A/N Sorry it took so long. I still love you all.
After a few more seconds of looking at each other Blaine broke the silence. "We can't just sit here and do nothing." He whispered and crawled back over to the tent flap to peer out of the small gap. "Well what are we supposed to do against them, Blaine? They are fairies, I don't know what you have heard or read about them, but I would come to the conclusion that we are screwed." Kurt huffed from where he sat a little too loudly. Blaine shushed him and then looked back out. "Maybe they will get bored and leave." He suggested in a hopeful voice. "Yeah, and maybe I will start to find the female body to be irresistible." Kurt quipped rolling his eyes.
"Ok so it was just wishful thinking. But some of them do seem to be leaving." Blaine said as he moved back over to sit next to Kurt, who looked up with a little light in his eyes and then sighed. "Yeah probably just to go and get the rest of their people, so they can all enjoy our death." He concluded. "Hey don't talk like that; we will get out of this you'll see." Blaine said taking Kurt's hands. "How?" Kurt asked in a small voice.
"Well, first we need to see if we can get everyone to awaken, the fairies are still keeping them unconscious; if we could just get them on their feet then we might have a chance of fighting them." Blaine said getting more excited. Kurt was quiet for a few seconds and then started to nod, "So all we need to do is to distract them long enough for them to forget about the guys and then when they wake up we can all fight." Kurt said, his eyes lighting up, as he started to get swept up with Blaine's excitement. Blaine was nodding too now and they were both smiling.
"Ok so if we can both get far enough away from the fairies that we are out of range of their sleep spell thingy, then they will have to move away from the guys to make sure we don't escape." Kurt started to plan. "Yes, yes and then we just need to keep them away from the guys long enough for them to wake up." Blaine finished bouncing on the spot from where they were knelt by the tent flap. "Yes, but don't forget we need to stay far enough away from them too, but also in sight of each other so as not to get lost, or hurt." Kurt added." "Oh right yeah, good idea." Blaine said.
"Blaine?" Kurt whispered when they had gathered their weapons. "Umhum?" Blaine hummed from where he was peeking through the flap again. "I'm well… are you sure we can do this?" Kurt asked in a slight rush intertwining his fingers together nervously. Blaine looked back at him and smiled. "Kurt, are you nervous?" he asked. "No Blaine I'm not, not at all, I was just wondering what to wear to our funerals. Not that it will matter because we will all be dead." Kurt almost snapped and then immediately regretted it. "I'm sorry." He whispered.
Blaine just laughed, "Kurt don't worry. I feel the same, in fact I'm not just nervous I'm terrified, but it is our job as rulers to make sure that the people we rule over are kept as safe as we can keep them." Blaine replied, taking Kurt by the shoulders and then pulling him close. "It will all work out." He whispered in his ear, needing to say it as much for himself as he did for the other prince. Kurt nodded against Blaine shoulder. "Yes you are right. Thank you." He said pulling away." Come on we got this." He added.
They had planned to go out the back of the tent so that they could sneak far enough away before they were noticed and then could therefore lure the fairies away from their men. So lifting the material slowly to make as little noise as possible they crawled under it, Kurt for once not caring about how he was getting grass stains and mud on his pants.
When they were out they looked each other in the eye and brushed lips briefly before heading in opposite directions toward the outside of the clearing. Once just inside the tree line they nodded to signal to the other that they were ready and then both picked up a stone and threw it as far as they could into the forest.
The effect was instantaneous. The humming and laughter of the enemy stopped; the orbs of light grew brighter and bigger and then dimmed to reveal men standing in their place. Or at least they looked just like human men crossed with the beauty of elves. The princes stared in awe, as all of the fairies started to look around and the tight circle they had made around the fallen men was starting to lessen, as they moved slightly closer to the tree line. Blaine picked up another stone and threw it in the same direction as the one he had used before. The fairies that were closest to him separated from the circle and moved toward him. Kurt was counting how many they were up against, and had gotten to twenty when Blaine had thrown his second stone. Kurt watched in horror as they started to move right to where Blaine was hiding, so he picked up two stones of his own and threw them in opposite directions. One to join the first he had thrown and the second to lead them away from Blaine.
