Fic: Soul Mate

[meridian_rose]

Title: Soul Mate
Fandom: Original
'Verse/Series: Kat (High Queen)
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 1625
Prompt: For the trope_bingo prompt "matchmaker" and the 100_tales prompt "purple"
Summary: AU. Kat consults a mystical matchmaker.
Content Notes: No standard warnings apply.
Author Notes: at end of fic
Index Page for this series: DW/ LJ


She ought to have lit incense to further add to the ambience of the shadowy tent but she'd been taken unawares – her fortune telling skills were limited and specific. Still, her clothing usually satisfied customers who expected a certain style. Her long red and black dress with subtle gold embroidery that glinted in the candlelight was matched by the scarlet scarf she wore over long brown hair dulled by age. Her chocolate brown eyes stared at the young queen sitting opposite her, who showed no sign of being either impressed or sceptical.

"You wish me to find you a husband, Majesty?" She shifted in her seat, her charm bracelet jangling. The queen had sworn never to take a husband. To do so would unseat her from her throne. The eldest son was the rightful heir to the kingdom, and if the eldest child were female then the oldest boy. Only if, as in this case, there was a sole female heir, could she could reign as queen. At least until she married, and became the king's wife, a queen in title only with no power.

Katerina shook her head, auburn curls shifting about her shoulders. "I must remain unwed."

The matchmaker nodded, relaxing against the soft cushion at her back. Far be it for her to advise this headstrong monarch to give up her birthright. Though if anyone could revoke the outdated laws of the Commonwealth, it might be Gloriana Katerina with her strength of will and her few, yet dedicated, followers in her quest to become and to remain the second High Queen. "Then what can I do for her highness?"

Katerina leaned forward over the rough wooden table. "You are a matchmaker like no other, so I've heard. You find true love – soul mates." She said the last words hesitantly as if they were foreign to her.

The matchmaker nodded.

"I will not wed but I do not wish to be alone. I have friends, of course." She glanced at the tent door, flapping gently in the breeze. Outside, her bodyguard and the archivist were waiting.

It was the archivist, Callaghan, who'd brought the queen to her. He said that he didn't believe in prophecy, but the woman he was dating – an insubstantial affair that would not last the week – had dragged him to the visiting matchmaker's tent for the fun of it. She'd read both their cards without outright mention of their inevitably short-lived liaison and he'd been suitably impressed by her insight.

He was a close friend of Katerina's to the despair of many. He was a commoner, a hawk, feckless, sniffed the gossips, who preferred monarchs to be kept away from all but the richest nobles and their interests. It was clear that their disdain only made Katerina – an outcast of a different sort - love him more. Their bond was obvious to the matchmaker, a full, rich, purple aura that she often saw between siblings, quite unlike the pale pink and yellow fluff of his relationship with the blonde woman accompanying him yesterday.

"I have enemies too," the queen went on. "Who would gladly see me dethroned. And I have lovers." She stared defiantly at the matchmaker.

If she'd hoped to be shocking, she would be disappointed. The matchmaker merely shrugged. "You wish to find a lover who will not betray you? One who will be satisfied if you draw him close yet keep him at a certain necessary distance."

Katerina hesitated. "I suppose so. I have no actual love for those I take to my bed. I cannot afford the risk. Many would like to romance their way to kingship. Yet I would like to find one worth that risk. One who would stand always by my side, without wanting to take my crown."

She nodded. Scrying rather than reading the cards would be most suitable in this situation. The matchmaker fetched a clay bowl which she placed in the centre of the table, and filled it with water from a copper jug. She sat once more, and stared into the bowl, the water within still and dark. She closed her eyes, connecting herself to the world beyond, the realm of spirit.

When she was ready she opened them again and placed her hand on the table, palm up. She nodded to Katerina and, with some reluctance, the queen placed her own hand over the rougher skin of the matchmaker.

There were images, sounds, colours, and beyond these an instinctual knowing, like a waking dream. This was her gift, one that had not made her rich, but comfortable, and given her an interesting life as she travelled from town to town helping people find love.

The matchmaker sighed and drew back, getting to her feet. "Forgive me, Majesty."

