"Aren't we supposed to go meet Vesemir this winter?" Ciri asked. "I'm sure he'll be happy to see Is'hak and Isma'il are enthusiastic about wooden swords."
"Maybe I should make an announcement on the megascope, make sure Keira and Triss bring Lambert and Eskel to Kaer Morhen. Let's make it a real family reunion," Yennefer said.
"That's a great idea. We'll all welcome our new Witcher recruits, Is'hak and Isma'il," Geralt said.
...
"Vesemir!" Ciri cried out. She ran to him, he had his arms open in welcome as always. "I could've lost you, Vesemir."
"Ciri, I would rather gladly sacrifice myself than subject you to the Wild Hunt. Geralt told me... about your elder son," he said, turning his golden gaze on her.
"Avallac'h and I agreed, we will never treat my sons differently. He loves them both, they are both his sons," Ciri said.
"I don't doubt that. You weren't wrong in choosing Avallac'h," Vesemir said, smiling.
"So, you approve of him," Ciri said happily.
"Of course. Especially the way he stood by you until the end, how could I not?" He said. "Avallac'h agreed to raise the kids as witchers?"
"Yes, he did. Avallac'h mentioned no Trial of Grasses though, he already went through it once himself," she said.
Vesemir said, "As much as I regret not being to sacrifice myself for you, Ciri, I'm really happy that I lived to see your children. Speaking of which, where are they?"
Sounds of giggling and playful shouts drifted in from outside. Is'hak and Isma'il were both playing in the snow, throwing snowballs at each other.
"Ah, the sounds of little children at Kaer Morhen. I never thought I'd hear such a thing again," he said.
"You little rascals!" The voice of an indignant Lambert. The kids ran into the castle and hid behind Ciri and Vesemir.
"What seems to be the matter, Lambert?" Vesemir asked amusedly.
"The ras- I mean, they threw snowballs at me," Lambert said. "I think a little respect is in order, after all I'm the one who trained Ciri."
"But grand uncle Lambert, grandpa Geralt said witchers have re-reflections?" Is'hak said.
"Yeah, we just wanted to see if the reflections mean you'll never get hit by a snowball," Isma'il said.
"Oh, you mean reflexes? There's a proper time and place for everything, even a witcher can be caught unaware if he's unprepared," Lambert said.
The kids nodded solemnly.
"Ah, Lambert. When I first walked in, I thought it was Vesemir himself who was talking," Eskel commented.
"Under my fine tutelage, these kids will be warriors in no time," Lambert said. "The little rascals."
"Aww, you just act like that. I know you love them, " Eskel said.
"Is'hak, Isma'il, aren't you going to give great grandpa Vesemir a hug?" Vesemir asked.
The kids did so and were promptly scooped up into Vesemir's arms. They held on for dear life as their legs dangled in the air.
"Whoa, great grandpa is so strong!" They chorused.
Vesemir laughed, putting them back on the ground. "Great grandpa can't carry you for very long now, you're both growing more and more everyday," he said.
Yennefer and Keira entered, followed by Triss who brought along a sullen woman with short blond hair in handcuffs.
"Who's she?" Ciri asked curiously. "And why is she in handcuffs?"
"Oh she wasn't in handcuffs previously, but she did try to stab me in the back with a knife," Yennefer said coolly, crossing her arms. "Also, she's like a living, breathing piece of dimiterium. Magic fails around her."
"Interesting powers," Avallac'h said. The woman glared at him.
"Deidre? You brought her here?" Geralt asked.
"It was Triss's idea. Said she wanted Deidre to meet Ciri, see how another child surprise was taken in by a witcher and a sorceress," Eskel said.
"Stop talking about me like I don't exist. I'm right here," Deidre said, glaring at everyone. "All of you are scum. Witchers, sorceresses and even a non-human and his bastard children thrown in."
"Zireael. Don't. She's just trying to make you angry," Avallac'h said, shaking his head.
Ciri breathed out shakily, trying to control her temper. "Alright, but I still want to talk to her. Perhaps we should continue this conversation privately, away from the kids," she said.
...
"You're a child surprise? So am I," Ciri said.
"Ah, so you're that Ciri. The one that Eskel and Triss keep talking about nonstop until I feel like my ears would sooner fall off," Deidre said.
"So you know I am Geralt's surprise child. Yennefer, my mother who you tried to stab," Ciri said.
Deidre snorted. "Your mother? Don't be delusional. Sorceresses are barren, unnatural freaks which is why they can't have children," she said derisively.
"It was because of an old man who claimed to be a diviner of dreams, my life was ruined. I was raped, you can't understand, can you?" Deidre said.
"I was raped too," Ciri said quietly. "I was left naked and shivering. It was not just one, there were thirteen of them! They all raped me, again and again! I even got pregnant from it!" She said, her tone rising in anguish. "What about rape don't I understand?"
"But how? Why didn't your witcher and sorceress protect you?" Deidre said. "How could they let this happen to you?"
