Ten years. Ten years of hope, peace, freedom and love. Ten years of all the joy and happiness one could wish for. Ten years being with your one soulmate.
However, when you must think back, think back to where it all began, you question, where did it all begin? When did war finally end? When did the death of thousands end? When did wealth and harvest prosper? And most importantly, when did you find your true love?
If we must dig to the core of it all, then we must begin ten years ago. Ten years ago when a young man, a man who had nothing to live for, joined the king's court. Ten years ago when a prince, just of age, was forced to take the throne as he watched his father slowly leave our world. Ten years ago when these two young men were forced into each other's lives and made do of their circumstances as they fought to overcome others who wished to tear them down and steal what they hoped to rebuild and renew.
This is the story of two men, who in a world where everything seemed to be lost, where it looked like they had no control of their own life, they perservered and came together as one to rule a kingdom near crumbled.
This is the story of Dean Winchester, Knight for the Royal Novak Family, and Castiel Novak, Prince of Heaven.
Dean sat beside his brother on the newly packed dirt that sat upon the rescently covered grave. A headstone was yet to be put. Around the grave site flowers florished and birds chirrped. The cemetery was looked after greatly, leaving no hint of miscare. Next to the dirt was another grave site. This one held a headstone.
Mary Winchester 1654 - 1679.
Glancing at Sam, Dean could see silent tears fall down his face, forming a puddle in the dirt. Dean looked back to the grave. No name, but Dean knew who it was.
John Winchester.
It was ealry last month when the plauge had taken a hold of John. His son's had done their best to help their father. They fed him herbs, kept him warm and clean, and fed him hearty food. It had all been in vain, their actions being futile. John was dead once the plauge claimed him.
Waking up that ealry morning the week before, Dean could still not believe what he had found. Doing his routine checks, Dean had found his father, cold as ice, no pulse to be found. Dean had stood their, simply staring at the dead body of his father. It had been Bobby, a family friend, who had come to take care of the duty of John.
Dean knew he couldn't be upset. This happened daily. People died everyday, be it by the plauge, a bug bite, or open injury. Everyone died.
Yet...yet this was not fair, not easy. It was hard, it was difficult, it was suffocting. He had already lost one parent due to birth, now he had lost another because of the damning plauge.
Mary Winchester had been a loving and caring mother. She had tended to Dean, had brought smiles and laughter to his childhood. She had been the sun in his life. Who knew that sun would be snuffed out so soon, when he was yet still a young boy.
Samuel Winchester had been a beautiful addition to the family. His puggy fingers and rosey cheeks had been the first thing Dean had fallen in love with when he laid his eyes on his baby brother. Sam had been a joy-filled baby, always laughing and smiling. He was the epitome of happiness. It would be he who would ground Dean down.
It was only a week after giving birth to Sammy that Mary fell ill. She received a fever that would over take her body, shutting her down slowly, until she was left as a weak, feeble woman.
When Mary had died, Dean had shed many tears along side his father. They could not bear the loss of the sun in their lives. However, Sammy, the baby who could still smile, was the one to bring son and father to their senses. Little by little, they began to pick themselves up and move on.
After that first week of her death, Dean would never shed a tear again. Not for his mother, not for anyone.
Now, as he sat next to his father's grave, Sammy next to him, he still does not shed a tear. Instead, he stares coldly at the dirt, emotionless.
"Boys you are here for one reason, and one reason only, to protect the royal family."
All the men that had volunteered for the royal guard stood at attention: stright backs, hands to heir sides, face foward. The men ranged from the age of 15-50. The youngest of the boys stood in the front, the older to the back. Dean stood in the middle, amoung the men in their late 20's while Sam stood a bit in the front, in his ealry 20's.
To be a part of the Royal Guard was an honor, only few made it through. It was difficult training and much work was to be done. The ones who could not make it through the first stages would be sent to join the army. Looking around, out of the 100 Dean remembered seeing volounteer in the beginning, only 25 had made it through.
Dean hadn't been worried. He and his brother had worked as black smiths before, they had the strength and endurance neccessary to make it through. They would have preffered never to have to join any part of the kingdom like this. Dean hated the royal family; rich people who stood on pedastials while the poor in their kingdom died each day. Sam had a slightly different view, but still felt a sting of betryal to see the wealthy go on as if not hundreds of people in the kingdom died everyday.
Never in a million years would Dean had choosen to join this wretched guard. Once a part of this, you were known to have a higher status and gained a better respect. However, to Dean, respect and status shouldn't have bee determined by a title of job, it should be on their will. To be a 'maid' of this family and be seen higher felt like a joke; he was only a mockery, not a real man.
It wasn't like he had a choice in this, however. After John had died he knew that there was no way staying in the Family Buisness would help. They had barely been making ends meet when John had been alive, but now, now they could barely make enough to last a few days. The break that had been taken when John had fallen ill hadn't helped either. Both boys and Bobby could work their hardest, but it wouldn't be enough.
From the start, Dean knew what he had to do, he had to join the guard. It would be the only way to have the money neccessary for his family. Dean wanted to see Sam succeed. It had been Dean who had gone behind John's back and found a tutor who was willing to teach Sam at a low cost. Samuel was a bright boy and Dean saw such a bright future in him that would get him away from this poverty. He would do anything in his will to keep Sammy up and get him to that future. What he had not planned for was for Sam to join the guard with him.
