Anna Henrietta Blood and Wine

Journal Description

If this world has ever known a ruler who enjoyed the absolute admiration of her subjects without the need for systematic repression or a particularly cruel hangman, it was, without a doubt, the sovereign of Toussaint, Duchess Anna Henrietta. Called Anarietta by those who knew her well, she was the widow of the late lamented Duke Raymund and one-time lover of a very famous and talented artist who would prefer to remain anonymous.

A few years prior, when the witcher and a band of friends were visiting Toussaint, Anna Henrietta had had the pleasure of meeting Geralt of Rivia. When a mysterious Beast began attacking her courtiers, the duchess thus knew exactly whom to summon…

While searching for the Beast, the duchess proved that, when the need arose, she was able to throw off the chains of convention and get her hands dirty with direct action alongside the witcher. Even if she had to do so in a state of relative dishabille.

Surprisingly enough, the duchess handled the rigors of the trail as adroitly as she did those of palace audiences. Geralt quickly saw how, even when stripped of her sumptuous gown and wrapped in a coarse cloak, Anna Henrietta remained the same confident and tenacious ruler as ever. Yet then again, this should not have come as a surprise, for the Toussaint court on a daily basis hosted battles of cutting remarks, malicious half-truths and bald-faced lies that were just as fierce as any fought with sword and cannon. The duchess was an unchallenged master of this courtly warfare, and the witcher had the chance to make use of this experience.

Geralt was to complete his contract and bring her Dettlaff’s head on a silver platter.

Luckily, the duchess’ wrath burned with an intense but short-lasting heat. When Geralt managed to stop Dettlaff, Her Grace forgot all about his previous missteps and even awarded the witcher the Order of Vitis Vinifera, Toussaint’s highest honor.
music stops, lights are shuttered and people hang dark curtains in their homes. They say all those who were fond of the duchess do likewise, even those who live far away, in the North…
It was not hard to predict how Geralt’s time in Anna Henrietta’s company would end. Eventually, the witcher fall into Her Grace’s disfavor with a typical witcherly lack of grace. Who could have foreseen handing the duchess’ sister over to a vampire would end badly for him? Not Geralt, it seems. Knowing Her Grace’s fiery character, he was quite lucky he didn’t leave the duchy a head shorter.