“I really despise traveling by coach,” Lady Rachel commented for at least the tenth time that day.  She flicked the dust-blocking curtain away from the window to stare longingly at the train of horses following the royal coach.  Again. 

“I'd much rather be riding a horse,” she moped.  Her gaze strayed to the large figure sitting comfortably astride a figidity dun mare, riding out the beast's antics as if he was a part of her.  A grace that the man found sadly lacking the minute his feet hit the ground, Rachel knew, but she found the dichotomy only added to his charm.  Reining in a sigh, Rachel released the curtain and threw her slight frame back into her padded velvet seat.  A soft huff filled the silence following her declaration.

“What?”  She asked in annoyance, glaring at the man sitting in the seat across from her.

“Not a thing, my Lady,” he responded smoothly in his warm, melodic tenor.  “I too, would rather make this journey astride then in the confines of the coach.  But between the danger of robbers and the proprieties of your station, I'm afraid it's an unfortunate burden we both have to bear.”    

His tawny eyes were openly laughing, even as the expression on his handsome face was carefully neutral.  It was amazing how he could do that, Rachel thought, a tad enviously.  Not a hint of an inappropriate expression or tone yet she could clearly tell he was teasing her. 

Part of that, of course, came from having known the young man her whole life.  While technically only a second cousin, Blaine had joined her family shortly after his parents and brother had died from a brief, virulent plague that had ghosted through his dukedom.  Blaine had been adopted into Rachel's side of their family well before either of them could walk and the two had become the closest of siblings.  

Exactly as Rachel's parents had intended, she thought wryly.  If there was any single thing the many and varied Dukedoms of the kingdom of Lima had in common, it was arranging relationships to the best advantage.  Children were traded amongst the ruling class like puzzle pieces, each placed to make the best fit for all involved. 

Blaine's small Dukedom had come to his control on his eighteenth birthday and he'd faithfully ceded the territory to his adopted family as was expected of him.  Combining the neighboring territories was a wise plan both geographically and financially for the two Dukedoms; with the added advantage of leaving both young adults open to other potential pairings. 

The Ohiyan Kingdom was separated into a number of semi-independent dukedoms, all of which answered to the King and Queen.  Or the Queen and her Consort, as had been the case for the last two generations.  The Kingdom's ruling line traditionally birthed strong, intelligent females who had become reluctant to give up their power to a male on the mere technicality of being married to him.  Taking a Consort filled the necessary vacancy and ensured heirs while sparing the Queen the burden of a pesky husband trying to interfere in the ruling of her thriving kingdom.  Given that Ohiyo had flourished as never before during the rule of the previous Queens, citizens and the ruling class alike approved of the matriarchal structure. 

Rachel deliberately rolled her eyes at her younger brother, snorting irritably.  As the inheriting sibling, she was the dominant of the two and entitled to displays of temper that Blaine wasn't permitted. 

Unconcerned, Blaine dropped his eyes and snuggled down into his seat.  “If my Lady tried to nap instead of ogling the…scenery, she might discover that the journey goes by a little faster,” he commented idly, gazing up at her from under his long lashes.

Rachel blushed at being called out on staring at her favorite stable hand/horse wrangler.  “It's been over two weeks trapped in this thing.  I'm too bored to sleep,” she declared, changing the subject.  “Make yourself useful for a change and entertain me.”

“As my Lady wishes,” Blaine replied easily. 

There was little reason for his formality between them at this point, other than to annoy Rachel, who could hardly scold her brother for simply being appropriate.  But she could play the diva card all she wanted and would continue to do so until he got over himself and went back to using her name.  It wasn't as if there was anyone around to impress.  Her scowl turned curious as Blaine rooted under the bedding in the corner, extracting a deck of cards.  He pulled a slim trunk between them and began expertly shuffling. 

Rachel's eyes lit up at the sight of the cards.  She'd tried to bring her own set, but her valet had found them, spiriting them away right before the coach procession left.  Given time, Rachel would find them wherever they'd been hidden, but instead of looking for her precious hand painted deck, she'd been forced to scurry downstairs to the coach.  If only the interfering busybody hadn't half raised her, Rachel would have had her beaten as she threatened weekly.  Sometimes daily.  Rachel had explained this truth at length to her on numerous occasions, but the infuriating woman had yet to care. 

Trust Blaine to come through with a spare deck, she thought gleefully.  His dapper, perfectly respectful manners and handsome, oh-so-earnest face had successfully snowed even the most hardened of governesses growing up.  No one ever suspected perfect, innocent little Blaine when pranks were pulled or sweets stolen from the kitchen.  No, everyone looked straight to loud, rambunctious Rachel as the culprit.  It might've had a detrimental effect on their childhood relationship had Blaine not shared all his bounty equally with the older sister he adored.  Rachel learned early in her life the value of misdirection, and that an innocent face didn't mean squat about a person.        