The circle the fairies had made was now scattered about the clearing and the effect they had had on the men was wearing off. Some of them were opening their eyes and blinking the fog from the brain. Time for phase two of the plan, Kurt and Blaine looked at each other and nodded again. Then both of them stood and started to run anti clockwise around the tree line. It was working; the enemy had falling for it and had starting to follow the noise the princes were making into the trees. Some of the men were moving around and getting to their knees and reaching for their swords.
Kurt almost laughed at how this was actually going to work out. But just as he was thinking this one of the fairies broke through the tress about ten paces behind him. Now Kurt was use to running and he was fast, but he was also up against a supernatural creature and so he pushed himself to run even faster. He was getting out of breath and knew he had to lose his pursuer quickly before he couldn't run anymore. So he started to weave in and out of the tress.
Blaine on the other hand was forced to jump out of the tree line as he was cornered from both sides. He jumped out of the tress and was pleased to see that his men had all gotten to their feet and gathered everything to hand that could be carried easily. It was time to go, they just needed Kurt and then they could break away and keep running until they had lost the fairies. "Kurt, now!" Blaine shouted to signal phase three of their plan.
Kurt had just jumped over a fallen tree when he heard Blaine call his name. Good it was time to re-join forces and get the hell out of there. He swerved to his left and looked back one last time before he crashed through the trees. He smiled at the sight of Blaine and their traveling companions all standing safe and ready to leave. But that was a mistake; he should have been paying attention to his own feet.
"Kurt!" Blaine shouted again, however this shout held worry and panic as he watched Kurt's foot get caught by a root and Kurt hitting the ground hard as he fell. Kurt looked dazed as he shook himself and tried to get up. Just as Kurt got to his feet the fairy that had been chasing him burst back into the cleaning and his eyes focused solely on Kurt. Kurt, who had been looking at Blaine, snapped his head around to look at a very angry fairy running toward him. He took a deep breath and made to run again.
Only to fall back to the ground. He had twisted his ankle and couldn't run anymore. "Kurt, no! Get up Kurt, Now! come on get up!" Blaine begged as he watched Kurt fall a second time the pain evident on his face. Kurt just looked up at Blaine's panicked face and tried to get up again. He took one more step and fell again, the fairy was gaining on him. If Kurt was nothing else he was determined, so he started to crawl at the same time Blaine started to run to him.
They had gotten about half way to each other when something closed around Kurt's ankle. He kicked out and struggled but was only dragged back into strong arms for his trouble. "Get off him!" he heard Blaine shout angrily but he couldn't see him as he had turned to fight off his capture. It was no good he found himself spun back around to face the clearing and bond tightly to the solid body of the fairy.
Kurt locked eyes with Blaine, who was so close to him now he was torn between calling for Blaine to save him or to shout at him to run. He opened his mouth but all that came out was, "Blaine behind you." As another fairy had ran into the clearing and was now running towards Blaine. Full chaos broke out as more of the enemy joined them in the clearing and the men started to fight with them. Kurt had a moment of clarity that one gets when faced with situations such as this one. He wondered why they were all still awake, but then he realized that whatever the reason was he was glad for it because now they had a chance. A small chance, but they might just get out of this alive.
That hope he felt though was short lived as he watched more and more of his side fall, they were never killed just taken down and then tied up. How could they hope to stand up to something that was rumoured to be kin to demons? He almost stopped struggling against the arms that held him, but one look at Blaine still fighting hard, meant that he couldn't give up. It didn't seem to matter how hard he twisted and threw himself around though, the arms still held him fast.
The fighting went on around him and Kurt was feeling more and more lost in how to get out of this, and then a single sound cut through the mass of shouting and ringing of weapons, Blaine had been hit from behind and had fallen to the forest floor with a cry of pain. And it felt Kurt had been shot with an arrow through the chest, he watch as Blaine hit the ground and it felt like he had just been struck himself. He stopped fighting and looked on as Blaine didn't open his eyes. More men had fallen and so had some fairies but none of it mattered to Kurt anymore. The fighting went on around him, but the noise was drowned out by his blood rushing in his ear. Both sides kept moving but all was lost on Kurt's eyes; Blaine was hurt and it was like the floor had fallen out from under him.
