"Psst!"
If you were to ask Castiel, he'd say that there was a mistake in birth order. He was supposed to be born before Gabriel, so to make up for it, the Powers That Be make Gabriel act like the mature older brother and Gabriel like the immature younger brother.
"Castiel!"
If you were to ask Gabriel, he'd say that he acts exactly how someone his age is supposed to, and Castiel is just abnormally serious.
"Castiel, wake up!"
But despite how serious Castiel normally is, there are times when he lets go and acts like the kid he is.
"Cas!"
Castiel cracks open one eye and finds his older brother's face just inches from his own, his eyebrows furrowed and his mouth twisted into a pout. When he sees that Castiel is awake, his face lights up.
"Let's go play," he says. Castiel whines in protest and burrows further into his pillow.
"Too tired," he grumbles. He scrunches up his face when Gabriel pokes his cheek.
"Do you want to build a snowman?" Gabriel asks slyly. Castiel can't help the smile that spreads slowly across his face, and when he opens his eyes he sees the expression mirrored on his brother's.
"Fine," Castiel says, and Gabriel's grin grows. He can always get Castiel to do what he wants, and they both know it. "But just for a little bit."
Their parents' room is right next to their own, so they sneak into the hallway as quietly as they can. As soon as they leave the wing that houses the royal bedrooms, they take off running for the nearest ballroom.
Castiel gets there first even though Gabriel's legs are longer, and as soon as they're both inside he lets the door slam shut with a deafening bang!
"Shh!" Gabriel hisses, and Castiel winces. Gabriel grabs his hand and drags him to the middle of the room, where he proceeds to bounce in place excitedly. "Do the magic!"
"Okay, okay!" Castiel says, giggling. He rubs his hands together until he's built up a good sized ball of snow, and then he tosses it up into the air, where it explodes into a blue spark; seconds later, snow begins to fall gently. Castiel stomps his foot and most of the floor is covered in a thin layer of ice, perfect for skating. Gabriel giggles as he makes his way over to Castiel, slipping and stumbling the whole way.
"This is awesome," he says happily. His hair is already covered in snowflakes and his cheeks and nose are already red from the cold. Castiel is, as usual, unaffected. "Let's build a snowman!"
They name it Olaf.
.
Years later, when Castiel thinks back on this moment, it will be nothing but a fast-paced, terror-filled blur to him, despite how slow everything seems to be moving while it's actually happening.
It starts when the ballroom doors explode open in a shower of ice chips as the king and queen force their way inside. Castiel flinches at the unexpected noise and whirls around, and because of this he doesn't see where his latest blast of ice goes.
His parents gasp just as he hears a sharp cry from behind him. He looks from his parents' horrified faces to his brother's confused one, then to the lingering traces of magic still floating around his head.
"Cas?" Gabriel says, right before a lock of his hair turns white, his eyes roll back into his head, and he collapses onto a pile of snow.
"Gabriel!" Three voices cry out at once, all of them filled with shock. Castiel reaches him first and reaches out, but stops just before his fingers make contact. "Gabriel?" The ice on the ground them solidifies until it's so thick that the floor isn't even visible as Castiel's breathing quickens.
"Castiel, this is getting out of hand," his father says when he reaches them. The queen falls to her knees next to Gabriel and gently lifts him up. Both of them look pale and have wide eyes that are filled with fear.
"He's cold as ice," the queen says, and Castiel flinches. Tears gather in his eyes.
"Will he be okay?" he asks in a small voice.
"Yes, darling, once we get him to the trolls."
"Do you remember the way?" the king asks.
The queen nods and gets to her feet, cradling Gabriel to her chest. "Bring Castiel. We must hurry."
They don't wake the stable hands to help them saddle their horses lest they ask questions, so it takes a bit longer than it normally does for them to get on the road. While the king prepares two horses, the queen holds Gabriel tightly and keeps up a steady stream of reassurances to Castiel.
"It was an accident," she says. "We can fix this. Gabriel will be okay."
He isn't sure who she's trying to convince.
An eternity later, they're riding furiously out of the kingdom and through the woods. Castiel sits in front of his mother and tries to control his powers. He can feel the magic inside of him, rippling and writhing in response to his fear. It wants to be let out, but for the first time in his life, Castiel is afraid to release it. He instead lets frost coat his fingers, and then his hands, and then his arms, and by the time they stop in a clearing full of boulders, almost his whole upper body is covered with thin ice. It breaks off into powdery snow when his mother lifts him off the horse.
