Fic: Imperfect Chapter 1/?
Title: Imperfect are the Wicked and the Just
Author: pterawaters
Rating: R (NC-17 in later chapters)
Character(s)/Pairing(s): Kurt, Puck, Blaine, ND; Rod Remington/Everyone, Puck/Kurt, Puck/Blaine, Puck/Kurt/Blaine, Finn/Quinn, Sam/Quinn, Mike/Tina, Brittany/Santana
Genre: AU, Intrigue, Drama, Romance
Warning: Lots of dub-con, non-con both violent and otherwise, slash, minors of consenting age having sex, possible on-page character death
Spoilers: Not really. Characters exist. S1 events.
Disclaimer: I don’t own Glee at all. No money is being made.
Author Notes: I’ve been working on this one for awhile and hit a wall about 15,000 words in, right when I get to the main problem of the story. I’m hoping that getting feedback by posting one chapter per week will help kick-start this baby and get me to finish it.
Word Count: 3000 (this chapter)
Summary: In the country where Kurt lives, it is the king’s right to take every citizen to his bed on that person’s sixteenth birthday. It is also the king’s privilege to offer his favorite citizens a place in his harem, for a substantial reward. The reward offered to Kurt is greater than he can pass up and he finds himself drawn into a world of sex, intrigue, and danger, despite his first impressions.
Kurt knew this was coming, and he’d been trying to prepare himself for it mentally for quite some time. Everyone in the kingdom went through it on their sixteenth birthday, and he was no exception, even though he only looked about twelve. Six months previously he’d gotten the note from the King’s steward, telling him the guards would be by to collect him the night before his birthday.
Right now was the night before his birthday.
Kurt knew it was coming, but he startled anyway when a heavy knock sounded from the heavy wooden door, which his stepmother Carole went to go answer right away. Kurt remembered the guards coming for Carole’s son (Kurt’s step-brother) Finn a year and a half ago. Unlike the majority of his peers who went, Finn didn’t come back. He’d been chosen to stay with the King year-round for however long Remington wanted to keep him there in the harem, and Kurt’s family had only been allowed to see Finn four times since then. Sure, they got hefty compensation for his brother’s absence, but Kurt didn’t think the dull shimmer in Finn’s eyes was worth it.
More than anything else, Kurt really did not want to be chosen. It wasn’t likely, anyway. He wasn’t handsome like Finn and he wasn’t buxom like that girl from school, Santana. Kurt was just an awkward kid. He’d go, get this whole business done with, and come back home ready to move on with his life.
Picking up his bag and taking a nervous swallow, Kurt hugged his father and stepmother goodbye, telling them, “I’ll probably see you tomorrow.”
“God willing,” Burt agreed, patting Kurt on the shoulder and taking his wife’s hand when the guards, two big guys with contrasting skin tones, pulled Kurt away from his home.
“C’mon kid,” the black one said, readjusting his helmet. “We’ve got two more to pick up before dinner time. Hustle!”
Once Kurt was alone in the back of the carriage, his luggage stowed on top with both guards and the driver, Kurt thought about making a run for it. He knew this was tradition and everyone went through it, but he wished he lived somewhere else, in some other kingdom where he could give his virginity to someone he loved, where it wasn’t the king’s right. Of course, he’d heard of people who had lost theirs earlier than sixteen, even a young mother or two, but Kurt just hadn’t found the right person. Scratch that, he hadn’t found the right boy.
And now his virginity belonged to the king.
If Kurt had believed in God or some other higher power, he would have prayed as hard as he could that the king would just reject him on sight. It wasn’t so farfetched was it? Just because Kurt had never heard of someone being rejected before, didn’t mean it couldn’t happen to him.
