I am so happy to see a few new followers to this story, I hope you guys are enjoying it so far. Don't me afraid to give me any feedback or just say hi!
All praise continues to go to GleekMom who puts up with my terrible grammar, punctuation and run on sentences.
Even though the Hummel manor was not far from the Anderson farmstead, it still took the longer part of an hour to complete the walk, usually trekking through the forest that separated the two. Using Pavarotti, the family horse, Cooper could be there in around a quarter hour still looking fresh and ready to be auditioned for his role at court. He could not avoid the forest, but it was mid-day and the path was clear, so Pavarotti found the way easily. When Cooper arrived at the large estate, he found the gate closed but not barred as it usually was. He hitched the stallion to the post provided and pushed open the gate, which gave off a loud creak, obviously needing oil after years of disuse. He made his way up the path towards the large home, amazed at its beauty, everything having fallen into disrepair. It was obvious the man who usually greeted Cooper was groundskeeper in name only, as he could note peeling paint, and dirty, cracked windows while the grounds were overgrown with weeds.
This all made Cooper leery. Any lord who was preparing to hold court in a month should be preparing for courtiers and noble guests. He would not be letting his estate be visited in such a state. Cooper began to feel that the town crier had heard wrong yet again, but the gate had never been open before...and he had promised Blaine he would at least alert Hummel to the unjust laws Clarington had laid down. He had to try. Cautiously, he pushed open the door and called out a hello into the great hall before entering.
If Cooper thought the outside of the manor was in a bad state, then the inside was many times worse. Every piece of furniture was either covered in a thick layer of dust or in pieces. A display case lay to the side, broken glass littering the floor beneath with what looked like dried blood staining the carpet amidst torn bits of faded fabric. The air smelled stale and no sound could be heard aside from his own footsteps. It was very dim, only a small candelabra lit to give the dank hall any light. Cooper picked it up and moved towards the door that stood open to his right.
"This must be the den," Cooper mused as he came across a giant unlit fireplace stocked with fresh wood, and a large comfy looking armchair. It was obvious that there was still someone here, but they looked to live in squalor, not in the manner befitting a future lord. No one had seen Kurt Hummel since his parents had died, and about a decade prior, his guardian, Shannon Bieste had made a declaration that the young lordling was set about his studies and was not to be disturbed until he came of age. It seemed to Cooper that this had been a lie. Perhaps the boy had been killed or stole away in the night, but there was no way he could still be here. A squatter must have moved in.
At this, Cooper's hope drained. Not only was his dream lost, but without Lord Hummel to come into power, Lord Clarington would continue to reign, and Blaine would be forced to either live a life he did not want or leave the kingdom entirely. He decided the best thing he could do was explore to see if the vagrant who had acquired this manor knew what had happened to the young lordling. Or perhaps it was merely the gatekeeper who had been keeping up the charade of the Hummel lad's continued existence.
Cooper wandered the halls, noting the rusting suits of armour, ripped paintings of the Hummel family, gargoyle statuettes that seemed to stare at him from every angle, and broken mirrors. Most doors had been barred shut, though he was able to peek into the dark kitchen. A mountain of dirty dishes and some rotting food was plain to see, but they seemed to belong to no one. Cooper wondered what had happened to the small staff who had been employed here when the Hummel boy had last been heard of. At the end of the hall, he could see the archway that led to what he assumed was where the Hummels would have held court, but a large, heavy wardrobe had been placed in front of it, preventing much of a view. To his left, he saw a grand staircase, which he presumed led to the bedrooms, so he began to make his way up.
"Hello?" Cooper called. "I am looking for Lord Magistrate Hummel! If you know what happened to him and are not responsible for harming him, you need not be afraid. Please, I just wish to talk to him! Or know how to find him! Is there anyone here?"
He listened, but heard nothing aside from his own echo and footsteps when he moved. He decided to try another tactic. "Kurt? My lord, I am sorry for being impertinent, but I am one of your citizens, I have concerns I wish to take up with you! If you can hear me, please give me a sign."
Cooper stopped at the top of the stairs, seeing every door barred except for one at the end of the hall. It was then he heard a voice, though it was quite impossible for him to tell from where it came. "Don't go in there. Kurt doesn't like anyone going into his room. In fact, he doesn't like anyone on the grounds but old Ken who keeps people away. You'd best leave before he wakes and finds you here."
Cooper whirled around, looking for the source of the noise, seeing nothing but his shadow painting the floor. "Who's there?" he called, still searching in vain for whoever had warned him off this place, which was honestly looking more and more like a good idea.
