Jeff nimbly landed on his feet, cat like and nodded to Blaine, beckoning for him to come closer. Blaine complied until the two were standing shoulder to shoulder, their backs pressed against the wall, making them invisible to any passersby. Jeff carefully poked his head around the corner, taking in the hubbub of the market square before pulling back and facing Blaine.
"So, what's on the menu this morning?" Blaine asked, smirking slightly.
Jeff grinned, "I'm thinking…fresh fruit?"
Blaine nodded, "Sounds good. What's the plan?"
"I'll distract and you grab?"
Blaine smirked again, "That's exactly what I was thinking." He watched as Jeff strolled out into the market place, edging along the wall until he had a good view. The blonde boy winked and then 'accidentally' nudged one of the piles on the fruit stall, sending melons cascading onto the floor.
"I'm so sorry!" Jeff was saying as Blaine snuck over to the other side of the stall and started pocketing several apples. "I'm just so clumsy sometimes!" Jeff looked over the stall keeper's shoulder to see Blaine nod before stooping down to help the owner pick up the fallen melons.
"Just be more careful next time!" The stall keeper warned as Jeff made to move away. Jeff apologized again before ducking down the side street to join Blaine, who was almost bent double in silent giggles.
"It doesn't get old," He told Jeff before handing him an apple, "Your innocent act, I mean."
Jeff smiled and gave a mock bow, "I'm expecting an Oscar nomination any day now."
Blaine laughed again before biting into the apple, "I'd totally vote."
Kurt pulled his satchel more closely to himself as he walked through the marketplace, keeping an eye out for any early morning thieves or scammers. It had been almost too easy to sneak out of the palace earlier and he was extremely aware that someone would notice he was missing, sooner or later. He was wearing his most inconspicuous items of clothing, a pair of skinny jeans and a black hoodie coupled with a pair of converse and sunglasses. He glanced warily down a side street before heading out into the main square of Lima. The prince was able to relax a little when he realised that people weren't giving him as much as a second glance. Also, the rush and chaos of the market meant the palace guards would have a hard time spotting him.
Kurt's stomach rumbled as he spotted a stall laden with every fruit imaginable. In the rush of his escape, he'd forgotten to pack any food. He hurried up to the small and was about to make a grab for an apple when he saw a little girl standing next to the table, unable to reach the fruit on top.
"Are you hungry?" He asked, smiling down at her.
The girl nodded. "Well here you go," Kurt handed her one of the apple from the top of the pile and watched as she happily ran off with it.
"I hope you're able to pay for that…" A sinister voice whispered from behind Kurt.
He spun around, "…P-pay?"
"You think you can just take food from my stall, huh?"
"But…I don't have any money…" Kurt trembled and then gasped as the stall keeper grabbed him by the collar, "Please…if-if you let me go to the palace I can get some money. The Sultan's my-"
"You expect me to believe that a street rat like you would know the Sultan?" The stall owner increased his grip, slowly crushing Kurt's windpipe, "I guess I'll have to take the payment out of your hide."
"Please…" Kurt gasped as the stall owner dragged him closer, swinging his hand back.
"There you are!" A voice called, making both Kurt and the stall keeper spin around. A curly haired boy was suddenly standing next to Kurt, shaking his head, "Honestly, we thought we'd lost you."
"You know this boy?" The stall owner growling, his grip on Kurt's collar slowly lessening.
"Sadly, yes," Blaine bent his head in mock sorrow, "He's my brother. Well, my, uh, step-brother." He leant in closer towards the bigger man, gently loosening Kurt's collar from his grip, "He a bit crazy, you see. Always wandering off on his own."
"He said he knew the sultan…" The man growled, narrowing his eyes at Kurt.
Blaine leant in closer, "He thinks my friend here is the Sultan…"
Kurt turned around, startled, to see a taller blonde boy standing behind him with his arms crossed and tapping his foot. He widened his eyes at Kurt and Kurt immediately fell to his knees with his arms outstretched.
"Oh, wise Sultan! You are so very…uh…wise. How can I serve you this fine morning?"
Jeff smirked and raised his hand majestically, "Do not worry yourself, young one. You must prepare me for our homeward journey."
Blaine raised his eyebrows at the shop keeper, "Tragic, isn't it?" He smiled and stepped backwards, pulling Kurt up as he went, "Well, we must be going, bro. We've got an appointment with the doctor."
"Oh, hello Doctor," Kurt said, trying to make his voice sound dazed and confused as he addressed one of the mannequins that was standing outside the fabric stall.
"No…not that doctor," Blaine said, carefully pushing Kurt forward, "Come on Jeff…"
Jeff smiled at the stall owner and gave him a majestic bow. Unfortunately, one of the apples he had been stowing in his pockets fell out and rolled toward the huge man.
