Blaineslowed on approached to the hall and looked up to the ceiling.What he was looking for hecouldn't say.It certainly wasn't divine inspiration, he'd never relied on that.He just felt like he shouldprepare for what was coming. He closed his eyes and composed himself.He put his feelings aside andhoped he was as good an actor asKurt.

The King's guard waved for him to enter the room. Most of the guests were already seated,andonly a few seats remained empty.

"Sit there,Blaine." The King instructed him to take the seat between Rachel and Sebastian.Kurt was sat on the other side of the Prince and Blaine cursed whoever had designed this seating plan.

"You ok?"Sebastianleaned over and asked when Blaine took his seat.

"Sure, yeah." Sebastian gave him a look that told him he wasn't convinced."I just feel like something's wrong," Blaine told him honestly.

"I'm sorry.I did everything I could."Sebastiansaid.

"Sorry for what?" Blaine asked but the King interrupted beforeSebastiancould reply.

"Sebastian stop hogging Blaine's attention.We have guests for him to talk to,"the King instructed.

"Of course Father, how nice of you to notice." Blaine didn't miss the extra fire present in Sebastian's glare at hisfather.

For once the King ignored Sebastian's insolence and addressed Rachel.

"Your family will make the announcement in a few days' time. Before this goes public, we will informeverybodywho needs to know. I will make the arrangements' for that and yourfathers will inform your families.I will want to see the statement they have prepared before they release it so that I can have final approval. This will be good for bothourfamilies so we need to work closely together. You will remain here until the wedding and we will discuss your future loggings at a later date." The King directed all of his words toRachel but the rest of the table were in complete silence and hanging on every word.

So they really were going ahead with this? Everyone looked uncomfortable, especially Kurt.His shoulders were hunched,which couldn't be any good for his usually perfect posture, and he was staring into the food on his place without eating much of it. Sebastian was simmering with anger and Blaine couldn't believe he was holding it in.He was avoiding both Blaine'sand hisfather's eyes. The King must have given him a real dressing down ifSebastian wasn'tmaking his thoughts known.

"Obviously once you are married,Blaine'scurrent level ofhouse arrest will be lifted.But he will still be joining the army with my son." The King said in between eating his food.

What? Why would Rachel marrying Sebastian mean thathecould leave the castle grounds? What did it have to do with him?

"Blaine,I will inform your parents tomorrow. Clearly they cannot be allowed to be involved in the weddingplans,but they will be invited. Your brother,however,will not.I cannot have him making a scene at your wedding,"the King told him.

Sebastian flinched beside him and Kurt dropped his forkat bluntness of the King's tone.

"My wedding?" Blaine asked. He must have misheard.

"Yes, your wedding to Lady Berry. We are all very excited about it,"the King informed him without inflection.

"What?" Blaine said quietly, he breathgetting in the way of his words.They...he was...hewas marrying Rachel?They couldn't be serious? Blaine panicked-his skin tingled and his breath fell short, his throat started to constrict,and his heart beat raced. His hands unconsciously gripped tighter onto his cutlery and he gulped in air to try and breathe properly again.

"Blaine, calm down.You're going to hyperventilate." Sebastian put a hand on his shoulder.

Blaine stared ahead of himself at nothing.This couldn't be happening. He took deep breaths at Sebastian's distant prompting and a concerned "Blaine?" from Kurt.

"I... I don't understand,"Blainesaidtothe King, looking between him and a worried Rachel.

"We have agreed that Rachel marrying somebody within my household would be beneficial for the country.It shows the people we are united and will lead to closer ties between the north and the south.Her marrying Sebastian or anybody of blood relation to the throne is out of the question.But your familyisstill of a high social standing and influence,so you were the clear choice. You will be very happy together."

Blaine opened his mouthbut the King stopped him. "We will discuss your concerns further in private after the meal,Blaine. For now enjoy the meal with your future wife."

Blaineknew how that conversation would go and suddenly he understood everything that Sebastian had been saying to him. He was grateful his friend was here andthe squeeze on his shoulder gave him the strength to finish the meal. He finished it in silence, but making it through at all was a triumph to him.

As the guests left the room the King told Blaine to remain behind. Rachel tried to talk to him as she walked by,but he couldn't faceher at the moment.

Whenhe wasalonewith the KingBlaine remained standing.This was not going to be a comfortable conversation and Blaine wanted to feel that he could leave as soon as possible, preferably running as fast as he could.

Unnecessarily the King told him. "This will not take long."

"Yes Sir,"Blaine said,thoughwith more stubbornness than he had ever spoken to the King.

