A/N: Hello everyone, I am so sorry for the long delay of this chapter, but I hope there are still people who want to read and follow this story till the end. I'm having troubles with my beta, but hoping to find a new one soon.

Follow, favorite, review! All outcome is very much appreciated.

K.

Chapter 4 – The Shot

When Blaine managed to sneak out of the estate unnoticed, a real hell opened up in front of his eyes. A few barns were burning bright fire, horses were running around scared and a bunch of people, serfs and noblemen, were trying to catch them. They were all screaming something at each other that Blaine couldn't quite hear because of the loud noises. In this huge mess the soldiers seemed a little calmer than the others dragging the dead bodies of the serfs that have been killed that night away. Blaine clenched his teeth. He couldn't understand how everything got so messed up in just one night. It was so unfair that these innocent people won't even have decent funerals. And that they won't get a chance to live their lives any more when for the first time in forever they were free.

Blaine leaned by the corner of one barn and closed his eyes for a second breathing deeply and trying to stop his hands from shaking. He couldn't understand what he was thinking to himself kissing the man who was half-responsible for what was happening here because he was a nobleman himself.

What Blaine did tonight wasn't right or normal. He could logically understand it. But oh god, how right it felt. With his eyes closed Blaine could almost feel Kurt's body pressed tightly to his, he could smell him, fresh and clean, he could feel his lips so modestly tasting him… Blaine was sure that he has never felt as good before as when he was in the guy's embrace. And yet Kurt Hummel was a nobleman. Kurt Hummel's origin made him responsible for a horrible sight that Blaine could see when he opened his eyes. He tried to shrug away the desire, but knew that if he ever saw Kurt again he wouldn't be able to resist him.

Trying to move away from the estate unnoticed Blaine tried to put two and two together in his head. He couldn't understand why Kurt's farther would order to kill his serfs who were just coming to talk to him. Absolutely innocent people. Also, he couldn't understand how Kurt would allow it and then kiss him just like that. But when Blaine thought back about what he saw, Burt Hummel wasn't shooting at serfs or ordering to do it. Soldiers were. Blaine didn't understand it. Wasn't Burt Hummel much more influential than the simple soldiers? Wasn't he a nobleman that soldiers were supposed to listen to? It was so confusing.

"Where the hell have you been, you fool?"

Blaine almost screamed when someone grabbed him and dragged into a deeper corner by the barn. When he saw that it was only Sam and Finn, he felt more than relieved. It was already a second time that night when his friends were saving his grade-A ass and even if Blaine didn't want them to risk anymore for him here they were obviously waiting there for him to show up.

"I'm sorry, I had to do some stuff." He said hurrying and only received disapproving looks from the boys. "It's all good now. We have to go before someone noticed us."

For a while the escaping went pretty well and three serf boys managed to get through the chaotic crowd and almost reach the road that was leading them to their home, the village. But to get there became much more difficult when they saw that the czar's soldiers were safeguarding the road so that nobody can sneak out anymore. The serfs stayed in a dark corner for a while discussing all possible ways to get out, but they were stuck. Blaine knew that there was no other way out rather than just run back by the soldiers, grab a free horse that was nibbling grass on the left side of the road and ride as fast as they can. When Blaine offered this risky plan, Sam tried to argue and wasn't happy about it, but it was too late. Blaine spontaneously jumped and was already running down the road towards the horse.

"Oh look! Catch them!"

It didn't take long for the soldiers to notice them, but Blaine, being very fast and deft, managed to reach the horse way before the soldiers did. He quickly grabbed the lace and jumped on it. Sam and Finn were right behind him jumping on the horse and Blaine wanted to cheer when the horse leaped forward. For a minute Blaine thought that they escaped. A minute later he heard…

The shot.

It scratched Blaine's ears and when he quickly turned around he saw Finn's body falling off the horse to a cold and hard ground. Blaine's hands and legs went numb and he would have almost stopped if not for Sam who grabbed the lace with no words and hurried the horse.

Blaine burst into tears.

