The Minstrel (Part 2) (Page 42)

They're both great Gwent players, but Ciri's in a league of her own. Jaskier has been filling us in about the world. Talked about Geralt and Yennefer's friends that I never got to meet because I left. Ciri has been talking about her adventurers in other worlds. I was running around as the emissary of The Devil while this was happening.

Jaskier brings up something that I wish he didn't. "So, Cera... Is the story of what happened in Einearth true?" That's something I don't want Ciri to know about. I left a Kingdom and land in shamble's. I look at Jaskier and I know he knows the story, he also knows they're true. He's only doing this to make drama in my relationship with Ciri.

He's trying to get back at me from the talk earlier. "Why do you want to know Jaskier... It's not like it can be undone after talking about it..." Ciri's sitting on my lap while they play, and her head shifts to look at me. I don't like to make her worry, but my life now and the life I lived are different. I was evil back then, I didn't care about anything or anyone. I just did my job for the end goal.

Jaskier narrows his eyes at me. Now I'm sure he's trying to make my life hard. "The legends are true then. You slaughtered an army and obliterated a Kingdom..." Damn it, Jaskier... Ciri's staring into my soul, and she's sad. I've left that life behind me. People like Jaskier know about it. People who know ballads and stories. Yen and Geralt never like to read that stuff, so they most likely don't know.

I shouldn't try to hide it anymore. Ciri would find out about it eventually. "Yes, Jaskier... I did those things... That was a different time..." Ciri's quick to start rubbing my back, and she leans her head into my neck. Jaskier knows he's gone too far now with Ciri treating me like this. He doesn't say sorry, but he gives me a look that says it. He's just as much human as I am. I forgive him.

Ciri's wavy hair shifts as she move's it from her face. She's cleared her view so she can look at me. She has a look of pain. "How did you destroy an entire Kingdom..." I lost control of my power and opened a crack in reality. The only thing left was a crater. I killed tens of thousands that day... I didn't know the word mercy or honor, just the blood on the end of my blade.

I contemplate my answer, I shouldn't lie to her. It's hard because I hardly remember anything other than glimpses of bloodshed. I suppressed the memories. "I don't remember, Ciri... I was 13, and I've buried those memories... I never want to see them again..." Jaskier gives me a face that says I answered wrong, and I find out why.

Ciri wraps her arms around me and hugs me. I needed that more than I thought. "God Cera... What type of shit did you go through..." I should be grateful she isn't calling me a murderer or evil. I sure deserve it after what I did in my journeys. She's reluctant to let me go. After I peel her off me I look to the clock and see we should get going if we want to make it to the Minstrel on time.

I get up and set Ciri back in the chair. "We should get going, I'll grab our swords, Ciri. When I come back downstairs, I'll carry you till you feel better. I'll be back in a minute." I head upstairs and grab our weapons. In the silence, I think back to that day. I should be put to death for what I did. Even if he was The Sinner King, his people didn't deserve that.

I walk back downstairs and see Jaskier has already left. I walk up to Ciri, and I can tell she wants to ask me questions. I kneel, and she climbs on my back. I grab her butt for a better hold. We're heading for the front door when I hear her first question. "What else did you do while you were away from me, Cera?" She's my future wife. She deserves to know.

I open the door and walk onto the street. She's starting to grow impatient. "What do you want to know, Ciri... I did horrible things... Evil things..." She stays silent, and I feel her hug me tighter. She's thinking of a question, and I'm betting she's trying to make it a good one. Her next move is something that I never predicted.

She leans in harder and starts to kiss my cheek."I'll love you... Forever and ever... Cera... You're my soulmate..." She talks between her kiss on my cheek. She kisses me more and lays her chin on my shoulder. She relaxes and sighs contently. "You'll tell me when you're ready... But you will tell me... You can be sure of that." I walk at a slow pace to enjoy these moments with Ciri.

I have a couple of questions for Ciri too. I'm also curious about what she did. "What did you do in your travels, Ciri?" I hear her chuckle and rub my chest as I walk. She's very affectionate right now. I squeeze her butt a little bit, and she hums. She leans her head against mine, and I feel her kiss my neck. She's in a real good mood.

After her hums, she gives a light chuckle and runs a hand through my hair. "I went to different worlds, one of them was like ours. It has swords, and beasts, and magic. The other was completely different." Lara's diary said that our abilities are capable of moving between worlds and time. Guess Ciri accomplished that before I did, I only had one goal in mind.

If I had stayed with her, I could've gone on those adventures with her... I slow down my walking to a gentle pace and see other people begin to start their days as well. "What was the other world like? Lara's diary said we could go wherever we wanted, whenever we wanted." She laughs in a tone that is music to my ears.

She takes a soft breath, and she leans her cheek against mine. "It was a world of an advanced civilization... They had weapons and inventions that we could never dream of... I hid there when the wild hunt started tracking me..." That's good to know, a safe place where people from our world can't follow.

I should ask her why she came back after finding safety. She wouldn't have to deal with this mess if she stayed. "Why did you decide to come back? There was no reason to leave from what you've described." There is a thick silence after my words. I feel her fingers on the other side of my head and twist my ear. "Ouch... What was that for..." She stops twisting and relaxes again.

She stays silent, and I hear her lightly weep into my ear. She cries slowly, and it makes me feel like a horse's ass. "Because I... missed you... You idiot..." Oh... I gave up on ever seeing my friends and family again... Even Ciri... She never gave up hope... She dries her tears as we finally see a sign that indicates we're at the Minstrel.

We stop at the front door, so I can say one final thing before we get down to business. "I'm glad you came back, Ciri... I love you too much to never seen you again..." She turns my head and gives me a long kiss. Even though I gave up on ever seeing her again, I would've never gotten over it. I push open the door and see the place is full of people having fun and enjoying themselves.