So the plot thickens just a little here. I'll get the next chapter out as soon as I can guys, but it's a busy time of year, so no promises as to when.
As always, I couldn't do any of this without my awesome beta, GleekMom.
Dottie hated being at the beck and call of Tina. Now that her name day celebrations were over, Tina had ordered her to go find out where Blaine had gone, by any means necessary. Otherwise she would be planning a wedding to Hunter. Dottie shook her head, wondering why she had to go now, in the dead of night, instead of waiting for morning. According to Tina, Cooper had not been seen in awhile so she suspected he was shacked up with his latest fling and the house would be empty, allowing her to sneak in and peruse any mail that Blaine had sent and possibly learn his Hunter approached her and told her that if she found anything about either Anderson brother and brought it to him first, he would free her of all debts to the Cohen-Changs. With a salute, Dottie made her way to the Anderson farm, noting dim candlelight in the kitchen.
She peered in through the window and saw a lone candle on the table as Cooper emerged from his room in simple leggings and toweling his hair. He shook his head at the candle and blew it out before tossing the towel towards the basket where laundry went, and went back to his room, shutting the door tight. Dottie waited a little while, intending to turn around and go back to Hunter as soon as she sensed the household was asleep, when she heard a horse approaching. She hid in the bushes. Hunter had warned her to stay unseen, and if Dottie was good at anything, it was being unnoticed. The horse came to a stop in front of the door, and a figure dismounted and stabled the horse, before running for the door. One quick look from Dottie confirmed that the rider was none other than Blaine Anderson, so once she was sure she would not be seen by him, she ran off towards the Clarington estate, towards freedom.
Blaine was tired. He had rode hard and fast to get home, the moon rising high in the sky by the time he'd arrived. While most of him hoped that Cooper was alright, some tiny piece of him hoped that he was in pain for making him worry and rushing from Kurt's side. He came into the house where he grew up, seeing the remnants of a meal and a blown out candle sitting on the table. His door was closed and he could hear the soft sounds of two bodies moving about inside, and decided that Santana officially owed him new bed sheets if she and Dani were doing what he feared in his bed. He then went to Cooper's door, and opened it quietly. On the bed, wrapped lightly in a blanket was a lightly sleeping Cooper. He must have just went straight into dreamland as soon as he hit the pillow, given he still looked exhausted, and from what Blaine could see there were still bruises and cuts littering his skin. He pressed a kiss to his brother's forehead, content to let him have a good night's sleep before interrogating him. He went back out into the den and slumped down on the couch, tugging a quilt over his tired body and fell quickly to sleep.
When the sun began to stream in through the windows, Blaine awoke, feeling bleary and sore from the night spent on the remarkably uncomfortable couch. He wished he had thought of staying in his parents room the night before. He threw the quilt to the floor before stretching out his arms, feeling a crick in his neck before a quick rotation of his head made it give a satisfying pop. He glanced around and saw he was the first up so began rustling around for what food he could find. As soon as the porridge was finished bubbling on the stove, he heard a door open, and looked up to see a bedraggled Dani exiting Blaine's room, followed by an equally disheveled Santana. Neither looked all that surprised to see him, so he figured they knew he had heard they were here and had rushed home.
"Hello ladies. I hope you're hungry, food is almost ready," Blaine said, deciding that if these two saved his brother from the dungeons of Hunter, he could forgive them using his bed for some alone time. Even if he would be burning the sheets. Besides, it wasn't like he planned to ever use the bed again, if all went well. He intended to share Kurt's bed for the rest of his days. He spooned out three bowls, leaving enough for when Cooper got out of bed, allowing him to sleep a bit longer. "Care to explain what is going on?" he asked as the stirred the cinnamon he had on hand into the porridge.
"Lord Asswipe was blackmailing me into helping him win Tina and keep his position. Dani was his prisoner, used to keep me in line. Your brother was brought in to find some way to bring you down, as Tina will only marry the idiot if she truly doesn't want you or you finally tell her why you keep turning her down. We escaped last night intending on tracking you down today. Hunter is planning on going to Hummel's with her to confront you with it and finally get what he wants," Santana said between spoonfuls of porridge.
Blaine slumped in his chair. Of course Tina would be behind at least some of this mess. He knew he could tell her the truth now though. If they brought Hunter down, Kurt could technically assume his position early, and reverse the laws that made his reluctance illegal. Or he could the second he came of age anyway, Blaine wasn't sure how it would work, but he knew that torturing Cooper was enough to unseat Hunter. He suspected that if Cooper had been tortured or beaten, he may have let it slip that Blaine preferred men, so he had a good idea of what Hunter planned to do about it. He had to get back and warn Kurt as soon as possible. But first to deal with Cooper and ensure he was alright. "Thank you for helping my brother Santana. I know he's not your favourite person, but I appreciate you not leaving him there to rot."
