Blaine had not wanted to leave Kurt. He had wanted to wrap his arms around him, wake him up with loving kisses, and see how far his body would allow him to go; but Burt had come and then Noah, and now he was walking to the dungeons listening to Noah confide to him as if they had been long time friends.

"She wants to bring Beth here to live. She wants to set up her own clinic in town and stay and help Westerville rebuild. And I can understand that and all, our nomadic life isn't great for raising kids, but I'm not good at anything else. I don't have any good trade skills, but how am I suppose to leave Beth behind. She's my daughter and Quinn just thinks she can make all the decisions about her..."

Blaine placed a hand on Noah's back. "I think you have more skills than you realize. For what it's worth, I would be happy to see you stick around here."

"Thanks man." Noah replied and then paused as they reached the entrance. "You go ahead. I will stay behind you and stay quiet unless you indicate otherwise. I think Burt just wants a second set of ears to remember everything they might say."

Blaine nodded as he pushed the door open, looking to the guard there who indicted with a jut of her head that Hunter and Sebastian were in cells to the left of the door.

Blaine walked as smoothly as he could, not wanting them to know the extent of the damage to him. He saw them lift their heads, each in separate cells but adjacent to one another. Their jaws dropped and they looked at one another to see if the other was seeing the same thing - namely that Blaine was alive and apparently alright.

"Gentleman!" Blaine purposely put on a big voice and clasped his hands behind his back to give a show of superiority.

"Lucky bastard..." Hunter snarled and Blaine took special note of the slashes healing up across his face. He would have to give Cat some kind of treat for that.

"You've been beating on me for years. Clearly you're not very good at it because once again, you've left me quite alive again." Blaine said, not looking at either of them directly. "I would suggest going into another occupation at this point because it's quite clear you're not skilled enough to make a simple kill."

"What the hell do you want? To gloat? To kill us yourself?" Sebastian had come up to the bars and held them, as close to Blaine as he could get,

"No. I want you to tell me where my father is and what he's planning." Blaine said coldly, eyes darkening as he stared down his nose at Sebastian.

"Well good bloody luck. We aren't saying shit." Hunter snapped.

"I don't think you're going to have much of a choice." Blaine said, turning his gaze to Hunter, "By the way. How are you going to explain away those scratches? I can't imagine getting attacked by a cat is going to impress the ladies."

Hunter jumped towards the bars and snapped, "Come over here you little bitch! Let me finish what I started."

Noah took a step forward behind him but Blaine raised a hand to stop him. He had expected to rile them up, he had counted on it.

"No thanks. I'm good for little bumps and bruises today." Blaine smirked.

Sebastian had remained much more calm than his compatriot. "Why would we tell you where your father is?"

Blaine looked back at Sebastian, "Because." He took a step towards the bars, "If you don't then I'll have you tied up and put back into the passages. You think my father will accept your failure and humiliation? You have a much better shot working with me than against me."

Sebastian went pale and the cell beside him shook as Hunter rattled the bars, yelling obscenities. It was clear that Sebastian would be the one to appeal to here.

"How, how do you know that you wouldn't kill me... us anyhow once you get the information you want?" Sebastian stammered as he spoke.

Blaine spoke slowly in response, wanting to watch Sebastian squirm a little before he gave him any reprieve. "When you would beat on me, hit me, burn me with pokers, or just tell me once again how worthless I was - did I ever, at any point, ever fight back or try to hurt you?"

Sebastian slowly shook his head, keeping his eyes on Blaine.

"Did it ever cross your mind then that I didn't retaliate, not because I couldn't, but because I wouldn't? I am not my father. I won't stand here and tell you that I will take you back into my home as my own guards if you tell me what I want to know because that will never happen. I will tell you though that I will let you live."

Sebastian backed up a couple steps and sat down on the cot in his cell, he remained pale and his eyes fixed at the space before him.

"You have exactly one minute to decide before I order you to be returned to the passages." Blaine stated.

Throughout all of this, Hunter continued to rattle his cage and spit towards Blaine, who deftly ignored him. He had spent years ignoring Hunter's rage, this was nothing.

"Can I ask you... first... why?" Sebastian looked up through the bars at Blaine.

"Why what?"

"Why did you write that message? It was what set him off. Why not send nothing." Sebastian responded.

