Chapter 48

"Kurt," Blaine breathed.

Kurt grinned, looking a little nervous, "Do you like it?"

"It's...it's perfect. Thank you."

Kurt had created a small shelter in the garden, overlooking the fountain with a love seat inside, made of lots of tiny flower petals sewn into one another. The shelter was made of sticks that had been tied together, and stood only just tall enough for Kurt to duck inside to sit down. The sticks were wrapped with hundreds of tiny white and yellow lights, like fireflies and stars twirling in a waltz. In front of the shelter was a burning fire that was dancing excitedly, flames reaching up as though to touch the stars above them before falling back to the ground with a crackle of effort.

Kurt lifted up a colorful bag, "I bought marshmallows," he offered with another grin.

Blaine let out a lung full of laughter and shook his head, "I was not expecting this."

"That was the point, " Kurt stuck out his tongue, "Come sit with me."

Blaine wasted no time following Kurt inside, throwing himself down on the seat with a huff of effort, "How did you even come up with this?"

"I don't know...you've always loved the garden," Kurt shrugged, "It's peaceful and quiet."

"Very true," Blaine sat forward, rubbing his hands together and warming himself in the glow of the fire.

"And it's probably the only time I can be alone with you today."

Blaine pouted, "Don't say that. You must be exhausted, when did you do all this?"

"I'm running on excitement and sugar, don't worry," Kurt winked.

"Sugar?" Blaine asked, raising an eyebrow.

Kurt held up the single bag of marshmallows, "There used to be three bags of these...""

Blaine laughed, sitting back again and curling up against the Prince's welcoming side, "Wow."

"Want some before I eat this pack as well?" Kurt asked, blushing slightly.

"Always," Blaine replied.

Kurt bit his lip and struggled to rip open the brightly colored packet while Blaine tried not to laugh, "Er...can you...?"

Blaine laughed, "Sure," taking the bag and..., " Oh my God. Why is this so hard to open?"

Kurt smirked, "That's karma for laughing at me."

"I wasn't laughing at you," Blaine grunted, screwing up his face as he attempted to tug the bag open.

"Yes you were. Come on, my sugar high is turning into a low," Kurt teased.

Blaine put the bag beside him and shook out his limbs, before rubbing his hands together, "Right," He said determinedly, "Let's do this."

Kurt laughed, putting his hands on Blaine's arm, "Aww, my big strong man."

"One...two...three," Blaine gave the bag a sharp tug....and the bag split directly in half from the sudden force, the pink and white fluffy pillows inside spilling into the dewy grass and mud beneath their feet.

"Aw no," Kurt pouted, reaching out as if to catch them, "Now it's all ruined. We were going to toast marshmallows under the stars and..."

"Hey, look," Blaine held up a single marshmallow that had remained in the bag, "How about we toast a marshmallow under the stars?"

Kurt laughed, "You have it. It's your birthday."

"You did all the hard work. Plus if it's my birthday I should be able to choose who gets the marshmallow."

"I've already eaten too many," Kurt protested as Blaine skewered it and held it over the burning fire.

Blaine paused, turning the treat slowly in the heat of the flames, "Share it?"

Kurt pursed his lips in a smile, "Okay."

Blaine grinned in triumph, "I love you more than the sugary goodness of this marshmallow."

"I..." Kurt stopped and went pale.

"Kurt...are you okay?"

"Hmmm," Kurt nodded, clenching his teeth, "One second."

"What? Kurt what's...?"

Kurt stood up and walked away briskly with a stiff back and his arms swinging by his sides.

"Kurt, what's wrong?" Blaine called, hesitating on the edge of his seat as he decided whether to follow, "Kurt?"

Blaine stood up...and sat down...and stood up again, looking into the fire for a brief second before walking around the side of the shelter, "Kurt? Where are you?"

"I'm fine, I'm....one second."

Kurt's voice was close but Blaine couldn't work out where it was coming from. Around him was a circle of thick shrubs that Kurt was probably hiding behind, the waterfall muffled the sound but Blaine was certain he could hear something from directly in front of him.

"Kurt?" Blaine asked, walking forward slowly with his hands clasped together in front of him.

The Prince appeared looking extremely pale.

"Kurt, are sick?"

Kurt shook his head, a bit of color coming back to his cheek as he blushed, "Er...too many marshmallows I think."

Blaine bit back a laugh, "Oh Honey," he shook his head.

