McKinley...a land of opportunity. The market was thriving, job offerings were off the charts and the community was at an all-time high. Everyone in the land lived in peace as there was a lack of war or uprisings. Yes, McKinley was a wonderful place to inhabit, indeed...this was all thanks to one thing...servitude and slavery.

Slavery didn't always exist, no. Just a few short years ago, slavery was declared obsolete by the neighboring King. The King of Dalton. The land of Dalton was located right next to McKinley and once lived together as friendly neighbors. The King of Dalton and the King of McKinley would even get together to discuss rulings that they could jointly establish in both their lands. They would allow even their two sons, the Princes to play together whilst the two Kings worked. To say that the two lands were peaceful and friendly towards one another was a severe understatement. They could almost be considered twins of one another. Dalton was a large and prosperous land; one would even say that it was a bit of a finer place to live than McKinley...or at least it was.

The two Kings were used to sharing some of their rulings together, but Dalton had one day went behind McKinley's back on a matter and overrode his law. He deemed servitude to be unlawful and made it obsolete. It was safe to say that the whole land of McKinley was not happy with Dalton's overall ruling against servitude and incited a war against his land. Many months of fighting with all they had and that was that. Dalton was a smaller and more gentle land, so McKinley prevailed and overthrew them in the matter of a few months. Dalton was no more and McKinley had taken the land and were now in the process of building "The New McKinley." The citizens of Dalton were given two options. They either surrendered and pledged themselves as citizens of "The New McKinley" or were imprisoned and sold into the servitude they fought so hard against.

The King of McKinley was now held in a higher favor than ever with the land once auctions had gone back up and servants were now back on the market. Many had submitted to McKinley and had become citizens, but there were also a lot of staunch Dalton supporters who still remained pledged to the only place they had known. Dalton had been their home and all it took was a few months to lose it all. They lost the land they once called home, their jobs, their homes, everything. These citizens in question were turned over to the market of servitude and were to be sold at one of the weekly slave auctions held in the McKinley town square...it was one of these particular auctions that our story truly begins.

A young teenager, his father and his father's advisor sat in their carriage as they made their way into town. You could hear the mere drop of a quill with the silence that reigned supreme in the cabin.

"Kurt, son. I know you do not wish to attend one of these auctions as you made abundantly clear from your little tantrum this morning..."

Kurt whirled around to glare at the older man. "Father, I was not having a tantrum. I simply stated that we never should have gone to war and you should have never re-established slavery...it was outlawed for a reason."

"I said it this morning and I will say it again, Kurt. I am appalled by your lack of understanding and how hypocritical you are. Do you not have servants to tend to your every wish? What would you do without Quinn to dress you? What would you do without Mercedes, hmm? How about Puck? Rachel? You should be thanking me."

"Thanking you? They aren't my friends no matter how much I wish they were, Father! You bought them and ordered them to tend to me! The only reason they do as you ask is because you are the King of McKinley and I am the Prince! No other reason...I still can't believe you're making me attend one of these auctions."

The King sighed and scratched at his bald head in frustration. "Kurt, I've already told you. You are my heir to the throne...you will have to know how these auctions work, plus I told you I needed a new servant."

"We don't need another servant, father! You just want one! You can't just keep buying people!"

"Your majesty," Kurt's father's advisor began with his usual snooty air of superiority. "Have you not informed the prince of your plans?"

"No, Schuester and I wish to keep it that way until the right moment," The King responded crisply.

After The King was finished, silence was instilled upon them again and no other word was said until the carriage pulled to a stop.

"We are here your majesties," The driver spoke softly, opening the carriage door for the three of them.

"Thank you, Puck," Kurt said heavily enforcing the "thank you" and looking pointedly at his father who merely grunted at the young man holding the door open for them.

Puck looked taken aback by the Prince's declaration of kindness and simply bowed his head in response for lack of a better thing to do.

