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Veris Faldor, with reason, despises Aretuza. It’s a long story that starts with child abuse, involves a murder and ends with her in shackles.
Realistically, no one can blame Veris for her lack of enthusiasm towards spending time in the school. Veris herself would be perfectly content to never step foot inside the building again.
But then her daughter and granddaugther had to go and move in.
Both had very valid and very different reasons for it, which Veris respected and entirely understood. That did not mean the woman was happy with the fact that she was now walking through the halls of Aretuza while trying to locate the greenhouse. Or perhaps, more accurately, Veris was happy for Yennefer and Ciri but would be considerably happier if they would visit her at the cottage instead.
As the woman came to a sudden stop outside the door to the greenhouse, an eyebrow raised incredulously.
Veris reached for the chaos signatures inside and had to swallow down a snort at the realization it was Yennefer and Tissaia.
She swings the door open abruptly.
“For such powerful mages-”
“Mother!”
“- casting a spell against intrusions should be rather easy.” Veris leans against the doorframe, crossing her arms as she watches Yennefer hastily put her shirt back on while simultaneously standing in front of Tissaia, who is fully clothed and has not a single hair out of place. “Or perhaps, I’ve misjudged your abilities?”
“Perhaps you have.” Tissaia’s lip quirks up. “I can assure you her abilities at distracting me are rather astonishing.”
Veris grins.
“By Melitele, dear Rectoress, the mouth on you.”
Sighing deeply, Yennefer crosses her arms.
“What are you doing here?”
Veris gives her a pointed look.
“It’s the greenhouse.”
The raven-haired woman raises an eyebrow, drawling out, “You want to get high.”
Her mother smirks, brown eyes shining with mischief.
“Precisely.”
#
Ciri finds her sometime later as she’s walking back inside, smiling bemusedly.
“Yennefer said you were getting high.”
Clasping her hands behind her back, Veris nods in the direction of the beach.
“Your mother needs to learn to mind her business.”
As they follow the path, Ciri shrugs.
“She only mentioned it when I asked about you.”
“And why were you asking about me?”
“Well…” The blonde kicks an errant rock. “I wanted to talk.”
“That much I gathered on my own, dear Cirilla. What about?”
Huffing a breath, the girl glances at Veris, watching her for a moment.
“Do you think it weird?”
Veris only hums, quietly walking the path to the beach as her granddaughter follows. She only pauses when their booted feet reach the sand, brown eyes locking on green.
“Why do you?”
“She was with Geralt. I thought they were going to stay together.”
Veris waves towards a fallen log to the side, sitting down beside the girl.
“I can only assume you don’t know how their relationship began.”
Ciri frowns.
“They were saving Jaskier’s life.”
Veris tilts her head in agreement.
“There was a djinn involved and a third wish that bonded them.”
“Bonded them.” She repeats incredulously. “Magically?”
Winking, the woman smirks.
“You’re a smart one, granddaughter. The bond created artificial feelings that continously lead them towards each other.”
Ciri nods slowly, brow furrowed in thought as she stares at the sea.
“They never told me.”
“Why would they? Their main concern was ensuring your safety and the bond never put that in danger.”
“So… they never loved each other?”
“Perhaps they did, perhaps it was the bond. Perhaps they still love each other in the same way you love your friends, which I will argue is just as important. The point is, they were never meant to last.”
“But if the bond made them have feelings for each other, how could Yennefer be in love with Tissaia?”
Veris chuckles, picking up a handful of sand to watch it fall through her fingers.
“Why must one thing negate the other? Is the sand not falling still, even with my fingers trying to stop it?”
Ciri’s eyes track the movement.
“She’s always loved Tissaia then?”
“Bond or not.” She adds.
“Does Tissaia know about the bond?”
Veris shrugs.
“That is a question for someone else to answer.”
“You know about the bond.” Ciri accuses, eyebrow raised.
Veris chuckles again, dropping her hand.
“Yennefer told me after the coup, if you must know.”
She turns back to stare at the sea and Veris waits.
“It’s weird.” Ciri finally whispers. “It’s not fair to Tissaia.”
“Can you explain?”
“Yennefer and Geralt know about the bond. Tissaia doesn’t. Or she does and she’s always wondering if she’ll be left behind.”
Veris gently places a finger under Ciri’s chin, turning the young woman’s head to lock brown with green. She smiles softly.
“My sweet, darling granddaughter. The bond is no more.”
Eyes wide, she gapes.
“The bond’s gone? How? It’s djinn magic.”
Veris shrugs, standing up and offering the blonde her hand to pull her up.
“I handled it. Now, I have every intention of returning to the greenhouse since Rita’s class is over. Care to join me?”
Ciri grins.
“Tissaia won’t be happy.”
“Tissaia won’t begrudge me for spending time with her daughter. Now come, there’s much I have to teach you.”
#
When Tissaia goes in search for them after nightfall, she doesn’t expect the sight that greets her in the greenhouse.
Ciri is a giggling mess, balling up pieces of paper to throw at an empty vase.
Veris is sprawled out on the floor, snoring lightly.
The blonde perks up upon seeing Tissaia, waving widely.
"Mother! Do you want to throw some? I keep missing."
Tissaia pinches the bridge of her nose, sighing.