"You will marry Lady Berryand you will do it with a smile." KingSmythetold him with an airy cool.

"Your Highness, with all due respect," Blaine took a deep breath, he couldn't quite believe he was going to argue with the King,"You can't make me do this." He felt pathetic, like he was pleading.He wouldn't stoop as low to get on his knees,that would only make the King laugh.

"Yes I can. This is for the good of the country." The King insisted as though everything he did was 'for the good of the country'.

"No!No it's not! It's for your own good,or you wouldn't be doing it!" Blaine shouted. Oh God.He'd just shouted at the King.

"You do not raise your voiceto me.I am yourKing! And you do not question me! You will do as you are told, Blaine, or I will make you." The King shouted back with fire in his eyes. Blaine took a step back. The King had threatened Blaine's mother on many occasions but had never followed through. Blaine had never doubted the King's intent, though, and knew that he wouldn't hesitate to hurt her if Blaine became too big of a problem. He'd shifted from Cooper to Blaine when Cooper had become too much for him to handle so he knew the King wouldn't hesitate to move on again.The King needed Blaine's father to keep the country running, he didn't need his mother.

"But..."

"No!" The King's voice vibrated through the room. "You will spend the night in your old chambers as punishment for your insolence." The King stepped into Blaine's personal space and stoodin front of his face, as if to intimidate him. "And, Blaine, you will not argue with me again or there will be consequences. Do you understand me?"

Blaine swallowed back his dignity and took his own advice, arguing with theSmytheswould not do anybody any good. "Yes,YourHighness,"he said with a heavy heart and a wave of shame.He'd never been so disappointed in himselffor being so foolishor proud of himselffor standing up to the Kingat the same time.

"Go and argue with your friends. Takeyour frustration out on them becauseI do not want to see or hear it next time I see you. A guard will find you and take you to your old chambers when it is time." The King absently dismissed him as he sat down.

Blaine walked out of the room still feeling in a daze. This was happening, and he couldn't do anything about it. Everyone knew and hadn't told him.The people he'd trusted had left him in the dark about something that would change his life.

Kurt and Rachel were stood waiting outside the room,holding hands anxiously.

"We're sorry, Blaine." Rachel blurted out.

Blaine sucked in his breath to fend off the tears at the sound of her apology.

"I can't... I don't even feel like I can look at you let alone talk to you.We can only do this ifyou'rewilling to listen to me shouting,becausethatmay be the only way I candeal withthis." Blaine said through gritted teeth.

"I..." Rachel started but Kurt put his hand on her arm to stop her.

"Rachel, will you let me talk to Blaine alone, I think it's best for now." He said softly.

"Of course." Rachel said with resignation. "I will see you later Blaine."

Kurt gestured for them to enter a room nearby.

Once in the room Blaine closed the door and silence engulfed them.It closed in on him and the air suffocated him. A tension took overthat he'd never felt before.He'd always been able to control his emotions but something had broken within him and it just came bursting out.

"You knew? You knew all along! I mean, this is what you came here for, for Rachel to get married. I can't believe..."

"No. Well yes,we came here for Rachel to get married andI knew that you were a possibility. A high likelihood really, but this isn't a bad thing for you, trust me on this!" Kurt pleaded, his eyes rounding desperately for Blaine to understand.

"Trust you? Why? How could this be good for me?I never had high hopes of finding someone to love and getting married but I never thought I'd getforcedinto aloveless marriage. You can't tell me Rachel loves me.I know how she feels about Finn,andI can see it and he feels the same.Why is she giving that up?"Blaine couldn't hold back.He wanted to know.More than that,he deserved to know."Tell me the truth, Kurt.What's really going on?"He'd known they were holding backbut he never thought it was about something that would involve him so directly. Now was time for him to know everything they should have already told him.

"I can't, I can't tell you." Kurt shut hissorrowfuleyes.

"So you're asking me to trust you when you won't trust me?" Blaineaskedin disbelief.Everyonewasusing him,and he was just expected to go along with it without causing any problems and with asmile on his face. He wasn't going totake thislying down.He didn't have a choice about going through with it but he could demand to know the whole truth.

"No, it's not that I don't trust you. I do.But I alsoknowthat you're a good friend-you showed me that this morning.You're a good friend to Sebastian, and I can't ask you to choose." Kurt's handsflewout as thoughto grab hold of Blaine but retracted at the last moment, Blaine was glad as he didn't want to flinch away from him and make thingsevenmore uncomfortable.

