𝐋𝐚𝐫𝐚’𝐬 𝐁𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 (𝐚𝐤𝐚 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐛𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟)

(( This is a headcanon I’ve been wanting to write for awhile because it is the backstory I’ve given to my Lara, explaining why she did what she did, leaving her people behind and ending up with Cregennan. ))

Born as the daughter and only child to Shiadhal and Auberon Muircetach — King and Queen of the Aen Elle —Lara’s life was pre-destined for her from the start. According to the prophecy of the elven diviner Ithlinne, the Child of Elder Blood will one day save the elves from annihilation. Lara, being the result of a genetic potential many years in the making, possessed Hen Ichaer aka Elder Blood in her veins and was meant to carry on the blood line by bearing an even more special child. As a princess, Lara was raised to carry on these beliefs and traditions from a young age, knowing her only goals in life were to provide hope for her people and someday be a mother of her own. And for a time, Lara believed it so and was happy about it, even following her in father’s shoes, learning how to become an Aen Saevherne. However, as she grew up, Lara started to wonder what would happen if she started to drift away from the path she was destined to follow? What if she didn’t have to marry? What if she didn’t want to have a child? What would happen if she stopped playing the part of the perfect princess and just acted like herself? In fact, who was Lara Dorren besides being the beloved Princess of the Aen Elle and the carrier of the Elder Blood that would save them all? These thoughts were always silenced, hidden deep inside her behind a smile and building up to become something of a tranquil fury of rebellion. Lara loved her people and her father, and she did care for Avallac’h, but the role she was destined to play had started suffocating her like a leash too tight around her neck. Lara felt she couldn’t make the choices she wanted to, but most importantly – Lara felt like she couldn’t be herself, otherwise she would disappoint everyone. It was either the fake savior princess or the disappointment of a daughter. After it all started to become too much, Lara weighed her options, knowing the risks she would be taking, but she wouldn’t come to fully understand them until she did so. If she left her life behind in Tir ná Lia to be with Cregennan, Lara knew she would be invoking her father’s wrath and hurting those she cared about, but it wouldn’t be forever. And if she stayed there, nothing would ever be real. She would be fulfilling the role set upon her since birth, but it wouldn’t be Lara living her destiny, just a shell of the girl who hides behind a smile and acts like everything is perfect. So…from there, her choice seemed obvious. It also didn’t help that she had fallen in love with a human who let her by herself and still loved her for it. And If Lara’s gonna die someday, she’s determined to go out making her own choices and living her life the way she chooses. At least it’s real.

Songs that fit Lara with this headcanon: Like Other Girls from Mulan 2 & Reflection from Mulan

The face and hands of the King of the Alders were almost as white as his shirt. He looked up at her, those eyes were empty. 'Shiadhal?' he whispered. 'Thank goodness you're here. You know, they have been saying that you're dead.' He opened his hand and something fell to the carpet. It was the grey-green bottle. 'Lara,' the King of the Alders shook his head and touched his neck as if the golden royal torc'h was choking him. 'Caemm a me, Luned. Come to me daughter. Caemm a me, elaine.' His breath smelled of death. 'Elaine blath, feainnewedd...' he crooned. 'Look, luned, you have untied your ribbon... Let me...' He tried to raise his hand, but he failed.

Auberon Muircetach mistaking Ciri for Lara and Shiadhal in The Lady of the Lake

@revoevokukil I started to write you an ask about Avallac'h that turned into a half-meta/half-ask mess of thoughts that was way too long to drop in your inbox. Sorry about that! BUT if you've got the spoons I'd love to hear your opinion of Avallach's endgame post-TW3 (even though I know you focus mostly on the books). If not, please don't worry about it! I know it's a lot!

If anyone else is else interested, you can find me talking to myself about Ciri and Crevan's post-TW3 relationship under the cut. I hid it under the break because while this blog isn't spoiler free the content is rather more detailed than usual.