The king hurries into the middle of the clearing with Gabriel in his arms, and Castiel and the queen stay close to him.
"Please, help us!" the king says desperately. For a moment, nothing happens, but then Castiel gasps when the boulders begin to roll towards them, and he steps closer to his parents. The rocks unravel to reveal small, round people who look at the royals with confusion in their features. Quiet, confused murmurs begin to ring out into the clearing as the trolls recognise them. They part for another boulder that comes rolling towards them, and Castiel assumes that this troll is the leader.
The king looks relieved to see him and kneels down so that the troll can place his hand on Gabriel's head. His eyes widen momentarily, and he looks at Castiel, then at the king. "I assume that your younger son is the one who caused this." The king nods. "And... is he the only one in your family with magic of some sort?"
"Yes," the king says, exchanging a frown with the queen. "Why, does Gabriel have powers, as well?"
The troll doesn't say anything for a while. "All I can sense in him is the ice magic in his head. But that is not important right now. Was he born with the powers or cursed?"
"Born," the king says. "And they're growing stronger." The troll nods, like he's just had something confirmed. Castiel doesn't mention that he never answered the king's question regarding Gabriel and whether or not he has magic, too.
"You are lucky it was his head and not something more difficult, like the heart. The heart is not so easily changed. I will remove all traces of magic," the troll says, flicking his wrist at the blue cloud; it turns a light red colour. "Including memories of it. I think that would be for the best." He waves his hand and the magic disperses. "He will be okay."
"But he won't remember I have powers?" Castiel asks tentatively. The troll gives him a long, searching look.
"Listen to me, Castiel," he says finally. He waves his hand and an image appears of a man holding two giant snowflakes in his hands, surrounded by smiling faces. The image is blue, but in the background there is a single person in red. Castiel wants to ask about it, but he's distracted when the troll begins to speak. "There is great beauty in what you can do, but also great danger. If you can't learn to control it, it will bring you only fear and pain."
The image changes suddenly; everything turns blood red as the man is overwhelmed by a tidal wave of angry faces, and his shout of fear is drowned out by their cries of anger. Castiel gasps and his mother's grip on his shoulder tightens.
"Is there nothing else you can do?" she asks.
"I am sorry, but the magic is ingrained in him too deeply for me to be able to remove it safely. All should be well as long as he learns to control it."
The king nods determinedly. "Thank you for everything."
"Good luck, Your Majesty," the troll replies. "Though I hope you should not need it."
And to Castiel, that sounds as foreboding as any death sentence.
.
Gabriel is more observant than he lets on. He notices a lot of things that others normally wouldn't, especially when it comes to the people he loves. So it comes as a great shock to him when Castiel suddenly moves out of their room without any warning and refuses to spend any more time around Gabriel than necessary.
Gabriel hadn't noticed anything wrong with his brother that would cause him to suddenly become to closed off. He's confused at first, but his parents tell him that Castiel only needs space to work some things out, which only confuses him more. Castiel is five. What could he possibly need to work out?
At first Gabriel tries to get through to him, and then, hurt when he is rebuffed, ignores him. They only see each other at dinner, which the king and queen insist on eating together every night, and even then they don't talk much. And then when that yields no results, Gabriel is right back to trying to entice his brother out of his room.
"It's snowing, Cas! Do you want to go build a snowman?"
"No. Go away, Gabriel."
He tries not to let anyone see how much the words sting.
As the years go by, Gabriel gets more and more desperate. The castle gates, which were once opened up to the people, are closed off. Gabriel isn't forbidden from going outside, but he doesn't see the point when there's no one to enjoy it with. Castiel comes out of his room sometimes, but only ever when he's with their parents, and Gabriel never has the courage to ask to speak to him in private in front of them.
He's lonely, though the king and queen try to spend as much time with him as possible. He misses his little brother, but nothing he does can get Castiel to open up to him.
And then their parents go off on a voyage. They don't return. The whole kingdom is devastated, though no one more so than Gabriel and Castiel. Gabriel dresses himself in black for almost a week after everyone else starts wearing colour again, and most days he can be found sitting outside of Castiel's door with his head buried in his arms and his knees drawn up to his chest.
