Chapter: 1

Summary: Trouble arises soon after Geralt is reunited with his child surprise. After wandering around the woods for weeks, they stumble across a witch with bad intentions who can see into the future. She slips Ciri a strong, mysterious potion that causes her to behave out of character. Practically overnight, the once sweet, soft spoken girl turns into a fierce, proud force to be reckoned with. Oh, and she's madly in love with Geralt of Rivia, a strong declaration that promises to have dire consequences.

Geralt had almost given up as he rode from town to town, with a miserable and demanding Ciri in tow, as he searched for his old friend, Jaskier.

Shortly after finding his child surprise, he found himself in some unexpected trouble, and now he desperately needed the bards help.

When they entered the town of Burvila, Geralt was able to track his old friend down to a run-down pub on the south side of the village, and the faster he got to him, the better.

When they arrived at the old pub, he tied Roach to a splintered fence and told Ciri to keep her head down as they entered the tavern.

"I'm the princess of Cintra," Ciri told him proudly. "Not a laymen or a coward. I bow my head to no man."

Geralt gritted his teeth as he made his way to the back of the pub. He had to remind himself several times a day that Ciri wasn't herself and that he needed to be patient with her.

"This place is disgusting," Ciri told him, as she watched a rat scurry across a man's boot. "I'm not staying here."

"Sit. Down." Geralt told her in a stern voice. For a moment it looked as though she might argue with him, but instead she sat down with a childish huff.

After a few moments of sitting there, Jaskier appeared and spoke to a crowd of unamused patrons about a brave witcher he knew before bursting into song. After a few embellished lines, the crowd was cheering and raising their goblets to him. A few men even tossed him a coin or two. Midway through the song, Jaskier noticed his old pal sitting in the corner and started making his way over towards him.

When the song ended and the room erupted in cheer, Ciri rose from her seat, her steel eyes as sharp as arrows.

"Take your harlot eyes off of my betrothed," Ciri yelled at Jaskier. Her small fists were clenched in tight balls at her sides. "I thought I was going to vomit listening to your embarrassing song. You're practically obsessed with him. I should kill you where you stand."

Jaskier shook his head, dazed and dumbfounded, as the small girl before him continued to stare at him with a look of pure murder in her eyes.

Geralt sighed heavily and tilted his head back. Not again.

"Ciri, for the last and final time," Gerald growled in a low voice. "We are not betrothed."

Jaskier gave Geralt a dumb, clueless look before raising his hand. "Someone want to fill me in here…"

"She's my child surprise," Geralt explained to him. "And she's under the influence."

Jaskier's mouth dropped. "You gave alcohol to a minor?"

"What?" Geralt exclaimed. "No. She's under the influence of a love spell." He explained as if that somehow made the situation less bothersome.

Jaskier shook his head at the entire situation. "What god in their right mind would gift you a child surprise?"

"Your guess is as good as mine," Geralt told him gruffly.

"Okay," Jaskier braced himself. "The whole story, from the beginning. Leave nothing out."

Geralt sighed and raised his hand for two pints. It was going to be a long night.