I really wanted to start writing this before Halloween for everyone even though updates will keep going past it. Think of this as a Halloween Treat from me. This story actually has three parts. This is the first one but there will be a sequel (takes place during modern times) and a prequel (which is Castiel's back story). They won't be posted until after the story part is done. This story is going to be slow as it goes through Dean's years with Castiel but it will get to the Destiel eventually.
Late November
1287 AD
The forest was quiet as a small boy, no older than seven, stepped into it searching for some fruit and nuts to gather for dinner. He had heard stories from his mother and grandmother that the forest was dangerous, filled with wolves and bears. They told him to stay away from the large castle that loomed above the trees, telling him that the man that lived there was more dangerous than any animal. The boy looked up to the sky with his bright green eyes and watched the stars for a while. He could swear he heard the trees whisper his name as they began to sway, a soft chorus of 'Dean'. His eyes widened as he saw the moon begin to grow darker in color as if clouds were covering it yet the sky was just as clear as before.
Dean told himself that it was his eyes playing tricks, he told himself he was too old to believe in ghosts and monsters. He was more mature than some of the other boys his age, preferring to help out his family than play fight with the others in his village. His mother was a seamstress and his father a carpenter, both were often busy and from a young age he had gone out to find food for his family, sometimes both his parent's didn't make enough to buy from the market.
He hopped up onto a log and looked over it for some edible mushrooms. He ignored the growing wind, the thought of food was more important than any coming storm. It wasn't until he heard a loud crack of a branch breaking that he looked up. At first the forest in front of him looked as if there was no moon to illuminate it, yet Dean could see despite it being darker than before it was still out. It wasn't until Dean took a closer look that he realized it was in fact a strange black fog that was seeping through the trees. He could make out eyes staring at him just before the fog rushed at him causing the boy to yell out and fall back off the log. Dean watched as a giant black wolf leaped over him and ran off the way the boy had came. It took him a few minutes to gather himself and a few more to pick up his basket, placing the things he had gathered back into it.
Dean knew he needed to get back home before the wolf changed it's mind and came back to eat him. He quickly ran off towards his village being careful not to trip and drop everything again. The smell of something burning greeted him as he stepped out of the forest and he dropped the basket running towards his home. All around him the small cottages that made up the village were on fire, but despite this the village was silent. No one was making a noise and this scared Dean.
He found his cottage but it was burning up in flames and Dean knew that he couldn't enter it without killing himself in the process. He began to cry, crying out for his parents and his brother. He looked around trying to find his grandmother's house but he found it was ablaze as well. The boy ran off trying to find someone that was still in the village, but it was soon evident that there was no one there. He sat down on the ground and cried harder, but this time to himself. There was no one to hear his crying he realized and he knew that it was possible that his entire village had been killed.
A hand was placed onto his shoulder making him scream in fear and jump up. Dean looked up to the man who was standing in front of him. He wore a long sleeved close fitting jacket that reached down to his waist, it was buttoned up to his neck protecting him from the chill of the late fall night. His hair was dark, the bangs cut above his blue eyes and his medium length hair was tied back at the nape of his neck.
Dean sniffled and clung to the stranger, he was afraid to be alone and a stranger was better than no one in case whatever did this came back. The man wrapped his arms around him and picked the boy up.
"It will be alright." The man whispered softly, trying to comfort the crying boy. "Are you from this village?" He asked. Dean pulled away a little and nodded, wiping his eyes. The man smiled and petted his hair.
"I'm sorry. I think it is best to let you know that there is no one here. They have...passed on. I will take care of you." The man promised. Dean wailed and shook his head, he didn't want to believe his family was dead. He clutched at the strangers jacket as he was carried away from the village and back into the forest.
Dean buried his face into the mans chest and sobbed harder. He couldn't imagine that his family was dead, it was hard for him to understand that he would never see his parents or even his baby brother again. He wondered if this was a bad dream and if he would wake up but the longer he was carried by the blue eyed man the more he realized this wasn't the case.
He finally pulled his face away from the mans chest when they were out of the forest and he stared in horror at the castle that loomed above them. Dean realized that the man must be the same one his mother and grandmother had told him about and he wondered if the man was going to hurt him or not. The stranger seemed to notice Dean's worry and he held him tighter as he entered the castle through a large wooden door.
Once inside the man placed Dean on the ground and closed the door behind them. The boy realized he would never be able to open that door with how small he was and he let out a small whimper.
"Hush. It will be alright. I am here to help you." The man smiled kneeling down to Dean's height. "My name is Castiel. I live here. What's your name?" He asked gently and Dean took a few minutes to evaluate whether or not Castiel was a good man before speaking.
"Dean. I'm Dean." He said shyly. Castiel patted his head and nodded.
