In the seventh episode of The Witcher Season 4, Yen's journey leads her to the Nilfgaardian tower where she finds Teryn, visibly upset over the mages' inaction when Vilgefortz abducted her. Despite the mage's warning that Emhyr's wrath awaits Teryn upon Ciri's discovery, Teryn refuses to leave, her resolve unyielding.
Meanwhile, Geralt's companions learn of Milva's pregnancy with an elfin child, a secret that Cahir desires to assist with but she firmly declines. Deciding on the quickest and most direct route, they venture into the Ysgith Swamp. Regis discovers a herb that he informs Milva could aid in an abortion, should she choose that path. As Geralt begins to hear whispers and witness visions, his friends are suddenly abducted by enigmatic spirits.
Elsewhere, Hotspurn, working on behalf of Emhyr, purchases the boy from the Rats and warns them of Leo's pursuit, currently at Jealousy's inn. Before departing, he reveals Emhyr's offer of a protection pact as part of his wedding celebration, a revelation that shocks Ciri and causes her to rebuke the Rats for their deceit and allegiance to a tyrant. Mistle tries to dissuade her from confrontation, but Ciri yearns for redemption.
In Nilfgaard, Emhyr's fury boils over at Yen's defiance. Teryn remains, and Emhyr queries whether she is a spy, to which she asserts her debt to him for sparing her life, willing to do whatever he demands.
In the swamp's depths, the Rusalka spirits reveal themselves as mother and daughter, capturing Geralt and offering to release his companions if he solves a riddle. "What I love, I do not carry. What I nurture, I do not feed. What I live and die for is not mine alone. What am I?" The lonely mother, in her grief over her daughter's fate, tries to slay Geralt while he pretends to be her husband before revealing the truth and killing the child. Enraged, she nearly slays Geralt in her mourning until he hallucinates Yen holding a dying Ciri, waiting for him to return. Realizing the riddle's answer is "I am a father," Geralt emerges from the swamp with a newfound understanding of his role as a protector.
The spirits depart, leaving behind a sense of liberation for all. As the group emerges from the swamp, Yarpen and Percy opt to return home, their hearts filled with the weight of death and inspired by Geralt's own desire for stability and family. That evening, Geralt and Milva share a profound conversation, her true name revealed as Maria. They discuss the art of loving people in spite of their nature, and she decides to keep the child.
Yen reunites with Geralt, their conversation turning to the path ahead now that Ciri is not with Emhyr. Yen is determined not to return to Montecalvo empty-handed, and Geralt offers her comfort, surprised at his own newfound compassion and teasing him about his newfound friends.
Meanwhile, Emhyr plots to end Skellen's life, believing the minister sought to humiliate him by engaging him and then revealing their lack of Ciri to the world. Skellen proves his worth with his quick thinking, reminding everyone that the prophecy cannot be fulfilled as Ciri is not Emhyr's daughter but Geralt's, thanks to the Law of Surprise. Enraged, Emhyr decides to take Geralt down.
Regis offers a plan to find Ciri without relying on her magic, suggesting they seek out the druids during the equinox when their tracking powers are multiplied. Yen takes her leave, promising to reunite with Geralt and Ciri after she dispatches Vilgefortz.
Ciri sets out after Hotspurn, beating him up and freeing the kidnapped boy. To save himself, Hotspurn reveals that he helped Leo set a trap. They know that the overconfident Rats will try to attack Leo who is waiting for them in Jealousy. Leo plans to use them as a means to reach Ciri. Ciri panics as she races over to stop her friends before it's too late.
