30Chapter four
"Jaskier," Geralt smiled slightly seeing his fiance walking into the foyer with Eilhal, they hadn't been able to have breakfast together because Geralt had had to iron some things out with the other Witchers over their treaty, the others that would be attending the wedding trickling in now. He had found himself surprised with how much he had missed the bard, and yet had not been surprised at all.
"NO!" Jaskier shrieked, diving at Geralt and covering his face with his hands, and nearly broke Geralt's neck, shoving his head to the side and away from Eilhal.
"Vaskieb? Bot ib boinb ob?" Geralt managed to say through Jaskier's hands squishing his face to the side.
"Eilhal has my wedding outfit, it is bad luck for you to see my outfit before the wedding!" Jaskier insisted, only letting go of Geralt when the Witcher heard Eilhal's feet racing up the stairs.
"I thought that superstition was the bride?" Lambert asked.
"Well yeah, but I am taking that position, and I am taking no chances!" Jaskier huffed before going up on his toes and kissed Geralt sweetly. "Good morning,"
"Good morning little flower," Geralt snorted amused.
"I think yours is going to be more trouble than mine," Lambert snickered.
"Hey Aiden!" Jaskier waved cheerfully over Lambert's shoulder.
"If you think I am going to fall for that you are…AIDEN!" Lambert shrieked when a hand clamped down on his shoulder, he glowered between Jaskier and Geralt, and the grinning face that peeked over his shoulder.
"No, but you should be more careful how you insult your better half," Eskel laughed.
"You're a bag of dicks, the lot of you," Lambert grumbled, stomping off.
"Bye, brother in law to be!" Jaskier flapped his hand cheerfully. "Good morning other brother-in-law to be," he grinned brightly at Eskel who smiled softly back at the young human.
"Good morning Jaskier, I followed the sounds of you causing trouble,"
"It is a safe bet!" Jaskier nodded before placing a smacking kiss onto Eskel's cheek and then one onto Geralt's lips before dancing out of the way of Geralt's hands trying to get hold of him and pull him back for a longer kiss. "Eilhal will be coming down to your rooms in a little bit to double check your outfits for tomorrow, though I am sure that he has gotten them spot on,"
"Where are you off to?" Geralt wasn't pouting, he really wasn't.
"I am off to check in on the last minute details of the wedding and make sure that everything is ready for tomorrow," Jaskier laughed brightly as he danced out of the way of Geralt's play grab at him, spinning on his heel and racing away after Eilhal.
"Geralt, Eskel," Mikolai walked over to them, making them realise that he must have been close enough to have seen much of their interaction.
"Viscount," Eskel and Geralt practically said at the same time, bowing slightly.
"Please, there is no need for that," Mikolai waved his hand in the air. "Geralt, could we talk?"
"Of course," Geralt shared a concerned look with Eskel but followed after the Viscount when he motioned for Geralt to follow, Eskel's concerned eyes following after them.
They walked through the corridors of the mansion until they found the quieter part of the building that didn't have nobles milling around.
"I am looking forward to after the wedding when I can be rid of everyone hanging around the mansion, the King has given us more than enough money to cover the food and everything that has come with housing so many nobles, but still they seem to be everywhere I go and look," Mikolai said as they walked slowly.
"I am sure, it is tough to be constantly watched for a reaction to everything and anything that happens," Geralt hummed.
"Something that you and your family more than understand I believe," The Viscount glanced at him before looking straight ahead again.
"It is something that we get used to and never get used to," Geralt huffed.
"Julien," Mikolai said, and Geralt was a little relieved to realise that they were going to be getting to what the Viscount had wanted to talk to him about.
"Yes?" Geralt urged when there was a little bit of an awkward pause.
"Julien has always been different, even from a young age he was a free spirit, music has been his life from when he was a baby, the thought that we were going to be forcing him into a life that he would hate always weighed on me, and I dreaded the time where we were going to have to figure things out, I could never see a way around it that would work with still having Julien in our lives, but allowing him to be free. I admit when the news came out that the King was looking for a family to marry to a Witcher, and that he had narrowed it down to ourselves and the others, we were horrified at the thought that it could be one of our children. And then Julien put forward himself as the option for the marriage,"
Geralt followed the Viscount along the cloister running alongside a courtyard of the mansion listening to him as he spoke with a sense of dread forming in his stomach. His mind was spinning and he suddenly had a horrible thought about what would happen if the Viscount decided to forbid Jaskier from marrying him, there were still 20 hours until the wedding ceremony, and anything could happen during that time. He could feel himself starting to stress out, his breathing coming a little faster and his head spinning as he wondered what he could do to change the Viscount's mind.
"I was…disapproving at first, but as I am sure that you have realised Julien has a very strong will, and he determined that this was the best way for him to be able to escape the binds of being Viscount without shaming the family, which he was more worried about than us, we tried to convince him that we would deal with any of the fall out that came from it, but he felt that he was being selfish and refused. This he decided was the best way around all of our problems,"
"He is very determined," Geralt nodded when the Viscount paused again, mentally grimacing at the awkwardness of his response.
"Myself and Olesia have been worried sick about the wedding, about what you were going to be like, how you would treat him. We have been terrified about who would show up to marry our son," Mikolai looked at the floor and then looked at Geralt, "you treat him well, and he has a lightness to him that has not been fully there for a long time, the weight of his future has been weighing even heavier on his shoulders than I have realised. Seeing him lit up the way that he is, looking forward to his life, looking forward to what is to come has lightened my heart. He told us about what you did for him last night,"
"I…care a lot for him already, and I want to see him happy, I want to make him happy," Geralt said awkwardly.
"I can see that, I am sorry Geralt, I did not mean for this conversation to sound like I wanted you to reassure me of that," The Viscount stopped and turned to face Geralt, a soft smile on his face that reminded Geralt of Jaskier.