The auction was mad. People gathered like vermin to witness another round of people being sold to the highest bidder. The town square was full of people, shady people, crazy people, people that Kurt had even respected once when he walked past them on the street as they bowed to him. Kurt was disgusted at what had become of McKinley. He despised what he had to represent as his birthright.

"Attention, citizens of McKinley, King Burt, Prince Kurt and The Royal Advisor William Schuester!" Someone announced as a path was made clear for them. Kurt kept his head down. He didn't want to look any of these people in the eye. They could bow to him all they liked, he at least didn't have to bow back.

There was a platform set up at the center of the town square specifically built for the Royal Family should they wish to come buy or merely spectate. A covered tarp roof was placed over three rather comfortable looking plush chairs. All the other buyers and spectators were expected to remain standing around them. Kurt begrudgingly took a seat at his father's right hand side and tried to swallow the thick bile in his throat. How could people actually get away with this?

Kurt focused his gaze forward not wanting to even acknowledge his father. He kept his eyes on the large stage that contained nothing except for a raised platform front and center. Kurt supposed this is where they showed the slaves to be off. What a show indeed...

Thankfully the auction started tearing Kurt away from his thoughts. The quicker it was over, the sooner Kurt could get home and talk to Mercedes. She might be his servant but he liked to pretend otherwise.

A sleazy looking man crept his way onto the stage. He grinned out at the audience with a yellow toothy grin as he began to wring his hands. This man just reeked of pure evil. "Good afternoon Royal Family, ladies and gentlemen," He began with a nervous glance towards Kurt and Burt. It was obvious that this particular trader was not used to being in the presence of royalty. "We have a wonderful load of fresh ones for you today! I think you will find these simply irresistible to pass up!"

The crowd roared in delight as Kurt swallowed more bile. These people were literally making him sick. If this was the land that he was going to rule once King Burt died, then by god, he didn't want to rule at all.

With every new frightened person who came onto the stage to be sold, the more ill Kurt felt. As much as he didn't want to be here, Kurt almost wished that Burt would just buy one already so he could get away from this horrible place. Kurt watched in horror as a young girl took to the stage crying for her parents as she was sold to a shady man in the audience.

It was the next person who was brought out to be sold that had Burt suddenly sitting up straighter than he had been before and he began mumbling something into Will's ear. Kurt wondered what they were talking about when as if it were cued, the crowd began to roar and jeer at immense volume.

Kurt looked up to the stage to see a boy who was probably no older than Kurt brought onto the stage by two men. Each of these men dragged the boy to the center of the stage by his arms. His wrists were tied in front of him and he didn't appear to be putting up a fight. Why did it take two men to bring him out? The boy in question had his head bowed to the stage in what appeared to be shame. Kurt couldn't see his face as this particular boy had a large black bag placed over his head. That was odd...none of the others had had one of those...What made this boy different? Burt definitely knew something, Kurt could tell.

The two men picked the boy up with ease and placed him onto the raised platform to show off the prize.

"Ladies and Gentlemen do I have a treat for you or what? Might I present my best prize yet! You all might have heard about our last little war I take it, hmm?"

The crowd roared in response.

"We overthrew Dalton, thanks to the leadership of our Noble King Hummel!"

The crowd cheered at this announcements as bottles were thrown together in a toast throughout the gatherers.

"We overthrew that scumbag and took Dalton as our own and are now in the process of building "The New McKinley!"

More cheers erupted as Kurt felt the need to sink lower into his seat. He didn't act on this need, instead he gazed up at the boy on display. Where were his parents? Why was he here? Why was he receiving more of a back story than the rest of those on sale?

"So, Ladies and Gentlemen, I wish to present my greatest capture. Yes, this boy was once somebody, but alas, he was born into the wrong family, weren't you boy? Maybe things would have turned out a bit different if you had been born into a McKinley family," The auctioneer hissed and jeered at the boy who made no motion that he was being talked to at all. He just remained standing with his wrists tied together in front of him and his head down.

"Citizens! I believe you are all eager for me to unwrap this prize, wouldn't you say?"