(Also anyone even moderately interested in the Aen Elle should definitely check out @revoevokukil's fics and meta. You won't find better.)

So since you’ve been going at it with the excellent Avallac’h thoughts this week, I’ve got a question for you, since you have spent so much time time thinking about him and are much more immersed in the lore.

I’ve been tossing ideas for a post-TW3 Ciri/Avallac’h/Morvran fic around in my head (which absolutely no one has asked for) but it won’t quite settle into a clear narrative. I think part of the problem is that the interpersonal dynamics are obviously incredibly messy - Avallac'h and Ciri's most so.

The thing I’ve been trying to figure out is simple, and yet not simple at all. What does Avallac’h want?

To explain. The end of Witcher 3 (as I understand it) leaves Avallac'h's story very open ended. From what we learn throughout the course of the game, it seems easy to assume that his future goes one of two ways. 1) With Eredin’s death, he returns to Tir na Lia and becomes king or, 2) he disappears into the mists, leaving us to assume he went off to live on some other world, minding his own business and no longer concerned with the larger workings of fate.

I’m throwing out option two on the basis that it contradicts everything we know about Crevan’s character. He has spent his entire life believing, no, knowing, that he was destined to play a key role in the fate of the Aen Elle - retirement doesn’t suit him.

As for becoming king - maybe? It’s not that I don’t think the crown would suit him; he’s not averse to positions of power. And true, we don’t know much about the political factions and how exactly one rises to power in Tir na Lia (or at least I don’t). However, even though Avallac’h is clearly a respected and powerful member of their society and near the royal family, he and Laura never got all the way to the altar. He doesn’t have a blood claim to the throne.

Combine that with his multi-year escapade with Ciri that ended with his direct involvement in the murder of many of their brethren, it seems like a stretch to think that Avallac’h could simply waltz back in and assume power with no resistance.

I could be wrong, of course. If the Wild Hunt was the sole military force, and not just an elite forward detachment, there may be no military power that could stop him. His role in defeating the White Frost could weigh heavier than the lives lost.

But, king or no king, there’s still the question of Ciri.

That was a long winded way of getting to my final point.

The game seems to imply that with the defeat of the White Frost Crevan’s business with her is done. She was a tool, she served her purpose, the immediate threat is gone and there is no other attachment between the two. They go their separate ways.

But, to my reading, The White Frost was only part of the problem. The biggest, most immediate, part, true. But only part. Ciri may have eliminated that threat, but, without the elder blood gene being restored, others will come. And Avallac’h has always taken the long view.

So I don’t think it’s likely he would be done with her, not forever. There’s too many things still tying them together. Fate, necessity, the trauma of what never was, and a real, if ugly jagged edged, bond that was formed in their years traveling together.

But what I can’t puzzle out is what there is to do. The time that he would have been willing to drag her into his laboratory, if that time ever existed, is long past. Perhaps by now the shadow of Laura has faded enough that he could take her as his own, but not without Ciri’s consent. And would she consent? Pick your ending: there’s no place on the path for a pregnant witcher, as queen she’d need to be concerned about a different bloodline. Perhaps, especially if he were king, he may have the notion to make her his queen, but Tir na Lia is a place of great trauma for her and there’s still the question of refusing to let any children of hers be but pawns of some greater plan.

It’s messy, and there’s never going to be a clean solution. But there’s love between them too. And once again, the questions of individual wants vs. the greater good bump against each other and don’t quite fit, but I’m struggling to parse out the outline of what dynamic could even get close.