Kurt had passed by the palace often enough (what person living in Lima hadn’t) and he’d been in the courtyard before when his school group was chosen to sing for some holiday or another, so he wasn’t surprised by how big the building was. What did surprise him was how utterly mundane most of the rooms he passed through were decorated. The walls were made of the same yellow stone as all the walls around the keep, but instead of the fancy tapestries Kurt had been expecting, most of them were drab and dirt-colored. Or maybe that was just the soot.
Eventually he was led to a bedchamber, which was also quite plain and held only a single bed, a vanity table and mirror, and a wash tub. As a merchant’s son, Kurt was used to better accommodations than this and he wondered if the nobles who turned sixteen had to stay in these rooms as well, or if they got to stay in their probably fancy rooms in other parts of the palace.
The mattress was hard and the pillow was too soft and as Kurt stared at the ceiling, waiting for his childhood to be over, he wondered if any of the rumors he’d heard were true.
**88**
After a sleepless night, Kurt was dressed in a white robe that only fell to his knees and shoved into a moderately well-decorated room with his two birthday-mates. They were both girls, one of them big and bored-looking, and the other thin and weepy. The big girl said her name was Lauren, and she just hoped her potions were working and she didn’t get pregnant, because she had a big career as a wrestler lined up and no one wanted to pay to see a known mother beating the crap out of her opponents. The skinny girl said her name was Susie and Kurt hated the way she couldn’t seem to stop crying.
Kurt tried to tell her about how Finn had said the king was nice enough, and gentle, but that only made Susie cry harder, so he kept his lips shut, willing the time to go faster so he could get the hell out of here and get back to his studies. He was hoping to make it into a prestigious art program under the ever-eccentric Lady Gaga, but his dream was a long-shot at best.
Eventually, the large doors of the room opened to reveal the king. King Remington was in his late forties, Kurt guessed, and he had acceptable hair under his circlet and was clean-shaven. He was wearing a heavy purple robe that was tied at the waist and trimmed with white fur - ermine, if Kurt wasn’t mistaken. Several people followed him into the room, including two girls about Kurt’s age, one Kurt recognized as Santana Lopez, and the other a dazed-looking blonde. The other person following the King was a younger middle-aged man with curly brown hair and a composed demeanor.
“Hello, my young flowers!” the King boomed in a voice that seemed far too large for this enclosed space. “Let’s see… Who shall I pick first?”
With audacity that shocked Kurt, Lauren stood up and said, “Hey, gramps. Let’s get this over with, alright? I got someplace I gotta be.”
The man at the King’s elbow opened his mouth to protest, but Remington interrupted him, “Now, now, William. I like this girl’s sass!” Making a sweeping gesture toward the next room, the king said, “After you, milady,” and grinned as Lauren, big-boned Lauren, swaggered past him.
Kurt didn’t know how the hell Lauren got the nerve to talk to the freaking king like that. Sure, Remington was a fair King, but that didn’t mean he was above jailing people who disrespected him for a week or two. And from the stories everyone heard about the King’s dungeons, no one wanted to be there for an hour, much less a week or two.
The king’s attendants went with him and Kurt was left alone with Susie. Weeping Susie. Cry-baby Susie. Looked-on-the-outside-like-Kurt-felt-on-the-inside Susie. Resigned to waiting at least for a little while, Kurt sighed and sat down in one of the armchairs (which was of acceptable quality and coloring) near the fire, wishing for the layers upon layers he usually wore, rather than this thin robe that revealed far too much.
Kurt sighed again and tried not to listen to the girl cry.
**88**
Maybe an hour later, the King came back, crying, “It’s time for round two! Who wants to go next?”
As much as Kurt really wanted to get this over with, he couldn’t quite bring himself to volunteer. Instead he stood next to his chair dumbly as the King noticed Susie’s red eyes and her swollen nose.
“Oh, my dear!” he fussed, putting an arm around the girl’s shoulders. “What’s wrong? I assure you, I’ve had a lot of practice at this and I’m very good.”
“I…” the girl sobbed a little, “…know, sire. I’m… sorry, sire.”
