- Against his better judgment, Geralt accompanies Jaskier to a royal ball. Ciri wanders into an enchanted forest. Yennefer tries to protect her charges.
- Ciri continues her sojourn into the woods, hearing the voice calling her name. She sees a glow before her, her trance fades, and she's surrounded by women warriors. The leader tells the others to watch her, she looks Ciri over and tells the others to kill her if she tries to escape. Ciri asks where Dara is, and a tall and commanding woman approaches. Ciri introduces herself as Fiona, again.
In a tavern, a man recounts the tale of how the Witcher was killed by a giant Selkimore which consumed a whole village. But Jasker, at a nearby table, and over the man's protestations says Geralt isn't dead, he's more interested in the details. Again the man protests that the Witcher is dead, then Geralt enters: he stinks, he wants his money, and Jasker sings his song, "Toss a Coin to Your Witcher." Jasker tells Geralt because he's made him famous, the Witcher owes him a favor. He invites Geralt to a party with wine, women, and food, and Geralt is distrustful, how many of the nobles at the party want to kill Jasker? Jasker admits he does not know how many, he offers the Lioness of Cintra (Calanthe) will be glad to have him there. Geralt relents and bathes. Jasker tries to talk with the Witcher about his future, but Geralt is adamant, he wants no one in his life. Then he realizes - Jasker has sent his clothes away for cleaning. To the Witcher's disgust, the Bard dresses him in fancy clothes.
At the party, Jasker wants Geralt to blend in, but Mousesack recognizes him immediately - they're old friends, apparently. Mousesack is happy to see him, but is confused by his clothing. Nobles try to toast Mousesack, and he confides to Geralt he's been advising the Skellig court for years - they're all apparently there for Princess Pavetta's betrothal to whomever can plead his case to Queen Calanthe. Mousesack confides the young Prince of Skellig has the inside track: Eist has proposed to Calanthe numerous times since her husband Roegner died, she keeps refusing but she seems to enjoy his attention, Mousesack believes the young man will help strengthen the bond between Skellig and Cintra. Geralt sees Jasker being accosted by a nobleman who thinks he recognizes the Bard, Geralt intervenes, convincing the man Jasker actually is a eunuch. Geralt tries to leave, but Calanthe arrives, covered in blood from a skirmish. Eist is amused, and Calanthe demands the suitors make their proposals, she's bored already. Pavetta is resolute, her mother's behavior seems to disgust her. Calanthe alludes that Crack an Craite, from Skellig, is the front-runner.
In the forest, Ciri is questioned, how did she come to be in Brokilon forest, where was she headed? The leader tells Ciri she is Queen of the dryads, there were many forests like Brokilon before, now only Brokilon exists. Dara cries out in pain as an arrow is pulled from his arm. As they cleanse his wound, the Queen explains the waters of Brokilon will not only heal wounds, but making a stranger drink it will prove if they have ill-intent: it will kill them when they drink it. As she speaks, it's obvious: she does not trust Ciri's tale (or her name), and she asks if Ciri and Dara will drink?
Crack an Craite fights with another young nobleman about manticores they claim to have defeated. Calanthe calls upon Geralt to declare the veracity of their tales, but Jasker hints silently to Geralt to not start a fight. Calanthe is amused, she asks Geralt to recount the tale of how he defeated Filavandril, as the song says, and Geralt denies the story for the facts: he had his ass kicked. But he didn't shit his pants, and suggests perhaps that's what everyone should hope for, "... a shitless death... But I doubt it." Calanthe loves his response and invites him to sit at the Queen's table.
Dara asks Ciri why she lied about her name? Ciri tells Dara she's a princess, something she hadn't yet told him. Dara is dismayed, he tells her Calanthe killed his family, but Ciri says it's not possible, she says she wouldn't do it. Dara remembers it all too well, he remembers hiding beneath the dead. He says he would like to forget all of it.
Calanthe complains about wearing a dress, she'd rather be wearing armor. She tells Geralt she's glad he's there, but he says he's not there to be anyone's bodyguard. Calanthe tries to push the envelope with him, but Geralt continues he won't be bought. Lord Peregrine of Nilfgaard approaches for his turn to propose to Pavetta, but the Cintran court overall is derisive. Calanthe insults Peregrine until he retreats. Another man approaches, while Pavetta is mournful.
Queen Kalis holds her new daughter as she rides in her carriage with Yennefer. She complains she is nothing more than a womb to the King - which produces daughters, not sons. She hands Yennefer the baby, and tries to entice Yennefer to stay and keep her company, but Yennefer says she must return. Kalis takes back the baby, and invites Yennefer to speak freely. Yennefer has been with the court for three decades, and expresses disgust with her role, cleaning up stupid messes created by the crown she serves. Kalis says HER plight is worse, she makes a salient point that Yennefer is respected for who she is, not for what she can give anyone. The horses whine, the carriage stops abruptly, and wicked knives penetrate the walls; peering outside, Yennefer watches the guards be slaughtered. Only one is left, and he is staring at the assassin who chases them with a horrid beast at his side. Yennefer makes a portal and the four of them escape to a vast desert. Kalis is shocked when Yennefer explains the assassin was there to kill Kalis, she's run out of chances to produce a male heir. The assassin finds them, kills the guard, and Yennefer opens another portal to a rainy alleyway. Yennefer throws away Kalis' jewelry, something she is wearing can be tracked, and the assassin appears again. Opening another portal to another wilderness, Yennefer says they're still being tracked, and Kalis throws her hair ornaments and everything else she can find, but after they've escaped once more, she tries to lay blame on Yennefer for not predicting this. When the assassin appears again, Yennefer, irate at the accusations, leaves Kalis and the baby behind.
