The Hunt
"Sire? Sire, you must wake up. Your father already waits for you, and it'll be on my head if you're late again."
Dean Winchester raised his head slowly. Green eyes stared hard at the young servant who had- against all odds- managed to retain his position in the prince's staff, "And why should I care if my father punishes you?"
The servant offered a small grin, thoroughly use to the prince's cold ways and took comfort in the thought that he was generally all talk, "Because the king knows you and will have some form of punishment ready for you if you keep him waiting again."
Dean narrowed his eyes slightly and the servant strained to hold his glare. But, finally, finally, Dean sighed in resignation and pulled himself off of his large bed, "I hope you've packed my things, Crowley. If I'm late because of you, my father's punishment isn't the one you'll need to worry about."
The servant visibly gulped, and was flooded with relief when he remember that he had decided to take the time to pack the previous night. The prince cleared his throat and raised an eyebrow expectantly and Crowley jumped forward to snag the clothes he had picked for Dean to wear today.
Dean was quick to change into the hide colored leggings and matching tunic as Crowley double checked the prince's pack to ensure nothing was missing.
With the prince's pack strung over his shoulder and his weapons in hand, the servant trailed after the prince as they hurried to the front of the castle where the king was impatiently waiting.
"Sammy?" Dean was shocked to see his younger brother waiting on top of his horse, "What're you doing here? I thought you weren't hunting anymore..."
Sam gave his brother a look, "Dad disagreed," he grumbled dryly.
"Come on, boys. Let's move out!" King John snapped from where he waited with a handful of his advisers and his guards.
"What are Alistair and Gordon doing here?" Dean demanded and was met with a shrug by the younger prince.
"I don't know. Dad likes them."
Dean gave his brother the same annoyed one he'd received moments before, "I know that," he snapped, "But, they're pigs. Why is dad so blind to that?"
Sam didn't know what to say, and he was fairly sure that question was suppose to be rhetoric, so he simply looked ahead at their convoy as the king lead the group down the main road through the citadel.
Sam led his horse forward slowly, allowing himself to fall to the back of the group, "Dean," he hissed.
The elder brother caught his sibling's gaze and dropped back to fall in line with him, "What is it, Sammy?"
"I don't want to hunt," Sam gave him a quick glance, "Let's circle back to the town. Dad won't notice."
"Yes, he will, Sam. And I'm already in the dog house."
Sam smirked, "Aww, is someone afraid to upset their daddy?"
"No!" Dean bristled, "I'll go."
The younger prince said nothing as he chuckled and gradually slowed his horseflesh a stop, "Do you think we're far enough away yet?"
Dean nodded, "Yeah. Dad's preoccupied with the hunt. It'll be a while before he notices we're missing."
Sam grinned and turned his horse back towards the citadel, "Well,
come on then!" He called over his shoulder as he coaxed his horse into a gallop.
Dean groaned internally and cast a quick flange back to where his father had disappeared. John was sure to give Dean a beating this time, but he wouldn't abandon his baby brother to wonder the citadel alone. Who know what kind of freaks would attack the young prince?
Dean made quick work of catching up to Sam and the two raced back through the gate, nearly plowing through the peasants that walked there. The pair offered a quick sorry over their shoulders as they slowed and took the familiar root to the tavern.
"Dean, this is not what I meant when I wanted to come to town," Sam grumbled as Dean handed his reins over to a stable hand.
"Well, what would you rather do?" Dean question in a tone that clearly stated he didn't care as he flipped the boy a silver coin, "Take good care of her, kiddo," he leveled the boy with a threatening glare, "This is my baby."
Sam tried not to roll his eyes as he fished a couple copper coins out of his pocket, "I won't be here for long," he informed the stable hand that had the audacity to gaze at him suspiciously. As if the prince would try to weasel his way out of a measly stable fee!
Dean scoffed as he made his way through the surprisingly large crowd for this time of day. His baby brother could act as he wanted- and from the scrunched up look of disdain on his face as he glared at all of the unemployed drunks loitering around he was sure that a tantrum was coming on- but, Dean liked to enjoy the few times he had the chance to skip out on his duties and grab a drink.