“Oh, don’t be sorry,” the king replied, winking over his shoulder at Kurt as he led Susie away, his attendants trailing behind him like before. “I’m sure we can think of a way to cheer you up!”
Kurt shuddered and sat back down again.
**88**
Sometime later, the man called Will rolled a cart into the room and said, “I’m sorry Master Hummel, the king had some business to attend to. I’m afraid he won’t be able to see you until later. Unfortunately, on three-citizen days, this is common more often than not.”
Kurt wanted to ask, “How much later?” but he kept his lips sealed, just giving the steward a polite nod.
“In the mean time, I’ve brought you some lunch as well as a selection of books to keep you occupied. Rest assured, he’ll be around to you before dinner.”
Since dinner was still so far away, meaning he had that much more time to wait nervously, Kurt gaped before quickly snapping his mouth shut and nodding again. So much for getting this over with as soon as possible.
Despite his nerves, Kurt managed to choke down half a sandwich and a glass of milk before losing himself in a tale about a knight and his trusty steed. Kurt chose to ignore the part about how the knight was motivated on his quest by his love for a beautiful woman.
**88**
The sunlight coming into the room through the window was starting to turn gold with dusk before the king came back to collect Kurt, and rather than feel relieved, he found himself wishing for a few minutes more.
“Oh,” the man boomed again, with a smile that begged Kurt to trust him, “I’m sorry it took me so long, little tulip! Affairs of state, you know.”
As Kurt was led through the same door as his peers, he cleared his throat and answered demurely, “Of course, my lord.”
“See, I told Will you’d understand,” the King replied jovially as they passed through a lavishly appointed bedchamber and into an equally impressive bathing room. When Kurt thought palace, the polished marble and gilded plumbing were more what he’d had in mind. “I thought we’d take a bath, yes? To relax a bit before you have to go.”
Kurt thought about protesting, but he knew it was best just to keep his head down and go with the flow. He did appreciate, though, how the king was trying to make him feel at ease. The bath was filled with sweet-smelling bubbles and in any other situation Kurt might have looked at the warm water like it was heaven itself. As it was, he stood beside the large, almost pool-sized tub, and waited until the King turned his back and said, “It’s alright, Kurt. You can keep your dignity as you get into the water if you like.”
Kurt sighed in relief and took his robe off, letting it fall to the floor before climbing into the tub, his heart pounding with nervousness. After dipping into the water up to his shoulders, Kurt kept his eyes fastened out the window above the water, wondering in a surreal sort of way, how the castle engineers managed to keep the water and the air in this bathing chamber so warm, with such a big window right there. The water rippled as a body got into the water with Kurt and he tried not to tense up at the sound of the king’s voice.
“There! All safe and cozy! How about you?”
“I’m fine, sire,” Kurt replied, making himself turn and look at the man, who wore a smile that was a little more shy now that they were in the bath together.
“Now, I don’t offer this to everyone,” the king said, reaching for a pair of glasses on a tray beside the tub, “but would you like something to help you relax? It might make you groggy for quite awhile, so I would advise against it if you had plans for the evening.”
“No,” Kurt replied, reaching for the glass the king held out for him, “no plans. And thank you, sire. I mean no offense, but I find myself quite…”
The King grinned as the cup exchanged hands and insisted, “I understand completely. Not everyone shares my … wide sort of appetite. If it weren’t such a tradition and,” the king lowered his voice to a conspiratorial whisper, “if it didn’t let me sleep with such lovely young people who aren’t the queen,” he laughed, “I might do away with the practice altogether.”
He took a sip of his drink and Kurt did the same, finding it to be a perfectly-normal tasting red wine. Hell, if Kurt had to get drunk to go through with this, he would do it. After a few more sips, Kurt found his muscles loosening and his head going a little fuzzy. He also thought he might have asked, “What about the harem, Your Highness? Would you do away with them as well?”
