and so cried the witcher

Geralt's burning yellow eyes watched the princess as she spoke, watched as she grew closer and closer to the sudden realization that the witcher was trying to plant in her mind. Not to be deceiving, but because he was worried that if he just gave it to her, she wouldn't believe him. He wanted her to see all of the pieces and connect them together, he wanted her to figure it out for herself.

He watched as her body grew more tense with every step she took, until suddenly, she was frozen like a statue. Geralt could almost see the gears turning in her mind, watching her fit the puzzle together. When she spun around to stand in front of him, and declared his name, he expected her to just ask if it could be true, if her father could be the one to blame, but instead, the princess surprised him.

"Leave?" His brow furrowed and his face hardened as he looked down at the princess. "You're still in harms way, princess." His demeanor had shifted, the way her title rolled off his tongue was sharp and precise, like a snake striking at its prey. The witcher didn't like being told what to do, especially when it was something he definitely did not want to do. "I'm not going anywhere until you are safe." He knew she wouldn't let it stop there, the princess was going to argue with him, try to force him out of the castle anyway. If she really felt he should leave, she could call for her guards and he would be tossed out of the castle on his ass, banished from the kingdom for eternity.

"You know who it is now, do you not? Do you not think if I just leave you won't fall victim to the poisons again? You will die, Sassanra." He laid the words on her thick, wanting her to really understand what was at risk here. Just because she was better now, didn't mean if he just took his leave, it would all stay the same. The moment he was gone, her father would strike again.

@ castle.

Sassanra’s face hardened even as Geralt denied her demands. She knew who Geralt suspected and she couldn’t say she blamed him, even if she didn’t want to admit it. Every thing that she thought of only made her suspicions more concrete. It made her chest ache; it made her want to cry and scream and throw things about but she knew that she couldn’t. She had no clue how she would get out of this mess but she had to start planning.

Marriage would work. She would wed a prince from some far away land and then she would be whisked away. She wouldn’t be a threat to her father’s throne because she’d be nothing more than a trophy on another king’s side. She gritted her teeth at the thought. Her brows pulled together as she looked up to Geralt, shaking her head slowly and deliberately.

“Maybe so,” Sassanra admitted. The thought of dying by her father’s hand made her weak to her stomach but she couldn’t admit that. Not here, not if she wanted any sort of chance at convincing Geralt it was best for him to leave. “But you cannot remain here forever, can you? And what will you do when he demands answers? You cannot just stand in front of the king and accuse him of trying to poison his own daughter. He’ll kill you before he banishes you - he wouldn’t want your story getting out!” Her whispered tone grew heated but even so, she made sure to keep it lowered. Her father would look for any reason to punish her. If he had any sort of clue that Sassanra and Geralt had figured it out...

“If I am meant to die, then so be it.” Sassanra was weak at the knees, her words striking through her core. They weren’t kind but Sassanra didn’t see an escape at the moment. Her only possible option would be marrying someone else but would her father even let her leave? She was still the only heir he had - even if he was trying to dispose of her. “I won’t be safe for as long as he lives. Or I live. And you cannot kill him not can you kidnap me, you would be hunted for the rest of your life.”

Geralt stood among the flowers in the garden, his hands tightening into fists as he listened to the princess speak. It hurt him to agree with her, but she was wiser than she looked. "I still have time. We will figure something out. Don't give up that easily on me." It was hard for Geralt to come to terms with the fact this was no longer about the coin he had been promised. That had been thrown out of the window the moment he came to realize the truth.

The witcher was still here in this castle because he felt the need to protect the princess, because he had grown attached to her. It was always so easy to find yourself wanting something you can't have and Geralt found himself in that exact situation now. Never could a princess love a witcher, never could a witcher find his home among castles and noblemen. They would have to part ways sooner rather than later, ...but not now.

"Your father suspects nothing at the moment. I still have time to help you." Geralt stared into her sad eyes, wondering if the princess had already abandoned all hope. "I still haven't talked to this ...mysterious healer." Geralt was thinking out loud, wondering if he could place the blame there and get away with it. Maybe he could threaten the king in private, if he could find some way to blackmail him... The Witcher's mind was racing, almost to fast for him to grab onto a solid idea.

