Sorry for the extended delay – writers block! Hopefully the wait has been worth it! Reviews always welcome & cover art would be fab!

Chapter 3

"Kurt! You can't keep sneaking off like this!" The grey haired woman tried to scold her teenaged ward but her heart just wasn't in it.

"Grandmother, I saw him again but wait until you hear the best part!" Kurt's smile was so wide it threatened to engulf his entire face. His grandmother laughed and ruffled his hair as she set the bread and water down on the table in front of him.

"Okay, okay, I'm listening. How long did you watch that poor boy sleep this time?" she smiled gently.

"I talked to him!" Kurt whispered scandalously.

"You what!" Kurt jumped as his grandmother's hand banged down onto the table.

"I talked to him, well, really we talked to each other! Oh, grandmother, it was so good having someone my own age to talk to! I mean, I love you loads but its just not the same. He told me all about werewolves and adventures and he's learning how to be a king but its so boring so he dreams sometimes instead. I told him all about you and how we help make medicines. Grandmother, he's so nice and he said he wants to be my friend!"

Kurt's grandmother knew what would happen if Kurt was caught in the castle but her anger and worry vanished when she heard her grandson speak more in 5 minutes than he had done in a week. Her normally quiet Kurt was now animated and...well, he was happy! Every time he'd watched Blaine, Kurt had come home transformed. She knew it couldn't last though – Blaine was the Crown Prince and was kept away from the Kingdom's citizens for a reason. There were rumours of a curse and the tragedies that had befallen the royal family had certainly done nothing to quench the rumours. She set out that day's medicine orders and gave Kurt a list of plants to gather. As the only traditional apothecary in the area, she was highly respected and was one of the village elders. She smiled softly as she remembered Kurt calling himself her prince when he was about 4 or 5. His young mind had decided that if there was a King in the castle solving the problems and ailments there then his grandmother must be the queen of the village because that's what people asked her to do for them. Kurt had made the villagers call him Prince Kurt for 3 years!

Kurt had finished his breakfast and grabbed a handful of blackberries from the bowl by the sink and stuffed them in his mouth as he waved goodbye to his grandmother. Hitching his bag over his shoulder and across his chest, he surveyed the list and was thankful that all of today's required ingredients could be found in the same area. He hummed to himself as he wandered through the woods, thinking back to the hours he had spent talking to Blaine. He had thought for sure he would have been caught at some point and he thought Blaine would have punched him or screamed or something! Kurt couldn't stop thinking about Blaine's stories – he'd love to have adventures like the ones Blaine had told him about. Blaine had promised to tell him more the next time he came back so Kurt couldn't wait until sunset that night when he'd see his new friend again. Friend, Kurt thought happily, I have a friend!

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Blaine was barely listening as Keith went on and on about the levels of court in the Kingdom and how Blaine would be expected to deal with each one. His elbow was balancing on his desk with his chin resting in his hand, his free hand was rocking his pencil back and forth. He couldn't stop thinking about Kurt – after all this time he'd finally been able to talk to the blue eyes in his window. Blaine was surprised that it had been so easy to talk to Kurt – there had been no awkwardness or periods of silence, just Kurt & Blaine talking freely to each other as if they'd been doing it all their lives.

"Blaine!"

"Huh? What – oh, sorry Keith. Um, what were you saying?" Blaine asked, embarrassed at being caught daydreaming by his etiquette instructor.

"Blaine, have you heard a word I've said today?" Keith asked, sighing as he already knew the answer.

"Um, not really." Blaine admitted, "Sorry, I just can't concentrate today. Could we do this tomorrow instead?" Keith sighed, knowing that he wasn't supposed to refuse any reasonable request from the Crown Prince.

"Yes, I guess so. Are you ok though? It's not like you to be so distant."

"Yeah, I'm fine, just tired I think." Blaine blushed, not wanting to share his new friend with anyone else just yet. He still wasn't sure whether or not he was allowed to have friends that didn't come through the front gates of the castle with a written recommendation from the neighbouring kingdoms.

"OK, try to read chapter 4 at some point today then and we'll call it quits for today." Keith relented, knowing that it was pointless continuing on for the remaining 2 hours if Blaine wasn't listening.

"Thanks Keith!" Blaine smiled brightly and his brown eyes shone, dragging Keith's smile out of him too. Keith laughed gently to himself as he watched Blaine bounce out of the classroom door. Blaine's smile was so infectious that anyone around him couldn't help but smile too. Keith knew that Blaine was going to be a much loved King, even without his etiquette classes. Keith also knew about Blaine's visitor. He'd heard talking coming from Blaine's room during the night, heard the two boys talking and heard Blaine telling the boy – Kurt, he thinks – all about the story his governess had taught him that day. He'd had his suspicions that Blaine wasn't going to be an "ordinary" prince or King but after hearing how well the boys had connected, Keith began to wonder if his suspicions weren't entirely unfounded. Blaine was only 13 though – surely it was a bit early to be making assumptions about the future King.

Upstairs in his room, Blaine was laying on his bed thinking about the same boy and was beginning to question certain things. He hadn't really had a friend before so wasn't sure if the tingling in his hands and feet was normal. Or the fluttering in his tummy when he thought about Kurt's smile. Or the way his heart seemed to beat faster when Kurt's hand had touched his while they were talking. The way his mouth had looked so nice when he talked. Blaine shook his head as if to stop the thoughts – they were making his tummy feel weird again. All he knew is that at sunset, he'd get to see his friend again.

