Hello my lovelies! I have another chapter for you, I hope you all enjoy!
I must continue to gush over my beta reader, GleekMom, who was such a huge help on this chapter, and made sure it was the best it could be. Go give her some love guys, she's the best.
For a few minutes, Kurt stood panting in the dining room. Elliot stood off to the side, staring at him. "Fuck, what did I just do?" He began to pace, muttering to himself about what he should do.
"Go after him you idiot!" Elliot yelled, and Kurt took off, hoping he could catch Blaine quickly. He knew he was fast, but he'd never tested to see if he could catch a racing horse with a head start. He headed out the gate, giving the air a sniff, for once glad that his bestial form gave him enhanced senses. He quickly found the smell of horse, of the raspberry scented soap he suspected Blaine had washed his hair in, male sweat...and wolves. Kurt knew for a fact that there were no wolves in this forest, and that immediately sent him into a panic. He followed the scent trail, pushing his endurance to reach Blaine quicker. He may be angry at the man, but no one deserved to be ravaged by wild beasts over a foolish fight.
He came across the clearing where he found Blaine, two giant wolves cornering him atop his horse next to giant gnarled oak. Blaine looked terrified, but when he looked up at Kurt, the terror almost turned to relief. The wolves turned and saw him too, growling with bared teeth. Kurt growled back, letting his fangs loose, claws bared, ready for a fight. He was half tempted to urge Blaine to run but he knew that would only split the wolves apart. He circled the two before he noticed something...off. These wolves had eyes that glowed, not like any normal animal, but with an eerie green colour.
Kurt stopped, and stood very still. "So did Figgins send you or were you honestly stupid enough to think doing this yourselves would curry favour?" he asked, hands on his hips. Blaine looked confused but the wolves seemed to almost take on an ashamed air. Then there was a flash of green light, and instead of two over sized wolves, two men Kurt knew too well, Sandy and Howard, stood. He stared at the two members of the lower members of the Mages Council. "I'm still waiting on an answer," Kurt said, beginning to tap his paw impatiently.
Howard looked downright crimson as he stammered "...he made me," pointing an accusatory finger at Sandy. "Figgins doesn't know, he would never..."
Howard's words were cut off by a smack to the head from Sandy "Shut up you ignoramus, we're going to be in enough trouble as it is." Then a truly evil smirk crossed his features. "Unless we eliminate the witnesses..." He then lifted his hand which held a wand and uttered out some indecipherable word. A shot of green light came towards Kurt too quickly to dodge, so he simply raised his arms to his face to avoid looking at it directly.
A sudden crash was heard and Kurt lowered his arms, seeing a shield of pure yellow light surrounding him. Of course, Shannon's protection! With a burst of light, his former governess, protector...friend appeared, a very displeased look crossing her features.
"Should have figured it would be you who set that off Sandy. You know not to hurt Kurt with magic. You should know not to try hurting him at all. You know you will be stripped of your powers right? You will be banished, the both of you. Howard you may get to keep your wand, but I will not speak up if the Council sees fit to take it from you." With that, both men vanished, much as Sue had a decade prior, off to await judgment.
Shannon turned to Kurt. "I only have a few minutes before they call me back pumpkin, are you okay? You've grown a lot since I last saw you."
Kurt wordlessly grabbed the woman in a fierce hug. He has missed Shannon, she had been his sole source of comfort when his parents had been killed, and his protector since he was cursed. Kurt had always known she had powers, and at first after his parents had been killed he refused to talk to her, blaming magic for their death and her for not being able to bring them back. It was only after she comforted him after a truly terrible nightmare about Terri coming to finish him off had they grown close again. In the time since the curse had been placed, Kurt had only seen her but once, when she explained how to break it. He had missed her every moment since. He quickly whispered the Council's plans to her, knowing their time was limited and she would be able to subvert some of their deviousness.