He turned back to the princess and motioned for her to continue walking. "Enjoy this. How long has it been since you were able to stroll through this garden on your own?"

@ castle.

{got seven minutes before class starts... oops }

Sassanra’s gaze softened when Geralt told her not to give up so easily on him. She wanted to smile and she would have, if it wasn’t for the spasm of pain that wound it’s way around her chest. She hated that she wanted to call out to the guards and have Geralt sent on the way. She knew that it wouldn’t go well, that she would have to come up with some random reason to give to her parents but at least Geralt would be gone. At least he wouldn’t be in danger here. Instead of smiling or shouting for the guards, Sassanra instead could only bring herself to nod her head.

Her eyes dropped to her feet and she stared at them, wishing nothing more than that she could change the circumstances of how they had met. Why was fate so cruel? Had she been promised to Geralt through something like the Law of Surprise, at least then destiny would have been on their side. At least they would have had that going for them.

“Far too long,” Sassanra answered Geralt in a low voice. She gave him a light smile then. She wondered if it would be wrong, could she grab for his arm? That would be placing far too much pressure on them and she had no way of knowing who was or wasn’t looking. Her fingers itched to feel his armour, to get to know the crevices of his armour... the dips of.. Sassanra gulped as she realized where her mind was beginning to drift. That was far too unladylike for a princess!

“I have only met this healer once. When we welcomed into our home. I never saw him before I fell ill...” Sassanra muttered, shrugging her shoulders. She had no clue if what she had to say was useful to him or not but she wanted to do what she could. “And now, I only ever stayed in my room. Anything else, was too much.”

Geralt didn't see the point in trying to hide his thoughts from the princess anymore. They moved through the garden and Geralt let his eyes roam over the sea of colors, enjoying the view while he could. He normally wasn't surrounded by such lavish sights, not was he usually escorting a princess through a garden. He let out a deep sigh when she finished speaking, finding it hard to speak.

"It is obvious, to me, that your father has called this healer in to poison you. He couldn't ask the current royal healer or anyone from the kingdom, in fear they couldn't be trusted. So he has brought in a sorcerer." Geralt looked down at the princess, wanting to make sure that what he told her wouldn't send her into a panic. "So I am not leaving, until I know you are safe... I promise."

That might not have been that smartest idea, to promise something that he really didn't have any control over. He knew there were ways for him to stay in the city, whether or not he was thrown out. It would be difficult, but he would make sure Sassanra was well taken care of.

@ castle.

Sassanra ran her fingers along one of her favourite flowers while Geralt explained what he thought was going on. She found it difficult to nod her head but still, she forced herself to. The idea of her father trying to kill her wasn’t a kind one, it was hard to stomach but Sassanra felt like believing anything else would be outrageous. “Witcher,” his occupation came out in a light, teasing tone as she turned toward him.

“All of the tales I have heard of your kind make you out to be no better than the monsters you hunt. The few that I have met over the years were never cruel... horrible but they were never kind. They never cared to speak unless there was a need for information from you,” Sassanra spoke. She began to ramble and she realized that she didn’t even know why she speaking at this point. “Or coin, I suppose.”

“You have been different,” was all she could convince herself to say because admitting to Geralt that she was thinking such impure thoughts of him... she thought of running away with him. That would surely be an awful idea.

She looked up to Geralt suddenly, a wicked look in her eye. Sassanra was angry and hurt and she was sure that was why the words came tumbling out before she could even consider the ramifications of them. “Why not use the sorcerer’s own powers against him? He wishes to poison me - it would be a shame. If he met the fate that was intended for the princess.”

Geralt couldn't help but raise an eyebrow, a little shocked that she had met other witchers and a little embarrassed that she was complimenting him. "Not every witcher is the same, just as every princess is not the same." Geralt watched her hand run over the rows of flowers, her fingers brushing over every other delicate petal.

It was odd finding himself here, strolling alongside a princess, who he knew was starting to develop feelings for him. It was wrong and the witcher knew it would only end in heartbreak, but he couldn't find a way to separate himself from her, not yet. Sooner or later, he would have to leave her, for the best. The longer he hung over her shoulders, the more danger and trouble was sure to find her.