Sorry for the long not quite question! Part of this was just getting down in writing my thoughts for myself. But how you write Ciri/Avallac’h is the main reason I like this ship at all and if this has prompted any thoughts from you I’d love to hear them! <3

Full Name: Sca’ir Gyda’i Wenwyn yn Barod

Meaning: Scorpion with its poison tail aloft

Nickname/Alias: Kly

Title: Former consort to King Auberon

Gender: Female

Orientation: Pansexual

Species: Aen Elle

Occupation: Sex worker

Marital Status: Widowed

Immediate Family: Her father (deceased)

Infancy: Kly’s mother had complications during Kly’s year long gestation. Kly wasn’t absorbing nutrients from what her mother ate, instead leeching off her life force, showing a propensity for magic even then. Her mother never really recovered and thus died shortly after giving birth. Kly was very small and frail when she was finally born. She was, for the most part, raised by a caretaker, as her father wanted nothing to do with her.

Childhood: When Kly’s magical talents began to manifest, she was sent to the Aen Saevherne. This was her purpose for being born, as breeding is very selective and intentional among the Aen Elle. Everyone is born with a duty in mind. She spent the majority of her life with the Aen Saevherne, being conditioned into a child soldier and tactician. She and many other children endured abuse and torture under the guise of training. Many didn’t survive the process. They were deemed weaknesses and failures. Failure wasn’t an option.

Adulthood: On the cusp of her adulthood, Kly underwent her tests to become a fully fledged Aen Saevherne. However, her beliefs regarding the Hen Ichaer and her inability to use and create interdimensional portals led to her failure. She was now without purpose, as she’d failed at the thing she’d been born for. She was dumped into the military ranks after that, serving under her father, a General. When Kly’s father was killed during a skirmish with the unicorns, she was left orphaned. Her noble family ended with her. To keep up appearances and use Kly politically, King Auberon forced her into being a consort. By this time, he was too old to be interested in any sort of sexual relationship and he wanted no child with her because of her failures. Auberon was completely withdrawn from his duties, so Kly was left to run the kingdom while he forced her to create illusions for him, allowing him to relive past memories.

It wasn’t until Crevan and Eredin brought the human girl Ciri to Tir na Lia that her life began to change drastically. By this time, she had taken on all political duties to compensate for Auberon’s apathy towards ruling and towards his people. She vehemently disagreed with the idea of using Ciri as a vessel to reintroduce Elder Blood to the Aen Elle line. However, Auberon was willing to consider the idea. The fact that he was so openly willing to give the human girl a child and not her made her more bitter than ever. Unable to impregnate Ciri, he was given an aphrodisiac laced with poison, killing him. A coup was taking place, so, knowing she would likely be blamed or killed, Kly took the royal torc’h and fled. She used a random interdimensional portal and ended up stranded on the human world.

It took her several years to adapt and blend in with the other species, but once she did, she worked mostly as a travelling healer. However, she spent much of that time barely surviving, never escaping poverty or danger. It wasn’t until a brothel offered her a deal that she saw a way to advance in the world she found herself in. Her aptitude for illusions came in handy here, as she could trick clients into thinking they had amazing sex when in fact they just sat on a bed for an evening. However, the Wild Hunt still searches for her and what she took from them.

Enemies: Eredin, Caranthir, Crevan (Avallac’h) (she considers him to be the one responsible for the king’s death), the Wild Hunt in general, humans, unicorns

Health: In Tir na Lia, Kly is considered a healthy, fertile female of reproductive age. However, in the Aen Sidhe world, she has no immunity to the foreign bodies there. She’s extremely susceptible to illness and gets sick easily. If she’s not careful, a simple cold could kill her.

Allergies: She’s severely allergic to wyvern blood. Anything with wyvern components in it that she ingests will cause anaphylaxis.

Mental Health: For the most part, Kly has adjusted to living in the Aen Sidhe world. Even to becoming a second-class citizen instead of being royalty. She can sometimes become paranoid and has problems with self loathing and failure and making personal relationships and connections with others.

Attitude: Look up bitchy ra.cist in the dictionary, and you’ll find the entire Aen Elle species. Kly is no different. Like most of her kind, she is very haughty and stuck up. Even among her own kind, she had a reputation for being a cruel tyrant. She has improved since becoming stranded on the Aen Sidhe world, though she still struggles with it. It’s hard to see humans as slaves and less than animals when she lives among them and starts caring about them.

