An: I know it's annoying that Kurt & Blaine spend most of the time separate for now, but don't worry, they are going to be seeing each other more often soon!

Chapter 6

"And this is a counterattack finished with a punch to the stomach!"

"Uh..."

Blaine couldn't stop another painful groan when he landed heavily on the ground, his wooden practice sword falling next to him a moment later. It didn't help that they trained in a rocky area, with snow hardly cushioning the fall. Unfortunately, had to travel further south to keep the base's location a secret in case any queen spy would spot their sword practice. That meant a secluded area without any trees or animals living by. That also meant rough landings.

Sebastian walked to Blaine and extended his hand to help. The boy ignored him slowly lifting himself up.

Puck, who was supervising them, looked carefully on tired and bruised Blaine.

"Maybe we should stop for today." he said cautiously.

Blaine shook his head "I still can go on. Even if I'll just get beaten again."

"At least you have some good stamina." smiled Puck and handed him a towel. "But we don't want you to limp tomorrow. And considering, you are not that bad. At least you've got muscles for it unlike the previous Pevensie siblings..."

"Well, he should be better. We do practice fencing in our Dalton academy for Gentlemen." Sebastian was merciless. "Which Blaine wasn't that good at despite his never ending enthusiasm."

"I'm right here and I can hear you!" Blaine was pretty upset about the whole practice "Seriously, I got the hint that I just suck at fencing...and will suck at being a king... "

"Your Majesty..." Puck clearly regretted saying anything in the first place. "The fighting skill is not a measurement of great kings. You wouldn't need soldiers if that was the case. I strongly recommend a hot bath to soothe your body and mind." Puck waved at one of two horses, who were observing the duel with mild amusement " Epos will take you back. And in the afternoon you will continue to learn some history and geography."

"What about you, Seb?" asked Blaine giving up and climbing the white, well-built horse.

"I'll stay. Puck promised to teach me a new thrust that causes the opponent's hand to... anyway, I'll count on you to give me abridged version of Narnia's history later. It was always working well for me at school." Sebastian flashed his teeth in a grin, knowing well how to get on his cousin's good side again.

Rachel prepared everything – from huge tub filled with hot water to bowls with scented oils and soaps. She even hanged a "You die if you disturb!" plate on the door, so Blaine could have a moment of privacy in their always busy burrow.

The white puffs of steam above the tub looked welcoming. Blaine quickly got rid of his dirty clothes and lowered himself into the soapy bath. At first the hot water stung his bruises, but soon the rich rose oil calmed the boy and soothed the pain from practice. He closed his eyes, sighing with satisfaction and let his mind to wander on its own...

"So you are that famous 'Blaine' Pevensie... "

Blaine almost jumped out of the tub. He turned around, splashing the foam and water everywhere.

"Who... What..."

Rory gracefully leapt onto the bed, next to clothes discarded there and stared at Blaine with squinted eyes.

"Uh... Rachel said she'd put a "don't distub" plate on the door." murmured the boy, blushing furiously and thanking every deity of Narnia for the thick foam covering the lower part of his body.

"So that's what was written there?" asked the fox with a sly smirk.

"Yes. You... can't read?"

"Of course I can."

Blaine frowned. "You are just messing with me aren't you?"

Rory presented his most predatory smile "Of course. Rest assured I didn't sneak here to watch you bath – I simply wanted to make sure we talk alone."

That didn't sound very reassuring for the boy. "About what? And why only with me?"

"Because I will soon make you into a hero that was able to get the final part of Susan's Horn." announced confidently slender fox with a spark in his brown eyes. That certainly got Blaine's attention.

"How are you going to... How am I going to do that?

"By following my genius plan. First – you need to get into the castle's garden, where the giant is. Finding Will shouldn't be difficult since he is one of the tallest giants I know. Next – you need someone with White Witch's power to change at least giant's pouch from stone long enough to recover the part. The spell covers the organic bodies only so the separated part shouldn't change back if it won't touch Will's body."

"And why do you think I am best suited to do this job?" asked Blaine, but there was a suspicious feeling settling in his stomach and boy feared he already knew the answer.

"Because I saw you with Kurt alone on the staircase in king Peter's tomb." Rory was lying about seeing them, but he was sure that after Kurt told him everything – with too many details – he could easily convince Blaine he was there.

Boy's face paled into such deadly white, that Rory for a moment regretted getting to the point so quickly. However, he really didn't have time for subtlety.

"Blaine." Instinctively, the fox knew it would be better to use boy's name, not the title. "I am not going to judge you about that at the moment – I have my reasons why. But others would want nothing more than Jadis and her son dead, so what we'll now discuss will have to stay between us."

Blaine nodded. He crossed his arms on his folded knees, suddenly freezing despite the hot water surrounding him. "I... when I first met Kurt... even when we kissed for the first time... I didn't know what he was."

"And now you know?"

"I heard... awful stories."

"I'm not going to lie. Most of them are probably true." said Rory with sudden sadness. He knew Kurt's world too well. "But you can't rely only on what others tell you. As a future king you should also judge things and people based on what you see. What did you get to know so far?"

Blaine tried really hard to concentrate. He couldn't see what Rory's plan was and what was expected of him.

