Chapter 6

It had been almost a week since Will had informed them that the Anderson boy's fever had finally broken. Burt was in his room, contemplating when would be the best time to go talk to him, if there even was such a thing as 'the best time' for a conversation like that. Of course, he could ask Will or even Kurt – who seemed to spend just about all of his time in that room –, but he knew the latter was still mad at him and he suspected Will might not approve of heavy conversation while Blaine was still recovering.

Deciding he'd have to face the kid at some point, Burt made his way to the guest room on the second floor. He was in luck: only the Asthaterian servant girl was there. She quickly stood up and bowed for him and reluctantly left the room when Burt asked if he could sit with Blaine for a while. Unsurprisingly, the kid was sleeping; according to Will, he was asleep most of the time. In a way, Burt was glad for that because it gave him some more time to gather his thoughts.

Blaine seemed to have noticed he had a visitor, however, because he woke up fairly quickly after Burt's arrival. The king watched the boy's expression go from confused to surprised and wide awake in a matter of seconds.

"King Burt, I mean, your Highness," he stuttered, while he struggled to sit up.

Burt got to his feet and laid a hand on Blaine's shoulder to still him.

"Relax, kid, no need to exert yourself."

Laying an arm around Blaine's back, Burt helped him lean forward so he could put some pillows behind him to lean against. He only sat back down once he had made sure Blaine was sitting comfortably.

"Um, your Highness?" Blaine tentatively broke the silence, staring at him with wide eyes, making Burt wonder whether the boy was scared of him. "I don't mean to offend you, but why are you here?"

"I wanted to see how you were doing." Burt smiled, attempting to look reassuring.

"That is very kind of you, sire. It's an honour to meet you."

As a king, Burt was used to people being overly polite to him, but in Blaine's case, it seemed different. He wasn't being polite because he was talking to a king, he was trying to be at his best behaviour because he was afraid of what that same king might do to him. And who could blame him? His past experiences with kings had never been very good.

"Likewise. And there's no need for all the fancy titles. You can call me Burt if you want."

Wrong move. Blaine narrowed his eyes in suspicion, as if he thought Burt was trying to trick him. The latter decided it was confession time.

"You know, your father was once a good friend of mine. He was a good man, he didn't deserve the fate he met. … And neither did you. That's another reason why I'm here. I should apologise to you and I'd like to explain my actions, if you'll let me."

"... I don't understand. What do you have to apologise for?"

Kurt must not have told him, Burt realised in surprise.

"Blaine, I've known you were in Asthateia for years."

Blaine gaped at him with his mouth open and suddenly became paler than he already was.

"... You knew? But..."

There was a hurt look in his eyes that caused Burt to doubt every reason he had ever had for leaving the Andersons where they were.

"Yes, I knew. After the first time he met you and your mother, Will came here."

Burt continued to reveal everything he had told Kurt the day he had returned. How he had been afraid of starting another war. How he had feared for Blaine's and his mother's lives should he have tried to bring them back peacefully.

"I'm sorry, Blaine. As a king, I've failed you and your mother and, even worse, as a friend, I've failed your father." He paused briefly, overcome with emotion. "I hope you can one day find it in your heart to forgive me, but I'll understand if that day never comes."

He cast a glance at Blaine, who was looking away from him with a grim expression.

"I really am sorry, Blaine."

The boy on the bed swallowed and sighed deeply.

"Your Highness," he whispered, "if you don't mind... I'm tired and I'd like to get some rest now."

The message was clear enough, so Burt stood up and left the room. In the hallway, he bumped into Kurt, who appeared to have been pacing in front of the door, waiting for his father to come out. Without saying a word, Kurt stalked into the room, closing the door behind him.

Kurt sat down gingerly on the edge of the bed, where Blaine was sitting up against a pile of pillows and staring morosely at his blankets.

"Tina told me my father was here," Kurt started tentatively. "Are you okay?"

"I don't know."

When silent tears started running down his face, Kurt shuffled a little closer and opened his arms. Blaine accepted the invitation and lay his head on Kurt's shoulder, feeling inexplicably safe when he felt the prince's arms holding him tightly.

"Did you know?"

"Not until the day we found you, but yes, I did."

"...I'm tired."

"Do you want to lie down?"

He felt Blaine nodding. When he was once again settled, Blaine grasped Kurt's hand.

"Will you stay until I'm asleep?"

Kurt smiled.

"Of course."

Burt saw his son again in the evening, when he came down to get something to eat.

"Is he... Is he okay?" he asked tentatively.

Kurt shot him an angry look.

"No, of course not. He's upset. He woke up four times from nightmares since you decided to pay him a visit."

"Kurt... I didn't mean to upset him. I-I just wanted him to understand."

