The Right Thing (The Witcher Netflix)

The Cursed Child

Merrian stood by the long table where King Foltest sat. She had heard many stories that King Foltest was once a handsom man, maidens often flinging themselves at him in hopes that he would take one of them as his queen. Clearly the monster in the crypts had stressed the king a great deal, considering how he was inhaling his breakfast and ignoring everyone else in the room.

"Miss Merigold, you were dispatched to settle a family affair, not to enlist a mutant mercenary and a wild woman for a game of sleuthing." Said Captain Segelin, a young man who had not quite the understanding of life's unpredictability. Merrian felt sorry for him.

"This is no game, Captain. Tonight is a full moon and Geralt has already proved himself to be invaluable. We believe we can cure the creature." Triss urged, Merrian was starting to become fond of her tenacity. She wasn't willing to give up on something she believed in, a valuable quality indeed.

"You say she's a girl. Then you will refer to her as Her Royal Highness." The captain sneered, Merrian was starting to dislike this young fool more and more. She glanced at Geralt who had been silent this whole conversation, she wondered what was going through his mind, he was focused on King Foltest, who was still eating rather noisily. Merrian glanced at the table and saw a bowl of fruit, a bunch of green grapes sitting at the top. She remembered how hungry she was, she had been refusing herself food in order to afford room and board. Taking nothing more than scraps of food when hunger became too painful.

"Segelin, I believe urgency warrants flexibility in court decorum." Lord Ostrit, the man who had ordered Geralt and Merrian removed from Temaria the night before, spoke like a practiced liar, Merrian could sense the stench of secrets on him, and she did not like it.

"The witcher's theory is nonsense. Princess Adda was the people's angel. Who'd wish to murder her?" Argued the captain and Geralt finally spoke.

"What about her lover?" Merrian looked over at him curiously, he had turned his eyes towards Captain Segelin, but she could tell he was gaging King Foltest's reaction. He had paused in his inhalation of food, Merrian focused her attention on him and watched him carefully.

"Seditious rumors. Idle courtesans trading out boredom for jealousy." Segelin argued but Merrian had a sinking suspicion that it was not so black and white, there was something hidden, and King Foltest knew exactly what it was.

"Perhaps if you called off your guards, if we were able to search the abandoned castle, we could find clues as to who cursed her." Triss suggested and Merrian nodded.

"It would be worth a little sleuthing, wouldn't it Captain?" Merrian teased sarcastically and King Foltest looked up at her, in his eyes she could see horror, fear, and a fondness she did not expect. She tore her eyes away from him and focused on the young captain.

"Except this witcher would kill the princess as she sleeps, and collect the miners' coin." Merrian looked over at Geralt and laughed, she found it quite humorous that the young captain would be so naïve.

"Call her a princess. Call her a unicorn if you'd like to. She grew inside Adda, feeding on her petrified womb." Geralt started and Merrian watched him intently, he was getting somewhere with this.

"Have you no respect?" Captain Segelin interrupted and Merrian shot him a glare.

"Mutating. Growing for years till she got so hungry... she was forced to slither out." He continued and Merrian grimaced

"Rotten muscle, bent bones, two spidery legs, claws dragging in the dirt." Merrian could see King Foltest getting angry and she glared at him.

"An overgrown abortion." She concluded and King Foltest slammed his hands down on the dinning table.