"That would take care of the poison, but not your father." Geralt was sure that he would be dealing with the sorcerer personally, probably sooner than he thought, too. Geralt wondered if he dealt with the sorcerer and presented him to the king as the assassin if that would somehow work. He could still get paid, the king could possibly take it as a hint to stop while he was ahead and Geralt could be on his way. If he felt like the princess would still be in danger, he could return to check in on her?

No matter what he thought, or no matter what plan he tried formulating in his head, nothing sat right. He knew there was no easy or happy way out of this situation.

@ castle.

Sassanra couldn’t deny the heart rate sped up when Geralt mentioned princesses weren’t the same. She wished that she could but there was no way around it. She only hoped that Geralt couldn’t tell because she didn’t want him to think anything negative about her. She knew that he would eventually have to leave and she didn’t want it to be on negative terms.

“I suppose,” Sassanra answered him in a low voice. She looked up to him, her brows pulling to a stop in front of a large fountain. “But you cannot stop the king, Geralt. You are a legendary Witcher,” she paused, wondering if Geralt even realized just how far his reputation reached. “But you are one man. My father is an entire army that would not rest until you dead if you so much as hint at...” Sassanra trailed off. She didn’t want to say it. It felt like they weren’t just going around in circles at this point.

“I would rather sacrifice...” Sassanra again fell silent, swallowing at the thought. No one welcomed death but if it was the difference between Geralt and herself, the answer was obvious to her. “You hunt monsters. You do good in the world, even if others do not see it. I would rather leave this life than you. I will lead a life of duty and nothing else. At least you... can do something worth while. “

Geralt grimaced when she brought up his reputation, thoughts of that damn bard invading his mind. He cursed Jaskier and for a moment, wondered if his friend was okay. Geralt hated that his name was well known, among peasants and royals, it was all the same. He hated it. A witcher wanted nothing more than to disappear into the background once their job was done and now, he was finding it harder to do that.

"You think of yourself lowly. You could rule. There are many Queens, one of whom I've personally met that rules over her husband. She is revered as such because she is a brave and powerful woman, a ruler. You don't have to be a silent wife."

Geralt tried to plant the idea in her head, trying to give the girl something else to hope for. Something other than him. He couldn't indulge her in any such fantasies, his witcher senses alerting him to just how fast her heart was racing. He spoke as if that was her destiny, to be married, to a prince. He wanted her to hear his words. "Witchers are meant to be sacrifices. Every time I draw my sword against a monster, I am willing to sacrifice my life. Death is the true reward of a witcher."

In death, he couldn't be bullied in the streets, he wouldn't see dirty glares shot his way. He wouldn't be run out of villages after relieving them of a deadly creature, wouldn't be charged three fold at every market or inn he stopped at. Death was relief.

@ castle.

Sassanra wasn't prepared for Geralt's words and she couldn't have stopped her heart from dropping if she had wanted to. She turned away from him as soon as she realized that she was reacting this way. Geralt was a witcher. She knew what that meant but for him to seem like he'd accepted that fate, it made her heartache. She choked back a sob and squeezed her eyes shut, doing the best she knew how to contain her emotions. The images through flashed through her mind only made her feel worse because she pictured Geralt's life ending as he tried to save another village.

Her bottom lip wobbled and for a moment she thought she would start to cry. Sassanra dragged in a deep breath, gripping her skirt tightly as she opened her eyes. She blinked several times to clear her tears before they could fall. "My father would never marry me to a prince if he thought that I would have any rights. If we are right about him, he'd sooner bury me than let me have the chance at any power."

"I wish that..." we had met in another life. Sassanra wanted to finish her sentence so badly but it seemed like Geralt had put the boundaries in place and she knew that she didn't want to push him. He was right. there was no way that there would be another ending for them. But did Geralt think something similar about her? She wondered and she nearly wanted to ask but she knew that particular conversation wasn't one to have out in the open.

"Can you promise me something? I made you a promise," Sassanra pointed out lowly. Still, she refused to look at him because she was afraid of her emotions hitting her full force if she looked at him. "I need you to promise me that you won't put yourself in harm's way for me. If it gets to the point where you know your life is in danger, then I need you to go. Geralt, please."

