#kcd matthias

[eliyenlavellan]

Thinking about a Henry who had crushes on boys back in Skalitz but didn’t understand that his feeling was romantic. Maybe one of the older guards or his friend Matthias?

Also Jaroslav calling him a big-eared boy 🥹

[kcd-quotes]

first time i saw this line i had the genuine thought that johanka was alluding to the idea that matthias is into guys

[impmansloot]

saw this line in my sister's playthrough and had to load my own old save to screenshot it like a madman

(he says this if you refuse to participate in the tourney but then change your mind)

[eldritchblaaaast]

i really, really appreciate the nuance in KCD and in A Woman's Lot DLC regarding gender and class in medieval europe

like yes theresa does have to get married eventually. that's an imperative for a woman in her station of that time period. the survival and economic stability of herself and her family depend on it, and she does not necessarily get that much of a say in the ultimate decision. but she's more upset at her future husband being older (and not henry) than the concept of getting married itself. and in the days leading up to the attack on skalitz, she can drink ale and haul flour and learn how to shoot a bow and arrow and traipse around skalitz with her dog and get mud on her dress.

there are absolutely Rules that structure her life, but they are definitely Not The Same Rules that structure the life of women born into a higher station.

like even the nuance with her father arranging a marriage for her! her father does spring the idea of marriage on her, which is a bad look for him. however, it is still his responsibility to take care of such things, and economics feature heavily in that decision making process. but it's not the end of the world if it doesn't go well immediately, if theresa gets cold feet for meeting with her fiancee-to-be. there are no potential alliances to be built or broken, no lands to be fought over, no livelihoods to protect - the stakes are generally lower.

there's room in the relationship between father and daughter for discussion, for apologies, for the potential of feedback that never gets realized.

i just. A Woman's Lot DLC.

[treefish815]

I'm crying lmfao he doesn't give a fuck my man just wants his dice back 💀

[guthraiel]

as a czech (moravian) village teenager i have opinions on skalitz gang modern AU hijinks but im too busy with school to actually write down hcs or make designs for it

[asvidema]

finished johanka's questline and that was honestly. quite the journey

[roseglass-writings]

Sweet Bianca

Description: The destruction of Skalitz feels so long ago, but now that Henry is finally able to rest, he realises he never fully had time to mourn for anyone besides his parents. Now within the safe walls of Rattay, it all begins to catch up with him.

Word count: 3266

My first kcd fanfiction :) I also posted it on ao3, but wanted to share it with the rest of my fanfiction as well. Hope you enjoy!

'Mutt!' Henry calls, watching his loveable hound run about the stalls in Rattay, 'Come here, boy!'

Mutt runs over, his tail wagging aggressively behind him in his glee. Henry, unable to hide his fond smile, immediately reaches down and rubs Mutt's head.

'Good boy,' Henry softly murmurs before heading towards the apothecary.

Once inside, he quickly gets to work refilling his potions, making sure he has enough marigold decoction just in case his father sends him off to deal with any issues outside of Rattay. While he believes that Henry won't need to for a while, Henry would rather be prepared - especially with how often he has been running about these past few months. 

Getting lost in his thoughts, he mindlessly works his way through the potions - only to freeze when the sudden fragrance of belladonna sends his mind back to his girl in her red dress. 

Bianca.

Henry quickly drops the potion vial and removes the cauldron from the flames before slumping against the wall. He closes his eyes tightly, feeling a tightness in his throat form.

Why am I being reminded of you, now of all times? Henry ponders, his heart clenching in his chest, before looking over the cauldron and realising that he was automatically making saviour schnapps. 

Even before they became a couple, she always went out of her way to make him some. Even with having learnt the recipe off by heart, Henry could never replicate Bianca's.

At that moment, the door flies open.

'Henry! I was just looking for you,' Hans exclaims with a wide grin before stopping short at seeing Henry's troubled expression, 'are you alright?'