"How old are you Dean?" Again Dean hesitated before answering the man.
"Seven summers." He told him and Castiel frowned.
"I'm sorry. It is horrible that such a young child has to lose their family. I'm sorry I couldn't do anything sooner to protect the village." Castiel stood up and lead Dean down the hallway holding his hand. Dean took in Castiel's words and he wondered if that meant Castiel had tried to help them...that would mean he had to be a good person he realized.
Castiel stopped in front of a closed door and pushed it open to allow Dean inside. He looked in to see a small modest room that held only a bed and wardrobe. He turned to Castiel who smiled and pushed him into it gently.
"This will be your room. If you need anything my room is up the stairs, I will show you were it is tomorrow. I think it's best you sleep." Castiel said. Dean shook his head and clung to his arm looking up to him, his green eyes filled with tears.
"Can...can I sleep in your room?" Dean asked. He didn't want to be alone, not after what had happened. Castiel frowned but nodded. He wasn't so cold hearted to leave an orphan alone after losing his family.
He took the boy further into the castle and led him up a flight of ornate stairs. Dean looked around with wide eyes taking in everything. From the outside the castle seemed uninviting and filled with evil, but the inside was warm and gave Dean a calm feeling. The walls were covered in elaborate tapestry and he could look out the glass windows to see the burning village and the larger town beyond that in the distance. He hoped that the people from the town would come find his village and give the people proper burials. The villagers had always told stories that the dead would come back as monsters if they weren't laid to rest properly. The thought of monsters roaming free made Dean hold onto Castiel for support more, he knew that the man could protect him.
Castiel led Dean into a large bedroom and the boy let go of Castiel's hand running towards the bed. He leaped onto the large bed and curled up in the middle. The bed was nicer than anything he had ever had in the village, in fact the furniture in the castle was much nicer than anything he had ever seen in his short life. He didn't even wait for Castiel to blow out the candles before he was asleep. Castiel sighed and laid down beside Dean pulling the blankets over the small boy.
He wasn't even sure why he had saved the boy...there was something about him that made Castiel want to see exactly what kind of man he would grow up to be. Of course if Dean grew up around Castiel it would only be a short time before Dean would notice the stranger things about Castiel. The fact he wouldn't age would most likely set of red flags for Dean...Castiel decided he would worry about this when the time came, he did get lonely in the castle and he needed a servant. He pulled back in surprise as Dean grabbed onto his clothes and pulled himself closer to the man. He sighed and gently petted Dean's hair smiling. He knew that Dean needed someone and he was okay with being that someone.
The next few days passed quickly for Dean. Castiel continued to allow Dean to stay in his bed at night, giving comfort to the boy when he would wake up with nightmares. Dean didn't question why Castiel was always awake when he woke up but he figured it was because Castiel was just a light sleeper and woke up when he did.
The boy learned the rules, Castiel gave him chores and taught him how to do them correctly. Dean was in charge of just washing their clothing and cleaning some parts of the house. Castiel had gone out and bought Dean some new clothing, the material of them nicer than what Dean was used to and he was surprised to hear that this was common clothing for servants. Dean didn't mind that he was a servant for Castiel, he had a home and clothes and food. In fact Castiel didn't even work him hard, although Castiel had told him that he would have more chores as he grew older and stronger.
He had been instructed to address Castiel as Master or Lord Castiel. Dean was fine with this but he quickly learned not to say the wrong thing as every time he said simply Castiel the man would take him by his arm and smack his hand. Dean knew he had done something wrong when Castiel did this, his mother used to do that if she caught him doing something he shouldn't of been doing.
Dean did notice that Castiel didn't eat dinner at the same time he did, and there was hardly any food. On the fourth day he had been there Castiel had gone out and brought back food from the market yet he never ate it. Dean didn't think much about this, his mother had told him not to judge people by things they do (or don't do) no matter how strange it seemed.
It wasn't until the fifth day that Castiel learned Dean couldn't read. The boy had been staring at a painting in one of the halls for several minutes when Castiel had found him. The boy had asked who it was and what the nameplate said. Castiel informed him that it was the former owner of the castle who had left it to him when she had passed. He had grown sad as he told Dean this and the boy wondered if she had been important to Castiel. The older man then asked Dean if he could read, which Dean replied that he didn't.
Castiel immediately set up a time each day that he could help teach the boy to read and teach him other basics that he should of learned. He had almost forgotten that the boy was raised in a poor village and his family couldn't afford to pay for a tutor. Dean, over the next week, had a normal routine set up. He would wake up, do chores and then study with Castiel until dinner. Dean then wouldn't see Castiel again until later in the night when he was almost asleep. He never questioned were Castiel had gone but he was happy that he would always come back.