"You want me to sacrifice my right to find loveandto trust a bunch of people I've only just met, knowing that it'sgoing tomean something bad for my friend? Are youlistening to yourself?Are youserious?" Blaine's anger was dissipatingand all that was left was disappointment, mostly in himself for getting caught up in believing in these... strangers. Why was he still so naive about people?

"You are not sacrificing love, Blaine. Rachel is not going to hold you to anything.She knows you don't want to be with her-you canstillbe with whoever you want.Please don't give up on love." Kurt stared at him with hope in his eyes and Blaine wanted desperately to believe him but things had gone beyond that.He couldn't let himself trust so easily again. "And if things go to plan you won't actually have to get married, but I can't promise you that yet."

"I would ask what you mean by that but I know I'll not get answers.I...I need you to gonow. Please,"Blaine said staring at the ground. Kurt left,telling him he was sorry again.

Blaine took a moment to compose himself.He wasn't going to let thetearsin his eyes fall. It wasn't even the marriage that he was so upset about.He'd just been so stupidtrustingin people he didn't know.Hefelt as if hecouldn't trust anyone anymore, not even his own judgement.

Sebastian was waiting for him outside. "My turn?" He asked asBlaine walked back into the room, Sebastian shutting the door behind him.

"So this is what youwere talkingabout the other day?" He asked. He wasn't angry at Sebastian.He was the one person he couldn't be angry at.BlaineknewSebastian hadwantedhimto knowfrom the outset,but that wasn't his choice.

"Yeah.Myfathermade the decision a few days ago when he'd received the message from theBerrys'. He thought it was a stroke of genius giving them you and I just wanted to punch his smug face."

"I heard a little through the doors, but I got the wrongidea,I suppose.Did you really want to marry me?" Blaine asked.

"Yeah, why not?" Sebastian shrugged.

"Because we're not in love." Blaine pointed out, though he thought it should be obvious.

"So? I like you, you like me-and you'rehot,I knowthe sex would be amazing." Sebastian explained.

"That's not why you're supposed tomarry. It's not what I want to marry for,andIdon't think you do either." Blaine reasoned.

"No, but do you really think I'mgoing to love oneofthe girls myfathersets me up with?I'm not going to marry for love,andI know that.At least with you I'd be happy.It may not be love but it'd be fun." Blaine couldn't argue with Sebastian'sreasoning.He may not agree with it,but he could understand it and he appreciated the sentiment behind it.

"Thank you. Thank you for standing up for me." Blaine tookSebastian'shand and squeezed it.

"You know I'll do whatever I can for you." Sebastian pulled Blaineinto a hug."But that does not include being nice to Berry and Hudson."

Blaine smiledas they broke apart. "Right now, that's more than acceptable to me."

One of the King's guard entered the room without knocking. "Time to go."

"Go where?" Sebastian asked assuming they were looking for him.

"Not you, my Prince.Him." The guard pointed at Blaine.

"Same question then. Go where?" Sebastian insisted, putting his arm out in front of Blaine so that he couldn't pass beforeSebastiangot an answer.

"I may have argued with the King,after the meal, and...um...said some things I shouldn't have." Blaine winced as he told Sebastian, ashamed of his own stupidity.He'd known it would only get him in trouble but hadn't been able to stop himself.

"So, where's he sending you?"Sebastiandemanded with a look that said he knew the answer,but was drawing this out with the hope that he was wrong.

"My old chambers for the night." Blaine confirmed.

Sebastian balled his fists. "For arguing aboutbeing forced into marriage?What did he expect?I can't believe thatbast..."

"Sebastian, don't. It's not going to do any good, and I don't want you getting in anymore trouble for me, especially when it won't help.There's no way to get out of this now. I'll be fine."

"You won't be fine."Sebastianlooked him in the eyes and Blaine knew he was right, but he needed to stay strong for this.

"We need to go." The guard grabbed Blaine's arm.

"Hey, be careful!"Sebastianshouted at the guard who loosened his grip.

Blaine smiled in thanks.

"I'll be waiting for you in the morning." Sebastian reassured him looking as resigned as Blaine had ever seen him.

Blaine followed the guard through the corridors to the outskirts of the living chambers, next to the kitchens. In between the last chamber and the first kitchen was a small door that led towhat was meant to be a pantry,but had been used as Blaine'schambersfroma young age. He'd been put in there in an attempt to keep Cooper under control but it hadn't worked.His brother had onlyreacted worse,so Blaine was left thereevery night. Once Cooper hadbeen shipped off with the armyand Blaine had proved he wasn't going to cause the sameproblemshis brother had,he'd been allowed his current chambers,leavinghis former living space a distant memory. TheKing liked to remind him of it and threaten him with it every so often, but this was the first time he'd followed throughin years.

