Pavetta was the daughter of Queen Calanthe and Eist Tuirseach and the crown princess of Cintra. She grew up in the shadow of a formidable mother, and she carried a magical talent that surfaced unpredictably in moments of strong emotion, something that would shape her whole life.

Her story is the heart of A Question of Price. At her betrothal feast, a cursed knight named Duny, the Urcheon of Erlenwald, stepped forward, and the events that followed revealed both her hidden power and the danger of the Law of Surprise, the old custom that bound Geralt to her unborn child. Pavetta married Duny, who was later revealed to be Emhyr var Emreis, and their daughter was Ciri.

Pavetta and Duny died at sea when their ship was lost in a storm, leaving Ciri to be raised by Calanthe. Her magical gift lives on in her daughter, whose Elder Blood makes her far more powerful.