"I'll take care of it for you, get the rest of the Mages in the surrounding area against them. The Council doesn't hold much sway any more, especially since most do not care for gold but for helping others with their gifts. If we band together, perhaps we can bring them down, but losing two of their number this evening may just flame their fire to get rid of you. We'll have to keep our eyes open. Now anything else to report before I go?" she questioned, still holding the boy close.
Kurt then remembered Blaine, who stood stock still next to his horse, looking in bewilderment at where the wolves once were and Shannon now stood. Kurt felt awful for acting the way he had, driving away a man who would probably never love him, but could potentially be an ally, even a friend. Kurt looked back at the woman who was like a second mother to him. "Can you protect him as well? He's my...friend, and no doubt Sandy and Howard will report seeing him in my company. I do not want the Council coming after him if he is unable to fight back."
Shannon regarded Blaine for the first time, sized him up, and nodded. She then approached the shorter man and looked him in the eye. "No need to be afraid of me darlin', I'm on your side, as long as you don't hurt my boy over there. I'm able to stop harmful magic from affecting him, and he's asked me to do the same for you. It will be helpful especially if we intend to do something about that stupid Council. I can tell you have a good heart, so use it wisely." With that, she lay a kiss on his forehead and a warm red glow enveloped his body very briefly. Blaine smiled his thanks to her.
Shannon could feel her time was growing short. The Council was already displeased she had extended herself this long. "Alright boys, I have to go, duty calls. And by the way, Kurt? He's darn cute, good job!" she called. Kurt flushed a bright red that was discernible even through his fur.
Blaine gaped at that, and looked towards the young lord. Kurt grimaced after Shannon was, grumbling about parents always being embarrassing, before finally turning back to Blaine. He held out his hand, extending his invitation to come back with him. Blaine's mind though was a whirl with the fear of being torn apart by wolves, shock at the biggest display of magic he'd ever seen in his lifetime, and amazement at being magically protected. Now, finally looking up to see his jailer offering kindness, he wondered if he was really just caught up in some horrible dream.
There was nothing stopping him from continuing on home, prison sentence or not. Would Kurt send a message to Hunter to come capture him? Would he keep him captive longer to keep his secrets, as he knew Cooper was too scared to blab, but Blaine was an unknown factor. He looked, long and hard at the beast before him. Yes, he had behaved terribly. Yes, he had stripped Blaine's freedom away. So why give him another chance? Could he truly trust that this Kurt, the one who had essentially saved him from the Council's murderous plots would not turn on him? Yet he thought on Kurt making sure Shannon also protected him, the way Kurt had called him friend, with a sincere tone. He thought of the good he could potentially do for the kingdom by helping Kurt, who now would surely act against the Mages. Most of all, he thought of the gleam of humility and humanity he could see in Kurt's eyes right now, saw that maybe, they both had acted unlike themselves. They needed a fresh start, to try again. Even if part of Blaine was screaming to just leave, he could never go back on his word, and nevertheless gathered up Pavarotti's reins, and took it as night birds began their song.
By the time they had returned to the manor and put Pav away for the night, their meal had long grown cold, so they decided to get a snack from the kitchens and talk in front of the fire in the sitting room. Loaded down with fruit, cheese, bread, dried meats, jugs of ale and a small cake to split, they situated themselves on cushions in front of the roaring fire and dug into the picnic feast. Fighting had made them ravenous, and it was silently agreed upon that talking would come after staving off starvation. When a good deal of the food had been polished off, enough to satisfy, Blaine glanced up at Kurt only to see him meeting his gaze.
"I am sorry my lord...I had no right to speak to you that way. And though you should learn to control your temper and explain the issue better, you were right, you know best how magic can be corrupted and used for evil, I should have never have said any of that. This situation seems to have robbed me of my manners, and though I am a prisoner, I do feel like I could have behaved better." Blaine said, hanging his head in shame, unable to meet Kurt's gaze. "Thank you for making sure no harm came to me."