The king chuckled and moved closer, putting an arm around Kurt’s shoulders, which felt really quite nice. “Oh, no, my young friend. I could never do without them. A king’s life is hard, beholden to the people as he is. Don’t you think it right he have a little bit of a reward in compensation?”
“But,” Kurt snuggled into the enticing feel of skin against his, loving the way the bubbles moved on the water, “you hold your citizens captive for years on end, taking their youth.”
“Oh, my dear boy,” the king chuckled, nibbling at Kurt’s ear in a way that really tickled, but Kurt didn’t seem to mind so much now. “All of the occupants of my harem are there voluntarily. Their families get rewarded for their service, and anyone is free to go when they choose.”
“So my stepbrother Finn?”
“Has chosen to stay by my side for many months now,” the king replied, running a hand across Kurt’s chest and making him shiver. “He has his reasons to stay, my lovely. I’m guessing you will, too.”
Kurt gasped when a hand touched his private parts, leaning into the source of pleasure he’d never really felt before. God, that wine was amazing.
**88**
Kurt woke up in a strange bed, much better appointed than the last one he’d tried to sleep in, wearing his white robe while his things were piled next to him on the mattress. It appeared as though he was the only one who had occupied the large bed because the sheets were still tucked in and perfectly smooth on the other side. The light coming from the window was bright, probably mid-morning, and Kurt sat up suddenly, realizing his father was probably wondering where he was.
Thinking back as he got dressed (in a new outfit from his traveling bag, thank you very much), Kurt found his memory of the night before to be fragmented, but still there and not nearly as unpleasant as he was dreading it would be. The king had been very gentle and accommodating, as Finn had said he would be, but Kurt was glad to be going home shortly. He would go back to his room and back to school and breathe a sigh of relief every morning if just for the fact that this was over.
When Kurt had bathed and dressed, making sure to use the moisturizing potion he’d brought from home, he stuck his head outside the chamber to see a sitting room of sorts and the man named Will working behind a desk in the corner. Kurt cleared his throat to draw attention to himself, which made the man look up and smile politely.
“Master Hummel. I hope you’re feeling well,” he said as he stood and rounded the desk.
“Yes, thank you,” Kurt replied, clutching his bag tighter. “May I ask if my father was informed of my whereabouts?”
“Don’t worry,” the man smiled, more charming now than polite, “your father knows to expect you this morning. Unless…”
Furrowing his brow in concern, Kurt asked, “Unless what?”
Will smiled again and took a packet of papers from his desk, handing them to Kurt. “His Highness would like to invite you to stay indefinitely.”
Kurt was so surprised that he cried, “Why?” before he could help himself.
Chuckling, the king’s steward replied, “He likes you, Master Hummel. I thought that would be obvious. Now, you would of course be rewarded for your cooperation. The king is willing to compel Lady Gaga to admit you to her school, providing you stay here with him until your primary education is complete.”
“Really?” Kurt breathed, looking down at the papers, which appeared to be a contract. It had been his dream for years to be allowed to learn directly from the Patroness of Fabulous herself. How could he pass this up? What if…? “What if I find I can’t stay here for two whole years?” Kurt asked, suddenly worried that this was all going to end badly if Kurt found he didn’t like the king so much when he wasn’t under the influence of wine or whatever other potion he’d been given.
“Then you would be compensated for your time accordingly,” Will assured him. “Because your schedule would be restricted to the King’s whims, we will also provide you a tutor for the remainder of your studies. She’s one of the best governesses in the country and has taught quite a few of our guests before.”
Kurt sighed and looked down at the papers again. He would be, in practice, selling his body for two whole years, a prospect he did not relish, but wasn’t it worth the chance of a lifetime? Wasn’t it worth making his dreams come true? “Where do I sign?”
Next Chapter
Like I mentioned up top, I'll be posting one chapter per week for this one, on Mondays. In the mean time, I'd really love to hear what you have to say about this fic so far. I know Kurt/Remington is squicky and it's supposed to be that way, but I promise there's much more Puck/Kurt to come.