"You're all I have left, Castiel, and I don't even get to see you anymore. What did I ever do to you to make you hate me enough to shut me out like this?"
He doesn't get an answer. He doesn't know what he was expecting.
He's eighteen when his parents die. Castiel is only fifteen, and Gabriel is incredibly worried about him, and that worry only increases when Castiel refuses to come out of his room at all. Gabriel has servants bring him breakfast and lunch and dinner, and send a tailor in every six months so that Castiel always has new clothes, and makes sure that his brother has all the latest books and things to do, but he doesn't get to actually see him until three years later, on the day of the coronation.
.
For the first time in what feels like forever, Gabriel leaves the palace. He manages to sneak out before any of the servants notice, though the guards posted outside the gates certainly spot him. They promise not to tell anyone, though, as long as he returns before the coronation.
The town just outside the gates is bright and colourful and exactly how Gabriel remembers it. There are people everywhere, all of them smiling and excited. Banners are hung up on every flagpole and window sill, all of them bearing the royal coat of arms: a pair of wings, one black and one gold, spreading from the hilt of a sword, all of it against a light blue background.
Gabriel's sure he's going to get whiplash from turning his head to look at everything, but he just can't help it. It's been thirteen years since he's even been out of the palace, and he's determined to enjoy it. He's so busy watching a group of kids fly kites that he doesn't see the horse coming straight for him until it nearly runs into him.
"Watch out!"
Gabriel turns and gasps, his eyes widening. They close only a second later as he prepares for impact, but the rider manages to stop the animal just before it makes contact. Gabriel feels a puff of air on his face and opens his eyes to find the horse just centimeters from him. He lets out a relieved sigh and reaches up to stroke the horse's nose as he focuses on calming down his racing heart.
"Are you alright?" the rider asks as he dismounts. His voice sounds panicked, and he hurries over to Gabriel with wide eyes. Gabriel smiles.
"I'm fine," he says. "No harm done."
The man relaxes and smiles back. "Good," he says. "I'm glad."
Gabriel quickly gives the man a once-over. He's dressed in finely tailored clothes that speak of wealth and a higher class, and everything about him is incredibly put together. He has short, dirty blond hair, icy blue eyes, and a small, shy smile. The man suddenly blinks and looks startled, and Gabriel fights back a smile.
"Oh, uh, pardon my terrible manners. I am Prince Lucifer of the Southern Isles," he introduces himself, bowing.
"Prince Gabriel of Arendelle," Gabriel replies, copying Lucifer's movements. The blond's eyes widen even more.
"I almost ran over the future king of my country's biggest trade partner," he says, his voice horrified. Gabriel laughs.
"Really, it's no big deal," he says. "I've done worse to myself before." He gives Lucifer his best 'everything-is-okay-don't-freak-out' smile, and is rewarded with a hesitant grin. The clock strikes nine forty-five just as he opens his mouth to say something, and his eyes widen as he looks towards the palace. People are already streaming in through the gates.
"Have to go?" Lucifer guesses.
"Unfortunately," Gabriel replies, already edging away. "I'll see you later?" Lucifer nods, and Gabriel shoots him one last smile, then turns and practically sprints to the palace. The guards at the gate give him disapproving looks as he runs past them, and he sticks his tongue out childishly once they can no longer see him.
He follows the crowd until they reach a fork in the hallway. While the people head left, towards the chapel where the ceremony is going to take place, Gabriel turns right, goes up a large staircase, and then rushes to his room. The outfit he'd chosen for the ceremony is still lying folded on his chest of drawers, and he changes into it as quickly as he can.
He pauses only for a second to check his reflection in his full-body mirror. His pants are white, and his knee-high boots are black. He has on a golden button down shirt underneath a white waistcoat, and on top of those he wears a gold jacket embroidered with black designs on the lapels. He's chosen to forego gloves because he'll have to take them off for the ceremony, and so he put on a ring, a simple silver band inlaid with tiny rubies, on his right hand.
Satisfied with his appearance, he hurries from his room. And then hurries back, grabs the long black cape that he forgot, and fastens it around his neck as he races to the chapel. He makes it there just in time.
"All rise for the crown prince," the bishop calls from inside, and the choir starts singing as everyone stands up at once. Gabriel takes a deep breath, rolls his shoulders, and then walks into the chapel.
