ROSMARY AND THYME - Novigrad
"Calm down Geralt. Just breath.." Jaskier suggested.
"How can I be calm when my wife didn't remember me!" Geralt almost yelled at him. His anger wanted to explode from his body. They were all sitting around the big table in the main hall in the Tavern.
"Geralt relax. Your anger won't help anybody. Triss will return soon. We will know what happened to her." Eskel told him calmly.
"I really wonder what happened." Jaskier said thoughtfully.
"We all are curious Jaskier, but the best thing now is to wait." Vesemir admitted.
Suddenly Triss entered into the room and she went towards them.
When she was close enough to the table they all stood up at the same time.
Triss looked at them confused.
"So?" Geralt was impatient. Triss sat down to the table and they all sat down to the table at the same time.
"Have you been practicing this or something?" Triss raised her eyebrow. "Never mind.." she sighed. "I don't know how to say it.." Geralt interrupted her.
"Please to the point Triss." Geralt was trying to be polite. Triss saw his sad eyes.
"Okay.. I've seen this spell before. It's a curse and very strong one, but I don't how it happened or who did it.. We need to find out." Triss explained. They all were speechless. Geralt lowered his head, he knew the worst words are coming.
"I.. she.." Triss was searching for the right words. "She doesn't remember anyone.. just me. She has literally an amnesia.." Triss said sadly. Geralt immediately looked away. These words were hurting him like a hell. Triss noticed it, she was sorry for him.
"I would like to ask all of you to start looking for the proofs and suspected persons. Especially witchers, you're the best trackers here, I suggest you to start with the Tavern first. If you'd find out something, please immediately inform me." Triss looked at them. They all nodded. Then she looked at Geralt.
"Geralt I need to speak with you, alone." she was trying to smile. They all stood up, Geralt without a words came to Triss. The others started leaving from the main hall.
"I think you should rather sit down." Triss told him honestly.
"No, it's fine." Geralt was trying to act strong, but the truth was that he was totally broken. Triss sighed.
"I think someone knew what was doing. This wasn't a coincidence.." Geralt interrupted her.
"Why she remembers only you?" he asked her sadly. Triss sighed again.
"This curse is a dark magic and very unique one, which means this is really bad, but it's not unfixable. Someone who did it have to know about your relationship with Yen, because it seems he wanted to hurt you so much. He had to know when you two met because Geralt.. she.. she is the same person who you met in the Rinde for the first time.. so she doesn't remember.." Geralt cut her.
"Doesn't remember me, witchers, Ciri, even Jahve.. She doesn't remember anything. I am a stranger for her.. I get it." Geralt looked at her painfully. "Fuck." he turned to the table and squeezed it properly.
Triss came to him and put her hand on his shoulder.
"She will be back. We can fix this." Triss wanted to help. Geralt suddenly turned to her.
"Can you swear to me her memories will return back?" he said with pain in his voice.
"I... No, I can't.." she lowered her eyes.
"I thought so.." he was fighting with his tears.
"Geralt, we have to start searching for what happened, then we can solve it." she wanted to calm him down.
"What should I say to Ciri or Jahve? Ha? What should I tell to Jahve when he will start asking where is his mother for fuck sake?!" he started to be irritated. "What should I do without her?!" Geralt hit the table with his fist.
"Look, I know you're very hurt, I'm hurt too. I wished this never happened, but your behavior now won't solve anything. So, come back to mind and start thinking rationally!" Triss told him strictly.
Geralt smirked.
"What should I do then?" he calmed down a bit and frowned.
"I think you should firstly talk to her and gain her trust. Maybe it would be good if you would become her friend." Triss suggested.
"A friend? Are you kidding right?" he crossed his arms.
"No, I'm not. You have to do it slowly. You can't do a pressure on her and we need her to trust us." she explained.
"How should I do it? You knew how stubborn she was before." Geralt frowned.
"For fuck sake Geralt. I don't know.. start a conversation with her, ask her out or buy her a flowers. Make her happy. You have to pretend that you've never seen her in your life. Just create some relationship with her until I won't find out how to end the curse. It's important. Okay?" Triss was losing her patience. Geralt was surprised and confused at the same time.
