Blaine was finishing off his second cup of coffee when David came into his room to collect his breakfast tray.

"David... I wanted to say goodbye... I know you're going home tonight." Blaine stood up to look at the dark-skinned man in front of him.

David smiled and nodded, "Thank you. Goodbye to you too. I hope everything goes well."

"Can I ask you a question David? And can you answer it honestly?"

David pushed his eyebrows together as he nodded, looking a little worried.

"Do you consider me a friend?" Blaine caught David's glance with his own and David immediately looked uncomfortable, looking off to the side and then down at the ground.

Blaine nodded, "You don't. Alright..." He turned to sit back into his chair and pick his coffee back up.
"It's not that I don't like you Blaine. It's just..." David looked like he wanted to crawl out of his own skin at this point and Blaine felt guilty for putting him on the spot like that. "Friendships are two-way streets. We've been, I mean I've been happy to help you over the years because you're a genuinely nice person, but you don't know anything about me and haven't been there to help when I needed it. I think if the circumstances were different we could've been friends..."

Blaine nodded again and took a sip of his coffee, taking the information in soberly. "You're right. I'm sorry David. I hope if we meet again we can meet as friends though." He stared into his coffee cup and watched the black liquid instead of meeting David's gaze again.

David shifted in spot for a second and then took the tray out, closing the door behind him.

"I've been wrong about so much..." Blaine spoke into his cup as Cat mewled from the bed to make sure Blaine knows he's not speaking in the right direction if he intended to speak to Cat.

Blaine looks up and over to Cat, entertaining the conversation. "I was wrong about Kurt last night. Think that I could sleep after that? No... you saw me tossing and turning all night. I've never needed coffee in my life and here I am on my second cup now so I don't make myself out to look like a total ass at my meeting today."

"And even though I meant for it to be a way to further gain his trust, you know I actually did want to kiss him last night. I do want him to stay. I want David to stay too, but you heard what he said... I've been selfish. How am I supposed to think of what others want when I have been so concerned with myself for so long Cat?"

Another meow and Blaine pretends to understand, nodding in return. "I know Cat. I shouldn't be distracting myself with lust when I have so much else to worry about. But I've never allowed myself thoughts like that, and damn it he's just gorgeous and smart and perfect..."

Blaine sighs and stands up, going to the washbucket where he takes a razor and begins shaving off his beard growth. Another skill he's picked up in the last week. He used to have Thad shave him. He's hoping to avoid any nicks today.

Suddenly Mercedes bursts into the room and Blaine jumps, dropping the razor into the basin as he looks towards the ebony warrior woman with wide eyes and a half shaved face.

"The Marshal wants you to go to him as soon as possible. There's news!" She states and then leaves just as quickly, slamming the door behind her.

Blaine takes a moment to ensure his heart is still in his chest and hasn't jumped out onto the floor. He looks into the mirror to make sure he didn't cut himself in shock and then digs the razor back out of the basin to finish his shave quickly.

Once he's dressed and has downed the rest of the coffee, he heads into the main hall where he finds Burt at the war table, as many of the troops call it. Finn, Noah, Rachel, and Kurt encircle the table already and Blaine goes into the space between Rachel and Noah.

Burt looks up at Blaine and smiles. "We have your sister Emily." he states simply and Blaine just looks back at Burt blankly.

Rachel bursts in at this point, unable to contain herself, "One of our allies, the Stormway monarch pretended to agree to negotiations with your father. Your little sister was delivered to him and he is sending her by carriage to us."

Blaine blinks a few times and looks at the map to locate Stormway. It's nearly two days away by carriage. Emily is only seven, what had she been sold into...? A thought crosses his mind and his head snaps up as he yells, "He will be furious to be deceived like that! What if he hurts or kills my other sisters in retaliation?!"

Burt opens his mouth to speak, taking a moment to formulate a response and Blaine realizes Burt hasn't ever heard him raise his voice, but before Burt can speak, Rachel again interjects.

"But if she knows where he is, we can find out and stop him from hurting them AND put a stop to all this nonsense!"

She has a point, Blaine admits to himself, but it's precarious. Still, to see Emily and make sure she's alright...

