"Mirror Mirror on the wall.." Castiel spoke loudly of each word, and watched the beautifully framed mirror swirl with colors, until a handsome man appeared.
Castiel always admired the man in the mirror. He has spoken of stories of a life before. Of fame, life, and adventure. Yet, he was cursed, and his fate was sealed to this awful mirror. His heart, soul, and everything in between was bonded to the gold framed reflective glass.
Castiel had stumbled upon this mirror one day while on a walk in the market. He noticed the low price (even though prices never matter anyway) and he was immediately mesmerized by it. He bought it immediately and brought it home.
When Castiel admired the mirror on the wall, he noticed a card on the floor. He didn't know where it came from, but he read the words out loud on the paper, to try to make sense of them.
"Mirror Mirror on the wall...?" Almost immediately, light shone from the glass in front of him, and Castiel yelped and fell back, scrabbling for some cover in case it exploded.
As he hid behind his bed, his breathing seemed too loud so he quieted it, but his heart still pumped hard, and the blood in his ears continued to roar.
Until a voice rang out.
Then all stopped.
"Hello? Did somebody summon me or not? Because I'd really like to go back to my eternal slumber, thanks."
His voice.. It..
Castiel rose his head, and he was met with the sight of a stunning man.
The man caught sight of him, and frowned.
"So you summoned me?" He asked as he crossed his arms, and roved his gaze up and down Castiel. The Prince unconsciously did the same.
"So are we going to stare at each other until end times, or do you have a question or order?" The man wasn't one to beat around the bush, that was sure. But Castiel didn't mind. He was intrigued.
"Order? Question?" Castiel asked as he came closer, and studied the man more. He came to decide the man was in his mid twenties.
"Yeah, you know. Ask me something and I'll answer you. You used the ritual yadda stuff to summon me, so you must have something for me to do." The man had insisted, and Castiel found himself stumbling over his words, until he properly thought about it.
"What is your name? Why are you in my mirror? Were you cursed? Did you die near a mirror? Was it-" The male rose his hands and stared at him in alarm, and stopped Castiel.
"Whoa Mr. High-and-mighty.. One question at a time please. This is my first time awake in what.. Probably a couple years considering how you look and are dressed." The male rose an eyebrow, before he took a deep breath.
"Dean Winchester, at your service. I was once a proud Prince of a beautiful kingdom, that was rich, happy, and always bright. Unfortunately, a war broke out and I got mixed in with a spell directed at my brother.. When I say spell by the way, I mean curse." Dean spat the word, and Castiel decided to sit and listen to his story intently.
"Anyway.. I was forced into the nearest mirror, and the curse was made for me to be stuck here forever, and to always serve those that call upon me." Dean suddenly looked miserable.
"If you're the one calling me now.. Where is my brother?" He asked, and Castiel didn't know what to say. It wasn't every day or week when one speaks to a mirror.
"Uh..." Castiel tried, but he didn't have the clearest on whom Dean's brother could be. He could never recall of a kingdom ruled by a family by the name of "Winchester."
Castiel down-casted his eyes, and mumbled a weak "I'm sorry.."
Dean stayed silent for a couple moments, and when Castiel looked up, he saw Dean's demeanor had changed drastically.
His shoulders were slumped, his body was slouched, his arms were folded over his stomach, and there were tears.
Tears fell from his soft cheeks, and Castiel yearned to kiss them off.
That was the first twisted thought that Castiel thought of the man in his mirror.
He knew it was the first of many, but he reached up and pressed a hand to the glass, and stared directly at Dean.
"I promise.. I won't leave you." Castiel solemnly swore, and Dean stared right back at him, surprise, awe, and.. Castiel could never detect what that third emotion was. He had never seen it before.
Love.
Now today Cas stared into the man he had come to truly love, and lust after.
"How are you today, Cas?" Dean asked as he did what he usually did with every greeting. Give a small bow, and offer a small wink at his nickname.
Castiel smiled at the gorgeous man in front of him, and offered a bow in return. After all, Dean was once a prince as well.
"I had a meeting for an incoming ball, and had to discuss stupid things like decorations, guests, and food. Otherwise, I went to stand on my balcony and look at the city." Castiel's smile disappeared at the mention of his city. His city was always gloomy. Even from a view, could he see the suffering, the hunger, and the fear.
Dean frowned when he saw the prince stopped smiling, and he immediately wanted to return that smile to his face.
Dean didn't know when he started looking at the prince weird. Well.. Not weird really. Just in a different, twisted way.
"What else happened today?" Dean pushed to get Cas's mind off the city. Castiel looked away and sighed.
"I went to the library to search for more curse breakers. There has to be something out there that will free you." Castiel said to Dean, and the man in the mirror shrugged helplessly.