The days leading up to sign ups had been anger filled. Sam had fought and fought with Dean to allow him to join. Dean would not hear of it and had hoped Bobby would help in discourging him, but it hadn't worked that way. Instead, Bobby had sided with Sam, saying, "He's old enough to make his choices Dean. You are all he has left and you should support the choices he makes."
Dean had left in a fury after that. When he had returned a day later after waisting away the little money he had on rum, Dean had simply nodded an okay to Sam and both had shown up to the sign ups.
Now, as Dean looked to his little brother, half his attention on the commmander up front, he wondered what would become of Sam. As guards their home would now be in the castle. Sammy would have no time to study or learn. Dean hoped that all the hard work his brother had put into an education would not be thrown away, he hoped.
"Dean Winchester would you step to the front."
Perking up at the sound of his name, Dean stepped through the crowd to the front.
From the little he had payed attention to, Dean knew the commander was giving each guard a specific duty. If correct, it would be this moment he would know who he would be in charge of. Dean cringes at the idea. He hoped it wasn't the King, no he couldn't handle that. He hoped it was the servents or maids he would have to keep an eye on. At least with them he could feel more comfortable and okay with it.
The seconds it took before his duty would be announced Dean felt sweat build in the back oh his neck. Damn it, why was he so nervous!
Finally! Finally his duty was annouced. Before the man could finish Dean felt like his stomach had dropped to the ground.
"Dean Winchester you will be assigned to protect the son of King Charles, Prince Castiel."
Only from a distance the young Winchester had seen the Novak Prince. Being poor didn't exactly give him a front row view, not that he had cared. Everytime he laid eyes on the young Prince he felt anger boil in his blood. With one look all Dean saw was a boy who had everything handed to him, no work put forth. He hated him.
It had never occured to Dean that he could be put in charge of the boy. Of course it would be an option, but he had assumed it would be an older soilder, not someone like Dean.
As he walked back to his place in the crowd, Dean felt the unpleasentness spread through him. If he could, he would be groaning. Instead, Dean stood tall and waitied to be sent to his new duty.
After the 25 men had been given an assigment, Dean relaxed a moment. To his relief, Sam had been assigned to look over the maids who cleaned the castle. An easy job that wouldn't leave him too distracted and keep him somewhat focused on his education. Sam had given him a sympathetic look when it had been announced who Dean would guard. Now, as his brother made his way toward him, Dean allowed a smile to spread onto his face.
"Well it's official. We're part of the royal guard."
Sammy chuckled at his brother's enthusiasm. He knew he really didn't want to be here, but it was nice to see him trying a bit.
"Yes, yes we are. By the way, I'm sorry you have to guard the Prince. I'm sure he wont be too difficult."
"A rich boy like that? With no stuggles? Sammy he is gonna be the spoiled brat I know him to be."
Dean let out a huff of anger, wishing not to remember his impending doom. Sam simply gave him a hard look. He understood that his brother finds the wealthy difficult, but he had no right to make accusations.
"Dean if you would give him a chance you might be shocked by what you find."
Before Dean could have a retort back, the top guards were pulling people to their rightful positions. Dean was dragged to the Prince's bedroom. Sam was dragged to the maid's quarters.
Dean had been positive the guards would be shown their own living quarters, but he was mistaken. In the back of his mind he imagined he was stabbing himself with his own sord, dreading every step that led him toward his new imprisonment.
The castle was grand, far greater than what Dean had ever imagined. It only fueled his hatred for the royal family. The king, maybe he could somewhat deal with since he was the one who fought as lead in their battles and did take it upon himself to look over the kingdom and its people. However the Prince, just a lucky bastard who was born into this family, nothing more. He had no achievements that deemed him worthy in Dean's eyes.
He was led through different stair cases and hallways until he finally found himself in front of a door that would open to the Prince's room. The guard with him knocked quietly on the door before stepping back, standing tall and straight. Dean followed the man's stance and waited patiently. It only took a few moments before the door was unlocked.
Out stepped a young man, not boy, dressed in blue breeches, tan jerkins, and a white shirt. The man had raven black hair, starling perwinkle eyes, and chapped lips. He was a precious jewel that held all the beauty in the world.
Dean could only stare. He kept his position, but his eyes, his eyes roamed the other man. It was difficult not to capture the man's attractivness. The boy gave Dean a nod as greeting before speaking to the other guard.
"Thank you Benny. I shall see to him now."
The guard that had led him here, Benny, nodded a fairwell and left down the hall they had come through. Dean looked back to the young man, again blinded by his perfection.
"I am Prince Castiel Novak, as you very much know, and as I know you are my new guard. I don't see why I need one, but since it is not my choice I will not argue. All I ask of you is you keep out of my way and do not be a bother."
Dean felt himself coming back to his senses as the Prince finished speaking. Castiel was giving Dean a hard look that was beginning to anger him. Brat of the kingdom, that's right. Screw how he looked, he was still spoiled and scum to Dean. Not caring, Dean retorted back. He wouldn't be one to be spoken down too.
"'Course 'Prince' I'll keep out of your way, just make sure you are out of MY way. I may not wish to protect you, but I must, so suck it up as I have to and deal with it. Be glad this is your only 'disturbance'."
With that, Dean turned and walked away. He wouldn't be bossed as the Prince deemed neccessary. No, he was a Winchester and led his own path. He may not know where he was going, but it was better than facing the prince. He knew he would pay the price later, but now, all that mattered to Dean was his own dignity.