Day 12 – Glory of Love by Peter Cetera
A/N: Knights in shining armor? A castle far away? Sounds like it's time for an audience with the Snow King. If you haven't read my Snow King verse, I invite you to check it out!
He should have known it couldn't last.
The first rumblings reached Kurt's ears a few weeks after the Festival of Hearts. They were rumors, really – whispers and overheard half-truths, but if they were true…
Over the next few days, Kurt kept in close contact with his head of intelligence. Elliott was smart, loyal, and just the right kind of cunning to be an invaluable resource to his king. The information he provided was far from promising.
As the gossip and chatter began to coalesce into a very real threat, he knew the time for action was at hand. He assembled his most trusted advisors to begin strategizing and preparing for what was to come.
"Your Highness?"
Huddled over the table and listening intently as one of the advisors pointed out something on a map, Kurt didn't notice the first time he was called.
"Your Highness." A pause. "Kurt!"
His head snapped up at the sound of his first name. Blaine stood in the doorway, his countenance a mixture of hesitance and exasperation. "My apologies, gentlemen," he greeted, bowing to those assembled at the table, "but I require a moment of His Majesty's time, if I may."
Kurt excused himself, saying something quietly to the group before leaving the table. He indicated with a nod of his head that Blaine should follow him as he exited to a small, private anteroom. With the large solid door shut behind him, he turned to Blaine.
"Why so formal, Blaine? You know I hate it when you call me that," he asked, reaching for Blaine's hand and frowning when Blaine carefully pulled his hand away.
"I didn't think it was appropriate to address you by your given name in front of your advisors," Blaine answered, clasping his hands in front of him, "and to be honest, I don't need to speak with Kurt. I need to speak with the King."
Kurt continued to frown, taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly. He had a feeling he knew where this was going.
"When were you going to tell me?" Blaine asked, his voice laced with a coldness Kurt hadn't heard before.
"Blaine," Kurt implored.
"When were you going to tell me that you were planning a battle against the South because of me?" Blaine's eyes flashed with an emotion Kurt had only witnessed when Blaine spoke of his father.
"I was going to tell you, but I couldn't. Not yet," Kurt replied.
"Oh, well that explains everything. Thank you so much!" Blaine exclaimed sarcastically, throwing his arms in the air and starting to pace around the room.
Kurt was a patient man, and knew this would be an emotional issue for Blaine, but he was not above being perturbed by his tone. "You would do well to remember yourself in the presence of your King," he snapped. If Blaine wanted to address him as his king, then Kurt would act like it.
Blaine halted his pacing and shot a look across the room. "Come off it, Kurt. You've known for days about this, I'll bet. Did you think I wouldn't find out?"
Kurt took another deep breath. Sniping at one another wasn't going to get them anywhere. "Come. Sit with me," he offered quietly, crossing to a small couch under a window and giving Blaine an expectant stare.
Blaine sighed and complied with Kurt's request. Much to Kurt's relief, he sat close enough that their knees were touching.
"Just so you know," Blaine explained, "none of your people betrayed you. I didn't find out from them. I still have a few friends within the Southern borders."
"Very well. What do you know? I will supplement your knowledge with all the information I have."
Blaine stared blankly ahead, as if he was seeing something much farther away than the opposite wall. "An attack is coming. My father is assembling the army, and is preparing to march on the Northern border." His voice dropped to a whisper. "They're coming for me. I am to be returned to the South, dead or alive."
The information had been horrible when Kurt first learned of it. Hearing the words fall from Blaine's own mouth was nearly unbearable.
"Your information matches mine. Of course, I have more details on troop numbers, locations, and so on, but that's it, in a nutshell. The only thing I don't exactly know is, why?" Kurt furrowed his brow. "I don't understand. Your father cast you out of his kingdom. He set out traps to capture you if you tried to return. Why try to forcibly bring you back now?"
"That's easy," Blaine scoffed. "Because of me, or more accurately," he corrected, turning his gaze to meet Kurt's, "because of us."
"You mean…" Realization struck Kurt like lightning. Of course. The Festival of Hearts.
"Word got back to my father of our attachment," Blaine explained. "It was one thing to know of my inclinations himself. I was a disgrace to him, so he banished me. He probably figured I'd be dead before I could make it anywhere safe." Kurt put his hand, palm side up, on Blaine's knee. Without hesitation, Blaine took it this time, intertwining their fingers.
"With me removed from his kingdom, he hoped no one would ever find out about the dishonor I'd brought upon the family."
Kurt squeezed his hand. "There is not a dishonorable bone in your body, my Prince," he said forcefully.
Blaine gave a small smile. "Well, be that as it may, once he, and the rest of the kingdoms, learned that I was not only alive, but romancing the Snow King, he decided that the only way to defend the family name was to eliminate me – permanently."
"He shall not touch you. I swear that to you," Kurt vowed.
Blaine sighed. "Kurt, this isn't your fight. This isn't your kingdom's fight. I should be the one to deal with this."
"It is our fight, Blaine. Yours, mine, and all of the North Kingdom's," Kurt protested. "You are a part of me, a part of us now. Your honor is as our own, and we will fight for you," he pledged emphatically.
Blaine's eyes shone with unshed tears. Never in his entire life had he felt so loved and cherished. One matter still troubled him, however. He withdrew his hand and stood proudly, every inch a prince.
"If there is to be a fight, I will not sit idly by. I can't hide behind the castle's walls while you and others defend me, Kurt," he stated firmly.
Kurt nodded and rose to stand beside him. "You are right. I should have included you from the outset. I was so worried about protecting you that I lost sight of the fact that you are more than capable of defending yourself," he admitted. "But you will need our help. Your father is sending his army, Blaine, not merely a single soldier."
"I know. But you will need my help, too. I trained with the captain of the guard. Part of my duties as prince was to oversee matters involving the army. Which means…"
"You know all their tactics," Kurt finished, eyes going wide. This was exactly the edge they needed. "Come," he ordered, taking Blaine by the wrist and pulling him towards the door. "We have much to do and very little time in which…"
Blaine tugged against him, stopping just shy of the door. Kurt turned back and suddenly had Blaine's arm around his waist. "Thank you," he murmured. "Thank you for loving me, and protecting me, and fighting for me."
Kurt smiled, pressing a kiss to his lips. "Always."
A/N: Posting this very, very late, but I wanted to get it right. And I may have fallen asleep in the middle of writing (it was a long day).
