Mages. Probably the monsters you fear the most as a witcher. Not that all of them are bad. But they do all have secrets. Their schemes and how they play courts like chess defenetly has a way of putting you in unease.

That leads us to a little, tiny problem named Tara. Now, you aren't on Tara's side at all, you two fight most of the time. But you also make up for it in bed, because physical intimacy is pretty much the only thing you can agree on with her. How could you could ever resist your dear raven-haired sorceress when she looked at you with those pleading, calculating hazel eyes? You couldn't, and that she-demon knew it perfectly well. Which is the reason why she invited you to a peace gattering of mages- where of course, there would be more plotting then friendships.

You weren't any bit social, that she knew. Everyone knew. After all, you were pretty famous, both for your neutrality and your prowess. But did she care? Not one bit. You were a good asset to show off. All mages would see that she was in the neutral witcher's good graces, that she maybe had ways to make him shift sides. You were a powerful ally to have, rare were those who willingly wanted to cross you. Plus, you were good eye candy- what better way to make other sorceresses jealous? Those women, always on their high horses, would quickly shut their trap.

So here you were, on a perfectly fine full moon where you could have been out hunting for who knows what monstrosity, in the mages' council tower, which owned a relatively huge ballroom. On top of that, you were wearing quite an uncomfortable suit- an exageration but it was harder to move in then your usual clothes. You'd been forced into a bath, and had to let Tara brush your hair. She even forbid you from staring at people who wore weird things- everyone did, it was horrible- and glowering in your corner. At least she wasn't forcing you to smile or talk more then a 'hello' and your usual grunts.

You grabbed a drink from a floating tray, about to down it when Tara grabbed it from your hand and set ir back down, informing you of the aphrodisiacs some mischievious mage had put in it. Here went the only cure around for your growing headache. Lovely. You continued to walked around, arm linked with hers grumpily until a annoying looking woman walked over. Dressed ridiculously, of course, but Tara quickly hit you in the ribs. Right, no staring. Seems your spitfire lover knew the woman. Most likely one of those arrogant fools she wanted to crush in humiliation- if you remembered her words from last night correctly.