Author's notes: This chapter and all of the chapters following it have been edited. There have been changes to the storyline, and you're all going to hate me because this means you might have to read it again from the beginning, but I swear, the changes make the story a lot better and make more sense.
Disclaimer: I do not own Glee or any of its characters, they belong to Ryan Murphy (who is an incredibly lucky duck) and Fox.
"Get out, slave, leave now!" The King sat back down, exhausted from screaming so loudly.
The slave stumbled out of the dining hall, clutching the dirty plates to his chest. When he reached the kitchen, he sat down heavily. The kind kitchen maid took the stack of plates from his shaking hands and he ran a hand through his hair.
"Did you hear the news?" the maid chattered excitedly as she scrubbed the plates.
"No. What's going on?" he asked.
Her face was alight with pure excitement. "They caught a sorcerer today. King Arthur is having him burned at the stake tomorrow morning. It's so exciting! I'll be going down to watch."
The slave was exhausted already as it was but his curiosity got the better of him. Thinking quickly, he straightened his face into one of pure innocence and asked her, "Are they going to be feeding him anything?"
The maid's brow furrowed. "I shouldn't think so. He is a prisoner."
"But even he deserves a last meal, doesn't he?"
The maid, who really was very, very kind, seemed to be thinking again. "Well, I suppose so..."
"I'll bring it down to him then. Thanks, Rachel." he said quickly, snatching the bowl from her and hurrying down the dungeon steps.
Two stupid guards stood in front of the dungeon doors. The slave made himself look as insignificant as possible and sure enough the guard let him pass, pretending they didn't even see him. He was hardly welcomed in this castle, being a slave he shouldn't be allowed to walk in here. But he had an interesting history that made him an exception.
Unlocking the door to the prisoner's dark, damp cell with the key from the kitchen, he could only see mounds of straw in the pale shafts of moonlight. He placed the bowl of food on the grimy floor and ventured deeper into the cell.
"Hello?"
There was murmuring coming from the corner of the cell. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. The noise stopped abruptly. Something shifted in the corner. It was moving closer and closer. It stood in front of him in the darkness. A deep sigh echoed around the cell and a floral scent filled the damp air.
Then, his mind went blank.
His mind was so blissfully empty, it was a relief. No worries or doubts plaguing his thoughts. It was like a black hole swirled around in his skull.
A voice echoed in his head, a slightly high-pitched, musical voice. It seemed to be talking to itself, he thought in calm amusement.
"Curses," the voice said, "It's just a slave. (Said slave was affronted) I should have checked before enchanting him." A sigh. "He'll have to do though, Juniper." It said resignedly, then, silence.
The blackness engulfed his head again. A word popped into his mind, he wasn't sure if it was a sound like a voice or an actual word written inside his brain but he was very sure of what it said. "Walk". The slave began walking. "Wait, pick up the bowl." Sure now that it was definitely a voice, Blaine began wondering whose voice it was while he picked up the bowl immediately. "Get out of the Kingdom. Act naturally." The voice said curtly, calmly.
The slave knew the way out, he had never been out, but he knew the way. He walked briskly until the voice said "Walk more slave-like." He instantly slowed his pace. Somehow, he knew that it was best to follow the voice's orders. He took the route through the silent sleeping city and soon he was outside of its walls.
Suddenly, the blissful emptiness was lifted and all his sensible thoughts came hurtling back into his mind so fast, he felt the world spinning. He was standing at the edge of the forest. A butterfly fluttered off his shirt and landed on a blade of grass.
Panic constricted his throat. He was all alone and outside the castle. He looked around, the gates were closed. He had always dreamed of escaping the castle but he was never brave enough to do it, knowing that if he was caught that it would be the end of his sad, sorry life. He had entertained many scenarios in his head about escaping into the woods, but in all of them he was muscular, 6 feet tall and wielding a sword, slaying the guards chasing after him. The reality of now, however, was that he was alone outside, in the dead of night, while the King partied inside his dining hall.
He looked around. How did he get out? Wait-there was no way he- He looked down at his hands. They were covered in scratches, he had climbed the wall. He concluded calmly, his stomach sinking a little, that this was merely a dream.
The butterfly twitched and started transforming, its wings elongating and shattering into arms, legs and body of something not human. The slave soon found himself face to face with the most beautiful creature he'd ever seen. He had soft silky brown hair, pointed ears and a pale freckled face, that glowed in the moonlight. Dark green vines twined around the length of his fair lean arms. He wore a sleeveless shirt and tight pants that were made out of some soft brown material, like tree bark. And he had ice blue eyes, scrutinizing and judgmental.
He looked like an angel back from battle, from the long dark eyelashes to the sloping curve of his bare instep, looking wilder and wiser and worn down by life but just as beautiful. There was something so innocent, yet so grown up about him drew Blaine in with a strong sense of curiosity
The creature spoke in the voice he had heard in his head earlier, "Hello Blaine. I'm Kurt".