Archive of Our Own ^beta

Tissaia was busy, as always. She ran the most prestigious magical school in the near continents and with that comes responsibilities.

Responsibilities her loving wife and resident chaos creator Yennefer refuses to think on. One of which is keeping the peace between every neighbouring county. Cintra was one of their rockiest relationships and after today is it any wonder.

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It was early evening the day before that Tissaia recieved a note requesting a favour. The Princess Royal Cirilla of Cintra who is only 6 summers old needed a babysitter and fast. Her parents and Grandmother had been called away and the castle wasn't safe for the small child who had a penchant for exploring.

Calanthe after remembering she had a favour due begrudgingly contacted the only responsible woman she knew. Tissaia De Vries.

Tissaia responded in kind with a note to say she would be able to mind Cirilla until they came to collect her in 3 nights time.

A cot had been set up and a small corner of Tissaia's office had been transformed to host a small child. Cirilla was old enough to know to ask for the bathroom and able to entertain herself for the most part so Tissaia didn't see any harm in the young princess sitting in her office as she tended to her paperwork and Rectoress responsibilities.

All was well until the last day when Cirilla having grown bored of the surroundings in the office had weaponised her puppy dog eyes and begged. Read: cried. Until Tissaia had summoned the biggest child she knew. Her wife.

"Yennefer all I need you to do is take the young girl to the gardens and to watch her." Tissaia huffed exasperated after having spent the last 5 minutes trying to get Yennefer to take the child outside.

"But why me?" Yennefer had whined in that little voice that was so inherently Yennefer that Tissaia would've kissed her had she not have spent minutes going back and forth with the raven haired mage.

"Yennefer if you take her to the gardens for a clock tick I'll do that thing with my tongue you like." Tissaia to anybody else was a skilled negotiatior but with negotiation skills comes knowing your audience in which case her wife will do anything for sex. Literally.

"Fine but it better be worth it." Yennefer harrumphed, plodding over to Tissaia's office chair and kissing her on the cheek with an exaggerated mwah. The noise irritating her wife to no end which is evident by the slap she recieved as she turned to leave.

"Be gone with you, menace!" Tissaia shooed. Actually shooed. Yennefer and Cirilla out the door.

The tiny blonde Princess talking incessantly about how the palace gardens had roses galore. Yennefer who had the energy levels of a baby rhino would've been bouncing along beside the young girl had Tissaia not dragged her from her nap.

Tissaia had left them be assuming all was well. That was her first mistake. She should have known after 30 years of marriage that when it was quiet Yennefer was up to something.

Yennefer and Cirilla were having a great time. Or so Yennefer thought. They'd played three rounds of tag. Six rounds of 40/40 it and twelve rounds of hide and seek. It was then that Yennefer realised that the tiny blonde pocket rocket was missing.

In a bid to save her hide she rings up someone she can trust. Margarita Laux- Antille.

"Yenna what have you misplaced now?" Rita answers in that husky voice she uses when trying to wind the raven haired mage up.

"The Princess of Cintra! Now is not the time for a quickie you've got to help me before Tissaia gets wind that I've lost a child she was tasked with babysitting!" Yennefer whisper screeched down the phone swinging her head left and right as if expecting her love to appear like a phantom when spoken of.

"Oh Shit! Seriously!" Rita was giggling nervously. If they didn't find Cintra's Princess soon they were all fucked and Tissaia would smite them.

"Laugh at me later but help me find the little fucker first." Yennefer was many things but calm at the face of her wifes wrath was not one of them.

"Alright, Alright. Keep your knickers on I'm coming. I'll rope Triss and Sabrina in. We'll split up and find her that way." Rita was quick to move rushing about to find Triss and Sabrina the pair were never far from one another.

Rita had made it about three corridors into her search for the pair when she bumped into another set of mages. Vanielle of Brugge and Lytta 'Coral' Neyd. The pair had been together for quite some time now and they helped form the other duo to the quartet that was Tissaia's immediate friend group.

"Rita, my love. What's happened?" The fair skinned mage asked concerned at the speed in which her friend came barrelling around the corner.

"Grand! You can help. Small blonde child if you find her contact Yennefer. Whatever you do don't tell Tissaia!" Rita called back to them continuing her search for either the tiny child or Sabrina and Triss.

Tissaia had been in her office responding to correspondence and getting on with life when she caught the tale end of gibberish through her mental link. Springing her door open she found the young Cirilla sat crying outside her office. "Hush now my dear. You're alright." Tissaia cooed lifting the small girl into her arms. The image would be a sight to behold at any other time. What with Tissaia's short stature and the taller than usual nature of the Cintran Princess.

Sabrina had been eating lunch with her wife and fellow mage Triss when Rita came hammering at their door. They'd been excused from eating within the hall on account of it being their anniversary.

"WHAT!" Sabrina yelled back after hearing Rita yelling their names.

"You've gotta come and help right now! Yennefer's lost the princess of Cintra!" Rita spat out in a panic. Had this been anyone else they'd have laughed but the trio care about Tissaia too much to find the situation amusing.

"Melitele Tissaia will skin her alive." Triss gasps as they exit their room leaving their breakfast platter half eaten.

"Thats why we're going to prevent a domestic homicide!" Rita about turned storming down the corridor looking up, down and sideways for the small blonde child that had disappeared.

