"Excuse me how much are the apples?" Kurt asked an old lady who was standing behind a cart in the busy marketplace.

"Three bronze pieces each." she declared in a raspy voice that suggested her appearance represented her age correctly, but Kurt wasn't a fool, he wouldn't give in to her prices just because she appeared vulnerable.

"Three bronze each?" he declared in disbelief. "It wouldn't cost that much for five apples a few years ago!" he argued but she gave him a stern look.

"I'm sorry young man but times are tough and The King is raising the taxes again." she explained and Kurt flashed a look up to the elaborate castle where the royal family lived, never paying any attention to the common folk down here. They lived in a comfortable wealth and when that was threatened they sucked more money out of the citizens below who had nothing.

"I don't control the taxes, please there are four people in my family and I only have enough for two of your fruits." he tried to plead. She looked sympathetic but Kurt could tell already she would not change her mind on the price.

"I'm sorry my dear but we all must stay alive." she told him holding out her hand.

"That we must." he agreed bitterly placing only three bronze pieces in her palm.

"Only one then son?" she asked surprised.

"Yes." Kurt answered quietly not able to look the lady in the eye.

"Well, we'll have to give you a nice big juicy one won't we?" she tittered lightly and picked out the best one she could see, handing it to Kurt with a smile.

"Thank you." he muttered taking the apple and running off back to his home. His stepbrother and his dad were at someone's house making repairs to their cart and his step-mother was helping to tend to a couple of sick children so he was alone in the tiny, dirt floored building. He quickly put the apple on the table before changing into an outfit of all black and wrapping his light blue cloak over top. He grabbed a sac and put the hood up to cover his face before slipping back out into the village.

He dove immediately into the shadows and circled the long way around the town so as not to come from the way he had just left. Walking past all the buildings, most caving in on themselves and being held together with creative and sad looking items. Roofs patched with straw that was sure to let in the rain, old sacs being hung in front of doorways where no door stood, the owners probably having to sell it to pay the monstrous taxes or use it for firewood in the winter. As he reached the marketplace once more he felt a pit in the bottom if his stomach no doubt caused by his guilt. The market was packed with people, all yelling and shoving to try to get some scraps of overpriced food so no one noticed Kurt's cloaked face weaving his way through. His hand would quickly dart out every once in a while to swipe a piece of fruit, or an egg, or a loaf of bread. He hated taking from these people without paying but as the old lady said, they all must stay alive.

As soon as he had collected enough to get his family through the next few days he quickly walked to the edge of the market, looking back briefly at all the people, most of whom hadn't eaten a proper meal in a long time and all of which definitely hadn't taken a bath for longer and he shook his head. The disgust he felt for what he had done was nothing compared to the disgust he felt for the royal family when he saw the scene before him. He knew the leaders of their kingdom were worthless and selfish, he had decided that long before they increased the taxes, but when all these people were suffering right under their noses he realized how much he really loathed them. He crept back to his house sticking to the shadows, usually he doesn't stop for anything but today he sees something that he simply cannot ignore.

Two children, a girl and a boy, both of whom couldn't be older than eight were sitting in front of their home, if you could call it that. Their windows and door were gone and the shingles that once adorned the roof were replaced completely with straw. All of the paint on the walls had peeled off and they were starting to discolour in a way that suggested mold. The children themselves didn't look much better, all skin and bones and playing with a handful of sticks tied together with some rope in a way that was supposed to resemble a doll. The thing was though, they still seemed happy, singing and laughing while they played. Kurt slowly removed his hood and approached them with a smile.

"No Stevie you need to make the prince and the princess dance!" The girl was scolding her brother Kurt assumed, they both had bright blonde hair.

"But why can't they fight?" The boy- Stevie- asked.

"Because they love each other!" She explained with a tone that made sure Stevie knew how ridiculous she thought his idea was.

"Hey guys, what are you up to?" Kurt asked crouching down beside them. They both looked at him with wide eyes like no one had stopped to talk with them before, which he supposed was probably true.

"We're playing prince and princess." The girl said quietly.

"Sounds like fun!" Kurt said enthusiastically. "What are your names?" he asked them.

