Today Was A Fairytale

Chapter 3: Liar Liar, Pants On Fire

Finn had gotten ready as his mother wished but it wasn't for Quinn and Lady Fabray. He was hoping to impress Rachel a little bit when she came back, if she came back.

He still didn't fully understand how it all worked with the cabinet. He supposed it was magic, something that wasn't entirely unbelievable within their world. Professor Schuester often spoke of it even if he didn't himself practice it. Whatever it was Finn hoped it would happen again and soon.

Standing in the doorway between his room and balcony, Finn looked out at the garden below. It was a giant maze that was so easy to get lost in for hours. Though he was standing above it merely looking down he somehow still felt like he was in the maze.

Everything was so difficult to navigate once his father died. Finn wasn't supposed to become king until much later in life but instead he became the youngest king since his great-great-great grandfather. He had only been 17 at the time, still just a kid who wanted nothing more than to play sports with his friends, mess around with girls and just generally slack off. But then his father got sick.

It had come on fast and for days it was like he was waging war within his body. Fever took hold and wouldn't release no matter how hard he tried and the whole time Finn had stood by helplessly not even being able to visit for fear that he too would catch the sickness and perish. He was the end of the Hudson line, not even a sister or close male cousin to take over if Finn was gone. Bat-shit-crazy Aunt Sue would take power and it would spell certain doom for everyone if that happened.

The pressure on Finn became so much greater with his father's last breath therefore making every decision that much more important. Finn never knew what to do. He wasn't ready to rule over an entire kingdom yet, he could barely decide on orange or apple juice for breakfast! So his mother played regent.

Queen Carole had been an amazing ruler since King Christopher had passed. She had played mother to all when that was exactly what the kingdom needed and brought people out of their sadness over the loss of their king. She brought prosperity and peace to McKinley and her guidance had been equal to any man that had ever ruled. The only problem was, no one knew all she had done as every order, every idea had gone through Finn.

Since she had only married into the family she couldn't be the leader herself. It was a stupid rule that Finn wished to abolish so she could take over but Carole refused to allow it. She never wished to rule. She wanted her son to step up and take control and be the leader everyone needed and wanted but he never had. Finn wanted to. He wanted so bad to be the king everyone wanted and needed but there was so much self-doubt within him he was afraid to even try.

Then there was the whole issue of finding a wife. Before his father died he had all the time in the world to search for the right woman and to fall in love. But then his father did die and all time was lost. For six years his mother had been trying to force him into marriages he didn't want. He knew he needed to find someone to carry on the line but no one felt right.

He never knew how to get out of the maze.

"Finn?" a melodic voice called from behind him. He turned around to come face to face with the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen.

Rachel stood before him nervously playing with the hem of the most scandalous thing he'd ever seen a lady wear. She was showing off so much skin he was afraid he'd pop a boner right then and there.

"That's quite the outfit," he choked out adjusting his blue overcoat.

Rachel looked down at herself. "It was really warm out today."

"I wish all women were as bold as you to dress like that when it was warm." His eyes smoldered as he stared at the tanned skin of her upper body before they lowered to look at her shapely legs.