The lasttime he'd been locked in the room had been afterhe'd snuck into the music room to play the grand piano. Cooper wasgone and the King was ignoring him, so Blaine had thought he'd get away with it seeing as he'd been so well behaved. He was wrong, he'd broken one of the King's rules and the King made sure he'd remember it. He remembered every moment of that room. It still made him feel like the small, lostboy left alone in the dark, not understanding what was happening or knowing what he'd done wrong. The first time, he didn't know when or even ifhe'd ever be let out. That hollowness had left a scar on his heart despite knowing better now.

The guard opened the door and shoved Blaine inside. Hestumbled andwas immediately overcome with a sensory overload, even the smell of this place was the same. The guard closed the door behind himas he regained his footing,leaving himinthe 4ft by 4ft concrete box that was just tall enough for him to stand in. He'd neverbeforebeen so grateful for his lack of height. The floor was as cold as he remembered so he took off his jacketand laidit on the floor where he sat. There was no light,not even around the edges of the door,only sounds of people walking by or moving things in the kitchen. When he was younger the sounds had kept him going, reminding him he wasn't alone and there was a world out there beyondthese dark walls.

The dark, cold, confined space still haunted his dreams.Time was abstract here,so it always felt much longer than it actually wasand the longer he was there the fear took over that he'd never be allowed out. The King had threatened it enough and staring at the darkness for so long only made him believe those threats.Sleep never came. Hewasn't afraid of the dark, he was afraid of the silence. It was asthoughif he fell asleepandhe couldn't hear the noises outside, then hewould lose that connection to reality. He'd spent every night in here for years, alone with his thoughts and only the noises to keep him attached to life.

He pulled his knees up and hugged them tight, resting his chin. He was no longer the child he'd been last time he was here,but he felt just as vulnerable and lost now as he did then. He would learnfrom this. Hewould take what had happened today and build a shell around himself. He couldn't continue being the same stupidnaiveboy. He knew who to trust now, and thatcertainlydidn't include strangers from out of town who appeared friendlyand kind. No.He could trust his brother-Cooper might not always be successful but he'd do anything for Blaine,as Blaine would for him. He could trust hisparents to a degree, he could trust in them tokeep him alive.They would do anything for that,even if it meant hurtinghimin theprocess, thatwas all they could do. And he could trustSebastian.He knew Sebastian as well as he knew himself. And they were it, all that he could trust. Tina and Martha were friends who would never purposefully do anything to hurt him,butthey had other priorities.Tina had already left him once. He'd never blame her for that but he wouldn't forget it either.

Rachel was going to be his wife. He needed to get hisheadaround it and get used to it fast, so that he could deal with it and move on.He wished itwerethat easy. He rubbed a hand over his tired eyes.They were already hurting and it was only the start of the night.It just seemed like such a foreign conceptto marry Rachel, so differentfromanything he'd everimagined about his future life. Kurt,a life with him, or someone like him...that's what he'd imagined, but that was never going to happen now.No matter how remote the chances had been before, now he couldn't even dream, and definitely not aboutKurt. Kurt who had immediately attracted him and captivated him with his intelligence and wit, had turned outto be Blaine's weakness, a weakness he wasn't going to allow anymore.

He couldn't hate them.He knew they were doing what they believed they hadto doand he couldn't blame them for that. He blamed himself, he'd disappointed himself more than anyone.Blaine had let himself believe that he'd made friends he could trust.Butreally they hadonlybefriended him so they could use him as a pawn in their plans. If hehad known aboutthe plans then maybe he'd be okay with them. He might have even agreed to it if they'd been honest with him upfrontand given him the time to consider it. But they wouldn't trust him,so how could hetrust that their plans really wereforthe best.

Too trustingandtoo naïve-Cooper had always told him to toughen up and Blaine hadalwaysthought he'd meant physically,sohehad learnt to fight,bothwith a sword and without. He was only now starting to see that Cooper had meant emotionally. Cooper didn't care what anyone thought about him,what he believedwas all that mattered. Blainehadthought Cooper was closing himself off to the world, but now he could see that it protected him. Cooperwould never be let down by others because he had no expectations of them.

He spent the rest of the night going in circles between getting angry with himself, with Kurt and Rachel, and beating himself upforbeing so pathetic.

Eventually the noises stopped outside so he concentrated on his breathing. On everyinhalehe thought ofhisfamily and everyexhalehe thought of his friends. He pulled his legs in tighter and dipped his forehead. He stayed like that until the noises came back, hoping that it was nearly morning.