Gabriel's heart speeds up from excitement when he sees his brother, who's standing off to the side slightly. Castiel's grown up a lot since the last time they'd seen each other. His face has lost its roundness, though his eyes are still solemn. His black hair, which had always been rather short in their childhood, is grown long and slicked back from his face. He's taller than Gabriel now, which doesn't surprise him. What does surprise him, however, is the small smile that Castiel sends his way when they lock eyes. Gabriel sends a tentative one back, but he is forced to turn his attention back to the ceremony when the bishop lifts up the crown.
It's the same crown that his father wore, years and years ago, and Gabriel feels a pang of sadness when he sees it. But he still bows his head so the bishop can put it on, and then he lifts up the scepter and the orb and turns to face the crowd. They all stand when the bishop begins chanting in the ancient language, and Gabriel catches sight of Lucifer in the crowd. The prince offers him a small wave, which Gabriel returns with a tiny smile.
"King Gabriel of Arendelle!" the bishop declares after a minute or two of chanting, and the crowd repeats the title. Gabriel places the orb and scepter back on the cushion, then faces the crowd once more when they clap and cheer. He's glad to be receiving this kind of reaction from the people, especially since the last time he'd had contact with any of them he'd been only eight years old and just starting his royal training.
But those who'd been allowed in the chapel - foreign dignitaries and ambassadors representing countries that Arendelle trades with - seem nothing but supportive and, dare he say it, even happy that Gabriel's finally accepting the position he'd been born to have. And he's nervous, of course, but not terribly so. He was born, bred, and trained for this, after all, and such a positive reaction helps to assuage his doubts. His slight nerves don't show in his wide smile, nor do they make his hands shake as he holds them at his sides.
He chances a glance at Castiel to see how he'll react (and he hates that they've grown so far apart that he has no idea what to expect from his brother because they used to be so close that sometimes Gabriel would think that they knew each other better than they knew themselves) and lets out a tiny sigh of relief when he sees that his brother is smiling. Not a large smile, but it looks genuine, and that's enough for Gabriel. Castiel has always been a terrible liar and has never seen the point in saying anything other than what he means, and Gabriel has a feeling that thirteen years of isolation has done nothing to diminish those qualities, so he trusts that all of Castiel's reactions will be genuine.
"I'd like to formally invite you all to the great hall for the celebratory part of this evening's events," he says once the applause has died down a bit. The words are rehearsed and memorised and formal, but he thinks he says them in such a way that it's not that obvious. What he says afterwards, though, is completely impulsive. "It's time to party!"
Luckily and to his great joy, many of the younger people cheer. Even a few of the older and grey-haired folks do. Off to the side, Kai rolls his eyes in what he probably thinks is a discreet manner but dutifully begins leading people to the royal hall. Gabriel, Castiel, and the bishop stay behind, the former two because they're going to be announced later, and the latter because he's old and no fun and doesn't want to partake in the party.
Once Kai has successfully directed the guests on where to go, and told them to ask the guards for help if they got lost, he rushes to Gabriel's side before the new king can even move.
"Excellent ceremony, Your Majesties," he says, his eyes flitting to Castiel but mostly staying on Gabriel. It's understandable, considering the fact that Kai practically helped raise Gabriel, and no one really knows Castiel now because of all those years he spent locked away. "Now, we're going to introduce you one at a time in about half an hour. King Gabriel, if you'll come with me, I was thinking that we can use this time to complete all the paperwork."
"Paperwork?" Gabriel repeats, frowning. "I wasn't aware that there was paperwork involved in this. Can I skip it?"
"I'm afraid not, Your Highness," Kai says dryly.
Gabriel glances at Castiel regretfully from the corner of his eye, then sighs and nods. "Alright, then. Let's go. I'm assuming it will take the entire thirty minutes?"
"We'll see," Kai says before turning his attention to Castiel. "Prince Castiel, you are free to do with this time as you wish, but I must ask that you be outside the back entrance to the royal hall at least a minute or two before you are to be announced at eleven."
"I will be there," Castiel promises. Gabriel tries not to gawk. Castiel had such a high-pitched voice when he was little, but now his voice is gravelly and deep. The king bites his lip as it sinks in just how much of a stranger his brother is to him now. But he composes himself before Kai and Castiel notice his discomfort.
