Chapter 27: No Going Back

"Hi Bran," Ciri smiled kindly as she waved at the small child, who was peeking out shyly from behind Yennefer.

"Don't be so shy," Yen scolded, stepping aside and gently pushing Bran in front of her. The boy had grown so much and was hardly recognizable as the boy she had pulled from the fire. A thick mop of brown hair covered the top of his head and framed his chubby pink cheeks. His wide eyes, the color of chocolate, looked up at Ciri in curiosity. "Go on, you know Cirilla."

Bran took a tentative step towards Ciri, staring at her with large eyes. His hands were holding the bottom of his shirt, fidgeting with the hem. He was absolutely adorable. "Mama says you saved me when I was a baby," he murmured quietly, looking up at her behind long lashes.

A warm smile lit up Ciri's face, as she crouched down to be eye-level with the kid. Of course, Yen had raised him as her own child. The though made her so happy, for both the child and the Mage. "That's right," she nodded, her blonde hair bouncing from the movement. "You have grown so much since then."

The tiny boy seemed to puff up at her words, and Ciri had to stifle a giggle at the pride in the boy. "I'm going to be the strongest mage ever!" he stated, arms crossing over his chest, in an action that seemed very similar to Geralt. Perhaps the boy had been spending some time around the Witcher. The thought caused her to chuckle under her breath.

"I bet you will," she agreed. Yennefer stepped forward then and scooped the boy up into her arms.

"Come on now, little mage, it is time for bed," Yennefer said, winking at Ciri over her shoulder as she walked off with the protesting child.

Ciri couldn't help but feel sad that she had missed so much of Bran's life. She had missed out on his first steps, his first words, and all those little milestones. It must have been so hard for Yen, to raise a child while looking for her on the side. She would be forever indebted to her companions, for working so hard to free her from the Nilfgaards.

"He sure has grown, hasn't he?" Jaskier said, coming up beside her, wearing a large grin. "Little chap is my biggest fan. Used to run around in just his cloth diaper, singing along to all my songs."

Ciri laughed at that. "Oh, I'm sure he just ate up all your words, Jaskier. I see he has also taken after Geralt."

Jaskier scoffed. "As shy as the boy may seem, he follows Geralt around fearlessly. Like a little puppy following its Master. Makes Yennefer so mad when he learns Geralts… foul language."

Ciri chuckled, saying nothing more as she moved over to the fireplace, where she held out her hands to warm them. "Are Geralt and Yennefer still…?" her voice trailed off.

"Ahhh," Jaskier drawled knowingly, looking at Ciri with a raised brow, almost as if he could read her feelings from just the one question. "On and off. They fight, they fuck, they fight, and then fuck some more. It's honestly a horrid affair and leaves both unhappy. They deserve better than each other."

A pang struck Ciri's heart at that. Of course, he was still going after Yen, she was gorgeous after all. Hand crafted to be one of the world's most beautiful women. She doubted she could ever get Geralt's attention in that way; she would always be the Child of Surprise to him.

Jaskier observed her for a moment, smiling as he realized his hunch was correct. The girl was in love with Geralt, which was absolutely fabulous news. The Witcher may not know it yet, but the bard could tell, he felt the same way for the Princess. "Don't think on it too much, Princess. Things will work themselves out for the better." He winked at Ciri, making her blush and look away. Jaskier could always read her like a book; it seemed four years apart hadn't changed anything with him. For that, she was grateful.

"Care to sing?" Jaskier asked, as he lifted his lute from where it was strapped to his back. Before Ciri could answer, he broke out into his greatest hit, Toss a Coin to Your Witcher. It had been so long since she'd heard the song, but she'd never forget the words.

Jaskier's voice was as beautiful as always, as he sung through the first few lines. He danced around Ciri slowly, smiling widely as he strummed the lute. Knowing what he wanted, she ducked her eyes and joined him, quietly singing along. The smile on his face broadened as they sung, the girl picking up in confidence as she sang louder with each verse.

He noticed Geralt had entered the room, leaning against the doorframe and watching with an amused and enthralled expression, as Ciri sung. Jaskier had to admit, the girl's voice had only grown more beautiful with time. Her singing was reminiscent of a holy-being; gentle and powerful. She sung with Jaskier until the song came to an end. Her eyes turned to his, wild and happy, a look he hadn't seen on her since they'd found her.

"It sounds much better when she sings it," Geralt rumbled, startling Ciri who wasn't aware he was even there. Her face blushed a vibrant red, as she looked down, unable to meet his eyes for more than a few seconds.

"Surely not," she murmured. "The talent is in the creator."

Jaskier grinned at the praise, moving to stick his tongue out at Geralt. Wanting to give the two some time alone, he excused himself to go have a bath, leaving the two on their own.

Ciri sat on the floor in front of the fire, surprised when Geralt took a seat next to her. "How are you feeling?" he asked.

"Alright," she responded quietly. "It's hard to believe I'm actually free… I feel like I might go to sleep tonight and wake up back in that cell."

Geralt shifted his wait, leaning on his hand that was on the ground beside her. She could almost feel the heat radiating off him, that was how close he was. "You are free, and this is real," he stated. "Those filth are dead and in the ground, and everyone is for the better because of it."

She nodded at that but said nothing more. They sat there in silence for a while, watching the flames dance in the fireplace. Her head eventually leaned over, where she rested it on Geralt's shoulder. Instinctively, his hand came up to brush the hair back over her shoulder. Her heart picked up pace at his gesture, and she turned to look up at him, finally maintaining contact.

"Thank you again, for coming for me," she murmured, looking into his amber eyes. There was emotion in their honey depths, though she couldn't make out what the emotion was.

He grunted, saying nothing in return. A man of little words, she thought. Her fingers came up to touch his cheek, and she saw his eyes widen in shock, before she pressed her lips to his.

The kiss sent sparks throughout her, warming something deep within her belly as she moved her lips against his surprisingly soft ones. His hand moved to grab her waist in a strong grip, his lips responding for a moment before he ripped back, pushing her away from him. Her heart breaking was almost audible.

"No," he growled, standing up, not looking at her. "We can't."

Her mouth gapped open, shocked at what she had done. She stuttered for a second, before standing to her feet. "I'm – I'm sorry Geralt," she scrabbled, trying to find what to say. "I wasn't thinking. I know you don't feel that way about me. I'm sorry."

Geralt turned to look at her, eyes pained as she stumbled away from him, tripping on her skirts. "Ciri, no-" his hand reached up towards her, and she flinched away as if he'd struck her. Turning around, she bolted out of the room.

What had she done? She screamed at herself internally. She needed Geralt to survive, and she just did the one thing that would be sure to drive them apart. He loved Yennefer, not some child that got bound to him by Destiny. She would never be enough for him. Her looks were average, and she had no wealth or title to her anymore. There was nothing that would make her worth-while.

Wiping the tears from her eyes, she fled to her room and collapsed on the bed, muscles aching from the over-exertion. Sobbing hard into her pillow, she could not think of a way to fix what had been done. The mistake was made, and there was no going back.