Hishead was heavy and his eyes were burning when the door finally opened and light gleamed into the room. Sebastiancameinto the room and pulled Blaineto his feet before he'd even tried to stand by himself. He was shaky but remained upright, soon regaining his balance.

"Let's get you out of here."Sebastianput his arm around Blaine's shoulder and they walked out of the room.

Once they were away from the guard who had opened the door, Sebastian askedif he was okay.

Blaine nodded. "I just need some sleep, I'm not used to it anymore,"he confessed.

"Blaine, it's more than just a lack of sleep." Sebastian argued.

"I know. I really didn't need to be left all night with just my own thoughts for company. It only servedtofrustrateme further. ButI'm too exhausted todeal withit, so a lack of sleepiswhat I am focusing on."

"Okay, I'll accept that. We'll talk about it later, or I can just punch the gay face offofHudson. Your choice?" Sebastian said lightly.Blainewould have takenthatas reassurance that he was joking but he was pretty certain Sebastianwouldgladlydo it if Blaine gave him the go ahead.

"We'll talk, I promise. Just not right now." Blaine reassured him. He did want to talk eventhough Sebastian's point of view would be biased. Atleast it was another point of view to his own.Maybe he'dthenbeable to see things more clearly instead of the fog he felt over him right now.

When they reached the corridor of Blaine's room he saw three figures waiting outside his door. Tina ran up to him. "Blaine!" She wrapped her arms around him, pulling him from Sebastian's grip."I'm so sorry I couldn't find you. Where have you been?"

"Where do you think he was, Tina?" Sebastianasked.

"He didn't put you back in there did he? You told me he only ever threatened you with it and neverfollowedthrough." Tina hugged him tight and Blaine would have happily gone to sleep with his head resting on her shoulder, but another voice brought his attention back to the corridor.

"Back in where?" Rachel asked. She and Kurt stepped closer but not too close. They tentatively kept their distance.

"What are you doing here?" Blaine asked over Tina's shoulder, ignoring both of the girls' questions.

"I'm sorry, they wanted to know you were okay andtheywouldn't leave me until we found you. I didn't think you'd mind." Tina kept hugging him andhe was thankful as it provided a barrier between him and Kurt and Rachel.

"Don't worry, it's not your fault Tina." Blaine reassured her.

"Where did theyput you, Blaine? We were worried." Kurt asked again, carefully taking a step closer.It made Blaine want to take a step back. It felt likethey had some sort of power over him, if he got tooclose to them he wasgoing tofall under theirspelland lose his newfoundbetterjudgement.

"In his old chambers." Tina said as she let go of Blaine. Blaine did take a step back when he lost her protection. Sebastian stepped closer with a glare at Kurt.

"And you don't like them?" Kurt asked, clearly searching for a direct answer to a question he didn't want to directlyask.

"No." Blaine answered simply.

"Why?" Rachel asked, ever persistent.

When Blaine wasn't forth coming Sebastian answered for him."Because it's a freaking concrete cupboardfull of joythat'swhy." Sebastian spat at them.

"Oh." Rachel said looking down at the floor.

"So they... locked you in a box?" Kurt asked.

Blaine shrugged. He didn't feel like explaining, he just wanted to sleep.

"Look, why don't you just leave him alone." Sebastian physically stepped in front of him this time, cutting off any eye contact he could have made with Kurt.

"We just wanted to make sure he was okay... with everything..." Rachel explainedfeebly.

"Well that's not going to happen,so shuffle offbacktomunchkinland." Sebastian looked at them asifthey were dirt on the bottom of his shoe and for once Blaine didn't feel ashamed of his friend's dismissive nature.

"Blaine, we need to talk about this." Kurt tried to pull Sebastian aside and reach Blaine.

"What I need is to sleep." Blaine snapped."I'll talk later,but right now I need you to leave me alone so that I can sleep."

"Okay." Kurt nodded, stepping back. "Sure. We'll be here. Well not right here...theoretically here...you get what I mean. We'll be here when you're ready."

"And, again,we're sorry." Rachel said as she took Kurt's hand to walk away.

"Bye, bye-bye now." Sebastian waved them off. "You too Tina.Pretty boy needs his beauty sleep."

Tina turned to leave but before shedidshe asked; "Can you tell me what's happening?"

"I don't even know."Blaine shruggedand opened the door to his room.

"You just get some sleep and leave me to take care of it." Sebastianreassured him.

"Thank you." Blaine said.He walked into his room and collapsed on the bed, falling asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.

TBC...