This particular short story didn't just convince me that Geralt and Yennefer are actually horrible for each other, it changed my entire view on the whole epic romantic love-hate relationship both in fiction and in real life. Suddenly those kinds of connections seem more like curses than anything else, making people who consistently and profoundly hurt each other just keep trying because of infatuation instead of cutting their losses and looking for happier, healthier prospects.
The thing is, I never feel like defending my opinion on this, I always feel like defending Geralt or Yennefer in those cases.
It isn't just me stating those things, I just try to explain what Geralt and Yennefer see and feel for each other and not what I think is the best.
From this point of view Geralt's amnesia is almost a blessing in disguise, at least when it comes to his romantic life, allowing him to experience a healthier, less complicated and more stable relationship with Triss without the self-destructive obsession with Yennefer interfering.
He could have always have that, but he didn't want to. There was
always the chance to do that, more than once, with more than one woman. He had plenty of chances to escape from all this in plenty of years, but what happened? He
didn't. Why? Because he
didn't want to.
It's not just about Triss, there is for instance also Essi, who confessed her love quite quickly. But there is also Fringilla.
Triss even offered to him to be more mean, to be more like Yennefer, so he would be with her, but she isn't Yennefer. That's a phrase that comes up from time to time, xxx is not Yennefer. xxx doesn't smell like lilac and gooseberries. xxx has not a black curly tornado. and and and...
However, he always comes back to Yennefer, because he
wants to. Yennefer even wanted him to let her go, so they don't hurt themselves anymore, but guess what, He
didn't want to.
Sword of Destiny
‘Just today,’ she said, looking at him with eyes wide open. ‘Just this night, which will soon slip away. Let it be our Beltane. We shall part in the morning. Don’t expect any more; I cannot, I could not… Forgive me. If I have hurt you, kiss me and go away.’
‘If I kiss you I won’t go away.’
‘I was counting on that.’
...
‘Geralt?’
‘Mhm?’
‘It’ll soon be dawn.’
‘I know.’
‘Have I hurt you?’
‘A little.’
‘Will it begin again?’
‘It never ended.’
‘Please… You make me feel…’
‘Don’t say anything. Everything is all right.’
It doesn't matter what you think about their relationship, Geralt already chose to be with her and more than once through the books, despite knowing the bad side of it.
The amnesia was not a "way out", because Geralt didn't need that in the first place. A lot of scenes, which aren't changeable by the player, are also about his fascination about her, even after the amnesia he can't get her out of his head. He even dreams of her, because of that.
The reason why Geralt never got together with any other woman for longer than two nights was because he didn't want to be with anyone else than Yennefer, and he showed that more than once, twice, thrice...
So many people tell me how bad and toxic their relationship was, however both
knew that already!!!! And
yet they
still wanted to be together, they rather tried to work it out, because of what they feel for each other and not of what other people say.
In the end both doesn't care anymore what others think of them, they wanted to be together and so they did in the end. It was their
own decision to do so, because they wanted so.