"Understand? He doesn't understand, father. And I know you didn't mean for it to happen, but he is upset because he just learned that everything that happened to him could have been avoided in the first place."

"I know that, Kurt," Burt said tiredly, sighing. "You were right before, I should have tried harder." He paused, searching the right words. "I wish I could undo what I did twenty years ago, but unfortunately, I can't go back in time. Do you really think I don't hate myself for the decision I made? 'Cause I do. And I'll never be able to make amends to Blaine for that. I know that well enough, Kurt."

Kurt's glare softened when he saw his father's honest regret.

"I guess I can understand why you did it," Kurt allowed. "It wasn't right, but you're only human, aren't you?"

He sat down next to his father. When he studied his face, he could see the signs of tiredness in his face.

"You always make it seem so easy to be a good king that I'd almost forget you can make mistakes too," Kurt admitted. "I don't know if you can make up for this one, dad, but the least you can do is try. And then it'll be up to Blaine whether he's willing to forgive you or not."

Burt nodded.

"You'll be a great king one day, Kurt."

"I learned from the best."

When Kurt entered Blaine's room a few days later, the boy was lying with his back to the door so that Kurt couldn't see whether he was awake or not. He walked around the bed, but stopped in his tracks when he noticed Blaine was awake and in fact crying silently.

"Hey." Kurt sat down on the edge of the bed with a concerned frown and started stroking Blaine's hair. "What's wrong? Are you in pain? Do you want me to get Will?"

Blaine just shook his head and reached out to take Kurt's hand in his still rather weak grip. Kurt, in turn, moved a little closer.

"What's the matter? Why are you crying?"

Blaine took a few moments to calm down before he answered, all the while staring at the window.

"... I just want to go outside so badly," he said quietly.

"You can, really soon. Once you've recovered, you can go wherever you like."

"I know," Blaine said, furiously trying to wipe away the tears that were still running down his cheeks. "I'm being stupid."

"Hey, no, of course not. I get it, in a way."

Blaine remained silent for a while, organising his thoughts.

"It's just... I've spent twenty years locked in a room, wishing I could go outside. And now, I'm finally free and I'm still stuck in a room, unable to leave."

The tears were coming faster now. Kurt took his other hand, stopping his desperate attempts to wipe them away.

"You'll get your strength back, Blaine, and then there will be nothing or no one stopping you from going wherever you want to go."

"But what if I can't? What if none of this is real?"

"What? Of course this is real...," Kurt said, confused.

But Blaine shook his head. Kurt could see he was getting worked up, but he wasn't sure how to comfort him.

"I've been having these weird dreams, and sometimes it gets so difficult to distinguish between dream and reality. And even now, how can I be sure this is real? For all I know, I've finally gone insane after twenty years and this is all just a very elaborate fantasy my mind has somehow conjured up. I feel like... any moment, I could come back to my senses and I'll still be in that dungeon, dreaming of a freedom I'll never have."

Kurt was rendered speechless by Blaine's confession.

"But... you've been outside already. Doesn't that contradict your theory?"

"I passed out the first time and I can't even remember coming here, so no."

"Okay, I guess you've got a point there," Kurt admitted, thinking fast. "How about we go outside right now and prove once and for all this isn't a dream and you haven't gone crazy?"

"I can't," Blaine muttered in a sad voice. "I'm not strong enough to make it that far and Will wouldn't let me anyway."

"What if I helped you? If you get tired along the way, I can carry you. And Will doesn't need to know," he added with a wink.

"You would do that for me?"

"Of course. I would do anything for you."

Kurt helped Blaine out of the bed and into some warmer clothes and boots. Then he took one of the blankets before moving back to Blaine's side and putting an arm around his waist to support him.

"Ready?"

Blaine nodded. While they slowly made their way downstairs, Kurt was reminded of the day they had met. Blaine had already come a long way since then, but it would still take a while until he'd be back to his former self.

"Almost there," he muttered when the door to the gardens came in sight. It was a beautiful spring day. There were a few clouds in the sky blocking the sun, but it wasn't too cold. He gently sat Blaine down on a bench overlooking the many flower beds, draped the blanket over his shoulders and sat down next to him.

"Are you okay?" he asked softly when he noticed a tear making its way down his friend's cheek.

"Yes," Blaine breathed. "Thank you."

"You're welcome."

He smiled as Blaine looked around, taking in his surroundings. Every once in a while, he reached out to touch the bench, a stone lying at their feet, a dry leave that had fallen off a tree, a flower growing on the path.

"So... do you still think your imagination is deceiving you?"

"If it is, I don't care. This is beautiful."