She watched the cards dance through her brother's nimble fingers, carefully hiding her delight as she built up her poker face.  Blaine was very, very good and never threw a hand, despite the demands of protocol.  “Stakes?”  She asked casually, neatly cutting the deck when he laid the well-shuffled cards on the table before her.

“Hmmm.  Penny antes to start with and first wash when we stop tonight to the victor of 4 of 5 hands?”  He offered.

A worthy bet, Rachel decided, nodded in approval.  She longed to get the dust and sweat off, insofar as she could she could while on the road.  She dreaded making her first appearance to her potential husband with three weeks of travel grit on her. 

Dismissing the unfortunate but unavoidable future from her thoughts, Rachel focused on strategy.  Blaine had tells, but he was perfectly capable of deliberately switching them up or faking it altogether.  She met his sparkling eyes as he dealt 7 cards to each of them, his gentle smile bordering on condescending.  Rachel smirked back at him as she glanced nonchalantly at her hand; she was so getting the first chance at bathing water.     

**********************

The Barony of Lima was the largest territory in Ohiyo.  A coastal territory, it ran against the far edge of the kingdom against the great ocean.  Lima's ruling family, the Hummels, were one of the oldest legacies on record and had long provided the first line of defense against invaders from across the sea as well as the occasional pirate. 

Lima boasted a strong fleet of ships that patrolled her wide coast and were ready to move out at the Queen's order at any time to defend the kingdom.  While the navy was the most notable of Lima's credits, it was the machines that had brought the Hummels themselves into power. 

Limas current master, Baron Albert II was a wonder with gears and with careful application, his creations had revolutionized the weapons loading process for the warships, making them the scourge of Ohiyo's waters. 

While improving the military applications of his father's designs was his defining credit, Albert II had made a number of lesser advancements with carriage and wagon designs, easing the discomfort of long rides and lightening their overall configuration by a number of pounds.  To say that the Hummels were well respected by their peers and adored by their citizens was a gross understatement.

Albert II had married the Lady Elizabeth early in his life, a marriage that could only have been for love as it offered little in the way of political advancement.  A lesser blue blood family could never have wasted an heir in such a way, but the Hummel clan had ever been a rule unto themselves. 

Lady Elizabeth was the third daughter of a middling Barony, but she was beautiful and kind.  Her efforts to improve schooling and offer free reading lessons for any who wanted to learn had won her the hearts of Lima's people.  Her unexpected death devastated both Lima's citizens and the husband and young son she'd left behind. 

Lord Albert II eventually remarried to the Lady Caroline of Medica.  It was said that he'd finally succumbed to the pressure from his peers and citizens to marry and hopefully produce a second heir, but those who knew him understood that such had not been the case.  He had simply fallen in love again.  Love or not, the match was considered solid, and politically far superior to his first.

The Barony of Medica was tiny.  Not only was it small, it was an island.  It was also the wealthiest of Her Majesty's territories.  The island had little to recommend itself save a unique soil that grew a host of medicinal plants that thrived there and nowhere else.  These plants formed the backbone of all medical supplies for the kingdom.   Medica had become renowned for its mastery of the healing arts and was haven to the finest schools for healers in the known world.  People came from far and away with hopes to study in a Medica school.  Nearly all the medics in Ohiyo had studied in Medica at some point in their lives. 

The wealth to size ratio created a number of problems for the Medica's inhabitants.  The population was almost exclusively involved in creating medicine or assisting with the schools, and the island had no military to speak of.  Hired mercenaries only went so far, as they had no loyalty and were frequently bought away.   Piracy was a major problem. 

The Lima Barony's coast lied directly across from the island, and the marriage cemented relations between the two nations.  In forming the Pairing, the Hummel Lord agreed to expand the territory Lima's navy guarded to include the waters around Medica, while the island nation shared wealth and first priority in medication to its protector.  The marriage contract was so successful that it was whispered that the Queen herself might have had a hand in it. 

The only flaw in the marriage was that the Lady Caroline, a widow herself, was of similar age to Baron Albert and well past prime childbearing years.  Considering her husband's unfortunate unwavering loyalty to his wife, the Hummel line had little hope of even a few half bloods for backup. 

As such, it became imperative that a match be arranged for young Lord Kurtis, and sooner rather than later.  At 19 years of age, the lad was placed to inherit the powerful Barony and well past the age to start producing offspring.  Considering the wealth and status of Lima, the reputation and class of the Hummel clan, and the ties with Medica, it was common knowledge that Lord Albert could have his pick of arrangements for his boy.  Any family would gladly offer up a daughter of Lord Albert's choosing to marry the lordling.  There was just one small problem.   