"What? Hey! Wait a minute!" He shouted angrily but the three boys were already running down the street, Blaine dragging Kurt by the hand and all giggling mischievously.
Sultan Burt was sitting in the throne room, lost in thought. He was staring at the polished marble floor without seeing it. Predictably, the topic on his mind was his son, the Prince of Lima, Kurt.
"Your majesty?" His grand vizier, Sue Sylvester, was walking towards him with a concerned look on her face.
"Ah, Sue," Burt smiled and graciously offered his hand for Sue to kiss, "And Becky. I'm in great need of your advice today."
"I live to serve only you, your majesty," Sue leant down and kissed his hand, "What is it that is troubling you?"
"It's Kurt," The sultan sighed, "This whole marriage business is just…well it's becoming ridiculous. The boy only has two days until his eighteenth birthday and he hasn't managed to find a suitable partner. I'm becoming very anxious about it because if it gets to the point where I have to choose a partner for him, well, I'm worried I'll choose the wrong person and Kurt will be unhappy. But it's the law! I can't change it, even if I wanted to."
"Your majesty, would you like me to assist you in this by, let's say, helping the elimination process along?" Sue glanced down at the ring which adorned Burt's wedding finger, "Maybe with the help of your ring?"
"My ring?" Burt's hand immediately clasped his finger, "But that's my wedding ring…"
"I was only suggesting it in order to help speed up the process of the young prince finding a suitable partner, for his own good."
"Well…I suppose if it's for Kurt…" Burt reluctantly took the ring off and handed it to his trusted advisor, "I want it back in pristine condition though…"
"But, of course, your majesty."
Blaine, Jeff and Kurt were still laughing as they headed towards their hideout on the far side of the square.
"Did you see his face?" Kurt was clutching a stitch in his side, "He was so angry, it was so funny!"
"Right?" Blaine grinned, his hand still holding Kurt's, "And you…you with the worshipping! That was so good. We would've totally had him fooled if it wasn't for that apple!"
Jeff smiled sheepishly, "Damn apple. I got too cocky for my own good."
"Hey, man, it's okay," Blaine clapped his best friend on his shoulder and ruffled his hair playfully as they headed down the dustbin filled alley, towards the fire escape at the end. He gestured towards the ladder and then looked at Kurt, "You first."
"I'm supposed to climb up here?" Kurt asked, his eyebrows raised, "Seriously? Is that even sanitary?"
Blaine smiled, "It's perfectly safe."
"Okay…" Kurt swallowed nervously before placing his hands on the rungs.
"I'll be right behind you, don't worry," Blaine smiled at him and Kurt felt a strange twinge in his chest, as if his heart had skipped a beat. He started making his way up the ladder carefully, inwardly cringing every time his porcelain skin made contact with the grimy metal rungs.
"Don't look down," Blaine advised him, "We're going straight to the top."
Kurt smirked, "It's not the height I'm scared of, it's the germs that have been manifesting on this ladder."
They had reached the roof by this point and all three boys stood atop it, gazing out at the spectacular view of the Lima Palace with the sun setting behind it.
"Pretty amazing, huh?" Blaine whispered as he saw the direction of Kurt's gaze.
"You…live up here?" Kurt asked, tearing his eyes away from the sunset and looking at Blaine and Jeff.
"Well, it's no palace but…" Jeff shrugged.
"But it's home," Blaine smiled and gestured towards the array of dusty, green garden furniture that stood in the centre of the roof under a big beach umbrella. There were several blankets and pillows stacked neatly on a table as well as a small notepad and a pen.
Kurt surveyed all this in silence. He'd never wanted for anything his entire life, not even realising that there were people in his own kingdom that had nothing. He returned Blaine's grin with a small smile as the dark haired boy pulled a chair out for him.
"So…this was your first time in the market, huh?" Blaine asked, leaning back with his hands behind his head.
"I guess I stuck out like a sore thumb, huh?" Kurt asked, taking the seat that had been offered.
"Well…you definitely stand out…" Blaine smiled again and the prince felt his face grow hot under those big brown eyes, "You don't seem to understand how rough Lima can be…"
"I guess I've lived a kind of…sheltered life," Kurt admitted, "I didn't realise things were like that in this kingdom."
Blaine exchanged a glance with Jeff, "It's not really information that most people are privy to. The guards like to keep it hushed up, mainly on the grand vizier's orders." He turned back to look at Kurt, "I guess it wouldn't reflect well on the palace if people found out Lima was crawling with street rats."
"I hate that term, 'street rat'," The prince's face flushed again but this time with anger, "It makes you…uh, I mean us, sound like vermin."
Blaine shrugged, "That's what people see us as. It's okay though, really. You get used to it after a while."
"It's not okay!" Kurt said, "You shouldn't have to deal with that just because you're in a certain situation. People shouldn't treat you like vermin. I mean, you – both of you – are the nicest guys I've ever met. You can't help that you don't have any money."