Geralt straightened his shoulders, standing up as tall as he could. His whole body tensed when he heard her sniffle, turning her back on him wasn't enough to keep that hidden. "That's nothing something I can promise, Sassanra. I'm sorry." He looked down at the young girl, staring deeply into her eyes, hatred towards the king filling every part of him as he saw his reflection in her tears she was trying so hard to not let fall. He hated how special she thought he was, how she held him in such high regard. He was just a witcher, a young boy who had been tossed to the wolves and forced into a life of servitude and monsters. There was nothing special about him.

It wouldn't matter if Geralt had kept his heart out of this situation or not, regardless of if the two had grown close or stayed emotionally distance, Geralt would still have to do everything in his power to make sure she was safe. He had been contracted, and even if it had all been a trick by an egregious man in a tiny crown, he had still been contracted to save a princess. "I only leave here once you are safe. Or I'm thrown out. Those are the only two options." He tried to crack a joke, letting a smile rise to his face for only a second as he laughed, trying his hardest to get her to break that heartbroken look on her face.

His face hardened again when he realized there was no laughing at this situation. No matter what he did, he wouldn't be able to alleviate the princess's worries and fears, especially if there was any doubt in his mind that they might actually hold some weight. He knew the king wouldn't allow his only child to leave until his wife gave him a son and with every passing day, that was cutting time off of both the princess's and the queen's life. Geralt decided not to mention that, knowing surely it wouldn't go over well with Sassanra if she knew it wasn't just her life at risk.

@ castle.

Sassanra looked away from Geralt, swallowing thickly. She hated the idea that he would stay until she was safe because she was almost sure that that would never happen again. Her father would not let this go because he didn’t want a woman sitting on the throne. She gave Geralt a lazy smirk, his little laugh was enough to make her heart flutter for an entirely different reason.

“So you stay until I am safe?” Sassanra asked, raising an eyebrow as she studied him. When he nodded, she started to speak again. “So you will remain here forever? You will never leave? Because you know I will never be safe, right? With him on the throne... with a son he would raise, I would never be safe. It wouldn’t change unless I was married off to someone else and I don’t... that sounds no better than what I’m currently facing.”

She narrowed her eyes slightly, remembering what was required of her. Sassanra was a princess, she was supposed to be in charge of those around her. “I can’t - I won’t - ask you to stay forever. That wouldn’t be fair to either of us. Or the people that need you. So once you have spoken to my father and given him your thoughts, whatever story you tell him, you will leave. Or... or I’ll have you thrown out.” The words tasted sour on her tongue but in her mind, she had to do something to protect Geralt.

Geralt was more annoyed at the princess's threats than he was intimidated. "I didn't say that I'm staying forever, Sassanra. When I mean safe, I mean no longer in immediate risk of death." Geralt found the harsh tone of his voice necessary. He already knew he couldn't stay with her, but that still didn't mean he liked it when she spoke it. He also didn't like how he thought she could tell him what he was going to do.

"I will rid the castle of your deadly potion-maker and then I will be on my way." He promised, his shoulders tensing and he could feel his teeth grinding. "No need to sick your guards on me. Speaking of the sorcerer...." Geralt looked over his shoulder back towards the entrance to the castle. "I will send the first maid I see to help you back to your room. Enjoy the gardens a bit longer, princess." He thought it would be best to get some distance between himself and Sassanra anyway.

The witcher turned away from the princess, leaving her on her own in the maze of the garden. Geralt knew that he couldn't get invested in the princess and already he had accidentally allowed himself to get too close. He didn't want to be mean to her, or hurt her feelings, but he had to swallow the emotions while he still could. Entering the castle, Geralt headed towards the mage's tower, returning to the locked door that he had been denied from a day before. The first maid he crossed he had sternly instructed her to head straight to the garden, to make sure Sassanra was still alright and help her back to her room. Someone still needed to be with her while she was trying to walk around on her own, anything could happen.

@ castle.