"Never you mind, just go. Do not return, do not tell anyone what you have seen. You were never here. This is not the place you were looking for," the voice said, changing its inflection at every phrase. Cooper could identify it only as male, and assumed it was the same speaker trying to sound as if many were present.
Another voice, this one distinctly different, faint and female echoed from further up the hall. "Sam, who in the world are you talking to? You're going to disturb Kurt and then I will have to deal with his temper."
"There's a man in the manor! I am trying to get him to leave! Didn't you hear him shouting not five minutes ago Mercedes? I would swear you were deaf if I didn't know any better!" The first voice responded, much closer, causing Cooper to whirl around once more. He held the candelabra up closer to his face in hopes he could see a bit better when the first voice continued, practically in his ear. "Now, as I was saying, go away. We do not want you here."
It was then that Cooper noticed that the voice...was coming from the candelabra. A face could clearly be seen on the topmost candle, with shining blue eyes and enormous lips. "Oh crap," it said as Cooper promptly fainted.
Kurt Hummel had been cursed for almost a decade. In that time he had nothing to do but brood, read and think. He had read every book in the library, including all his father's political tomes. So now, even though he would never hold the position, Kurt felt fairly confident he was prepared to be a Lord Magistrate. But who ever heard of a beast holding court? Still, Kurt knew he had to do something about the ridiculousness that Lord Clarington had passed as law in his stead, his few spies having kept him updated. He just wished he could break the spell and flashed to what Shannon had told him...
'I'm sorry pumpkin, the Council has made up their minds, there is no way I can reverse this spell. They were gracious enough just to banish me with my powers, and let me give you a last message. Your household staff has been enchanted on their orders so that they cannot spread this misfortune to the village. At least you will not be alone. I didn't see it as very fair, but the Council is not to be argued with. When you break this spell, they will return to normal." The woman stood over Kurt, helping him up and wiping away the tears that streaked his now furry face.
He looked at her with wet eyes and asked "But how do I break this curse? If the Council has taken away the power of the people responsible, and you can't do it, what am I supposed to do?"
"I'm afraid only true love is the solution. A kiss and a declaration will do, but you both must feel true love for it to work. However..." Shannon stated, looking hesitant to continue.
"However what?" Kurt questioned.
"Magic is strange, it can only be reversed or broken in a certain amount of time. If you do not find someone to love you and love them back in that amount of time, the spell will be permanent. It will become unbreakable." Shannon's face looked sadder and sadder.
"How long?" Kurt asked, and Shannon refused to meet his eyes. "HOW LONG?" he screamed, a roar making its way in, making the walls vibrate. The small staff were still asleep in their beds, or had been up until their own curse was laid. Shannon had no clue where they were now or why they had yet to investigate the noise of Kurt's despair.
"Traditionally that depends on the enchantress. Some will transform someone for three days before the spell breaks automatically, but that usually is an enchantment that one purchases. Others, like Sue usually have a year to work with. However, because she used Terri's wand and due to your young age, the Council was willing to give you an extension. You have until you come of age my dear. I wish I could give you more time, but no matter how much I argued with the Council they refused to give me more. Ten years, just about. I can give you this." Shannon pulled out a hand mirror with an ornate handle. "It's been enchanted. Just ask and it will show you anything you wish to see, even me. I will not see you. I have been forbidden to set foot back in these lands once I pass on this message. I left you with a protection spell so that if any more enchantments are cast nearby I will be allowed to return and banish them. I know how you feel about magic hun, but these two things will be of more help than harm. That is all I can do my darling. I wish you luck, and hope you find your true love soon. I must go now, lest I lose my powers and ability to allow me to come back and protect you should the need arise. I love you pumpkin, goodbye." Shannon said sadly and then disappeared in a bright burst of light.
Kurt was left alone. With no hope of being freed from a curse he did nothing to deserve. Before he had been cursed, he had come to the realization that he would always prefer the companionship of men for romantic partners, so now he was stuck finding not only a man to love and who would love him in return. But now he was stuck as he was, a monster. It was hopeless. He glanced at the portrait of himself on the wall, looking at that boy he would never be again. In a rage, he used his new claws to rip it to shreds, leaving himself behind and embracing the beast within.