Kurt blinked hard he could feel the sting of tears, but he refused to cry. He couldn't look away from where Blaine lay, the only thing that kept him from breaking down was that he could still see Blaine's chest rising and falling with his breathing. As long as Blaine was still alive it would all be ok. But, Blaine wasn't opening his eyes and someone was now tying him up. Kurt was silently willing Blaine to open his eyes and break free of his bonds.
A sharp pinch at his wrist brought Kurt back to his surroundings. He was being bound himself and dragged roughly over to the others. He bit his tongue to hold back a yelp of pain as he was dumped on the ground. The battle was lost, all of them had been captured and were now in a heap tied up and most of them bleeding. Kurt looked around at his party, one or two of them were being brought back to consciousness. A few of them looked back, he searched for Blaine and saw him laying a few feet away still out cold; worry washed over Kurt, he hoped Blaine hadn't been hit too hard. Surely he should be awake by now, just as he was thinking this Blaine blinked and moaned in disapproval to his headache. Kurt breathed a sigh of relief to see Blaine awake. He wanted to call out to him, but was afraid about what might happen if he drew attention to either one of them.
He didn't need to call out to Blaine to get him to notice him however. Blaine had searched all the faces until his eyes locked with Kurt's and he smiled after looking him over for injuries. Kurt smiled back weakly; he didn't really feel much like smiling right now. They had lost and now they had no hope at all of escape. The boy's gazes were broken from each other as they were all shouted at to get on their feet. Everyone but Kurt jumped up, he however much he struggled to get to his feet, his ankle gave out making Kurt fall back to his knees.
"I said get up!" a tall fairy with long blond hair shouted at him, as he stood above Kurt. Kurt looked up at him, "I can't. My ankle hurts." He said. "What?" the man spat at him. "I said my-" Kurt stared to explain again but was cut off by a hard slap to the face. The sound of the hit rang around the clearing as Kurt fell the rest of the way to the damp ground. Shouts of "how dare you." and "don't touch him." sounded from the men, but Blaine's reaction was the worst, he lunged himself at the fairy that had struck Kurt only to be pulled back by another.
Kurt scrambled back up to his knees and spat out the blood from his split lip. "Are you talking back to me?" the fairy shouted in his face and grabbed him by his shirt. Kurt only gave him a death glare as an answer. "No I didn't think so. Now get up!" the guy told him and pulled Kurt roughly to his feet. "Don't treat him like that." Blaine growled. "I'll treat him however I wish." Was the man's answer as he walked away with the order to tie them all together and then move out.
They were all shoved and pulled into a line and then tied together. With a barked order to leave Kurt, Blaine and their men were all dragged out of the clearing, Kurt limping badly. Blaine wanted nothing more than to comfort Kurt, but there was two men separating them and Kurt refused to look anywhere but forward as he held his head high.
It was almost dawn by the time they had got to wherever it was they were being taken. The forest was so calm it felt as if you breathed too hard it could all fall down. Blaine looked around and felt his breath catch in his throat. It was like seeing a city built right out of the tress and earth. It seemed to glow with a light from within. They came to a stop and everyone looked around gasping at the simple beauty of the place they had been taken to.
It was like the fairy folk had built into the trees, stairs spiraled around the tress and led to tree houses that were almost completely hidden in the canopy. Holes and doorways were dug into the hills of earth and archways made from still growing trees mapped out the structure of the city. A huge tree seemed to be the central heart of the city and that also seemed to be their destination as they were lead through the houses and borrows.
Everything, was still alive and growing even though it had been built into. Like the people that lived here had used just what they needed and taken only what they could afford to take and still keep the forest alive. It was more like they lived with the land and not off of it. Blaine found it hard to believe that the same people he was looking at now were as evil as the tales made them out to be.
They came to a sudden stop at a set of huge doors carved into the tree at the heart of the city. The tree was the biggest any of them had seen in all of their travels. It reached pass the top of the canopy and its roots were almost as tall as the men standing at them. The doors opened and they were lead into the inside of the tree. It was completely hollowed out and carved into and seemed to be, of what they could see so far, a palace.
