Kai Hiwatri sat in the dark, calmly drinking from a bottle of vodka as he methodiacally cleaned the antique gun he'd decided to use to end his life.
The single action Colt revolver was known by many names: the Peacemaker and the Gun That Won the West were two of the more popular. It had belonged to Kai's father, William Hiwatari, who'd distinguished himself fighting in Union blue during the war, had returned home at the end of it only to discover his wife had died of a fever the night before his arrival.
"timing" Kai muttered as he traced the specialized engraving on the wooden grip of the revolver with a fingertip, "is everything"
He shook his head as he thought about the cruel twist of fate that had allowed a man to survive years of carnage without so much as a single scratch, then took the life of the woman who'd remained the single fixed star in his life during those brutal war years.
He imagined how William must have felt riding home, excited about being alive, excited about resuming his life, tending his land, making love, having children. Although there was more than a few years had passed between them Kai could definately identify with his ancestor.
It hadn't been that long ago he'd been planning a future with the woman he loved. He looked through the alcohol fog at a framed photograph on the table beside him, dispecting a laughing, auburn haired woman. The picture of Laura Swann Fletcher had been taken during an idyllic stolen weekend in the shenandiah valley. That same weekend their child had been concieved. The child he hadn't even known she was carrying until they were dead.
Murdered.
The word tolled heavily in his mind, like a funeral knell. There was no escaping it. And, Since the killer had thoughtlessly left him to live with the pain of such gutwrenching loss, Kai decided that the only thing to do was finish the job himself.
He pulled the hammer back with his thumb. At first click, the cylinder rotated freely, allowing hom to load the single bullet, then stuck the seven and a half inch barrel into his mouth.
Unwilling to consider this final act cowardly, Kai refused to close his eyes. Instead he kept his gaze firmly fixed on Laura's lovely, lovely face as he pulled the trigger.
"In all the thousands of years I have been in this position I can't remember _ever_ witnessing a more dismal romantic match" The older woman's raven black eyes expressed intense disapproval as she glared over the top of her wire framed reading glasses at the young woman standing in front of her desk. "Whatever were you thinking of?"
"I truly believed it would work" Amethyst said quietly. Although it wqas differcult not to squirm beneath that lazer like glare she managed to hold her was, however, twisting her hands together behind her back.
Those censorious eyes widened with disbelief. "You actually believed a worldly prince and a naive young kindergarten teacher would have anything in common?"
Amethyst had heard this same cristism for years and couldn't understand why she was being reprimanded for her mistake yet again. Although she was sorely tempted to point out that the critera for the royal match had not been all that simple - there were not, after all, many eligible virgins in the latter half of the twentith century to choose from- she managed to hold her tongue.
"It worked for Cinderella" She murmured
"Cinderella was a exception" the words were shot at her like stones. "And she was fortunate enough to have a world-class fairy godmother. You are not" the deep voice turned heavy with scorn. "even approaching Harmony's league"
The insult, although unfortunately true, stung. Amethyst knew she had made a tactical mistake bringing up Harmony. The woman was, without a doubt, the most famous fairy godmother who'd ever lived.
Harmony had retired after her sterling success with Cinderella and in her honor, a statue of her, turning the white mice into horses for the famed pumpkin coach, had been erected in the contemplation gardens.
Although Harmony was a role model for all fairy godmothers, young and old, Amethyst managed, just barely, to refrain from mentioning that even she had been wise enough to realise she couldn't top her successwith that pretty, albeit vapid, little scullery maid.
And if she couldn't, thought Amethyst dejectedly, how in the world was anyone else expected to?
"I really don't know what we're going to do with you" her superior, Andromeda, said with a deep, heartfelt sigh. "I realise you professed a desire to work in romance, however, I've been thinking prehaps some other area-"
"Oh please don't transfer me!" Amethyst untangled her fingers from behind her back and pressed her hands against her heart, which had suddenly begun to pound with a wild, out of control beat. "I love romance!"
