The Scent of Happiness
Chapter 3 - Vagary
- Set during the episode Of Banquets, Bastards and Burials -
Jaskier sighed as he heard the lively folk music playing in the banquet hall. He started whispering to Geralt, trying to pretend he was fine. "Right, so stick close to me, look mean and pretend you're a mute. Can't have anyone finding out who you are." He paused for a moment, then added, "And please, keep those sneezes of yours quiet.."
Yes, thank you, very helpful, Geralt wanted to quip back, but instead he just grunted his agreement and followed behind the bard, trying not to sniffle.
“Geralt of Rivia! The mighty witcher!” Mousesack shouted in greeting as he caught sight of the white-haired witcher and several heads turned in their direction. So much for not being noticed. Mousesack strode up to the pair with a stein in hand, grinning. “I haven’t seen you since the plague.”
“Good times, Mousesack.”
Jaskier heard 'plague' and shuddered a bit. He remembered those times, all the dead and dying, those he tried to heal, those he couldn't.. He gripped the strap of his lute tighter, trying to soothe himself by rubbing the leather with the pad of his thumb.
Mousesack chuckled. “I’ve missed your sour complexion. I feared this would be a dull affair but now that the White Wolf is here, perhaps all is not lost.” The druid stepped closer and pulled a slight face at the witcher’s attire. “Tell me, why are you dressed as a sad silk trader?” Geralt glared over his shoulder at the bard. Mousesack pulled him away and they weaved among the crowd of royals.
“How much longer until this horse trading is done? I find royalty best taken in.. small doses.” The witcher glanced around uncomfortably. When his friend assured him they’d be here all night, he couldn’t help cringing internally. He wasn’t fond of events like this, all the noise and people and spectacle of it all tended to be overwhelming. Not to mention he wasn’t overly fond of the idea of attracting any more attention to himself and between Mousesack announcing him and the itch still in his nose… Ah, speak of the devil— "Hh-! Huh’WRSCHH!” Geralt ducked into his hand to muffle a powerful sneeze, then pinched his nose. "HEH’NKGT! HH’KTCH!”
"Something about you reminds me of a scoundrel I once saw fleeing my wife's chambers!"
Jaskier took a moment, stepping back with hesitance "Um, well..." He was about to make an excuse, but the man beat him to it.
"Drop your trousers."
"What?!" Jaskier practically squawked like a bird. Geralt’s amber eyes flicked instantly to Jaskier, rubbing a knuckle against his septum. Mousesack was rambling on about which man would marry Pavetta when the witcher made his way to the bard.
“Well I didn’t get a proper look at the little shit’s face, but he had the strangest cock I’d ever seen, I’ll never forget it!” The man had Jaskier damn near pinned to the wall, backing him into a corner.
Jaskier looked like a caged animal, and he stumbled over his words, "Well... uh, uh... Ah, Geralt." The sight of the witcher made him relax and he gave him a pleading look. The witcher approached the man and placed a firm hand on his shoulder.
"Forgive me, my lord. This… hh..happens all the time.” His nose twitched and his gaze went hazy for a moment, but he managed to suppress the tickle for a few moments more. “It’s true, he has the face of a cad and a coward. But, truth be known, he was kicked in the balls by an ox as a child.” Geralt looked at Jaskier, a little smug.
Jaskier looked incredibly offended at first, and his mouth ran faster than his mind. "Well, that's-" He then remembered why he had spoken up at all, "t-true..." The man apologized and gave him some coin, and once he was gone, he gave Geralt a sour look. "Oh, wow. Thank you. Thank you so much." He sounded miffed, and he had to carefully keep his shadow in check with his glamour magic, as it would be the first thing to change in appearance. “First of all, you hog all the fanfare,then you go and ruin my courtly reputation.” He tried not to be too angry, but he had NEVER been accused of something so painful and untrue in all his life- except for maybe the time his sisters had accused him of fathering a human boy.
“I saved your life,” he muttered, clenching and unclenching his fists as he tried to ignore the itch in the back of his nose.
“You're on your own from here on. Try not to get any daggers in your back before dawn.”
Jaskier only had a moment to sigh before Queen Calanthe arrived, bloodied and ready to drink. He went into his proper spot, and when he actually started, he was admonished- much to his chagrin, before he was told what the Queen desired, and instantly, he got to a proper tune. The night wore on and on, and when something interesting FINALLY caught Jaskier’s attention, it was an argument over a manticore. He thought he might actually get to see a brawl between the fancy-pants lords before the Queen’s voice interrupted.
“Enough!” She called out, and it brought quiet instantly. “We have a renowned guest here tonight.” As soon as she spoke, people turned their eyes to Geralt, and Jaskier looked as well. Fuck.
“Perhaps he can declare which esteemed lord is telling the truth.”
To be truthful, Geralt could’ve given less of a shit about two lords, nor the number of stings a manticore had. However, out of courtesy to the Queen and to cause a bit of a stir, he chose to answer. He lifted his head, speaking in a flat, matter-of-fact tone.
“Neither.”
“Are you calling me a liar, old man?” The first of the lords asked, serious, when the other spoke up after.
“Aah! The Butcher of Blaviken bleats utter nonsense.” The laughter filling the hall filled Jaskier with a cold sense of dread, and he looked to the Witcher’s golden eyes, his own blue ones speaking louder than words as he subtly shook his head, almost as if warning him. With a soft hiss, Geralt gathered himself internally and spoke once more.
“Perhaps the lords encountered some…rare subspecies of manticore.” He twisted his facial expression to one of vile sarcasm, before glancing to Jaskier to gain approval for his approach, to which the bard sighed heavily with relief before Calanthe began to laugh, “Perhaps our esteemed guest would like to entertain us with how he slayed the elves at the edge of the world?” The laughter that followed made Jaskier’s stomach twist. He knew what was coming next.
“There was no slaying. I had my arse kicked by a ragged band of elves. I was about to have my throat cut when Filavandrel let me go.” Geralt’s reply caused an uproar, someone yelling about the song and Jaskier giving a worried look as he agreed with them, obviously displeased with Geralt’s honesty in the situation.
Scrunching his nose, Geralt looked through the crowd of groaning and shouting men, “At least when Filavandrel's blade kissed my throat, I didn't shit myself. Which is all I can hope for you, good lords; at your final breath, a shitless death.” The bard tried not to groan at the Witcher’s words, and he tried to just let the party resume as Calanthe spoke- when she invited Geralt to sit with her, he was a bit shocked, but said nothing, simply resuming his place as a bard as he tried to keep things calm and double checked his shadow. So far, so good..
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