"Gimme a beer. And keep 'em coming," the older princes informed the bartender who immediately slammed one down in front of him, his expression torn between greedy and wary. One would think the humans of the citadel would be used to company of dragons by now.
Dean shook the thoughts away with a long swig of his beer, "Sit down already, Sammy," Dean motioned to the uncomfortable stool beside him.
Sam glowered, "I don't know why you enjoy human company. You could at least spend your time with a phoenix."
"And exactly what sort of phoenix would reside in our kingdom, Sammy," Dean snorted and gazed around the tavern, "Dad would rip my title from me if he saw me with one. Hell, he'd rip your title if he'd heard you say that," he chuckled to himself as his gaze settled on peculiar man with messy black hair that stares back with brilliant blue eyes. Their eyes locked and Dean found himself unable to look away. His eyes were intense and seemed to stare right through the prince. The vibrant color of the stranger's eyes could easily rival the beauty of the ocean and he found himself lost inside the man's gaze.
"Dean? Dean!" Sam followed his brother's gaze to a strange man across who seemed small in his crumpled trench coat, "Dean would you stop eye fucking random strangers and pay attention to me?"
Dean jerked as his brother tanked his arm and tore him out of the man's trance. Had he really just been thinking a man's eyes were beautiful? He cast a wary glance to the half empty glass of beer before turning back to his brother with the best grin he could muster, "Okay, Samantha, it's time you learn to be a big girl and spend ten minutes by yourself."
Sam offered him his best bitchface, "Why don't I practice while you go talk to your little boyfriend over there," he motioned to the stranger who had turned his gaze to the window outside.
Dean snorted, "I'm not interested in him."
"Really," Sam raised an eyebrow, "Coulda fooled me with the way you were staring."
Dean narrowed his eyes, "That's a dude, Sam," he deadpanned, "I'm not interested."
"It's not like you haven't been with a dude before, Dean," Sam snickered as his brother spit his beer back into his cup and choked.
"We don't talk about that," he hissed and through a glance around him to see if anyone had overhear them, but his gaze almost immediately settled on the mysterious stranger.
Castiel could feel the gaze of the eldest prince burn into his back, but he refused to turn around. It had been a mistake to come to the heart of the Winchester kingdom, but this was the best place to find work. And of course, not only had he brought attention to himself, but he had attracted the attention of the prince.
He risked a quick glance back to the bar and froze when his eyes met a pair of soft green. He tensed as the prince stood from his stool and easily crossed the tavern to his table. Castiel quickly glance around him for an escape route, but none were available to him.
"Do we have a problem?" The prince frowned as he stared down the stranger who just stared longingly at the front door, "I said," Dean's voice took on a harsher tone, "'Do we have a problem'?"
The stranger cleared his throat, "No- no, sir. No problems here."
The prince narrowed his eyes, trying hard to refrain from getting caught up in those beautiful blues of his, "Then why do you keep staring at me?" he demanded.
The stranger cocked his head to the side, his eyes scrunched slightly, and Dean had the vague sense that he was being mocked, "Yes," he started slowly, "I may have been staring in your direction. I apologize."
A flash of fury crossed the prince's green eyes, "'Staring in my direction' my ass," he snapped, "You were staring right at me. Now I wanna know why!"
The man continued his confused stare for several seconds before Dean let out a short growl and stormed out of the tavern, a quick glance at the bar told him Sam had already gone. Maybe Sammy's right. I should stop spending time in human places.
"Winchester!" a man growled from behind him as he rounded the tavern, "You spoiled little prick! Don't see any of daddy's men around to protect you now, do I?" he sneered and Dean vaguely recognized him as the brother of girl he'd slept with a few week back.
"I think you should leave here," Dean mused when he noticed the man's obvious stagger, "before you get hurt."
"I think it's you who's going to be hurt, boy," the man sneered as he pulled out his blade.
The loud cling of metal on metal drew Castiel's attention as he left the tavern. He still couldn't believe how close a call he'd had with the prince. A loud frustrated scream sliced through the air, drawing Castiel towards the alley beside the tavern.