Blaine grinned again and Kurt felt as though his stomach had dropped a few inches, "Well…thanks, man. I only wish people had the same mindset as you."
Jeff sat down heavily next to Blaine, making Kurt blush even more and look down, "I wonder what it would be like to live there though." He speculated, gesturing towards the palace again, "Servants, valets, full meals everyday…"
"I bet it would get a bit boring though, people telling you what to do, how to dress…" Kurt sighed.
Blaine laughed and stood up, "It's still better than here. Having to steal food and escape from the guards…"
"You wouldn't be free to make your own choices…you're just-"
"Sometimes you feel so…"
"Trapped," they finished in unison. Kurt gave Blaine a small smile and the other boy returned this, studying Kurt with a look so intense it made him feel as though he was being given a thorough medical examination.
Jeff cleared his throat and Blaine sat down again quickly, his cheeks noticeably pink, even in the fading light.
"So…where are you from?" Jeff asked after giving Blaine a curious look.
Kurt shrugged, "It doesn't really matter. I ran away and I never want to go back."
"How come?"
Kurt shook his head, "It's complicated. My Dad's got this stupid idea that I have to get married or at least have found a suitable partner by the time I turn eighteen…which happens to be in two days."
"That's terrible!" Blaine protested, looking scandalised.
"Yeah…that's totally unfair!" Jeff agreed, nodding his head vigoursly.
A silence suddenly fell over the small group and was only broken by Jeff clearing his throat and getting to his feet, after a meaningful look from Blaine, "Well…I'm going to, um, go for a walk. I'll be back later…" He told Blaine before disappearing down a drainpipe into the darkness, leaving the two boys sitting awkwardly in the hush that followed.
"I wish there was something we – I – could to do help…about the thing with your Dad, I mean…" Blaine said to Kurt, moving his chair slightly closer.
Kurt smiled, "Well that's very…sweet." He could feel himself leaning forward, like there was a magnet inside him, trying to pull him closer to Blaine. They were getting closer and closer, the gap between them getting smaller and smaller…almost nose to nose…
"There you are!" A voice exclaimed from the shadows behind them, making them both jump apart immediately. Karofsky stepped off the ladder, his sword pointed forward and an evil look on his face.
"They've found me!" They both cried at the same time before spinning around to face each other accusingly, "They've found you?"
"Get them!" Karofsky yelled and guards began advancing on the two boys, sneering and laughing as they got closer.
"My Dad must have sent them to-"
"Do you trust me?" Blaine suddenly asked and Kurt turned to see he was standing on the ledge of the building.
"What?"
"Do you trust me?" Blaine's voice was urgent as he extended his hand towards Kurt, his eyes full of something the prince couldn't quite identify.
"…yes…" Kurt took the hand, failing to see where this was going.
"Then JUMP!" Blaine yelled as he threw himself off the ledge, taking a bewildered Kurt with him. They crashed through several lines of washing before landing safely on a shop entrance cover and sliding to the ground. Blaine pulled Kurt round a corner but screeched to a halt when he saw there were already guards there waiting for them. He turned around but they were blocking him from every direction. Blaine instinctively pulled Kurt closer to him, shielding him from the guards who were closing in.
"No escape today, street rat," Karofsky cackled, looming out of the alley they'd just jumped down to, "It's the dungeon for you." He grabbed Blaine by the back of his skirt and threw him to the waiting men, who immediately handcuffed him.
"Let him go!" Kurt screamed, punching at every inch of the tall man he could find.
"Hey, look what we have here guys!" Karofsky yelled, "A street mouse!" He gave Kurt a hard shove that sent him sprawling to the ground.
"Leave him alone!" Blaine yelled, struggling against the group of guards violently but with no effect.
Kurt stood up again, throwing his shoulders back, "Unhand him!" He commanded imperiously, "By order of the Prince!" He threw his hood back and stepped forward into the light, revealing himself to the head guard.
"Prince Kurt!" The head guard gasped and the men immediately fell into respectful bows, dragging Blaine down with them.
"The Prince?" He whispered, unable to believe what he'd just heard.
"What are you doing outside the palace?" Karofsky was saying, "And with this street rat?"
"That is not your concern!" Kurt said, advancing on the guard, "Release him or I will see to it that you will be hanged!"
"With all due respect, your highness," Karofsky bowed again, "My orders come from the grand vizier, Miss Sylvester. I'm afraid you'll have to take it up with her."
"Believe me, I will."
Karofsky had placed his hand firmly around the prince's upper arm and Kurt felt himself being led away from the scene towards the main gate of the palace. He tried to get one last glimpse of the other boy but the rest of the guards were already dragging him away, some kicking him as they went. Kurt narrowed his eyes and yanked his arm out of Karofsky's grip, marching past him towards the palace.
From his hiding place, Jeff closed his eyes in despair. Now what?