The White Werewolf || Season One: Ties That Bind

Chapter Forty

Vizima, 1243

At the same time that Robin was staring up at the abandoned castle with Geralt, Jaskier was playing his last song for King Foltest. After, he even received some coin for his troubles, though not as much as he might have expected to receive from a monarch.

But then he was dismissed. He had been wandering the castle ever since being let go, and he'd heard several useful whispers. Now he was setting out to find Geralt, hoping the information would help him.

It was easy enough to find his way to the abandoned castle. Thankfully, Geralt was in view, striding across the bridge towards the archway.

"Geralt!" Jaskier called, waving and starting to run. "Wait for me!"

Geralt turned, rolling his eyes and crossing his arms over his chest as Jaskier joined him.

"Jaskier," he criticized the bard, "you were supposed to wait and stay safe, not come join me."

"Waiting is boring," Jaskier whined. "Where's Robin?"

"Going back to Triss' tower to begin her training." Geralt resumed walking. "Come on, let's go. Before someone notices us."

They slipped into the castle. Geralt started trying doors, finding most of them locked.

"I have interesting things to tell you," Jaskier prompted the witcher.

"Like what?" Geralt grunted.

"Well, most of the court didn't seem to know that Adda was pregnant at all. There weren't even rumors of her having an affair. The only people she seemed to spend time with were her mother and her brother."

"I'm not surprised, since Foltest was the father of her child."

Jaskier gasped. "Really? Now how did you figure that out? Oh, this will be one of my most interesting songs yet."

"It was a guess," Geralt admitted. "But Robin read his mind and confirmed it."

"Well, that was probably gross," Jaskier observed. "Oh, I knew this place reeked of secrets. I could sense it."

Geralt chuckled. "Could sense it, could you? What are you? A bloodhound?"

"I just have a nose for a good story, is all," he argued. "So that tidbit didn't impress you. Fine. No one seemed to know that Adda had been murdered either, which implies someone who knew what they were doing, yes?"

Geralt nodded. "It does."

"Well, that would be a noble. Trust me. Most of us are very good at murdering. There are inheritances to consider, after all. Besides, I think if she was sneaking around with some stablehand, someone would have noticed. And what reason would her common lover have for murdering her?"

Geralt shrugged. "She could have tried to break it off. She could have wanted to get rid of the baby."

"You're dark. Did you know that?" Jaskier accused him.

He promptly tripped over a skeleton. Geralt reached out automatically, grabbing and steadying him.

Jaskier grimaced. "Thank you. Are these, um, all the people she's... eaten?"

"Mmhmm."

"You're going to protect me, aren't you?"

"Of course, Jaskier," Geralt assured him. "Your sister would kill me if I let anything happen to you."

He winked at the bard as they stopped briefly in front of a painting of Foltest and Adda. The castle had apparently been abandoned so quickly that many of the royal family's possessions had been left inside.