Rogue (1/2)
Rogue
Artist: portraitofemmy
Author: whatfoolscallit
Rating: PG
Word count: 6300
Warnings/ Spoilers: character death, but not Kurt or Blaine.
Summary: When a newcomer to the kingdom of Lima commits a devastating crime, Elven Prince Kurt Hummel is forced to throw his human lover and protector in to prison. Can Kurt clear Blaine’s name before his execution and his own wedding?
Link to Art: on tumblr
Thanks to portraitofemmy for letting me use her art and for all of her encouragement. It was great working with you. Also, as always, thanks to gigi42 for her beta skills.
For as long as he could remember, Kurt Hummel had known who he was meant to be and what he needed to do to be that person. His father, Burt, was king of Lima, one of the largest kingdoms on the continent of Ohio. And so, Kurt, his only son, was the heir to the throne.
Lima was a wonderful kingdom. The Hummels, an unbroken line of hereditary elven kings, found it easy to rule Lima because of their constituents. It was rare for large civilian disturbances to occur.
The elves of Ohio were peaceful and loving, inclusive of all of their kind. Elves were naturally at peace with each other and accepting of each other’s differences. There were different races and classes of elves but acceptance was a value present in the legends of the First Elves.
Their castle was located at the exact center of Lima and citizens visited it regularly, some on holidays and some to share their grievances with the king. However, recently the King had decided that besides the lessons that Kurt had about Lima and its customs, he required further grooming before he could truly be ready to ascend to the throne. Part of Kurt’s new routine was to sit in the Great Hall and listen to the grievances of his people and attempt to solve them.
It was on one such day that Kurt met Sebastian Smythe.
**
Kurt followed the knight in front of him, admiring the silver mail that flowed down his back, cinched at the waist with a leather belt. A silver sword hung at his side, and the knight’s hand rested on the hilt.
“I can feel you looking at me,” the knight said quietly, not turning back.
“You like it,” Kurt replied, grinning.
The knight turned his head slightly, “Your Highness, we are already late.”
Kurt grabbed the arm of the knight in front of him, pulling him into a secluded nook and tight up against him. “So what’s another minute, then?” he smiled.
The knight framed Kurt’s head between his hands. “Kurt,” he breathed, closing his eyes.
“Blaine,” the prince responded.
“You’re interfering with my job.”
“Your job is to do what I say, isn’t it?” Kurt asked, dimpling.
“Not quite,” Blaine laughed.
“Protecting, obeying, same difference.” Kurt twisted his fingers into the leather of Blaine’s collar and tugged him closer, pressing his lips to Blaine’s. “I like who you are,” he murmured, pressing again.
“You’re the only one,” Blaine said quietly. He started to pull back, but Kurt held him tighter. “Kurt.”
“I’m going to change it, Blaine. I swear, when I’m king, everyone will accept you.”
“That’s a really nice thought, Kurt, and it means a lot, I swear. But you can’t change years of elven tradition.”
“Just watch me.” Kurt pulled Blaine close again and this time he came without resistance, locking his fingers around Kurt’s neck and pulling at his bottom lip with his teeth.
A sound, dull at first, echoed loudly around them.
“Did you hear that?” Blaine asked, quickly letting go of Kurt.
Kurt stepped back, pressing himself against the wall behind him. “A door, I think.”
“Let’s just go.”
Blaine readjusted his chainmail around his shoulders and turned back towards the way they were heading. “This way, Your Highness.” He led the way to the throne room, and stood back as Kurt straightened his back, entered the room, and sat in the throne that would one day be his. Kurt gently placed his arms on the armrests, peeking out of the corner of his eye and following Blaine’s trek to stand at his side, hand resting on the hilt of his sword once more.
A herald cleared his throat. “Prince Kurt presiding over grievances. First, Miss Brittany.”
Kurt smiled gently at the blonde elf that broke from the crowd and came to kneel before him. She was a regular griever, with problems too fantastical for Kurt to solve. He, however, found her endearing if a little slow for the average elf.
“Speak, Brittany.”
“It’s my horse again, Your Highness.”
Kurt’s face was a mask of concern. “What did Lord Tubbington do this time?”
“He has started on opium again. I don’t know what to do!”
Kurt pretended to take a moment to think before advising, “Try locking him in his stall so that he cannot get to the den.”
She nodded and thanked him, melting back into the crowd.
“Miss Rachel Berry,” the herald intoned.
Kurt nodded to her as she kneeled. “You may speak.”
“Thank you, Your Highness. My fathers and I are in the midst of trying to deal with a trespasser. We thought you might have some guidance to share with us.”
“A trespasser?” Kurt asked as his eyebrows rose.
“He says that he is a traveler,” she amended.
“And why should you not take him at his word?”
With a quick glance to Blaine, her cheeks reddened as she blurted, “He’s a human.”
Expression suddenly thunderous, Kurt stared down at the woman with his eyes narrowed. “And so?”
“And so they are untrustworthy, Your Highness! He clearly simply wants to eat us out of house and home. You know they eat twice as much as us, these human men, sometimes more! What are we to do? We are simply poor farmers, we cannot house heathens -”
“Enough!” Kurt cut across her, standing from his throne. “Miss Berry, you must be aware of my opinions on humans.”
The hall was silent.
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“Do you feel that this is an appropriate grievance to bring to me, much less my father?”
“No, Your Highness.”
