Diksha Sundriyal
Netflix’s ‘The Witcher’ is a fantasy drama set on the Continent where the war between different factions results in a volatile environment. Everyone must fight for survival, but the plot mainly revolves around Prince Cirilla of Cintra. Her story intersects with the titular Witcher, Geralt of Rivia. She also crosses paths with a powerful sorceress, Yennefer of Vengerberg, and a bard named Jaskier.
Starting as a side character who follows Geralt to write songs about his adventures, Jaskier became one of the most beloved characters in the show. In the third season, his arc becomes more prominent as he gets more involved in the politics of the Continent and tries to broker peace whenever and however, he can. This is when he meets Radovid. SPOILERS AHEAD
The Future of Jaskier and Radovid
Radovid is introduced in the third season as the brother of Vizimir, King of Redania. At first glance, it looks like he is yet another spoiled prince who lacks the brains for the political games in the court. After Dijkstra and Phillips fail to locate Ciri, Vizimir delegates the task to his brother. Dijkstra sees Radovid as a harmless person who can be nothing more than an inconvenience, let alone a threat, to his elaborately laid out plans. Soon, however, he is forced to change his opinion.
Dijkstra sends Phillipa to visit Jaskier and make him give up Geralt and Ciri’s location. However, Jaskier is bound by his loyalty, and even though he is intimidated by Phillipa, it does nothing to change his mind. Radovid recognizes the bond between Jaskier and Geralt and knows that the bard will never give up the information if he feels threatened. A carrot works better than a stick in his situation, so he adopts a different approach.
Radovid tries to show Jaskier that Ciri would be better protected with all the might of Redania behind her than being protected by a single Witcher. He knows it’ll take time for Jaskier to believe this logic, so he doesn’t push the bard too much. In time, with all the dangers lurking in the world, Jaskier starts to wonder if Ciri really would be better off in Redania. He starts considering the prospect, making him more open to collaboration with Radovid.
When Jaskier discovers that Rience is working for someone and Codringher and Fenn know who it is, he asks Radovid to use his money to get the truth out of the detective. As Radovid considers his proposal, he demands the bard sing at his party. At first, Jaskier hesitates, but he relents and sings some of his most heartfelt songs. Hearing him for the first time, Radovid is moved by his songs. He is also caught off guard when Jaskier comments that Radovid isn’t drunk and is only pretending to because he is smart enough to keep his wits about in such circumstances.
This interaction is eye-opening for both Radovid and Jaskier. The prince sees the bard as more than just a pawn in his game. He realizes that Jaskier is more than just a sidekick. He is intelligent and intuitive and sees people for who they are. On the other hand, Jaskier realizes that the prince is sharper than he’d imagined. He is completely different from Geralt, who is emotionally distant and always treats every problem like a nail to his hammer. Radovid, on the other hand, is open about his emotions and smarter about his plans. Radovid and Jaskier don’t meet until the conclave in Aretuza. Radovid is sent by his brother along with Djikstra and Phillipa. Jaskier is on duty to protect Ciri while Yennefer and Geralt attend the ball. Jaskier is lured away from Ciri when he sees Radovid. Their conversation flows from one thing to another, and after Radovid plays one of Jaskier’s songs, they kiss.
Both Radovid and Jaskier are attracted to each other. However, whether or not they get to be together remains to be seen. While Radovid might have made it sound like Redania is the best place for Ciri, his political motivations are much more complicated than that. He wants to use Jaskier to get to Geralt and Ciri, and eventually, Geralt will see it, no matter what happens between them. His feelings for Radovid could also leave him in a difficult position with Geralt, who is strictly against Redania or any other country. While this doesn’t mean that Jaskier and Radovid will not end up together, it does mean that they will have a lot of things to figure out in their complicated relationship.
Read More: Is Jaskier Gay or Bisexual?