"Don't mention it. Seriously, people will think I've gone soft or something. Plus, the way Hunter was blackmailing me is the same way he plans to turn Tina off you. I heard him talking about it with one of his advisers. He knows you prefer pecs to tits, and we have to stick together until your lord makes it so we can be ourselves," Santana stated with a smile which Blaine returned.
Dani decided now was a good time to speak up. "But how are we going to take down Hunter? I mean, Lord Hummel can't do much until his name day which is still nearly a fortnight away. I assume you have a plan?" she asked while looking at Blaine.
Blaine nodded. "He's been using the Mages Council, but we have an operative on the inside. The Council's numbers have been reduced, so if enough Mages in the area call for a vote of no confidence, they will disband and elect a new set, those who will be loyal to Kurt's wishes and rule. Once Hunter loses them, his options are limited. Plus if he committed acts of torture, then he automatically loses his position, and Kurt can assume it early, given the circumstances. It will be fine. Kurt and I have had it all planned out for a while. Though he was hoping to just take control come his name day, we did have plans in place in the event either party made a move early."
Santana gave a sly smirk "Kurt huh? Didn't know you and the young lordling had become so close as to be on a first name basis. Don't even know why you decided to stay after he kicked Cooper out. I knew that hogwash about you teaching in another town was just that," she teased.
Blaine's face went a bright red. "We were trespassing technically, so I served my sentence and helped the realm at the same time. As for the names, well, I have spent the better part of two months with him. Formalities seemed silly. When court opens, I am sure that will stop in public, but..."
It was then that Cooper's voice broke in. No one at the table had even noticed he'd been listening in, but there was a teasing lilt to his tone when he asked, "But?"
Blaine smiled at his brother, who gave him an encouraging look. "But we care for each other, we became friends...then more. And when I return, when court is resumed, when the law is rescinded, we will be able to continue our...courtship. We will be free to love one another whether it be as a lord and his temporary adviser or just plainly as two men behind closed doors."
It was then that Cooper scooped Blaine into a fierce hug, ignoring the strain it put on his various bruises and wounds. "Blaine! Love? I mean, I know you can charm anyone, but talk about love soothing the savage beast! You are alright with him being..."
"Yes Cooper, I really am. I don't care, I love him." Blaine eyed Cooper warily, trying to stress that the girls should not be alerted to Kurt's current predicament before he wished it. Thankfully Cooper got the message and continued hugging his brother.
"Well then, if it's love, then I'm happy for you. And that we can finally get rid of stupid Hunter. The man is psychotic! Captured me and beat me, starved me for days on end just for some girl who doesn't even love him! I for one, will be glad to see him go!" Cooper sat at the table, helping himself to the remainder of Blaine's meal.
Blaine smiled. If his brother could accept him and Kurt, then that was all the validation he needed. He scooped out more porridge for the occupants of the table, then ate what was left in the pot himself before making sure that Copper was alright to travel. Once assured that he was, Blaine was excusing himself for a change of garments, telling them they had best be on their way quickly if Kurt was to be warned before Hunter made a move. Once dressed, Blaine extracted the mirror from his satchel, and asked it quietly to show him Kurt. With a flash, he could spy his beloved sitting out on the balcony, seemingly reading a book, with a very familiar cover. Blaine blushed as he realized it was the book of stories that Trent had given him. He had left it for Kurt to find outside his door, hoping that it would keep him company. A darker part of him also hoped it would give Kurt ideas for the two of them to enact together once this whole Hunter nonsense was dealt with. With that, he thanked the mirror and put it away.
Upon entering the den, all his fellow travelers were up and re-dressed, both the girls borrowing clothes belonging to Blaine or his mother. After ensuring that everything was prepared, Blaine smiled, ready to be back in Kurt's arms, and opened the door. What he found was Tina, Hunter, the Mages Council and a small section of Hunter's guard.
Fuck.
When Dottie had come to inform Hunter that Blaine had returned to his home, Hunter was delighted. He had not been expecting to be able to move against the man so soon, figuring it would all come down to taking the Hummel manor come Kurt's name day. He was not as pleased to hear that Cooper had escaped with the help of Santana and Dani, but he knew that they were all in the one place, making it easier to exact revenge on the lot in one foul swoop. He thanked the girl and made some vague promise to pay her debt to the Cohen-Changs which he had no intent to keep, and decided to retire. He would need to be well rested the next morning to attain what was rightfully his.