"It's alright Blaine, I understand where you were coming from. You know better than I what Lord Hunter is capable of, and you were just trying to voice your concerns. I am sorry I lost my temper at you and made you think running away was the best option. In fact, I am sorry for how I've been acting since you came here. Years without human contact have made my etiquette lesson a bit moot I suppose. In the future, I will try better to listen, so we may one day perhaps even become friends?" At Blaine's nod, Kurt continued. "Let us leave this mess of the Council for another time though. Shannon will report back to me after their meeting. Until then there is really nothing much we can hope to accomplish. Agreed?" Kurt stuck out his paw, offering a handshake, which Blaine quickly took up, this time without disgust.
Kurt smiled, turning his head so that Blaine could not see the blush staining his cheeks, for once glad that fur had replaced the porcelain complexion which had always given away his every emotion. It had been so long since anyone other than Shannon or the servants had touched him, especially without shuddering in fear. Blaine just...didn't seem fazed by his appearance, it was truly his personality that had driven a wedge between them. That made hope spring anew in Kurt, and he decided then and there that even if Blaine was not destined to break the curse, they would become friends.
"I feel we've started on a bad foot, and should try again from the beginning if we want to get though these next few weeks together. You already know a bit about me, so you tell me some things about you, and we go from there," Kurt proposed.
Blaine gave a small smile, and nodded. "Okay then. I am only a few weeks younger than you, for starters. I teach music to the young ones in the village when their parents can afford to pay. Usually singing but a few more wealthy families have pianos and violins, which I know. I've been practicing on the lute as well, but haven't progressed as far as I'd like. I have been running my family's farm with Cooper for a while now. Our parents are off traveling the world before they deem themselves too old to do so. We haven't seen them in quite some time, but they write when they can. I enjoy reading, especially adventures stories. Now you tell me some things about yourself."
"Well you know how old I am. I love music as well, and used to adore singing, but I find this form interferes with my voice too much for me to partake in it as often as I like. I cannot play a single note on any instrument, though my parents managed to get me an instructor to hammer in the scales and how to read them. I've been running this estate to the best of my ability, but I've spent more time studying every aspect of our laws in hopes that I could one day take my rightful spot as Lord Magistrate. I remember when I was young, my favourite thing would be to sit in the court room and listen to my father help the citizens or listen to my mother plan festivals to lift their spirits. It was all I ever wanted to do with my life, make a difference in the lives of those who lived here. It is a pity that it is a dream that will never be."
Blaine was confused by that. "Do you have no wish to take your throne now?" he questioned.
"Of course I do. I've heard some of the stories from the village, of Hunter and his barbaric laws. I want nothing more than to help them. But none would take the knee for a monster. So I've been planning to pass my title along to Lord Nicholas of Columbus and ensure he rules the way I would. With laws that I had intended to change or eradicate," Kurt said, a wistful tone to his voice.
"I think you are wrong about the people, they may just surprise you. But you would need to work on that attitude and temper first," Blaine joked. Kurt scowled at him, baring his teeth, almost growling. As much as he wished to start anew, as remorseful as he felt, he still did not take kindly to being called on his faults.
"May I continue?" Kurt asked tersely, and at Blaine's nod, he did so. "I miss my parents very much, every day, but I still have all those happy memories and their love for me to keep me going. I have read every book in this household, many of them twice. I have to say, I enjoy the stories of romance more so than any other, but when it comes to comparing it to tax legislation, there is no contest," Kurt said with a snort, which Blaine echoed. "Now tell me a secret."
"A secret?" Blaine replied. "Are we so close already?"
"Yes. Plus I am your lord, you must do as I command," Kurt glared, but his eyes sparkled with amusement and Blaine stuck out his tongue at him. Both seemed to have forgotten how they had started, now reveling in how easy it was to talk to the other after years of lacking that kind of companionship.
"Yes my liege," Blaine replied, the snark evident in his tone. He thought about it, knowing which secret he had to tell Kurt. The man had essentially saved him earlier the evening, there should be nothing unknown between them. "Only my family knows this...I find myself only attracted to men. There is a law that prevents me from showing it, something I hope you plan to change when the time comes, as it stops me from finding true love, from seeking out a husband."