"Stay with the prisoners." The tall blond fairy ordered as he walked out of the room. They all looked around and took in the skilled craftsmanship, which made this place so interestingly beautiful. Blaine chanced a glance at Kurt and saw a bruise forming where he had been hit, his eyes however still looked around staying bright, as well as his straight back and head held high. Blaine couldn't help but feel pride in the other prince's behaviour.
They didn't have long however to take in much of their surroundings as the blond soon returned and told his men to lead the prisoners into the main chamber of the king. They were quickly herded to the side of the large entrance hall and through a big door to the left. It slammed shut behind them and they found themselves in almost complete darkness.
Darkness however does not stop the other senses from working and the sounds that echoed around them were far from comforting. Loud bangs and rattling of chains could be heard from all directions. The air smelt fresh but also heavy, like here, it was under pressure. Then of course they still had the sense of touch. And for some reason even though no one was near them it felt like their skin was being gently probed. Like the brush of needles without the pain, it made them all shiver and most of them fidgeted in discomfort.
It became more intense as time went on and the feeling of being watched was overwhelming. Then all of a sudden it stopped, all of it, the noises, the closed in feeling and the 'touches'. They were blinded when light flooded the room. Blinking quickly to adjust his eyes Blaine looked around. No wonder he felt like he was being watched. The room had a perimeter of Fairy guards.
Kurt closed his eyes against the light and let himself give a small inaudible sigh of relief at not feeling like he was being touched all over. "On your knees!" came a loud command, Kurt would of expected the voice to belong to the man that had brought them here, but it didn't come from him and it made him shudder. This voice sounded even harsher than that of the guards.
Kurt opened his eyes to find who was talking, but there was only a silhouette of a man slightly taller than him but shorter than most of the fairies. Looking around he could see the walls lined with others and all of them had dropped to one knee. Kurt noted however, and to his pride, that not one of the men he was with had shown any signs to follow the order and do the same. "I said. On. Your. Knees!" came the order again, this time followed by footsteps.
When no one moved, the fairy got closer to the line of them. He moved down one side and then walked back up the other, slowly, trying to intimidate them. "Do you not understand simple speech?" he mocked. Answer me!" the man shouted when he was ignored. Blaine opened his mouth to say something, after all he was supposed to be their leader, their Prince and responsible for his men. But before he could make a sound the most important person in the room to him said something that made Blaine close his eyes and sigh.
"I bow to nobody but my king." Kurt had said loudly so that everyone could hear. The man snapped his eyes up to him and walked down the line to Kurt. "What was that pretty boy?" he asked, his eyes fixed on only Kurt. Kurt didn't look at him, didn't even flinch. "I said - I bow to nobody but my king." He repeated voice still clear and strong. "What?" the fairy asked again.
This time Kurt did look at him, but it was a look one gives something that one is not pleased with. Kurt looked down his nose at the man, his face almost one of contempt. Blaine noticed the change in Kurt as his body drew up to his full height and he looked exactly like a person who wanted to let his capturer know just what he thought of him. Blaine had seen Kurt do this before. Right before he said something that would make whoever he was talking to angry. Blaine opened his mouth with the intent so say 'Kurt don't.' but was too late.
"Who has trouble understanding simple speech now?" Kurt said. The change in the fairy was instantaneous and clear for everyone to see. He tensed up and his face contorted in rage. "How dare you talk to me like that! I am the only one that stands between your and execution, I am the Fairy King's personal adviser" He sneered visibly trying to restrain himself from shouting. "Quite easily I assure you." Kurt said in a somewhat haltly tone. And Blaine wanted nothing more than to shut Kurt up before he got himself or all of them killed. But what Kurt had said seemed to be the last straw for the advisor as he grabbed Kurt's upper arm and pulled him closer. "Who do you think you are, your just a pathetic servant of a human king, you have no place talking to me like that." He spat the words out dripping with venom.
"Don't touch him." Blaine said just as the man behind Kurt grabbed the fairies arm to pull him off from Kurt. The fairy let go of Kurt, just long enough to hit the man that had touched him. But Blaine's guards didn't fall so easily and the guard glared back at the fairy and stepped in front of Kurt. It was a challenge that was not going to end too well for them. "Get out my way boy." The fairy told him. When he didn't move from shielding Kurt, Blaine sighed, he had to stop this, but they couldn't find out that Kurt and he were heirs to the throne. But that didn't stop Blaine from admitting that he was in charge of these men on this 'outing'.