Wardrobe: When she works, Kly wears very elf-inspired clothing. It’s always a light material and is revealing without being completely obscene. Outside of work, she usually wears commoner’s clothing. Whatever will help her blend in. Back on her world, she always wore very elaborate, ornamental clothing and armor. She had a massive wardrobe befitting her station. Because of the tropical climate, the clothing was sheer and flowing.

Mode of Dress: Kly wears her clothes like she’s in a second skin. She has learned to appear confident even if she may not be and carries herself and her wardrobe in that same fashion whether she’s on the job or wearing peasant’s clothes.

Grooming: She’s very picky about her hygiene and grooming and is rather demanding when it comes to maintaining it. She keeps herself very clean, bathing at every opportunity, and she keeps her hair and skin well kept even when she finds herself in less than amicable circumstances. Back home, her grooming regimen could take hours, but now she doesn’t have such a luxury as time.

Scars: Kly has a raised scar on her throat from an assassination attempt. She also has a burn scar she got from frostbite when she came in contact with the White Frost.

Posture: She carries herself as one of noble birth and high rank which is considered unusual among Aen Sidhe elves and common folk in general thereby giving her away in many cases. She walks confidently, like she owns the very ground she walks on and is considered graceful.

Scent: She smells like black currant and vanilla

Makeup: She wears eye kohl and blush when she works. Sometimes she will use a glamour if she has blemishes or bruising. Outside of working, she usually prefers to go without makeup or other painting. Sometimes she will use magic to hide her ears or make them look human while she’s traveling.

Possessions: Kly has everything she owns in a single bag so she can easily run if the Wild Hunt catches up to her. She has several books, some clothes, a small amount of money and the torc’h she took when she left her world.

Skills/Talents: Kly is a master when it comes to illusions. She can trick the mind and body into feeling and/or seeing almost anything. She’s also a skilled healer.

Pet Peeves: Humans

Flaws: Kly is stuck up and will underestimate all other races. She has problems being sincere or getting close to others. She has very limited physical strength and stamina to speak of when it comes to combat, and her use of magic is limited on the human world because it lacks the magical resources the Aen Elle world has.

Languages: Ellylon, Common, Nilfgaardian and some Elder Speech (whatever correlates or is similar to Ellylon)

Education: Kly was essentially raised as child soldiers are. She endured a great deal or abuse and torture under some of the wisest of her kind to become an Aen Saevherne. Even though she failed her tests to become one of the Aen Saevherne, her education is very advanced and nuanced. She’s skilled in healing and illusion magic, military strategy, her kind’s history, the lineages of her people and eug.enics as those subjects are expected to be known among the Aen Saevherne.

Morals: Kly has no morals. Morals were beaten out of her at a young age. All she cared about is the well-being and advancement of her people. However, the longer she lives on the human world, the harder it is to be so cold and cruel.

Fears: Kly fears capture by the Wild Hunt, as she knows that they will kill her if they find her. There have already been a few assassination attempts by Aen Elle spies. She also fears the White Frost. She saw its destructive abilities first hand as a child and it traumatized her. It’s why she hates being cold.

Guilty Pleasure: Sweets, animals

MBTI Personality Type: ESTJ

Enneagram: The Achiever

Alignment: Chaotic Neutral

Lara and her relationship with her father, Auberon Muircetach

Since her mother passed away when she was young, Lara was raised by her father, the King of the Alders. Growing up, the princess and king were close to one another. Lara looked up to her father as much as everyone else in the Aen Elle did. He epitomized the hero she pictured hearing from stories as he protected their people from unicorns, helped them found Tir ná Lia, and had far more experience of the world than anyone else. 