Kurt speaks softly when he does and looks directly at Blaine, "If she had been sold off to a monarch who had been willing to trade real troops for her, she'd also be in a bad situation. At least this way she's out of harms way completely."

Blaine can't help but hold onto Kurt's gaze with his own. How much did he think about that face last night as he tried to sleep. His heart sinks when he thinks about the rejection and Kurt turns his gaze away from him, looking back down to the map.

Blaine moves his head up and down robotically. The risks have already been calculated for him and his sister will be back. He will have to see who has taken over her room and make sure there's a place for her to stay.

"She won't be staying here for long." Burt notes as if he can read Blaine's thoughts. "It's too risky if we end up attacked. She might be seen as traitorous by your father if he returns. When she gets here we will question her and then send her to a friendly empire who is willing to take care of her and educate her until this business is complete."

Blaine shuts his eyes. In the last minute he has been given hope at not being so completely alone, and had it ripped away. He agrees with the reasoning, and the need to keep Emily safe, but the selfish part of him just wants her to stay.

Kurt looks to Burt then and declares, "We need to go to our meeting father. Would you excuse us?"

Burt nods and Kurt walks around the table to join Blaine at his side, walking quietly back to the hallway where Kurt waves Mercedes off with a hand. He turns to Blaine and their eyes connect. "I'm sorry about yesterday Blaine..."

Blaine shakes his head, "No. It was foolish of me. I'm the one who's sorry."

Kurt lets loose a long sigh and then reaches for Blaine's hands, reminiscent of the night before. The soft flesh enclosing around his own. "It's not that I'm not attracted to you... but..."

"But my dad was responsible for your mother's death." Blaine says, cutting in before Kurt has the chance to continue.

Kurt looks surprised, his jaw dropping and his eyes widening. "No... that isn't it..."

"Then what?! I'm not a complete moron here Kurt. I know I've been locked in the bloody castle and am completely ignorant of so much going on in the world, but I also know that the way you look at me is the same way I've seen lovers look at one another, or am I wrong about that too? Like everything else I -"

Blaine is cut off when Kurt moves forward and presses their lips together. He feels himself melting into it and all the anger and pain he was expressing fades away, replaced by warmth and desire. Blaine pushes into the kiss and can hear a little moan exit Kurt's mouth as they break for air before pressing back together hungrily.

Their hands pull apart from each other and Blaine wraps his arms around Kurt to pull him closer against his own body while Kurt's hands go up into Blaine's hair and finger the dark ringlets.

He doesn't know how long it's been or if anyone has even seen them, but when Kurt pulls back and whispers, "We need to go..." Blaine knows it hasn't been long enough. He takes a moment to capture the lustful look in Kurt's eyes and the flush that has covered his face. He doesn't remove his hands right away either, taking a moment to run his hands down Kurt's back before forcing himself to pull away.

Kurt looks up to the ceiling and exhales while Blaine checks down both ends of the hall to make sure they haven't attracted an audience.

"Alright... " Kurt's finger is suddenly pointing at Blaine's face, "We will talk about this at supper. Not before. You have nobility to impress."

Blaine nods and the warmth in his face remains as he follows Kurt down the hall and down the stairs to the meeting chamber.

The meeting goes well, surprisingly well in fact, and Blaine is hopeful the rest will be so easy. Kurt seems satisfied with the results and they separate for lunch as Kurt cites a need to talk to some troops.

Blaine goes up to his room and notes that there is no guard in the hall. He isn't being watched. He looks back and forth and then goes down to the end of the hall and slips into his father's room.

Someone has taken over this room as armor is laid on the table and the remnants of a meal is on the nightstand, but whomever it is isn't here right now. Blaine writes out a quick note on a napkin and pulls out the loose brick, tossing the napkin in and hoping it will reach the bottom of the passage, however far that might be. He puts the brick back in place and leaves the room, relieved to see there still isn't anyone in it.

When he returns to his room however, the relief is gone. He grabs his night bucket and vomits his breakfast into it, crawling into his bed weakly once he's completely voided himself.

Cat curls up beside him and offers him a purr.

"No Cat... I definitely don't deserve anyone's care now..."