"I wrote this in the moonlight" - part 2
Jaskier x FemReader - Part 2/3
no warnings
They arrived at the cavern in the middle of the forest a day later. If y/n had not brought them here, they surely would have missed it entirely. The entrance was just high enough to walk upright and overgrown with so much green it even paled the jungle surrounding them. Stairs that were carved directly into the rock lead downwards into the darkness.
“This is it.” said y/n and stopped at the entrance.”You should find what you're looking for down there.”
Jaskier looked up at her and noticed the tension in her behaviour. “You're not coming with us?” he asked and she pulled her gaze away from the entrance and over to Jaskier.
“No, I can't go in there.” she said, holding his gaze. “I…I just…”
“It's fine.” He answered, watching her for a moment before he said, “you don't need to.”
“I will wait for you out here,” she said and Geralt saw Jaskier’s face twitch with hurt before the bard answered, “We’ll see”.
Yennifer pulled up her brows, but the Witcher just shook his head and followed the bard inside.
***
They went down the stairs and arrived at what seemed to have been enormous stone doors for an even bigger room. The doors were shattered and the debris was scattered over the floor. The room behind was illuminated by a small opening at the very top. The walls were smooth stone, which were carved with hundreds of ornaments.
And right in the middle of the room there was a gigantic throne carved out of a single piece of stone.
“That must be it.” Yennifer said amazed and walked over to the throne stroking a hand over it. “But how is this going to help us? It doesn't seem to have any magic in it.”
“What did the mage say again?” Ciri asked and Geralt answered, “He said, the empty throne will help you to a power which will aid you in your fight.” The Witcher was still watching the carvings in the stone as he recognized a pattern. “But I don’t think it's about the throne.”
Yennifer and Jaskier joined him and he pointed at the wall. “These aren't just ornaments. These are words in an ancient language. It looks like it's the story of someone who had been trapped down here.”
“You can read this?” Jaskier asked and Geralt shook his head.
“Just fragments, it's very old,” he answered.
“It's an old elven language,” Yennifer said and the two men looked over to her. Her fingertips were brushing over the stone carefully. “But I can't read it either. I just saw something like this some time ago.'' She kept watching as Jaskier walked over to the entrance but Geralt kept his eyes on Yennifer.
“Is there something else?” he asked the witch.
“It just does sound familiar. Do you know the old tale about the lost elven queen?”
The Witcher raised a brow, “you mean the fairy tale? Why do you think it has something to do with this?”
“I heard a version of the story once in which the queen was trapped by a mage a thousand years ago. The story spoke of a tomb and I assumed they meant he killed her but…the ancient elven language, the throne in the middle and the crushed stone doors as if someone broke out?” she looked at the Witcher who waited for her to continue.
“And if she broke out of here after a thousand years of solitude…” Jaskier spoke up. He was standing by the shattered door, a fragment of stone in his hands, eyes fixed on the broken piece. “...how big is the chance for her to be afraid to go near this cave or at least refuse to enter it again.” He looked at Geralt who took the stone out of Jaskiers hand and then let out a breathed “Fuck” after he too saw the bloody scratch marks on the surface of the stone as if someone had tried to claw their way out.
Geralt turned back to Yennifer who looked at the stone, “a thousand years, alone trapped in this place.” she whispered. “And we made her come back here.”
“Jask-” the witch started but Ciri interrupted her. “He is already gone.” she said and looked at Geralt. “Did Jaskier tell you what is going on with him and y/n?”
The Witcher let out a sigh and started to tell them what the bard had told him the day before.
***
Jaskier had run up the stairs as fast as he could, praying to all the gods he could think of that she was still outside of the cave. Panting he reached the entrance, his eyes scanning the place where he had left her. For a second he couldn't find anyone there and his heart sank but then his eyes found her sitting on a boulder, her back to the cave, legs pulled up against her chest. She looked so utterly lost that his heart broke a little more for her.
“Y/n!” he called and her head snapped up at the sound. She stood up from the sound and turned towards the bard.