"I'm Stacy and this is Stevie!" Stacy replied louder than before, although Stevie hadn't taken his eyes off the ground since Kurt had arrived.

"That's awesome!" Kurt said, and then with a glance at his bag full of food he made a split decision. "Are you guys hungry?" he asked and both of their heads shot up, their eyes once again as wide as saucers.

"Yeah." Stacy answered with Stevie nodding his head frantically from beside her.

"Okay." Kurt said taking his sac and removing the loaf of bread he had stolen, he ripped it in half and then one of the halves into quarters. He gave Stacy and Stevie each a quarter and then took out one of the apples he had stolen, they came from the same lady that he had bought the one single apple from before. He took his handy dagger from his pocket, luckily the kids were too busy savouring the bread to noticing what he was doing, he wouldn't want to scare them. He cut the apple in half and handed them one each. "Don't eat it too quickly now." he warned them but he was ignored as they feasted.

Giving one last chuckle and a shake of his head, he left them to eat. Returning to the shadows to get back home, sighing to himself. He had just given away half of the bread and one of the four apples his family needed for the next few days, but that wasn't what was bothering him. What was bothering him was that the only way for poor children to get food was for strangers to offer it to them and the only way for strangers to get the food was to steal it from people who were just as poor as they were. Kurt shook his head and once again looked up at the castle. He had considered taking from the people he should really be taking from before, he was the best thief in the village and if anyone could do it he could, but he had always been too scared to try. Seeing those children however had given him a better perspective of what was happening in this kingdom. He nodded to himself, making a decision. He would rob from the royal palace, when or of what he didn't know, but he would take something that was for sure. If only to bring a little justice for the people.

Blaine examined himself in the full length mirror, tugging on the lapels of the coats and turning sideways. He held his hand out to the servant, a young girl with tanned skin and long brown hair who was one of the few shorter than Blaine himself, and she handed him the other jacket he was considering.

"Green seems to have excellent details near the cuffs, but I'm pretty sure the blue fits me better." he commented, examining the blue jacket in his hands and looking back at the green he was wearing. "What do you think Rachel?" he asked the young girl who looked startled for a moment.

"Well I have heard word that Princess Quinn will be wearing red, so I would suggest the blue as not to resemble Christmas sir." she commented confidently. Blaine smiled to her a bit, most of the servants were too nervous to give their opinions, they would simply reply with a quiet "Whatever you would prefer your highness." but Rachel always told the truth.

"Excellent observation, the blue it is!" He said with a smile shrugging off the current jacket and putting on the chosen. Rachel took the other one from him and started to fold it neatly. As she was leaving and Blaine trying to tame his wild hair The King, Blaine's father, strode into the room nodding shortly to Rachel who curtsied in his presence.

"If I could have a word alone with my son?" He asked.

"Certainly your highness." Rachel responded and then swiftly left the room.

"Looking handsome today son." The King said gruffly, it was unlike him to comment on Blaine's appearance which made The Prince uneasy.

"Thank you father." He replied, turning around to face the man. King Franklin looked a lot like Blaine, same jawline, same eyebrows, same curly hair but The Prince had acquired his hazel eyes and his height from his mother.

"It's a good thing, wouldn't want to disappoint Princess Quinn." he said.

"I suppose." Blaine commented, slightly confused. The Fabrays were the royal family of the next Kingdom over and Quinn had been his only friend during childhood other than stable boys and house servants. He had known her for such a long time and never thought she would be disappointed in the way he presented himself.

They are going to be staying with us for quite a while." Franklin said. "You are fond of Quinn aren't you?" he asked. Blaine was confused for a second, of course he was fond of Quinn they had grown up together.

"Yes, of course." he answered and his father nodded.

"Good, because you must marry her." The King said bluntly and the smile dropped off Blaine's face.

"Marry her?" he exclaimed.

"Yes." The other man replied, his face blank.

"But- but I don't love her!" Blaine spluttered out in disbelief. "At least not like that."

"Blaine, marriage isn't about love!" Franklin said with a small chuckle as if Blaine had just told him he wanted to grow a pair of wings and fly. "It's a business deal. It's no secret our Kingdom is losing money but the Fabrays are very rich and this union will ensure our people security."

"Dad please-" Blaine argued but his father held up a hand to silence him.

