I've been trying to search with a reason why this story moved me as much as it did.
And it got me thinking. Throughout our life, there are several people who, if the circumstances align themselves, we would get along, get together and in time, develop feelings like affection, love, among others. And there are some circumstances that would prevent such a thing from happening.
Chief among the later is that, when somebody new enters your life and there’s already a preexisting bond with someone else, that new person will have a very hard time entering your life so to speak.
As an example, I’ll bring up my own, albeit limited, experience in the matter. I met my current girlfriend in college, about eleven years ago. Yet at the time, I was with somebody else and so was she. I certainly liked her, and in hindsight, I learned that she did too, but there was never any intentions of us becoming a thing, because, as I said, we were both locked up in that department. It took a special set if circumstances that I won’t elaborate here for us to actually say, let’s give it a try. And ten years later, we’re still together. Yet there were so many things that could have prevented that.
Back on topic, considering that Geralt and Yen have been together for 10-15 (correct this part please) years by the time Triss enters the picture, their special on and off toxic relationship, the strong feelings they have for each other and a freaking djin made magical bond with uncertain properties on top of everything, Triss never stands a chance.
No matter how much better she might be for Geralt or not, there is simply no way, there is no room for her to enter his life in a significant way. That place is already taken. She is relegated to watch their relationship from afar. First with jealously born out of a childish whim. Later with true affection. It has no relevance though, as the man she loves will never give their relationship a chance, because his heart is taken, magically and otherwise. I’m no expert in the books so I’m not sure for how long this goes on.
Which brings us to the end of the books and the beginning of the games. Those rare and special set of circumstances I talked about earlier, which make it possible for two people to find out if something between is truly possible, are suddenly there.
And here we have this woman, who was forced to watch from the sidelines, to taste but never to keep, to envy, to crave. Finally that alignment of circumstances happens, and she has a chance. The very first real one and probably the only one she will ever get.
That chance implies a choice, she can either remain ever in the sidelines or risk everything to find out if their love deserves a chance to be born. In a way, her own, “Now or Never” moment.
So she chooses. And who can blame her? Who, honestly, could say they would have done otherwise?
As it turns out, she was completely right. Unhindered by external circumstances, their relationship grows strong. They go from strangers (at least in his mind), to casual lovers, to let’s run away from everything together and rose of remembrance level love in the span of a few months.
Yet the conditions that allowed such bloom, the blank state that made it all possible, doesn’t last much. The old barrier is back. One party confused and the other already in her own mind defeated, they decide to part ways. The first, because he needs to make sense of his own feelings, the later, because she already knows what’s coming, she’s seen it many times in the past and needs to make herself stronger in order to bear it.
They set off, one in search of answers and the other looking for a new purpose. Six months later, fate reunites them once again. He is still confused; she is almost ready to move on. Their brief interactions are enough to rekindle the old flames and yet, none of them admits it openly. One because her heart won’t bear the disappointment of losing him again, the other because he is not willing to go deep enough into his own self find to find an answer.
On the docks, when the moment of truth approaches, when they realize they might never see each other again, pretense has no place anymore. He finally admits his feeling and she in turn, doesn't move on, doesn’t leave. The two of them are finally free to love each other.
He has the answer he’s been searching for, and she is no longer afraid. They know their choice won't make everyone happy and that there will be a fallout from this, people disappointed. And yet, they've walked a very long and hard road to finally find what they truly wanted. They are not willing to ever let it go again.
This is the one true love story of the witcher series, one born out of true feelings, one born out of desperation and bravery, of hard choices, the one we saw with our own eyes develop and that you, the devs, created for us. It is your own baby. Please give it the place that it deserves.