Henry nods his head shakily, 'it is nothing, sir. What is it you needed?'

Hans continues to stare at him, before stepping into the room and shutting the door behind him, 'Nothing important, what is it you are doing?'

Henry looks over at Hans, watching how his brow furrows in concern and how his hands twitch, as though he wants to pull Henry closer, but is aware that anyone could burst in at any minute.

'Nothing important? The world must be ending if the Lord of Pirkstein deems his desires as unimportant compared to the tasks of a humble blacksmith's son,' Henry teasingly replies, trying to push aside the memories.

Hans chuckles, though the concern doesn't leave his eyes, 'what sort of Lord would I be if I didn't care for my subjects wellbeing?'

'Well, I am fine, just restocking my potions,' Henry gestures towards the cauldron, his small smile falling when he looks at the belladonna, 'if you need something, I can do it later, I've done the most important ones anyway.'

Hans watches Henry before shaking his head, 'It is alright, I won't pull you away from your work. I am going to the tavern tonight, so come and find me once you're finished.'

Glancing at the door, Hans quickly cups Henry's face, kissing him softly.

'Alright,' Henry murmurs, unable to stop his smile, before watching Hans leave. As the door shuts behind him, Henry turns back towards the cauldron.

------

Making his way outside, Henry lights up his torch, idly scratching Mutt's head, before staring down the street towards the tavern. As much as he wants to spend time with Hans, the idea of the tavern turns his feet into lead. In Skalitz, it was where everyone went to spend time with one another after a long day of work. He remembers the late nights he spent with Matthew, Fritz and Matthias chatting away; the hours spent flirting with Bianca and watching her work in her father's tavern, waiting for the few hours she would have spare to spend time with him. He remembers the night before the attack on Skalitz, how he and Bianca sat beside one another in front of the fire, getting up every so often to dance together - no matter how bad he was at it. She always loved dancing with him, having helped teach him before they were together. She laughed off every mistake, her soft brown hair swishing about with her movements, her sweet smile rarely leaving her face. 

Henry stands there, feeling his throat tighten once more, the lights in Rattay becoming blurry through the tears he quickly blinked away. Making the decision, he walks away from the taverns and heads to Han's room, knowing that there are very few guards stationed around the castle to become suspicious.

Without any hesitation, he enters the room, lights the fire and strips out of his clothes - idly noticing his scars in the firelight - before climbing into Hans' bed, feeling too warm to sleep in anything aside from his underwear.

------

All Henry can see is red, watching as fire consumes the linden tree, his parents' rotting bodies lying amongst the roots.

'Henry...' his Ma croaks out, her decaying arm lifts helplessly towards him, her blood dripping down onto his Pa, 'help us, Henry.'

'Ma!' He cries out, helpless and unable to move.

'Why won't you help us, Henry? Why are you leaving us?' She cries out, sobs wracking her broken body, barely able to lift herself off of her husband's decaying corpse.

Henry desperately tries to move, his legs feeling as though they are stuck to the ground; he stands there, forced to watch his Ma desperately plead with him for help.

A sudden crack burst out over the roaring flames. Henry looks up, only to watch as burning branches begin to fall from the Linden tree, burying his parents amongst the burning remains. He stares powerless, hearing his mother's screams of agony before his parents are consumed by the flames.

Finally, his legs become unstuck as he falls to the ground before scrambling down the familiar path to the main part of the village, racing past his dying neighbours, their screams and cries for help echoing around his head. Bursting into the tavern, he is greeted by the sight of Bianca sitting at one of the tables, staring out of the window.

'Bianca,' he mutters.

'Why did you leave us, Hal?' She asks quietly, her hands brushing through her father's hair, his corpse lying on the floor next to her chair, blood running down his chin and onto his intestines, having spilt out from the attack. 

'I didn't want to,' Henry pleads, forcing his legs to move closer to her.