“Leave, Miss Berry. Give that man some food and send him on his way but let me never hear of you speaking of humans in such a way.”
“Yes, Your Highness. Thank you.” She backed away, head bowed and hands clasped before her before turning tail and running away as soon as she reached the crowd.
The herald cleared his throat gently. “Lord Sebastian Smythe.”
A tall elf strode from the back of the crowd and the other elves parted to make way for him. Kurt narrowed his eyes slightly before sitting back down. “Lord Smythe. I have not seen you here before.”
Sebastian swept a low bow, swinging one arm out in front of him. “Your Highness. I come from the Kingdom of Dalton.”
“Welcome to Lima, Lord Smythe. We are always happy to welcome someone from our neighboring kingdoms. What is your business here?”
“Prince Kurt, I’ve come with a petition.”
Kurt sat straighter in his throne and gestured for Sebastian to continue. “A petition for what?”
Smirking, Sebastian replied, “Your hand in marriage.”
**
Kurt flew into a rage as soon as he entered his father’s council chambers, cool demeanor left at the door with Blaine, who turned to guard the door.
“Do you have any idea how humiliating that was?” he yelled, throwing his hands in the air.
“Now Kurt,” his father said, raising his hand in a placating manner. “I know you are a little upset but please, son, calm down.”
“Calm down! Some jerk comes in wanting to marry me in front of everyone in the kingdom? Doesn’t he have a shred of decency? What do they teach in Dalton? Petitioning for my hand, honestly.” Kurt took a deep breath and finally looked to his father. “Sorry.”
Burt smiled and stood from behind his desk. He was a big man, bald with kind eyes, whose intimidating stature belied his soft heart. “My son. I know perhaps this wasn’t the best way for Lord Smythe to... announce his intentions but maybe you should consider it.”
Kurt’s mouth dropped, but any protest he could voice was cut off by the door banging in. His father’s chief advisor Sue Sylvester barged in as Blaine looked on helplessly. “King Kong, Prince Porcelain. Let’s chat.”
Kurt groaned and rolled his eyes at Blaine who sent him a smile. Courage, he mouthed.
Sue pushed Kurt into a seat by his shoulders and Kurt automatically raised a hand to stop Blaine from drawing his sword. He heard the blade sink back into its sheath.
“As your chief advisor Royals, I have to say that accepting this offer may be the best thing that will happen to this kingdom.”
“As I told my father and Sebastian before him,” Kurt hissed, “I refuse.”
“Hate to break it to you Princess,” Sue said, shrugging, “but your father is not getting any younger. You’re gonna be King. You need someone to rule by your side.”
Kurt stood, starting to stride to the door. “Well, it will not be Lord Meerkat, I can tell you that.” He could see a tiny smile playing on Blaine’s face.
“Well,” Sue drawled from behind him. “It’s not like there’s anyone else. Is there?”
Blaine’s face fell blank and he minutely shook his head.
“No,” Kurt whispered. “No, there’s no one else.”
**
“Blaine,” Kurt whispered as the knight quietly entered his room and shut the door. Kurt was curled on his bed, hands tucked underneath his head. He had known Blaine would come eventually.
“God, Kurt, are you okay?” Blaine asked, rushing to his side.
“Well, apart from the fact that I may have to marry some foreigner...” Kurt trailed off, smiling apologetically at Blaine.
Blaine reached up and ran his fingers through Kurt’s hair. “He’s a better match for you than me.”
“I don’t want him.”
They were silent for a moment before Kurt scrambled to sit facing Blaine, dislodging his hand from his hair. “I want us to come out. As a couple.”
“No.”
“Blaine!”
“No.”
“Why not?”
Blaine shrugged. “Maybe after you repeal the Inter-Species Marriage Act.”
Kurt stood, crossing his arms and facing away from the man on the bed. “You know I can’t repeal it until I’m king. And they won’t crown me until I’m at least engaged. I don’t understand why you’re so against this!”
‘It’s complicated, Kurt. People here distrust me enough as it is. How’s it going to look when we get engaged, dating under the nose of your father?”
“I would have understood if you were still new to Lima, but you’ve been here for years. I trust you, my father trusts you. Isn’t that enough?”
“Kurt...”
“Am I not enough for you? Don’t you love me?”
Blaine stood suddenly, anger clouding his face. “No, Kurt, you do not get to do that. You do not get to manipulate me into doing what you want. I have my reasons.”
Kurt pulled his fingers through his hair, scoffing. “Reasons that you won’t share. After two years.”
Blaine crossed his arms. “They are my reasons.”
“Get out. Get out right now.”
Kurt wasn’t sure how long he stood in his room after Blaine left, staring at nothing, just focusing on calming his breathing. Alarm bells clanging in the castle brought him from his reverie and suddenly he was running down the hall, following throes of guards to the throne room.
He was pushing, shoving, through the guards and then all of a sudden they were pushing back.
“No, Your Highness, you can’t.”
“Stay back!”
“Let me through!” he screamed. “LET ME THROUGH!”
They parted and he staggered the last few steps into the throne room.
Everything seemed normal as Kurt’s gaze swept the room until he looked to the throne. There, Blaine stood, stricken, shaking his head, and staring at Kurt. On his other side, Sebastian stood, mouth dropped open. And on the golden chair where Kurt sat just hours earlier was his father, the king, eyes caught open in surprise as a sword wobbled in his chest.
Part Two