The crowd responded their affirmation with shouts and whistles as the man curled his spider-like fingers on top of the bag. The man waited a few seconds to build the tension, then removed the bag. The crowd gasped at first then erupted into a mixture of gleeful shouts, taunts, jeers and whistling.

Kurt could see his face now. That face...he knew it. He had seen it back when there was no war between McKinley and Dalton. The boy's hair which was once iconically held down by gel looked unwashed as there still seemed to be some gel remaining, the rest of his hair was tousled and disheveled. The boy's hazel gleaming orbs which were once full of life were now dull and vacant. This boy...he knew who they were dealing with now.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, may I present the son of the once mighty King Anderson of Dalton! The boy formally known as Prince Blaine Anderson!"

The crowd booed and jeered at the Prince who had fallen from grace and was now in the capture of his rival land.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, this is one hot commodity and as you can already imagine will not fetch a cheap price. He will be the greatest thing I have ever sold in my whole career. Why don't we start the bidding at...oh let's say $5,000?"

Numbers were shouted almost instantly. Kurt felt that ache in his stomach again. Was the land he lived in really and truly this barbaric? This was Prince Blaine Anderson of Dalton and they were bidding on him like a new sofa! This wasn't right. People wanted him simply so they could boast about the horrible things they were doing to McKinley's enemy's son. He was a hot commodity, that was about the only thing the auctioneer had correct.

Kurt needed to get out of here. He made to stand up and walk back to the carriage, but Burt pushed Kurt back into his seat and made a motion to Will. At this, Will stood up, causing the crowd to fall silent.

"The King would like to make an offer of $50,000 dollars for this young man."

$50,000? Kurt knew they were rich being the royal family and all, but what the hell would make his father buy this boy for so much? Did the war still matter that much to him? Hadn't he taken enough from Dalton already? Now he had to take their prince for his own?

"Done and sold! Blaine Anderson is now in the ownership of King Burt Hummel of McKinley!" The auctioneer shouted which was of course met with more cheering.

Will was beckoned to the stage to pay for their prize as well as make an announcement. That's how these auctions were done Kurt was learning.

"My brave, hardworking Citizens of McKinley," Will began confidently. "King Burt is proud to add Anderson's child to his collection of many servants in the palace."

Many screams of approval were shouted amongst the crowd. Amongst the outbursts were shouts of, "What are you gonna do with him, King Burt?" "Are you gonna have him as a field worker?" "What do you want him for, your majesty?" "What's to become of him, my King?"

Will received a nod from Burt and announced their plans with Prince Blaine.

"McKinley, King Burt came here with Prince Kurt today because the prince was in real need of life lessons. He needs to understand the way McKinley is to run for when he becomes our new King in what hopes to be many, many years from now." Will smiled at the reaction from the crowd.

"But my people, a life lesson isn't only about learning what you are about to take over, oh no. The prince lacks discipline and knowing right from wrong. King Burt came here today to instill this new lesson upon the prince. It is well-known that Royalty isn't allowed to be struck, beaten or harmed in any way. King Burt himself cannot and will not ever lay a hand on the prince, but we do have a way of working around this little snag. King Burt wishes to re-establish a new ruling with you today my lucky citizens! Today you are watching history be reborn!"

Many more shouts of excitement was emitted from the crowd whilst Kurt could feel his stomach churning. What was Will talking about?

"Citizens, I am about to bestow upon you a history lesson. Once upon a time there were boys who lived in the palaces with the royal family. Typically they are raised with the prince and are almost what you would call friends. When the prince has done wrong and must be taught a lesson, the boy is to be punished for the prince's misdeeds. These boys were formally known as...Whipping Boys. The practice was outlawed many years ago, but King Burt wishes to re-establish it!

Blaine Anderson as of this day forward is no longer to be known as the former Prince Blaine Anderson. Today he is now to be known as Blaine Anderson, The Whipping Boy for Prince Kurt Hummel!"

Kurt's blood ran cold.