Aiden POV
We had finally arrived in Beauclair. Syanna was behind me on Ganon, holding onto my waist so she wouldn't fall. The whispers started almost immediately, barely after our steps echoed on the cobblestones.
"Look, it's her…"
"The cursed one is back."
"She's going to bring misfortune upon us again!"
I tightened the reins, my knuckles whitening from the tension. I was used to insults in the North. Mutant. Monster. Butcher. But hearing it aimed at someone I… cared about it ate away at me.
Maybe she felt it. Syanna gently tightened her arms around me. Her voice, calm, reached me like a whisper."Don't worry. I'm used to these greetings. To those words. As long as the ones who matter see me as a woman and not a monster… that's enough for me."
She rested her head against my back."But I'll need you when we're in front of Anna. So promise me you won't lose your temper."
I sighed softly."I promise. I'll keep my cool."
When we arrived in front of the duchess's castle, guards were already posted, weapons drawn. At the front, Captain Damien watched us warily.
I got off Ganon and helped Syanna down. She placed her hand on my chest for just a brief moment as she straightened. A small, discreet gesture but sincere.
Damien stepped forward, hand on his sword's hilt.
"Witcher, what's the meaning of this? You've brought the cursed princess here?"
I slowly drew my sword just in case.
"Yes. Because we need to speak to the duchess. Immediately. And her sister needs to be there. You can come too, if it makes you feel better."
Damien shook his head.
"No way. Hand her over. She has no place here."
I moved between him and Syanna. She did the same, drawing her blade.
The guards took their positions, Damien ready to strike. Then a voice rang out:
"That's enough! Everyone stop! That's an order!"
Everyone froze. Duchess Anna Henrietta was descending the castle steps, followed by her advisors. When she saw Syanna, she stopped in her tracks.
Damien approached her.
"Your Grace, it's…" he began, hesitating.
"I know who it is," she cut him off. She stepped forward, unguarded, and gently touched Syanna's face.
"My sister… is it really you?" she said softly.
Syanna caught her hand, pushed it away gently, and looked away. She took a slow breath, then looked at me. I gave her a small, silent nod just to remind her she wasn't alone.
She turned back to Anna and spoke in a calm voice."If there's still even a trace of family love left in you, Anna… then hear me out. Hear what Aiden and I have to say. The future of Toussaint depends on it."
Anna, clearly hurt by the rejection, still nodded.
"Very well. Follow me. We'll talk in my study."
"Your Grace," Damien protested. "It's too dangerous!"
Anna shot him a fierce look.
"If he wanted to harm me, Damien, he would've done it when I was alone at his side. But if it eases your mind, you can accompany us."
She turned on her heels, and we followed her silently into the castle.
--
Aiden's POV
Once inside the duchess's luxurious office, we remained standing. Syanna held herself upright despite the tension, and Anna Henrietta, seated behind her grand wooden desk, stared at us with an odd coldness but I could tell it was just for show. Her gaze lingered on her sister a little longer, as if trying to recognize the girl she once knew.
Finally, she spoke.
"I'm listening, sister."
Her voice was steady, laced with guilt. It hinted at an invisible wall standing between them. I could feel Syanna stiffen slightly beside me. She took a long breath, then replied in a firm tone.
"We're here to talk to you about a real threat, Anna. The disappearances shaking Toussaint aren't isolated incidents. This isn't the work of ordinary bandits."
Anna didn't answer. She crossed her arms, chin slightly raised. Her silence wasn't scornful, but heavy like every emotion was being tightly held back. Syanna frowned.
"You're not saying anything? Still so good at looking away."
"Princess or not, this isn't the time or place to settle old scores," Damien growled before glancing toward Anna. "Forgive my tone, Your Grace… but the safety of Toussaint comes first."
I slowly turned to him, locking eyes.
"Exactly, Captain. And if you care about that safety, then let her speak."
Syanna cast me a quick glance, then continued, her voice tight with both anger and fear.
She crossed her arms and said in a cold voice, "You must've read Damien's report. Aiden told me what happened at the morgue. Dead bodies, in broad daylight. Higher vampires walking the streets of Beauclair... Are you really going to look away again, Anna?"
Anna didn't move. Her eyes drifted to me, then back to Syanna. Something flickered there pain, maybe… or regret.
"I know about the attacks," she finally whispered. "Damien told me everything. But organizing a response, alerting the people… it could cause uncontrollable panic. I have to think of the duchy's stability."
Syanna let out a bitter laugh.
"Stability? You mean that festival? That parade of lies? You'd rather maintain an illusion of peace than face the truth? Are you going to sacrifice your people again like you sacrificed me?"
"Syanna," I said gently, placing a hand on her arm.
She froze, took a deep breath, then looked away. Anna hadn't moved, but her fingers were trembling as they fidgeted with the ring she'd received as a child, back when she and her sister were still close.
Damien broke the silence, voice sharp.
"That's all talk. Do you have any proof to back it up?"
I held his gaze and said sarcastically, "No. No formal proof. No body, no trophy to put on display."
I took a step forward, meeting Anna's eyes.
"But you have my testimony and the captain's. He was there when a higher vampire appeared right in the morgue, in broad daylight. It killed a doctor and almost murdered him. I injured it. It fled, taking with it a fragment we were examining."
I paused, my tone deepening.
"And that wasn't an isolated case. A few days earlier, another higher vampire ambushed me in a warehouse outside the city. It was faster, stronger than anything I've ever fought."
Damien stayed silent for a moment, then looked away, jaw tight. He knew I was telling the truth, but his duty bound him to the duchess's will.
Anna slowly stood from her chair and walked around her desk to face us.
"Why now? Why come back, Syanna?" she asked, not with hostility, but with a hint of pain.