"Come, Your Highness," Kai says to Gabriel. He inclines his head to Castiel, then turns and begins to walk out of the chapel. Gabriel looks to Castiel, but the prince has already turned and is leaving through the other exit, so Gabriel has no choice but to follow Kai.
.
It turns out that the paperwork Kai mentioned is simply taking an oath and then signing a document, both of which is basically him declaring his loyalty to the kingdom, and promising to put the needs of the people before anything else. All the past kings and queens did it, and should Gabriel ever marry, his wife will need to take the oath, as well. Gabriel rolls his eyes when Kai mentions this.
"It's a little early for me to be worrying about marriage, isn't it?" he says. "I haven't even been king for an hour yet."
"I'm simply letting you know what you'll need to be prepared for," Kai says unapologetically. It's one of the things Gabriel likes most about the man, the way he always speaks the truth and never sugarcoats anything. The blunt honesty can be refreshing amidst a sea of servants and trade partners and subjects telling him what they believe he wants to hear.
"And I appreciate that," Gabriel says, looking at the clock. "But don't we have somewhere to be?"
Kai checks the time on his pocketwatch and mutters something under his breath that has Gabriel grinning.
"What was that?" the king asks.
"You're right," Kai says. They both know that's not what he said. "We have only a few minutes to get to the great hall."
"We'd best be on our way, then," Gabriel says. He nods to the six other people in the room, his official advisors who'd overseen the taking of the oath. They bow to him in return, and then he and Kai rush out.
They make it to the hall at eleven on the dot to find Castiel already outside the door. Like Gabriel, he's wearing the same thing he wore to the coronation ceremony, an ice blue jacket with a white shirt on underneath, white pants, black shoes, and white gloves, along with his simple silver coronet. He raises an eyebrow when Gabriel and Kai approach.
"Paperwork a little more than you thought it would be?" he says dryly.
"Yes," Kai replies, obviously not in the mood to engage in banter. He peers through the open door, then looks at Gabriel and Castiel. "Alright, I'm going to announce King Gabriel first. All you have to do is walk out, stand there, and greet all the guests as they're brought up to you. After that you'll be free to mingle."
"Got it," Gabriel says as Castiel nods. Kai adjusts his jacket, then walks into the room. Almost immediately the music and chatter die down as the guests notice the herald.
"Lords and ladies," Kai says loudly, "may I present to you King Gabriel of Arendelle!"
There is applause, though this is less subdued than it had been in the chapel. Gabriel feels himself grin and doesn't try to fight it as he walks into the room to stand in front of Kai and to his right. The guests all bow low as he does, and they stay low when Castiel is introduced.
"Prince Castiel of Arendelle!"
Castiel walks in a little slower than Gabriel did, his eyes half-closed and a small, polite smile on his face. He stands straight and tall, and looks nothing but regal as he takes his place at Gabriel's right. Gabriel is absolutely not jealous.
The guests finally straighten out and applaud once again. Gabriel wonders how their hands aren't rubbed raw already.
"Hi," Castiel says softly once everyone begins to go back to the party, drawing him out of his musings. Gabriel starts a little and looks up at his brother in surprise. He hadn't expected Castiel to be the one to initiate conversation. Quite the opposite, in fact, Gabriel had been preparing himself to chase after his brother all night in order to talk to him.
"Oh, uh. Hi," Gabriel says. He is completely thrown for a loop and it's taking him a while to catch up to the situation. For now, he's simply reacting to everything that's going on. Castiel only smiles at his awkwardness and looks back at the crowd. The people have gone back to dancing and talking and laughing, and Gabriel can spot Kai trying to track down the first of the guests he'll be introducing to the royals.
"So," Castiel says. "This is what a party looks like." There's a small smile on his face and his eyes are bright as he looks at everyone, and Gabriel can clearly see a bit of longing on his face. It's obvious he's enjoying the company, which makes Gabriel wonder why he'd locked himself up in the first place.
"It's noisier than I thought it would be," he says, then blinks at himself. He hadn't meant to say that.
"And warmer," Castiel says, which makes Gabriel tilt his head a little in confusion. He's actually a little chilly, and he has three layers and a cape to keep him warm. Maybe Castiel is coming down with something.
"I didn't expect so many people to show up," Gabriel confesses. "Probably only half of these people are from Arendelle. A lot of them came all the way from their countries just to see my coronation."
"Why wouldn't they?" Castiel says. "They no doubt wanted to see history in the making. I have no doubt that you're going to be a great king."