'I called out for you; I tried desperately to get to you, but you left,' her shoulders shake with her sobs, 'I loved you so much; why did you leave me behind? What did I do wrong?'

Henry reaches for her, his hand shaking as he watches blood begin to soak the back of her dress.

'I did love you; I still do. I didn't want to leave. I am so sorry,' Henry whispers.

She turns to face him, blood pouring from her mouth, her face covered in dirt and tears, 'I didn't die at the tavern, you know. I died on the path going towards your home. I remember hearing your parents near me as they were cut down, but I don't remember you being there. You found me near the tavern though - not that you spared me any thought before or after you returned to bury your parents. I know I can't compete with your love for them, but how can you expect me to believe you ever cared when you didn't spare a single thought as to what they did with my remains?'

Henry stares in horror, guilt pooling into his gut, unable to speak.

'Henry, wake up!' A familiar voice cries from outside, drawing his attention away.

'Don't forget about him the way you forgot about me, Hal,' Bianca whispers, staring at Henry as tears continue to streak down her face.

'Henry, come on, wake up! It is just a nightmare; wake up!' the voice calls again, just as everything around Henry fades into black.

------

Suddenly Henry shoots up, choking on sobs as he wakes up - unable to recognise his surroundings.

'Henry! Breathe for me, love. It's alright, come on,' he hears next to him, feeling someone wrap their arms around his shoulders and pulling him into their chest.

God, Bianca, I am so sorry, Henry thinks, sobs racking his body.

'Shhh, it is alright, breathe, Henry,' Henry hears once more, soon realising it was Hans.

After a little while, Henry is able to get his breathing under control, too exhausted to cry any more and able to focus on Hans' heartbeat thumping against his chest.

Henry pulls back slightly, noticing how Hans' arms linger around him, his care and worry evident. 

'Sorry,' Henry manages to croak out, reaching for the water on the bedside table, resting his other hand on Hans' hip, unwilling to be far from him.

'Sorry? What are you blathering on about? You have nothing to be sorry for aside from not meeting me at the tavern like you agreed,' Hans retorts, baffled. Hesitating, he watches Henry drink before reaching out and wiping away some of his tears, caressing Henry's face, 'do you want to talk about it? You haven't been acting well for weeks now,' Hans stomach clenches tightly in fear, 'is it because of the wedding?' he whispers, as though saying it any louder will cause Henry to break down once more.

Henry looks up at Hans, noticing the fear and worry in his eyes, 'it isn't to do with the wedding,' Henry reassures him, placing the water back down and reaching back for Hans, though staying far away enough to see his face in the firelight, 'It's about Skalitz. I guess, now we are back and finally getting a break from everything, it has finally hit me. Not just the loss of my parents, but... everything else.'

Hans nods, his shoulders slumping in relief as he leans against the headboard, tugging Henry back with him as they sit on the bed, 'anything in particular about Skalitz? You were calling out for someone called Bianca.'

Henry shakily nods his head, 'she was my girl. We were together for over a year, she worked at her father's tavern.'

Hans nods in understanding, 'is that why you never got with that woman at the mill?' Noticing Henry's look of confusion, he continued on, 'when you first got here, you sometimes mentioned spending time at the mill with the girl who saved you. I always assumed she wasn't interested.'

Henry smiles slightly, 'Theresa and I have only ever been friends. She was Bianca's best friend, actually.'

'What was she like?'

'Kind,' Henry immediately responds, 'she always went out of her way to help people around Skalitz. She knew everyone well due to growing up in the tavern, especially after her mother died during the birth of her baby sister. Her father wasn't the same after losing his wife and newborn daughter, so Bianca and her brother picked up more of the work around the tavern. She always went out of her way to make me Saviour Schnapps, even without me asking for any, and whenever she went into the forest to collect herbs, she always brought back extras for my Ma to use. My Ma taught her, actually, about some different potions to use for injuries and illnesses - with us being a small village, we didn't have an apothecary, so everyone turned to my Ma for help. My Pa and I were definitely in need of her help with how often we got injured at the forge. She was always smiling and trying to think positively,#; it caused a lot of people to underestimate how smart she was.'

