alluring {𝖌𝖊𝖗𝖆𝖑𝖙 𝖔𝖋 𝖗𝖎𝖛𝖎𝖆} WATTYS 2022

chapter eighteen

"A queen will always turn pain into power."

-unknown

GERALT HAD TO ADMIT HE WAS IMPRESSED WHEN AMELIA HURDLED OVER THE TABLE TO STAB A MAN.  She let out a battle cry and sliced one man's neck while kicking another guard over and taking his sword so she could fight with it.

Geralt had never been so attracted to a woman so much in his life. He took the sword from a nearby corpse and started to cut down men who attacked the cursed man.

"Kill all three of them!"

Amelia shoved the blade of her sword into a man's neck who tried to swing at Geralt, then with one quick motion, ripped the man's head off. Blood splattered on her face as she defended Geralt's back.

"Go to the banquet, they said," Amelia muttered to herself, slicing open the stomach of a guard, then kicking him to the ground. "It'll be fun, they said."

"Don't be angry with me, Amelia," Geralt called over their battle, their backs facing each other as they fought. "Blame Jaskier."

"I told you this was a stupid idea." With one swift motion, Amelia sliced off the head of a guard trying to attack her.

"STOP." Queen Calanthe's yell halts all motion in the banquet hall. Geralt pulled Amelia to his side and made her she was safe.

"Are you hurt?" He whispered to her.

She shook her head. "You?" Geralt shook his head as Pavetta ran to the cursed knight.

"Duny." She rushed to Urcheon and hugged him. "I told you to stay away."

"This night just keeps getting weirder," Amelia whispered to Geralt, who wrapped an arm around her waist while smiling.

"Your Majesty... the witcher speaks the truth. I was cursed as a young boy." Duny knelt on the ground before the queen.

"My whole life a living misery until the day that I saved your husband, King Roegner, from certain death. By tradition, I chose the law of Surprise as payment. Whatever windfall he came home to find... would be mine."

"Oh, the stupid bastard. Better you had let him die!" The queen yelled.

"You knew he'd come, and you pushed me to kill him." Geralt's voice was deadly calm.

"And you..." The queen turned to her daughter. "Carousing with the beast that swindled your stupid father!"

It was Eist that spoke up. "'Tis no swindle. Asking for payment with the Law of Surprise is as old as mankind itself."

"Don't lecture me, Eist." Queen Calanthe warned.

"It's an honest gamble. As likely to be rewarded with a bumper crop as a newborn pup. Or... a child of surprise. He could not know. Destiny has determined the surprise be Pavetta." Eist replied, trying to calm the queen down.

"When I head that King Roegner had returned to find a child on the way... I abandoned all thought of claiming the Law of Surprise. I knew.... I knew no woman would ever accept me like this. And so I waited. I waited until the twelfth bell when the curse breaks. I never intended to meet her. Just to watch from afar." Duny explained and he and Pavetta joined hands.

"Until destiny intervened... and our hearts collided." Geralt had to fight not to roll his eyes, but he heard the faint sigh from Amelia. 

This must be a wake-up call for her, Geralt thought. Her people need her. 

"And at dawn, I awoke with her in my arms and me... like this." Duny looked into Pavetta's eyes.

"Who are we to challenge destiny? Life was saved, the debt must be paid, or the whole order of the world falls apart." Eist urges the queen and Amelia held onto Geralt's hand. By the crease in her forehead, just between her eyebrows, Geralt could tell she was thinking about her people.

"Honor destiny's wish, or unleash its wrath upon us." Mousesack agreed.

"There is no us. I bow to no law made by men who never bore a child! Is there not a man amongst you who does not cower before destiny?" The queen yelled, then turned to Geralt. "You, Witcher... who has known monsters of every fang and claw... are you afraid too?"

"No. I've seen mothers lash themselves raw over the death of a child, believing they crossed destiny, ignoring the stench of the 50 other children in the plague cart outside. Destiny... helps people believe there's an order to this horseshit. There isn't." Geralt said, then he felt Amelia's eyes on his face, looking up at him.

"But a promise made must be honored. As true for a commoner... as it is for a queen." He finished and Amelia nodded in approval.

"I love Duny, Mother. I will marry him. I will finally be free." As the princess said these words, Geralt looked at the princess that was tucked into his side. For a moment, just a single moment, Geralt forgot they weren't together. Amelia looked up at him and smiled.

With blood on her face and hands, wearing his medallion around her neck, she was truly beautiful. And he knew, despite that he was bred to be cold and heartless, that he cared for Amelia.

Calanthe gives her sword to Eist and then goes to Duny, pulling him in close, like an embrace. "Here is your destiny." Everyone suddenly realized the queen had a dagger in her hand, ready to stab Duny in the throat.

"NO!" Pavetta screamed, sending everyone flying backward. Geralt's back hit a column and he grabbed Amelia from flying across the room and held her to his chest.

Pavetta started chanting Elder while levitating her and the Urcheon off the ground, a massive wind barrier surrounding them.

"Amelia, are you hurt?!" Geralt yelled over the wind and Amelia drew her hand away from her side, which was covered in blood.

"Don't worry about me, stop them!" Amelia yelled back, hair whipping in the wind and her hand pressed to her side. "I'll live, Geralt." He nodded, still holding her against him, he took out a vial and downed it.

Jaskier appeared, taking Amelia out from his arms and held her upright. Geralt nodded to Jaskier, then plunged himself into the wind circle. Him and Mousesack's magic combined broke the magic barrier. 

"Do you believe in destiny now?" Eist asks the queen and Geralt gathered Amelia in his arms.

"Geralt, I just nicked myself with my dagger when I fell back." Amelia laughed faintly, but Geralt's eyes were glued her side. He pulled her hand away to see the damage done to her side. She was right, it wasn't too deep, but it bled still.

He cupped the side of her face with one hand and searched her eyes. "Are you sure you're okay?" She nodded, placing her hand over his.

Calanthe got to her feet and hugged Pavetta. "I thought your grandmother's gift had skipped you... as it did me. It seems I was wrong. About so many things." The queen turned to the banquet hall. "Destiny has spoken! And I have listened. The Law of Surprise will be honored. Pavetta will marry... Lord Urcheon."

"React poorly and you won't just face the Lioness, you will be facing the sea hounds of Skellige. Because Queen Calanthe has... agreed to my proposal of marriage." The two smiled at each other and Geralt grunted.

"God, everyone is getting married." Amelia rolled her eyes and hissed in pain. She pressed her hand against her injured side.

"There will be two vows here tonight! I assume that's agreeable." Queen Calanthe looked out to her guests. The guests' nod. "Delightful."