Chapter Text
5/20/1271
My Dear Gaspar,
We cannot rest on our laurels. True, we managed to convince the witcher to drink the concoction we had brewed without much difficulty, but now we must gather information. Somehow I doubt this Gerard, or whatever his name was, truly will truly keep an experiment diary, even if by some miracle he is literate. And without hard data, the Academy's governors will never renew our grant - believe me, I've been down that road before!
To keep one step ahead of events, I've already taken appropriate action. To be precise, while in Flotsam I hired a spy who will follow our witcher's every move and observe his deeds, especially those performed in the alcove. If our calculations are correct, within a year's time his sterility will be reversed - proof of which fact should come quickly in the form of expanding female bellies, if the rumors about him contain even a grain of truth.
The spy's wage is costly, true, but I'm convinced this investment will yield dividends. I believe a potion which restores the ability to reproduce to those who have lost it due to magic or alchemic experiments will be in high demand - and earn us a fortune.
Vivat Academia,
–Farid
P.S. Just remember - not a peep about this around the department, or the ethics committee will flay us alive.
P.P.S. I've received the spy's first report. The witcher is headed to Loc Muinne. Perhaps it's a good time to visit?
When Geralt first read the letter, he had wanted to laugh. Two bumbling alchemists, congratulating themselves on their brilliance. He wasn’t much brighter himself for agreeing to drink their potion.
But years later, sitting in Nenneke’s new temple with the news that he was with child, Geralt wasn’t laughing.
He knew all too well how it had come to this
Witchers had always been odd. Not human, not monster, but something in-between.Shaped by trial and mutation into creatures society barely tolerated.The secondary sex was not exception. Witchers did not care about it. Alpha, beta or omega as long as you did your work and lived thru Trails you were a witcher.
Geralt happened to be one of the rare male omegas. In theory he should be small, weak and submissive thing for breeding. But his mother abandoned him to Kaer Morhen.He became what he was now. Gruff, scarred man most assumed was an alpha. He never corrected them. Not out of shame, but survival. A witcher’s coin purse grew lighter when clients thought him vulnerable.
There were people that were aware of Geralt's true secondary gender. Eskel, Lambert, Vesemir, Nenneke, Ciri, Jaskier and few others Geralt held close to his heart.
Somehow this circle of people included Emhyr var Emreis, Deithwen Addan yn Carn aep Morvudd : The White Flame Dancing on the Barrows of his Enemies, Emperor of the Nilfgaardian Empire, Lord of Metinna, Ebbing, Gemmera, and Sovereign of Nazair and Vicovaro. How did that inclusion happen? Ciri that's how. His wonderful dauther was reason why her father was included in that list.
After beating the Wild Hunt and Ciri fulfilling her destiny Geralt thought that Ciri will join him, Vesemir, Lambert and Eskel in the Witcher legacy, that she will join him on the path. And she did, but it did not last. Ciri enjoyed her time as witcheress and she will always be one of them, but she had ambition to make life better for people, and one witcher can't do it. But Empress of the biggest empire can.
So he escorted Ciri to Nilfgaard , to Emhyr. It stung, he thought that he will lose his connection with Ciri, that he won't be as needed as he was. He will lose the only pup that destiny allowed him to have. And then it did not happen. But Ciri wrote to him often—letters full of palace life, frustrations, new allies like Morvran Voorhis, and, surprisingly much about Emhyr himself. Their arguments, tentative bond and Emhyr’s attempts to be something resembling a father.
Geralt even got invited to spend some time in the City of Golden Towers with Ciri, and despite his better reasoning he came. When Geralt finally accepted an invitation to the City of Golden Towers, he came for her. Time with Ciri soothed him. Emhyr was another matter. They kept the peace for her sake, biting back words that otherwise might have spilled as curses.
But surprisingly the common language happened to be Gwent. Geralt, out of boredom, challenged the Emperor. To his surprise, Emhyr was an excellent player.Cunning, patient, relentless. The game became their common language. Over cards and wine, grudges gave way to conversation. Mutual respect, crept in.
That became a regular occurence as long as Geralt was a guest in the Imperial Palace. During those encounters they talked, drank wine and somehow gained mutuall respect. They weren't friends per se but also did not hate eachother anymore.
After few weeks Geralt left to the path again, romed the continent, wintered and went on path again. And then Toussaint happened. Regis, Detlafft, Syanan and that mess. Gerelt ended up in the prison. Then Toussaint happened—Regis, Dettlaff, Syanna, the prison. He expected no rescue, but an imperial letter freed him. Ciri flung herself into his arms, scolding him between tears. Emhyr waited in the carriage, silent, watching him with those amber eyes.
Emhyr sat inside looking at him with those deep amber eyes. When Geralt got inside the caridge Emperor did not say a word but was observing him. Back at Corvo Bianco, Geralt thanked them. He intended to stay behind. but Ciri pestered him to come to the capital. Geralt wasn't sure, he looked at Emhyr expecing a protest but the Emperor only raised his eyebrow. Ciri looked at him like kicked puppy and Geralt caved in, with a sight he packed what he needed and came to capital.
First dinner after Geralt arrived he filled in both on what happened in Toussaint and why was he in prison in the first place.At first, nothing changed. Geralt trained, roamed the palace, . But Emhyr became more frequent figure now. He appeared at training with Ciri, at dinners Ciri invited him and Emhyr initiated Gwent games more often.Geralt was suspicious of this.
But not suspicious enough to decline Gwent round along with nice food and wine. From one round to the other the conversation started and soon it turned into heated argument. Both of them were tipsy, and it wasn't clear who made it happen.They leaned across the table,whether to argue or to strike. Neither would ever be sure. Their mouths collided , the kiss was harsh, angry, teeth clashing before it softened into something different. By the time they stumbled into the Emperor’s chambers, secrets lay bare—including Geralt’s secondary nature.
In the morning, they avoided each other until Ciri cornered them both and demanded they talk about whatever was causing their weird behavior. And they did. They talked, yelled and cursed. But came to conclusion that they unintentional came closer to each other, and if they already did one step then why not walk down the path. Surprisingly it went well.
It wasn’t easy. They clashed often, two stubborn men with different worlds and baggage of experience at their backs. But it worked. Emhyr offered Geralt something he’d never known: love unbound by a wish, a steadiness that didn’t demand he change. Geralt, in turn found Emhyr’s wit, dry humor, and commanding presence unexpectedly endearing.
Together with Ciri, they became a strange sort of family. And for once, Geralt allowed himself to feel happy.
Now that happiness was under threat.
Geralt sat in Nenneke’s temple, hands curled over his stomach, fear eating him.Losing what he had built with Emhyr.He had ruined enough bonds in his life. He could not bear to destroy this one, forged not by destiny, but by choice.