Kyana Of Cintra

26

The night had fallen by the time Geralt and Kyana had dealt with Ostrit. They returned to the castle to offer assistance once again to the king, only to be met with twenty or so guards keeping the front door. Geralt sighed, watching as Kyana put down her bags and drew her sword. The guards had seen her do so, drawing their own swords to defend both themselves and their king, even though Kyana or Geralt could take all of them on at once. 

"Oh, so quick to violence." The sea of guards parted for their king, who strode up to Kyana and Geralt as though he owned the entire world. "Strange, considering what Miss Merigold told me about you two." Triss had gone ahead to persuade the king to change his mind, then had used her spells to call Geralt telepathically when she had managed to persuade the king to come to the gates. 

"And what's that?" 

"She told me to trust the both of you." He said, a grin on his face while answering Geralt. He clearly found it very amusing that he was told to put his daughter in the hands of something so breakable as trust. He approached the two, every step he took lessening his grin until it didn't exist any more. "Will this work? Answer honestly." 

"We don't know. But we'll die trying, Your Highness." Kyana said, polite as can be. The king looked slightly in pain. 

"Will my-" He stopped, realizing that he had just given away the identity of the father, which was himself. "Will my daughter be normal?" He spoke to Kyana, as though she personally could do something, which broke her heart. 

"She'll be needing special care, she's lived like an animal. All she's ever known is rage and hunger." The king looked into her sympathetic eyes, watching her as she sheathed her sword. She took his hands into her own, transferring an object gently into his palm. The king looked down into his palm, the soft silver chain with "ADDA" written in gentle cursive nearly made him cry. 

Geralt pulled something from his own bag, an object Kyana couldn't see. He handed it to the king after much deliberation, who took it from his hands gently. "What is this?" 

"For the princess. If we can lift the curse, a gift." The king looked at him warily. 

"You're giving me this because you do not expect to see morning." The king lifted the object. Kyana immediately recognized it as being Renfri's broach. Kyana couldn't help but feel a little hurt; she gave him that broach, now he's giving it away. 

"This isn't my first time trying to save a princess who others see as a monster." Geralt said, reminiscing his pain when Kyana had slit Renfri's throat. He didn't even know what compelled him to remember her for so long, or what had made him feel as deeply as he did for her. Hope shone brightly in the king's face. 

"What happened to that princess?" The king was so hopeful, having been encouraged by Geralt's experience. 

"Kyana killed her." Geralt replied bluntly, remorse in his face and eyes. The smile fell from the king's face. 

"I did try to resist at first with Adda, we both did. For all it brightens, love casts long shadows. I envy you." Geralt tilted his head questioningly. "To live and never have to fall in love." Geralt wanted to tell him of his times where he almost had, times where he could have, but he didn't need those women to be killed for their connection to him. The king and the guards moved out of the castle, leaving Kyana and Geralt alone to cure the Striga. 

Kyana had insisted upon tying Ostrit to the bed in which he had committed his foul act upon, desperate to see his face beaten bloody. He stirred against the ropes, his mouth full of blood as he cried "Witchers." angrily. "This is madness. What are we doing here? What's happening?" Geralt had already grown tired of his shouts. 

"How can I lift the curse." he demanded. 

"No! This is not right! Foltest must pay for what he did!" Kyana scoffed, disgust and rage written all across her face. He took an innocent woman's life away and called it justice? Raped a young girl and called that love? 

"Explain that to her." Kyana sneered, turning to face him. "Better yet, explain that to her daughter, who's mother you molested. Explain it to Temeria, who will fall without a king." Ostrit gave her a look of complete and utter distain. 

"Carry me out! I order you." Geralt scoffed, a smirk resting on his features. Kyana was never used to that smirk. He always smiled at her gently, or rose an eyebrow with a silent grin, but he never smirked at her. It made her uncomfortable.  

"Tell me how to lift the curse." He asked again. Ostrit looked as though he couldn't piece a sentence together. 

"She was hiding from the Brotherhood. She sold me a lamb, and told me to wait until a full moon, to wait and then to kill it. And then I recited some silly chant, and then I bathed in the lamb's blood until sunrise, until the rooster crowed three times, and that is all. I swear, I swear! Now please, let us leave-" 

"What was the chant?" Kyana cut him off. He disgusted her beyond belief, she wanted him out of her sight. 

"It was years ago!" Ostrit cried out. After seeing the unimpressed looks on Geralt and Kyana's faces, he continued to think. "Um, it was Elven." For someone who had just claimed he couldn't remember, he could recite it well. 

"Geralt." Kyana whispered. He nodded, both of them launching over to their bags to gather supplies for a long night. 

"What is it? I've done what you asked, what more can I do?" Ostrit cried out, very aware of their capabilities to kill him right there.

"Nothing, unless you can keep a Striga out of her crypt until a fucking rooster crow's three times." Geralt handed Kyana a vial of swallow, then another of thunderbolt to keep them in a regenerative state. Kyana warned him to be ready to use several castings of Aard, her personal favourite sign. 

"You're going to have to fight her until dawn." Ostrit realized. Kyana hummed, confirming his revelation.

"Yes. Thank you ever so much for your diligence in your filthy curse." She replied, lacing up a thigh holster for her silver dagger. After Geralt and Kyana had picked their weapons and stored their supplies, the scream of the Striga rung through the castle. The pain hidden behind anger almost brought tears to Kyana's eyes. The two Witchers took that as a sign to move out, much to the dismay of Ostrit, who they left tied to the bed.

"No, come back, please, you would leave a man to die here in such a dignity?" Kyana scoffed, not turning back. 

"A man is someone who cares for his loved ones. A man is gentle, but protective of his own. He takes care of his friends, his family. He is kind and worthy to walk through Heaven's gates. Geralt is a man." Kyana said as they exited the room. "You aren't even human."