What is going on? Blaine is the one who wants to ask Kurt the same question. There are still so many mysteries surrounding Kurt’s appearance here.

But Kurt keeps asking questions.

“Where exactly are we? Is this a dream? Who are you, really?”

“Uh. This is the kingdom of Daltonia, we’re in the castle. I don’t think this is a dream. And I told you, I’m Blaine.”

“Right. And I am Oprah Winfrey.”

Blaine has no clue who that is.

“… I, uh, don’t know what else to tell you,” Blaine says earnestly. He decides to flip the conversation. “But where are you from? A rancher found you east of Castle Town. Do you need help going home to your own kingdom?”

Kurt narrows his eyes. He doesn’t trust what Blaine’s saying, or so it seems.

“What other kingdoms are there?” Kurt challenges him.

“Oh, well. There’s the kingdom of Dobry to the east. Then there’s Stantonius to the north. West of Daltonia is Walcotte and south of Daltonia is Saint Patricius.”

There are more kingdoms that border those kingdoms, but Blaine starts with the neighbouring ones.

“This is getting freaky,” Kurt mutters, “It all lines up.”

“Lines up with what?”

“The Cooper Chronicles!”

“What are those Cooper Chronicles you speak of?”

“Everyone knows The Cooper Chronicles!”

“I don’t. Apparently.”

Kurt sighs. He seems frustrated.

“The Cooper Chronicles, written by B.D. Dalton. You know, the biggest children’s book series on Earth? Everyone who’s born in the nineties or later has read them!”

Earth? Is that the kingdom where Kurt comes from? The globe is big, and even as a prince, Blaine doesn’t know every kingdom by heart. Is Cooper famous in a kingdom he hasn’t even heard of? Does Cooper know?

“If Earth is your kingdom, we will help you find a way home, but you must’ve travelled a long way!”

“Gosh, what the fuck?” Kurt drags his hand over his face, “For the past three days, everyone’s been acting as if we’re in The Cooper Chronicles. Come on, this must be a dream!”

“What happened to you in the past three days?” Blaine quickly asks.

Kurt huffs out some air.

“I was just minding my business, walking around New York and all that, when suddenly I feel super nauseous. I lean against a wall, which, is a gross thing to do in New York since dogs piss everywhere, you know?”

Blaine doesn’t know. He also hasn’t heard of this New kingdom of York.

Kurt continues.

“Anyway, I lean against a wall and close my eyes, just to see if this nausea dies down, but when I open my eyes I am in some sort of, I don’t know, evil liar. That’s the best way to describe it. Like, it was stereotypically evil! So I am confused and walk around, trying to figure out what the fuck is going on, when someone fucking hits my head from behind and the next thing I know I am in some sort cell!”

Why didn’t Kurt tell the doctors and nurses all this?

“So I am imprisoned by some stereotypically evil looking dude, and I cannot believe what is going on and…”

Kurt suddenly trails off.

“And?” Blaine prompts.

Kurt shakes his head.

“Never mind. This… isn’t real. Or… Whatever.”

“You got hurt,” Blaine fills in the blanks.

Kurt’s eyes widen and his snappy and upbeat demeanour disappears as snow before the sun, as if he’s finally remembering something bad, as if the realisation of whatever happened sinks in.

Blaine reaches for Kurt’s hand, so he can comfort him the way nurse Marcelina did, but Kurt flinches when Blaine touches him.

Both apologise at the same time.

“Anyway,” Kurt says, a bit too loud. He continues his story, but he sounds more strained and forced. “I was only there for three days, or so I think, and well, I got out. Some idiot guard left the door open, it was almost comedic! But I had no clue where I was. I wasn’t in Kansas anymore, buddy. Or New York. Honestly, I thought I was gonna die in those woods, but then someone found me.”

“The rancher.”

“Probably,” Kurt says, “Didn’t get a good look. My eyes hurt. But my mind was a bit of a mess after enduring that man’s weird experiments, so you can’t blame me.”

What man? Experiments?

Blaine wants to ask, but since Kurt’s just pushing through, he has the feeling Kurt won’t tell him any more than that.

“Uh… If I am correct, you believe that you are in a fictional world?” Blaine asks after Kurt complains some more about the woods.

“Obviously. Daltonia is from The Cooper Chronicles. That’s what I have been saying.”

“But this place is real,” Blaine tells him carefully. He’s sure of it. This is his kingdom. He’s lived in it for his whole life. His family has been leading it for centuries, and Cooper will take over the throne once his parents abdicate. Daltonia is as real as Blaine.

“… No, something weird is going on here,” Kurt says back, sounding equally careful. It’s as if they both don’t want to upset the other. “I am either in a really weird dream, or someone is playing an insane and elaborate trick on us. Given the scope of things, I think it’s a dream.”

“This isn’t a trick!” Blaine says, sounding strained, “I am not a trick!”

Kurt looks at him with that same intense gaze. It’s still unsettling. It’s as if Kurt’s trying to make sense of Blaine.

What does Blaine make of all of this nonsense? Maybe Blaine’s miracle potion has cured Kurt from all physical pains, but as Blaine knew, it wouldn’t clear mental issues like the confusion. Kurt got hurt, that’s for certain. He said he got hit on his head. He must be really, really confused, or whatever ailment he has.

“You really think you’re prince Blaine of Daltonia, huh?”

“I am Blaine of Daltonia,” Blaine exclaims.

“Everything alright over there?” nurse Marcus asks from his desk.

Blaine doesn’t answer. He can’t take it. He turns on his heels and basically runs out of the infirmary.