"No?"
"No, I want to apologise for the way that we have initially treated you and promise that we will be much better going forward. We wish to be a family, Jaskier already thinks a lot of you and the others, and our lives are going to be bound together, they already are. I wanted to thank you for giving him what we could not, and for making him smile and laugh the way that he is,"
"Oh, thank you," Geralt said surprised, and incredibly awkwardly.
"No need to look like I am about to attack you," The Viscount snorted, and Geralt could see where Jaskier got his humour from.
"I…I never thought that I would find the acceptance and care that Jaskier has, I was terrified that whoever I would be marrying had been forced into this and would cry through the ceremony," Geralt found himself admitting.
"And then you met Julien," The Viscount laughed, starting to walk again, Geralt following after him.
"Yes, I was, and am, quite baffled by him. But I want to make him happy, and though I know many believe we are not capable of such things, I can see myself falling in love with him," Geralt smiled softly.
"He is a wonderful boy, he has grown into an amazing man that myself and my wife can not claim credit for. He keeps surprising us, that is for sure," The Viscount turned down a corridor.
"I have a feeling he will keep me on my toes, even with my reflexes," Geralt snorted.
"I do wish you luck, as soon as you are married tomorrow, he is your problem," the Viscount laughed.
"I…"
"Fair is fair," The Viscount checked before stopping in front of the door to the suite that they were staying in. "Thank you, for making him smile like that,"
When Geralt ducked his head embarrassed and clearly not sure as to what to say the Viscount chuckled again, and then to Geralt's surprise reached out and patted his shoulder before turning and walking away.
"Well, I wasn't expecting that," Vesemir said when Geralt walked in.
"Me either, I thought he was about to call the wedding off at one point," Geralt snorted, dropping onto the sofa where Eskel was already seated.
"It went ok?" Eskel asked.
"Yes, he pretty much wanted to thank me for offering Jaskier the life he's wanted, and said that they want to get on with us all,"
"This is going far better than I feared it would," Vesemir breathed out sitting in the armchair.
"Thanks to Jaskier," Aiden hummed walking out of his and Lambert's room.
"You like him?" Geralt asked.
"Does it matter?" Aiden looked at him in that intent way he sometimes had.
"You're family, it does," Geralt nodded, and Aiden's eyes widened just a little.
"He is good for you. Yes I like him, aside from the fact that he can keep Lambert on his toes, he is a breath of fresh air," Aiden smiled.
"Hello! Are you ready?" Eilhal tapped on the door and poked his head into the room.
"Would you be offended if we said not really?" Eskel sighed, making the elf laugh and walk fully into the room, dropping the clothes resting over his arm over the back of the sofa.
"No, I understand," He shook his head, "but you're not going to get out of it. Geralt first," Eilhal motioned to him.
"I will go drag Lambert here," Aiden said cheerfully.
Geralt was utterly lost, he was being talked through the ceremony, the people that would be here, where the small contingent of Witchers from the other Schools that were attending would be sitting, when he was expected to say something, where he was expected to go when. He was lost, utterly lost.
"Right, we will allow you a little time together, and we will see you tomorrow," the Viscount, Mikolai, said and started herding the crowd out of the room. Geralt started a little when arms wound around his shoulders from behind and then Jaskier was pressing a sweet kiss to his cheek before the doors had even closed behind the small group.
"All you need to do is make it here in the morning, I will meet you, we will get married and then I will make sure that you don't accidentally offend anyone," Jaskier promised.
"I hate official things like this," Geralt sighed.
"I would have never guessed!" Jaskier laughed, moving so that he was standing in front of him, and wrapped his arms around Geralt's waist.
"Don't get cheeky," Geralt huffed, reaching up and tugging on Jaskier's hair, not expecting the groan that the other let out. "You're terrible for my health," Geralt snorted when Jaskier just grinned unrepentantly at him.
"I hear Father spoke to you?" Jaskier asked curiously.
"I thought he was going to call the wedding off," Geralt snorted. "He wants us to all try getting on, and believes that we can, and he is happy to see not weighed down with the worry over being Viscount,"
"They always said that they would deal with the fallout, but I didn't want them to have to. This way, everyone wins," Jaskier smiled.
"Except for me," Geralt snorted.
"What was that dearest?" Jaskier grit out raising his eyebrow at Geralt.
"Nothing at all," Geralt smiled a little.
"Hmm, and you had better believe it, you are getting the best deal out of all of us!" Jaskier huffed, nodding primly and sticking his nose in the air like the Lord he very much was not.
"I think I may be," Geralt said seriously, running his rough and calloused hand over Jaskier's handsome face.
"You're going to make it difficult to be angry with you," Jaskier smiled, leaning up on his toes to kiss Geralt.
"WOLF!" The booming voice had Geralt blanching and turning to see Lothar walking towards them. Well, stomping towards them would be more accurate, when he didn't need to sneak around the Snake Witcher was like a Gryffin walking around.
"Lothar," Geralt nodded.
"So, how bad is it?" Lothar grimaced in concern and Geralt felt a small flash of the friendship that they did have between them warming his chest, "Are we all going to have to run for it right after the vows? Will we at least get something to eat?"
And there went the warm feeling.
"I think you will be able to have something to eat, and even rest your head," Geralt snorted.
"Really? That is optimistic, have you made an agreement or something?" Lothar nodded, impressed.
"Or something," Geralt smirked. "The others on their way?"
"Yeah, the last few should be pulling up in the next few hours, I met Synax a few weeks ago on the path he was heading west for a contract before working his way back in. I think Coen is not far behind me, I am sure that it is him that I saw," Lothar said.