Gabriel blinks, touched and surprised by the compliment. "Thank you," he says softly, his eyebrows furrowed slightly. Luckily, Castiel doesn't notice the look as his attention is diverted as Kai walks up to them just then, leading a tall, thin man behind him.
"Your Majesties. May I introduce to you the Duke Alistair Malum of Weaseltown."
"It's Weselton!" the Duke snaps, his face twisting in irritation. Kai raises an unamused eyebrow, unfazed as always. Gabriel frowns the slightest bit at the harshness in the Duke's tone; he doesn't like how this man is treating Kai, but is willing to give him the benefit of the doubt for the moment.
The Duke bows and Gabriel and Castiel incline their heads in return.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Your Highness," Alistair says. His lips curl up in a lazy smile that sets Gabriel on edge for some reason. He doesn't know why, but his instincts are rarely wrong.
"The pleasure is all mine," he says, regardless of his thoughts, because his parents would likely be rolling around in their watery tombs if he let anything get in the way of politeness.
"As Weselton is your closest partner in trade, I thought it only fitting that I be the first one to congratulate you."
"Thank you very much," Gabriel says, smiling politely. "I appreciate the sentiment, Duke."
"Please, call me Alistair." Kai frowns and Gabriel can sense Castiel tense beside him, but he doesn't look at either of them.
"If you wish," he says in response to the Duke's request. He doesn't offer the same courtesy back, and soon Alistair leaves.
"That was strange," Castiel says quietly once he's gone.
"Very," Gabriel agrees. "But I'm going to pretend it's a Weselton thing and not a political move. I'm having too much fun to ruin the party with politics."
"The whole purpose of this party is to celebrate you becoming king," Castiel points out.
"Oh, shush, you," Gabriel says lightly. "The political stuff shouldn't be worried about until later. For now, I want to simply enjoy this."
"I understand," Castiel says. "This is very nice."
"The party's great," Gabriel agrees. "But I was talking about seeing you." Castiel's eyes widen a fraction, and he looks very vulnerable at this admission. Gabriel's aware that he probably looks about the same. "Just having you here is enough to make this a night I know I'll never forget. I wish it could be like this all the time." I wish you'd stop hiding away and be my brother again.
"Me, too," Castiel says, smiling softly. But then he blinks and his eyes harden. "But it can't."
Gabriel frowns. "Why not? I don't understand why you can't just-"
"It just can't!" Castiel cuts him off, turning away from him abruptly. His shoulders are tense, and Gabriel feels his jaw clench. There's a sour feeling in his gut, and he pretends that it's anger as he excuses himself and walks into the crowd. He knows he was supposed to stay until he'd been introduced to everyone, but at this point he just doesn't care.
His hands clench into fists and he frowns down at the floor as he absentmindedly weaves his way through the crowd. He just doesn't understand why Castiel has to be so… dense. He's not even going to try to guess at the reasons behind Castiel's reclusiveness, but surely at age eighteen Castiel can see that there's no reason for him to hide away like that, and that he's not doing anything but hurting everyone when he does, right?
Gabriel scoffs lightly, then yelps as something slams into him from the side and sends him stumbling back. He steps on his cape, trips, and promptly falls over. A hand shoots out and grabs his before he can make impact, though, and he finds himself looking into amused blue eyes.
"Prince Lucifer," he says, a relieved smile making its way onto his face.
"I'd be honoured if you'd call me simply Lucifer, Your Highness," the blond says, pulling Gabriel to his feet. Unlike when the Duke had made the same offer, Gabriel readily accepts.
"Only if you call me Gabriel," he says.
"Very well, then, Gabriel," Lucifer says. The band strikes up a lively tune and everyone around them gasps in delight and moves to the dance floor. "Care to dance?"
Gabriel stares dubiously at the hand that's being extended to him, then mentally shrugs. It's not like he cares what anyone will think of him, and even if he did, this kind of thing isn't uncommon enough to be abnormal.
"I'd love to," he says honestly, taking Lucifer's hand and pulling him out to join all the other couples. The dance lasts for only a few moments, but as soon as it's finished Gabriel raises his eyebrows at the musicians and they happily begin a new song.
They dance for hours, until their feet ache and their stomachs are growling and the sun is high in the sky. As they finish the last dance, ending it by bowing to each other, Gabriel catches sight of Castiel through the crowd, watching them with a disapproving frown on his face. Gabriel frowns in irritation and grabs Lucifer's hand.