Author: pterawaters
Rating: R (NC-17 in later chapters)
Character(s)/Pairing(s): Kurt, Puck, Blaine, ND; Rod Remington/Everyone, Puck/Kurt, Puck/Blaine, Puck/Kurt/Blaine, Finn/Quinn, Sam/Quinn, Mike/Tina, Brittany/Santana
Genre: AU, Intrigue, Drama, Romance
Warning: Lots of dub-con, non-con both violent and otherwise, slash, minors of consenting age having sex, possible on-page character death
Spoilers: Not really. Characters exist. S1 events.
Disclaimer: I don’t own Glee at all. No money is being made.
Author Notes: I’ve been working on this one for awhile and hit a wall about 15,000 words in, right when I get to the main problem of the story. I’m hoping that getting feedback by posting one chapter per week will help kick-start this baby and get me to finish it.
Word Count: 3000 (this chapter)
Summary: In the country where Kurt lives, it is the king’s right to take every citizen to his bed on that person’s sixteenth birthday. It is also the king’s privilege to offer his favorite citizens a place in his harem, for a substantial reward. The reward offered to Kurt is greater than he can pass up and he finds himself drawn into a world of sex, intrigue, and danger, despite his first impressions.
Kurt knew this was coming, and he’d been trying to prepare himself for it mentally for quite some time. Everyone in the kingdom went through it on their sixteenth birthday, and he was no exception, even though he only looked about twelve. Six months previously he’d gotten the note from the King’s steward, telling him the guards would be by to collect him the night before his birthday.
Right now was the night before his birthday.
Kurt knew it was coming, but he startled anyway when a heavy knock sounded from the heavy wooden door, which his stepmother Carole went to go answer right away. Kurt remembered the guards coming for Carole’s son (Kurt’s step-brother) Finn a year and a half ago. Unlike the majority of his peers who went, Finn didn’t come back. He’d been chosen to stay with the King year-round for however long Remington wanted to keep him there in the harem, and Kurt’s family had only been allowed to see Finn four times since then. Sure, they got hefty compensation for his brother’s absence, but Kurt didn’t think the dull shimmer in Finn’s eyes was worth it.
More than anything else, Kurt really did not want to be chosen. It wasn’t likely, anyway. He wasn’t handsome like Finn and he wasn’t buxom like that girl from school, Santana. Kurt was just an awkward kid. He’d go, get this whole business done with, and come back home ready to move on with his life.
Picking up his bag and taking a nervous swallow, Kurt hugged his father and stepmother goodbye, telling them, “I’ll probably see you tomorrow.”
“God willing,” Burt agreed, patting Kurt on the shoulder and taking his wife’s hand when the guards, two big guys with contrasting skin tones, pulled Kurt away from his home.
“C’mon kid,” the black one said, readjusting his helmet. “We’ve got two more to pick up before dinner time. Hustle!”
Once Kurt was alone in the back of the carriage, his luggage stowed on top with both guards and the driver, Kurt thought about making a run for it. He knew this was tradition and everyone went through it, but he wished he lived somewhere else, in some other kingdom where he could give his virginity to someone he loved, where it wasn’t the king’s right. Of course, he’d heard of people who had lost theirs earlier than sixteen, even a young mother or two, but Kurt just hadn’t found the right person. Scratch that, he hadn’t found the right boy.
And now his virginity belonged to the king.
If Kurt had believed in God or some other higher power, he would have prayed as hard as he could that the king would just reject him on sight. It wasn’t so farfetched was it? Just because Kurt had never heard of someone being rejected before, didn’t mean it couldn’t happen to him.
Kurt had passed by the palace often enough (what person living in Lima hadn’t) and he’d been in the courtyard before when his school group was chosen to sing for some holiday or another, so he wasn’t surprised by how big the building was. What did surprise him was how utterly mundane most of the rooms he passed through were decorated. The walls were made of the same yellow stone as all the walls around the keep, but instead of the fancy tapestries Kurt had been expecting, most of them were drab and dirt-colored. Or maybe that was just the soot.