Geralt turned slightly as he heard laughter and watched Aiden and Tanek coming around the corner of the corridor, both of them were carrying things, and when they spotted Geralt they hurried over to him.
"Wait till you see this," Aiden laughed, nodding back the way that they had just come from. Geralt turned back and quickly honed in on Jaskier's scent and the sound of his voice chattering away.
"...handy coming across you!" Jaskier was saying right before he walked around the corner himself carrying a few papers, and he was closely followed by Aux, the great Bear Witcher had his arms laid down with boxes, a few bags slung over his arms, he even had a basket hooked into his pinkie.
Aux was a terrifying looking Witcher, taking very much after the School he came from, a tall, hulking man, with thick brown hair and a thick brown beard covering his head and face, he had a large scar running down the centre of his face, from his forehead right down to his chin. He was also currently looking completely lost and baffled.
"Geralt!" Jaskier beamed, tugging Aux over to where Geralt, Lothar, Aiden, and Tanek were standing. "I have decided to change some of the decorations around, a little last minute I know but there we go, and just as I was gathering what I needed I came across Aux here, he's so sweet he offered to help me when he saw me getting things together!" Jaskier rambled.
"Hello Geralt," Aux nodded to him still looking baffled.
"You have met my Fiance," Geralt smiled a little at Jaskier as he stepped closer, Jaskier's smile brightening at the words, and Geralt realised that he hadn't had the chance to introduce Jaskier as such before.
"Fiance?!" Aux choked.
"Are you ok?" Jaskier asked in concern, reaching out to pat the Bear carefully on the back.
"I think he is a little shocked to find that you are the one that I am to marry," Geralt rumbled.
"Oh! Well, I am a pleasant surprise. I had better get going, I don't have long to get this changed around before I need to get my beauty sleep," Jaskier kissed Geralt firmly on the lips before grabbing onto Aux and tugging him across the hallway.
"That is who you are marrying?" Lothar practically shouted making Geralt turn back to him with a smirk.
"Think I am being optimistic now?" Geralt chuckled before heading off after Jaskier, mainly to spend a little more time with his fiance, and to save Aux a little.
Geralt took a breath as he sat on the edge of his bed and stared at the wall. He was going to be marrying Jaskier in less than 13 hours, and he couldn't believe that the last few days had happened, he couldn't believe that he was going to be marrying the Bard, he couldn't believe the hope that he had in his chest for what was coming, not just the wedding, but the future that they had already started planning out together, as much as they could with how Geralt's life on the Path could be planned, and the unknown of how everything was going to go with their truce with Temeria.
Geralt glanced up when there was a small tap at his door and he smiled at Vesemir when his mentor poked his head into the room and stepped in.
"I could hear you thinking practically," Vesemir chuckled, sitting down on the bed next to Geralt.
"Sorry," Geralt smiled a little.
"Not planning on murdering Aux are you?" Vesemir grinned.
"Not yet," Geralt snorted. "I may consider it if he carries on looking at Jaskier like a puppy I may shove him off of a mountain in warning,"
"So what were your deep thoughts about?" Vesemir asked.
"Just thinking about the future, the fact that I am here, waiting to marry Jaskier and that everything is completely different from where I thought it would be when we were traveling here," Geralt said.
"Jaskier is….quite different, I am still trying to catch up with the changes to what I thought things were going to be," Vesemir chuckled in agreement.
"It is completely different from what I thought. I thought after what happened with Yennifer that she had been my only chance to have something of a romance, and even then after everything that we have been through it wasn't exactly perfect, but I felt as though it was the best that I could get," Geralt said quietly.
"And what you have is very different,"
"Very," Geralt snorted. "I have an arranged marriage, with a human, and I have a chance at something real, something that I never thought would be for me, that I would be allowed,"
"Are you ok?" Vesemir asked concerned.
"I feel happy and hopeful, and that scares me, I am scared that this will all be taken away from me," Geralt sighed. "I am scared that I am going to lose this chance, lose him just as I have the chance for this taken away,"
"Except I don't think that Jaskier would allow that," Vesemir chuckled and Geralt turned around to look at the older man.
"Hmm?" Geralt blinked.
"That boy is quite determined, and he seems very determined that you are going to be married, he will not easily allow this marriage to not take place," Vesemir chuckled.
"That is true," Geralt snorted. "He is a force of nature,"
"That he is," Triss said from the doorway. "Are we having a slumber party?" she grinned walking fully into the room.
"Absolutely not," Geralt said even as Triss walked into the room and hopped onto his bed.
Geralt took a couple of deep breaths as he looked at himself in the mirror. He had to admit he would completely and utterly thank Jaskier for having these clothes designed for him, they were far more comfortable than having to wear a doublet and he felt as much as he could out of his armour, they were quite comfortable, and looked smart and looked a little like armour as much as clearly being court clothing.
The trousers were neat black trousers, that fitted Geralt comfortably, not making him feel like they were constricting him, he had a white top laced with silver thread, and the coat was white with silver and gold embroidery shaping out buttercups and wolves decoratively over the fabric, neat silver button fastened up on the right hand breast of the coat in the shape of buttercups, the fit around the stomach and the chest reminded him of his armour. He was feeling nervous about standing in front of so many people today, and despite Jaskier's promises about guiding him through the day as long as he got himself to the altar, he was still scared he was going to muck this up. But he felt a little more comfortable than he thought he would be at this point thanks to the clothing.
"Ready?" Aiden popped his head into the room and then whistled when he saw Geralt. "Looking good!"
"I hope you're not flirting with my brother," Lambert grumbled from the main room.
"Well, he does look rather tasty," Aident threw over his shoulder before laughing when Geralt shoved him into the living room and followed him. "Jaskier will be delighted!"
"He will be, looking good," Eskel grinned as he looked at Geralt.
