Chapter 25: Our Stories
Jaskier sat with his fingers laced underneath his chin, elbows propped up on the bed in front of him, as he looked at the Princess that they had worked so hard to save. Four full years she had been kept a captive by the Nilfgaard, and only the Gods above knew what they had done to her in that time. Yennefer had portalled the four of them back to her fortress and had Cirilla placed back in her bedroom and left under a sleep spell. It would be a while before she would wake up.
The Princess had changed drastically in those years. She had grown a few inches and had lost the puffiness of youth. Her cheekbones and jaw were sharp and defined, and her hair unbelievably long and lighter than it had been. Womanly curves had formed, adding to her older appearance. Jaskier was not the only one in their group to notice that she was far thinner than she should be and was now sporting scars along the inside of her wrists. When Yennefer had pointed them out, Geralt had disappeared out of the room, and had yet to return.
They had no idea what her mental state was like yet, either. For all they knew, she had been beaten, raped and tortured for the last four years. When she woke, it would be a long task of figuring out what exactly she had gone through during her capture. They all just hoped she would forgive them for taking so long to find her and free her.
The last rose of Cintra,
has blood on her thorns.
A forgotten tale of Elder Blood,
and all futures past reborn.
Swirling spheres of otherness,
of hope and doom forlorn.
Her path could lead to happiness,
or the end of times for all.
Ghosts of futures falling,
have saddles up to ride.
Seeking the Lion Cub of Cintra,
last living of her pride.
And every hand will reach for,
the power that lies untold.
The time of ax and sword is night,
blood-red seeds of war are down.
So seek ye now the White Wolf,
he'll stay their wicked hand.
A steel and silver burning heart,
to guide through darkened lands.
Your future lies unspoken,
in timeless cerulean eyes.
A world may burn as pages turn,
or a savior may arise!
Jaskier sung softly, the song one he had heard long ago. Geralt had forbade him to sing it, during their time without Cirilla, but now that they had her back, he felt the words resonate within him. As he sung the last verse, he jumped slightly when Ciri's hand twitched on the bed.
"Yennefer," Jaskier murmured, nudging the mage with his foot, who sat asleep in the chair beside him. The mage looked at him curiously, her eyes bleary for a moment. "She is waking."
Yennefer's eyes widened as her head whirled to look at where Cirilla lay. The girl was fidgeting, her breathing changing just before her eyes opened. She looked around curiously, before her blue eyes landed on the duo, sitting beside her bed. Instantly, her eyes widened in shock as she sat up. "Jaskier, Yennefer," her voice croaked hoarsely. Her hand came to her throat in annoyance.
"Here," Yennefer said softly, handing a glass of water to the girl. Grateful, Ciri brought it to her nose to smell it, a habit she had gotten into during her capture, after having been drugged on a multitude of occasions. The mage noticed, but said nothing, as Ciri downed the glass quickly. "How do you feel?"
Ciri looked around, noticing that Geralt was nowhere to be seen. Turning back to the mage and bard, though keeping her gaze down at her hands, she shrugged. "I feel fine. Where is Geralt?"
"Geralt had to step outside for some air… a lot has happened, to all of us, and he needed some time to clear his mind before you woke," Yennefer explained.
"It is a wonderful sight to see you awake, Princess," Jaskier said to her. She momentarily met his eyes, before looking down again.
"It's good to see you guys again too," she murmured, her voice still hoarse and quiet. "What happened? I don't remember much…"
"Geralt will explain it all to you," Yennefer said, reaching forward to brush Ciri's hair back. The girl flinched under the touch, before relaxing and allowing the gesture. The mage felt her heart clench. Someone had been physically abusing her… Yen swallowed down her anger. Geralt should be the one to hear the girl's story – she trusted him the most.
The mage stood up and went to the small night table where two potions sat. "Please drink these, this one is for strength to help you rapidly build back your muscle, and the other is for nutrition." She handed the two vials to Ciri, who took them with shaky hands.
She looked almost fearful as she starred at the bottles, before swallowing a lump in her throat. This was Yennefer and Jaskier… they wouldn't do anything to harm her. Flipping back the caps, she took the two potions quickly, handing back the empty bottles to the mage.