"Stand down." Blaine told him, he didn't want to give that order because Jake was the only thing standing in between an angry fairy and his Kurt. But it had to be done, Jake looked at him with shock, but when Blaine simple gave him an unwavering look he did as he was told. This got the fairies' attention. "What! You! Their leader?" he asked turning to look at Blaine.
When Blaine nodded and straightened his back a bit more, the advisor laughed. "Then you need to teach the rest of your fellow scum to learn some manners." The guard sneered at him. It was the wrong thing to do, Kurt's eyes grow darker and he clenched his fists. "How dare you talk to him like that." Blaine had never heard Kurt sound so dangerous before. If their lives weren't on the line he would find it incredibly sexy.
The adviser, no longer able to withhold his rage spun around to face Kurt again and hit him hard enough to knock him to the floor. "If you know what's good for you, then you will stay there." Kurt scoffed up at him and climbed back up on shaky knees. The man hit him again and Kurt fell hard. "I told you twice already get on your knees!" the advises growled at Kurt, at this an uproar broke out amongst Blaine's tied men, all of them struggling to get free and help Kurt. Blaine was shouting for the man to stop and leave Kurt alone.
The adviser grabbed Kurt by his silky locks of hair and forced his head up. With a wicked grin he looked in Kurt's eyes as he spoke to the others. "I advise you All to shut up and get on the floor where you belong, if you don't want me to kill him." He said. The hall fell deadly silent as they all looked at the fairy, Blaine looked Kurt in the eye and even though the blue eyed boy shook his head, Blaine fell to his knees and hung his head. His men soon followed his lead, shocked that Blaine had given in so easily.
The adviser gave a smug smile and straightened up then walked to the front of the line dragging Kurt, behind him along the floor. "Without further ado I proudly introduce my king." He said triumphantly. There was soft murmurs from the fairies around the room. And then there was silence from them once again as the doors were thrown open. In stepped a tall and very well built man with long dark hair and his eyes were black as coal. From the way the man walked Kurt had no doubt that his soul was just as dark. He looked down at Kurt as he walked up to the man holding his hair. "Put the pretty boy down and tell me why I had to leave a well enjoyable part y to come and deal with matters that you should be able to handle on your own." The king demanded.
The adviser dropped Kurt, but gave him a glare that said that he wasn't finished with him. "Sire, I called for you because we have never come across so many humans on our land before and thought it best to ask what you're undoubtedly wise decision would be." The adviser said. 'Not so tough now.' Kurt thought as he listened to the slight tremor in the adviser's voice as he addressed the king.
"Stop feeding my ego and just get on with it." The king said as he took up his throne, he didn't even look at the rest of the prisoners as he sat. "Yes your majesty." The fairy said. "We found them camping well into your lands and then they dared to attack us". The king glanced back at Kurt "They don't look threating enough to cause any real damage." He said.
Kurt wanted to say how if given the chance he was sure he could kill more than half the fairies in the room but he bit his tongue, they were in enough trouble as it was. Instead he looked at Blaine who was looking back at him. He tried to smile but his face hurt too much from the abuse he had suffered out in the woods, as well as the abuse in here.
"Yes that's is what we thought your magnificent but they killed three of my men." The blond guard that had captured them said, stepping up to the stand next to the adviser. That got the kings attention as he looked at Kurt again and then the guard. "Did they now? Fine throw them in the cells, we can deal with them at first light." He ordered, glancing one last time at Kurt, before dismissing them for now.
They were all dragged to their feet and roughly out of a small door at the back of the room. Kurt was now at the front of the line and Blaine could no longer see him as they were pushed and dragged down a steep, narrow spiral stair
It grew cold and damp as they were led through a heavy door and then down a small corridor. A rusty hinge groaned in the darkness and then a flickering light sprung to life as a door was opened. They were thrown into a damp earthen room that had roots hanging from the roughly dug walls and ceiling. When the guard left them, slamming the door shut they also took the light with them.
"Hello, who's there?" a cracked voice sounded from the dark depths of the room. The voice sounded hopeful and lost at the same time.