"This is not open to discussion." the man said firmly, Blaine dropped his eyes to the floor. The King let out a long sigh before pulling a chair up beside his son. "I know you may not be the happiest right now but Quinn is a lovely young woman and there are a lot worse people to marry out there." he tried to reason with Blaine. His dad has a point, like he had said before Quinn was his best friend and spending every day with his best friend couldn't be that bad. Still, he didn't feel like he wanted to kiss Quinn or anything else that marriage implies, but he didn't have a say in the matter. His father had decided and his father's word was law... literally.

"It will all work out for the better, you'll see." The King said, giving his son a reassuring pat on the knee as he left the room. Leaving Blaine to sit and stare out the window, watching the horses graze out in the field and wishing that he could be more like them. Never having to worry about any of this marriage and family and money stuff.

Kurt's palms were sweating, he had never been this nervous in his life. He was laying in the back of a supply cart headed for the castle under some sacs of apples, wearing his trusty blue cloak. The cart shook violently as it rolled along the mangled dirt path but Kurt suspected that wasn't the reason he felt so sick. Sneaking into the castle unauthorized would be sure to get him thrown in the dungeon for at least ten years and if they caught him trying to steal something he would be thrown in there for life, or worse.

After a few more minutes of travelling he felt the cart come to a stop, there were muffled voices for a couple minutes and then the sound of doors being opened as the cart started to move again. Kurt knew they must be entering the palace, which meant there was no turning back now. After another couple minutes of moving the cart stopped and Kurt hopped out as quick as he could, being careful so he would not be noticed. Then he made his way towards the building, weaving through the people the same way he weaves through them at the market on the day of a job. He supposes he really shouldn't call it a job, but he does anyway.

Getting into the castle would be much more difficult than getting past the walls, he couldn't just walk in and start wandering the halls, they had guards at the door. He poked around the ground floor outside the building trying to find a forgotten door, or a window or even a drainage pipe. Unsuccessful he headed back to the courtyard, maybe it wasn't meant to be, maybe this was a sign that he should just go back home and starve for the next few days until he had to steal more food.

"Oi! You there boy!" A man bellowed and Kurt whipped around, was he talking to him? "Yeah, you in the fancy coat!" He yelled again pointing a chubby finger at Kurt who quickly walked over to the man.

"Yes sir?" He asked nervously, sure that he was done for and guards were about to take him to the dungeons at any moment.

"Take these to the kitchens, we all need to pitch in and help prepare for the big feast, no one should be slacking off or standing around." He said handing Kurt a heavy basket of food.

"Wait, you mean like the kitchens inside the castle?" Kurt asked hardly believing his own ears.

"No, I mean like the kitchens at the bottom of the ocean. Of course the kitchens in the castle! Where's your head?" He snapped and Kurt nodded apologies running off towards the doors. Apparently he had been wrong, and as long as you're carrying something for the feast you can get into the palace pretty easily.

Once he had dropped the basket in the kitchens, not before stealing a few morsels for himself, he crept into the shadows of the castle and used all his best techniques to remain unseen and unheard. His heart felt like it was beating a mile a minute as he crept down the halls, he didn't even know where he was going and he was anticipating being caught at any second.

"I honestly don't know how to feel Mike." Kurt heard voices drifting down to hall and he frantically ducked behind a suit of armour. The click of expensive boots was echoing down the hall and two figures came into his view. One was taller, with short dark hair and a muscular build, the other was shorter with curly brown hair and a pretty little crown sitting on top of his head. Prince Blaine. Kurt resisted the urge to jump out from where he was hiding and spit in the boy's face. An actual royal. One of the scum that neglects his own people standing right in front of Kurt and he couldn't say anything.

"It's going to be fine. Princess Quinn is great and it's not like she can say no." The other one was saying, Kurt's ears perked up eavesdropping in on their conversation.

"That's what I hate about it!" The Prince cried suddenly and spun around. Kurt tried not to jump behind the suit, they were close and he didn't want to blow his cover. "We have to spend the rest of our lives together and we have no say in the matter how is that fair?" Blaine was asking.

"You like Princess Quinn don't you?" Blaine's friend asked.