Blaine managed to focus on his afternoon reading and writing classes and managed to persuade his governess to help him with another story – he wanted to have a new story to share with Kurt. He didn't tell his governess that's why he wanted the story but was glad when she agreed to his request. He spent the next 2 hours learning about Hansel & Gretel – a brother & sister who got lost in the woods and were nearly eaten by a wicked witch. Blaine thought about Kurt who had said he lived in the woods with his grandmother – he'd have to remember to ask Kurt his she was a witch and if she was wicked or good.

"Paula?"

"Yes, Blaine?" the governess looked up, not surprised at Blaine's questions.

"Why don't I have a brother or sister like Hansel & Gretel?" Blaine asked, avoiding the gaze of his governess.

"Well, Blaine, I think that would be the type of question that your Aunt Regina can help you with."

"Why can't you tell me?" Blaine asked, wondering why no-one would engage him in conversation.

"Your Aunt knows more about it than I do, that's all. Once you've talked together, I can help you with anything else you'd like to know. Does that sound ok?" Paula asked, hoping she could find the Princess before Blaine did to give her notice of Blaine's questions.

"I suppose so." Blaine sighed, stifling a yawn.

"Listen, why don't we finish up for today. You can take the book with you if you'd like" Paula suggested, holding out the book to Blaine.

"Thanks Paula! Ku-I mean, I like this story." Blaine smiled, hoping his slight slip of the tongue went unnoticed as he took the book and headed back to his room to prepare for dinner.

Regina noticed Blaine pushing his food around his plate at dinner that evening and thought back to the discussion she had had with his governess.

"I hear you've had some questions today Blaine?" she asked gently, trying to prompt Blaine.

"Um, yeah, Paula was telling me about Hansel & Gretel today. Are there really witches in the woods?" Blaine hoped there weren't, he worried about Kurt getting eaten by his grandmother.

"No, Blaine. There is a small clan who live in the woods just outside the castle walls and they're very skilled with remedies and medicines but no, there are no witches in the woods." Regina replied softly, noticing Blaine sigh with relief.

"Why don't I have a brother or sister like Hansel & Gretel?" Blaine asked, his voice dropping to nearly a whisper.

"Your mom and dad were so pleased and delighted that they were able to have you that they wanted to spend as much time with you as they could. Your mom always talked about giving you a sibling but then...well, things happened and events overtook your parents' plans."

"They died you mean." Blaine said sadly, fighting the tears that were building in his eyes. "Why did they die Aunt Regina?" Regina put her fork down on her plate, and moved round the table so she was sitting next to Blaine. They had talked about his parents' death before but Regina knew that the time had come to give Blaine the entire story.

Blaine listened quietly to what his Aunt was telling him. He didn't say a word and tried to absorb all the information. When she told him about the curse, he let out a sob and the tears escaped from his hazel eyes and rolled freely down his cheeks.

"So I'm going to die too." Blaine realised.

"We all die, Blaine honey, it's what we do while we're living that makes us special." Regina said softly, wiping the tears from her nephews' olive skinned cheeks with her thumbs.

"Aunt Regina, since we're talking...can I tell you a secret?" Blaine asked, feeling brave but shaking inside. Seeing his aunt's nod of encouragement, Blaine took a deep breath, "I'm supposed to be King when I turn 18 and Kings are supposed to have a Queen right?" Regina nodded, "I'm not sure I want to have a queen. I mean, I know I'm supposed to but I don't want to have one just because I should." Regina smiled and took Blaine hands in her own.

"Blaine, it's ok if you want to marry for love. It's still a long time before you need to worry about things like that but I promise you, I will make sure that you have your say in those matters. We can even arrange a ball if you'd like so that you can start to meet the princesses in the other kingdoms?" Regina offered, hoping this would calm Blaine's worries but Blaine just sighed again.

"Um, that's not what I meant Aunt Regina. I, um – gosh this is hard, um...I don't think I want to marry a princess. I mean – I'm sure they're great and everything but, I think I want to marry a boy." Blaine blushed and kept his head down, looking at his aunt through his long dark eyelashes.

"Oh, Blaine. That's ok, don't look so worried. If that's what you want then we'll work something out ok?" Regina pulled her nephew into a tight hug, touched that Blaine had told her such a deep secret and silently wondering if this would be enough to break the curse.

Blaine and Regina talked for a while longer and when the servants came in to light the candles around the dining hall, Blaine realised it was nearly sunset. He managed to excuse himself and bid goodnight to his aunt, thank her for their chat and get back to his room just as the blue eyes appeared at his window.

While Blaine & Kurt talked, Regina lay in her own room – fully aware of the boy who had been sneaking into the castle grounds for the last few years. She wondered if Blaine would ever share his existence with her. Regina knew it must have been hard on Blaine, not having anyone his own age to play with while he was growing up but she was delighted that he'd finally found someone. She also wondered if this boy is what had prompted Blaine to share his deepest secret with her earlier in the evening. It wasn't unusual for people to marry someone of the same gender but it was highly unusual for a future King to marry another man. Selfishly, she thought about the curse and how it might finally be broken – if the reigning King couldn't have a child then surely the curse couldn't come true. Could it?