"Here sit down," Triss patted a chair.
"What are you going to do?" Geralt narrowed his eyes at her.
"I am going to do your hair, you can't go out in those clothes and have a head that looks like a bird's nest," She snorted.
"Absolutely not!" Geralt shook his head.
"Jaskier put all that effort into your clothes and you can't have your hair done for one day?" Triss narrowed her green eyes on him, they started shining when she saw her words had had the effect that she had been looking for.
"You're screwed," Lambert laughed as Geralt stormed over to the chair and threw himself into it.
"Like you aren't," Vesemir chuckled amused stepping out of his room.
"Looking good!" Eskel whistled through his teeth.
"Jaskier really did a very good job with Eilhal on these," Vesemir nodded, running his hands down his coat appreciatively.
Geralt looked over his family as Triss cast a spell around him and then started on his hair, he ignored the tugs and snips and instead appreciated how the others looked. Felcia had said that 'it is about appearance as much as anything else with the Court, and if you are visibly uncomfortable then it will be like blood in the water to drowners.' He got that now, they were looking impressive and whereas the doublets that they had brought with them were of varying colours that they had picked up because they fitted them, these tied them together.
Lambert and Eskel were dressed in maroon coats with a black shirt underneath and black trousers, they had golden embroidery on their coats, Eskel with wolves and laurel leaves, Lambert's were of the symbols of the cat and the wolf. Aiden was dressed in rich purple with black trousers, and a lighter purple top under his coat, the silver embroidery on his coat was matching Lambert's of cats and wolves. Vesemir was also in maroon for his coat, his trousers and shirt were grey though, and he had a couple of golden wolves embroidered on the front, and on his back was one large golden wolf. They looked incredibly impressive.
"Done!" Triss said stepping back.
"I wasn't expecting that," Vesemir blinked. Geralt reached up and touched his hair and realised that Triss had cut it back into the undercut that he used to wear it in, tugging the top part into a neat ponytail.
"You stopped doing your hair this way because of her, I think this is more you though," Triss touched his shoulders. He had stopped doing his hair like this because Yennifer had said that she didn't like it, and even though it had been the way that he liked it he had stopped. He did feel more himself with his hair like this, and it felt right for today. He reached up and gripped Triss' hand, squeezing it firmly.
"Well, if we are all done being sappy, shall we get going?" Lambert huffed.
"You ok Geralt?" Eskel asked concerned.
"I think I feel nervous," Geralt mumbled.
"Bloody hell," Lambert groaned, looking uncertain.
"I thought you wanted to marry Jaskier?" Aiden asked, confused.
"I do, I think that is why I am nervous," Geralt groaned.
"Here take this, you're going to be fine," Triss walked around him in her beautiful green and golden dress and held a small vial out to her. With a grimace for feeling ridiculous, Geralt knocked the vial before standing and tugging his coat so it was sitting perfectly.
"Master Geralt!" The servant burst into the room panting. "Oh thank the gods I got here before you left, this is off Master Jaskier!" she said hurrying over to him, pressing something into Geralt's hand, and then hurried back out the room.
"Did she call me Master Geralt?" Geralt blinked at the once again shut door before looking down at the hastily wrapped package in his hands.
"Honestly, it is just weird," Aiden shook his head.
"Open it then," Lambert snorted when Geralt seemed to be about to stand and stare at the gift.
Growling at his brother Geralt moved to open the package, turning it with a small smile when he realised the paper had been written on by Jaskier.
Just make it to the altar!
Geralt chuckled to himself as he folded the note and put it in his pocket, and then opened his hand to see what the gift was.
"A flower?" Aiden asked, confused looking at the flower preserved in a small ball of glass.
"A buttercup," Geralt said.
"Jaskier picked it from your date the other night, he asked me to preserve it in the glass for you, I didn't know why," Triss smiled brightly.
"Thank you," Geralt said absently, holding the glass in his palm.
"I cast a quick spell, Jaskier thought it up," Triss shook her head.
"Oh by the gods, the two of you are romantic!" Lambert laughed. "Who would have thought that the Geralt of Rivia would be romantic!" he crowed a little.
"Maybe you should take a few ideas from us," Geralt smirked at him, slipping the glass into his pocket as well.
"You could do to be a little more romantic," Aiden snorted crossing his arms.
"You all just live to wind me up," Lambert growled before turning and stomping for the door as the others laughed behind him.
The walk from their rooms to the great hall where the wedding was going to be held was a blur as he focused on doing what Jaskier had told him to do and just getting himself to the altar. Once there he took a breath and looked around.
The room was already fairly full, a large mix of Nobles, all here to see the historic moment of an arranged marriage for a Witcher, a Witcher marrying a human, and a noble human at that. They all looked eager as they settled into their seats, wearing their fine clothing, and looking as though they were settling in for a good show and not something that would change his and Jaskier's lives, and by extension the lives of the Witchers also seated here, and the ones that were left out in the world.
He took a breath and looked around at the room, there were massive windows down one side of the hall looking out over the beautiful gardens of the manor allowing bright sun to stream through. The room itself was decorated with red, white, and yellow flowers, Geralt realised what the change Jaskier had made the day before as he took in the blades of all sorts decorating the wall opposite the windows, no doubt Jock's work, and no doubt as a little representation of the Witchers present.
"Geralt," The Viscount walked over to him and held out his hand, causing a small rumble from the nobles, and a lot of blinking from the 8 Witchers seated in the front row on Geralt's side of the aisle. They were also looking a little grumpy in their doublets, eyeing the coats that the Wolves and Aiden were wearing.
"Viscount," Geralt took his hand.
"None of that, we are to be family in less than an hour, Mikolai,"
"Mikolai," Geralt inclined his head.