Before Yennefer could step back, the sounds of footsteps approaching alerted their attention. Ciri turned to the doorway and felt her heart stop when Geralt appeared, looking the same as she remembered, staring at her with surprise. "You're awake already," he grunted, moving into the room to slowly walk up beside her bed. He stopped a few feet away. "I am sorry I wasn't here when you woke."
Ciri looked at his amber eyes for a moment, before she diverted her own away. Her heartbeat was way too fast, and she felt her cheeks flush at him standing there staring at her. Yennefer and Jaskier quietly excused themselves, leaving the two of them alone.
The silence went on for a moment, before Geralt let out a sigh, and pulled up a chair beside her bed. "I am sure you have questions," his voice was low and quiet, though she swore she could feel the vibrations of it even with how far away she was.
She nodded once, thinking about which question to ask first. "Where have you been?" Though the question was worded simply, it was loaded with so many more. Why weren't you there? Why didn't you come? What took you so long? Did you abandon me? Why did you bother to save me?
Geralt understood her meaning and rocked back to look at the ceiling. "That is a long story, though I shall explain it if you are willing to listen." When she nodded, he continued. "Yennefer found me three weeks after your capture, I was keeping myself and Jaskier well hidden to avoid confrontation. Once we knew, we immediately began searching for you.
We found Nilfgaards, tortured them for information, followed the leads to dead ends or traps… We searched and killed and searched some more. The Nilfgaard empire is a vast one, and we were facing opposition on all sides. Within the first year, word got out that we were within the Empire, searching for you. Eventually we had to retreat, there was just too many.
So, we built up our own army. Found those who still supported Cintra and Queen Calanthe, and then found those who owed us favors. It took us a long time to gather the support needed to be able to confront the Nilgaardian Army. Then there was the travel, it was far and long, especially with such a big crowd. We stormed the Fortresses and managed to find out where you were being held. It was decided that on the chosen Wedding Day, we would attack, hoping that the army would be unprepared.
Whilst we had the upper hand, we lost hundreds in casualties. Yennefer portalled us out as the battle grew more vicious. I am sorry, that it took us so long to get to you. It was agony, not knowing where you were or if you were even still alive. We had to trust in the word of the enemy we tortured. Some told us you were dead, others told us you'd been driven mad, while others spoke the truth. I hope you can forgive us for how long it took."
Ciri was quiet for a long time, her mind processing the information slowly. They hadn't abandoned her. Geralt had never forgotten about her. It seemed to good to be true, yet she could feel in her heart that it was.
"They told me you abandoned me," she started, voice quiet, though she knew Geralt's ears would be able to pick up her words. "They tormented me with telling me that you and Yennefer were wed and living a happy life; that I had been long forgotten. It was their favorite activity at first, listening to my wails and cries that you would not have abandoned me… But slowly, my doubts grew, until I eventually believed their lies.
I accepted I was all alone. There was no way out, I tried so many times. Cahir would beat me and strike me whenever he felt inclined, and their mage had a way with words that could make the happiest person loathe everything about themselves and the world. I did some cowardly things Geralt; I tried to escape in death. Yet no matter how much I tried, or how I did it, I was always revived. I had no control, over anything."
The tears came then, slipping down her cheeks. Geralt's hand came up to wipe them away, causing her to recoil back. Looking up, her eyes widened as she saw him perched on the bed in front of her, arm outstretched from his attempted act of kindness. At her look, he spread his arms, so much like their first-time meeting, and with a loud sob she collapsed into his strength.
His arms enclosed around her, tightening across her back as he pressed her into his chest. She grabbed the lapels of his shirt as she sobbed hard, finally feeling safe for the first time in four years. As she cried, she realized how much she loved this Witcher, and that realization made her both happy and devastated. Geralt would never accept her in that way, but for now, she would live with whatever their relationship was. She needed him.
He held her for a long time, soothing her tears and murmuring apologies and how sorry he was for what happened to her, and promises that it would never happen again. His voice rumbled through his chest through hers, and finally she was able to slow the tears and pull back.
"I'm sorry for that," she whispered, wiping away her last few tears.
"It's alright," he replied. Standing up, he held his hand out for hers. "Let's go down and get you something to eat. I'm sure Jaskier would love to tell you all about his latest compositions."
Ciri looked at his hand for a long moment, before placing her hand in his and allowing him to pull her up beside him. While she had a long way to go to heal, she knew that with Geralt, and her friends by her side, she would eventually be happy again.