Blaine didn't have to look to know Noah was making a mental note of that. Blaine had told no one about the message.

"Why did I write to him that I wouldn't help him? That he should surrender for his own good?" Blaine elaborated, more for Noah's sake than Sebastians since he knew it would be reported.

Sebastian nodded.

"Because he should. Just because I let you beat me for years doesn't mean I don't have courage. If I didn't have courage I would have killed myself long ago so I wouldn't have to face another beating, another admonishment for wanting to do what was right. I wanted to make sure I gave him the opportunity to do the right thing too, as a final gesture from son to father."

Sebastian looked down at his hands for a moment and then looked up, "Do you have a scribe? I'll give you what I know."

"Mother f-ing cuntbag slut shit..." continued the voice in the adjacent cell.

Blaine felt a lot more at ease in his body on the way back from the dungeon. He had finally done something right. He felt like this is what a leader would feel like. This is what it was to have confidence. He could do this.

In the main hall, he was directed back to his room when he went looking for Burt. Burt and Kurt were no doubt visiting and he hoped Kurt would forgive him for taking this on himself.

He came into the room, all smiles as he saw Burt and Kurt sitting at the table with serious faces. Both looked to him and remained quiet. Blaine realized they were waiting for him to speak.

"Noah has maps and their plan of action. He's coordinating with Finn right now to storm the passages." Blaine waited for applause, or at least a clap.

"Blaine... that's wonderful..." Kurt said, a smile touching his face for a moment before he resumed being stoic and looking to the table.

"I will speak with them about it right away." Burt said, getting up and giving Blaine a pat on the shoulder as he walked by him and out the door. "Good work."

Blaine stood for a moment, feeling lost. "Did I miss something...?"

Kurt stood up and shook his head, coming up to Blaine and checking him over, "You better not have opened your stitches pushing yourself this afternoon. I'd be upset but you clearly got results that my father really needed... so thank you." He gave Blaine a peck on the cheek, his face remaining ever serious.

Blaine reached back to set his hands on Kurt's waist, "Hey. I'm sorry I went without you. Don't be mad at me. Please. I don't think I could take it."

Kurt's mouth twitched at the corners and he took Blaine's hands from his sides, leading him back to the bed. "I need to talk to you about something."

Oh god. He's changed his mind. He's leaving. Blaine must have looked panicked as those thoughts went through his head because Kurt took his face in his hands, "Hey. Don't worry. It's nothing bad... at least I don't think it is."

Blaine looked at Kurt, watching his face, trying to figure out what was going on in his mind, wanting desperately to feel his kiss and run his hands over his body. He kept himself still though, bracing himself for whatever Kurt said.

"My father met with Noblewoman Sylvester again today..." Kurt began, and Blaine winced, knowing how often Burt had been meeting with the caustic woman to argue about Blaine becoming the ruler. Maybe they had found a way for Blaine to get out of being the king.

"She actually had a really good idea... but my father wants us to decide if it's the right idea."

Blaine nodded with some urgency. Kurt was drawing this out and he just wanted to know what was going on.

"So... Blaine... How would you feel about..." Kurt stopped, and a flush came over his face. "Wait... I can't tell you like this."

Blaine scrunched his face up and followed Kurt with his gaze as he pulled away and walked to the wardrobe, searching through his bins, and leaving Blaine there alone and confused as hell.

"Kurt... just tell me. I'm not good with being patient. You're making me real nervous here..." Blaine slowly stepped towards the wardrobe, trying to see what Kurt was doing.

"Just... just wait a minute. I have to get into the right frame of mind..." Kurt dug through the bins, trying to find something.

"Just tell me please. I'm worried now..." Blaine had stopped approaching Kurt but continued to plead.

"Ahha! There we go!" Kurt had something in his fist as he turned around to face Blaine. "Alright. I can do this now."

Blaine just arched an eyebrow and sighed, "Kurt... come on..."

"Blaine... " Kurt stepped up to him and his entire face was still flushed. Blaine reached out to Kurt, meaning to put a hand on his cheek but Kurt grabbed the hand in his free one and knelt in front of Blaine.

"What...?"

Kurt opened his fist to reveal a simple gold ring. "Blaine Anderson. Would you marry me?"