As he said that, the clouds suddenly broke open, revealing the sun. With a huge smile, Blaine closed his eyes and leaned back against Kurt's shoulder, soaking in the warmth. Kurt couldn't help but smile as well. Seeing how happy this boy was because of something so simple as feeling the sun on his face made his heart soar. He wanted him to be this happy all the time, if possible, and he would help him however he could.

After a while, he noticed that Blaine's breathing had gotten deeper and realised he must have fallen asleep.

Meanwhile, Tina was keeping an eye on them from inside the castle. She had seen them go outside, but had decided to keep her distance, knowing how down Blaine had been lately. From her position by the window, she could see how completely at ease he became when the sun shone upon them, and the fond smile Kurt cast at him.

She was pulled from her musing by Will, who stopped in his tracks when he noticed what she was looking at.

"What are they doing?" he exclaimed. "Blaine shouldn't be outside"

"He's fine," Tina said.

"If he catches a cold, we'll be back to square one. Kurt should know better."

He started making his way out, but Tina stopped him.

"Let them be. Blaine's fine, Will. I mean, look at him. I haven't seen him this relaxed or happy in months. Let him have this. I think he really needs it, after all that's happened."

Will thought it over, looking between her and the couple outside.

"Fine. Let's just hope he doesn't regress."

"He won't. You know Kurt wouldn't let him."

Just then, Kurt came back inside, carrying Blaine in his arms with the blanket wrapped around him.

"What happened?" Tina exclaimed. "Is he okay?"

Kurt quickly shushed her.

"He's fine. He just fell asleep, that's all."

Kurt carried him straight to his room, only passing Sam on the way.

"Need a hand?"

"No, I can handle it. He doesn't weigh nearly enough."

Sam nodded and proceeded to open the door for them. He pushed the blankets back so that Kurt could lay Blaine on the bed. The whole time they were manoeuvring him, Blaine only opened his eyes once before closing them again and rolling onto his side. Kurt sat down in one of the chairs while Sam settled himself in another chair. For a while, they just watched the boy in the bed in silence, until Sam broke it.

"You like him, don't you?"

Kurt wasn't surprised. Sam knew him like no one else did, so it was only a matter of time before he brought this up.

"Yeah, I do."

Sam nodded.

"Is he gay?"

"I don't know. But I think so. At the very least, he doesn't recoil from me or even seem to mind when I touch him."

"I'm just wondering... Maybe he doesn't know either." When he saw Kurt's confused look, he continued his line of reasoning out loud. "He's been on his own for years. I mean, yes, his mother was there with him at first, but he couldn't exactly date her, could he? And besides Tina, he didn't have contact with anyone of his own age. And Tina already has a boyfriend."

"You're right," Kurt said thoughtfully. "Do you think Tina knows?"

"Maybe. She did say that Sebastian made him a... less than honourable offer in exchange for his life, but he declined it."

"So would I, if I'd been in Blaine's position. That doesn't mean anything."

"That's true. Perhaps we should just ask Tina. They might have talked about it before."

Kurt thought it over. Sam might be right. But even if that were the case, he didn't want to go behind Blaine's back.

"No. Even if she knows, I don't think we should ask her. I'm just going to keep my feelings to myself. Look at him, Sam. For now, I think Blaine just needs a friend."

"He already has friends. Besides, have you forgotten about the council's demand that you get married?" Sam shot him a penetrating look.

"Yeah, 'cause that is something I should just dump on him: 'Hey Blaine, I'm aware we barely know each other, but will you marry me?'"

"You still have a few months, Kurt. You can take some time to get to know him."

After Blaine's first time outside, Kurt took him out to the gardens as often as possible. Whenever the sun shone and it wasn't too cold, the two of them could be found on that same bench, sometimes talking, other times just sitting in silence enjoying the weather and each other's presence. More often than not, Blaine fell asleep there, after which Kurt brought him back to his room. But in general, he was able to stay awake longer each time. Even Will had to grudgingly admit that going outside was actually good for him and helped his recovery along.

"Hey, Kurt? Can I ask you something?" Blaine asked one day, as they were sitting on what had quickly become their bench.

"Sure," Kurt said absent-mindedly.

"Two weeks ago, when we first came here, you told me you would do anything for me. Why did you say that?"

Kurt was glad Blaine was leaning against him so that he couldn't see how red Kurt had suddenly become. That statement had kind of slipped out that day. And since Blaine hadn't called him on it at the time, Kurt hoped he hadn't heard or hadn't paid attention to it. But no such luck, apparently.

"Um... Well, um..."

Kurt didn't know how to explain himself without sounding creepy. So, despite what he had told Sam about keeping his feelings from Blaine, he decided honesty was the best course of action.

