Fan art of Tom McKay (left) and Luke Dale (right) playing Henry of Skalitz and Hans Capon in Warhorse's Kingdom Come Deliverance.
I played the first opus when it came out a while ago, got frustrated with the combat mechanics, and promptly decided never to go near the franchise again. But then... Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 appeared in the Xbox Game Pass this month, and one thing led to another... I finished the game in a week. Don't judge me.
First, Czech medieval history is my new passion alongside the history of the Celts and their druids, which I have been studying for a book I am writing. I drew while listening to The Bloody Heart of Europe, which I highly recommend. They interviewed one of KCD's historians on their Patreon and will soon release a special episode on KCD, so definitely go check it out if you're a fan of the franchise.
Second, I will be writing a fan fiction on the relationship between Henry and Hans. I said it, and wrote it, can't take it back now. A few reasons for this: I can't wait another 7 years. I'm sorry, Warhorse, take as long as you need, but my brain cannot stop thinking about the religious and legal implications of this relationship in this time period, and I know it is not going to be your main focus for the next opus because your country's history is fascinating and... marketing, but my oplessly romantic writer brain found the solutions that are technically historically accurate and it just has to come out. Also, while I was playing, I became curious about how these two traditional, typically masculine men would express and justify their feelings for each other, because this is obviously uncharted territory for them. So Hans was the one to literally audentes fortuna iuvat the shit out of it by evoking the tale of Lancelot and Galehaut. I am from French Brittany, so those names were obviously familiar to me, but I did have to look up the story of Galehaut afterwards, and what I read just frustrated me. Na-ha. Henry ain't no Galehaut! Come on! And I will show just how true that is in my writing. So, if you're a French speaker and you would be interested in reading a short fiction about these two that will take place just after the events of KCD 2, with no smut (but I will make it sexy, I am a straight woman into non-threatening masculine men, and I am not dead), but with some historical accuracy (I am doing the research) and a fast-paced and humorous writing style from technically a professional writer (I write for a production and editing company), don't hestitate to leave a comment, I will contact you and send you a link when the fiction is published. As for the English speakers, I might translate my work into English (I am also a professional translator, gotta hussle in this world nowadays) if the French version does well.
Now, back to the drawing: the two crossed swords (which are accurate by the way, thank you Reddit) are an obvious reference to THE scene, and if you did not get it, you did not play the game right. (I am sorry, it had to be said.) In this scene, Hans cannot find the right words to express what the idea of losing Henry would do to him, and it finally bursts out of him in the form of physical intimacy. Definitely watch Luke Dale's stream if you haven't already, to better understand what is going on in Hans' head in that moment. Because that magnificent man took a very bold chance by kissing Henry. He could have lost his friend, been stripped of his title, publicly humiliated, and if he weren't a noble, probably burned at the stake. It shows how absolute his trust in Henry is, and for me, that's the most beautiful thing the game could ever give us. (That, and how badass Katherine is. She is a queen.) Anyway, the theme of fate in the Latin proverb made me think of the oriental belief that people are linked by invisible threads of fate that "may stretch or tangle, but never break." I lived in South Korea for a while, so I witnessed firsthand how prevalent that idea is, especially between romantic partners. Contrary to Hans, Henry is a fictional character created by Warhorse, so a part of me wants to believe that Henry is at the end of a thread that the Fates did not see coming because Warhorse put it in their hands. As I am not a fan of what will happen during the Hussite Wars, I hope Henry is the one variable who might be able to change Hans' destiny.
Derwent "Drawing" colour pencils
Clairefontaine "Pastelmat" paper
Conté à Paris Charcoal & pastel fixative