Lara remembers her father being patient and affectionate, though he would never openly display his affection for his daughter in public, because as members of the royal family, they had a part to play. There was no question if father or daughter cared for each other, but breakfast time was a special bliss of bonding they shared together. Auberon nicknamed Lara, “feainnewedd”, calling her his sun-child. 

However, things started to change between them as Lara got older and her pre-destined role in everything was coming closer. Once the engagement between Lara and Avallac’h was arranged, Auberon started to get a little stricter on his daughter, making sure she stayed on the path she had to follow. Stuck between not wanting to let her father (or people) down and suffocating from the reality of the weight of the expectations before her, it was ultimately what led to Lara deciding to leave besides falling in love with a human. The princess didn’t think her father would understand, lost in his fury of her not only abandoning their people and failing her role, but mostly for the fact he hated humans too. She didn’t want to be pushed away from her father, and in fact, misses him dearly (along with her home), but could things ever be the same between them again? 

One thing is certain; Lara would be completely heartbroken and devastated hearing of his death. 

𝐋𝐚𝐫𝐚 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫, 𝐀𝐮𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐨𝐧 𝐌𝐮𝐢𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐜𝐡

Since her mother passed away when she was young, Lara was raised by her father, the King of the Alders. Growing up, the princess and king were close to one another. Lara looked up to her father as much as everyone else in the Aen Elle did. He epitomized the hero she pictured hearing from stories as he protected their people from unicorns, helped them found Tir ná Lia, and had far more experience of the world than anyone else.  Lara remembers her father being patient and affectionate, though he would never openly display his affection for his daughter in public, because as members of the royal family, they had a part to play. There was no question if father or daughter cared for each other, but breakfast time was a special bliss of bonding they shared together. Auberon nicknamed Lara, “feainnewedd”, calling her his sun-child.  However, things started to change between them as Lara got older and her pre-destined role in everything was coming closer. Once the engagement between Lara and Avallac’h was arranged, Auberon started to get a little stricter on his daughter, making sure she stayed on the path she had to follow. Stuck between not wanting to let her father (or people) down and suffocating from the reality of the weight of the expectations before her, it was ultimately what led to Lara deciding to leave besides falling in love with a human. The princess didn’t think her father would understand, lost in his fury of her not only abandoning their people and failing her role, but mostly for the fact he hated humans too. She didn’t want to be pushed away from her father, and in fact, misses him dearly (along with her home), but could things ever be the same between them again?  One thing is certain; Lara would be completely heartbroken and devastated hearing of his death. 

𝐋𝐚𝐫𝐚 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫, 𝐒𝐡𝐢𝐚𝐝𝐡𝐚𝐥

Lara was very young when Shiadhal had passed away. She remembered her mother being a wonderful queen who was kind and caring, but could also be mysterious too. Shiadhal would bring it upon herself to train her daughter in basic combat, wanting her to know how to protect herself against any attacks, especially from unicorns because of the fact the Aen Elle were already at war with them. She was also the leader of Dearg Ruadhri (Red Riders), known as the legendary Winter Queen, before Eredin succeeded her after her death. It was during one of the attacks against the unicorns that Shiadhal was lost. Auberon comments on how Lara has her mother’s eyes.

𝐋𝐚𝐫𝐚 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐝𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐞𝐫, 𝐑𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐧

Okay, so it’s time I finally post this headcanon, however, it’s still tragic in someway. Obviously starting with what’s in canon lore: Riannon is the biological daughter of the elven sorceress Lara Dorren, and human mage, Cregennan of Lod. Orphaned at birth, she was adopted by Cerro, Queen of Redania. Everything concerning Riannon in lore is REALLY freakin tragic. 

