The Minstrel (Part 2)

[Another day, another chapter!!!! Hope you all enjoy and thanks for reading!!!]

I have been watching Ciri and Jaskier play for the last hour, gotta say....The game looks really fun. Ciri is really good at it too. They are both great players, but Ciri is in a league of her own. I can say that this has been the best morning since spending time with Ciri at Crow's Perch. I wonder where I can find unique Gwent cards, they would make an amazing present for her missed birthday's. While they were playing, Jaskier was filling us in about the world. They even talked about friends that I never got to meet because I left. Turns out Ciri had adventure's for a lifetime, while I was running around acting as the emissary for the devil.

After some time Jaskier was done talking about Zoltan and the plan to open this business, he brought up something that I wish he didn't after he was done sharing. "So Cera, is the story of what happened in Einearth true?" That is something that I don't want Ciri knowing about. I committed regicide that day, and left a land in shamble's. Perhaps saying this was going to be the best morning was pre-mature. I look at Jaskier and I know he knows the story, he also knows that they are true. So that means he is only doing this to make a strain on my conscious with my relationship with Ciri.

He is probably trying to get me back from the talk earlier this morning. "Why do you want to know Jaskier? It's not like it can be undone after talking about it." Ciri looks at me with worried eye's. She is sitting on my lap while they play. I don't like to make her worry, but my life now and the life I lived are different. I was evil back then, I didn't care about anything or anyone. I just did my job for the end goal. To me, the end did justify the means.

Jaskier narrows his eye's at me slightly, now I'm sure that he is trying to make my life hard after what I talked to him about earlier. "The legends are true then, you slaughtered an army and obliterated a castle." Damn it Jaskier....Ciri is now staring into my soul. Not one of disappointment or anger, but sadness. I have left that life behind me, but people like Jaskier talk about it to much. People who know ballads and story's. Yen and Geralt never like to read that stuff, so they most likely don't know.

I guess that information is out of the bag now, shouldn't try to hide it anymore. "Yes Jaskier....I did do those things....That was a different time...." I can feel Ciri rubbing my back and leaning her head into my neck. I don't deserve this sweet girl, not after all the shit I caused her and our friends. Jaskier knows he's gone to far now with Ciri treating me like this. He doesn't say sorry, but he gives me a look that says it. I forgive easily when it's not something threatening my life or my loved ones, he is just as much human as I am.

I soon feel Ciri's wavy hair shift a bit as she move's it from her face, she cleared her view so she can look at me. She has the same look as when she asks about my scar's, a look of pain. "How did you destroy a castle...." I foggily remember that event, I lost control of my power and opened a crack in reality, the castle was at the center of it. The only thing left was a crater, the events in between are hard to remember since I was so young. I was a little over 13 when I did that, I have suppressed most of my memories from that time. Gaunter turned me into a monster for his own use, and used me to do every evil life taking deed to another person. I didn't know the word mercy or honor, just the blood on the end of my blade. A blade that he gave me, after awhile I noticed it was a special sword. I don't know it's full capabilities, but I never have to maintain it which is nice and it's always sharp.

I contemplate my answer, I shouldn't lie to her. Its hard because I hardly remember other than glimpses of bloodshed. "I don't really remember Ciri....I was 13 and I have buried those memories....I never want to see them again....." Looking at Jaskier give me a face that said 'wrong answer', I soon find out why it's the wrong answer.

Ciri wraps her arms around me and gives me a big hug. I give her one back, I hug her longer than I thought I would. I guess I needed that more than I thought I did. "God Cera.....What type of shit did you go through....." I should be grateful she isn't calling me a murderer or evil. I sure deserve it after what I did in my journey's. I finally pull away from her, she was reluctant to let me go though. After I peel her off me I look to the clock and see we should get going if we want to make it to the Minstrel on time.

I get up and set Ciri back in the chair. "We should get going, I'll grab our swords Ciri. When I come back downstairs I'll carry you till you feel better. I'll be back in a minute." I head upstairs and grab our weapons. In the silence I think back to that day, I should be put to death for what I did. Even if he was the sinner king, his people didn't deserve that.

I start to walk back downstairs and see that Jaskier has already left, seems he wanted a head start. Good thing he told me where we were going. I walk up to Ciri and she has the face of wanting to ask me lots of questions. I kneel down in front of her and she crawls on my back. I grip her butt for a better grip and I lift up. I start to head for the front door when I hear her first question. "What else did you do while you were away from me Cera?" She is my future wife, she deserves to know too. I don't want to hide the truth from her, I just don't want to see her face when I tell her some of the thing's I did.

I open the door and walk onto the street, she is starting to grow impatient. "What do you want to know Ciri....I did a lot of horrible things.....Evil things....." She stay's silent after I said that, guess she is thinking of a question. She does something I didn't expect though.

She leans in harder and starts to kiss my cheek."*KISS**KISS*KISS* I'll love you forever and ever Cera....Your my soulmate...." Wow, I shouldn't have underestimated her. I am at a loss for words right now, she kisses me some more and then lays her chin on my shoulder. She just relaxes and gives a sigh of content. "You'll tell me when you're ready....But you will tell me. You can be sure of that." I can live with that, I walk at a slow pace to enjoy these moments with Ciri.

I have a couple of questions for Ciri to, I am also curious about what she did. "What did you do in your travels Ciri?" I hear her chuckle and rub my chest as I walk. She is being very affectionate right now. I squeeze her butt a little bit and she hums.

After her hums she gives me a light chuckle. "I went to different worlds, one of them was like ours. It has swords and beasts and magic. The other was completely different." Lara's diary said that our abilities are capable of moving between worlds and time. Guess Ciri accomplished that before I did, I only had one goal in mind. If I stayed with her then I could have joined her, I really fucked that up.

I just continue walking at our gentle pace and see other people begin to start there days as well. "What was the other world like? Lara's diary said we could go wherever we wanted, whenever we wanted." She laughs at a tone that is music to my ear's.

She leans her head on mine to bring us closer. "It was a world of an advanced civilization. They had weapons and inventions that we could never dream of. I hid there when the wild hunt started tracking me. It was a safe place because they couldn't reach me." That's good to know, a safe place where people from our world cant follow.

I should ask her why she came back after finding safety. "Why did you decide to come back, from what you describe, there was no reason to leave." After I said that there was a silence that bothered me. Soon I feel her fingers on the other side of my head and twist my ear. "Ouch...What was that for..." She stops twisting and relaxes again.

She stays silent and I soon hear her cry, she cries slowly and softly. "*Sniffle* Because I missed you, you idiot. *Sniffle*" Oh....I gave up on ever seeing my friends and family again, even Ciri. Guess she never gave up hope. She dries her tears as we finally see a sign that indicates we are at the Minstrel.

I stop at the front door to say one final thing before we get down to business. "I'm glad you came back Ciri....I love you too much to never seen you again...." After I said that she turns my head and gives me a big happy kiss. I didn't say something stupid that time. Even though I gave up on ever seeing her again, I would have never got over it. I push open the door and see the place is full of people having fun and enjoying themselves. So this is the famous Minstrel, sure does live up to it's reputation.