Eventually he was led to a bedchamber, which was also quite plain and held only a single bed, a vanity table and mirror, and a wash tub. As a merchant’s son, Kurt was used to better accommodations than this and he wondered if the nobles who turned sixteen had to stay in these rooms as well, or if they got to stay in their probably fancy rooms in other parts of the palace.
The mattress was hard and the pillow was too soft and as Kurt stared at the ceiling, waiting for his childhood to be over, he wondered if any of the rumors he’d heard were true.
**88**
After a sleepless night, Kurt was dressed in a white robe that only fell to his knees and shoved into a moderately well-decorated room with his two birthday-mates. They were both girls, one of them big and bored-looking, and the other thin and weepy. The big girl said her name was Lauren, and she just hoped her potions were working and she didn’t get pregnant, because she had a big career as a wrestler lined up and no one wanted to pay to see a known mother beating the crap out of her opponents. The skinny girl said her name was Susie and Kurt hated the way she couldn’t seem to stop crying.
Kurt tried to tell her about how Finn had said the king was nice enough, and gentle, but that only made Susie cry harder, so he kept his lips shut, willing the time to go faster so he could get the hell out of here and get back to his studies. He was hoping to make it into a prestigious art program under the ever-eccentric Lady Gaga, but his dream was a long-shot at best.
Eventually, the large doors of the room opened to reveal the king. King Remington was in his late forties, Kurt guessed, and he had acceptable hair under his circlet and was clean-shaven. He was wearing a heavy purple robe that was tied at the waist and trimmed with white fur - ermine, if Kurt wasn’t mistaken. Several people followed him into the room, including two girls about Kurt’s age, one Kurt recognized as Santana Lopez, and the other a dazed-looking blonde. The other person following the King was a younger middle-aged man with curly brown hair and a composed demeanor.
“Hello, my young flowers!” the King boomed in a voice that seemed far too large for this enclosed space. “Let’s see… Who shall I pick first?”
With audacity that shocked Kurt, Lauren stood up and said, “Hey, gramps. Let’s get this over with, alright? I got someplace I gotta be.”
The man at the King’s elbow opened his mouth to protest, but Remington interrupted him, “Now, now, William. I like this girl’s sass!” Making a sweeping gesture toward the next room, the king said, “After you, milady,” and grinned as Lauren, big-boned Lauren, swaggered past him.
Kurt didn’t know how the hell Lauren got the nerve to talk to the freaking king like that. Sure, Remington was a fair King, but that didn’t mean he was above jailing people who disrespected him for a week or two. And from the stories everyone heard about the King’s dungeons, no one wanted to be there for an hour, much less a week or two.
The king’s attendants went with him and Kurt was left alone with Susie. Weeping Susie. Cry-baby Susie. Looked-on-the-outside-like-Kurt-felt-on-the-inside Susie. Resigned to waiting at least for a little while, Kurt sighed and sat down in one of the armchairs (which was of acceptable quality and coloring) near the fire, wishing for the layers upon layers he usually wore, rather than this thin robe that revealed far too much.
Kurt sighed again and tried not to listen to the girl cry.
**88**
Maybe an hour later, the King came back, crying, “It’s time for round two! Who wants to go next?”
As much as Kurt really wanted to get this over with, he couldn’t quite bring himself to volunteer. Instead he stood next to his chair dumbly as the King noticed Susie’s red eyes and her swollen nose.
“Oh, my dear!” he fussed, putting an arm around the girl’s shoulders. “What’s wrong? I assure you, I’ve had a lot of practice at this and I’m very good.”
“I…” the girl sobbed a little, “…know, sire. I’m… sorry, sire.”