******** 

(Two months ago)                      

“I'm too young to get married,” Kurt, the heir to the Hummel Empire declared to his father, the Lord Baron (again).

“You know that's not true, Kurt,” Burt argued tiredly.  “Now, I've given you as much leeway here as I could, but you have got to get hitched.  I was supposed to have married you up by sixteen at the latest.  I'm sorry kiddo, but we can't leave the kingdom without heirs.  If you and I were both to die, it would mean war while the lesser families fought and schemed for my throne.  That type of internal struggle devastates a baron, as you well know.  As the first defense for the Kingdom, we can't afford to be seen as anything but strong.  You have to do this for your people.  And it has to be done yesterday.” 

********************

Kurt sighed, slumping dejectedly where he curled into the wide, padded window seat in his bedroom.  He'd thought about that last conversation with his Father over and over, trying to find an argument that might have convinced Burt that this wasn't necessary.  But, he reluctantly admitted, the reason that he hadn't been able find a decent counter-argument was because his dad was right.  This had to happen.  A beneficial marriage was part of the responsibility of the ruling class and was vital to maintaining peace. 

Kurt had been educated practically from the cradle to rule the Dukedom after his father retired.  He'd played tactical games under the close tutelage of the best political minds in the kingdom.  His physical activities had been carefully designed classes that improved hand eye coordination and prepared him for weapons training when he grew old enough to hold a blade.  The Hummels were expected to be able to run their land, their navy, and assist the Queen as needed.  If Lima's people were to be kept safe and healthy, the heirs had to be perfect. 

Kurt had superseded nearly every one of the standards set for him.  He was tall, willowy, and attractive, with a sweet smile and devilish blue eyes.  Kurt had grown to become a brilliant tactician, a skilled fighter with long knives, and could manage the most demanding rules of decorum and chivalry flawlessly.  The only aspect of his life where Kurt had come up short happened to be the single, most vital aspect of his role.  He was going to have a hell of a time making heirs.  Kurt was also stubborn as a mule.  He got that from his father (he'd been told) and on the rare occasions when the two men butted heads the resulting argument could be legendary.

Kurt was hardly the only gay Baron in the kingdom.  Who slept with who had little interest for anyone not actively trying to get into said bed.  Citizens married as they liked, but the ruling class seldom enjoyed that luxury.  If Kurt had siblings it might have been a different story.  Even a younger brother's children would have been enough to satisfy the family's requirements.  Children had ever been treasured in the Hummel Clan and historically there had been little in the way of infighting or shuffling for power.  But, sadly, he was it.  The future of the Hummel legacy depended on him getting cozy with the ladies.  Kurt shuddered elegantly at the thought.

Squinting, Kurt watched as a dusty, well-traveled coach followed closely by a long train of riders crested the distant hill across from his castle.  They were right on time.  He had to meet potential matches; there was no getting around it.  Burt had moved quickly once Kurt had reluctantly agreed to start interviewing potential partners, arranging several minor parties, balls even scheduling a ‘tour' of the surrounding baronies for later that year.  Kurt really, really didn't want to spend the end of his summer locked in a dirty, dusty coach.  This was his last chance to avoid that fate. 

It wasn't as if this particular match itself was one of desperation, Kurt reminded himself.  The Lady Rachel had impeccable pedigree.  Her dukedom held some of the finest schools for teachers and players, a vital part of Ohiyo's information exchange.  She was said to have an exquisite, well-trained voice.  Kurt, a singer himself, was hopeful the common interest might spark something between him.  It certainly wasn't going to be sex appeal, he thought sourly. 

Kurt pulled himself off the wide sill and made his way to the Great Room to meet with the head of staff to make sure all the proper preparations were in place.  The tall, lanky Asian, as always, had things well in hand.  Michael and his wife had come to Lima from far across the sea and begged Lord Albert for sanctuary.   Once granted, the pair had slowly made their way up the palace servant hierarchy until Kurt was certain that the place would collapse without them.        

After speaking briefly with Mike, Kurt went in search of his chief of security.    Should Kurt and his father ever became incapacitated, the man took temporary charge of the castle.  He was a legendary fighter, one of the finest in the kingdom.  He also seldom bothered to arrive with any kind of timeliness when Kurt summoned him.  Kurt had learned it was far more efficient to track the guardsman down himself. 