"I know, Dear" the dark eyes softened with affection "You are, without a doubt, the most romantic soul we've had since Harmony's time. And we've all been hoping your skills would catch up with your hear but that doesn't seem to be happening. Does it?" Amethyst's mind quickly flickered through the couples she'd matched inthe past. Surely she could find one winner to prove her competence and keep her job. The first couple who came to mind were Devil Anse Hatfield and Roseanna McCoy. Putting aside the depressing decades-long murderous mountain fued she tried again.
The memory of Henry VIII and Anne Boyleyn was definately not encourging. Then there'd been that dashing soldier. He and Cleopatra seemed to have been a perfect love match. Who could of ever predicted things would turn out so tragically?
Amethyst sighed "I see your point" She said reclutantly. "Hollyhock needs someone to help in the kitchen" Andromeda said thoughtfully. "You do seem to enjoy cooking-"
"Cooking is a avocation" Amethyst Interrupted "Romance is my life!"
Andromeda frowned and continued "what about accounting? You have a amazing knack for numbers and we've been running so over budget lately in so many areas-"
"I'd go crazy sitting in front of a computer all day" Amethyst complained. A transfer to accounting would also mean no visits to earth; unlike other fairy godmothers who found the planet uncivilized and untidy Amethyst found it exhilarting and fascinating. She dragged a trembling hand though her wild tangle of purple long curls. "I'll admit my record has been less than stellar but if I could only have another chance I know I could get things right"
Her voice trembled, she felt the traitorous sting of tears behind her eyes and Amethyst, had to bite her lip to keep from weeping.
"That's precisely what we're going to give you" Andromeda surprised Amethyst by saying. "One more chance"
"Oh thank you!" When she rushed joyfully forward towards the desk planning to hug her superior, she was stopped in her tracks by a uplifting hand.
"It is not a simple assignment"
"I don't care. I promise. I'll succeed" Hope sang it's clear sweet song through her veins "And if I don't, you can transfer me out of romance forever"
"That's our intention" Andromeda's tone assured Amethyst this was truly her final chance to prove that she could make a successul love match " The man we're assigning you to will not cooperative"
"That's all right-"
"Indeed, I expect he will you at every turn, You see, He has already loved once, And that love was so strong and so deep he's convinced himself it can never be equaled"
"That's so sad" Ever the optimist Amethyst couldn't imagine such a defeatist attitude. "What happened? Did she leave him for another man?"
"She died"
"That is tragic"
"It's worse. Laura was murdered. She was also pregnant with this man's childat the time and married to another man, a very important, very influencetial man. It was quite the scandal, Especially when Kai was arrested for her murder"
"Oh, dear" Amethyst began to feel just the slightest twinge of worry. "That's his name? Kai?" It was a nice name she thought. Strong and Masculine. And very mortal.
"Yes. And now, as you'll see, he believes he no longer gas any reason to live" She handed Amethyst a thick folder "This is their story. You'll want to acquaint yourself with the particluars"
"I'll read it right away"
"That would be adviseable in most cases. But I fear you don't have much time" Andromeda picked up the remote control from the desk and pointed it at the wall. Amethyst watched as a picture appeared.
Kai was certainly a handsome enough man, she though, in a rough-hewn sort of way. He was sitting down, but judging from the long legs, stretched out in front of him, she suspected he'd be tall. He was whipcord lean but his bodyappeared to be all muscle and sinew. The grim brackets on either side of his mouth suggested that his heart was as hard as hisbody. And no wonder, She though sadly, thinking of what he'd lost.
His face, weathered from years of working outdoors, a startling contrast to his crimson eyes. And the bleak expression in those eyes as he picked up a photograph of a smiling woman she took to be his beloved Laura, tore at something very deep and very elemental inside Amethyst.
He put down the photo, picked up the glass and downed the clear liquid. Amethyst gasped as she saw him pick up the revolver.
"Oh no!" She called out.