Blaine was scrambling around his room one shoe on and looking for the other. He was throwing pillows off the chaise and ducking under the bed. 

"Calm down Blaine." Mike said from where he was lounging on a sofa. "Its just a shoe and you use to go barefoot all the time."

Blaine looked up from where he was kneeling by the bed. "I cant go barefoot to this. We are meeting with delegates today. It's important."

Mike sighed and shook his head in mock disapproval. "Palace life has changed you Blaine." He said with a smirk. 

Blaine raised his eyebrows and looked at Mike who was laying on the sofa in fine clothes, munching on grapes and licking juice off of his fingers.

"Really? Ive changed? Because I hardly recognize you."

Mike sat up and laughed. "I guess things have gone well for both of us then."

One of the first things Blaine had done once he and Kurt got rid of William was to go find Mike. Mike had berated him for making him worry so much, but calmed down a little when Blaine told him the story of all that had happened. 

Mike was completely appeased when Blaine asked him to come live in the palace with him. Mike was Blaines adviser and everyone in the palace immediately loved him. Not that he was a lot of help right now. 

Blaine sighed and sat on the bed his head in his hands looking defeated.

"Woah, Blaine. Whats wrong?" Mike asked seeing that his friend was actually upset. 

"This is a big deal Mike." Blaine said looking up at him. The Sultan wants me to help lead the negotiations. I need to show him and Kurt that I can do this. That they can trust me." 

"They do trust you." 

"I just dont want to let them down." 

Mikes stood up from the sofa and walked over to Blaine, sitting down next to him. "You wont. They wouldnt ask you to do this if you couldnt do it."

Blaine stuck his barefoot in the air. "Really? Because it I cant even dress myself." 

Just then they both up looked towards the door where Kurt was poking his head in. "Are you ready Blaine?" 

"He is having a crisis." Mike answered for him and Blaine shot him a glare. 

Kurt walked into the room looking regal and graceful and perfect like always. Blaine almost groaned. He would never be as much of a ruler as Kurt was just naturally. "What kind of crisis?"

"I just..." Blaine huffed out a breath. "I cant find my other shoe." 

Kurt arched an eyebrow. "When I first met you someone was about to chop off my hand and you took it in stride. Youre telling me a shoe is a crisis?"

Blaine glared at Mike again. "No. It isnt that... I just..." Blaine didnt finish, not knowing what to say. 

Kurt just nodded slowly, his eyebrows bunched like he understood what Blaine wasn't say. Then walked over to the sofa that Mike had just come from, and picked up a shoe he must have been sitting on, he held it up in the air for them both to see.

"Is this what youre looking for?" 

"Oops." Mike said looking sheepish while Blaine just flopped back on the bed in frustration. 

"Mike, you know Mercedes is showing the new girl Tina the market today." Kurt said. "You wouldnt want to help be tour guide would you?"

"Tina?" Mike said jumping up from the bed. "I could do that, yeah!" He looked back at Blaine. "Unless you want me to say."

"No, youve helped enough."

Mike smiled and spun around, running and then sliding smoothly across the tile floor until he was out of the room. 

Kurt sat down next to Blaine and handed him the shoe as Blaine sat up and put it on. 

"Are you nervous?" Kurt asked casually, glancing at Blaine with kind, earnest eyes.

"No. Of course not." Blaine answered quickly and then stopped and breathed deeply, rubbing the back of his neck. "Actually Im terrified that Im going to mess this up."

"You arent going to mess this up." Kurt said. 

"I might. I mean, who am I to act like some kind of leader?" He looked down at his feet "Im just a street rat who is way out of his depths." 

Kurt cupped Blaines face with both of his hands making him turn towards him. "You arent a street rat, you never were. Even when you lived on the streets you were much more than that." He brought their forehead together, still holding Blaines face, thumbs tracing his cheekbones. 

"Do you trust me?" Kurt asked. 

Blaines eyes widened a little before he breathed out. "Always." 

"Then trust me on this. Youre nervous and thats fine. I get nervous when my dad puts me in charge of things too, but youre ready for this. Youve had months of training and practice, you are ready to take the lead in one of these meetings. And if you dont feel ready then you just have to trust me. If you start floundering just look at me, and remember that I trust you and I love you." 

Blaine smiled and moved forward the inch it took to bring his kiss Kurt. Kurt parted his lips and kissed Blaine back, his tongue swiping across Blaines lip and gently into his mouth as Blaine brought his hands up to hold Kurts waist. 

"I love you." Blaine said as they eventually broke apart. "And I do trust you."

Kurt smiled happily, his cheeks flushed and his eyes dancing. He stood from the bed and held out his hand.

“You are going to be great and show everyone youre ready to lead." 

Blaine took his hand and stood. 

"Youve already done so much good. The people love you and things are better for the kingdom."

"Weve done so much good." Blaine clarified. "You are an amazing leader. Were good together."

 "And this time next were going to be married." Kurt said beaming. 

Blaine took Kurts other hand and spun them both around in a circle making Kurt laugh before he pulled him close to his chest. "Thats all I really want." 

They leaned in for another kiss, but then turned as they heard the doors opened again. Burt stood there looking awkwardly down at the floor and then up at the ceiling, obviously embarrassed to have interrupted them. 

Kurt leaned in to whisper in Blaine ears. "You think hed remember to knock, this isnt the worst position hes cough us in." 

Blaine flushed, both at the memory of Burt walking in on them and at the thought of what they had been doing and Kurt... like that. They may have separate rooms in the palace before the wedding, but neither of them spent many nights sleeping without the other. Which was definitely something Blaine didnt need to focus on if he was going to get through this meeting.

"The delegation has reached the palace doors." Burt said. "Are you two ready for this?"

Blaine and Kurt looked at each other and smiled. 

"Were ready." Blaine answered turning to the Sultan and then following him out with Kurt hanging on to his hand. With Kurts hand in his Blaine felt like he could do anything.