The next day Kurt was just finished getting dressed when his father came into his room looking a mixture of nerves and annoyance. Kurt had never seen either emotion on his father on his father before in such a mixed way. He didn’t wear it well.

“I don’t want to do this, Kurt,” he said, “you mother will always be the only woman that I will ever love, but if I have to make this sacrifice then I will.”

“You don’t have to,” Kurt said, “mom wouldn’t have wanted you to. We can figure out another way.”

Burt stared at him for a while and then he sighed. Kurt knew that his father had already tried everything he could think of short of going to his mother in law and begging for money.

“Just…just be happy today, Kurt.”

His mouth turned up into a smile that his father didn’t even glance at before he turned and left his room and Kurt collapsed back into his bed. The enchantment didn’t stop him from hating when he had to take an order than he didn’t want to, but it did make him do everything he was told. It was lucky no one had ever told him to be happy to be cursed. That would be a curse all on its own.

His father actually didn’t know about the fairy gift. He hadn’t been present during his birth, and the immediate aftermath hadn’t let his mom tell him. Carole had told her not to. So, Kurt had grown up a normal child in his father’s eyes. And when his mom had forbidden him from telling anyone – actually ordered him not to – when Kurt was eight his father ever learning the truth from him had become an impossibility.

When he went down to the kitchens Carole had ordered him to feel however he liked and so during the wedding, he stood up by his father and did not smile or frown or emote anything. He stood there, instead, and just watched as his father said his vows for the second time probably with less emotion than he had the first time, and he tried to stop himself from ruining the wedding entirely.

The woman he was marrying was Lady Terry. She was about his father’s age, maybe a little older and she didn’t smile once through the whole ceremony. Everyone in the room knew what the wedding meant. She had to marry because she was a woman who despite rich had no right to any of her land since the dissolving of her marriage to Sir William, and Burt had to marry because he had no money. Though Kurt thought it was rather sneaky of his dad to not fully inform Lady Terry that he and Kurt were practically broke.

After the wedding a small reception was being held right at the clock tower where the ceremony had been held. There was a small dancing hall in the upstairs area and it had been decorated for the occasion.

Even though the clock tower was going to hold the memory of the wedding for Kurt and how horrible it all was, he did like the tower in particular the garden situated by the back entrance. It was beautiful and well taken care of. The woman that worked the garden had been given a gift too, it was said, and she made the garden so beautiful. When he could finally get away, Kurt sneaked away to the garden. He walked around the hedges, bending down to smell a flower or rose when he saw one. But mostly he just walked around. Eventually he sat down on a wooden bench. It was there that Blaine found him.

Blaine wore a funny hat that covered most of his curly hair and a messy shirt that was covered in flour. His cape was gone and so was his sword. Even his trousers appeared a bit worn and his boots were not the clean ones Kurt had seen the last time he saw him.

“Kurt,” he said, “I was looking for you everywhere.”

Kurt actually grinned when he saw him and stood up to bow. After seeing him last time he’d kicked himself for being so personal with the Prince. He’d been down right rude to talk to him like he would anyone else.

“Don’t,” Blaine said, “please don’t.”

An order. He stopped. “What are you doing here?”

“I thought my friend might need a friend.” Blaine smiled at him,

Kurt ducked his head. Did Blaine really consider him a friend? He wanted to ask, and yet at the same time Kurt didn’t want to bring up the subject at all. Instead he smiled.

“Thank you. It was kind of horrible. I can’t believe it actually happened. I haven’t really met them officially yet.”

Blaine sat down on the bench and Kurt joined him.

“They might be nice,” Blaine said, “I know it’s a big change, but if you’re so unreceptive to it, then, it’s not going to go well.”

Kurt sighed. “It’s just too soon after…”

He didn’t want to cry. But he was empty for missing her, and he felt the pain full on any time he actually thought of what his life had turned into now that she was gone.

Blaine wrapped an arm around his shoulders and didn’t say anything. Instead he just held him. Kurt let himself be supported by the other boy, surprised at how easy it was to just lean against Blaine. He had forgotten that Blaine wasn’t just some regular guy but that one day he was going to be King, and it was easy to forget when Blaine didn’t act like he was the Prince. If he could, Kurt wanted to stay with Blaine like that forever. But he knew it couldn’t happen.

“I have to get back in there,” Kurt said after a while, “my dad’ll miss me soon.”

But he didn’t move to get up. He pulled away from Blaine instead and already missing being so close to him mere seconds later.

“What are you doing tomorrow?” Blaine asked.

Kurt shrugged. “I don’t know. They’ll finish moving in, I think. Why?”

“I wanted to take you out on a ride. I usually go alone – but I was thinking you could maybe join me?”

Kurt perked up. “I’ll get out of anything to do that with you,” he said and he actually hated that it was so true. He would do anything for Blaine.

“Wonderful,” Blaine said, “meet me at the castle stables tomorrow around noon. Dress comfortably.”

The two boys smiled at each other and then Kurt finally stood. He couldn’t help but grin, looking forward to the next day far more than he should. Blaine grabbed his hands and he didn’t have to say anything for Kurt to understand.

“Thanks,” he muttered and then watched Blaine in his getup walk through the garden and then away.

When he reentered the party it was only to duck down behind a large potted plant that had been luckily put by the entrance, because a fairy stood before his father and new stepmother and Kurt knew that it couldn’t be good. After all, it had been a fairy that had made him who he was and fairy gifts at weddings and births were known to do more harm than good. Kurt could only hope that this time it wouldn’t be a gift that so resembled a curse.