To Trust a Witcher

Desperation

"I asked you a question." He bares his teeth at me. They're yellowed and brown and stink of rotting. I would prefer facing the wyvern or the warg over this as I try to stop myself from throwing up.

"My father- his name- it's-" His hand tightens his hold around my face, causing more and more pain. My mind digs for a name- any name! Just for him to back off, to stop my face from being crushed at the pressure, to escape from this! But I can't think of a single name. 

Rascal shoves my head hard into the wall, and I yelp when I bash hard against the wood. 

"One last chance," Rascal growls as his hand drops towards my throat and starts putting pressure. My heart thunders in my chest, trying to compensate for the lack of air entering my lungs.

Any name! Any name! Just give him a name! I yell at myself in my brain as the oxygen is being stolen from my breath. 

"Geralt!" I choke out. He immediately lets go, and I am left coughing and sputtering. 

"Say that again?"

I look up at him, out of breath and in pain. My chest rises and falls rapidly. I swallow hard and repeat, whispering, "It's Geralt."

And then I realize what I have done. Did I just give Geralt's name?

How stupid can I be? There's tears flowing down my face, and I don't even bother pretending to be a spoiled princess anymore. I really am weak, aren't I? I can't even protect the person who has given everything to me. 

I have officially dragged him into my mess. What have I done? 

All these weeks of training and building myself as a person... and for what? I'm still the same person I was a year ago. I can't deal with my own problems without dragging others into it. The same thing happened with Dara and the many others I have spent time with over the past year. No- I will not let them get to him. I will get out of his mess myself. I finger around the wall to find the nail and try to cut through the rope.

"Geralt- Geralt of Rivia?" I hear Johan's shocked voice from the back. 

I glance up to see them both wear looks of complete surprise. Johan's eyes are wide, his mouth open. He takes a step back in disbelief.

Well, that's before Rascal snorts, slaps his thigh, and starts to laugh. Johan seems to be concerned for his father as he tilts his head and asks, "Dad?"

Rascal grabs a chair and sits down, hunched over and bellowing out laughter.

"Dad, are you okay?" Johan goes up to Rascal and puts his hand on his shoulder. He's biting his lower lip as he watches his father sit up straight again.

Rascal wipes a tear and smiles up at Johan. "That was the funniest thing I've ever heard in my entire life. Maybe we should keep her around just for the jokes."

Johan looks over to me, scans my exhausted, frazzled face, and returns his gaze back to his dad. "But dad, I don't think she was joking. She seemed pretty serious."

"Johan, don't be ridiculous. I raised you to be smarter than that. Witchers can't have children. She's lying!" 

Johan turns his head towards me and then back to his dad, sending a hand through his bushy hair as he tries to make sense of the situation.

Rascal sighs. "I think we are done here."

Standing up, he pulls a knife from the table, and his gaze settles on me. 

I'm so dead.

He moves towards me, and Johan jumps in between us. "Wait, Dad, wait!"

"Get out of my way, Johan. I have had enough of this brat. She's killed my brother and now she's trying to make a fool out of us. I'll sell the ruby and we will have enough coin to last us for years."