The queen stood, confusion in her blue eyes. "You saw nothing?"

It might be safer to lie but gifts like these came with caveats. If she abused her talents, they might well be taken from her. Heavy-hearted, the woman said, "I saw many things." It was love that her gift honed in on, and so as always she almost always kept her observations to relationships, though as usual she'd seen glimpses of other things likely to come to pass, both good and bad.

Katerina looked at her expectantly and the matchmaker moistened her lips, trying to soften the blow she must deliver. "You will always have friends, like the archivist. You will have many lovers, and there are maybe two who will be more than brief dalliances, who could be part of your life if you choose."

"But a soul mate?"

She shook her head. "I see no such match. It does not exist. I am sorry."

Katerina blinked hard and smoothed at her dress. "I see. Perhaps that is for the best. Monogamy would not suit me anyway."

The matchmaker made no comment. The queen might never find one man to satisfy all her needs and only find joy in a more open relationship. However, if there were such a one as the queen sought, perhaps she would compromise on her desire for freedom. Without the existence of such a mate to investigate further, it was impossible to say, and so the matchmaker would not venture an opinion.

Katerina forced a smile as she pulled out a small leather bag. "Nor I would not want to lose my beloved, like Catriona did."

The legendary Queen Catriona and her doomed love affair was a story everyone in the Commonwealth knew. There were enough similarities with the red haired Gloriana, known always by her secondary name of Katerina, to draw comparisons. Catriona could not wed either, and the besotted Liam died before she ever confessed her love to him. Was it better to have known love only to lose it, as Catriona had, or better to never feel the sting of loss? The matchmaker had never loved or lost and could not say one way or the other.

The queen placed the bag on the table, the coins inside clinking against one another. "Thank you."

Anything she said would be inadequate so the matchmaker simply bowed deeply as the queen turned and left the tent.



Kat blinked in the sunlight. Cal was sprawled on the grass, reading, and looked up as she approached.

"So?"

She shook her head.

"Was she a fraud? I didn’t think she was." Cal scowled and got his to feet, ready to tackle the matchmaker but Kat put out a restraining hand.

"I believe she spoke truly." A lie could have brought her to the Citadel for months, promising to screen potential suitors to help find the right one, but instead the matchmaker had unequivocally sent her away.

"What, then? It's not someone awful is it?" Cal began listing inappropriate suitors; the captain of the guards who hated being ruled over by a woman, the creepy diplomat from Caitir whose gaze lingered too long at her bosom, the brat prince of some kingdom Kat had never visited.

Kat put her hands on his shoulders. "Cal, sush." When he complied, Kat gave a wry smile. "She said I have no soul mate. That he does not exist."

"Kat." He said her name like an apology.

She shrugged. "She said I'll always have friends. I'll always have you."

Cal wrapped his arms around her as she let a few hot tears of disappointment fall. He stroked her hair, yes, of course she would always have him, she was the queen, he'd be grubbing for insects in the woods if he weren't friends with her.

She laughed at that and pulled away, rubbing at her face. "Grubbing for insects? Honestly, Cal."

They made their way to the horses. Henri, leaning against a tree, was frowning in concentration as he scrawled on a parchment. He looked up from his letter at their approach. "Majesty. Are you ready to leave?"

"Yes. But please, finish writing your letter first."

"It's just a note to my mother, and if I send it at the next village and we make good time to the River Rain I reckon we'll be home about the same time as the message. Maybe before." He tucked the letter away in his saddlebag. "Majesty?"

She stroked her horse's nose. "Yes, Henri?"

"It doesn't seem as if you heard what you wanted. I'm sorry."

"I did not. Thank you, though."

"Prophecies are often wrong," Cal said, climbing into the saddle. "Maybe the matchmaker is too."

"You recommended the woman," Kat countered as she mounted her horse. They bickered for a while. When Cal changed the subject to his current lover – Kat was surprised he was still courting the woman - she tuned him out, dwelling on the long, lonely, road ahead.

---

Notes:
Un-beta'd and perhaps not my usual style. I've been reading some of those articles about how "everything you write sucks" and after feeling like a failure for a while, discarded the advice I disliked and picked a couple of tips to try out.