After twenty minutes of fruitless searching, he grabbed the next attractive servant girl who passed by and asked her if she knew where Guardsman Puck was.  Kurt was completely unsurprised that she knew and was very willing to fetch him.  Whatever maid the man had gotten his paws on would not be happy with his messenger, Kurt thought with a rueful grin, seeing the gleam of pleasure in the servant girl's eyes before she trotted off down the hall. 

Puck was steadfastly working his way through all the single girls in the castle.  He had impregnated two and provided money and time to both offspring, claiming them as his though he flatly refused to marry either girl. 

Kurt scowled at his head of security as Puck finally sauntered into the meeting room.  “You wanted to see me, my Lady Kurt?”  He asked, grinning cheerfully.  A large hickey bloomed bright and red on his neck, as well as several sets of teeth marks.

“Do you have to sleep with every single girl in the castle?”  Kurt asked caustically.

Puck shrugged, dropping down into a chair at the table and putting two booted feet up, laces still untied.  “Everyone has to have a hobby.  Besides, I've shared company with a married lady or two as well.”  He smirked. 

Kurt humphed, but didn't bother arguing.  That rock was one he'd butted his head against one too many times in the past to try again.  Despite his ways, Puck was well regarded for his fighting skills and forthrightness, as well as his willingness to claim and support the results of his womanizing. 

“I need you to do something for me,” Kurt told him.

Puck made a half-assed bow from his chair.  “You speak and I obey, your ladyship.”

******

Thank the Spirits, Rachel thought fervently.  She watched the castle bloom in the distance as they approached with mind-numbing relief.  She had to marry Lord Kurtis, Rachel decided.  There was no way around it.  Because she simply refused to make that miserable trip ever again.  Besides, his castle was bigger than hers. 

She looked across at her escort, smiling softly.  Blaine was up on his knees on the bench seat, curtain pulled completely aside as he watched the castle eagerly.  He was so excited he was nearly bouncing.  Rachel wanted out of the dirty, hot, death box as much as anything, but she couldn't remember seeing her calm, collected brother ever that worked up before.

“Hey, what's up with you?” she asked, reaching out and grasping his shoulder.

“Me?  Nothing.  I'm just pleased that we're nearing our destination. “ Reminded of his behavior, Blaine moved smoothly back to his seat.  But a second later his eyes were back on the castle.

“Yeah, you.  You've been weird since you found out about this trip and now you're positively giddy.”  Blaine raised an eyebrow at his sister, but didn't answer.  She sighed but let it go.  A crowbar wouldn't get him to open up if he wasn't willing to share. 

Once it was clear that Rachel wasn't going to push, Blaine sat back and closed his eyes.  The face appeared in the darkness behind his eyelids, exactly as it had every time he'd tried to sleep during their journey.  A gamin grin framed by pale skin so white it practically glowed, gleaming blue eyes alight with mischief, paired with a lean, muscular body.  The figure haunted Blaine's every dream.  Would Kurt even remember him? 

He'd been fifteen when the Hummels had come to the territory of his adopted family to stay the summer.  Rachel had been away, spending a season at the Queen's court, but Blaine had been allowed to stay home.  He'd never forget those three months. 

He and Kurt spent time together every day, checking out hidden passages in the old castle and wandering through the meticulously kept garden after dark.  They'd danced and kissed, cuddling long into the night.  They'd only gone as far as getting mouths on each other's bodies by the end of Kurt's time, but Blaine still counted it as one of the finest blow jobs he'd ever experienced, and Blaine hadn't exactly hurt for male company in the subsequent years.

But no one had been like Lord Kurt.  He'd struck a cord in Blaine's musical heart and he'd never found another resonance quite like it.  What if Kurt didn't recognize him?  What if he did but didn't acknowledge it?  Or what if, maybe, he did?  What then? This whole stay was a compatibility check between Lord Kurt and Blaine's sister for marriage.  Where did that leave Blaine? 

Right in the middle of the castle courtyard, he realized as the carriage came to a shaky halt.  He felt disgusting.  He hadn't had a proper bath in weeks, and was itchy in places that really shouldn't itch.  And he knew Rachel felt just as gross, she'd complained about it often enough.  Blaine could tell her to quit whining, but he reserved that privilege for special moments.  It only worked when there was shock value involved.  Not many people dared tell the Lady of the great Dukedom of Broadway to be quiet. 

Taking a deep breath, Blaine stepped out of the door when the footman opened it for him, extending his hand to Rachel to assist her out.  He was her formal escort for this journey, a task that came with certain responsibilities that didnt include staring doe-eyed at Kurt.

Accepting Blaines hand, Rachel stepped out, fighting the urge to stretch and roll her aching shoulders.  Arm in arm, the siblings stared straight ahead at the imposing inner gates before them, the iron doors open wide and strewn with flowers in welcome. 

Showtime.