Chapter Text
Henry had always wondered how he would meet his soulmate. The dark mark on the inside of his hands stood stark against his skin, as if he had been grabbing at coal all day. He had dreamed about picking up a nice girl while saving her from some unknown danger, becoming her hero and her husband. Or, he would find a girl and clasp his hands into hers and colours would explode sealing their fated love. Yes, Henry was sure that his first meeting with his soulmate was to be a sweet and tender moment.
He first hoped that Bianca would be the one, but when he first touched her and no colour appeared on his hands he realised she wasn’t his soulmate. She later revealed that her soulmark is on her arm as if someone quickly needed her attention, they were sad about not being each other's soulmates but they agreed to just have fun while it lasted. The two of them would often gossip and discuss who it might be, Bianca hoped it would be someone as kind as Henry.
She never found who it was before Skalitz burned down.
It was truly horrific, watching as his friends died seeing the place he spent his entire childhood burning down. Watching as his parents were slain right before his eyes. Henry was sure their faces would haunt him till he died.
Theresa had saved him after he disregarded sir Divish’s orders, Henry was grateful for her. Henry asked her to hold his hands and when nothing happened disappointment came over him once again. It didn't stop the two from having their fun. Theresa was so nice, Henry would often hope it was all a mistake and she was secretly his soulmate. They say that once you find your soulmate it becomes difficult to be away from them, knowing this wasn't the case with Theresa made Henry sad.
After being put into the service of lord Radzig Kobyla, Henry felt himself gain life purpose again. Maybe just working could get his mind off of the awful things that had happened in his life. When the question came for nightwatch Henry gladly obliged.
Having seen the young lord before Henry had already formed an opinion on him that wasn’t all that great, beating the pompous bastard at sword fighting had felt great, though in turn he was beaten in archery. It left a weird tingly feeling in his chest, he supposes he might just be feeling down about losing that archery match. One can not be good at everything after all.
Now seeing Hans Capon at the ale house his opinion only worsens when the young lord decides he can decide when the place shuts down. The shove came easy, just like the other fists that flew after. A certain energy had flown between them as they were fighting and Henry couldn’t put his finger on what it was. It almost felt like coming home, even if his was burned down and destroyed. It wasn’t quick until they were pulled apart and reprimanded by sir Hanush.
Henry didn’t realise what the weird feeling was until the next day when he had saved Hans from the Cumans. He had taken his gloves off to more easily untie the rope around Hans’s wrists and that's when he saw the vibrant colours in his palms. Splashes of vibrant colours he wouldn’t be able to name even if his life depended on it. The colours swirled around in this beautiful pattern, the likes of which he has never seen before. Back at the little hunting camp the two of them stopped to catch their breaths. Henry didn’t know what to do, was this noble really his soulmate? How would that even work? They were both men after all. And even if Hans was a woman, Henry would never be allowed anything since he is a peasant.
So he pretended not to notice, maybe Hans hadn’t seen the vibrant colours on his chest? Maybe Hans was disgusted at having a man as his soulmate? Henry was sure he wouldn’t acknowledge it until Hans himself would. And even then he would apologise himself for ruining such a beautiful experience for the lord, for to be bonded like that to the likes of him must be the most shameful thing in existence.