Hawk: an in-universe term slang term (not a slur) for those who are bisexual.

This is an AU in which Henri lives (as does his mother) as opposed to the canon storyline, but as a result Honor never exists.

Comments

[bleodswean.livejournal.com]

This is strong, very naturally-feeling writing. You say it's not your usual, and yet it flows so well and feels so comfortable that surely it must not have been uncomfortable to write? I particularly like that your omniscient POV seems to be centered on the female characters - this is really nice and feels unusual enough to notice. Not sure if it's intentional with this smaller excerpt, but it works wonderfully here.

There's something of a mystery to this piece - can she really NOT have a soul mate in all of the world? Are we to trust the matchmaker and her aura-reading gift? What is making the Queen feel so torn about this desire?

It's great that you've got this reader compelled and asking questions! I also, very much like the idea of "hawk".

[meridian_rose]

Thank you for reading and commenting! :)

The "advice" I was following was that character names aren't important – I disagree strongly, but the matchmaker as a one off character works without one, as does the list of unsuitable men – and to avoid "feeling words" (thought, felt, remembered, etc). It made me question every word choice and so I spent more time on it than I normally would!

I always try for limited third person rather than omniscient. The matchmaker's POV is impersonal queen/Katerina/archivist/Callaghan/bodyguard. After the scene change it's Kat's POV and so more personal Kat/Cal/Henri. I maybe need to work harder on that.

Much of the novel/verse is from Kat's POV although I also write regularly from other POV's, especially Honor and Cal, close to her and useful observers. But yes, plenty of female protagonist POV :)

I hope the matchmaker comes off as truthworthy even if you question her gifts :) I'm pleased that it's thought provoking.
This is an AU in contrast to the canon chapter I mentioned in the notes. The novel is largely about Kat and her quest to prove herself, but there's a focus on her relationships, especially that with Honor who is devoted to her and who currently acts as her vice-regent. In canon Honor had an older brother, Henri, who died; Honor was the child born to replace him (but his mother's suicide has convinced him he failed, that he was not good enough). In this AU, Henri lives and takes up a position of power as Kat's bodyguard, but Honor does not exist. It's my attempt to point out the importance of the Kat/Honor bond, even if never ends in sex or marriage.

I'm glad you like "hawk"; there are similar phrases for other orientations, a small part of my attempt at worldbuilding :)

[brontefanatic.livejournal.com]

So happy to see a new Kat fic!

This is quite a poignant commentary on the loneliness of power, especially when wielded by a woman. I loved the description of the matchmaker, and her refusal to give Kat an easy lie rather than the hard truth, or at least the truth as she saw it.

Since very few are lucky to find a true soulmate, I hope Kat won't give up hope for a relationship that can still be deep and meaningful.

And like Cal said, prophecy isn't always destiny.

Lovely fic.

[meridian_rose]

Thank you :)

I'm glad the matchmaker comes off well as a character. I didn't give her a name as part of that "advice", so I'm pleased it works.

As a one-off AU the loneliness works, a "What if Henri survived" that has significant repercussions for Kat. She'll have other relationships but the canon relationship that is such a big part of her life, the bond she has with Honor, cannot exist here. It's my attempt to point out that the Kat/Honor dynamic is an important part of the novel, however it plays out :)

[hrhrionastar.livejournal.com]

What a sad AU for Kat! I like the matchmaker, having her one particular talent and trying to use it as conscientiously as possible.

Of course, in the world where Honor exists, I can easily imagine Kat going, 'yuck, who wants a soulmate (whom I'd have to marry) when I've got you, Honor?' ;)

[meridian_rose]

Thank you for commenting :)
I've been thinking about how it would play out in "canon"; maybe Kat and Honor would be reluctant to consult the matchmaker in case she tells them something they don't want to hear, including, as ou suggest, the idea that Kat might have a "soulmate she should wed" :)

[dorothydeath.livejournal.com]

Ooh, a fortune teller's POV! Nice! :D I enjoy looking at Kat through different people. :D