"I really care about you, Blaine, and I want you to be happy. At first, I think it was just out of... indignation because of how you were treated." He swallowed, nervous about what he was about to say next. "But... I've come to realise that I care about you more than that... even more than just as friends..."

Blaine sat up a little, looking back at him.

"... Why?" he murmured. "You hardly even know me."

"I'm not really sure why. And you're right, I don't know much about you. But I want to get to know you. Because even after everything that's happened, after all the crap the world has thrown at you, you're still such a genuinely good person. I love how something as simple as sitting here can make you so happy that it lights up your whole demeanour. And you deserve that and so much more."

After Kurt's little speech, Blaine was staring at him silently. Kurt was afraid he had scared him off by revealing his feelings to him.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have told you all of that. Let's just forget I said anything, shall we?"

"No, it's okay," Blaine reassured him, returning to his previous position. He took his time to gather his thoughts. "It's just... I have no idea what it's like to be in love. I don't have anything to compare it with. I've never even seen my parents together. All my knowledge comes from books."

Once again, Kurt's heart bled for this boy. He wrapped his arm around him and pulled him a little closer, earning a small smile in return.

"You're so different from anyone I know, Kurt, which, granted, isn't a very long list. For some reason, I feel... strangely drawn to you. But I don't know what it means. And it confuses me."

"Do you think you're attracted to men?" Kurt asked him.

"I'm not sure. I mean, I've noticed Tina, for example, is a beautiful girl. I know she's a friend and she matters to me. On the other hand, I've never felt... any attraction to her, not like with you. Then again, maybe I've just known her for too long. I don't know."

He paused.

"I've wondered whether I'm gay or not. Tina sure thinks I am. … When I'm with you, I think she might be right."

Kurt's smile almost split his face in two.

"Don't worry," he said. "You have time to figure it out."

"Have you ever had a boyfriend before?"

"No. Never found the right guy. I had a crush on someone once, but he was straight."

"What was it like?"

Kurt noticed Blaine's voice was growing softer, which usually meant he was getting sleepy.

"It was... great. Just seeing him always made me so happy, like nothing could go wrong anymore that day."

He wasn't entirely sure he wasn't talking about Blaine, who was now blinking heavily. By the time Kurt had put him back in bed, a small piece of hope had settled in him that, maybe, Blaine would some day feel the same about him.

One day, Kurt went to the guest room on the second floor and found it empty. Somewhat concerned, he set out to track down the person who normally occupied it.

'Of course,' he thought in relief when he eventually found Blaine standing in the middle of one of the flower beds in the garden. He had left his shoes on the path, apparently wanting to feel the ground with his bare feet. Kurt joined him cautiously, attempting not to crush any of the flowers.

"I've been looking for you."

Blaine started slightly; he had been too lost in thought to hear Kurt coming.

"I came here all on my own," he said proudly. "I didn't even need to stop on the way."

"Well done! I guess you're all better, huh?"

"I guess so..." He trailed off.

Kurt suddenly realised Blaine looked a lot better than before. Since he had spent so much time with him in the past weeks, he hadn't really noticed the gradual improvements, but now, in the bright light, it struck him how good he looked. His eyes were no longer sunken, his cheeks were filled and his colour had gone back to normal, he was even getting a bit tanned. As he was studying his features, he could see the worry lines there.

"Is there something bothering you?"

"... Your father offered to give me my title back. And the original Anderson territory, if I want it."

"Oh. That's good, I guess... Isn't it?" he added uncertainly when Blaine didn't answer.

"I think so. I mean, it shows he's trying to make up for the past."

"Yeah, it does. Do you think you'll be able to forgive him one day?"

"Probably. After all, while king Christopher was still alive, my life wasn't that bad. Just a bit... lonely." Blaine looked at the sky, following some birds with his eyes. "That's not the problem though."

"Then what is?"

"... I don't know what to do with your father's offer. If I decline, I feel like I'm letting my parents down, or something. But if I accept it... I don't even know how the real world works, what on earth am I going to do with a whole domain?"

He took a deep, calming breath.

"It's just... I don't know how to be free, Kurt. All my life, I've dreamed of freedom, but now that I have it, I just don't know what I'm supposed to do. I feel so... lost."

"You're not 'supposed' to do anything, Blaine. You can do whatever you want. It's your choice. And if you want, I can help you figure it out."

Blaine accepted his outstretched hand and smiled gratefully.

"I'd like that," he said softly, before tentatively leaning in to kiss Kurt on the lips, who didn't hesitate to reciprocate.

"So, what do you suggest I do, oh wise one?" Blaine asked teasingly when they finally pulled back to take a moment to breathe.

"I don't know. Sing. Dance." Kurt laid his hands on Blaine's shoulders and leaned in closer, whispering against his lips. "Be free."