"Of course but I don't love her." The Prince said stressing the word "love."

"I think you've been spending too long with your nose in the books my friend." The taller boy said placing a hand on his shoulder. "Marriage for love doesn't happen in the real world." Kurt's eyebrows shot up his forehead, he didn't believe in many things not the pitiful leaders of the Kingdom, not the authenticity of things being sold at the market, not even that God, if there even was one, cared about him in this dreadful world but if there was one thing he believed in that was love. Love above anything else and to hear this boy dismissing that as if it was Father Christmas, it broke his heart.

"What an awful place the real world is then." The Prince declared before storming of past where Kurt was hiding, the thief holding his breath. The other boy stood for a moment and then eventually shook his head and left. Kurt waited a few minutes before creeping out of his hiding place and continuing down the hall.

So Prince Blaine was being forced into an arranged marriage to someone he didn't love, Princess Quinn specifically. He almost felt sorry for the young man until he remembered all of the food being hauled into the castle for the feasts and how that much food could feed kids like Stevie and Stacy for weeks. He felt no sympathy for anyone connected to the royal family, that is why he was here anyway, to take something from them. Now more than ever Kurt was determined to get this job done.

"This is the ring you will be giving to Quinn when you propose. It is the one your father used when he asked me to marry him." Blaine looked up at his mother who was holding a gold ring with a large ruby in the centre and smaller diamonds outlining it. It was a beautiful ring no doubt, but now to know that his own parents probably didn't love each other it just took away any meaning it might have held.

"Thank you mother." He said taking it from her hand obediently. She looked at him with wet eyes and a smile, placing a hand on one of his cheeks.

"My baby, all grown up and getting married." She said mindlessly, probably thinking out loud. Blaine was about to answer back when a wave of yelling came from behind him he turned around just in time to see two large guards carrying a young man who was kicking and screaming.

"Let me go! I'm innocent!" He yelled. Blaine stared at him, there was something about the man, something in his voice or his appearance that made it impossible to look away.

"What is going on here?" The Queen yelled, her tears gone and a serious look on her face commanding respect.

"We found this piece of rubbish in the drawing room, he was looting through the stuff I reckon trying to steal some valuables." The guard on the left answered.

"They're liars!" The boy screamed.

"Why would they lie?" The Queen asked and the boy stared at her for a minute, a look of pure hatred of his face.

"Maybe they're trying to impress you to increase their pay." The man snapped at Blaine's mother. He obviously hated her, for what reason Blaine had no idea.

"We found his bag." A third guard said coming up behind and opening a sac with some silverware, some jewelry and some food. This man was obviously guilty, and he was dressed in all black except for a peculiar looking blue cloak that screamed criminal.

"Is this your bag?" Blaine's mother addressed the thief who looked defeated for a fraction of a second before holding his head high and answering proudly.

"Yes."

"So you were stealing from this palace?"

"Yes."

"So you were lying before when you said you were innocent?"

"Yes." He said staring The Queen down proudly, he obviously knew he was doomed and was trying to go with a bit of dignity. The Queen matched his stare and everything was silent for a long moment then she nodded.

"Well then you are guilty and will be sent to the dungeons. Guards take him away." She commanded and the guards obeyed, this time the thief was silent and didn't resist. "Now where were we?" Blaine's mother asked, her voice much softer as she turned to him. Blaine was still thinking of the thief, now prisoner, who had just been taken away. Blaine had seen a few others try and fail to rob the castle but none of them acted the way that man had. They all looked desperate, pitiful, even deranged at times but the man in the blue cloak had acted like he was proud of what he had done, even if he hadn't succeeded. "Blaine darling, are you all right?" Blaine heard his mother ask and he snapped out of his thoughts to talk to her.

"Better than fine mother." He replied giving her a smile. She smiled back which made Blaine happy, he loved when his mother smiled her real toothy smile and not the tight lipped one she used for guests and other important figures.

"Of course you are now that you're going to get married!" His mother almost squealed. "And to Quinn nonetheless, you couldn't have picked a better bride."

"I suppose you're right." Blaine agreed, because he honestly couldn't think of any girl he knew that he would want to marry more than Quinn. Let it be known though, Blaine knew very few girls.

