Title: The Disowned Prince of Dalton
Rating: M (for further chapters)
Characters: Sebastian Smythe, Nick Warbler, Blaine Anderson, Kurt Hummel, Hunter Clarington (the 3rd)
Summary: Sebastian is the Prince's best friend and secret love but when he is disowned, he must find a new way to stay by his side. But their fairy-tale world is not as simple as they believe it to be and when an evil king starts threatening the kingdom, Sebastian must fight to save his freedom to love. Nickbastian. AU. Warnings inside.
Warnings: ALL FOR LATER CHAPTERS – Violence, swearing, medical squick (medieval style), sexual references, character death. (I'll add to this if I need to but I'll just have warnings tailored to each chapter as I need them).
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the recognisable names used in this fic.
A/N: The title is a misnomer because no princes of Dalton are disowned but as the son of a Lord, Sebastian has no formal title. Just leave me to my terrible titling :p
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CHAPTER 1:
Sebastian couldn't believe it had happened. His father had actually disowned him. He didn't even understand why – whenever he had asked for clarification, Lord Smythe had simply yelled at him to "Shut up and get out". There was a strange, dull ache in his chest as he wandered the streets of Dalton. He had nowhere else to go and no one else to turn to.
Sebastian Smythe was homeless.
He managed to while away a few hours of the morning in the tavern but when he realised the few coins he had in his pocket were all he had, Sebastian slipped out without paying for the lunch he'd eaten. Drifting through the city was not as easy as it usually was when you didn't have a home to go back to when you got bored. Sebastian was quickly discovering that his future was unknowingly bleak.
When he found himself curled up in an alcove between two buildings, Sebastian found himself replaying the morning's argument with his father in his mind.
"You need to get out, Sebastian. You can no longer be a part of this family," Lord Marcus Smythe had said, calm at first as he stared into the empty fireplace.
"W-Why? What have I done?" Sebastian had asked, dumbfounded by his father's words.
"You have been indiscreet about your … shall we say, tendencies?"
"My tendencies?" Sebastian's innermost anger had been unleashed at the poor choice of words. "What? You're disowning me because I'm gay? Because I'd rather have a meaningful relationship with a man than a flimsy marriage to a girl you picked out for me?"
"You can bed whoever you want but not on my time! And not in my name! I can't walk past the inn anymore without the innkeeper's wife snickering at me! It does nothing for my political standing, Sebastian!"
Sebastian had snickered himself at the idea that the innkeeper remembered that Sebastian had bought a room with some stranger four months ago with his father's money. But his amusement had not pleased Marcus.
"I would not be laughing if I were you boy," Marcus had seethed, turning a look of sheer hatred on his son. "You have one hour to take what you need and to get out of my house."
"And if I refuse?"
"Then I will call the guards and have you forcefully removed and imprisoned."
"On what grounds?!"
"Insubordination!" Marcus had shouted, advancing on his son. "You're an arrogant little leech with no respect for his social standing! If you want to act like a common whore then that's what you can go and do! But don't think you're welcome in this house anymore!"
Sebastian shook the thoughts from his head. He couldn't bear to think about the other horrible things his father had said to him. No, not his father. Not anymore. Sebastian sighed and looked up to the sky which had grown grey and overcast. He groaned softly as he got to his feet and continued wandering through the streets.
The rest of his afternoon was grim. It had started to rain and Sebastian found himself looking like a drowned rat which was only worsened when a carriage rushed by, splattering him with mud. He hadn't been able to wash much of it off and had no idea where to spend the night. But when he glanced up towards King Benjamin's castle, Sebastian knew exactly who he could ask for help.
Sebastian waited until darkness began creeping over the city before he made his way up to the castle. He avoided the guards patrolling the perimeter, knowing they would only ask uncomfortable questions. While befriending the Prince might be his saving grace tonight, overall it would only complicate things later on when people started noticing his absence from high society.
Sebastian had met Prince Nicholas – who preferred to be called Nick – in school. In all honesty, Sebastian was the one responsible for corrupting Nick and showing him the "fun" side of the upper class but their friendship was strong. The undeniable sexual tension between them was a hindrance, but only when Sebastian needed what Nick was too shy and bashful to give. Hence his so-called "indiscretions".
Sebastian had snuck around to the back of the castle and stood under the tower, peering up at the window. Light shined inside the room and Sebastian couldn't help but imagine Nick curled up in bed reading or drawing or just simply sleeping. He smiled at the thought before he stepped back a few paces so that Nick would be able to see him when he came out.
