AU!!! Jaskier is a stable boy and Geralt is the grumpy™️ but also soft™️ Prince who spends a little bit TOO much time in the stables
geralt is the second son of king vesemir and basically cares not about the crown as his older brother eskel is the crown prince. he just spends his time training or taking care of roach.
he has to leave with his family to meet queen calanthe tho, and knows roach can't come but no one will be able to touch her while he's gone. he just hopes she'll be fed but when he returns, roach is as pretty as before, her mane now braided with some yellow flowers
he has no idea who's taking caste for his horse, the mare no one can touch, and there's no way to catch the stable boy, as geralt's busy with lessons/training when the stables are full
he finally sneaks out one day in the morning, and finds the prettiest man he's ever seen tending to roach, calling her a pretty lady and braiding flowers into her mane. geralt obviously uses anger to mask his crush and basically screams at the stable boy who, susprisingly, screams right back and calls geralt a dick. with balls.
eskel who hears is, is too amused to actually punish the sassy stable boy and introduces himself. the stable boy, jaskier, doesn't back down even knowing geralt is a prince, just saying that he never knew a prince could be such an angry asshole. geralt is inevitably charmed by someone insulting him.
they start spending time together in the stables, bonding over roach and love for other animals. geralt knows almost nothing about where jaskier came from but he knows he's sweet and gentle and kind, a bit sassy, a bit angry at nobles and royalty, a bit sharp. delightfully fearless as well
jaskier, in turn, comes to love the quiet price who hides his shyness with anger and stoicism, but loves his horse and likes to pet stray cats and visit the villagers. it makes everything very complicated, since his masters are waiting for his report back to the creed, with news on whether or not the royal family is using the apple
5+ headcanons for aus!