Chapter Text
They had arrived in Caingorn four weeks ago.
After having saved the merpeople from the 'bad guys' and having Prince Agloval become a mermaid—or merman, however you say—to be with the love of his life, Princess Sh'eenaz, even though King Usveldt blamed Geralt for how things had turned out in the end, it could be said that he, Geralt, and Ciri were at peace in Caingorn.
Geralt, finally, had allowed Ciri to go with them if she promised that if anything happened, she would make a portal and leave with Jaskier no matter what. After promising that (following many arguments between Geralt and Ciri, with Jaskier as the spectator), Geralt let Ciri stay with them.
Upon arriving in Caingorn, the people hadn’t taken it very well, to say the least. They definitely didn’t want a witcher in their village. Still, after one of Jaskier’s many songs and Geralt saving them from a monster that devoured people’s organs (Jaskier had been sure it was a Striga until Geralt told him it was a man instead of a woman), the villagers allowed them to stay there.
At this moment, Jaskier was walking through the village with Ciri, buying a few things with the money they had received from the monster hunt, as well as with the money they had been saving for a few weeks before arriving in Caingorn. While they were shopping, Geralt was hunting another monster that had been destroying the orchards of some lords who lived near Caingorn.
"Jask, can we give this to Get?" Ciri asked, looking at Jaskier with her green eyes, trying to make a puppy-dog face with a pout.
Jaskier just looked at the object Ciri was holding in her hands and laughed. Ciri had a metal bracelet with a horse and horseshoe decorations. "Of course, why not. Geralt will love it, he’ll have something that reminds him of Roach in case we’re not near her," Jaskier nodded, smiling as he paid the seller who had been selling it.
After buying the necessary things like food, a bit more clothing, body products, and the bracelet that Ciri took, the two of them returned to the small inn where the three of them were staying. Several people at the inn, when they first went to pay to stay, thought that Ciri was Geralt and Jaskier's daughter.
Ciri is Geralt's daughter, but not by blood. She is his daughter through the Law of Surprise, but that no longer mattered, as Ciri had become Geralt's daughter. And Jaskier's too. Since Ciri and Jaskier met, they connected immediately. They were so alike that even Geralt often wondered if, for some reason, there might be a bit of Jaskier's DNA in Ciri. Although, of course, that was an impossible idea.
To outsiders, they are a somewhat dysfunctional family since they feel sorry for Ciri for not having a mother and being raised by a witcher and a bard. For the three of them, their little family is enough. Ciri is quite happy with Jaskier and Geralt as her parents; she doesn't need another mother after her own died years ago. And definitely, she wouldn't want Yennefer as her mother, no thank you.
Ciri and Jaskier have already seen how she treats Geralt and the both of them want her far away from Geralt, at least a thousand meters underground if possible. Ciri and Jaskier are not fans of Yennefer. She is very arrogant, egocentric, and has something that gives both of them a bad feeling. Besides giving them a bad feeling, she also treats Geralt as if he were a toy. Although Geralt is the most powerful witcher Ciri has ever known, when he is with Yennefer, he becomes a bit dazed (Don’t let Geralt hear you say that, Ciri).
Although she hates to admit it, Ciri can see that Geralt lets Yennefer boss him around left and right, only to later see him a little sad (I’m not sad, Geralt told Ciri one day when she found him staring into nothing and asked why he looked sad), brooding, and a bit grumpy. That woman was bad; she was a walking demon with violet eyes and scents that made Geralt’s senses falter.
You can immediately see that this woman is just playing with her Pops' heart, and that bothers Ciri. One day or one week, they would be together, and then she would leave for months, leaving Geralt alone, only to come back and do the same thing. Over and over again.
And for that and other reasons, Ciri and Jaskier hate Yennefer. And that is why Ciri didn't want anything to do with Yennefer near her or her family. Besides, why would Geralt want to have something with Yennefer when he has Dad Jaskier right in front of him all along? In fact, even before Ciri came into their lives.
But well. His dad Geralt, could be a bit foolish with some things. In this case, the person who could make him happy was right in front of him the whole time, and it wasn’t Yennefer.
Upon arriving at the inn, Ciri and Jaskier entered, seeing Geralt already there with blood dripping from his body and small pieces of guts in his white hair as he placed the money he had received from the people who had hired him onto a table.
"So, how did it go?" asked Jaskier, watching Geralt look at him with his yellow-orange eyes and a raised eyebrow. "Don’t look at me like that. Sorry, it’s a habit, Geralt."
"Mmm," Geralt murmured, walking toward the stairs that led to their room with money in hand again.
Ciri and Jaskier, still with bags in hand, followed Geralt to the room where the three of them were staying. It had been a miracle (well, a threat from Geralt works wonders, just ask anyone who had crossed path with him) that they had found a room with three beds and two bathrooms. One of the bathrooms was used by Ciri, while the other was used by Jaskier and Geralt.
They had requested a room like this, since Geralt had a bad feeling about Ciri staying alone in a room, even if that room was next to Jaskier's and Geralt's. Besides, Ciri didn’t like sleeping alone either; she liked to sleep with someone or at least feel a presence nearby so that nightmares wouldn’t torment her.
The first time she slept alone, the nightmares of her old home on fire tormented her, and she woke up screaming and crying, being hugged and comforted by Jaskier while Geralt also rubbed her back. After that episode, Ciri started sleeping close to Jaskier whenever they stayed overnight in forests or when they slept at an inn or tavern, as long as there was at least one bed big enough for Ciri to sleep hugging Jaskier while he sang her a song, and Geralt just slept on the floor, alert to anything.
Upon entering the room and closing the door, Ciri and Jaskier put their bags on a table that stood in the center of the room.
"Ciri, can you start putting some of these things away while I go prepare the bath for Geralt, okay?" Jaskier said to Ciri, who nodded and began taking things out of the bags while Jaskier entered the bathroom he always used to start getting Geralt's tub ready.
"Hey, Dad," Ciri called to Geralt, who was taking off his clothes and placing them on the floor where his boots were.
"Yes, Ciri?" Geralt replied as he began removing the leather band from his hair so Jaskier could wash it.
"While we were buying these things, I got something for you," Ciri said with a smile, watching Geralt look at her with curiosity in his eyes.
"Really? Let me see" Geralt muttered, walking toward Ciri, who took out the metal bracelet with the decorations and handed it to Geralt.
"I saw it and thought you’d like to have it. Papa Jaskier also thought you’d like it," Ciri said with a nervous smile, waiting for Geralt's reaction.
Geralt just smiled slightly as he turned to look at Ciri. "You were right, I like it. Thank you, cub," Geralt said, stroking Ciri’s hair and then giving her a small kiss.
Ciri just nodded with a smile. "I’m glad you liked it, Papa Geralt."
Geralt just nodded and returned the bracelet to Ciri, who took it back. "I’ll put it on after I take a bath."
Saying that, Jaskier peeked through the bathroom door and looked at both of them with a small smile. "Sorry to interrupt such a sweet moment, but the disastrous smell of death that our witcher carries is killing my nostrils. The tub is ready, Ger."
That made Ciri laugh, while it brought a half-smile to Geralt's face. "So funny, Jask. One day, you should try killing one of the things I killed today."
Jaskier just made a loud sound as if he were laughing but at the same time not. "Hah! No thanks, that's your job, witcher. Mine is to write about your adventures and then sing them. Now come and bring your beautiful butt here so I can get rid of that stench."
Geralt just chuckled lightly while shaking his head and went to the bathroom with Jaskier, while Ciri stayed behind taking things out of the bags and putting them away.