"I let myself be raped because otherwise, they would've killed Vesemir. My witcher and sorceress as you put it, they risked their lives again and again to save me.
"In the end they managed to kill Eredin, kill all my rapists and their soldiers, every last one. They love me, you can't understand that, can you?" Ciri asked.
"How can I understand what love is? There was a sorceress hired by my own brother. She tried to kill me, wanted to cut me open and study me because of my powers, like I'm some... experiment," Deidre said.
"You have no idea. So many people tried to use me for their own purposes. My own father wanted to impregnate me. I was a princess who lived in a palace. And then my mother died, and my father's people invaded and killed the queen, my grandmother.
"I saw so many people die in the war, my people. I lived on the streets, until Geralt found me and brought me to Kaer Morhen. Mages and sorceresses tried to marry me off, tried to stick a test tube between my legs.
"All because of my blood, all because of my powers. You saw that elf, he is my husband... he tried to force me to sleep with his king," Ciri said.
"Then why is he here? Why am I the one in shackles when you're the one sleeping with the enemy?" Deidre said.
"My husband has since regretted his ways," Ciri said.
"I find that incredibly hard to believe. I would never trust him if I were you," Deidre said.
"I'm not stupid. It was hard at first to trust him, but I had no choice. He was the one who taught me how to control my powers, taught me everything he knew. We travelled together, from place to place and he protected me as much as he could, even got cursed because of me.
"We fell in love. Earlier, he had hated humans because the love of his life had left him for a human. But for him to put his prejudice aside to love me, it spoke volumes. Everyone else had their suspicions of Avallac'h but when they saw how he saved me and took care of me, they finally understood that he loved me.
"I married him because I knew I didn't want to let him go. He knew I was pregnant with my rapist's child. Even after marriage we didn't consummate it immediately because I was still traumatised.
"He was willing to wait and I love him even more because of that," Ciri said.
"And your rapist's child?" Deidre said.
"I didn't want the child at first, but my husband wanted to raise it as his own. I had a terrible father yet I was raised with love by my Witcher and sorceress. What sort of mother would I be if I abandoned or killed my child, regardless of who the father was?" Ciri said.
"I... I'm sorry. You truly had a tragic life. All this time I thought Triss and Eskel were exaggerating, like you were some sort of saint who could do no wrong. So what now?" Deidre said.
The door to the room opened and in walked Yennefer.
"You could start by promising not to hurt or kill anyone here," Yennefer said. "Ciri, my brave little daughter," she said, hugging her.
"Mother. You heard everything I said?" Ciri said, smiling.
"You were taking too long. We were getting worried, " Yennefer said.
"Deidre. If it's possible... I want to make you my daughter. Ciri is like a little sister to me but I want to be a mother, have someone call me mother. I envy Ciri and Yennefer's relationship," Triss said.
"But how? You're a sorceress, Triss. Your magic won't work if I'm around," Deidre said. "I already hurt Eskel, are you sure he still wants me?"
"If you're willing to change, we'll take you in, raise you as our own. I don't believe you're evil, Deidre," Triss said.
"You're not gonna cut me open or kill me?" Deidre said.
"Of course not. And we won't let any mage or sorceress ever try to do that to you again," Triss said.
Deidre broke down, crying. Triss unlocked her handcuffs. Deidre hugged Triss, burying herself in Triss's clothes. Triss comforted her, stroking her hair.
"Eskel, come here," Triss said. Eskel approached slowly and cautiously. "Deidre is my daughter now. Will you accept her?"
"I... you know I love you, Triss, " Eskel said. "I'll do anything if it makes you happy. Yes, I'll accept her, " Eskel said.
"I'm sorry for giving you that scar, I shouldn't have, " Deidre said.
Eskel shrugged. "Triss still found me handsome anyway," he said, giving a lopsided smile.
"Bravo, that's my girl, " Geralt said, hugging Ciri.
Eskel and Deidre looked at them and then at each other. "So, do I call you father?" Deidre said.
"Just Eskel will do," he replied.
"I want to hug you," Deidre said.
"What's stopping you?" Eskel asked. He stepped forward, closing the distance between them and embraced Deidre.
"I feel destiny bringing us together," she said.
"I guess we've both been trying to avoid our destiny," Eskel said, sighing. "No more running away from it now."
"I hope you don't regret it," Deidre said.
"No, you're a part of my destiny just like Triss," Eskel said. "We're family now." Triss smiled happily.
"Keira and I don't need any more kids, Is'hak and Isma'il are enough, " Lambert said.
"They're asleep now," Keira said. "Yennefer, they were absolute darlings. Really polite and gentlemanly at such a young age."
"What? Are you talking about the same kids? I can't believe it," Lambert said. "Did you know how hard it is for me to get them to sit still?"
"I have no idea what you're talking about. It was all Aunt Keira this, Aunt Keira that, " Keira said, smiling.
"You must've charmed them," Lambert grumbled under his breath.
"Alright, the kids are asleep, it's time we adults did the same. Good night everyone," Vesemir said.
The end