ᴛʜᴇ ʜɪᴅᴅᴇɴ ᴍᴀɢᴇ 一 ɢᴇʀᴀʟᴛ ᴏꜰ ʀɪᴠɪᴀ

𝕍𝕀𝕀. 𝕞𝕠𝕣𝕖 𝕝𝕚𝕜𝕖 '𝕤𝕖𝕖 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕤𝕠𝕠𝕟'

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ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ꜱᴇᴠᴇɴ

ᴍᴏʀᴇ ʟɪᴋᴇ 'ꜱᴇᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ꜱᴏᴏɴ'

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       Trust was a dangerous game; it was a saying Geralt lived by. Throughout his life, the Witcher encountered others betrayals, confrontations, and loneliness all because of a single lie. So, he decided to stay far from it to avoid it all. However, during his short time in Kattegat, Geralt found himself becoming unwary of King Sarnorin and Princess Eleanora. Trust was definitely not the word yet, but that did not mean it could never be; trust could most certainly be in their futures. It was a rare occurrence, honestly. The Witcher was not a religious person, but he prayed he was not making a mistake allowing Eleanora to travel alongside him.

       Eleanora carefully packed all her belongings onto Harold, who seemed quite excited for their new adventure. The princess, on the other hand, was slightly terrified, but obviously she would never admit that. Kattegat was all she ever knew; everyone here watched her grow up into the brave and kind young woman she was today. To just leave feels almost surreal. Letting out a shaky breath, Eleanora tightened her ponytail before spinning around and facing family and friends. All those who resided in the castle woke up extra early to ensure they had the chance to bid the princess farewell. With slouched shoulders and streaks of tears, everyone stared at the young woman. It was quiet, no one sure what to say. Eleanora, heaving a heavy sigh, slowly stepped towards the staff of the castle: from the cooks and helpers to every single guard, Eleanora gave each one of them a tight hug. They all whispered words of love and encouragement, assuring the girl they would see her soon. Reaching Charles, Eleanora suddenly felt a large lump deep within her throat. Swallowing thickly, the princess bit her lips to prevent the tears from escaping. Charles was a couple of years older than Eleanora, however, the guard was the closest thing to a friend she ever had. They quickly moved past "royals and subject", spending all their free time with one another. Eleanora was the younger sister Charles never had. Seeing her go off into the world worried him greatly. The two friends gazed at one another before pulling the other into a heartfelt hug. Charles felt Eleanora's shoulders shake; she was crying.

       "Princess, we shall cross paths again. I expect a visit from you very soon." Charles teased, attempting to ease the mood. His voice crack did not go unnoticed. Sniffles and sobs broke the thundering silence.

       "You know," Eleanora mumbled out against the young man's shoulders. "Fraser would be so proud of you. Everything you do for this kingdom and for me, you exceeded all his expectations." Charles deeply chuckled, the thought of the deceased man causing a soft smile to appear on his lips. Pulling away from their embrace, Charles still kept the woman near arm's length.

       "I am not even close to the man my grandfather was. He died trying to protect innocent people; all I have done is ensure you do not run away. Clearly I have failed." They shared a laugh, enjoying the last of each other's company.