Over the course of the next week, Kurt kept Blaine consistently busy. He met with people of different occupations, from blacksmiths to boarders, to talk about their concerns and hopes for Westerville. Blaine had to demonstrate to Kurt, in several impromptu settings, that he could speak on a certain issues without much or any preparation to assure Kurt that Blaine would be capable of addressing a crowd competently. Kurt also had Blaine spar with different individuals in the army so that he could get to know them, and also release the aggression that Kurt was seeing build in him as he realized the extent of the damage his father had done.

They had continued to have dinner together every night, discussing what they had done in the day, and what issues needed to be addressed and how they could best do that.

Blaine had accepted Artie's help in getting the gems removed from his furniture, and his room was now a lot more sombre - and clean. He had also cleaned out his wardrobe and donated half of it to the orphanage where it would be retailored into children's clothing.

All in all, Kurt was quite impressed with Blaine's progress over the last week and a half that they had been here. It was hard not to be drawn to Blaine, but Kurt was managing to keep himself guarded around him, and found he could be friendly with Blaine without becoming automatically turned on and awkward.

They had scheduled meetings with individual nobles beginning tomorrow and Blaine was sitting across from him now at the table in Kurt's room rehearsing the list of policies he wanted enacted.

"Do you think that's going to be enough to convince them?" Blaine asked, taking a sip of the cider in front of him.
Kurt shook his head, "They're individual people Blaine. Each will respond differently and I don't know them well enough at all to anticipate their responses. However, your ideas are impressive and I like that you have included how they will be involved in the process. It shows you as a leader with a vision."

Blaine nodded and scooped a spoonful of rice into his mouth before continuing, "I nearly felled Noah today."

Kurt peeked over the paper in his hand towards Blaine who was grinning with pride. "Really? Nearly?"

Blaine nodded enthusiastically, "I didn't anticipate that he kept a dagger in his boot though. Very valuable lesson for me."

Kurt smiled in response and looked back to the paper in his hand, a list of supplies needing refreshing from the infirmary. He would visit with Quinn later to approve having them bought from a nearby village that she noted could supply all of them.

"When do I get to spar against you?" Blaine queried with a mischievous grin.

Kurt set the paper down on the table and looked back to Blaine, "Fighting isn't my forte. Talking is."

"So? I still hear that you're pretty handy with a sword. Besides, you could use a break from talking all the time."

Kurt coughed up a little laugh, "Oh really? You saying that I talk too much Anderson?"

Blaine nodded, "I am. You should challenge me to a duel for such an offense."

Kurt let a full smile grace his face as he looked at Blaine and nodded, "Fine. But not tonight. I have medical supplies to duel tonight." He tapped on the paper to supplement his preoccupation.

Blaine sat back in his chair, his plate now empty. "Spoilsport."

"You really enjoy sparring Blaine. Why is that?"

Blaine looked to the side and then back to Kurt. "It's an outlet I guess. I'm mad about a lot of what has happened under my nose and it's a good way to get it out." he admitted.

Kurt had already figured that out. He had secretly watch Blaine sparring with others on a couple occasions and had seen the fury in his eyes and the desperation too. He was trying to prove something when he fought. Blaine had received several cuts and many bruises in his spars but he didn't let it faze him. He wouldn't stop fighting until a blade was at his throat and the battle was called. Finn had told Kurt that when they had sparred, it was like fighting a wild animal who had no shortage of energy.

"We won't always be around to spar with. What are you going to do when we're gone and you're mad about something or someone and you have no one to help you?"

Blaine blinked and Kurt conceded to himself that Blaine hadn't thought about that as the boy across from him seemed to search for a response.

"You need to learn some other means of stress relief." Kurt supplied for Blaine.

Blaine nodded and turned his body toward Kurt in his seat, "How do you do it?"

Kurt exhaled slowly and his eyes focused on the table, "Admittedly I don't very well. I either take herbal teas that help with the stress or I end up taking it out on someone."

"Like at our first supper together. On me." Blaine noted.

Kurt looked back up at Blaine. What had he said? Kurt knew how angry he could get and winced when he realized he had taken out his own stresses on Blaine. Kurt wasn't about to admit he didn't remember that night though, and especially that he hadn't been in control of himself, so he lied.
"I'm sorry for what I said. You didn't deserve that from me. I hope I've made up for my indiscretions since then."

