Chapter One:

Once upon a time… most fairy tales start that way don’t they? The good tales that end in happy endings and the sad tales where the bad guy wins in the end, they all start the same way; once upon a time. Who decided that the first line of a story began with those four words? Is it some kind of known rule that it is said in every story, at the beginning? Well, I wish I could spare you from such a cliché but I cannot for this is a fairy tale and as all good fairy tales do, they begin with a simple phrase.

Once upon a time, in a faraway land there lived a prince named Kurt Hummel. He was the most beloved Prince in all the land, though most wouldn’t admit it. Since he was a child most of the Lima Kingdom looked down on him with strong distaste. Kurt never truly understood why he received such cold stares from his father’s advisors. His mother, Queen Elizabeth, told him once when they were sitting in on a meeting that ‘It’s the face all politicians have my dear.’ When he asked why his father didn’t have the same look she answered ‘because I do not allow such a look to cross his face sweetie, now pay attention.’ That was said when he was six and under his mother’s protection.

Elizabeth was a loving mother. Since Burt Hummel was the reigning king, it was his duty to travel the kingdom for many months on end tending to each lord’s needs, therefore leaving his son in his wife’s trustful hands. She would take him to meetings with the common people, which Kurt took keen interest in, and tended to each of their problems. Occasionally Elizabeth would take young Kurt into the market but kept him close. Eyes tended to linger on the Prince, most in disdain. Kurt was not the average looking Limaian. He was already tall for his age and was very thin, albeit the baby fat that was still attached to his cheeks. His lips were as red as his own blood and quite plump. The sky on the darkest night could not compare to the darkness of the boy’s hair. His skin was white, so white in fact that it seemed to never tan even though the castle sat a mere walking distance from the sea. Many made fun of his obvious physical differences. The average Lima subject was tan due to long exposure to the sun with broad muscles which attributed to hard work in fields. But no, it wasn’t any of these physical attributes that set him apart.

The truth was the people of his kingdom knew what he was before he really knew himself. Kurt Hummel was a homosexual. Being a homosexual was widely accepted throughout many kingdoms, but Lima seemed to be behind in the movement towards equality. Something about Kurt gave off his nature even at a young age. Elizabeth saw and fully accepted it, even if all her subjects did not. Every special occasion she smiled and laughed as Kurt always asked for the latest fashion from other Kingdoms. She sat with him at tea parties he threw with his stuffed animals and dolls. She tried to shelter Kurt and let him find out who he was on his own, without the hateful words of the others. In doing so, Elizabeth never left her son’s side. No matter how hard the queen tried, rumors and rude comments about her son traveled throughout the kingdom. The people of Lima called him an abomination, a mistake. As far as they knew, no other native of Lima was gay. Kurt was the only one. To further the torment, some gave him a new name.

Snow White. It was whispered behind his back, hidden behind hands with snide remarks following. Many of the jeers came from the other children when he was younger. As Kurt grew older, and with the acceptance of his father, the kingdom started to warm up to the idea of their prince’s attraction to the opposite sex. The real turning point in the people’s opinion was when Kurt was eight years old. The much loved queen of Lima passed away in her sleep. Everyone felt the loss of such a warm and kind woman, a woman every Lima resident looked up to. After her burial the people took pity on Kurt and changed the way they acted towards him. They didn’t want the mourning son to have any more grief than he needed. Knowing that their pleasant words and actions were done through pity, Kurt felt worse than he ever did before. At least before he knew what people really thought of him.

He grew up and came to terms with his mother’s death and accepted her passing. As he did, so did his father. Out of the two Burt was affected by Elizabeth’s passing much more than Kurt was. He was so stricken with grief he couldn’t bear to court another woman for years following her death. Once, he told Kurt that no woman would burn brighter than the sun or warm his heart as Elizabeth did. The years passed by and Kurt and his father grew closer. Burt tried to connect with his son by giving him lessons in weapons and fighting. When he was home, Burt would have Kurt sit with him in advisory meetings. He realized very quickly the natural talent his son had in dealing with politics. He never lost his temper and gave thought out solutions to the problems at hand. He would be a fine king, Burt mused to himself often.

One day, while Kurt attended an advisory meeting, he heard the news. Burt had to marry again if he intended to keep the throne. It was custom in royalty that there be a king and queen ruling together. Each had their duties to the people. The king would deal with politics and the military side of ruling while the queen focused on the people personally. A king or queen alone could simply not perform all the duties themselves. So, when Kurt turned eighteen, his father married Sue Sylvester. She was a beautiful woman of noble blood from a kingdom far away. Kurt had never met the woman before she moved into the castle the week before the wedding ceremony.