"Rapunzel, Rapunzel! Let down your golden hair!" Sebastian called up to Nick's window. He laughed as he shifted his weight, smirking at the cliché of Nick's chambers being in the tallest room of the tallest tower of the castle.
Nick opened the window and leaned out; looking down at Sebastian with what the man decided was fondness. "Why don't you just walk up the stairs you silly boy?" Nick retorted, chuckling.
Sebastian tugged at the muddied shirt he was wearing. "Looking like this? They'd never let me pass!"
He heard Nick's soft laugh before a string of sheets was tossed down to him. Sebastian had snuck into Nick's rooms before and the string of sheets was a permanent feature of Nick's room now. But the journey up the tower was still long and exhausting. When Sebastian clambered into the room, he groaned as his muscles relaxed, the strain of holding all of his weight gone again.
"What's happened to you, Seb?" Nick asked as he closed the window behind his friend, gathering the sheets and tucking them back under his bed. "You look an absolute mess."
"I feel an absolute mess," Sebastian replied with a forced chuckle. "Nothing like being kicked out of home."
"What? Your parents made you leave? Or did you leave? Because if you did then you're stupider than I give you credit for-"
"Father dearest ordered me away this morning," Sebastian interjected, looking to Nick with an expression of pure resignation. He shrugged, "No money, no home, no food, just me."
"Oh Sebastian…" Nick reached out to hug him but Sebastian stepped away, looking down at his messy clothes, a subtle hint at the help he was too proud to ask for. "I'll find you some clean clothes… Are you hungry?"
"A little bit," Sebastian answered, feeling small and pathetic.
"Alright, I'll call for someone to bring up some food." Nick set to work, finding clean – warm – clothes for Sebastian to change into and calling for one of the servants to bring up whatever was left over from dinner. Nick also helped Sebastian scrub the mud out of his hair and off of his face.
"You don't have to do all this," Sebastian murmured, even though he knew the words were futile.
"In my experience, friends don't come and climb in your window in the middle of the night for no reason," Nick looked into Sebastian's soft green eyes. "I'm happy to help, Seb. You're my best friend."
Sebastian reached forward and curled his hand around the curve of Nick's neck, leaning in and kissing the prince softly. Nick's return was shy and gentle but Sebastian didn't care about the kiss, he just needed to know that there was still someone there who would look after him.
Neither pulled away until there was a soft knock on the door. Nick stroked a hand through Sebastian's brown hair as he pulled away, quickly answering the door. He returned with a large silver platter piled with food. Nick set it down on a table before he flitted over to a cupboard from which he pulled two goblets and a bottle of spiced wine.
Sebastian had moved to sit at the table, carefully popping single grapes into his mouth as he watched Nick pour the wine.
"So what are you going to do, 'Bas?"
"I don't know… I can't go home, Father won't speak to me and Mother is too spineless to defend me. I guess I'll just see if I can find work or something."
"Where are you going to stay?" Nick asked quietly, sipping at the wine in hopes it would quench his concern for Sebastian. He had never seen the other man so subdued.
"I'll find somewhere," Sebastian answered with a half-hearted smile. "Sleeping rough was always something I wanted to try."
"Don't say that," Nick murmured as he reached for Sebastian's hand. "You can stay with me tonight. If you want to leave in the morning you can but you don't have to let your father do this to you."
Sebastian's shook his head and freed his hand as he stood. "No, no I do have to let him. Because if I let him win, he might take me back one day."
"But how far away is "one day"?" Nick asked as he watched Sebastian take the string of sheets out from under his bed and secure it so he could climb back down. "You could get sick or hurt, 'Bas… I don't want to see that happen."
Sebastian opened the window and tossed out the makeshift rope before he looked back to Nick with a wry smile. "Then don't watch – no one else seems to be interested in watching anymore."
Nick rushed forward to stop Sebastian but he was already out the window and shimmying down from the tower window. Nick sighed softly as he watched Sebastian disappear into the night, wondering idly why his Prince Charming was running away. This wasn't the way fairy tales were meant to work.
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A/N: So what do you think? Please be honest because I have no idea what to think of this idea other than Nick as a Prince is somehow a dream come true for me hahaha But I hope you're enjoying it and thank you very much for reading :) –Frankie xoxo