Click. Click. Clack. Clack.

Kurt tapped the metal bars of his dirty cell and tried to keep his breathing steady. He didn't want to cry, not with guards and other prisoners around, but every time he thought about his dad his stomach twisted into knots. His father had gone into work that day like any other expecting his son to be home waiting for him like he usually was and now Kurt would be gone without a trace. They hadn't even told him how long his sentence was! He may never be getting out of here.

Tapping and humming to himself Kurt sat on the dirt floor and watched the sun set out the tiny window at the top of the wall. He had already tried to climb up there to see if the bars could come off but there were no grips on the walls, they were smooth. He was going crazy out of boredom and he could only have been in the place for six hours at the most, he was used to always moving, grabbing stuff and going, not getting caught.

He was drifting off to sleep when he heard it, the familiar clicking of boots, and his eyes shot open. He stood up and leaned into the bars looking through them. Strolling along whistling to himself was Prince Blaine, the sight of him made Kurt's blood boil. He had just stood there and watched as Kurt had been taken away, saying nothing. There was something odd about the prince as well, something Kurt couldn't quite put his finger on but he didn't plan on sticking around long enough to find out.

"So you make a habit of visiting your prisoners?" Kurt asked, his voice dripping in sarcasm. Blaine's whistling stopped awkwardly and he turned his head towards Kurt a look of surprise on his face.

"We're a bit short on guards with the feast and everything, I'm just stopping down here to make sure everything's okay." He said calmly.

"Well, I'm pretty sure a group of desperate starving people behind iron bars are relatively harmless." Kurt quipped raising an eyebrow, Blaine looked unimpressed staring blankly back at him.

"I'm just doing my duties, there are some real criminals here." Blaine said looking a bit annoyed at Kurt for talking to him.

"Oh and am I not a real criminal?" Kurt asked a fake pout on his lips. His eyes flickered to Blaine's belt where a ring of keys was hanging, he quickly formulated a plan and hoped he could pull it off.

"Well, you did break the law but it's not like you hurt anyone." Blaine said and Kurt had to contain his anger.

"Hmmm, that's right. I didn't hurt a fly and yet here I am rotting in this cell awaiting death." He said slightly more viciously than intended. He was lucky Blaine hadn't just walked walked away by now, he shouldn't make him angry and push his luck.

"The law is law, if you want something you've got to work for it." Blaine said firmly and started walking away.

"Then what have you been doing all your life Mr. Prince?" Kurt called, his tone much calmer than he felt.

"I have been earning a living-"

"Doing what?" Kurt cut him off with a laugh. The prince gaped at him, his mouth moving up and down but nothing coming out, it was a pathetic sight. "You've been living off of mummy and daddy's money and the last time I checked and where do they get that money? They steal it from their people." Kurt said, The Prince could have him executed right then and there but in the heat of the moment Kurt couldn't bring himself to care. He had been dying to say these words to a royal and if these were his last minutes he was going to make them count.

"My parents haven't stolen anything from anyone!" Blaine said looking angry and taking a few quick strides so that he was right beside the bars of Kurt's cell. A mistake on his part because now Kurt could reach those key's, if he could just distract Blaine for a few more minutes.

"Really? With the size of the taxes I'd say you have a whole kingdom that disagrees." Kurt said leaning closer to Blaine and slipping his hand through the bars, he felt his fingers brush against the metal of the key's and he carefully slipped them off the belt with the practice ease of an expert.

"I'm not going to stand here and be insulted in my own castle!" Blaine yelled.

"Good!" Kurt said, quietly putting the key in the lock and turning, luckily The Prince was too upset to notice. "Because I'm not sticking around much longer." He said. There was a flash of confusion on Blaine's face and then Kurt was flinging the door open and pushing Blaine back. The Prince let out a surprised yelp as Kurt flung him into the cell and locked him in running a few steps before turning back. "Oh Blaine, you simply must be more careful down here next time, after all we are criminals." he sneered, throwing the key's in a nearby bucket as Blaine called for the guards. He ran through the lines of prisoners some cheering him on, some begging to be let out, some dead. He ignored everything and on a rush of adrenaline ran up the stairs and back to the castle promising that that would be the last time he ever saw Prince Blaine.