Golden Fields

Evelyn

Vesemir stood by the fireplace. Looked deeply in the flames. He did not usually indulge himself with this kind of thing, contemplations. He found it brought more sorrow then it was worth. But the arrival of Boreu and Geralt rose an ancient kind of guilt that he had almost forgotten.

He had seen the look on Geralt’s face when he had explained what he thinks has happened. The whole body determination he had settled on when he announced that one of the Witcher’s in these halls were the father of Boreu. Geralt was convinced, self convinced of this truth. Geralt was a fool, an oblivious fool; but never once had geralt settled onto an answer so easily. Vesemir had expected it from a grief ridden child, but he truly did expect more from Geralt.

But love made people do foolish things, even Witchers. Even Vesemir himself had fallen in love once. Long ago, long before the births of his sons. Her death – Evelyns death – had left him empty. He had brought the jar for her ashes home empty, it weighed more the body had, and had the same vastness of empty as he had.

Many years after, he had felt like no year would be better then the last, he had no reason to believe so. The pain did not fade like she did. The days went by so fast, he hadn’t noticed that he had forgotten the last words she spoke to him until it was to late. He spent many nights laying in bed, pleading ‘if you think I can be forgiven, I hope you can’ but he never really got an answer.

Then the boys had come, sweet and bright on the most part. But even they felt like oysters without pearls, they did not fill the gap. But they were something, something he could dedicate himself too besides mourning. He jumped at the chance.

But every winter, he was reminded of how her laugh grew a little more distant, remembers all the things he promised her, things he never got the chance. So when jaskier had come to him all those years ago, he was weak to the bards request, the bards story.

****
“….I don’t know what to do, I didn’t think this is how things would go Vesemir, I would rather them run through these walls then be hidden from their father,” he remembers Jaskier saying the night he had arrived.

“I had a peculiar feeling that your world wasn’t all it seemed, but this jaskier? How could you have kept this to yourself?” Vesemir responded, dumbfounded by the bards confession

“I was tired of the misconceiving, I almost told him, I did, but I loved him, that’s all I could see,” jaskier had mumbled, eyes falling close. A painful rasp in his voice.

“Open up your eyes, jaskier. Look at the mess you’ve made of things. This could have gone your way had you been honest.” Vesemir spoke candidly.

“I know! I know! I’m trying to fix things, but please, please help me.” Jaskier broke.

****

He had promised to keep the secret. And he had, he had gone beyond it. He had kept tads on the bard. Watched the web grow from afar. But he had never expected Geralt to climb into it. Geralt had told Vesemir himself he longed to forgot everything of the bard. Longed to silence those songs.

While Vesemir mulled over this all, Geralt had crept into the room, Boreu’s notebook in hand. He was going to wait for the boy, but Geralt knew things here were not delivered with compassion. He needed to know, needed to recite it back to the gentle cub with some sympathy.

“Father,” Geralt spoke, stepping up behind Vesemir.

“Geralt my boy, I think we must talk.” Vesemir spoke, not looking away from the fireplace.

“About what?” Geralt asked, sitting. Looking at the leather work of the notebook.

“About jaskier.” Vesemir spoke gently. Geralt looked up. This is not an what he had imagined.

“What about him?” Geralt half whispered, not knowing if he wanted to know.

“The boy. You wont find his father here. He’s not the one with the Witcher father.” Vesemir spoke, turning to geralt. Waiting for an reaction.

“What do you mean – all of this, this is proof is it not?” Geralt asked, holding up the notebook a little defensively. He would not have this robbed from the cub.

“Evidence it is. Evidence that your daughter has a witcher father.”