As for Lara’s thoughts on her daughter (especially in my ‘Lara Survives AU’ verse): Riannon is the only part of Cregennan that Lara has left. Her daughter means the world to her and after everything she has lost, Lara will do whatever it takes to keep Riannon safe and make sure she doesn’t end up following the same tragic fate. Hence, despite it being the most difficult and heartbreaking decision of her life, Lara ends up leaving a newborn Riannon in the care of Cerro, her best friend. However, it isn’t easy on Lara being parted from her daughter. As the years go by, she tries to take glimpses at the young princess, curious to see what her daughter has become. But all Lara see’s is a reflection of herself and Cregennan and it’s enough to tear her heart apart in both joy and agony. The real heartbreaker though is when Lara finds out she has even outlived her daughter, who died at only 38 years old after the grief of losing her own children. In that moment, Lara can understand the pain Riannon must have felt because she is now feeling the empty hole in her chest from her loss and it feels like it’s enough to end her…but there is a curse with being able to live a long time as an elf, and this is it. 

However, if things go different in the verse and Lara ends up going back to Cerro and taking her daughter back as a young babe, then Mama and Daughter are happy and there will be no tears. And Riannon being a half-elf may be able to live a long time, at least to somewhere in her 100s-200s? 

I also honestly think that if Riannon was allowed in the world of the Aen Elle, that she would also be a Princess of the Alders alongside her mother. You can’t change my mind on that. Thanks. Oh, also, Lara has affectionately nicknamed Riannon ,“My Little Princess and Butterfly”, because of this fact.

And now, with this bittersweet note, I leave you with the gif that reminds me of mother and daughter:

I finally got to the part in my re-read of The Lady of the Lake where Auberon dies and all I can think about is how Lara would react in Ciri’s place. 

I started to make myself cry because I wrote a drabble on it too. I’ll post it on my Ao3 as well. 

I switched it slightly around, but kept some of the same dialogue. Just read it. 

Va Faill Alder King

The royal chambers were oddly quiet. Lara couldn’t help the suspicion leaving a chill in her spine as she opened the door, finding her father sitting in his armchair in the corner of the room. 

It would appear everything was normal, but Lara couldn’t shake that feeling deep in her gut. It was the same sensation she got every time her mother went out on one of her mission before her death. 

Making her way into the room more and approaching her father, Lara gasped, noticing how pale white her father had become. Fear gripped her as the princess of the alders knelt down, reaching for her father’s hand, doing everything in her power to have him hang onto her like a lifeline. 

“Father...what happened? What’s wrong?”

He raised his eyes towards her, not fully noticing her presence there. He was starting to drift away. 

“Shiadhal?” he whispered. “I’m glad you are here. You know, they told me you had died.”

Lara glanced at him sadly. “No, father, it’s me...”

As she started to work on casting a healing spell, she noticed him drop something from his hand. It was a vial. Where did this come from? Who gave it to him?

“Lara...”

The princess noticed how he moved his head, reaching for the royal torc’h that somehow seemed like it was strangling him too tight around the neck. The healing spell wasn’t work. Her father’s life was still draining.

“AVALLAC’H! SOMEBODY...HELP!” she shrieked out, sobbing. 

Despite the spell not working, Lara was determined to keep trying. She just couldn’t lose someone else. She couldn’t lose her father.

“Caemm a me, luned. Come to me, daughter. Caemm a me, elaine.” Auberon whispered, seeing his little girl was distressed. 

Lara cuddled into her father, as if she were a young elfling again, wanting nothing more than to be comforted by her father and have everything be okay again. “It’s going to be okay, father...I’m going to--”

“Elaine blath, feainnewedd …” he sang. “Mire, luned, don’t cry … Allow me…” At first he tried to raise his hand, but to no avail. Lara then reached for his hand, guiding it towards her cheek as he wiped away her tears. 

“I promise I’ll be good, father. I’ll set everything right...just please...don’t go.” she begged, holding his hand to her cheek, continuing to slow feel the life leaving his body. 

“Lara...” he said. “You are indeed destiny, my feainnewedd. Mine too, as it transpires.  Va’esse deireadh aep eigean...” Lara watched with horror as her father’s actions and movements started to slow. “But...it’s good that something is beginning.” 