'She sounded like a wonderful person,' Hans responds quietly, watching as Henry nods in agreement.

'She was; I didn't deserve her.'

'I beg to differ,' Hans responds, baffled by Henry's response, 'you also help people out. I have heard people all over Bohemia praising you for your deeds, and don't even get me started on how recklessly you will act to protect those you care about.'

Henry shakes his head in response, 'maybe now, but that doesn't change the fact that I left them behind. I didn't even think of Bianca at all until I found her body outside of the tavern when I returned to bury my parents. The way she was lying... she couldn't have died in that position. I left her there, and they defiled her body.'

Hans stares at Henry, his heart breaking as he watches Henry blame himself without any hesitation.

'Is that what your dream was about?'

Henry nods, 'it started off with my parents, like usual, with me watching them die. Only this time I ran to the tavern. She just kept on asking why I left and whether I ever loved her. I don't blame her for thinking it's true - it wasn't until today, when making my own saviour schnapps that I remembered her. She smelt of belladonna with how often she went out of her way to make me some.'

Hans, unable to handle Henry's guilt any further, climbs into his lap and, grabbing his face, forces him to look at him, 'listen to me Hal, you are not at all to blame for what happened in Skalitz, do you understand? You ran because it was your only option. By doing so, you were able to buy yourself time to get revenge and help those who did make it out gain their freedom. If you didn't run, you would have died there as well. Many of the survivors of Skalitz would have died without your help, and many people all over Bohemia would have suffered if you were not there to help. Jesus Christ, I would have died - many times - if it was not for you. The war has been causing issues for months now, with this being the first time in ages that either of us has been able to take a break. I may not have known the girl, but I can guarantee that she would rather you live than risk your life in battle by letting your mind wander to her. You are not to blame, Henry. Their abhorrent actions have nothing to do with you.'

Henry rests his head on Han's shoulder, wrapping his arms loosely around his hips. He knows, deep down, that everything Hans was saying was true. From helping Johanka treat survivors to getting reinforcements for Suchdol with Sam. It doesn't stop the guilt from festering though, especially as she never got buried, and all he had was the ring Theresa gave her. 

Hans leans down and softly kisses Henry's head, wishing there was a way to end Henry's turmoil, 'will you be able to go back to sleep tonight?'

Henry shakes his head lightly, turning his head to the side, looking at Mutt lying by the fire, his eyes staring back at Henry.

Guess you understand how I feel, Mutt, Henry thinks, remembering the Butcher's remains and how Mutt stayed by his side until the others turned up, do you often think about your old master?

Thinking back, he can recall multiple times where Mutt finds his way to the butchers in new villages, and he always visits the Rattay butcher whenever they travel past.

'Henry?' Hans asks, causing Henry's attention to snap back towards the golden haired man.

'I think I'll just stay up and read a bit. I don't think I'll manage to fall asleep again tonight, but you should get some rest.'

Hans sighs softly before nodding in agreement, knowing just how stubborn Henry is, 'alright, but don't complain you are tired tomorrow,' he responds teasingly, causing Henry to crack a smile.

------

As the weeks pass, Henry continues to have nightmares about Bianca. He never brings it up with Hans, not wanting to worry him, but he doesn't bring it up with Theresa either. They never really did talk about Bianca, even though both of them were so close with her. Once or twice he tried, but it felt as though the words got stuck in his throat. How could he ask her whether her closest friend's death haunted her the way it haunted him?

'Hal! I have something very important to show you.' Han's calls, bursting into the forge, smirking slightly as he admires the sight of Henry, drenched in sweat, as he worked.

'Sir?' Henry says, 'do I have time to clean up first?'

'Not at all, follow me!' Hans calls out, leading the way.

