as she is. When I'm crowned princess, I'll promote Sylvette to the court pet. She'll be better than a jester!"
"How dare you-"
"Enough, dh'oine! Your anger is helping no one!" Ciri heard Avallac'h snap, which effectively silenced the raging knight.
Whether he was calm was a completely different story, but Ciri was relieved that she didn't have to worry about Ruiseart leaping into battle and allowing himself to be controlled by his emotions, especially when she was struggling to decide the best way to deal with Camille.
Avallac'h could handle himself against some brigands following orders from another dh'oine who was just as much if not more arrogant than the cutthroats she led. They were nowhere near as formidable as the Wild Hunt, that was for sure.
But She needed to tread carefully because Ruiseart and Sylvette were at risk of becoming casualties, as they were only human, and it wouldn't take much for the knight to become overwhelmed; the princess would die even quicker.
"There's no point in screaming for help. My men have barred the door and as soon as I kill Sylvette, I'll move on to anyone else who stands in my way. That includes you, witcheress."
"If you want Sylvette, then you'll have to get through me first."
"And here I thought you were smarter than that," Camille pretended to sigh wistfully. "A shame, really, but there is no other way."
With a wave of her hand, Camille ordered her grunts to move in and then followed suit as she brandished her sword and approached the witcher.
Ciri knew that she probably could have cut down every single one of the guards in the blink of an eye but but quickly realized that they were merely a distraction to help Camille attack Sylvette while she was unguarded and teleported over to Avallac'h, standing back-to-back with the elven sage as they came to be surrounded by brigands.
The only things standing between them was the shield that Avallac'h had cast, which provided protection and some much-needed breathing room while they tried to gather their bearings and figure out their next move. Unfortunately, they were backed up against the fountain and it didn't look like the shield would hold for much longer, Ciri realized grimly, and she rallied her allies into action.
"Ruiseart, can you protect Sylvette?"
"I can, but what about the guards?" the knight asked frantically.
"Don't worry, Avallac'h will handle them!"
"And what about you?" Avallac'h asked.
"I'll handle Camille."
In her free hand, she clutched a dimeritium bomb and Avallac'h must have sensed that she had a plan, albeit a risky one, because his tone grew worried.
"Zireael…"
"Just trust me. And do be careful not to level the place." Her tone was playful, almost like she was teasing him, and even though he couldn't see her face, he could hear the smile in her voice.
A moment later, Ciri teleported out of the shield and threw the bomb as she reappeared behind Camille. The impact of the bomb as it shattered temporarily stunned her and gave the witcher enough time to execute the final part of her plan: to incapacitate her,
She cursed when her powers did not activate and horror washed over her when she realized that she was in the impact zone of the dimeritium bomb. However, Ciri quickly adjusted and tackled the sorceress to the ground before she could recover and used her weight to keep her pinned to the ground even as Camille squirmed beneath her.
Who needs powers? Ciri thought triumphantly.
Unfortunately, dimeritium had no effect on one's voice, for Ciri wasn't able to cover Camille's mouth fast enough before she shouted an order at her men in a last ditch attempt to cling to control over the situation.
"Kill her! Kill her now!" Before her brigands could do exactly that, a shockwave erupted, which knocked back all of the cutthroats in one fell swoop.
In the process, it also struck the fountain, which shattered so loudly that the noise was near-deafening, akin to an explosion. It sent pieces of marble flying everywhere and one narrowly missed Ciri's head, coming so close that she could feel the wind from it as it flew by her ear before shattering into dozens of pieces on the cobblestones some distance away.
"What in Melitele's name is going on here?"
The king stopped short in his rant as he let out a surprised gasp and Ciri didn't have to look at him to know that he was absolutely horrified by the damage caused to the fountain, which had completely shattered; water had flooded the garden and was quickly spreading. They were all equally drenched but Ciri made no effort to hide her pleasure and flashed the elven sage a smile, who acknowledged her with a nod, and nothing needed to be said between them for them to be proud of a job well done.
"I found the person who cursed Sylvette," Ciri remarked as she forced Camille to her feet. She firmly grasped her hands to prevent her from casting anything else and kept them pinned behind her back, ignoring the vile things that the lady-in-waiting spat at her.
"Camille?" Violetta gasped as she ran up to them, nearly tripping over her skirts as she did. "What have you done? Did I hear the witcher correctly? Did you curse Sylvette?"
"She did, but you don't have to believe me. Show her the diary."
Ruiseart stepped forward and handed her the soaked diary before quickly scuttling back to Sylvette's side, standing protectively by the princess. Ciri watched as Violetta became increasingly agitated with every entry she skimmed, until the woman finally had enough and shouted,
"You stupid girl! Do you not have any idea of how much shame you have brought onto our family?"
"No, you don't understand! I deserve better-"
"You will hang for your crimes!" King Kistrin boomed. He wasted no time, ordering dimeritium cuffs placed on Camille and for her and her co-conspirators to be hauled off to jail awaiting trial.