“I can’t do this without you, father. Please...stay with me.” 

His breathing was starting to become shakey now. “In spite of everything...I very much don’t want to die. And I’m so sorry that I must. Who’d have thought it? I thought I wouldn’t regret it. I’ve lived long, I’ve experienced everything. I’ve become bored with everything. You were the only shinning sun in my life, Feaineewedd. You’ve brought light to my life … but nonetheless, I feel regret. And do you know what else? Come closer. I’ll tell you in confidence. Let it be our secret.”

Lara dared to lean forward, awaiting what he would have to say. 

“I’m afraid.”

The statement only made her cry more, holding her father in her arms as she watched the once strong and powerful Alder King everyone looked up to fading away before her. 

“I know, Papa.” 

She had had some close calls with death in her life, understanding the fear. And the last thing she wanted was to lose someone dear to her again.

“Are you with me, luned?”

In that moment, finally, Avallac’h and the rest of the royal court who had heard the princess yell for help had finally arrived, but it was too late.

“I’m not going anywhere, father. I’ve got you.” Lara said, holding his hand.

“Va faill, luned.”

“Va faill, Alder King. Aé minne taedh, Papa.” 

Laying a kiss upon his forehead, the princess sobbed as the king gave his last breath, becoming nothing more than a memory of grief in her heart. Outside, rain could be heard starting to fall upon the ceiling, reflecting the sadness now felt throughout the palace and soon to follow with Tir na Lia at the death of their king. 

A Mother’s Love Endures (Shiadhal, Auberon and Lara)

Summary: Queen Shiadhal has passed away, but yet Lara continues to visit her mother. (for The Witcher universe. A headcanon drabble for my Lara and the royal Aen Elle family cause they need more love.)

For more of my drabbles, SEE: The Life of Lara Dorren

Despite Auberon’s explanations that his young elfling daughter’s mother was no longer in the world of the living, Lara just couldn’t grasp it. Then again, what elf that could live forever, could come to truly understand the concept of death? When you lived in a world of eternity, death was like a rare tale told by the campfire - something barely thought of or talked about. 

As was the way for the Alder folk in their own world. 

So when the news of the Queen’s death spread, everyone couldn’t believe it, questioning if it was some sick joke. But it wasn’t the case, especially for Shiadhal’s fellow Wild Hunt members who had witnessed it happen before their very eyes, leaving an impression they would never forget. 

The unstoppable, fearsome and merciless Winter Queen that Shiadhal was couldn’t be so easily taken out by a unicorn’s horn of all things. It was a hard truth to swallow for her husband, both mourning the wife he had lost and wondering how he will explain this to the daughter she left behind. 

“Unicorns killed your mother.”

“No. She’s playing hide and seek.” The young elfling cupped her father’s cheek. “Don’t worry, I’ll find her.”

Auberon couldn’t understand his daughter’s words then. But once night fell and Lara, who was asleep on his bed one minute, was suddenly gone the next, the King of alders came to know Shiadhal was still with them, even if not physically anymore. 

Auberon went searching around the palace for the princess along with the guards. Lara, however, had followed a figure in a flowing white gown to the place where mother and daughter usually resided. It was cold outside. You could almost feel a frost trying to touch your nose. 

“I found you, mama!” Lara exclaimed, approaching what appeared to be an empty bench. However, it wasn’t for the princess, who climbed up onto it, cuddling right up into her mother’s lap like she always would. Shiadhal’s hands lightly petting her daughter’s hair. 

“Good job, my luned, but you shouldn’t be outside so late at night. Don’t you know it’s not safe? There are unicorns lurking around...”

“You’ll protect us like you always do!” 

Shiadhal smiled, her eyes glancing down into the same green eyes her daughter shared with her. “Of course. Luned...promise me that you’ll behave for your father and not cause him too much trouble.”