"If I could offer something, I would. Witchcraft wasn't that big back in my kingdom. Hell, the fact that the witch could trap me in something was pretty amazing to all of us. She was really powerful. Not that it even matters anymore. She might be dead." Dean grumbled and turned away to look at the blank atmosphere around him. It wasn't much, but this is where he's been staying for god knows how long. It has become his empty home. Only his.
Castiel stares at him sadly. He hated the fact that he hasn't found a spell to break Dean from his curse, but Cas will keep trying. He will do anything for the man in the mirror.
Dean glanced back at Cas, and saw him thinking hard. Dean had wanted to ask about any sightings of his family, but after asking so many times and getting the same answer every time, he's learned to just not to anymore.
"What if I left the city to go look for a spell beyond? I'm sure there's something strong enough out there. Maybe a witch herself could come and free you?" Castiel tried, but Dean stared in horror.
"Cas, if these walls inside of the city are so bad, what is the outside world going to look like?" He asked, and Castiel felt a twitch of annoyance. They had already had this discussion plenty of times.
"But what if all the bad is sealed up in here? What if it's okay outside?" Castiel argued, and Dean stared at him, feeling nervous.
"Just.. Take somebody with you or something." Dean tried, knowing that he couldn't stop Cas when he had a mission in mind. Especially one like this, since it is actually a good idea that would probably eventually work if he looked hard enough.
"I'll try to return by the end of this week." Castiel promised instead, and headed for the door. He suddenly heard a thunder of feet, and he quickly turned to Dean urgently.
"Dean, disappear!" He gasped and instantly, the man disappeared into swirls and colors. When they faded quickly, now Castiel was just faced with himself.
He looked back at the door that slammed open, and Cas jumped back at the force, and saw his brother run in.
"Cas! Lil' bro! You're getting married!" Gabriel shouted in excitement and brought him into a hug.
Castiel was too stunned to do anything, and instead stood stock still as his brother shouted congratulations and other things like "so when's the baby?" and such.
"I-.." Castiel tried to speak, but he was incredibly self conscious because he knew Dean could hear them. The mirror has told him before that he could hear things beyond the mirror at points, but it will strain him if he continues to reach out into the real world. Castiel had no doubt that Dean was listening just in case it was somebody else than Gabriel.
Gabriel finally stopped hugging him to grin at Cas's face, but stopped when he saw Castiel's blank face.
"What's the matter?" He asked, and Cas stared at him.
"I.. I don't want to marry a stranger." Cas grumbled and Gabriel blinked.
"Why not? Do you have somebody else in mind?" Castiel's older brother suddenly grinned wolfish, and Cas glanced meaningfully at the mirror, but stayed silent instead. It would be considered weird if he said he wanted to marry the man in the mirror, right?
"C'mon, it won't be so bad." Gabriel tried, but Cas shook his head.
"Leave." He ordered, and ushered his older brother from his room, before he returned to the mirror.
"Mirror Mirror on the wall.." He spoke quickly this time, and Dean was instantly up against the mirror, looking brashly around the room before his worried gaze returned to Cas.
"Cas are you okay?" He demanded, and Castiel blinked.
Okay, maybe Dean didn't hear after all. Odd.. Dean has made a habit of saying he hears a lot more than Castiel thinks.. A lot more.. He's even heard Castiel's moans at night.
Fortunately, he's never told Castiel that he's also heard Cas moan his name.
"Did you hear about it?" Cas tried anyway, and Dean shrugged.
"Parts. I was weak from hearing the sounds from that rebellion against your father from yesterday. You're getting married?" Dean blinked at him, before he gave a forced, weak smile. Castiel could see right through it.
"No. I'm not." Cas gritted his teeth, and Dean's smile wiped off too quickly into a frown.
"Why?"
"Because I don't want to marry a stranger. I want to marry.." Castiel stopped himself.
He was certainly surprised when Dean reacted angrily.
Dean had slammed his fist against the glass, which seemed to even ripple on Castiel's side, and Cas stared into the green, burning eyes.
"No Cas, you will marry whatever royal goes down onto their knee for you!" He shouted louder than Cas had ever heard him. He knew these walls were thin, so he instantly got worried.
"Dean.." But Dean wasn't listening.
"You must Cas! The kingdom is depending on it." Dean spat, but then stopped as he breathed heavily. His gaze dropped and Cas noticed how guilty, and scared he looked.
"Dean..?" He tried, but Dean was shaking his head wildly.
"I can't watch another kingdom fall.." He murmured sadly, and his form swirled, and disappeared. Cas watched the glass return to reflective once again, and now he was met with his own confused, and fearful gaze.