“Oh, don’t be sorry,” the king replied, winking over his shoulder at Kurt as he led Susie away, his attendants trailing behind him like before. “I’m sure we can think of a way to cheer you up!”
Kurt shuddered and sat back down again.
**88**
Sometime later, the man called Will rolled a cart into the room and said, “I’m sorry Master Hummel, the king had some business to attend to. I’m afraid he won’t be able to see you until later. Unfortunately, on three-citizen days, this is common more often than not.”
Kurt wanted to ask, “How much later?” but he kept his lips sealed, just giving the steward a polite nod.
“In the mean time, I’ve brought you some lunch as well as a selection of books to keep you occupied. Rest assured, he’ll be around to you before dinner.”
Since dinner was still so far away, meaning he had that much more time to wait nervously, Kurt gaped before quickly snapping his mouth shut and nodding again. So much for getting this over with as soon as possible.
Despite his nerves, Kurt managed to choke down half a sandwich and a glass of milk before losing himself in a tale about a knight and his trusty steed. Kurt chose to ignore the part about how the knight was motivated on his quest by his love for a beautiful woman.
**88**
The sunlight coming into the room through the window was starting to turn gold with dusk before the king came back to collect Kurt, and rather than feel relieved, he found himself wishing for a few minutes more.
“Oh,” the man boomed again, with a smile that begged Kurt to trust him, “I’m sorry it took me so long, little tulip! Affairs of state, you know.”
As Kurt was led through the same door as his peers, he cleared his throat and answered demurely, “Of course, my lord.”
“See, I told Will you’d understand,” the King replied jovially as they passed through a lavishly appointed bedchamber and into an equally impressive bathing room. When Kurt thought palace, the polished marble and gilded plumbing were more what he’d had in mind. “I thought we’d take a bath, yes? To relax a bit before you have to go.”
Kurt thought about protesting, but he knew it was best just to keep his head down and go with the flow. He did appreciate, though, how the king was trying to make him feel at ease. The bath was filled with sweet-smelling bubbles and in any other situation Kurt might have looked at the warm water like it was heaven itself. As it was, he stood beside the large, almost pool-sized tub, and waited until the King turned his back and said, “It’s alright, Kurt. You can keep your dignity as you get into the water if you like.”
Kurt sighed in relief and took his robe off, letting it fall to the floor before climbing into the tub, his heart pounding with nervousness. After dipping into the water up to his shoulders, Kurt kept his eyes fastened out the window above the water, wondering in a surreal sort of way, how the castle engineers managed to keep the water and the air in this bathing chamber so warm, with such a big window right there. The water rippled as a body got into the water with Kurt and he tried not to tense up at the sound of the king’s voice.
“There! All safe and cozy! How about you?”
“I’m fine, sire,” Kurt replied, making himself turn and look at the man, who wore a smile that was a little more shy now that they were in the bath together.
“Now, I don’t offer this to everyone,” the king said, reaching for a pair of glasses on a tray beside the tub, “but would you like something to help you relax? It might make you groggy for quite awhile, so I would advise against it if you had plans for the evening.”
“No,” Kurt replied, reaching for the glass the king held out for him, “no plans. And thank you, sire. I mean no offense, but I find myself quite…”
The King grinned as the cup exchanged hands and insisted, “I understand completely. Not everyone shares my … wide sort of appetite. If it weren’t such a tradition and,” the king lowered his voice to a conspiratorial whisper, “if it didn’t let me sleep with such lovely young people who aren’t the queen,” he laughed, “I might do away with the practice altogether.”
He took a sip of his drink and Kurt did the same, finding it to be a perfectly-normal tasting red wine. Hell, if Kurt had to get drunk to go through with this, he would do it. After a few more sips, Kurt found his muscles loosening and his head going a little fuzzy. He also thought he might have asked, “What about the harem, Your Highness? Would you do away with them as well?”