"So I basically need to start everything again.." he said thoughtfully.
"Yeah, kind of. But you already know how she reacts in certain situations, you can avoid many argues with her." Triss was trying to smile.
"Thanks, this so helpful.." he said sarcastically.
"You're so ungrateful Geralt. You're not alone in this, I will help you then shut up." she was strict.
"I know and I am grateful to have you.. but I was in situation like this almost ten years ago.. I don't know if I can do it anymore. I don't know if I can earn her heart again.." he lowered his head.
"Look, you married Yennefer of Vengerberg, you made it further than any other man did with her. You know her Geralt, this is not a stranger to you. Just behave like yourself and she will fall in love with you again. By the way it would be easier for us if she really does. But what I wanna say that I will arrange you two meet. So, you don't have to worry about it, you will talk to her, but not in the way like you want, not yet." Triss smiled at him.
Geralt nodded. He was upset but he also started to have a small hope.
Two hours passed and Geralt still didn't move from his seat. Triss came to inform him, that Yennefer and her will be in the very popular Tavern tonight and he should go there and talk to her. He was thinking. He was so nervous. He knew he have to talk to her, but it seems so strange and untrue to him, like he didn't know her at all despite he knew her the most. He was confused because of it. He didn't know why he had those feelings, why he was feeling this way about her. He started feeling anxiety and it was going worse every minute which has passed. It will be just a talk with Yen, but he was really scared of it. He knew what could happened if he would screw up everything. He didn't want to imagine it.
"Geralt?" Jaskier interrupted him from his thoughts. "Are you ready?" he came to the table. Geralt raised his head.
"No, I'm not." he was honest.
"Do you know that you're going to meet Yennefer and not a Striga.." Jaskier was joking.
"I know, but.. I don't wanna talk about it now." Geralt stated.
"Fine. Let's go then." Jaskier smiled.
"Did Triss say anything else?" Geralt started to be frustrated.
"Yeah, that you should behave like a witcher and not like a in love fool.." Jaskier laughed.
"It's not funny." Geralt frowned.
"Hey, she said this, not me." Jaskier was defending himself. "Come on. We're leaving now." he grabbed Geralt's arm and started pulling Geralt to stand up.
"I can stand by myself." Geralt gave him angry look, then he stood up.
"But you're very slow." Jaskier said calmly.
"Why the hell you have to come with me?" Geralt smirked at him.
"Because I'm the savior of your stupid words or moves which may happen." Jaskier smiled proudly.
"Amazing.. I couldn't ask for better advisor.." Geralt said sarcastically and sighed. Then he started leaving. The bard followed him.
BLACK RAVEN - Novigrad
They entered into the Tavern. It was full of people. They came to the bar and Jaskier ordered two beers. Geralt started searching for her with his eyes. He was already nervous.
"So? Did you find her?" Jaskier asked him and he drank his beer. Geralt almost jumped because of Jaskier's interruption.
"Can you stop doing this?" Geralt said angrily.
"Doing what?" Jaskier didn't understand.
"Interrupting.." the witcher frowned.
"If I am not mistaken you weren't talking.." Jaskier raised his eyebrow.
"Shut up Jaskier." Geralt rolled his eyes.
"You're so irritated when you're getting older." the bard stated.
"Can you stop talking at least for one minute?!" Geralt raised his voice and turned to him. His nerves exploded. Elfs sitting to the table next to bar turned their heads to them and they gave them confused looks.
"Sorry guys, he has a dementia." Jaskier explained to them and petted Geralt's back. He was trying to smile. Then he turned to Geralt whom wanted to kill him with his eyes.
"Geralt you can't do a scene here when you wanna impress your wife." Jaskier said honestly.
"I swear I'm gonna kill you." Geralt caught Jaskier's collar. The bard swallowed.
"Geralt, what the hell are you doing?" Triss crossed her arms when she came to them.
