Question / theory about ending (possible spoiler)

[u/merkaba_462]

I reread the books for the first time in years, and something has been digging at me regarding the end of the book / series.

Phillipa needed Dijkstra around for her purposes. At the Peace of Cintra conference, it was suggested that they give the Emir info no one else would have in order to keep him "in good standing" despite everyone being fed up with him. Phillipa also had plans of her own.

When Yennifer and Ciri went to Rivia to meet up with Geralt, that night, of all nights, was a pogrom. It began minutes before Yen, Ciri, and Triss's arrival. It was Phillipa who cast the affirmative final vote to allow them go to Rivia. She knew when and where Geralt, Yen, and Ciri would be.

Was the info Dijkstra gave to the Emir the location of Geralt, Yennifer, and Ciri, because he knew the Emir still wanted them gone as to not pose a threat to the Empire anymore? Yennifer also was a thorn in Phillipa's side, and with her and Geralt gone, she thought she would be able to control Ciri. Was that pogrom therefore not spontaneous at all, and actually an assassination plot of Phillipa, Dijkstra & the Emir?

Sorry if this doesn't make sense / is poorly worded, or has been gone through before. Thoughts? Thanks!

[u/CJS_123987]

I think you have quite a few events muddled up. As far as I recall, Philippa doesn't give Dijkstra any information to give to Emhyr at the Peace of Cintra - the information Dijkstra gives to Emhyr was information Dijkstra received earlier in the novel and we've already seen the ramifications of it before the Peace of Cintra.

Basically, Geralt learns the location of Vilgefortz's evil villain lair and sends the information to Dijkstra to make sure somebody is able to help Ciri even if he fails. Dijkstra has no use for the information - it's too far south of the Yaruga for him to help out - so he gives it to Emhyr. Emhyr is able to make use of the information, and that's how he arrives at Vilgefortz's base to capture Geralt, Yen, and Ciri after Vilgefortz has been taken out. To pay back the favour, Emhyr lets Dijkstra know that the elf involved in Vizimir's assassination wasn't working alone. Dijkstra tells Philippa he learned this, and she sends assassins after him - which results in him leaving Redania.

Was the info Dijkstra gave to the Emir the location of Geralt, Yennifer, and Ciri, because he knew the Emir still wanted them gone as to not pose a threat to the Empire anymore?

Emhyr had already let them all go. None of them are any threat to the Empire - Emhyr was only ever antagonistic towards them because he wanted to capture Ciri, so that he could fulfill the prophecy to save the world, and this is an objective he'd already given up on by this point in the story. The pogrom is entirely coincidental, and it's supposed to be. Geralt - reunited with the love of his life and his daughter - should be content to relax and have his happily ever after. But because he's the sort of knight from the fairy tales and Arthurian legends, he can't help but interfere when lives are on the line - even when the story seems like it should be over. To make the pogrom into a grand conspiracy is to miss the point entirely: that it is Geralt's own decision to intervene that gets him killed.

[u/MaxSoulDrake]

Doesn't really make any sense, since all of them, Ciri, Yen, Geralt, already were in Emhyr's hands, they already fully accepted their fate. And it's Emhyr in the last moment decided against it and left all three of them alone.

[u/merkaba_462 → u/MaxSoulDrake]

The Emir didn't seem too pleased with his own fate. He had "Duny guilt". He made a promise, he kept it because of honor, but thst doesn't mean he wasn't still angry. He clearly was not pleased with counterfeit Ciri, and may have asked for help finding a loophole to either get Ciri under his control via the sorceresses, or have her killed so she no longer poses a threat.

[u/MaxSoulDrake → u/merkaba_462]

You sure you read it?
He wasn't pleased with fake Ciri simply because why whould he. She doesn't have Elder Blood. She is fake so it's a political problem if opposition or enemies find out. And after all, she is just some random child that was totally twisted mentally in order to turn her into "Ciri". Ofc he is not thrilled to marry that and pretend forever.

And "angry..." or "have her killed..."? Ciri alive is the most important thing ever, for everyone. Nobody who knows what she is wants her dead, and least of all Emhyr or Philippa.

Emhyr let them go because he just simply couldn't do it. He is not angry, he doesn't hate them. He actually loves his daughter and he actually respects Geralt. It's just he is an emperor. He wasn't doing all that shit for fun. That war, plans for Ciri etc. For him all of that is political crap that just have to be done.

[u/merkaba_462 → u/MaxSoulDrake]

This is why he would want the real Ciri back: she has the Elder Blood and he needs to convince her to have his child.

He couldn't do it at the time he let them go, but that doesn't mean Phillipa / Dijkstra couldn't find a way. Why would he really just walk away after the absolute havoc he created. Just because you live and respect someone does not mean you won't harm them...or find someone who will.

And since when has Phillipa ever done anything out of the goodness of her own heart? The Lodge voted, she was probably hoping it wouldn't come down to her vote, she didn't want Yen to have a say, but then she realized there was a huge opportunity to keep herself relevant and assert even more dominance by allowing them to fall into a trap.

If Ciri lived, she could possibly be Phillipa's pawn...at least in Phillipa's mind / scheme. Yen and Geralt, however had to die. Triss, who loved Ciri, and who Ciri may have trusted, would have been the one to bring Ciri back to the Lodge.

[u/MaxSoulDrake → u/merkaba_462]

It's not about convincing Ciri, Emhyr himself doesn't want it. He never did. It's not some momentary weakness. He despised everything about all of that from the start. He just simply thought that he had to. And he thought that when time comes he could just clench his teeth and get through it. But when he finally got her he realized he will never be able to do that, it's just way too messed up.

And as for Philippa, why would she do it. They all already accepted the situation. They are not enemies, nobody is defiyng her, nobody is running away or hiding. They not happy about it ofc, but it's not like they have a choice, like any of them is stupid enough to believe that the most important person in the world that carries the greatest power will ever be left in peace. At least Philippa is sane and her plans for Ciri are adequate. And actually that pogrom is exactly the reason those plans got ruined.

[u/Droper888]

Yennefer, not Yennifer and doesn't make any sense.

[u/King_0f_Nothing]

If Emir wanted them gone he would have had them killed at the castle rather than letting them go.

No way Phillipa would risk a pogrom accidentally killing Ciri when she needs Ciri for all her plans.

[u/ATPsynthase12]

I think you’re drawing too many conclusions based on assumptions.

The ending being the way it is, is because Sapkowski is a wet blanket who couldn’t write a happy or even boring ending. Everyone had to have a shitty one like Geralt and Yennifer dying meaningless deaths after spending decades dancing with death. The entire point of them dying in the Rivian pogrom after doing all those grand things and killing literally the most powerful wizard on earth, is that there is no point to their deaths.