The Minstrel (Finale) (Page 43)

As I look around this place, I can see it's special compared to the places I've visited. This Minstrel has a theater for bards to perform. I can see why Jaskier does a lot of business here. Ciri's still relaxing on me as I walk to the Barkeep, letting her rest after last night. "Is Dandelion here yet?" The Barkeep looks at us and smiles. I take it Jaskier has already been here and prepared a welcome for us.

He puts down the cup he's cleaning. "He's in the back with Priscilla, they're waiting for you two and another that's supposed to arrive." When he says the name Priscilla, I can feel Ciri grip me tighter and have a change in mood. I admit that I'm not in the mood to talk to Priscilla either. Hopefully, Jaskier has talked to her about what she pulled yesterday.

I thank the man and head to the room that he said they're waiting in. "Try and keep a cool head in there, Ciri... We need their help. Let's not make a bad showing..." Making sure she keeps her anger in check is the best thing right now. Ciri focusing on the wrong thing instead of finding a person to fix the magic item is not something we need.

As I climb the stairs, Ciri finally talks to me. "You don't need to worry about me, Cera... As long as she doesn't try anything with you, I'll be fine... Or look at you... If she talks to you, I'll cut her tongue out!!" She isn't joking. I hope she can keep control. I'm not in charge of her. The only thing I can do is stop her if she tries to kill Priscilla. Other than that, it's up to Ciri to be the better woman.

I finish climbing the stairs and make my way to the room. "I know you don't like her, Ciri, but if we want Jaskier's help. Priscilla needs to remain unharmed. Believe it or not, he likes her. He's just having a hard time telling her and remaining faithful." She stays quiet, and I see the door ahead. I hear her say something under her breath.

I can understand why she says what she says. "That damn Jaskier... He likes her, and he still let her kiss you... I'll have words with him after the meeting..." I'm fine with that. The more people telling Jaskier he needs to find the one, the better. The man is a good person. He just needs to settle down with someone he likes.

We're at the door, and I knock. The person who opens it isn't Jaskier but Priscilla. "Hello, Cera!! It's nice to see you again. Jaskier's in the bathroom." As she talks to me, she puts her hand on my chest for a second as she greets me. I feel Ciri's hate. She's digging her nails in me where her hands are. I don't know if Ciri can hold it together...

I feel Ciri get off my back and face Priscilla. "Back off, now... I won't tell you again." Ciri's being serious. However, Priscilla makes a smile and crosses her arms. The tension between the two is insane. I don't have to step in yet, but I'm worried about what might happen to me if I get in between them...

The response from Priscilla is not something I anticipated. "I'm surprised a woman like you can handle someone like Cera... I bet he does way more for you than you for him... The noise from last night was clear of that..." Wow... That is just... Wow... My eyes dart to Ciri, and her eyes are full of fury. Priscilla heard us last night. I feel pressure building from Ciri.

I keep my eyes on Ciri, just watching as she begins to lose control. "You listened to us... You actually listened to us... Then you're going to say that to my face... You've got bollocks, bitch!!!" I'm too slow for what happens. I'm so focused on the conversation and watching the look on Ciri's face that I didn't react to Ciri balling her fist. "*CRACK!!* Stay away from my man!!" Ciri sends a right hook to the left side of Priscilla's face, and she gets her good.

Priscilla's sent stumbling back, and she lands on the ground. She rubs the swollen part of her face with teary eyes. "I wonder what Cera would think if he knew your little secret, you witch!!!" I don't know what she's talking about, but after she says that, Ciri jumps at her on the ground. She's on top of her right now.

She balls her right fist again and holds Priscilla down with her left. "WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY!?! I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!!! *CRACK**THUMP*" Ciri lands two more hits before I get over my shock and pull Ciri off of Priscilla. She's kicking and thrashing right now. "LET! GO! OF! ME! CERA!! I'M KILLING THIS WHORE WITH MY BARE HANDS!!!" All the commotion draws Jaskier out of the bathroom.

He quickly approaches, but not before Priscilla retaliates. I watch Priscilla get up with a bloody nose and swollen face and rush Ciri. I'm surprised when she lands a solid hit of her own. "*CRACK!!*" After she hits Ciri in the face good and hard, she runs behind Jaskier. That was a cheap shot. Also, a smart one, she knew if I let Ciri go, she would get hurt. Jaskier has a face that's in shock.

Ciri teleports out of my grasp and appears behind Priscilla. She balls up both of her fists and goes for another strike. I teleport next to her and teleport us across the room as I wrap my arms around Ciri. "Jaskier!! Get Priscilla out of here!! If you don't, Ciri's going to kill her!!" He wastes no time, and they run to the door. Ciri tries to teleport and attack again, but I intervene when she tries.

I hold her down on the carpeted floor. She keeps struggling and trying to get free. "Ciri... I need you to calm down for me, alright... She's gone now, and it's just us..." My words reach her as she begins to cool down and look up at me with watery eyes. Coming down from an intense high like that can bring intense lows.

She opens the flood gates, and tears pour from her eyes like no tomorrow. She begins to lose composure, and I hear as she starts hiccupping and whimpering. "I hate her... I hate her...  So much Cera..." I pull her up in my grasp. She wraps around me and cries into my chest. I rest my chin on the top of her head, and I run my fingers through her hair. I rub her back as I let her get it all out. She starts talking again.

What she says worries me. "I need... To tell you... Something about me, Cera..." Her hiccups and whimpers continue. Whatever it is, I'll still feel the same way I always have. Nothing will change that.

I pick her up in my arms as she leans into me, and I bring her to the couch. I rock her slowly as she sits in my lap as I sit down... Still crying hard. "You can tell me anything, Ciri... Nothing will ever make me stop loving you and wanting to be with you..." She cries harder after my words. She'll need some time to let out all the pain, so I'll hold her and comfort her until she's ready.

After crying for 10 minutes, she's finally ready to tell me what her secret is. She looks at me with puffy red eyes... Raw from crying so hard... She isn't hiccupping anymore, which is good. "The truth that I'm hiding from you... It's something that I hate about myself... Please... Don't hate me too after I tell you..." My hug and slight rocking ease her some more.

My fingers run through the top of her head. "Just take your time Ciri... The meeting can wait... This is more important..." She's composed enough to talk to me. She looks up at me, and I smile back down at her. That was a bad move. Her chin and lips quiver as some tears fall from her eyes. I dry them and kiss her forehead. She regains the composure she had just lost and prepares to speak to me.

She open's her mouth and gives me a surprise. "I'm actually Princess Cirilla Fiona Elen Riannon. I'm the heir to Cintra and Nilfgaard... Please... don't hate me..." Her shaky voice tells me how much she fears my next response. She's Ciri to me, the girl I grew up with at Kaer Morhen... The one that kicked my ass every day when we trained... The one I abandoned for a selfish quest... If anybody should be hated, it's me.

Instead of speaking, I tilt her head up to me and kiss her as we did all those years ago at Kaer Morhen. She responds immediately as tears fall from her eyes again. We stop kissing, and I hug her tighter. It's my turn to say something. "I have known you most of my life, Ciri... Something like that wouldn't change anything... Nothing will ever come between us..." She shoots her hands up to my head and brings me back down to kiss her.

After another 30 minutes of comforting her and kissing her, Jaskier comes back into the room without anyone following him. He looks at us and approaches. "I took care of the meeting... I'm sorry, Ciri...." She looks to Jaskier with rage. She gets up and gets in the man's face. This is the time for Ciri to give him a piece of her mind.