{04}

We ransacked the city.

Well, they did... I did most of the burning.

The sensation of the heat, caressing my skin, was comforting.

The screams, the cries, they added to the symphony.

A shadow took over me that day.

I'd have never seen myself like this, not before my innocence was gone. I began to understand what Cahir had said the day I met him, that we were both drawn to violence.

Drawn to the power.

The blood.

The adrenaline.

I'd heard stories once, gossip in my old village. The story of how the so-called lioness was overtaken in the Battle of Marnadal months prior. Then I remembered too that she insulted Lord Peregrine once when he attempted to take her hand in marriage, with the King present mind you. This occurred in celebration shortly after her first victory.

Fifteen.

All rise for Her Majesty, the Lioness, Queen Calanthe of Cintra!

Yes, praise your Queen, the same one responsible for your deaths.

My lips curled, eying the castle gates. Accompanied by soldiers, Cahir in pursuit, we broke in.

The guards tried to welcome us, I greeted them warmly.

My hair blew from the exuberated force of the flames.

And, within moments, more Nilfgaardian troops stormed the castle.

"Find her," Cahir started, "kill her on sight."

I rushed through the stone halls, shit, blood, and sweat filling my nostrils.

The scent of war.

The smell of fear.

I found the throne room, pushed the heavy wooden doors open.

She stood there, frazzled, bloodied.

Death was everywhere.

Anger streamed from her eyes.

His Majesty lay dead against one of the pillars.

She turned to me sharply, "here to kill me too?" she snapped, a hand over a wound.

I said nothing, black mist sealing the doors behind us.

"Look at you," she started, "young, fierce,... This isn't your first time, is it?"

I shook my head, "of course not."

She scoffed, "they've made the job easy for you then," she peered down at her wound, "I'll be gone in minutes."

"Minutes..." I sighed, "can be a lifetime of joy. I get to watch you suffer, to die."

"Pray tell, what's your name child?"

"Mirabel."

"And where are you from?"

"I come from a small village, a few miles from the Southern border."

"They forced this upon you, didn't they?" She nodded at my clothing, and the streaks of white in my hair.

"I chose to become this, Majesty."

She shook her head, "a child should never have to go through this. I'm almost grateful my daughter isn't here to see this."

I tilted my head.

"She was gifted too, married a man with a curse. She died in childbirth, her husband died in the war."

"And the babe?"

"Stolen, by elves. Only now, I will never have the opportunity to meet her. I trust the Witcher will find her. Damned Law of Surprise."

My heart skipped a beat.

Witcher?

"You know not of them, the Witchers?"

"No. I was never given the opportunity to learn much... Because of you." I felt the storm in my heart but suppressed it. An outburst of flames, whatever I could manage with the gloves anyway, would have been less satisfying than what I did next.

Silence.

Then pain.

Her eyes shot to something behind me, as I whisked black mist through her chest. Pinned to the wall, she coughed blood, and smirked, "you're in luck then."

My eyes widened as my body jolted forward, feeling the barrier I made on the doors break.

Simultaneously, I heard a deep voice mumble "fuck."

I regained my composure and turned.

A white wolf stood opposite me.

"I told you I did not want to interfere with your human wars," he shouted.

Calanthe scoffed, "you've something to do now Witcher. I hear the need for your kind," she coughed, "has started to run cold."

He grunted, then his golden eyes stared relentlessly into mine.

"Who's this then?" He started, readying his blade.

"Help the cause," Calanthe urged weakly.

"Your worst nightmare," I replied.

Then I lunged at the wolf, he shouted for a moment and dodged my maneuver.

I turned to look at him, "and who the hell are you?"

I came for him again, readied with my knives. I grazed his cheek, but not before he'd hurled a punch to my stomach, and tossed me to the floor.

My body slid, an ache in my stomach as I gagged. 

He ran at me. I barely rolled away in time to dodge his sword.

 I stood weakly, heaving.

"Out of practice, are we?" He mocked, then took my features in for a moment, furrowing his brow.

He hesitated, "how old are you? A child?"

"Fifteen," I mused, "and accomplishing more than that bitch did when she was my age."

"Hmm..."

Cintran guards rushed in, "there she is!" they shouted, pointing at me, "get the Queen!"

Then they ran at me, and the Witcher paused his moment of thought, shouting a "wait!"

Before they could stop though,  I took a step forward and shrieked, as Brienne did once, but different, stronger.

A forceful wind erupted in the room. The Cintran guards flew back, the Witcher grunted as he flew through the doors, hitting the wall in the hall.

Blood ran from my nose.

A heaviness washed over me.

Shit.

I panicked then, seeing the Witcher regain his composure, the guards sitting up and groaning.

I shot one last glance at Calanthe, "this isn't over."

With that, a mist engulfed my body, whisking me away to Cahir.

----

Calanthe struggled to take her final breaths.

She'd fallen to the floor once the girl left, the sharp mist disappearing as she went.

The Witcher, the earliest to rise from the fall, nearly went in the mage's direction, until Calanthe croaked a "stop!"

He halted, walking over to her, and kneeled to meet her gaze.

"You need a doctor," he stated.

She scoffed, "and you need to listen to me, Geralt. I've never seen another soul with magic like that, not since my daughter. She said she was fifteen, fifteen."

Geralt paused a moment, "you mean to say..."

She continued, "those damned elves, they started that war some fifteen years ago. And the resemblance, you saw it too."

"The child surprise."

Calanthe nodded weakly, "protect her, Witcher."

"And you?"

She chuckled wryly, "there is no me, Witcher. My wounds are too deep."

She glanced at her husband.

Geralt pursed his lips, looked to the side in frustration, "fuck."

A moment passed, "hmm."

He stood then, just as the guards had. Rushing to the doors, he paused next to the guards, "I'd leave if I were you. This place has gone to shit."

With that, he exited the pit of flames.