"Triss.." he turned to her and let go Jaskier's collar. He calmed down. She was waiting.
"His nerves broke." Jaskier explained.
"I can see." Triss siad calmly.
"Sorry, I'm not myself." Geralt was trying to be calm.
"I know Geralt, but now I need you to get yourself back and go after her." Triss said honestly. Geralt heart started beating so fast, he wasn't ready for this. He wasn't ready to do everything again. He wasn't ready to behave like he didn't know her at all.
"You will handle it. She is calm now, not like she was in Rinde back then." Triss smiled at him. Geralt took a deep breath.
"She is sitting at the end of the Tavern in the corner." Triss told him. Geralt nodded and he started going to her.
He stopped walking when he spotted her. She was watching performance on the stage and drinking the wine. She was so beautiful. She didn't change at all.
He started sweating and feeling a bit anxious.
"Here we go again." he said for himself and then he went towards her.
"Ahm.. Hi.." Geralt said a bit embarrassed when he came to hers table. She noticed him.
"Excuse me, did you say anything?" she raised her eyebrow, then she narrowed her eyes on him.
"No, nothing.." he said quickly and he turned to leave.
I can't, I can't do it again. It's too hard for me.. He thought.
He started leaving and then he saw Jaskier how he was showing something with his hands to him. He was showing him to return back.
Geralt stopped walking. He took a deep breath. He have to try it again. There is no other option. He knew it and he didn't like it.
He turned around and went towards her again.
"Can I sit down?" Geralt was trying to be calm, but in that moment he wanted to run away. She didn't say anything. He didn't wait any longer and he slowly sat down to the table.
"You're....?" she gave him confused look.
"A witcher." he cleared his throat. His nervousness was getting even stronger. Her eyes immediately changed.
"I've never met any of your kind before.." she said honestly. "But your heartbeat is very fast, which is very weird.." she narrowed her at him eyes again.
"Tough day." he answered very calmly.
"Interesting.." she said thoughtfully. "Wait.. I knew you.. it's you, we had a pleasure to meet.. What do you want?!" she asked him suspiciously. Her tone of voice changed.
"Better view on performance." Geralt was trying to smile.
"You're very bad liar witcher." she said very calmly. The bow was clear. But Geralt knew her, he knew how to talk to her now.
"You have no idea how.." Geralt was honest. His answer surprised her.
"I've imagine my first conversation with the witcher in the different way." she admitted.
"How did you imagined?" he said confidently. He knew he has to act confidently in front of her if he wants to gain her trust.
"In many different ways.." she was teasing him.
"For example?" Geralt didn't want to play her games. He knew he would lost, because he always does.
"Don't you rude?" she said a bit angrily.
"Not at all." he answered calmly. "It was you who forgot to introduce yourself, Yennefer of Vengerberg.. didn't you?" he smiled. She gave him surprised look.
"As I see my reputation precedes me.." she faked her smile.
"Maybe." his face was calm.
"You surprised me witcher, but do not think about yourself too much. You're not the only one who wanted to impress me tonight." she said strictly.
"I'm not trying to impress you." Geralt said calmly.
"No?" she laughed. "But your eyes betrayed you." she said without emotions.
"You don't know me.." he lied. It was hard for him to say this.
"I know you witcher.. every man is the same" she stated.
"But not me." Geralt smiled at her.
"Can't wait to prove me this.." she laughed sarcastically.
"I'm proving you now." Geralt smiled at her. "I owe you an apology because I forgot to tell you my name. Geralt of Rivia." he said kindly.
"The famous White Wolf.." she smiled under her nose. "Hm.. I'm very interested in witcher's organism." she admitted.
"I know.." he said thoughtfully.
"How?" she gave him suspicious look. He realized what he said.
"I mean.. I heard about it.." Geralt was trying to smile.
"From who?" Yennefer wanted to know it.
"I.. I.. from.." he didn't know what to say. "I'm sorry. I need to go, duties are calling me.." Geralt smiled and then he quickly stood up and left. He couldn't stand her look anymore without telling her the truth which she wouldn't understand.