The king chuckled and moved closer, putting an arm around Kurt’s shoulders, which felt really quite nice. “Oh, no, my young friend. I could never do without them. A king’s life is hard, beholden to the people as he is. Don’t you think it right he have a little bit of a reward in compensation?”
“But,” Kurt snuggled into the enticing feel of skin against his, loving the way the bubbles moved on the water, “you hold your citizens captive for years on end, taking their youth.”
“Oh, my dear boy,” the king chuckled, nibbling at Kurt’s ear in a way that really tickled, but Kurt didn’t seem to mind so much now. “All of the occupants of my harem are there voluntarily. Their families get rewarded for their service, and anyone is free to go when they choose.”
“So my stepbrother Finn?”
“Has chosen to stay by my side for many months now,” the king replied, running a hand across Kurt’s chest and making him shiver. “He has his reasons to stay, my lovely. I’m guessing you will, too.”
Kurt gasped when a hand touched his private parts, leaning into the source of pleasure he’d never really felt before. God, that wine was amazing.
**88**
Kurt woke up in a strange bed, much better appointed than the last one he’d tried to sleep in, wearing his white robe while his things were piled next to him on the mattress. It appeared as though he was the only one who had occupied the large bed because the sheets were still tucked in and perfectly smooth on the other side. The light coming from the window was bright, probably mid-morning, and Kurt sat up suddenly, realizing his father was probably wondering where he was.
Thinking back as he got dressed (in a new outfit from his traveling bag, thank you very much), Kurt found his memory of the night before to be fragmented, but still there and not nearly as unpleasant as he was dreading it would be. The king had been very gentle and accommodating, as Finn had said he would be, but Kurt was glad to be going home shortly. He would go back to his room and back to school and breathe a sigh of relief every morning if just for the fact that this was over.
When Kurt had bathed and dressed, making sure to use the moisturizing potion he’d brought from home, he stuck his head outside the chamber to see a sitting room of sorts and the man named Will working behind a desk in the corner. Kurt cleared his throat to draw attention to himself, which made the man look up and smile politely.
“Master Hummel. I hope you’re feeling well,” he said as he stood and rounded the desk.
“Yes, thank you,” Kurt replied, clutching his bag tighter. “May I ask if my father was informed of my whereabouts?”
“Don’t worry,” the man smiled, more charming now than polite, “your father knows to expect you this morning. Unless…”
Furrowing his brow in concern, Kurt asked, “Unless what?”
Will smiled again and took a packet of papers from his desk, handing them to Kurt. “His Highness would like to invite you to stay indefinitely.”
Kurt was so surprised that he cried, “Why?” before he could help himself.
Chuckling, the king’s steward replied, “He likes you, Master Hummel. I thought that would be obvious. Now, you would of course be rewarded for your cooperation. The king is willing to compel Lady Gaga to admit you to her school, providing you stay here with him until your primary education is complete.”
“Really?” Kurt breathed, looking down at the papers, which appeared to be a contract. It had been his dream for years to be allowed to learn directly from the Patroness of Fabulous herself. How could he pass this up? What if…? “What if I find I can’t stay here for two whole years?” Kurt asked, suddenly worried that this was all going to end badly if Kurt found he didn’t like the king so much when he wasn’t under the influence of wine or whatever other potion he’d been given.
“Then you would be compensated for your time accordingly,” Will assured him. “Because your schedule would be restricted to the King’s whims, we will also provide you a tutor for the remainder of your studies. She’s one of the best governesses in the country and has taught quite a few of our guests before.”
Kurt sighed and looked down at the papers again. He would be, in practice, selling his body for two whole years, a prospect he did not relish, but wasn’t it worth the chance of a lifetime? Wasn’t it worth making his dreams come true? “Where do I sign?”
Next Chapter
Like I mentioned up top, I'll be posting one chapter per week for this one, on Mondays. In the mean time, I'd really love to hear what you have to say about this fic so far. I know Kurt/Remington is squicky and it's supposed to be that way, but I promise there's much more Puck/Kurt to come.