Kurt shook his head at the tantrum he had thrown back when he was freshly cursed. It had done a fair bit of damage to the castle, making many rooms unusable. The rest he had barred off. He had taken to living in his room and his study, hunting for food when he got hungry, finding his beastly nature affecting his tastes in food. Though he did still enjoy the foods he had as a human, he could now easily enjoy a freshly killed elk rather than need it roasted over a spit or glazed in honey as before. His hopes for the curse being broken, however, had not risen. He was coming of age at the end of the next month, and had not seen a single living, not enchanted person in all that time. Even Ken, the groundskeeper who looked perfectly normal, had been enchanted to not see Kurt as he was, growing blind in his presence. Something Shannon was behind, he suspected.
Kurt wondered if anyone would come looking for him when he did not open his home for court, nor show up to take the title and power from Lord Clarington. By then it would be too late, but at this point, he was desperate for interaction with someone who was not enchanted to serve him. He was lonely, he longed for company, someone his own age. Though he was not foolish enough to think he would ever find love, he did hope that someone could find it in their hearts to befriend him. So it was strange, when he heard a new voice in the castle calling out for him, that he felt fear instead of joy. What if this person tried to hurt him or worse, gathered the citizenry against him? What if it was someone who possessed magical powers? He was still defenceless unless they cast a spell. He wasn't a fan of violence, never wishing to use it unless absolutely necessary. So Kurt decided the safest thing would be to stay in his room and hide until the stranger left or forced a confrontation.
It was then that he heard Sam yelling. "Oh crap, now he's fainted and I have no way to move him. Kurt is gonna kill me!"
Kurt sighed. Great, now he had to intervene. He stormed out of his room and stopped as he saw the body sprawled out in the hall. It was a man, though a bit older than Kurt himself, with shiny brown hair and a strong build. He was handsome, and carried no weapon that Kurt could see. Sam looked up at him, looking as ashamed as a candelabra could. He heard a clopping sound down the hall and saw Mercedes, his former handmaiden and cook, now a teapot, making her way towards Kurt. She tutted at the prone man on the floor and Sam standing over him, still looking rather ashamed, though a bit afraid now that Kurt and his ex-girlfriend stood before him.
"What do we do with him?" asked Mercedes. "We probably shouldn't leave him on the floor, but if we let him go who knows what he might say. It's up to you Kurt, he's your guest."
Kurt looked down at the man again and sighed. Without a word he lifted him over his beast-strengthened shoulders, and brought him to one of the few guest rooms that was not barred off. He laid the stranger gently down on the bed, then turned to look at his servants, addressing each in turn. "Mercedes, will you heat up some water for tea? Our guest may be thirsty when he wakes up. Sam, go find out where in the world Ken has gone off to since he's supposed to be making sure no one gets in. And one of you fetch me the rest of the household, I need to speak with them." With a flick of his paw, Kurt dismissed them and turned once again to the man lying on the bed. "Now what in the world are we going to do with you?"
Cooper felt very woozy when he awoke, the world swimming in his vision as words floated in and out of his hearing "...our guest...prisoner...tell the villagers...understood?" Cooper shook out his head and noticed he was in an ornate bedroom that looked like it had not been used in years. A large window was situated to his left, covered in thick drapes that looked a bit moth eaten. He sat up and tried to stand on less than steady legs. How had he gotten in here? He was sure the last time he was conscious he had been exploring the hall. As his balance slowly came back to him, he wandered towards the closed door to the room. He tried the knob and found it soundly locked, which caused a mild panic. He began pounding at the door, screaming, "Hello? Is anyone out there? I seem to be locked inside here, and I have a lot of questions. Please let me out!"
Quietly, the lock turned on the door and it began to swing inwards. Cooper quickly scurried away to avoid being hit. A large, cloaked figure approached him, a hood covering his head. "Greetings," the figure replied, his voice melodic and high, but a growl worked its way into the sound. "I am the master of this place, charged with keeping it safe from intruders. I do not know how you got in, but I would advise you to leave. Forget all you may have seen, report it to no one, and never return. Go. Now!" the voice finished and swept out of the way. Cooper was pretty sure he meant business.
"Hold on now! I have questions! What happened to Lord Hummel? This is his home, he is our future Lord Magistrate, and this is where he is supposed to be holding court next month! Who are you? What have you done with him? I am not leaving until you answer my questions!" Cooper exclaimed, waving his hands and pointing at the figure as he did so.
"Then I guess you will never leave," the figure replied, and left the room, the lock clicking in place after him. Cooper pounded on the door again, screaming to be let out until his voice was hoarse, to no avail. He was trapped. A prisoner to some crazy squatter. Then one thought came to him, the promise he had made to be back home by night fall or be sought out by...
"Blaine." With the thought of his brother also falling prisoner to this mad man, Cooper dropped against the door and wept.