"She still needs to undo the curse!" Ciri interjected just as the guards still loyal to the crown started to lead the conspirators away.
"Not even in your dreams, witch!" Camille spat.
Avallac'h flinched as if he had been the one that Camille had spit on followed by anger that the arrogant dh'oine would treat the Swallow that way. He saw Ciri wipe her face and then draw her arm back, throwing a hard punch that knocked the usurper to the cracked cobblestones.
"And here I thought we could be friends," the witcher spat disdainfully. She looked to Kistrin and said, "Since Camille refuses to cooperate, there is only one other way to free your daughter of the curse."
The king waved her off as he said "do what you will" and Ciri wasted no time in carving Camille's name into the nithing. In true karmic fashion, Camille's entire body came to be covered in feathers and all of her arrogance dissolved, only to be replaced by terror.
Ciri heard Ruiseart gasp and looked over her shoulder, only to see Sylvette, naked as the day she was born, standing with feathers pooling around her feet and covered only by the fur cloak she wore. She had reverted back to her human form and by all counts, it appeared as if the curse that gripped her had been broken.
Camille, on the other hand, had devolved into an incoherent, screaming, crying mess and had to be dragged away by the guards.
"Well, then," Kistrin sniffed. "Come inside now, Sylvette. Have to marry you off-"
"No, Papa, I don't want to!"
"Please listen to your daughter-"
"Silence, witcher! This does not concern you!"
"May I remind you that Ruiseart was the only person who did not attack your daughter when she was cursed," Ciri spat as she quickly ran out of patience. "I'm sure the nobleman you selected for your daughter was among those who wanted to kill her."
"You know nothing!"
"And neither do you!"
"Father, if you don't allow me to marry Ruiseart, I'll do so anyway," Sylvette said with a boldness that Ciri had not seen from her before and actually surprised her. The only person who appeared more stunned was King Kistrin, who was absolutely red in the face but he was interrupted just as he opened his mouth to start yelling.
"Please, we don't have to argue about this," Ruiseart insisted as he approached the king, where he went down on one knee and bowed to him.
"Your majesty, I want only the best for Sylvette! If you would give me the honor, nay, the privilege of marrying Sylvette, I promise I will love her even more than I already do!"
The decision fell to King Kistrin in the end, unfortunately.
"You have nothing to offer."
"My father runs a vineyard that produces the finest Toussaint wines, your majesty! And he is a knight most honorable!" Ruiseart added in a last ditch attempt to sweeten the deal and sway the king's decision in their favor. "We will craft you a fine wine worthy for a king! One that will only be served at your table!"
"Very well," the king agreed, though he spoke as if it had been a difficult decision for him to make.
So the selfish bastard does have a heart, Ciri thought, the corners of her lips quirked up into a soft smile. After today's events, the young couple deserved to marry for love and it seemed Ruiseart had managed to sway things in his favor by offering something that no king could refuse.
"Come inside and get dressed, Sylvette. Won't be marrying you off in that cloak."
An hour later, Sylvette came downstairs, dressed in a glittery blue gown adorned with intricate beading, brown hair perfectly coiffed, and wearing so much jewelry that she glittered.
In the meantime, Queen Adelle had already given Ciri her payment plus an added bonus of three hundred coins for her hard work and then, the elf and the witcher stood by in attendance as Sylvette and Ruiseart were married by Kistrin before finally taking their leave, for there had been enough excitement for one night and they weren't interested in participating in the wedding festivities, which would surely go until dawn or even later.
Their feet dragged from exhaustion but they just needed to walk a little further before they could portal away without scaring the guard patrols half to death. Then, Ciri heard someone calling her name.
"Ciri, wait!"
The witcher turned around and saw Sylvette and Ruiseart standing at the top of the castle steps, looking red-faced, almost as if they'd run at top speed to catch up to them. The princess gathered up her skirts and ran down the path towards them with Ruiseart at her heels and once they had reached them, the newlyweds each held out a box to Ciri and Avallac'h.
"What's this?"
"Gifts for the both of you," Sylvette explained.
"These gifts cannot begin to show how thankful we are for everything you've done, but we hope it will suffice," Ruiseart added. The presents had been wrapped in shiny gold paper and they decided right then that they would open them later… after they got some much-needed rest.
"What about you? Will you be moving to Toussaint?"
"We'll be leaving within the week," Sylvette said, beaming so brightly that it was as if the sun had come out at midnight. She seemed excited by the prospect, as did Ruiseart.
"That's wonderful!"
"Perhaps we'll see you in Toussaint one day? If you're ever in the area, you ought to come visit us!"
"Of course," Ciri promised.
"Again, thank you both! And take care!"
They bade Sylvette and Ruiseart farewell and resumed walking until they finally left the royal palace grounds, where they portaled back to Novigrad and immediately fell asleep as soon as their heads hit the pillows.