As the day dawned, Hunter woke smiling. He dressed in his finest, and ate a large meal to sustain him for what he was sure to be a long day. He then went to fetch Tina, who thankfully was also an early riser. He addressed her kindly. "Are you sure you wish to do this my darling? It may very well end in heartbreak. I do not wish to lose you to some boy who has never appreciated your wonderful self. Why hurt me like this? Do you not care? And what if he says no to you? Will you still honour our engagement? Let me assure you that I do love you, there is no need to hear some foolish idiot declare he does not in order to be my wife."
Tina had heard this speech before. So many were convinced that Blaine would finally just reject her outright, but she knew he cared. She did care for Hunter, but no man could compared to Blaine, and without his blessing of their union, Tina would never commit to any man. She had said as much to Hunter. Her parents who told her that if she rejected a lord who loved her and intended to marry her in order to chase after a teacher who had never paid her any mind aside for in a friendly way, she was a fool and they would have nothing more to do with her. But Tina had a plan. If Blaine gave any indication that he would take her, she would force him to ask for her hand then and there or lose her forever to Hunter. One way or another, she would end this day intended to one man or another.
"Hunter, my heart can never be fully yours if part of it still belongs to him. So he must give me all of his or give mine up. If he rejects me, we shall go straight to the closest holy man and wed then and there if you wish. But I must do this first, so please, do not question it," Tina asserted.
Hunter sighed. Truthfully, he was eager to bring down Anderson, but he had sincerely hoped that Tina had given him up, especially with extra pressure from her parents, which he had suggested. The Cohen-Changs seemed to quite like him, so asking them for some underhanded threatening did not bother him, especially when they agreed. He supposed they thought he would provide for them even after he lost his power, as it did not mean he would lose what earnings he had, plus a generous sum for his duties over the years. Which if Tina did become his wife, he fully intended to do, though not nearly as much as they expected him to.
"Alright my dove, we will go to the Anderson farm. We will find Blaine, and speak with him. But I hold you to that promise. If he says he does not wish for your hand or heart, then by sundown we will be wed." She nodded and he held out his hand to escort Tina to his carriage where his most loyal of men were waiting. He had already sent word to the Council letting them know his intentions, so they would appear when he pulled up on the Anderson grounds. Hopefully they had some sort of entrapment spell to keep the pesky brothers under lock and key.
Upon his arrival at the Anderson farm, he found three horses out front, saddled and ready to be ridden, two of which he recognized as his own. Good, he could charge them with thievery as well, that would just about make his day. Tina was sitting almost calmly in the seat next to him, though her fingers were a twitching mess. Hunter grabbed them, giving them a gentle squeeze, and smiled at her, hoping that she would return it. Instead she stared at the door, waiting until they came to a stop before barreling out of the carriage. Hunter sighed, reminding himself that he loved Tina. But that did not mean he had to have patience for her antics all the time, and especially now.
They gathered on the lawn, the three Mages appearing just as Hunter stepped out, a firm hand on Tina's shoulder to keep her from just barging into the home. She sent him a questioning glance over the Mages being there but he refused to acknowledge any questions she might have. He gestured for the few guards with him to ensure every exit was covered. He knew that Blaine could not ever love Tina, but if he gave her the slightest reason to leave Hunter, then he would ensure that neither of them made it through the rest the day, at least not without untold suffering first. He would have Tina for his bride, one way or another, and if that meant eliminating the competition as he intended to do with Lord Hummel, then so be it.
The door opened then, showing a clearly surprised Blaine Anderson, with a worse for wear Cooper behind him, the two girls off to his side. None looked as though they were expecting him, nor that they were happy to see him. Perfect, he thought only a second before Tina broke from his grasp, running towards Blaine exclaiming, "Blainey days!" which Hunter noticed triggered a grimace in the man.
"Blaine! Oh how I've missed you! How dare you go without even a goodbye! But I will forgive you, provided you do me a favour. Tell me, once and for all if you intend to make an honest woman out of me or lose me forever to Lord Clarington. He has asked for my hand, and unless you finally admit your love for me, I will become his wife. So, am I to be yours or his?" she demanded.
Blaine looked at Tina as though she was crazy. Both for accepting the proposal of Hunter, who everyone knew was not a good man, and for thinking he would save her from such a fate if she had indeed said yes. He gave her a sad smile, and shook his head. "I'm sorry Tina. I have never held you as more than a friend, and as your friend, I would hope you could do better than one who has done untold harm to this realm. Besides, I love another. So go, wed who you wish with my blessing if that is what you are looking for, but it will never be me, I can promise you that."