"I will be going to meet Julien outside in a moment, I had to leave him with his mother, he has practically been bouncing off of the walls all morning," Mikolai smiled.
"That sounds about right," Geralt managed to smile a little, though from the way Mikolai blinked he thought it might have looked a little scary.
"I will get going to meet him. Good luck, you're going to need it once he is all yours," Mikolai chuckled patting Geralt on the arm.
"You look mildly respectable Wolf," Lothar muttered for Geralt to hear, the white-haired Witcher turned to glare a little at the Snake who smirked back at him. Before he could mutter anything back the priest stepped up behind Geralt and he turned to look at the man who looked a little baffled at finding himself here, looking back at Geralt.
"Ready," the conductor of the band murmured and the music started up right as Geralt heard feet running down the hallway and Jaskier murmuring to his father on the other side of the doors just as Olesia, Felcia, Tanek, and Luiz walked in from the side door and took their seats at the front of the crowd opposite the Witchers, Albin waved cheerfully at Geralt from where he was sitting on his Nurse's lap, grinning widely when Geralt waved back at him.
Geralt took a breath, and then another one as he heard the doors opening and then he turned to watch Jaskier walking in holding onto his Father's arm. Geralt's breath caught in his chest as he took in the stunning young man.
He was wearing a silver shirt with a white coat over the top of it that came down to his thighs, it was in a more flowing fabric than the slightly stiffer material of Geralt's, and even though he knew nothing about clothing he did know that it suited Jaskier. There were golden and silver thread creating wolf and buttercup shapes in embroidery over it which matched Geralt's, his buttons were in the shape of wolf heads, and he had white trousers and white boots on, with his dark hair making him look utterly stunning. Geralt gulped a little when cornflower blue eyes met his, and he realised that Jaskier had put kohl around his eyes making them stand out even more.
Jaskier smiled softly at him as he walked towards him until he and Mikolai reached him, and Jaskier reached out his free hand to Geralt who quickly moved to take it. Jaskier gave his hand a squeeze of encouragement before turning to smile at his father who nodded his head before moving to sit next to Olesia.
Jaskier and Geralt stepped up onto the dais that the priest was waiting on together, and then the ceremony started. And Geralt paid pretty much no attention to what the priest was saying as he just stared at Jaskier from the corner of his eyes, unable to believe that this man was going to be his husband. He had expected his groom to sob his way through the wedding, instead, Jaskier had a beaming grin on his face and was almost wiggling in place from excitement. He turned to meet Geralt's eyes and grinned even more as he took in the expression on the Witcher's face.
Geralt heard Aiden, Eskel, and Lambert snickering behind them, and he knew that he and Jaskier were going to get teased for being sappy, but it was worth the teasing.
"Now repeat after me," The Priest said, getting Jaskier and Geralt's attention back to him. Geralt barely heard what the Priest said, but he focussed on every single word that Jaskier said to him as he turned to face him.
"I Julien Alfred Pankratz bind myself, body, soul and spirit, I vow to be faithful to you, to care for you through the good times and the bad, I vow to be gentle and kind, to be at your side for anything that the future may bring us, I vow to be your friend, to keep your confidences, to be the support you need to lean on, I will walk by your side for the rest of my life," Jaskier promised.
"I Geralt of Rivia bind myself, body, soul and spirit, I vow to be faithful to you, to care for you through the good times and the bad, I vow to be gentle and kind, to be at your side for anything that the future may bring us, I vow to be your friend, to keep your confidences, to be the support you need to lean on, I will walk by your side for the rest of my life," Geralt swore. Jaskier beamed at him as he squeezed his hand.
"Do you have your rings?" The priest looked at them. They both reached into their pockets and pulled out their ring for the other, Jaskier reached out and slid a slightly ornate silver ring onto Geralt's finger, the decoration of Celandine, a healing plant engraved onto the metal. Geralt felt a little self-conscious of the plain thin band of silver that he slipped onto Jaskier's finger, but the way that he smiled at Geralt said that he didn't care.
"You may…kiss," The Priest blinked when Jaskier threw his arms around Geralt's shoulders, standing on his toes, and pressed his lips to Geralt's before the priest could even finish. The Witcher wrapped his arms around Jaskier's waist and held him closely as he kissed him back, shutting out the mutterings from around them as he allowed himself to have this moment with Jaskier, losing himself in the kiss with his new husband.
"Jaskier!" Jock called out waving as he and Eilhal pushed through the crowd towards the Bard and the Witcher. After the ceremony they had made their way around the people that they needed to accept their congratulations, and enduring their stares, Jaskier had whizzed him through them all, making sure that they didn't stay too long with anyone, and Mikolai, Olesia, and Felcia had come along behind them to soothe any feathers that they may have ruffled between them. The meal had amazing food, and that was pretty much all Geralt could remember from it aside from hearing Lambert and Eskel humming with happiness as they ate and Vesemir and Aiden scolding them not to stuff their faces.
He had endured the last two hours where the party seemed to have started, though most of it seemed to be people drinking, dancing, and staring at them. The Witchers were all standing in a huddle watching the events and trying to ignore the way that they were being stared at when the nobles weren't staring at Jaskier and Geralt, though the newly married couple was definitely the focus of most of the attention, Geralt had to stifle a snicker when Jaskier started describing they were waiting for the wails and screams from him as he realised what had happened. They had to accept more congratulations that were as sincere as Geralt and Jaskier's thanks in return as Jaskier shuffled them closer to the Witchers, slowly edging their way over to them.
"Jock," Jaskier grinned, bending to hug the blacksmith and then the elf. "The outfits are amazing thank you!"
"I am rather happy with how they came out, hopefully, they will get me a bit more work when we move," Eilhal said.
"I am sure plenty of people will…wait where are you moving to?" Jaskier asked, confused.