They stopped in a dirty swamp and Sam pushed Blaine off the horse. It was probably the only place where soldiers won't be looking for them. Even if they got tired of chasing these two serfs, Sam didn't want to risk anymore to be caught so foolishly. Also, there was quite a safe way to the village from this swamp when they needed it. Sam climbed off after Blaine and tied the horse lace to the tree. They both stood there dead silent.

"I… I'm sorry…" Blaine whispered. He didn't cry anymore, but he felt like a huge hole opened up in his chest. He knew it was his fault and he didn't have any more tears to cry nor did he know what to do to make it right. Finn was dead and Blaine was responsible for it. It was a cruel truth.

Sam didn't say anything at first and just stood there clenching his teeth and soothing the horse neck. It seemed as if he was trying to suppress the tears too. Then he walked over to Blaine and pushed him hard, but Blaine didn't fight him.

"So you had your fun, huh?" Sam asked his voice shaking. Then he slapped Blaine's face not even trying to be gentle. "That's for Rachel." He said and this time punched Blaine in the stomach. "That's for your grade-A ass." Added and the last punch flew straight to Blaine's face. "And that's for Finn."

Blaine fell to the ground not even trying to fight his friend and his whole body shook as he sobbed silently. He couldn't believe himself. He couldn't believe what just happened and that he just literally killed one of his best friends. Blaine couldn't even imagine how he is going to look Rachel in the eyes. Burying his face to his legs Blaine couldn't speak for a while. The places where Sam punched him didn't hurt as much as his heart. His nose didn't bleed as much as his soul.

"Sam… Sam…" He whispered that his friend could barely hear it. "I'm sorry… I thought… I thought that…"

"Don't think! You don't think, Blaine!" Sam shouted looking at him with disappointed eyes filled with tears. "Feel! Feel it in here…"

Sam bent down and pushed Blaine's chest where his heart was. He stayed like that for a minute, looked at Blaine one more time before walking away. It was obvious that he needed some space too.

"And if you have any heart at all, do something so that no one ever has to suffer because of you again." He added before disappearing behind the trees.

Kurt has never had such a beautiful morning as that one. He woke up with sun streaming on his face and a warm wind moving the curtains. It seemed as if the weather was laughing at itself and people inviting them to go outside and play. Kurt ate his breakfast very fast not even waiting for his dad to wake up, then dressed up and asked one of the serfs to saddle his horse. All he wanted was to ride free and enjoy the day.

It seemed that the weather was just like Kurt's mood. He fell asleep with a huge smile on his face last night and woke up with an even bigger one this morning. He couldn't forget what happened last night in his room with a strong serf. Blaine wasn't a prince from a fairy-tale; Kurt knew that. He wasn't even a highborn. But his touch, his words and his lips were so electrifying and so dreamy that the young nobleman couldn't resist him. It was the first time that any man ever showed such interest in Kurt and for the first time he felt so desirable and beautiful. For the first time he felt so alive.

Blaine to him was like a symbol of everything he didn't have. Even if he was a serf and had to work hardly for noblemen, in Kurt's eyes he was free. He could walk around the woods and the fields for hours and have nobody looking for him. He lived in the nature and understood it. He talked about the mist; he wanted to be like a free horse running through the fields… It seemed as if Blaine was speaking and living all Kurt's deepest dreams and desires. Kurt was limited by the walls of his father's estate, his duties and his origin. While he really wanted to, he couldn't just live the way he wanted and loving a serf was definitely not something he could do. Kurt knew that it was too late though. He was already in love with Blaine.

Not even noticing where he was going, Kurt rode his horse through the fields and reached the village where all serfs lived. He knew it wasn't the safest place to go now and his father wouldn't approve, so he only rode by the side of the village not going deep into it. Deep inside Kurt hoped that now when the czar granted freedom to the serfs maybe he and Blaine had a chance. Maybe he had a chance to get to know him and all the serfs. He hoped that they won't want to hurt them just for the land anymore.

Kurt breathed in the fresh scent of the nature and listen to the birds singing. Is that what it feels like to be in love? Is that what it tastes and sounds like? Does it really make you see a world much more beautiful than it is?