"Me too." Kurt replied almost a whisper.
Blaine looked at the beast...no, the man before him. He had never suspected he would ever meet one such as himself who was his age. Especially not in Lima. He smiled at Kurt, squeezing his shoulder, letting him know that their secrets were safe there. "Also if I were free to seek a husband, I could finally give Tina a solid reason that she could not refute for turning her down!" he said with a laugh.
"Who's Tina?" Kurt questioned, a smirk on his lips, liking that Blaine was still touching his shoulder, through the hand was slipping down his arm until it finally took his paw.
"Oh, she's a long story, are you sure you have the time for it?" Blaine questioned, not even noticing that he was now essentially holding the hand of his lord. At Kurt's nod, he started the epic story of Tina who would not take no for an answer, and their laughter rang out across the room.
Hunter lounged across the throne he had commissioned for himself, contemplating how he could win over Tina Cohen-Chang. He had not seen her since the other night at the Lima Bean, but had sent gifts to her home, and none had yet to be returned. He took that as a good sign, but he needed to win her over, it had become a matter of pride.
The doors to his throne room swung open violently, two guards carrying a struggling girl swearing in a foreign language between them.
"Ah, Miss Lopez, how nice of you to respond to my invitation," Hunter smirked. "Now you need to calm down, as I have a deal for you, which will only be made once. Should you pass on it, well then I would hate to see where you will end up." Hunter sent the girl a glare.
Santana, however, could give as good as she got and glared right back. She was silent though, saving her venom for after she heard what this bastard had to say. It was one thing that his men had grabbed her as she was leaving her home this evening, and quite another that it seemed like she was now being threatened. As she watched him rise and pace in front of her, she thought of the many ways she would seek revenge on this lord when she was able.
"You see Miss Lopez, I find myself in a predicament. I have quite a bit of affection for a girl you know, one Miss Cohen-Chang. But it seems she is hung up on a Blaine Anderson, so she spurns my affections. I know that she will probably never listen to you regarding pleading my case, nor do I trust you not to tell her of our deal. So I propose this; you find me any way to discredit Blaine, either just in her eyes or in public, and I will let the charges against you and your little friend go. Refuse me, and you will both be spending your days in my dungeon. If I become wed to Tina, then I may even reward the two of you, let you leave this kingdom to commit your acts of sinful love elsewhere." Hunter said, the malice evident in his voice.
"What do you mean charges? And what friend?" Santana demanded.
Hunter whirled from where he was facing the large window overlooking his opulent grounds. "Surely you know it is against the law to have relations to the same sex? Yet just a few nights prior I saw you walk into the Lima Bean all over another girl...Dani I do believe her name was?" With this, Santana's blood went cold. "You see, Dani came to me a lot more willingly, but she refused my deal. Seems she is not cut out for the work of a cut-throat. So she sits in my dungeon...though of course she did not know I was intending to capture you as well. So, do what I ask, and I will free you both. Do you agree?"
Santana looked defeated. She actually quite liked Blaine, he had been nothing but kind to her, despite his stupid brother. He deserved better than being chased by Tina. Though even Tina did not deserve being tied to this psycho in front of her, Santana would do anything for Dani. They were in love, and even if she did not trust Hunter to keep his word to let them go she had to try to keep Dani safe. She gave a nod, agreeing despite her misgivings. She had no other choice.
Hunter let an evil grin light up his face. "Perfect. You shall start in the morning. For now, I'm sure there is an empty cell where we can throw you for the evening. Men, take her away...oh and make sure she's gagged, there's no need for the noise she was spewing when you brought her in." With a flick of his wrist, the guards escorted the once again struggling Santana out of the room, her swears echoing around the chamber. Hunter ignored her, going back to day dreaming about Tina. First he would bring down his rival, then he would get the girl. Then, there would be no stopping him.