The young elf blinked with confusion before chuckling. “But I’m always good, mama!”

“I know.” The mother kissed her daughter’s head, causing Lara to start feeling sleepy and relaxed. “squaess me, luned. It is time for me to go now. I will miss you, Elaine blath, my feainnwedd.” 

Auberon rounded the corner with the guards to find the young princess asleep, rolled up in a ball on the bench. The king lightly shook his daughter awake, taking her into his arms. “Luned...Lara, what are you doing out here in the cold?” 

The princess sleepily stared at him. “I found mama for you like I said I would...but she said she had to leave.” 

He looked around with confusion, not seeing a soul around, or any evidence to convince him otherwise. Carrying his little princess back into the bedroom, Auberon placed her under the covers, trying to get her warm again. However, he paused, noticing a small snowflake on the sleeve of Lara’s dress. It hadn’t melted, and nor had there been any snow. 

It remained until he touched it, breaking the spell and feeling the ice melt in his hands, . 

Auberon gave a small, sad smile. It seemed Lara was right: she had found her mother who couldn’t leave without saying goodbye to their daughter. And now that Shiadhal had, the Winter Queen could rest easy knowing their little feainewedd would continue to rise and shine. 

Lara and her relationship with her daughter, Riannon

Okay, so it’s time I finally post this headcanon, however, it’s still tragic in someway. Obviously starting with what’s in canon lore: Riannon is the biological daughter of the elven sorceress Lara Dorren, and human mage, Cregennan of Lod. Orphaned at birth, she was adopted by Cerro, Queen of Redania. Everything concerning Riannon in lore is REALLY freakin tragic. 

As for Lara’s thoughts on her daughter (especially in my ‘Lara Survives AU’ verse): Riannon is the only part of Cregennan that Lara has left. Her daughter means the world to her and after everything she has lost, Lara will do whatever it takes to keep Riannon safe and make sure she doesn’t end up following the same tragic fate. Hence, despite it being the most difficult and heartbreaking decision of her life, Lara ends up leaving a newborn Riannon in the care of Cerro, her best friend. However, it isn’t easy on Lara being parted from her daughter. As the years go by, she tries to take glimpses at the young princess, curious to see what her daughter has become. But all Lara see’s is a reflection of herself and Cregennan and it’s enough to tear her heart apart in both joy and agony. The real heartbreaker though is when Lara finds out she has even outlived her daughter, who died at only 38 years old after the grief of losing her own children. In that moment, Lara can understand the pain Riannon must have felt because she is now feeling the empty hole in her chest from her loss and it feels like it’s enough to end her...but there is a curse with being able to live a long time as an elf, and this is it. 

However, if things go different in the verse and Lara ends up going back to Cerro and taking her daughter back as a young babe, then Mama and Daughter are happy and there will be no tears. And Riannon being a half-elf may be able to live a long time, at least to somewhere in her 100s-200s? 

I also honestly think that if Riannon was allowed in the world of the Aen Elle, that she would also be a Princess of the Alders alongside her mother. You can’t change my mind on that. Thanks. Oh, also, Lara has affectionately nicknamed Riannon ,“My Little Princess”, because of this fact.

And now, with this bittersweet note, I leave you with the gif that reminds me of mother and daughter:

Most prized possession?

THE EXCESSIVELY DETAILED HEADCANON TUMBLR MEME

Lara has 2 that are both close to her heart, but also contradictions of each other. 

The first is her family’s photo album which holds pictures from the simpiler times of her youth, but most especially, it has the remaining photos of her mother, Shiadhal, who passed away when she was young. Lara has to keep it hidden in her room, away from her father for the reminders weigh heavily on him. 

And the next would be the necklace Cregennan had made for her all by himself. It’s different from the one she originally had on Tir na Lia (the one that was in Ava’s lab in TW3.) This necklace is actually a pair of Swans in the shape of a heart, symbolizing their eternal love for each other. *cries*