Tina looked shocked, like she had honestly expected Blaine to fall to her feet, begging her to run away with her. But to hear that he had never loved her, would never love her and in fact loved another? That was too much. She let out a scream of frustration and despair. Hunter tried to gather her into his arms in comfort, but she pummeled his chest with her fists then whirled around to shout at Blaine once more. "Who is she? Who is the harlot that stole your heart from me? I'll rip her hair out! Is it Santana? Dani? Kitty?"
Blaine looked at the struggling woman who continued screaming names at him amid insults and accusations of breaking her heart. When she finally seemed exhausted he looked right at her, his voice firm. "Tina. Listen to me. You and I have only ever been friends. Not even close or good friends at that. If you felt something for me, that is your affair, but I know I have told you more than once I did not return any such affection. My heart belongs to another, and that is all you need know. Now I would ask that you leave, forget me, wed Hunter, for your behavior right now proves the two of you deserve one another, and try to be happy."
Tina stood there, stock still, still wrapped in Hunter's arms, tears streaming down her face. "At least give me a name. I deserve that. To know who she is."
Hunter regarded Blaine's look of discomfort. The Lord had had quite enough of this charade. "He," Hunter said simply.
All eyes turned questioning to Hunter, though both Anderson men looked quite nervous on top of that. Hunter decided to put everyone involved out of their misery. "He. Master Anderson here prefers men. If another holds his heart, it is someone of the male persuasion. And since he has been a prisoner at the Hummel manor for the past two months, I would suspect it is one of the servants there, or perhaps even Lord Hummel himself. Which he knows is a crime so he should be sent to the dungeon."
The entire party at the farm seized up, looking fearful as Hunter continued. "Unfortunately, he seems to be associating with those who have broken out of my dungeons before. So Lord Figgins, if you could perhaps shut him and his accomplices in the house, we shall deal with them later, and we shall continue on to the Hummel manor to take him down for his crimes."
Tina looked flabbergasted, like she could not comprehend what had just been revealed, while the guards surrounded the door to force the little party inside the house. The Mages conferred between themselves over the best way to keep them contained. Tina looked at Blaine who looked terrified at being enclosed in his home. "Is it true?" At his nod, she inquired, "How do you know? You have never been with a girl, you could be confused! I could make you love me!"
Hunter and Blaine both looked outraged at this. Hunter, red in the face bellowed at her, nearly shaking with rage. "Woman, he said no, and you do not wish to associate with a known degenerate such as him. When I return from eliminating Lord Hummel, I will ensure his crime is punished by death! You made a promise to be my wife and so you shall! Guards! I need two of you to escort Lady Cohen-Chang back to my home and ensure she is prepared to be wed come sundown or prepared to live out the rest of her days in my dungeons!"
Tina was dragged away kicking and screaming, the guards escorting her looking none to pleased at having to deal with her. Blaine still stood at the threshold of his home, looking distraught and then determined. "You monster. You will never win. Kurt will not let you."
Hunter gave a dismissive wave and mounted one of the horses stolen from him, signaling his small force of less than a dozen men towards the Hummel manor. The Mages began to chant, a glow of colour surrounding them as their voices grew. When Lord Figgins pointed a finger towards Blaine, he stood fast, letting the rainbow of magic come straight at him, not even blinking when it crashed against the red shield that surrounded him.
With a flash of light, the Mages disappeared, potentially to appear at the Hummel estate, or perhaps just to avoid Shannon. She appeared in front of Blaine, whirling around as if to catch whomever had cast a spell against them. When she could ascertain no other magical users in the area, she approached him, grabbing him in a firm hug, "Hi pumpkin, how ya doin'? Why are you here and not with our boy?"
Blaine smiled. "Lord Hunter decided capturing and torturing my brother was a smart plan. Now he's gone to take on Kurt. Are the rest of the Mages ready for the plan to go ahead a bit early? Because he needs to be stopped now! He's mad enough to hurt Kurt as is, there is no telling what he'll do with Kurt in his current form."
Shannon grimaced at that, knowing that time was not on their side. "The Mages have lifted my banishment and voted the Council be demolished in its current form, but they still have to be brought before us all to make it official. Unless they commit treason, or break our laws, then I have the power to banish them, and if they're going after Kurt, then I am going to do just that. Let's go!"
Without another word, the party climbed upon the horses that were left, and raced towards the Hummel manor. Blaine hoped that they were not too late.