"He's beautiful." he started shyly, half-expecting Rory to laugh. The silence encouraged him. "Magical, fast, agile, collected, skilled at weapons, always well-dressed..." it was getting easier to find words describing Kurt. "confident, curious..."

"Curious..." interrupted him Rory repeating the last word. "Curious about you. And this is what we are going to use."

"How?"

"You are going to meet with Kurt in his castle's garden."

Blaine was confused. "Meet? Like on a... date?"

"Exactly" Rory smiled, elated. "Leave the preparations to me! I'll even dictate you the letter you are going to send him!"

Blaine combed his wet curls, dazzled a bit by a prospect of meeting Kurt again, this time without fighting. Oh, and getting the Susan's Horn together too.

"... find the perfect gift."

"What?" Blaine just noticed the fox was in the middle of putting the plan together.

Rory rolled his eyes. "A gift. You need Kurt completely smitten so he won't be suspicious. It should be something pretty, reminding him of you..." fox's eyes fell on a hazel-gold pendant. He poked it lightly with his paw, causing the stone's inner light to flicker. "...something that has the same colour as your eyes and sparkles. Perfect."

"Wait!" cried Blaine. He winced, as his sudden movement made his bruises painful again. "That was a gift from Father Christmas! I think it's that kind of a gift I was supposed to have on me all the time!" But the moment he said it he was already changing his mind. He imagined Kurt having the golden pendant hanging on his neck, light pulsating faster and faster – reflecting his accelerating heartbeat...

"Okay" agreed the boy, fighting down arousal. "I just don't feel good about deceiving Kurt like that."

"You have a problem with deceiving an enemy to save a whole country?" Rory's eyebrows couldn't go higher than now. "Blaine, you are going to do it and if you flunk out I will personally scratch your puppy eyes out!" barked the fox. He wrapped the pendant around his own neck like a hostage in case the boy would have second thoughts. "Clean yourself and join me in the study later to construct the letter. Take the 'don't disturb' plate with you – I don't want anyone else here to know our plan. Or that I have a way in to Witch's castle for that matter." Rory sneaked out of the room as quietly as he got in earlier.

After that Blaine didn't feel like soaking in the bath for too long. He was recalling the whole conversation with Rory while drying himself. If Puck's stories were true, he had no reason to doubt fox's loyalty to the Resistance. However, Blaine couldn't help but wonder if keeping his intimacy with Kurt unnoticed was the only reason Rory wanted to keep the whole escapade a secret. The fact, that Rory had ways to get into the castle was surely something that would help Resistance a lot, so why hide it?

Rory knew Kurt for quite few years, but he was sure he has never seen him so happy and animated. The beautifully calligraphed letter lied open on the bed, the pendant swung freely on witchling's long neck while he was going through all the clothes in his wardrobe.

"It's only a date, Kurt. He'll be so busy watching your face he's not even going to notice your clothes."

The witchling didn't listened and lifted few shirts. "Okay, which one?"

"It doesn't matter... You know what? Get the buttoned one. " Rory knew when to give up. "Takes longer to take off. Maybe that will slow down your excitement."

Kurt threw the buttoned shirt back, choosing a soft, silky white blouse instead that looked as it would tear as easily as paper. Rory rolled his eyes.

"Did you at least listen to me and prepare everything in advance?"

"Yeah, although I don't know why should I do everything the day before, so I'll have my full power intact for the date." Kurt took out a small emerald bottle and eyed the shiny liquid filling it "I won't really need it."

"Who knows what you may need suddenly." Rory winked flirtatiously. Like changing back someone turned into stone – he thought. "It's better to be prepared than be sorry later."

"I guess you are right" Kurt sighed, plopping down on his bed next to the fox with a handful of different vests, scarves and other accessories . "I'm just nervous. I've never been on a 'date' and I'm sure I'm going to do something wrong despite my research."

Rory could only hope the research wasn't limited to the Witch's book on seduction, which Kurt had read few times too many already. "You will be fine – he already likes you."

"But... what if I do something wrong? What were your dates like?"

Rory narrowed his eyes "Kurt. We had a deal." Fox's tone was serious now "And one of the rules was we don't talk about the things before the 'deal'. You were the one to have it that way."

Kurt fell into awkward silence. His fingers were smoothing out nonexistent wrinkles on laid out clothes. For a moment there Rory wanted to forget the rules and talk, but..

"The arbour turned out nicely. It should be warm and cosy for tonight." said witchling in a more cheerful tone,but not looking directly at Rory. "My mother and Maugrim have already gone to Ettinsmoor to visit the mountain chief and shouldn't be back before tomorrow. It's good you got me the food for the date because if I made it with magic I might accidentally add..."

"I know."

"I don't think I thanked you yet." said suddenly Kurt. That certainly was something new. The witchling nervously reached out for the fox and carefully picked him up. Rory allowed Kurt to embrace him tightly.

"There is something wonderful happening to me recently" murmured Kurt. Witchling's heart was fluttering excitedly. "As if I wasn't really living until I met Blaine. And now there are so many new colours I can see. Feel."

Rory felt a twinge of guilt in his heart about the real reason for setting up tonight's date, but he knew that was the best way to help Narnia. To help everyone dear to him.

Next chapter: the midnight date