"We...we may need to tell everyone to stay away from that flower bed for a while."

Blaine really did laugh that time.

"Urgh, Blaine this isn't funny. Everything's ruined," Kurt huffed, crossing his arms across his chest.

"No, no it's not," Blaine shook his head, "Don't worry."

"How is it not ruined?"

"It's just memorable," Blaine smirked, "Come on, we can still watch the sunrise together, " he held out his hand.

Kurt looked at it for a few seconds before he sighed, "Fine."

With Blaine around he couldn't keep the smile off his face for long.

●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●

"Okay, okay Blaine sit right there."

"Here?"

"No, there. "

"There?"

"No, here....where I'm pointing. "

"Oh here?"

"Okay, now you're doing it to annoy me," Kurt laughed, shoving Blaine lightly by the shoulders so he fell back into the big comfy arm chair behind, the burning a bright orange beside him.

"What am I waiting for?" Blaine asked, leaning back against the cushions.

"You're waiting for a surprise," Kurt sat on the arm of the chair, threading his fingers affectionately through Blaine's newly trimmed curls.

Blaine groaned like a puppy having his belly rubbed, "So was my much needed haircut part of my birthday gift?"

"That depends."

"On what?"

"If you like it."

"I love it."

"Then yes," Kurt moved his hand from Blaine's curls, sliding down his cheek to cup his chin and make him look up at the Prince, "It was," he pressed a small kiss to the Slaves lips.

"I loved that too," Blaine informed.

"Should we come back later?" Cassy asked, a large group of people standing behind her.

Kurt blushed and laughed, "No, come in!"

Everyone filed in, the seats soon filled up and people started standing in tightly packed rows. When the seemingly endless group came to a stop, there was silence for a brief second...before a loud chorus of voice yelled.

"Happy birthday!"

Blaine laughed, giving a few claps of delight at seeing all his friends in one place, Kurt hadn't seen him this happy in a long time, "Thank you!"

"Time for presents?" Kurt suggested, still sticking close to Blaine's side.

"Actually I was thinking cakes first. The fresher the better," Cassy chewed her lip.

Blaine grinned, "Cake? Yum!"

Kurt laughed, "Okay then, cake it is."

"I think it's easier to go into the kitchen rather than bringing them in here."

Kurt hopped up, offering Blaine his hand before the two walked out the door and down the corridor, the other members of the party following just behind them.

"Wow, these are so cool!" Blaine grinned. He and Kurt entered the kitchen first, arm in arm. and Blaine with a small skip in his step.

Kurt has ranged each cupcake in on a cake stand, '1' at the top working all the way down to number '18' at the bottom. The stand was dark green, with purple flowers bursting from the top, the leaves and petals bending around to create a handle. Each cupcake's icing was a different shade of the rainbow, but all of them a bright deep color. The icing wrapped around and around in a swirl till it peaked at the top, where Kurt at stuck a edible flower of the same color and a cut out number. Behind the stand was the larger cake, cut out and decorated like the shape of a green and gold bowtie, a replica of the one that Kurt had purchased for the Slave previously.

"They're too pretty to eat," Blaine decided, as the large group of people gathered around the island kitchen counter.

A few mumbled in agreement but Cassy pushed her way through the group of talking people and stood in front, picking up the eighteenth cupcake and cupping it in her hands.

"But they're too yummy not to. You have to have this one, because you're eighteen," Cassy smiled, "Right Kurt?"

"Of course."

Blaine laughed, taking the seemingly innocent cupcake, "Okay...but...actually the first one looks like it has more icing."

Cassy gritted her teeth, "But it's your eighteenth birthday."

"Which means I should have the one with the most icing," Blaine gave the eighteen cupcake to Kurt and walked past Cas to grab the first, "Everyone take one."

There were only two left when everyone had selected their cake.

Kurt then started a chorus of happy birthday to wish everyone, apart from Cassy, started to join in.

"Kurt do you want to swap?" She asked. But no one could hear her over the loud singing.

The song came to an end and everyone, including Kurt, took a bite of their cake.

Cassy slipped away out of sight.

"Oh wow these are so good," Blaine grinned, green icing smeared on his cheek.

Everyone in the room was immersed in chatter, including Blaine who had turned to chat happily to one of the gardeners behind him.

Kurt blinked a few times, finding himself feeling a little dizzy.

He gripped the edge of the counter, he knees shaking beneath him.

