24

                                    

                                          
Kyana's mouth hung open in shock. She couldn't believe what he had just called her, in front of the king, Triss, and Geralt. Geralt smirked internally and stepped back, allowing her the space she would need to completely deck the Captain. 
                          
"What did you just say?" She demanded. He looked her up and down condescendingly. 
                          
"You heard me, or are you that stupid?" Kyana saw red. 
                          
"Just because I'm a woman, doesn't mean I am a whore. I travel with Geralt for his company, not his sex and certainly not his protection. Trust me, I can kill you perfectly well on my own." The Captain scoffed, clearly underestimating the weight of her words. Kyana stepped closer to him, getting up in his face. "Try it. See if it'll work. But I promise you, your wife will be very upset with you for losing what little dick you have." The Captain turned a little pale, gulping gently, but loud enough for both Witchers to hear. 
                          
Geralt held back a smirk when Kyana returned to her place besides him. She looked up at his face, which was facing forward but fighting a smirk, elbowing him gently in the side as of to say 'stop it'. He didn't. 
                          
"Anyway, what's to say both of these Witchers won't kill the princess as she sleeps and take the miners' coin?" The king looked disinterested in the argument, preferring to eat his meal without the noise of the others. 
                          
"Call her a princess. Call her a unicorn if you'd like to. She grew inside Adda, feeding on her petrified womb." Geralt stated bluntly, much to the horror of the Captain, who stared at him like he'd grown another head.
                          
"Have you no respect?" The Captain demanded. Geralt completely ignored him.  
                          
"Mutating. Growing for years till she got so hungry she was forced to slither out". Geralt continued, walking towards the Captain. "Rotten muscle, bent bones, two spidery legs, claws dragging in the dirt. An overgrown abortion." 
                          
"Enough." The king spoke, Geralt's words clearly effecting him negatively. 
                          
"Your highness-" The Captain tried to calm him, but the damage was already done. 
                          
"Leave." The king growled. The two military men bowed their heads reluctantly, leaving the king with Kyana, Geralt and Triss in tow. Geralt held Kyana back at the arm, opening the door for everyone else to walk through. He shoved the Captain out, closing the door and bolting it shut. The men attempted to open the door, trying to force their shoulders into the wood, but it made no difference. Geralt and Kyana were with the king, who had no protection.
                          
Geralt completely ignored the sounds emitting from the corridor, instead choosing to lean his forearm on the chair. "Who is the princess' father?" Geralt cut to the chase and asked immediately. The king made no notion to reply to his question.
                          
"My men will kill you both, Witchers." Geralt approached him, while Kyana calmly walked behind him. She had absolutely no idea what he was to do, and so left it to him to manage. 
                          
"That's funny, you learn your sister was murdered and you didn't even flinch. But the moment I mention the girl's father." The king looked down, guilty as sin. "Why were you never married?" 
                          
The king leaned back into his chair. "You are speaking to a king." He clarified, as though they didn't know. Geralt took a seat of his own on the chest next to the window, patting a small space next to him for Kyana. She accepted, sitting next to him quietly. 
                          
"That is exactly my point. Why not produce your own heir? Why not kill the striga and avoid this revolt? Why drag this all out? Between you, me and Kyana, who is the striga's father?" Geralt asked once again. The king looked almost frightened, standing up from his chair to talk to Geralt. 
                          
"I remember hearing stories, about Witchers when I was a child. Is it true what they say?  That the mutations that grant you your abilities also erase your emotions? Must be. 'Cause only a man devoid of all heart could accuse a brother of bedding his murdered sister while urging him to kill her." He got closer to Geralt's face, who never so much as moved a millimetre. The guards broke through the door, finding the three talking, and not killing each other. The king held a hand up, stopping their attack. "Leave Temeria. Never return." 
                          
Geralt stood suddenly, offering a hand to Kyana. She took it, letting him gently guide her as she stood. He let go of her hand when they walked, but never did he stray from being directly next to her. She could handle herself, yes, but it made him feel better to have her there, just in case. They were escorted from the castle, although Geralt and Kyana remained outside, hidden between a wall and bushes, unseen by the guards.
                          
"You were told to leave Temeria." Triss had clearly found them, the beautiful blue material of her dress flapping in the wind. 
                          
"But the views." Geralt said sarcastically, drawing a small, quietened laugh from Kyana.
                          
"Are you going to kill her?" 
                          
"I don't want the miners coin." Kyana interjected. 
                          
"Nor mine, apparently. What is this girl to you? Why do you care?" Neither Witcher cared to reply. Geralt instead diverted the topic. 
                          
"You first. I saw how Foltest and his boy spoke to you. Why help those who won't listen?" Triss looked up, wary of who watched her, before replying. 
                          
"I'm sure people as legendary as you two have already figured out several ways to get past Segelin's guards." To prove her point, Kyana picked up a stone, throwing it quickly into the opening next to the guards. The noise made them scared, running away to flee whatever they believed was inside. From there, it was easy enough for Geralt, Triss and Kyana to get into the castle, arriving at an abandoned wing, covered in dirt and dust.
                          
"Temeria reeks of secrets. I could sense them. Just like I could these bodies before we entered. I imagine you sense them, too." Triss pointed towards a painting of a little boy and girl still hanging on the wall. "Foltest and Adda. What happened to them?" When Geralt didn't answer, Triss continued. "Not answering questions is a pillar of your brooding charm?" she directed her comment towards Geralt, who shrugged. He didn't know what to say, instead following Kyana down the corridor. 
                          
"Pretty sure Foltest is the father." Kyana answered for him calmly. Triss' face molded into horror, mostly for the incest, but also partly for the way Kyana had talked of it so calmly. They ventured upstairs, finding the remains of what looked like a bedroom. 
                          
"Adda's bedroom. Do you think he cursed her? Foltest?" Geralt looked around the room, the darkness and the grey encasing it before answering. 
                          
"Maybe."