Henry rolls his eyes fondly before quickly following after him, walking past the tournament setup and heading straight for the upper castle gardens.

'What are we going in here for?' Henry asks, confused as he wanders through the doorway, only for the strong fragrance of belladonna to fill his lungs. He stops short, glancing at Hans before walking further in. Beside the rose bushes, rather than empty plots of land that were left abandoned to weeds over time, there sat bunches of belladonna.

'I know you don't have much to remember Bianca by, but I thought this might be a nice way to have a part of her with you,' Hans explains, anxiously glancing around the garden and back to Henry, only to realise Henry was crying, 'Henry? Oh heavens, I should have asked if this was okay. I am sorry, I can get rid of it, or change it, if you would prefer, please don't cry.'

Henry wraps his arms around Hans and, without a single care, crushes his lips against his, 'what did I do to deserve you? This is incredible, I... how on earth did you organise it all?'

Hans smiles in relief and brushes away Henry's tears, 'I think putting up with my noble ass means you deserve more than a part of the garden. It was easy enough to organise, I am the Lord of Pirkstein after all, and I wanted it to be something special. Not that Hanush knows that, he thinks I just have increased an interest in herbal remedies and potions after everything that has happened.'

Henry snorts at trying to imagine Hans trying to make a potion, 'I think you would have blown up the cauldron if you ever tried.'

'Well it is a good thing I am a noble then isn't it?' Hans retorts, kissing Henry once more, 'if it was anyone else, I would be furious. But I am more than happy to share your heart with Bianca. She sounded like a wonderful woman, and if these plants are anything to go off of, smelt amazing as well, especially compared to you and your inability to bathe.'

Henry quickly jabs Hans in the side, grinning, 'I do bathe, thank you. Not all of us live in the bathhouses or do so little manual labour that we barely sweat. Thank you, really though, for all of this. I can't even begin to explain just how much I adore you.'

Henry watches as Han's face turns red as he tries to hide his smile, 'all I ask is for you to tell me more about her. She was important to you, after all.'

Henry nods in agreement, glancing back around the garden, his mind drifting back to his sweet Bianca, remembering her dancing around the tavern on their last night in Skalitz, her grin able to light up a room, 'I will. You would have liked her, she never put up with anyone's nonsense, though she was so sweet that most of the time people never realised that they were being kicked out or being put in their place until hours later. She was incredible.'

[pizzleyanked]

i hate the argument of "let men just be friends" when it comes to kcd because henry can have so many friendships with men over both games. matthias, matthew, and fritz. godwin. miller peshek. executioner hermann. hans. zizka. everyone in the devil's pack, and so on. and yet when a woman gets any significant amount of time i brace myself so i can avoid accidentally fucking her. if anything kcd (2 especially) needs to give us more women and specifically women that have exclusively nonsexual relationships with henry. henry's friendship with johanka is so dear to me

[aloeclown]

kcd spoilers but some thoughts on matthew & fritz & johanka & matthias:

need to get back to the “writing a book with rosa” part of kcd 2 to see if henry talks about matthew and fritz at all because like. im remembering with one quest in KCD 1 (as i’m on it now) you can decide their fate (there’s even an achievement called ‘judas’ if you send them to the gallows) and in kcd 2 henry mentions that hans is really the only friend he has left.

i refuse to look up the possible answer and nobody tell me…. but dude if it’s canon that henry sent his last remaining friends from skalitz to the gallows im going to end it. i’m like 50% sure henry states that johanka was killed/burned at the stake for heresy and matthias can die if you don’t solve the merhojed case correctly /in time.

[feelinungry]

Kingdom Come: Deliverance (2018) & Czech Actors, part 4

(Part 1, Part 2, Part 3)

Live-Action Czech Cast created by little old me.

Picking the actors according to their looks and/or vibes.

[feelinungry]

Behold - last time Johanka had some reason for a smile

Kingdom Come: Deliverance

Screens that hurt 1/?