For a while he rode still stuck deep in his thoughts, but suddenly the smell changed and he quickly opened his eyes. What he saw was nothing like Kurt expected. He gasped and covered his mouth with his palm. There were many dead bodies lying on the ground and even more of them hung up on the trees. Deeper in the village Kurt could see Sebastian's soldiers riding around and shouting at the serfs. He turned his horse there.

"There's a rebel in here! Take him!"

Kurt heard Sebastian's voice when he reached the centre of the place. He was dragging random men out of their sheds and shooting them while ordering his soldiers to do the same. A huge crowd of women, children, young boys and girls were surrounding the soldiers, but they couldn't do anything or if they tried the gun was being pointed at their heads. Kurt stopped by the crowd and watched hopelessly trying to think of something to do to help them.

"Here we go." Sebastian said pushing one dead body with his foot. "These will lie here until we hang all of the rebels in the gallows. Search all of the villages. Every house. Who's inciting the rebels? Who's hiding?"

It didn't take Sebastian long to notice Kurt watching the scene a few feets away and their eyes met for a second. Kurt couldn't understand what he saw in Sebastian's eyes, but he really didn't like it. It seemed as if the soldier was enjoying it, as if killing innocent people wasn't new or hard to him. Kurt couldn't say for sure, but it seemed as if he was having real fun here. And now when he had Kurt as his audience… Even more.

"And I'll leave my men here." He added gesturing to the bodies. "So that you, serfs, won't drag the bodies away like rats…"

"Stop."

Everyone turned around to see Kurt moving his horse slowly towards Sebastian. Kurt didn't know if all of the serfs knew who he was or could recognize him. He was pretty sure that he and his dad has never been to the village before. Trying to breathe deep and stay calm, Kurt reached Sebastian who seemed quite impressed by that.

"Sebastian Smythe, I order you to stop shooting at these innocent people." He said loudly. "I am Kurt Hummel, the son of your nobleman Burt Hummel. No matter what this is still my land and I will not allow anyone to murder any more of my serfs without having any valid reason."

"Oh we have a reason!" Sebastian answered smirking at him. "These are all the rebels, Sir."

The serfs seemed very confused seeing this argument, but obviously a new young highborn man who was stopping the pointless shooting gained their trust right away and they were impressed by his straight and strong posture which was much calmer compared to the soldiers.

"Nobody proved them to be rebels. Or did you, Lieutenant Smythe?" He asked looking at Sebastian with his one eyebrow raised up. When he didn't say anything, Kurt nodded satisfied. "I thought so. Back to the estate then. There's nothing else for you to do here."

Sebastian didn't argue with Kurt anymore and Kurt knew that it was partly because the soldier didn't expect this from Kurt. It felt pleasant to get back at the guy for being so judgemental to him before, but Kurt also felt right doing this. These were his people. He had to protect and take care of them. Also, deep inside he knew that one of the killed men who were lying on the ground could have been Blaine… And he didn't want to even think about losing him when they just found each other. Oh how much Kurt would have given up knowing that Blaine was alright now and wasn't killed by the soldiers yet.

Trying not to think too much about it and stay calm the nobleman waited while Sebastian called back all his men, they climbed on their horses and followed Kurt leaving only the soldiers who were looking after the bodies. It wasn't ideal, but at least Kurt managed to stop the killing. They rode slowly and he didn't turn around even if he felt the eyes of the serfs and the soldiers buried into his back.

"Your father won't like this, Kurt." Sebastian said silently when they almost reached the estate riding side by side.

"Oh I'm sure he will very much approve of me stopping you from becoming any more of a murderer." Kurt answered and hurried his horse not wanting to talk to Sebastian anymore.

He knew now. He understood. It wasn't just a rebellion. Even if there was a rebellion, of which Kurt wasn't sure… It was a real war, a battle. And it wasn't a battle between serfs and noblemen. It was a battle between humanity and the system, the rights and the duties. Serfs weren't fighting with noblemen or trying to hurt them or take their home. Serfs were fighting for their right to be free, to own a land and to live their lives. They were fighting against a cruelty of the czar's soldiers.

Noblemen only had to choose which side to support. The serfs or the soldiers. And as a nobleman Kurt knew exactly on whose side he was.