"We're moving with you lad, to the town the Witchers' house will be at, we figured that we can set up base there and see you when you travel around to it, and there should be more than enough work for me with a bunch of Witchers!" Jock grinned.
"And I shouldn't be short of work between the Witchers, the people in the town, and the city nearby," Eilhal nodded.
"That is…amazing!" Jaskier beamed, throwing his arms around the two of them for another hug.
"Got to keep an eye on you," Jock rumbled, patting Jaskier heartily on the back.
"And I can not wait to see what else we can come up with!" Eilhal nodded.
"Have you somewhere to stay in the town?" Geralt asked.
"Not yet, we will find somewhere easily enough," Jock shrugged.
"There will be more than enough space in the House if you want to set up there, give you time to find somewhere reasonable, I am sure if you want to stay it wouldn't be a problem, the house is large, and it is unlikely that all the rooms will be used," Geralt said. Jaskier wrapped his arms around Geralt's and squeezed it in thanks.
"Aye, think we will take you up on that!" Jock nodded.
"Do I get a say in this?" Eilhal scowled at the Dwarf.
"You want to sleep in an inn for who knows how long with cockroaches and rats?" Jock raised his eyebrow.
"Not particularly," Eilhal sniffed.
"Well there we go, we will take you up on your kind offer," Jock snorted to Geralt.
"This is amazing, I am so happy," Jaskier hugged his two friends tightly before going back to wrap his arms around Geralt's again.
"You're not getting rid of us that easily," Eilhal smiled.
"Thank you," Jaskier said to them.
"We're going to attack the alcohol, we will see you tomorrow when we can talk properly," Jock waved.
"You can have a couple more and that is it," Eilhal scolded.
"Are they?" Geralt turned to Jaskier.
"Yup!" Jaskier laughed nodding before throwing his arms around Geralt's shoulders and planting a kiss on his lips, "thank you for that,"
"You clearly care about them, and they care for you," Geralt said gruffly.
"Thank you," Jaskier said a little softer and kissed him a little gentler.
"I think Lady Lurux is about to pass out," Geralt blinked and turned to see Olesia, his new mother in law, standing next to them looking amused.
"Geralt has said that Jock and Eilhal can stay in the house for as long as they need," Jaskier grinned at his mother, not removing his arms from around Geralt's shoulders.
"That is very kind of you," Olesia nodded.
"They're important to Jaskier," Geralt said a little awkwardly.
"I haven't had a chance to say it, but you and the others are looking very handsome," Olesia complimented him.
"Oh…erm…"
"The style really suits them doesn't it, Eilhal is going to make another set for them all," Jaskier saved him, stepping back and resting his hands on Geralt's chest, looking him up and down appreciatively. "And I have an idea for something just a little different,"
"You're looking at your poor new husband like he is a doll," Olesia chuckled.
"I am simply thinking," Jaskier grinned.
"Mm hm," Olesia shook her head before cupping Jaskier's face gently, "you look happy," she said softly, her eyes sparkling as she looked over her son.
"I am," Jaskier said, two simple words but with a world of feeling in them, and they made the fire in Geralt's chest that had been forming since he met Jaskeir flare even brighter. The Witcher turned away from Jaskier and looked to his mother, catching her already looking at him, and there was something accepting and hopeful in her look.
"I am very proud of you," Olesia said to her son, kissing his cheek, she reached out and touched Geralt's arm before turning and walking over to a crowd of muttering nobles.
"She isn't going to murder me in the night is she?" Geralt asked.
"Don't worry I sleep lightly," Jaskier laughed as Geralt hoped he would, patting Geralt's chest. "Are you blushing?" Jaskier grinned.
"Witcher's can't blush," Geralt grumbled.
"Oh contraire my husband," Jaskier beamed at him, and Geralt caught him around the waist and pulled him in for a deeper kiss than they had shared since they were married. Jaskier melted into him and hummed into the kiss, Geralt didn't think that he would get enough of hearing Jaskier calling him that.
"Will you put him down!" Vesemir chuckled.
"Which one?" Lambert snorted.
"Both of them I think," Eskel laughed.
"You're intruding!" Jaskier glared at Eskel and Lambert, not daring to be rude enough to do so to Vesemir.
"You seem to be getting on well," Another Witcher stepped up to them, seeming to have braved breaking away from the huddle of Witchers.
"What would you call a collection of Witchers?" Jaskier frowned.
"A gaggle?" Aiden offered strolling over with Aux and throwing his arm around Lambert.
"Like geese? No," Lambert shook his head.
"Pack?" Aux offered.
"That sounds good!" Jaskier pointed at the Bear Witcher who practically beamed back at him making Geralt snort in amusement.
"This is Coen," Geralt introduced Jaskier to the Witcher who had spoken to him before his tangent.
"Lovely to meet you, the others have told me a fair bit about you," Jaskier held his hand out to Coen who took it, shaking it carefully.
"I hope good things," Coen smiled.
"Mainly that you rescue Vesemir when they're being stupid," Jaskier laughed.
"That…is about right," Eskel laughed.
"It is nice to see you both getting on," Coen smiled at where Geralt and Jaskier were standing with their arms still wrapped around each other's waists.
"I landed lucky," Jaskier smiled up at Geralt.
"That was something that we never expected to hear from you," Coen chuckled.
"You should have seen Geralt's face the first time he met me," Jaskier laughed.
"I believe that you are going to be travelling with Geralt, and planning on trying to change how we are seen with song?" Coen asked.
"Yes we are, we're married so I am not letting him out of my sight," Jaskier grinned at Geralt, letting go of his waist but wrapping his arms around Geralt's again. "And I completely plan on changing how Witchers are seen with song, we have a bet going on it,"
"I bet on Jaskier," Aux said quickly.
