Yennefer-shippers in The Witcher 3 thought they had it all figured out when they picked her. However, unlike picking Triss, the conundrums don't end after choosing Yennefer for Geralt. That's because she's a complex human being and her fans can often be at war with themselves with about whether she really was the best choice for Geralt.
Yennefer dishes out displays of affection for said witcher as much as she deals horribly toxic mistreatments. Hence, Yennefer of Vengerberg can be lovable and deplorable at the same time. Geralt himself gets the brunt of Yennefer's worst behavior while also getting her best, and here are examples of both.
10 TRUE LOVE: FORGIVING GERALT
Plenty of things could have gone wrong with Geralt and Yennefer's reunion in the books given how the former spent the last two games in bed with the latter's best friend. With just how powerful and abusive Yennefer can be, she could have easily zapped Geralt like a bug and become more vengeful.
Thankfully, that didn't happen and Yennefer was more mature toward Geralt. Plus there were many times in the books where Geralt kept abandoning Yennefer, and she endured it all.
9 MISTREATMENT: CHEATING ON GERALT
It wasn't in Yennefer's nature to get mad since she'd rather get even. If Geralt abandoned her and kept having commitment issues, then there was always Istredd, Yennefer's first flame.
It even got to a point in the books where Yennefer slept with Geralt and Istredd on the same day, with each only finding out after the fact. You don't have to be a witcher or a sorceress to know that that's an unethical way to have an agreed-upon monogamous relationship.
8 TRUE LOVE: BEING A GOOD MOTHER FIGURE TO CIRI
It was rather convenient for Yennefer when she found out that Geralt is a surrogate father to an awesome godly child. That might have been an opportunity for Yennefer to get what she always wanted but there's no denying the fact that she became a good parent to Ciri.
She mostly looked after her well-being and even straightened up Geralt when he slacked off on his fatherly duties. Yennefer knew full well what Geralt meant to Ciri and treated her accordingly in their weird but happy family.
7 MISTREATMENT: BLAMING GERALT INSTEAD OF TRISS
Oddly enough, when Yennefer found out that Triss had an affair with Geralt, she seemed to blame mostly Geralt even though his excuse was rather acceptable. He did have amnesia and Triss took advantage of it by betraying Yennefer and jumping at Geralt.
Then suddenly it was Geralt who got the blame even if Triss did most of the work. In fact, Yennefer knew long before the games what Triss was up to with Geralt. Moreover, Geralt immediately broke off his relationship with Triss after fully regaining his memory so his heart was in the right place, too bad Yennefer just can't stop guilting the poor witcher.
6 TRUE LOVE: GENUINE FEELINGS WITHOUT THE DJINN
There has always been a long-standing debate among fans of the books whether Geralt truly loved Yennefer or vice versa since what seems to have bound them was a Djinn's magic. The Witcher 3 settled this argument once and for all with a lovely side quest involving another Djinn and Yennefer wishing away the magical bind of the first Djinn.
Even so, Yennefer still apparently loved Geralt afterward and even stated that "nothing's changed" for her. That very well means it wasn't Djinn magic that made them stay with each other.
5 MISTREATMENT: USING GERALT FOR HER AMBITIONS AND GOALS
While Yennefer has proven several times that she does have genuine affection for Geralt, she still never hesitates from manipulating Geralt into doing things for her. This was quite prevalent in The Witcher 3.
Yennefer often needed Geralt to achieve some means to an end and has no reservations on making him do all the dirty work or the heavy lifting even if it means risking Geralt's life. Still, she's probably known Geralt for so long that she knows how much the witcher can take.
4 TRUE LOVE: GOING AGAINST THE LODGE TO SAVE GERALT
Yennefer has always had a rocky relationship with the Lodge of Sorceresses... well, truth be told, she has a rocky relationship with anyone, including Geralt. Still, she benefits well from the Lodge and knows well enough not to earn its ire.
Despite knowing that, she still sacrificed her reputation and pleaded with Philippa Eilhart, the Lodge's leader, to help save Geralt in the books. Yennefer was already an outcast of the Lodge during that time, but she still boldly went up to them just to save Geralt.
3 MISTREATMENT: THROWING GERALT INTO A LAKE
So much for saving Geralt and ensuring his health. As part of her misdirected rage at Geralt for his affair with Triss, Yennefer didn't want to have a talk about what he did. So when Geralt kept bringing it up along with excuses he has, Yennefer just snapped.
She teleported Geralt high in the air where he fell into a cold lake several hundred feet high. A few feet more and Geralt swore he wouldn't have survived. Apart from this, Yennefer has also put Geralt's life at risk in the books especially during that time where they were out to slay Villentretenmerth, the golden dragon.
2 TRUE LOVE: SACRIFICING HER LIFE TO SAVE GERALT
Finally, Geralt actually died saving his friends and Yennefer from a Rivian pogrom and it was there that Yennefer proved just how much the witcher matter to her. She did her best to heal him and bring him back, even paying her own life soon after.
This was the tragic ending at the Lady of the Lake book of The Witcher saga— something which the games continued. For hardcore book fans, that pretty much concludes the extent of Yennefer's affection for Geralt and how true it is where she'd give her own life to save him.
1 MISTREATMENT: GENERAL RUDENESS TO GERALT
When she's not saving Geralt's life or being a good parent to Ciri, Yennefer is being her usual self and burying all her good side by being rude to Geralt. That usually means trying to get the upper hand in their relationship or making all the choices for both of them..
Worse still is Yennefer extending this sort of mistreatment to other witchers in Kaer Morhen. This got so bad in The Witcher 3 that even someone as callous as Lambert had to defend Vesemir against Yennefer's disrespect. Geralt, however, is very much used to it.