“Did something happen? Are you hurt?” she asked worry showing in her eyes and Jaskier wanted to kiss her so badly.
“Is it true?” He asked, trying to catch his breath, “were you the one trapped down there for a thousand years?”
Y/n’s shoulders slumped and her head turned to avoid Jaskiers intense gaze. “There was once a version of me who was trapped down there but…I don't know who that person was anymore.” She whispered.
Jaskier took another step towards her and then stopped. “So it's true then? You are the lost queen from the fairy tale?”
She looked over to the forest as if she needed to think. “Queen, that word has been ringing in my head for a while now but I don't think I could be considered a queen anymore.” she laughed bitterly looking at the bard. “I have almost no power left and no elf can even remember me anymore. Until a year ago my mind was so scrambled that I could barely remember my own name.”
He took another step, the urge to pull her into his arms to never let go again was unimaginable. “Is that why you left me there?” He asked, his voice raspy.
“I wanted nothing more than to stay with you.” she said her eyes wet and voice low. “When I awoke the morning after, it was like a dam was breaking in my head. Every memory came back to me. All at once. I could suddenly remember things about my past…about what happened to me and it was too much. I was cursed, Jaskier. Cursed to be alone for the rest of my days and I was so scared that it was going to affect you if I stayed.”
“You could have told me that and let me make my own choice,” he answered.
They were staring at each other, not sure what to say next as Geralt, Yennifer and Ciri came back out of the cave.
“We are pretty sure that your curse was broken that day.” Yennifer told her.
“What?”
“Your memories suddenly returned, you said. I think this was the sign your curse was broken.” Yen said. “If I understand this curse correctly it was used to keep you lonely and what is more lonely than losing the memory of the people you love?”
“But I thought there was nothing that could break it? Not even as I managed to escape this prison was I able to end it. Why at this moment?” Y/n asked and Yennifer smirked at her.
“There is one thing that can break even the strongest curse you know.” The witch said. “And you somehow manage to find it at such a very strange place.”
Y/n´s cheeks reddened as the realisation hit her but Jaskier just looked puzzled. “What do you mean? What Is strong enough to lift a thousand year old curse?” he asked, obviously oblivious.
Geralt walked over to the bard and put a hand on his shoulder. “Probably moonlight and river water.” the Witcher said, smirking and Jaskier nodded understandingly.
“That sounds rather easy doesn't it?” he added and Yennifer rolled her eyes before she said, “As I said, such a strange place.”
***
“It looks like we're back at square one now, what are we going to do now?” Jaskier asked as they all sat by a fire they made in the forest away from the cave.
“I'm sorry that I'm such a disappointment to you.” Y/n snapped at the bard, instantly regretting the harsh tone.
“That was absolutely not what I meant by that.” Jaskier said, defending himself. “And you know it.” The air between the two had green tense on the last day and y/n didn't knew how to fix it. The realisation of how her curse was broken still lingered fresh in her mind.
true love…
It couldn't be the reason, could it? Maybe it had been but probably only from her side. She couldn't imagine that he had fallen for her after days and weeks of banter and teasing. She had made his life unnecessarily hard back then and she was still sorry for it.
“Do you think there is a way to get back the rest of my magic?” she asked, turning to Yennifer who was still in deep thoughts. The Witch raised her head, a smirk on her face and answered, “you could try jumping in the same river as back then.”
Y/n could feel the heat creep up into her cheeks at the hidden suggestion and she shook her head. “No, that is not an option.”
“I don't think it will work, there is no curse anymore her magic must be dampened by something else.” Geralt said and y/n was thankful for the help. “The best option would probably be to find out what it is that is holding you back. Sometimes emotions can interfere with magic as well as a curse. Some emotions are strong, fear, hate or guilt. He said looking at her at the last word and she stared back at him knowing exactly what he meant.
The thing was, she felt guilty for so many things she had no idea where to start.