Sassanra felt her heart skip a beat when Geralt denied her teasing. It had been a mean spirited comment because she was frustrated and all she wanted to do was make sure he was safe. Except he was a witcher and that would never be a safe life and she knew there was nothing she could do to change that. As much as she wanted to, Sassanra didn't think there would be a way that a witcher and a princess could have anything more than shy glances and little glimpses of the world that they could have if they had met in a different time and place.

The way Geralt uttered her title before he walked away all but broke her heart. Sassanra squeezed her eyes shut, willing herself to calm down. She didn't need to start crying before a servant came to help her. She was quick to rub her eyes, convincing herself that she needed to steel herself against her emotions. Sassanra lowered herself down on the bench beside the fountain and simply watched the water run, her shoulders sagging despite knowing she had to keep herself together.

Hearing the approaching footsteps, Sassanra straightened and forced a smile to her face. It was better if she concealed her emotions because she knew that she didn't want any rumors starting about herself or Geralt. "I would like to go to the library. Perhaps find a book or two to take to my chambers so that I can have something new to read," she spoke, pushing to her feet. Sassanra could practically feel her energy draining but she was relying mostly on the fact that she was upset and she needed a distraction desperately.

Geralt banged on the sorcerer's door, his eyes burning brighter with each second that passed, with each time his fist collided with the door. "I will break this door down." He growled, letting his fists fall back to his sides as he waited for a moment, his eyes flicking back down to the doorknob as he heard the sound of a key going into a lock. The door was slowly opened and Geralt squinted to peer into the dark room, seeing a slender, short hunched over man.

"You're the sorcerer the king hired?" Geralt's eyebrows rose to his hairline for a moment, not expecting someone of this stature. Rolling his eyes, he forced his way into the room, slamming the door shut. All the drapes in the room were closed tightly, allowing not even a speckle of sunlight to enter. Instead, the room was illuminated eerily with a few candles scattered about. Plants and different types of ingredients and tools laid around, all of which looked like they belonged in a witch's storybook.

"Show me the poison with which you poisoned the princess." Geralt clenched his jaw, the scents of all the different plants were attacking his nostrils, all of which held some level of toxicity. The man could barely get out a word before Geralt's anger consumed him and he turned, throwing a swift lower punch that landed right in the man's stomach. He doubled over in pain, coughing violently as his knees hit the floor. "The king will have no choice but to sentence you to execution when I expose you in front of his court." Geralt spat, circling the pathetic man on the ground. That was the only way to ensure he was safe when he brought up his concerns to the king.

@ castle.

{skipping~ if you had something else you wanted to write out, lemme know and I can change this!}

Sassanra sat with her back straight, on her father’s right side. Her mother was two thrones over, on her father’s left. She was quiet as she watched Geralt enter the throne room, her heart skipping a beat when their eyes met. He had been in the castle for two days since discovering the poison that has crippled her for so long. She knew that today was the day he was going to expose the truth but she had begged him not to accuse her father because she knew how that was going to go. If Geralt even hinted at it, her father would react and despite how great of a warrior Geralt was, he wouldn’t be able to fight his way out from where he came to a stop a few feet in front of the throne. Behind him, he dragged the mage that she had only ever met once.

The man was on his knees before the royal family, looking quite the broken part. Sassanra’s eyes flicked to her father and she watched as he tensed. “What is the meaning of this, witcher?! You do not come into my castle and start beating my healer!”

Sassanra had to bite the tip of her tongue to keep from reacting in any way. She trusted Geralt’S opinion wholeheartedly - the pieces all linked together far too well. She knew that her father was partly behind it and she only hoped that when this was all said and done, that Geralt would be able to walk away from it in one piece.

The healer was thrown forward, from where Geralt stood at least ten feet from the throne. The elderly man fell on his side only inches before the king's throne. "Show your highness, what you've been giving to the princess, healer." Geralt's eyes were burning orange, brighter than Sassanra had ever seen them be. Geralt was fueled with rage, the aftermath of his anger apparent all over the mage's bloodied and bruised face.
Barely able to move, the mage just let a vial drop from his sleeve, the liquid inside a thick, vibrant purple. "Tell them!" Geralt growled, sensing how the guards all took a step closer towards him, hearing the sounds of their swords unsheathing.