Jasker sings a bawdy song at the betrothal feast, while Calanthe bemoans male tradition. She and Geralt trade good-natured barbs, and Calanthe asks why there are so few Witchers? Geralt tells her it's no longer possible to create more of them since the sacking of Kaer Morhen. Geralt asks why Calanthe continues to fight on the battlefield, and she tells him there's a simplicity in killing "monsters". Eist tells Crack an Craite it is his turn to make his entreaty, but a commotion in the back brings Lord Urcheon of Erlenwald who asks for Pavetta's hand. Calanthe is unmoved, Erlenwald is a backwater hamlet, and Urcheon has no glory to his name, and why is he hiding his face? He responds that he has taken an oath not to remove his helmet before midnight. Eist will have none of it, he knocks Urcheon's helmet off and reveals the knight has the face of a hedgehog! Calanthe tries to get Geralt to kill him, but Geralt says the knight has been cursed, he refuses and as some guests attack, Urcheon beats them back and yells at Calanthe he was promised Pavetta by The Law of Surprise. He is attacked again, and Geralt now moves to defend him. Calanthe demands everyone try to kill Urcheon, then Eist lends his support - Law of Surprise has been called, it must be honored. Calanthe joins, but she, too, appears to be defending Urcheon until she tells everyone to STOP.
Kalis pleads with the assassin, she can have a boy, she offers the killer her daughter as sacrifice. The assassin throws a knife and slits her throat, releasing his beast to kill the baby, but Yennefer has returned and she kills the beast. Opening another portal, she escapes to a beach, but not before the assassin throws another knife at her back - and when she looks, the baby was killed by the blade which passed through her body.
Pavetta embraces Lord Urcheon, calling him Duny, and her mother is stunned, what is going on? Urcheon surrenders to Calanthe, he was cursed as a child, but one day he saved King Roegner's life. He claimed the Law of Surprise by tradition, as the Law could mean anything - something that would be a surprise when he returned home. As it happened, his surprise was Calanthe's pregnancy. Then Calanthe reveals she knew of Roegner's "stupid" bargain, but Eist defends Urcheon. Urcheon continues his story: never meant to collect, but fate intervened, he found Pavetta by chance, and when it was after midnight she saw him, they fell in love, they made love, and in the morning, she awoke beside the cursed man, his hedgehog appearance returned. Eist tells Calanthe there is no rhyme or reason to the Law of Surprise, it could have been anything a litter of puppies or a bumper crop, but destiny made it: Pavetta. He tells Calanthe she must accept Urcheon's claim. When Mousesack joins in, Calanthe is infuriated by all the men around her who will not fight destiny. Pavetta declares she loves Urcheon, she will marry him, she has decided. Calanthe, defeated, hands her sword to Eist, accepting him, finally. She approaches Urcheon, but instead of embracing him, she tries to stab him. Pavetta shrieks, blasting her mother and all the court aside, and she and Urcheon embrace while a tornado rages around them. Geralt and Mousesack join their magic together to stop the wind, and Pavetta realizes what she is doing will kill everyone. She stops, and Eist asks Calanthe if she finally believes in Destiny? Calanthe approaches her daughter, admitting she had thought her Mother's gift had skipped Pavetta as it had skipped her, Calanthe. She declares her daughter has made her choice. Eist threatens the company that if anyone objects to the marriage of Pavetta and Urcheon, they'll be fighting him and Skellig - because Calanthe has accepted his proposal. Calanthe proclaims there will be TWO vows tonight!
Ciri hears the echoing cry of Pavetta and sees the invading force of Nilfgaard. Gasping, she awakens from her nightmare. Dara has been drinking the waters of Brokilon, he is calm, and Ciri takes the gourd from the Dryad Queen - but the water has no effect, for good or ill. The Queen tells Ciri she needs to drink the water from Shankayan, the source.
On the beach Yennefer watches a hawk lazily circling, and she speaks a eulogy for the dead infant, including her cynical view of the world. Finally, she buries the baby in the sand.
Calanthe wraps her sash around the hands of Pavetta and Duny, binding them in marriage. When the ceremony ends, Duny coughs and transforms back into a human - but it is not yet midnight? Mousesack says it's probably Calanthe's blessing of the marriage has fulfilled Duny's destiny. Jasker is thrilled, and Geralt starts to leave, but Duny demands Geralt must take something, anything. Geralt says he's fine, he wants nothing, but Duny insists, so Geralt says he'll take the Law of Surprise, and Calanthe flips out, NO! Geralt says he's not worried about getting a litter of pups or a new crop, and then Pavetta vomits: she's pregnant. Everyone stares at the Witcher, who then truly turns to leave. Mousesack follows Geralt and tries to get the Witcher to remain, but he refuses, he doesn't want any part of Destiny. Geralt warns Mousesack to be careful.
The Nilfgaard army ransacks Cintra, and Calanthe's body is found by one of the mages led by Fringilla. He cuts a piece of Calanthe's skin from her arm and chews on it. As he dies, Fringilla tears open his guts, and searching them tells the man in the feathered helmet Ciri is in Brokilon forest. One of his men offers up they can spare 10-12 thousand men to take Brokilon, but the helmeted man shuts him up, Brokilon cannot be defeated that way. They leave, dragging Mousesack by a chain, and he falls on Calanthe's body. He retrieves her sash, hiding it in his coat before letting himself be yanked away.
The Dryad Queen cuts into a tree and tells Ciri she must drink from the source. Cupping her hands, Ciri collects some of the mythical water and she awakens in a desert at night, and hears the tree, Shankayan, call to her.
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What is the Spanish language plot outline for Of Banquets, Bastards and Burials (2019)?
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