Still, her clothing usually satisfied customers who expected a certain style.
Love this line! :D

who showed no sign of being either impressed or sceptical.
Love this! :D

could she could reign as queen
I believe there's one extra 'could'. O_O Sorry. A habit. :D

an insubstantial affair that would not last the week
Love Cal! :D

If she'd hoped to be shocking, she would be disappointed. The matchmaker merely shrugged.
I'm enjoying her POV a lot! :D

Scrying rather than reading the cards would be most suitable in this situation.
This gives me Shota feels. :D

There were images, sounds, colours, and beyond these an instinctual knowing, like a waking dream.
Awesome description! :D

and so as always she almost always
This feels a bit awkward. O_o

and there are maybe two who will be more than brief dalliances, who could be part of your life if you choose
I'm curious who they are. :D Is MacBride one of them? :D

Monogamy would not suit me anyway
Love this about Kat! :D

Was it better to have known love only to lose it, as Catriona had, or better to never feel the sting of loss?
Oh, yes, that's always an open question. :D

Cal was sprawled on the grass, reading
I love that he's reading while he waits. :D Very Cal of him! :D

Cal began listing inappropriate suitors
LOLOLOL :D

he'd be grubbing for insects in the woods if he weren't friends with her.
LOL, love this line! :D

she tuned him out, dwelling on the long, lonely, road ahead.
That's a lovely story, bb! :D And wonderfully written! :D
And though I enjoyed this style a lot I think I prefer your usual one. This style is very well suited for a short story but for a novel I think your usual one works better! :D
If you don't mind me saying so. O_O

Anyway. It's a very interesting piece! You did a great job, bb! :D
*FLAILS*

[meridian_rose]

Thanks! Outsider POV can be interesting.

Ugh, errors. That's "ugh" for me, not at you for noticing! I swear I read the damn thing backwards and forwards and everything in between. I really need to get *someone* to read things before I post them.

an insubstantial affair that would not last the week
Love Cal! :D
You can argue it's nothing to be ashamed of, but a series of meaningless sexual encounters isn't really something to be proud of either :P What was important here, I thought, was that both the matchmaker and Kat recognised the meaningless of the relationship, proving that Kat is insightful and the matchmaker is accurate.

I love that he's reading while he waits. :D Very Cal of him! :D Very much so! He needs to be occupied, talking or reading or *something*.

And though I enjoyed this style a lot I think I prefer your usual one. This style is very well suited for a short story but for a novel I think your usual one works better! Thank you! It was hard work to write and I'd be interested to know what you think is different, if it's possible to explain. For my part I think it doesn't flow as much as my usual stuff. It's a bit more…stilted? Static. IDK.

Riona wondered about meeting the matchmaker in canon and what Honor and canon!Kat would think about her. It's something I may write at some point. Even here though, Honor does not exist, but his brother becomes Kat's bodyguard, like their father before him – their bloodline is fated to be entangled with hers.

[dorothydeath.livejournal.com]

but a series of meaningless sexual encounters isn't really something to be proud of either :P
LOL, of course. It's just something that I like about him, something I relate to, nothing more.

What was important here, I thought, was that both the matchmaker and Kat recognised the meaningless of the relationship, proving that Kat is insightful and the matchmaker is accurate.
Yes, that worked perfectly! :D


Re: the writing style.
Static, yes, perhaps... It's hard to put into words. I guess this style is sort of detached, clinical. Like you watch everything from a distance and you have a remote control that you can pause the action with to take a break and reflect on things. It isn't a bad thing in and of itself, it's actually a very interesting, very scientific approach, but, again, I can only appreciate it in small doses. I prefer to be in the thick of the action and live things rather than watch them. :D
Hope this makes sense... O_O


I'll be interested to meet the matchmaker in canon! :D She's an awesome character and it'd be sad if we never got to see her again!

[meridian_rose]

Detatched, yes, I can see that. I think it's partly the outsider POV, and partly Au!Kat who is a little dispirited here compared to canon, and partly trying to write in a way that feels alien to me!
I prefer the more dynamic approach, although you're always having to tell me to slow down and show the readers things! Let them see those intimate moments, let them attend the feast rather than just hear it summarised by a character :D That's how the novel is getting much longer. I'm trying to flesh out the adapted characters and world and build the relationships up further.
But still in a dynamic way, without getting bogged down by wondering about every adverb or "thought/felt" phrase! That's what is different here. I think in editing it to someone else's standards I killed all the flow and spontaneity.