"Let's go get food," he says, masking his negative feelings well. "I'm starving."
Lucifer readily agrees, so they make their way over to the food-laden table in the back of the hall. Dinner is going to be served to the guests later, so the table is covered with small finger-foods. Gabriel wants nothing more than to fill a plate with food, find an unoccupied room, and skip dinner, but he knows he can't do that without offending all of his guests. Instead, he grabs enough to tie him over until they're all called for dinner.
"I don't know if this is going to offend you or not," Lucifer mumbles to him as they're nibbling on rolls, "but do you want to get out of here?"
Gabriel smiles. "You just read my mind."
.
They make it back to the party just in time for Gabriel to formally invite all of his guests for dinner, and then he leads the way to their largest and most opulent dining room. According to the placecards, his seat is at the head of the long rectangular table; Castiel sits immediately to his right and the Duke of Weselton sits on his left, much to Gabriel's displeasure.
Luckily, Castiel engages him in conversation quickly enough, which gives Gabriel a reason to ignore the Duke. Unluckily, it's simply to berate him.
"Where have you been?" the prince whispers to him, a crease between his eyebrows displaying his displeasure at Gabriel ditching most of his own coronation party. "You disappeared. What were you doing?"
Gabriel thinks back to the past few hours, which he spent running around with Lucifer. After Gabriel told him about how lonely his childhood was (which luckily, Lucifer understood, seeing as both his older and younger brother both were always busy), Lucifer was very interested in how Gabriel entertained himself, so Gabriel showed him all the best rooms to slide around in their socks in, all the best towers to climb to get the best views, and when even that got old, they spent hours simply talking to each other about nothing and everything.
"Nothing," Gabriel replies. A servant comes by and pours everyone a glass of wine, and Castiel waits until she's gone to continue.
"You can't just do these kinds of things anymore, Gabriel," Castiel says. "You're a king now, and you have appearances to maintain. What would people think if they found out you ditched your own coronation party?"
But Gabriel was still stuck on the first thing Castiel had said. "I'm sorry, did you say anymore?" he asked, his eyes narrowed down to slits. "How would you know what I did before? It's not like you've exactly been there."
Castiel winces and for a moment, Gabriel regrets what he said.
"I have reasons for doing what I did," Castiel says.
"Please, enlighten me."
Castiel makes an angry face and for a moment looks like he's going to do just that, but then he hesitates. "I can't."
Gabriel scoffs and turns away without another word. The Duke is right there, his face resting in his palms and a wide smile on his face even as his eyes are only half-open.
"Trouble in paradise?" he asks. Gabriel forces a polite smile onto his face and reaches for his wine glass.
"Simply a disagreement," he corrects lightly, well aware that Castiel can hear everything he says when he's not whispering. "Very common amongst siblings, as everyone knows."
"Oh, I wouldn't. I'm an only child, you see."
"Really." Gabriel's tone quite clearly says that he's not interested, but either the Duke is really bad at reading social cues or he just doesn't care, because he continues.
"Oh, yes. It was quite quiet growing up. Peaceful. I've always felt terribly sorry for people who've had the misfortune to have parents who couldn't quite control all of their physical urges."
Gabriel chokes on his wine and begins coughing, and a servant hurries over to him in concern. He waves her off distractedly and glares at the Duke, who has turned away and started another conversation. There's a smirk on his face and a gleam in his eyes that betrays how pleased with himself. Castiel looks up from where he'd been poking disinterestedly at his salad and frowns at Gabriel, which makes the older think that he hadn't been paying attention to his conversation after all.
"Are you alright?" Castiel asks. "Your face is flushed."
And Gabriel can feel the heat in his cheeks, though he's not quite sure if it's from anger, embarrassment, or almost choking.
"I'm fine," he snaps, and Castiel makes a face and turns away. Gabriel stabs a slice of tomato and chews it mechanically, not even tasting it. This night is not turning out how he'd hoped, and his good mood from earlier is all but gone.
Further down the table, Lucifer catches his eye. The blond looks at his two neighbors, both of whom are speaking over him in some foreign language as if he's not there, then mimes stabbing himself. Gabriel smiles genuinely for the first time since dinner started. His next bite has much more flavor to it.