Blaine smiled at Kurt. "You have. Please don't worry about it."

Kurt returned the smile. "So can you think of any other outlets for the stress you will ultimately be facing?"

"Well I've always enjoyed reading, but when I do that now it's relaxing, but doesn't get the anger out of me."

"What about music?" Kurt suggested.

Blaine lit up at that and stood up, "Before you go to the infirmary, would you like to see the music room? I haven't played anything in two weeks now, and maybe it would be good for me."

Kurt stood up and followed as Blaine eagerly led them out and down the hall. Kurt had already seen the music room. He had surveyed all the rooms in the palace. However, he had not seen Blaine in the music room and it was clearly important to him, so he pretended that it was the first he had seen of it when Blaine escorted him in.

"This is really amazing Blaine. So many instruments... I don't even know the name of some of them."

Blaine smiled and went to sit at a white piano. "This is my favourite. Something about the piano is so... expressive and soulful."

"Would you play something for me?" Kurt asked, coming up behind Blaine and sitting beside him on the bench.

Blaine turned and grinned to Kurt, "Is there anything you had in mind?"
Kurt thought for a moment and a tune came into his mind. A song his mother used to sing for him when she tucked him into bed. He hummed the bars of the song and Blaine picked up on it and began playing. Before they realized it, Blaine was playing out the song and Kurt was singing the lyrics. Every now and then Blaine looked over to Kurt with haunted eyes and then back to the keys. Kurt closed his eyes after awhile and let himself be taken back to his youth and his mother stroking his hair and telling him how much she loved him.

When the song ended, Blaine continued to look down at the keys and a whisper escaped his lips, "You have a beautiful voice Kurt. I don't think I've heard anything more angelic."

Kurt watched Blaine and without thinking, reached over and placed a hand on his thigh, "Thank you.. for saying that, and for letting me visit a memory with that."

A moment later his hand was covered with Blaine's. They locked eyes and Blaine leaned his head closer to Kurt's. "I wish you didn't have to go."

Kurt's mind buzzed. Did Blaine mean go to the infirmary tonight or go when the training was done and he could be instated as the king? Why wasn't he taking his hand away? Why couldn't he stop looking at Blaine's eyes, Blaine's cheeks, Blaine's lips?

Eventually all Kurt got out was a little squeak and "What?"

Blaine broke his gaze and looked down at where his hand had captured Kurt's hand under it. "I don't know what I'm going to do when your army goes and you along with it. I've never had anyone before... that seemed to care about me."

Get it together Hummel. This is exactly what your dad was warning you about. This is not the time for romance.

"You will have others..." Kurt slowly pulled his hand away and Blaine turned to look at him, eyes reflecting the hurt of the rejection. "I can't stay here.

"Why...?" Blaine's voice was weak and cracking.

Kurt sighed and against his better judgement, he reached out and took Blaine's hands in his own, finding his whole body enflame as he touched Blaine. "You will not be on your own. You will make allies and friends. You are compassionate, strong, and enigmatic."

Blaine closed his eyes and his fingers wrapped around Kurt's hands, "That's not what I asked... Why can't you stay here?"

Kurt was trying to keep his breathing in check, and keep himself in order. He had never been touched like that, and it was such a simple touch of the fingertips. "Because..." Oh god, he needed to gain control of this situation before he found himself lovedrunk and out of the control of his logical mind. "I don't belong here. I want a simpler life."

Blaine had worked his fingers between Kurt's so they were intertwined. "Kurt... you don't think that would bore you? You're absolutely brilliant and beautiful and you would be so wasted on simple living."

No one had ever called him beautiful before... at least no one that wasn't his mother. He felt Blaine's breath on him as he leaned in so their faces were centimeters apart. It was absolutely intoxicating, but no...

Kurt pulled his hands from Blaine's and stood up abruptly, nearly causing himself to fall back over the piano bench. "I can't Blaine! I can't..." He shook his head and stumbled towards the door.

A broken, small voice spoke behind him as he left, "It worked you know..."

Kurt stopped at the door and looked back in confusion, "What worked...?"

"Playing the piano... it drained me of the stress I had..." Blaine had turned himself back toward the piano and began to play another tune slowly. Kurt couldn't see his face, but knew it would probably break his heart if he did see it.

"I'll see you in the morning Blaine." Kurt said and left the room, walking to the infirmary as if he were in a death march.