enticing {𝖌𝖊𝖗𝖆𝖑𝖙 𝖔𝖋 𝖗𝖎𝖛𝖎𝖆}

chapter five

"My heart and yours were old friends reuniting after long years of not seeing each other."

-Ankit Goyal

IT WAS NIKOLAI'S EXECUTION IN THE NEXT  DAY AND AMELIA COULDN'T STOP PACING. Yes, she could actually pace now. Amelia only had a limp and had gained most control over her legs. 

It had been nearly three weeks of staying in the castle, and no Geralt or Jaskier. She had made sure that the witcher that Nikolai killed wasn't Geralt, but it still infuriated her. She looked out her bedroom window and remembered what had happened a week prior. 

"Your father promised me your hand when I was a young boy."

The three siblings exchanged looks.

Then burst out in side-splitting laughter. 

"My father also promised the Lioness of Cintra that he immortal, and that didn't turn out very well for him, did it?" Amelia snapped. "And that kind of disrespect is not tolerated in our court. You bring dishonor on my father, your former king."

"You are mine, Princess Amelia." Nikolai seethed and Amelia started to lunge again, but Nathaniel held her back.

"I am my own woman and I refuse to be owned by any man. And if you think that my father would give me to a man who kills a vulnerable man in his sleep, you are very wrong." Amelia rambled, the fire she felt in her chest showing in her eyes. "And if I belonged to anyone, I would belong to Geralt of Rivia. The White Wolf. Butcher of Blavikin. The witcher."

"Witchers are sterile!" Nikolai yelled, his face becoming red with anger. "What is he going to give you? A life full of danger and monsters?"

"You mean the man I love will give me a lifetime worth of adventure? That sounds like the best thing someone can offer me."  Amelia smirked. "Plus, he's phenomenal in bed."

All three of the men's faces flushed. Her brothers probably didn't want to imagine such a thing, such Nikolai was angry for an entirely different reason.

"You're not a virgin?" He exclaimed and Amelia smiled fondly.

"Definitely not." She turned on her heel and walked out of the garden. "I look forward to your execution, Nikolai."

Amelia chewed on her thumbnail, her chest feeling heavy.

"Sister?" Joseph broke Amelia out of her thoughts and her eyes met his. "You're tearing up, are you alright?"

"I just miss them." She shrugged, looking back out the window. "I just keep imagining them walking to the castle, but they're not here."

"You really care for them."  He commented and Amelia looked at her brother.

"I made a blood bond with Jaskier." She said, looking at her palm. "They're everything to me. Both Jaskier and Geralt."

"You're going to leave with them when they get here, aren't you?" He asked and she nodded slowly. He just sighed. "I thought so."

"I won't be gone forever. I'll come back on special occasions and holidays and weddings and coronations for the future kings and queens." Amelia looked out the window again. "I'm not needed here."

"Nathaniel needs you."

"He's a big boy, he doesn't need me more than he needs you." Amelia raised a brow. "You just need to remember to keep being his brother."

"You still need to be his sister, Amelia."

"And I will be. But I don't have a kingdom to rule and a woman to marry." Amelia punched his shoulder playfully. "Which I still don't know how you managed no to get married and ruling for this long."

Joseph opened his mouth to respond when Bridget barged into the room, breathless. Like she had sprinted to the room and flung the doors open.

"Bridget, are you alright?" Amelia rushed to her while drawing her sword from her waist and rubbed her back. "What happened? Who do I need to fight?"

Still panting, Bridget's fingers gripped onto the sleeve of the princess' shirt. "They... entryway..." Then she proceeded to faint.

The first thing that Amelia thought was danger. "Joseph, stay here." She drew her sword and then twirled the hilt in her fingers.

"Like hell, I'll stay here if the castle is under attack--"

"You are the king. You need to be safe." Amelia shot over her shoulder before running out, sword in her hands. Amelia's blood roared in her ears, reminding her of how she felt during her hunts with Geralt.

Amelia willed her legs to go faster to the entrance of the castle, skidding to a stop on the tile, her sword in her hands and ready to fight. 

The two figures were stood, their backs facing her. One wore bright colorful clothing a good deal shorter than the other one, who was wearing dark clothes and had broad shoulders...and pure white hair.

Amelia's sword clattered to the ground and the two figures turned. She could recognize those burning amber eyes from anywhere.

An all too familiar yell erupted from one of the figures. "My blood brother!"

"My boys." She whispered and they all ran toward each other.  A face-splitting smile on all of their faces, Geralt and Jaskier pulled her into a group a hug, all laughing. Jaskier and Amelia were already crying with joy.

The trio gripped onto each other, all three talking at once. Jaskier was rambling so fast even Amelia couldn't pick up on his words as he pressed kisses to his friend's cheeks. Geralt held her face in both of his hands and she beamed up at him.

"It's really you." He whispered, his beautiful amber eyes searching her face. Her fingers traced his cheeks, then she took the lock of her own hair that was intertwined with his between her fingers.

"Are you gonna kiss me or--?" Geralt smashed his lips on her own, cutting off her sentence. One of his hands cradled the back of her head and his other arm curled around her torso, holding her body close to his.

When they both pulled away, breathless and their hearts filled, Geralt leaned his forehead on hers and sighed.

"I love you, princess."