"I bet you are!" Geralt narrowed his eyes on the Bear who blanched.
"You're from the School of the Griffin right?" Jaskier asked Coen, tilting his head.
"Yes," Coen blinked.
"Hmm, Golden Griffin doesn't have any offensive connotations?" Jaskier asked.
"You're going to write a song for me?" Coen asked shocked.
"Yup!" Jaskier nodded.
"Oh, thank you, no, I, no negative connotations," Coen flustered.
"You alright there!" Lambert teased poking Coen in the cheek.
"Do not start!" Vesemir growled when Coen turned to him.
"Have you got a name for Aux?" Lambert asked teasingly and then grunted when Jaskier kicked him in the ankle. "Do you have metal in them?!" He huffed reaching down to rub his shin.
"Don't tempt me," Jaskier glared. "And yes I have, The Gentle Bear,"
"Awww," Lambert grinned at Aux who was looking pleased.
"I'm looking forward to hearing your songs, and what you call Lambert," Coen smirked.
"Wha…have you got a name for me?" Lambert spun around to Jaskier who smirked devilishly at him.
"Do you have one for me?" Aiden asked.
"The Courageous Cat," Jaskier nodded.
"What about mine? What have you come up with?" Lambert asked, looking a little wide-eyed and panicked.
"I'm thinking…Whining Wolf…" Jaskier said thoughtfully.
"Don't you dare you…" Lambert growled and Geralt snarled back at him.
"Boys," Vesemir sighed.
"My hero," Jaskier beamed up at Geralt.
"Don't encourage him," Vesemir sighed pinching the bridge of his nose.
"Sorry," Jaskier grinned.
"Apologies, I am going to steal my brother for a dance," Felcia said coming over to the group, Geralt glanced down at Jaskier confused when the bard tightened his grip around his arm before standing on his toes and hugged him.
"I had Eilhal put extra hard leather in the toes of my boots for this exact moment, she is awful at dancing," Jaskier said softly into his ear before kissing his cheek and leading Felcia to the dancefloor while Geralt and the other Witchers tried not to laugh.
"How are you doing?" Vesemir asked after pointedly waving the rest of them off.
"I am looking forward to getting out of here and being the centre of attention, it is starting to annoy me, but I am ok," Geralt looked at where Jaskier and Felcia were dancing, Jaskier grimacing suddenly as his sister stepped on his foot.
"You are content with marrying him?" Vesemir asked.
"Yes," Geralt turned to him, confused.
"I felt so bad, you taking this on your shoulders, especially as I felt that it was because of what happened with her. I hope that this is life giving you back something that you deserve," Vesemir patted his arm.
"I like he touches me so much," Geralt blurted out.
"Oh?" Vesemir smiled at him bemused.
"He is tactile, you can see that, but I think he is more so with me because he knows how much I enjoy the contact, I didn't realise how much I wanted touch, gentle, kind touch that wasn't from you, Lambert or Eskel," Geralt looked back to his husband. "It is so odd thinking that he is my husband," he laughed a little looking down at the ring on his finger.
"I am very proud of you Geralt, and I have so much hope that you and he will be very happy," Vesemir squeezed his shoulder.
Geralt blinked when Jaskier grabbed his hand and tugged him away from where he was standing on the edge of the crowd and tugged him over to the corner of the room, tugging him behind a tapestry.
"Jaski…" Geralt asked.
"Shhh," Jaskier laughed quietly, turning towards the wall and fiddling with stone before pressing against it and a door opened. He grinned at Geralt reaching out and taking his hand again and tugging him through the door.
"Won't someone say something?" Geralt asked concerned even as he hurried faster down the hallway.
"Probably," Jaskier grinned at him. "Do you care?"
"Absolutely not!" Geralt snorted.
"You looked like you were starting to twitch any second," Jaskier said leading the way up the stairs. "And if I had to put up with one more of them making a comment about how 'brave' I am I was going to start throwing drinks,"
"Compared to how you are with us compared to them every time one of us looks at them, you are brave," Geralt snorted as Jaskier opened the door to his bedroom and drew Geralt in, locking the door behind them.
"I only really want you looking at me right now," Jaskier said coyly, biting his lip as he leaned against the door.
"It is difficult not to look at you," Geralt admitted, taking a step closer to the Bard again.
"Really?" Jaskier's voice became thick with desire.
"Really, especially now that you are my husband, and I am yours," Geralt said roughly stepping against Jaskier and looking down into those burning blue eyes.
"You're mine and I am yours, I like the sound of that," Jaskier breathed out reaching up to once more wrap his arms around Geralt's shoulders. "I love how broad and strong your shoulders are," he admitted, and Geralt wondered for a second if he had spoken out loud.
"I like you touching me," Geralt leaned down to brush their lips together.
"May I touch you more?" Jaskier asked leaning up to press their lips together again.
"Don't stop," Geralt allowed himself to say.
"Never," Jaskier promised and he reached down to quickly open Geralt's jacket as the Witcher captured his lips in a fierce and fiery kiss, more heated and demanding than they had shared before, his hands spanning Jaskier's waist before stroking down his waist and cupping Jaskier's pert arse, groaning into his mouth at the handfuls he got.
Jaskier tugged the coat off of Geralt, the two of them wrestling a little as he tried to tug the coat fully off, but Geralt was unwilling to give up his handfuls. Growling at Jaskier he finally let go and the now laughing Bard yanked the jacket off, and then quickly tugged his shirt off as well, throwing both to the side before he grabbed Geralt's wrists and settled his hands back onto his arse before quickly stripping off his own coat.
"Your hair," Jaskier groaned rubbing his hands over Geralt's undercut between kisses.
"You like it?" Geralt asked tugging Jaskier away from the door and started steering them towards the bed.