[dorothydeath.livejournal.com]

I think it's partly the outsider POV, and partly Au!Kat
Yes, this, too, I guess. :D

although you're always having to tell me to slow down and show the readers things! Let them see those intimate moments, let them attend the feast rather than just hear it summarised by a character :D
Yes, because that's how I can live things more fully. ;P Descriptions are how books show us things. And attending events with the characters and witnessing the fun is more fun than hearing someone tell you how much fun it was. ;D

That's how the novel is getting much longer.
Awwwwww, yyyyyyiiiiisssss!)))))

But still in a dynamic way, without getting bogged down by wondering about every adverb or "thought/felt" phrase!
Honestly I don't understand what's wrong with adverbs or thinking/feeling things! Sure action is important but the way people perform an action is sometimes even more telling than the action itself! Like you can say something warmly or coldly or cheerfully or angrily or sadly or dreamily or whatever and the same words will have a COMPLETELY different meaning!
As to thinking/feeling - it's HUGE part in characters' motivation! How can anyone advise against it?
I just don't get it. At all. O_o

I think in editing it to someone else's standards I killed all the flow and spontaneity.
Suggestions and opinions can be helpful, yes, but at the end of the day (even if those opinions and suggestions come from me :D) you should always do what feels right for you.

*HUGS TIGHT*

[meridian_rose]

It's this post, from a series of articles by the author of "Fight Club", this one made available on Tumblr: http://cultureprn.tumblr.com/post/9176218270/thought-verbs-by-chuck-palahniuk

It's not the "feelings" themselves but you're not supposed to just say "He felt sad" but give lots more detail. It makes more sense when you read the post, but honestly, trying to "unpack" every single thought/felt/remembered verb is soul destroying.
And I enjoyed the *movie* "Fight Club", and I skimmed some of the author's short stories from another advice post I found elsewhere and they're okay but I can't say I was in love with his style. There was little criticism of the "no thought verbs" post though a couple of people did say that it's adding words for the sake of it, getting bogged down in unnecessary detail.

The same applies to advice on adverbs. To "unpack" - write much more context so the adverb isn't necessary. But I don't think all adverbs are evil so I'm not going to try and eliminate every single one! :D

[dorothydeath.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the link! :D

Yes, that makes slightly more sense but I think what this is really about is the emotional impact of the words. Saying "he felt sad" doesn't really affect the reader emotionally but if you put it like "he walked though the streets, looking in front of him and not really seeing; the rain was pouring down but he didn't open the umbrella he held in his hands and blah-blah-blah" it's more emotionally engaging.
On the other hand lots of times it's MUCH more descriptive to use shorter lines. Like “Lisa hated Tom.” (to quote the article) sometimes says it all and there's no need to go into all those details that will only draw the attention away from the plot and/or the character. Sometimes less is more.

So, yes, bb, you write as you write. The thing that really matters is not how many words you use but whether or not these words tell the story and evoke an emotional response. And yours do! :D

[meridian_rose]

Exactly. I guess it's the same as all advice; take what you need and leave the rest!

Hmm...

[ysabetwordsmith]

I like this. Just because soul mates exist doesn't mean everyone is cut out for one. There are other kinds of bond besides sexual/romantic ones that can be just as important.

Re: Hmm...

[meridian_rose]

Thank you :) Types of relationships and emotional bonds are something I like to look at – non-sexual relationships in particular, and navigating beyond "just" friends (and not automatically privileging a sexual relationship over a nonsexual one).
Admittedly this is an AU of canon, where one character lives and so in this scenario the canonical soulmate was never born.

Re: Hmm...

[ysabetwordsmith]

>>Types of relationships and emotional bonds are something I like to look at – non-sexual relationships in particular, and navigating beyond "just" friends (and not automatically privileging a sexual relationship over a nonsexual one).<<

I like that you do this; it's one reason I enjoy your writing. Not many writers give equal respect to nonsexual relationships.