DISCLAIMER: The Witcher © Andrzej Sapkowski/CDPR
A/N: This one-shot is extremely odd for me to post now as I started writing this piece years before the topic got so... tender in my country.
A/N2: This piece is quite spoilerish for Milva's character arc. It won't spoil you the book series, but will leave you confused if you don't know the context. But then again, if you know Milva... then you've propably read all of the books already.
A/N3: for such a diverse team that is Hansa – there is so little works that actually touch upon their... cultural diversity. So here another one of my takes.
SYNOPSIS: In Nilfgaard there are certain decisions that only women can make.
MORAL HIGH GROUND
"my sisters? What about them?"
„you said they used the concoction." Cahir took a sip of his herbal tea. It took him a while to understand what she meant.
„ah! Yes... yes, they did."
"and?"
„they lied in the bed for few days" he shrugged his shoulders "pretended to have a cold or a bad month. If you catch my euphemism."
Milva didn't understand what 'euphemism' mean, but she got the gist of what he's meant.
„and… they had no…?"
„remorse? No." Cahir shrugged his arms "their friends drinks stuff like that like wine, for a precaution even."
Milva looked at him dumbfounded.
"what about... you- men?"
"what do you mean?"
"what if… if you sired a child and the woman choose to… get rid of... the baby?"
Cahir narrowed his eyes as he studied Milva's face.
„It wouldn't be a baby yet, it'd just be a foe-" he trailed off, but the rest of the tyrad was cut off with a deep sigh "I would have no saying in that matter. Let's leave it at that."
"what do you mean?"
"The woman would be forced to carry a child to term, possibly ruining her honour if it was illegitimate... and then more, provide for the child for most of their lives. I have no saying in that matter except for asking for her hand – but that's also not given that she agrees - it's her and her family's choice to decide if I'm a good of a match."
"but if she did ask for the advice?"
Cahir was clerly uncomfortable.
„Nilfgaardian women don't ask-"
"Good thing we're not Nilfgaardian, right?"
Seeing how Cahir sat there dejected as he fought with his own thoughts, told her she had crossed the line. It was a question that was not asked often in his country - if even at all.
The deadly silence also told her what he really though but couldn't say, be it his upbringing, fear of exclusion, chastisement or, simply, ruining their friendship.
She was about to back off, change the subject. But then Cahir replied.
"no matter of your choice, Milva-" he finally spoke, throat tight, voice hushed "I won't think any less of you..."
Milva stood there dumbfounded, it wasn't a definitive answer she hoped for.
"and if you ever need help... you know-?"
But it was enough.
"I know"