"Would she kill her though, I mean realistic- Actually scrap that. CIRILLA!" Sabrina's screeched for the Princess. Together the three of them searched the eastern side of the school. Looking in all the places a small human could fit or climb to. At one point Triss was on Sabrina's shoulders to look above the never used cupboards.

Meanwhile on the other side of the castle Yennefer had enlisted Coral's help. They had covered a good bit of ground before coming to a halt at an irate Tissaia De Vries stamping towards them. If this was any other time the pair would have laughed at the image of a baby elephant stampeding towards them but they felt it in their best interests to take this threat seriously.

"Piglet please tell me you haven't MISPLACED CINTRAN ROYALTY!" Tissaia hissed looking more panicked then ever before and that says a lot considering who she was talking to.

"Alright, I haven't misplaced Cintran Royalty." Yennefer responded stepping away when her love glared at her. Her eyes turning stone grey in her anger. Yennefer was beginning to think agreeing to watching a six year old royal was not a good idea.

"Her Grandmother. The Queen. THE LIONESS HERSELF. Will be here to collect Cirilla within the hour and YOU HAVE LOST HER." Tissaia had begun to pace her nostrils flaring and Coral in an attempt to save herself, stumbled backwards. An image befitting of every mage for herself. "One job Piglet. Watch the girl. HOW COULD YOU LOSE HER." Tissaia was grumbling now. Yennefer, had seen Tissaia angry, she had seen her upset and she had seen her in the throes of passion but this level of hysteria was not one of them. As she contemplated her next move she spotted a flash of blonde in the nearby cherry blossom.

"Oh the little brat!" Yennefer growled dodging Tissaia and taking off at a sprint. Let it be known Yennefer does not run. EVER. Tissaia could count on one hand the amount of times Yennefer had moved at a pace quicker than a scurry. It was so infrequent that Tissaia had completely stopped panicking to gawk at the raven haired mage who's skirts and hair were billowing out behind her. It was only when Yennefer came to an abruptly halt that Tissaia noticed the giggling child in the tree.

"GET DOWN HERE NOW YOU LITTLE IMP!" Yennefer was yelling up at the upside down Princess when Tissaia arrived. It took one look at the older mage's raised eyebrow for Cirilla to swing out from the tree. Landing with a curtsy of apology. "ARE YOU KIDDING ME!" Yennefer threw her hands up before slamming them back against her sides before slouching off. Had it been any other mage the unladylike gesture would have perturbed Tissaia but given who it was she was just glad Cirilla came out of the situation unscathed.

"Cirilla. What made you think running away from your chaperone in a new place was a clever idea?" Tissaia asked not expecting an answer. Hoping her stature was intimidating enough to the child who was rapidly approaching her own height.

"I'm sorry Rectoress, I was just bored of walking around. And well Miss Yenny turned away and well that is to say it wasn't clever at all. Please don't tell Granny! She won't let me come back and I love it here!" Cirilla pleaded with a pout and widened blue eyes. The pose one Tissaia has seen often though the eyes were violet and the person was decades older.

"If i don't tell your Grandmother will you apoligise properly to those who you scared. Your in my charge whilst here and therefore whomever I tell you to go with you abide their rules. Is that clear!" Tissaia wasn't cruel by nature to any of the kids she actually liked and she has a soft spot for Miss Cirilla. That isn't to say she won't deploy her Rectoress stare when the occasion arises. Such as todays events.

"I promise Rectoress De Vries. I will do it right away. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!" Cirilla spring forward hugging the mage around her waist in childlike glee. Tissaia would have pretended to be put out had she not looked up to see her wife's eyes gleaming at her. Yennefer's look of adoration never fails to weaken Tissaia's knees.

It was hours later when Calanthe had collected an apologetic Princess. After having thought transferred every adult who was looking for the Princess they all came running. Apology afterwards apology was given just in time for forgiveness and the Queen's arrival. It was only after she had left that Yennefer breathed a sigh of relief. She might seem irresponsible and chaotic to most but she was truly beginning to panic nearing the end there.

"Darling, Light of of my life. Wife. Please don't ever leave her in my charge again." Yennefer had blurted out to Tissaia minutes after the tiny pocket rocket had been taken away. Tissaia had laughed then. A full cackle. The sound melodious and only slightly condescending.

"My dear. Should the Princess ever be left in our care again. I can assure you the last person I will be asking to watch her is you." Tissaia had teased lightly, kissing her wife's cheek before disappearing back to whatever it was she was doing before she felt the uptick in panic throughout Aretuza.

"Anybody for a drink and some poker?" Rita asked when it was just her Sabrina, Triss, Vanielle, Coral and Yennefer left. The glances between the group said it all. They all took off at a fast walk, some closer to a jog then others towards the staff quarters. They really should have thought the route through however as they came speeding past Tissaia almost knocking her over in the process.

"NO RUNNING IN MY CORRIDORS PIGLET!" Was the call that followed them. Yennefer turning with a pout that only saw a raised brow and promise of retribution later in their bedroom.

The others laughed at the cowed look their friend adopted before they starting speeding away once more. The days panic and chaos behind them. Replaced with the downright carnage a game of poker and a few bottles of Toussaints finest can produce.