"B-Blaine?" He tried, his voice coming out as no more than a whisper, "Blaine...Blaine I'm..."

"Sir, are you okay?" Someone asked.

Blaine turned, "Kurt?"

"I...I....," Kurt stuttered, before his grip on the counter went slack and he fell backwards, Blaine only just managing to catch him in time before his head hit the hard floor beneath.

"Kurt? Kurt? Can you hear me?" Blaine cradled his head, swallowing the panic in his throat, his cake lying a few feet away icing side down, "Get help." He looked up at the group staring down at the two in shock, "Someone get help."

●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●

"It can't be nothing," Blaine snapped, sitting beside Kurt's bed later in the day.

The Prince was not in the medics room but in his own, changed into his pyjamas and warm in his bed. He was propped up by many fluffy pillows, his eyes remained closed and his face peaceful. If Blaine knew no better he would think he was simply asleep, but he did know better, and sat there holding his hand brought made him feel helpless and frustrated.

"That's what they said," Burt replied, limping over the chair on the other side of his son's slumber, "They can't find anything the matter."

Blaine frowned, "Are you okay?"

"What? Oh, yeah yeah, don't' worry about me. I'm just an old man," Burt laughed, falling heavily into the chair and gripping his sons pale hand.

Blaine looked at the floor, "Not that old."

Burt chuckled, "I'm too old...He's really cold."

Blaine chewed his lip, squeezing the Prince's hand even tighter, "I know.....I'm sorry Sir."

"For what kid?"

"I know....well I know I have made things every difficult and awkward for you," Blaine frowned, "It was never my intention too."

"Don't apologise," Burt shook his head, "Kurt's been a little tike from the day he was born. I wasn't expecting him to get any easier to handle with age," he laughed fondly, "Besides, who wants a boring life?"

Blaine laughed, not sure what to say.

"This is going to cause an uproar," Burt muttered, mostly to himself.

Blaine looked up, "What is?"

"Kurt. The kingdom love him, just as much as they love you. When they learn he's out cold they're going to....," he stopped and sighed, "Bad things are coming. I can feel it building. It makes me almost glad he won't see it."

Blaine shuddered.

●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●

Day's turned to weeks and Kurt remained asleep, breathing soundly. Blaine however barely slept at all. Burt had been right of course, as soon as news of the Prince had been leaked the Kingdom blamed the governors. Whispers of talks and revolts echoed around the streets and market, and even in the halls of the castle. In a month every male in the Kingdom had joined forces, gathering weapons and knowledge, and by the end of the second a war to bring the governors down seemed impossible to prevent. Even the King had gone quiet. He and Blaine did nothing but sit by Kurt's slumbering side, occasionally chatting about future or past events, but never the present. The King's face was deep with wrinkles, dark circles appeared under his eyes and his weight plummeted. Everything was barely holding together, and Blaine could do nothing but sit there and wait for the end. Still the weather remained cold and waiting also, everyday snow threatened but never fell.

Two and a half months after Kurt had fell, Blaine and Burt were sat drinking hot drinks with the fire burning in silence. Suddenly the Slave stood up and Burt looked at him in shock.

"Blaine, what...?"

"I'm joining the revolt," Blaine announced, "I can't just sit here. Not for a second longer, it's driving me insane. What if it was the governors that did this to Kurt? Maybe bringing them down will help him. Either way, all I known is that sitting here isn't going to help at all."

"What if he wakes up?" Burt stood up on weak legs.

"You'll still be here," Blaine told him, "Send me a message and I'll come straight back."

Burt sat back down, not able to do much else these days. He was quiet for a second, "Got the armory. Tell them to give you the best weapons and armor we have and give the rest to help the cause. Take money, whatever you need. You're right. We have to do something, I'm not much use anymore, but you are."

Blaine nodded, marching out of the room only to return a few seconds later, "Thank you...take care of him, for me as well as you."

"Of course."

Blaine walked over a pressed a single kiss to Kurt's forehead, "Goodbye my Love, I'll return to you if it's the last things I do."

Blaine turned again and marched out again, determination and passion radiating from his every core. It was only four hours later he left carrying a blade used in the wars he'd read about in his history books, and armor that was light enough for him to fight but strong enough to protect him. A few of the Slaves followed behind him in the same attire, having heard of his plan and wanting to join too. Behind them a horse carried a huge cart filled with supplies. As the group left the first flake of snow fell from the heavens.