He froze in place at the sight of two men fighting before him. His eye locked with soft green ones and in the next instant, the prince was thrown to the ground and a large drunkard loomed over him.
"Dean!" Castiel called out and threw his hands up on instinct.
Time passed slowly, one second the prince found himself once again lost in a sea and the next he was sprawled across the ground with a sharp pain shooting through his shoulder. A familiar, gruff voice called out his name and Dean looked back to his attacker just in time to see him slow as icicles covered his skin until he was a solid block of ice.
The blood drained from the stranger's face- from his rescuer's face- as he realized what he'd done. His eyes were wide and fearful as they stared down at the fallen prince, not wanting to be the first to move.
In an instant, Dean's reason flooded back to him and he jumped to his feet with his sword leveled at the stranger's throat, "Phoenix," he growled accusingly, and had all the proof he needed at the sight of the stranger cringing and backing away from him.
"Please. Don't," he man tried to beg, the look of fear in the man's eyes made the prince falter. He had never agreed with his father's purge of the phoenixes from the kingdom, and this man had done nothing wrong. He was going to die because of what he was. Hell, he's gonna die because he saved me.
The prince lowered his sword and took a step back, "Leave," he murmured with a quick glance around to make sure no one was around to see them.
The stranger cocked his head to the side, the same way he'd done inside the tavern, "I do not understand."
"I said 'leave'. I'm not going to kill you," Dean sighed.
The man didn't even blink, "Why?" he spoke after a long stretch of silence.
Dean mustered up his best bitchface. Here he was letting this man walk free- against the law- and he was going to question him? "Why don't you tell me how you're stupid enough to come into Incendia? It's against the law for any phoenix to reside here, under punishment of death."
The stranger looked sheepish, "I need work," Dean almost wasn't able to catch the words.
His eyes narrowed in thought, "Come work at the palace."
The stranger's head snapped up, "What?"
"You heard me," the prince offered his savior a cocky grin, "My staff is short a servant anyways. And the work will be much safer there, with better pay. I'll keep an eye on you, as long as you can avoid doing," Dean motioned towards the frozen statue behind him, "well, that."
The stranger floundered for a moment before he finally found his voice, "Thank you," he shook his head, "But, why would you go through that trouble?"
Dean tried not to read too much into the question, or the way it was said, "You saved my life. I'm in your debt. This is the least I can do," the stranger nodded silently and the prince turned back towards the stable, motioning for the man to follow, "So, you gotta name?"
"Castiel."
The prince gave a curt nod that made Castiel wonder if he'd actually been paying attention to his name as they made it to the end of the alley and were greeted by the stable boy.
"Fetch my horse and saddle up another for my manservant," the prince commanded and the stable boy angrily stormed off to comply with the wished of the spoiled Winchester child.
They only waited for a moment before the stable boy came out with the prince's beautiful stallion and a rather old looking mare that Castiel feared wouldn't have the strength to carry him.
"So, you're a winter phoenix, then?" Dean inquired casually as they started back up the alley.
Castiel nodded hesitantly, "Yes. The only in my family for generations."
Dean cast a quick glance over him, "You're a rare creature, Cas. You're special."
Castiel wasn't sure what to say to that so the pair simply made their way towards the palace. It was much more impressive up close than near the gates of the citadel. From the gates, you could see the expansive height, but it was only from the foot of the castle- where only the dragons and their employees were permitted entrance- that the white towers loomed over you and pierced through the clouds.
Dean smirked slightly at the awed expression on his new servant's face as they entered his home. The prince led the way to where his chambers were, and almost instantly smacked into Crowley.
"Hey there, Crowley," Dean raised an eyebrow and dared his servant to say something about the prince abandoning him with the advisors and the king, "Got you a new one. Try not to mess this one up."
The dark look on Crowley's face made Dean pause, "Your Highness, I'm afraid I have some bad news."
It was only then that the prince took stock of the bruises and cuts that adorned his servant's body, "What happened?" he demanded.
"There- there was an ambush," Dean visibly gulped as his blood ran cold, "Most of the convoy is dead. They- Your Highness, they took the king."