Geralt was not afraid for his own safety. All it would take would be to toss the guards backwards, maybe cut a few down and he could escape the castle without so much as a scrape to himself. He was afraid of being forced to leave with no opportunity to ever return, to ever check up on the princess.

The mage began to 'confess' his crime, though it was no surprise to the king. Only did the queen seem shocked, her hands shooting to cover her mouth as she gasped. The mage was smart enough to not dive deeper into the details, hoping to himself that since the king had employed him that maybe he would show mercy.

But the king couldn't.

Shooting to his feet, the king declared, in an over the top fit of anger, "Treason! This mage is to be executed at once!" All of the soldiers simultaneously turned their blades from the witcher, instead moving in to pick up the mage. He was pulled from the throne room kicking and screaming that he had been set up, but his shouts disappeared once the door slammed shut. The king turned to look at the witcher, his face red from yelling. "Surprising it only took you two days to get to the bottom of it. How can I ever thank you?"

Geralt couldn't help hear how the words came out as a hiss, causing Geralt to wrinkle his nose in disgust. "You know how to thank me." A frown rose to his face as he looked over at the princess, seeing the king motion to his adviser out of the corner of his eye. The man stepped forward, before tossing Geralt a sack of gold coin, tossing it so that it spilled at his feet. He wanted to kick it away, demand that he... that he what? That he could take Sassanra away? He cleared his throat before looking away from her, bending down and grabbing the pay, not caring to pick up all the pieces from the ground.

Turning away, he headed out of the throne room without another word.

@ castle.

{skipping~~}

Sassanra couldn't believe the way that her life had turned out. She had thought after Geralt had left, maybe she had some sort of chance at happiness but that hope had been so shortlived that she didn't even remember what it had felt like. She had watched Geralt walk out of the throne room with tears in her eyes. She wanted to rush after him and thank him for everything, tell him that he would always be welcome in her castle, but Sassanra had stayed on her throne knowing that it wasn't appropriate. And she remembered Geralt's words well - he had told her it was safe to eat once he'd spoken to the healer and then she'd hardly seen him.

It had only been a few short months after Geralt left that her father had spoken about the king that Sassanra would marry. A week's journey to the south, the wedding would take place in just a month's time. Sassanra hadn't been able to object and she knew that her life would change the moment she was married. There was no way that her father would let her go to a kingdom where she would be loved and cherished.

And that was exactly what had happened. On her wedding night, Sassanra could only remember how brutal her new husband had been. He'd ripped her dress in two before taking what he was owed. Sassanra had cried and begged the man to be gentler but that had only seemed to make him worse.

Sassanra had been in her new home for nearly a year and half. She had learned what was expected of her, it hadn't taken long at all when you were beaten for any little thing that you did wrong. If she looked at a man who wasn't her king, if she called him anything other than her king, if she spoke without being spoken to by someone worthy... Sassanra knew her place. It seemed even when she thought she was following all the rules that her husband had made for her, that she still managed to do something wrong. Sassanra couldn't remember the last time that she had gone a day without a fresh bruise.

As she sat in the throne room, waiting for the witcher to appear, Sassanra felt her cheeks burn. She hated that her bruises were on display. Her husband demanded that she wear dresses that showed them off because he needed to be able to show that he could keep her in line.

When she had heard that there was going to be a witcher coming to assist with the monster that had been hunting in the city's walls, Sassanra had allowed herself a brief moment of hope. Maybe it was Geralt? But it wouldn't be. Witchers led dangerous lives and while there weren't many witchers alive to this day, Geralt wasn't the only one. The sound of the doors opening caught her attention but she didn't so much as look up from the spot she'd picked on the ground in front of her. Witchers were men and she wasn't meant to look at anyone but him. Sassanra swallowed thickly and sat up straighter, despite the man it sent spasming down her side. He'd kicked her the night before and it was still tender to do just about anything. Bruises littered her arms and she had a healing black eye. All she wanted to do was rest but Sassanra knew that she had to welcome the witcher. Even if she didn't say a single thing, her presence was expected.

