GAYME ROMANCES issue 3 - Kings Journal (Patreon)

 Read issue 1 here.
Read issue 2 here.

This journal contains gay romance spoilers for The Witcher 3, Stardew Valley and Assassin's Creed Syndicate. 

Games with gay romances are great and Kings Journal will move them into the spotlight. Each journal will present three romances.
 
This time I want to talk or better said -write- about three very different gayme romances.
One that happened in the past, unseen by the player.
One that is obviously romantic with a happy ending.
And one that involves a bisexual male, main character and the question, if it is a romance or not.

Mislav from The Witcher 3

Geralt of Rivia is straight, but early in the game he meets a hunter called Mislav, who might help him finding a griffins nest. They assist each other by hunting a few dangerous wild dogs (who killed Dieter a man Mislavs knows) and if Geralt shows some interest in conversation Mislav tells him about the killed man and his past at the local lord's castle, where he served as a hunter, too and fell in love with the lord's son. They had a relationship until Dieter discovered them and outet them to the lord.
Mislav was exiled and the land lord's son fell into deep depression due to his broken heart and he committed suicide. The land lord started drinking and his castle fell into ruin.
At last the lord was hanged and only Mislav survived the tragedy.

Geralt shows some pity for Mislav (if you choose so) and continues his journey, but Mislavs romance has a huge shadow over the country. Geralt finds an abandoned village, filled with corpses, that is haunted by a ghost of a hanged bride. While investigating the houses he finds some clues about what happened and it seems like another tragedy, because the drunken lord has murdered the villagers for no reason.
But later Geralt finds a note in a villagers diary, that says, that the bride made mean jokes about the dead, gay son of the land lord and it becomes clear what really happened.
I remember clearly what I felt during that quest. First I felt sorry for the bride being killed at her marriage, but soon after I felt very different about her. My compassion was gone.
Making jokes about a gay couple and someone who committed suicide is horrible.
Did that woman deserve death? I don't know, but she caused her own fate.

Anyway.
As soon as Geralt kills the griffin he was able to find thanks to Mislavs help, the new local ruler allows him to continue his journey. And this is the last „shadow“ of Mislavs romance, because the new ruler resides inside the castle ruins, where once was love, then tragedy, death and grief.

Mislavs romance is still important to me. It is a sad, silent story, that happened before Geralt arrives and yet, when you are attentive you can experience the events like echoes from the past. Another important fact is, that we have a gay romance in a huge first class video game, that is included with respect without any stereotypes or jokes.
Geralt is actually straight, because his adventures are based on the Witcher novels, where he is straight, but for the future, when we might be able to experience a new witcher adventure with another witcher I hope there will be the choice for gay romance with a chance for a happy ending.

Alex from Stardew Valley

Stardew Valley is a farm life simulation. The players grandfather passes away and you are the heir of an old, shabby farm. So you move into the valley „Stardew Valley“ close to the small town „Pelican“ to start a new life as a farmer. While trying to make your farm prosper you'll meet the residents of Pelican and one of them is Alex.

Alex loves sport and he loves to brag. He seems to be arrogant, but you also notice, that he does not have much friends and spends most time in front of his grandparents house with his dog.
To become friends with him you have to talk to him and give him presents. Nothing super special or expensive: Alex likes eggs for example, because he needs the proteine to train his muscles. Once he begins to like you he opens up and you can unlock heart-events with him. With more hearts the events become more intimate.

Alex tells you about his mean father who was a drunk and about his kind mother who died early and that's why he lives together with his grandparents. His dog is the only one he talks to, when he feels sad and lonely. But by becoming his friend Alex also shows some emotions in front of you. You can support his dreams of becoming an athlete, you can cheer Alex up after you find him crying at the beach and step by step you become closer.

Sometimes Alex becomes also kinda shy for example, when he tells you, that you are different from other guys. Different in a nice way and he enjoys spending time with you.
And finally your close friendship can become love and Alex is very happy to be your boyfriend.
One night he asks you for a date. Alex reserves a private room for a dinner date. A guy plays a violin and a lady serves the food. During the date Alex confesses, that he has an interest in you since you first met each other.
If you tell him, that you feel the same way for him Alex will be very happy.
After this nice date you can propose marriage and Alex becomes your husband and he moves on your farm.

Alex has his own training room at the farm and a small area behind the house becomes his training grounds, where he lifts weigths. He also supports you on the farm by feeding animals or taking care of plants or he prepares some food for you.
Alex enjoys the life at your farm and he is very happy and you can kiss him and he kisses you.
It is a very cute romance and Alex the lonely boy finds a new home filled with love.

 Jacob from Assassin's Creed Syndicate

Jacob Frye is bisexual. He is the first bisexual main character in the AC franchise and during his adventures in Victorian London he meets a gay man who is neither a friend nor a true villain.

The mans name is Maxwell Roth and he is an associate of the British Templars.
But he is not fully content with his bosses control over London and so he forms a partnership with Jacob Frye to weaken the Templars.
Jacob enjoys the company of Maxwell who is fun and easy going like himself and not strict and dull like his assassin comrades – like his twin sister Evie.

But after some missions Jacob considers Maxwells tactics more critically. Maxwell has no regrets. He does not care who he kills or if innocent people are harmed.
So although they had a good time together at first, they argue and go separate ways until Maxwell invites Jacob to a theatre.
It is a trap and Maxwell sets the theatre on fire, but he can not escape Jacob who kills him.
But before Maxwell dies he kisses Jacob goodbye – on Jacobs lips – who is surprised?! It is hard to tell, because Jacobs reaction to the kiss is very diverse, but he is not disgusted.
That kiss between Jacob and Maxwell left me behind as confused as Jacob.
Was it a romance and I missed it?

It is one of those moments in games, where fans start creating theories or simply say yes or no to a love theory.
I do not think, that Jacob and Maxwell had a romantic relationship. I think they had something in common, a certain passion for trouble and being a rebel so they felt attracted to each other, but after a while they got to know each other better and Jacob discovered how much they distinguish and his feelings changed.
Probably Maxwell loved Jacob, but in his own way – a cruel love.
Maybe Jacob is in a huge city for the first time and he has the chance to become who he really is. He is kinda rough and a rebel, but growing up with strict rules of the Assassin's Brotherhood, living in the prude Victorian era, having a strict father, Jacob hardly had the chance to be bisexual and in London together with Maxwell he was able to discover himself: to let go. 

I consider the whole events in London as a liberation for Jacob.
Maxwell was a part of this development, but when I remember my first interest in men or a single man, I ended heart broken, confused, unsure about what happened.
I lacked experience and probably I also met the wrong guys. There was some interest, but there was no love and at last there were questions, that were hard to answer.
Was that what I experienced a romance?

So if you ever had a relationship, that was not a romance, but somehow a mess of emotions and you felt unsure afterwards what the heck happened, you experienced the romance between Jacob Frye and Maxwell Roth yourself.
Something about love, but without love.
Jacob Frye and Maxwell Roth have a romance that is thought-provoking.

  
Did you play one of those games?
And what do you think about these romances?
Especially the one in AC Syndicate?!

Tell me in the comments

Fun Fact at last:
Jacob is my favourite assassin and I wish they would create a Syndicate 2 - like they created three games for Ezio. Actually I want Origins 2 and Odyssey 2, too. ^^;