Syanna looked straight at her.
"Because this time, it's not just about me. Or you. Because I've seen what I was becoming what rejection turned me into."
She paused, her voice trembling despite herself. Then continued:
"When I reached out, you looked away. You said nothing when our parents banished me. You chose your comfort over my existence."
"It's not that simple," Anna murmured.
"No, it's not," Syanna cut in, more sharply. "And yet here I am. Not to claim a throne. Not even to ask for your forgiveness. I'm here because I've chosen not to look away. Because even if the kingdom sees me as cursed, I now know that's a lie and I am here as a princess who will always fight for her land!"
Anna stepped back slightly, visibly shaken. Her expression tightened, but she didn't let anything show.
I took a small step forward, my voice calm.
"This isn't about revenge. What Syanna says is true. We can't wait for more people to die before we act. You've read Damien's report. You've seen the wounds. This isn't a myth it's happening."
Damien opened his mouth to speak, but Anna raised her hand to stop him.
She stayed motionless for a moment, her gaze lost in the void. Then she turned to face us again.
"I'll give you this chance. One chance only. I'll order increased surveillance during the festival. And you'll have Damien and my royal guard at your disposal. I'll let you act… but discreetly. One misstep, one mistake and you'll both be arrested."
I nodded. Syanna remained silent.
As Anna turned back to her desk, Syanna spoke softly:
"…Thank you, Anna."
The duchess didn't reply. But in the slight hesitation of her hand as she reached to straighten a document, there was something left unsaid.
--
A few hours later
A large table stood at the center of the room, covered with a detailed map of Beauclair and its surroundings. Several candles cast a warm light over the concentrated faces gathered around it: Anna Henrietta, arms crossed, studied the map; Damien stood nearby, his gaze hard; Syanna, standing a little apart, silently stared at the markings; and I was there too, watching the map, waiting for Regis to arrive.
The door creaked open. Regis entered, his steps calm amidst the tension in the room. He had changed clothes his outfit was simpler than usual, yet it still carried a certain elegance.
"Are you ready?" he asked without preamble, placing a small wooden box on the table and opening it with a precise gesture.
Inside were several vials and leather pouches filled with powder.
"Purified silver, extracted by blacksmiths I convinced to collaborate. With Aiden's help, we also crafted bombs capable of blinding or temporarily slowing higher vampires. It won't be enough to kill them… but it might buy you precious time. And with what little material I had left, I made a few Dancing Star bombs."
Damien, who had been silent until now, approached the box, eyeing the vials suspiciously.
"And our swords?" he asked.
Regis looked at him gravely.
"They've been treated in an alchemical silver bath. It'll make them more effective against creatures of that kind. But again, don't expect miracles. Against Thúrlas and his kin... courage alone won't be enough."
Damien gave a small nod. "How long can we hold them?"
"That depends on where they strike," I replied. "If they attack through the city, it'll be chaos. But if they choose to confront us outside the walls, we'll have a chance to contain Thúrlas and his three remaining higher vampires."
Regis pointed to a vast plain east of Beauclair."This is where he'll appear. It's a strategic choice for him: open enough for him to unleash his full strength and flaunt his superiority."
"He's arrogant," Syanna added. "He wants us to see him coming, to feel fear, to know we can't stop him."
"And he'll be right," Anna said in a low voice, her gaze hard. "Unless we prove him wrong."
I leaned over the map.
"We need to split our forces. The main guard, supported by the knights, will stay within the city to contain the lesser vampires. Meanwhile, the royal guard and the enchanted reinforcements will take position here."
I pointed to the heart of the plain.
I placed my finger on the central point just north of the city where the plains stretched wide.
"We'll have to face Thúrlas and the three higher vampires head-on. I'll try to hold off Thúrlas, buy us some time. During that time, you'll need to take down the other three."
A heavy silence settled over the room. Damien straightened, his fist clenching on the table.
"You plan to face him alone? He's no ordinary creature, Aiden. He's an ancient."
"I know what I'm doing," I replied. "I'm not trying to beat him. Just to hold him off… long enough."
Regis exchanged a dark look with me, understanding exactly what that meant without a word. He knew I was risking my life. He also knew he wouldn't try to talk me out of it.
I felt a brush near my arm. Syanna had moved closer to the table, arms crossed, her eyes locked on the map. When she spoke, her voice was calm but carried a faint hint of tenderness.
"Don't be an idiot."
I turned my head toward her and nodded. She kept her mask on, as always, but I noticed her fingers clenching slightly at her sleeve, betraying her nerves.
"I'm not going to die," I said simply. "Not while you're all still fighting."
She didn't answer. She looked away, but I saw her jaw tighten. She didn't want to say anything. Not now. Not in front of everyone.
Anna Henrietta stepped closer too and added solemnly:
"We'll come to your aid as soon as we can."
"Then there's nothing left to hesitate about," Regis concluded. "Our main forces will hold the city districts. The majority of the guard must keep the lesser vampires contained inside the walls, while we..." He pointed again to the plains on the map. "...we'll be waiting for them here."
Damien nodded, resolute.
"We'll defeat them. Even if it costs us our lives."
I straightened up, my hand still pressed against the table.
"Then get ready. In a few hours… war will begin."
Syanna stepped back slightly, saying nothing. But while everyone else started leaving the room, she remained by my side, her eyes fixed on the map. I was about to speak when she cut me off, without looking at me:
"Don't play the hero, Aiden. You don't have anything to prove."
I smiled faintly.
"I'm not doing it to prove anything. I'm doing it because it's what needs to be done."
She stood still for a moment, then abruptly turned away.
"Then do it. But come back."
And without another word, she left.
I watched her go without answering.But deep down, I knew.Even if she didn't say it… she cared about me.