The Witcher The Swallow and The Monster

The Land of The Dead

The woman smiled slightly, "Excuse me a moment..." she set her goblet down and stood up, as she walked past the table she brushed a hand on (F/N)'s shoulder. Making the young witcher move away, no one said a word as the lady of the manner left.

He casually rubbed a finger against the paper that had the drawing of the jewel and nodded, "This is the same kind of paper that the blackmailer used," he took a small whiff and nodded, "Same type of ink to. I can smell it. This is the work of our blackmailers."

The Duchess rubbed her face, "Who were not only behind the Beast's murders, but also stole the Sangreal and sought to steal the Heart of Toussaint."

Geralt finally shook his head, "Look, the wine, the jewel - both tied to you. Coincidence? Not something I'm willing to believe. I'm worried about one thing - that somewhere at the end of this scheme, plan might call for an attempt on your life."

(F/N)'s eyes widened, Dettlaff said he only had one more victim left. They needed to find those Blackmailers before he got impatient, "Your Grace, I believe we need to..."

The Duchess silenced him with a wave of her hand, "I believe...it could be something else altogether." The witchers watched as she stood up and walked over to the edge of the balcony and leaned against it, "My sister, Syanna, might be among the schemers."

(F/N) and Geralt shared a look, as she continued, "She left court when we were children...My parents banished her from the duchy. I've not seen her since."

Geralt raised a brow, "Why was she banished?"

The Duchess sighed as she shook her head, "She was...cursed."

"Did your parents anger a mage?"

"No," the Duchess began, "She was born at an inopportune time. They said she was touched by the Curse of the Black Sun...Is it true? Can an individual be evil because they were born on the wrong lunar phase."

(F/N) shook his head immediately, recalling the first and most emotional story Geralt had ever told him, "No. People aren't born bad. There made that way. Children of the curse were ostracized treated like monsters. Syanna just fell victim to that."

Anna shut her eyes as she held back the raw emotion, "She...she was angry at the whole world. She felt inferior, felt pain, though she masked this with confidence, arrogance, even. She could be cruel at times. In the end, they forced her to leave the palace...A decade past, more. I've missed her terribly since."

(F/N) bit his lip, trying to touch this subject as carefully as he could, "And you think she's involved? Why?"

The Duchess sighed as she rubbed her chin, "You see...I recall her always being rather...possessive. Always throwing jealous fits if I had something she didn't."

The young witcher laughed, "Well I grew up with a girl who had jealous fits that's common."

"True...I suppose I gave as good as I got. There are times I miss that very much. The wine, its theft, was the first clue. That's very much like her - she always did enjoy stealing my toys. But I grew almost certain when I saw the Heart of Toussaint. Syanna received it as a gift from my father. At a time when my parents thought of her as but an ill-behaved little girl. Someone wanted some of my wine. The same someone ordered our family jewel stolen - or recovered. It's my sister, it must be."

Geralt leaned back into his chair, as he thought about what had happened, "A fallen princess satisfying whims, going after lost luxuries...Hm, could be right."

The Duchess walked up to the two witchers, now realizing what had been brought to her attention, "Your mission has gained new import. You both must go to Dun Tynne and if Syanna is there, you must find her. No matter what she did, she is not to be harmed in anyway shape or form. You must make sure of that." She sat down next to (F/N) again, looking between the two men.