Geralt's boots fell hard with each step he took further into the throne room. His swords were strapped to his back, all of his hair was pulled back into an elastic, low against the nape of his neck, and loose. Strands and bits of hair fell around his face and his expression was mostly just unenthusiastic, until he drew close enough to the thrones to recognize Sassanra. The emotions that fell across his face were nothing even close to happiness, he couldn't rejoice to see her again. All he could do, was focus on the dark brown bruises that littered her arms, the pitch black shadow that circled her left eye and the way anger was beginning to bubble up in his stomach. His face twisted in rage, watching as she didn't even lift her head to see who had entered the room.

His flickered his eyes towards the king, wiping away the emotions he wore on his sleeve before the king could notice. Geralt had already decided the king would die, immediately upon the time it was safe for him to do so. It was easy to push his anger to the side for the time being, a small smile pulling at the corners of his mouth as he thought about how he would do it. The smile fell away quickly when a much more hurtful thought entered his mind. He couldn't help but take on some of the responsibility, guilt beginning cause his heart to sink. If he just hadn't left her, if he had found some way to stay, or if he had returned...

She told you that she'd throw you out... Geralt tried to convince himself that this was no way his fault, that there was nothing he could've done. Witchers and princesses... it just doesn't happen. You told her that. Geralt's eyes flickered to the floor for a moment as he stood just a few feet away from the throne. Geralt bowed his head in the king's direction, hating the gesture he knew he was forced to entertain.

"I've heard you have a puppy problem?" Geralt smirked, his amber eyes burning brightly, lighting up much more than usual due to his annoyance. "What's the pay?" Geralt wanted to cut to the point quickly, making sure that he refrained from glancing back towards Sassanra. If he even so much as caught a glimpse of another bruise, he was sure he wouldn't be able to hold himself back. Only being able to suppress his emotions by ignoring she wasn't even there, that this was no different than any other job he took on.

He instead tried to focus on the problem at a hand: a werewolf that had been killing inside of the kingdom walls. That was something... new. Definitely, new and definitely very, very dangerous. Also something that he should rake in quiet a bit of coin for, if he was so able to subdue the creature.

@ castle.

Sassanra's thoughts were somewhere else. She was hardly paying attention to the sound of the footsteps approaching them in the throne room. She wouldn't speak to the person or even look up to the witcher so why would she pay any attention? It wasn't until she heard Geralt's voice that her heart stopped. Her eyes widened and just for a moment, her head started to lift. Her gaze hit his boots and it seemed to be what reminded her of what she was doing. Her head dropped forward again and she said a silent prayer that the king wouldn't have noticed it. She knew her husband wasn't shy, he wouldn't think twice about reminding her of her place in front of someone so low as a witcher.

She wanted to greet Geralt, she wanted to welcome him and she wanted to thank him for him saving her life nearly two years ago. Sassanra hadn't even gotten the chance to say goodbye to him when he left and that thought had still haunted her to this day. She swallowed thickly, seeming to sink further into her throne in an effort to make herself as small as possible. Sassanra was sure that Geralt had recognized her but she prayed he didn't say a thing. She could only imagine the reaction her husband would have if he realized that Geralt was the one who had saved her.

The king's attention was pulled from Geralt when he spotted a bit of movement out of the corner of his eye. His eyes narrowed into thin slits as he watched Sassanra's head dropping. He stood, stomping over the few steps until he stood in front of Sassanra. He sneered as he reached forward, gripping Sassanra's chin. "What is it, my queen?" Her title was hissed as he leaned forward, forcing Sassanra to look up at him. "Did the witcher draw your attention to where it doesn't belong?"

Her fear was palpable through the room as she winced, her eyes wide as she looked up to her husband. "N-No. I-I.. I've only eyes f-for you, my king," she croaked. Sassanra yelped as the back of his hand met her cheek and she curled against the side of the throne, trying to contain her panic. Please Geralt. Don't.

The king sneered, glaring down at her. "Do. Not. Ever. Lie. To. Me."

Only then did he turn back to Geralt, holding his hands behind his back. "My apologies, witcher. My queen doesn't always seem to know her place," he uttered with a disappointed shake of his head. "Your payment will be a hundred gold coins upon defeating the monster. Once you've delivered me his head, you will receive your payment."