"I love it, I nearly swallowed my tongue when I saw it," Jaskier hummed, his fingers drifting up to run through his ponytail and tugged it lightly, swallowing the rumble Geralt let out. Geralt lifted Jaskier and placed him onto the bed before reaching down to divest Jaskier of his boots and then his own, sending both sets flying over his back with a couple of thumps, and then reached for the ties of Jaskier's trousers, feeling as though he was unwrapping a gift.
"So stunning," Geralt groaned stripping Jaskier's trousers off of him and listening eagerly to the groan that the Bard let out as he leaned down to kiss his stomach right over his small clothes, kissing along his hip and then down his hip, tugging Jaskier's smallclothes with him as he kissed down along his thigh, moving to his inside thigh and down until he tugged Jaskier's smallclothes off and tossed them too to the side.
"Geralt," Jaskier whined reaching down to tug the white haired Witcher back up his body and pressed their lips together again, reaching down between them to unlace Geralt's trousers, shoving them down his hips, whining as he wrapped his hand around Geralt's thick cock.
Geralt groaned as Jaskier started stroking his cock, thrusting slightly into the grip around him as he looked down into those stunning blue eyes as he placed his hands on either side of Jaskier's head. "Melitele, you're hand," Geralt groaned, dropping his head and thrusting harder.
"Geralt," Jaskier groaned back. Geralt tipped his head back and kissed him again, biting Jaskier's bottom lip and running his slightly sharp teeth gently over the full bottom lip, reaching between them to take Jaskier's hand from him, linking their fingers together and kissed him with everything that he was feeling into the kiss, listening to the pants and groans that came from the human.
Jaskier reached out and grasped for underneath his pillow, managing to grab onto the sheets and tug the pillow close enough to shove his hand underneath it and pressed a vial of oil into the Witcher's hand.
"Fuck," Geralt groaned.
"That is the idea dear husband," Jaskier panted before pulling Geralt back down into a kiss, unable to get enough of him. Geralt quickly slicked his fingers with the oil and quickly pressed a finger inside of Jaskier.
"You're loose," Geralt groaned.
"I played with myself this morning, thinking of you, thinking of this moment, thinking of…" Jaksier's next words were cut off by Geralt's mouth descending on him and devouring him as he pressed another finger into Jaskier and started thrusting, stretching the Bard ready for him as carefully but quickly as he could.
Geralt made sure that Jaskier was ready for him, listening eagerly to the noises that the young man was making underneath him, drinking in the noises, and memorising them. He pulled back and dribbled more oil into his hand, quickly slicking himself up, and then growled loudly when Jaskier bent his legs and spread them for Geralt in a clear offering, and to his delight Jaskier only groaned at his growl, clearly getting even more aroused by it.
Pressing into Jaskier was like coming home and Geralt wasn't even sure what noise he made as he slipped home all the way into Jaskier's body right to the root, Jaskier's hot, tight body embracing him as he fluttered around him.
They moved together, slowly at first, but then they moved faster against each other as what that had been building between them flared brighter and brighter, their slick skin slid sensuously against each other as Jaskier clung onto Geralt's muscled back and arched into the pounding thrusts of the Witcher, groans and moans being punched out of him with each thrust, while Geralt moaned and growled into the Bard's shoulder where he had buried his face, breathing in the gorgeous scent of Jaskier and sex and himself filling the air, holding his husband with one arm under his back and the other hand cupping his shoulder to pull the groaning man down onto his cock.
"Geralt!" Jaskier cried out and the Witcher groaned in approval as the young man came, spilling between their stomachs in a torrent, throwing his head back as he lost himself in the amazing orgasm that washed over him, holding tighter onto Geralt as though scared he would disappear. But Geralt stayed firm against his husband, managing to thrust just a few more times into the now burning heat of Jaskier's body, and came as deeply inside of him as he could.
"Do they bother you?" Geralt asked lowly, feeling a little concerned as Jaskier's gentle fingers ran over the scars on his chest.
"No, well, only that it means you have been hurt so often in the past to protect people and yet they still think of you the way they do. It makes me even more determined," Jaskier said leaning down to press a kiss to the deep claw scars running over Geralt's pec.
They had been laying for nearly an hour like this after their lovemaking, having managed to shuffle themselves fully up the bed and under the covers, though it had been more of an effort on Geralt's part and Jaskier just happily allowed the Witcher to move him.
"We're married," Jaskier said into the darkness of the room except for the fire still flickering in the fireplace and warming the room. Without even looking at Jaskier Geralt could tell that he was smiling.
"Married," Geralt agreed, and he couldn't stop the smile that touched his own lips.
"Are you ready to start our lives together?" Jaskier sighed happily, moving to rest his head on Geralt's chest.
"More than, I think we have made a pretty good start to it," Geralt smiled looking down at Jaskier, stroking his fingers up and down the Bard's naked back.
"Pretty good indeed…though…" Jaskier mischievously cheekily at him.
"Though?" Geralt smirked having a good idea where this was going.
"I had hoped that a few of the rumours about Witchers would be true," Jaskier nodded, licking his lips and sliding up Geralt's body, sliding his leg over Geralt and straddling him.
"Any rumour in particular that you are interested in?" Geralt asked, cupping Jaskier's thighs and massaging the flesh, watching hungrily as Jaskier started breathing a little heavier, his hips starting to thrust against Geralt.
"I heard that Witcher's are voracious lovers," Jaskier bit his bottom lip.
"Well, you are curious, perhaps we should explore the theory?" Geralt growled.
"I do like investigating and exploring," Jaskier grinned before leaning down to press their lips together again, reaching back to grip Geralt's almost fully hard erection and sinking down onto it again with a groan of pleasure being drawn from the both of them.