“If there is something you feel guilty about, maybe you could try and forgive yourself. It could help you get back a part of your magic.” Yennifer said and y/n let out a sarcastic laugh. “You have no idea what you're talking about. There is no forgiveness for me.”
“You can tell us. Maybe we can help you.” Ciri said after silently following the whole argument. Y/n turned to the princess not able to be angry at her she said, “There is no use, princess. I'm the reason my whole kingdom crumbled and most of my people suffered for a thousand years. There is no forgiveness for me.”
***
After they returned from the forest they decided to part ways the next day. Y/n had brought them to the place they had searched for but it had not aided them in their search for a power to help them. She had feared that they would be disappointed and even if they did not say anything like that, she still felt as if she had again failed the people who needed her help.
That night she had decided to drown her sorrows in the smallest tavern she could find and continue her disappointing life the next day. Unfortunately for her, Jaskier and his friends were not willing to give up so easily. She had not taken more than one sip from her first ale when the door to the tavern swung open and they all (except Ciri) walked in and took the empty chairs at her table as if it was the most natural thing in the world.
“So what are our next steps?” Jaskier asked and y/n watched them over her cup.
“We still need to find a way to get y/n powers back and then we see what will happen next.” Yennifer answered. “There are some things I learned in Aretuza to trigger blocked magic inside someone, maybe something will work.”
“Sorry but what are you talking about?” Y/n asked, confused watching them one after another.
“What do you mean?” Yennifer asked honestly confused, “We are trying to get you back what you lost and make sure the remnants of the curse are gone completely. I thought it was clear that this will be our next step?”
Y/n put her cup back on the table still trying to comprehend the effort they wanted to put into her obviously lost cause. “I don't think you should waste your time with me, I cannot help anyone anymore. Maybe I never could.” She whispered the last part before she took another sip from her cup.
“I think that's where you are wrong. I think you have a lot of potential still in you if you just would let me help-” Yennifer started but y/n stopped her. “I think you're betting on the wrong horse here, Yennifer. Just leave it be and go search for help somewhere else.” Y/n emptied her cup and got up from the table, she could not hear another word from the witch. “Just leave me alone and search for your help elsewhere.” And so she got up and left the tavern without looking back at them. So much for a quiet night with self pity and alcohol.
***
She had walked the streets of the city for a while, blinking away her tears again and again hoping that they had left the tavern when she got back. Unfortunately she had no luck tonight because as she neared the tavern again, she saw a familiar shape waiting beside the front door.
Jaskier looked up as he heard the footsteps coming towards the tavern and he suddenly was very nervous. A feeling he did not feel often.
“They wanted to look for you but I told them you would be back.” He said as she stopped in front of him.
“How could you possibly know that?”
“Well, I wished you would and just hoped it would be enough this time.” The sliver of disappointment in his voice stung deep in her chest and she had to look away.
“The things Yennifer expects of me, I…I don't think I can live up to them. She thinks I have this huge power and all it takes is for me to trigger it and everyone's problems will be gone but…I can't even fight my own demons yet alone those of others. I'm just a thing out of some old fairy tales, a relic that was supposed to be dead for centuries. There is nothing I can do.”
Jaskier did not answer for a moment, a circumstance she did not see often with him, but then he said, “But there is the thing, y/n. You're not dead, you are here, you live and breathe and still you think you have no right to. What does it matter if you have no power or never will again. Look at me, I should have died a lot of times.” He drew out the last part and your lips twitched which made the corner of his mouth do the same. “And I'm here and as long as I am I will do what I can to support my friends and the people I love.”
“But I have no one.” she whispered and his heart sank for her.
“That's not true, and even if it were, you could still fight for yourself. But you have me and now probably Yennifer and Ciri and Geralt. Even if they don’t show it, they're not going to give up on you like this.”
Her eyes had started to burn and she needed to bite down on her lip to stop herself from crying. “Why are you still so kind to me?”
His eyes softened and he stepped closer to her and reached out to pull her into his arms, “Because you mean too much to me.”