"Aaaaaaaagh!" screeched the big bad alpha, or at least he was supposed to be one, yet being startled awake by big round green eyes staring down from above would make anyone react in a similar fashion. Dean was up on his bed, on his belly with just his head perched out over the edge staring at a sleeping Castiel who still preferred the hard floor to the softness of a bed. "Dean!"
"Morning, Cas." the omega replied with a mesmerising wide smile, his eyes sparkling with joy and mischief. "I see you still like to sleep on the floor. Or did you fall down during the night and just didn't notice?" With a little dignity he had left, Castiel rose to his feet and put on some robes as if he was trying to hide himself in it, because he certainly didn't need it to cover any nudity - he still slept mostly clothed.
"The beds are… Too soft." He replied, his voice low and awkward. He was still unaccustomed to soft pillows, fluffy blankets, the warmth, the abundance of fancy food and wine, preferring instead the simplicity of a hard floor, bread and water. Maybe some mint and honey tea.
Dean gave him a sympathetic look that lacked the usual pity he would get from Balthazar on occasion, then smiled kindly and lovingly, not saying anything about it more. Instead, he opted to change the subject, yet even the new topic left a sour taste in Castiel's mouth. "So I see you moved to the King's chambers. I went looking for you in your old room."
The way he said it was with a smile, perhaps even sounding slightly teasing, as if he completely forgot that room was his cell for God-knew-how-long. Maybe he wanted to forget? Was that the kind of a thing one could simply forget?
"I was told it would be appropriate to relocate." Castiel replied with the most benign answer he could think of. However, as soon as he saw the light frown upon Dean's beautiful features, he knew it was the wrong answer, despite it being the truth. It was Michael's suggestion, though Castiel suspected the eldest musketeer had other intentions when he suggested he moved to the King's chamber.
Dean's face turned serious as he rose from lying on his stomach to sit on the edge of the bed. The omega took a deep breath that seemed to suck up all the air out of the room, because suddenly, Castiel felt it harder to breathe. Dean patted the bed next to him. "Come, sit with me." Castiel immediately obeyed.
"I was never much for rules and proper etiquette and things like that…" Dean started his tale. "I would often sneak out and find a tavern and simply enjoy the music and a few light drinks. I often visited the Roadhouse, the tavern on the border of our land and France, so the people there already knew me, but not as the prince, never as the prince. I was just Dean to them."
"Being an omega is generally hard when most alphas think we are just easy and would do anything for a knot. But my father taught me how to fight, so there wasn't an alpha that could get a jump on me, not that they haven't tried. I was just… Always smarter than them. Stronger and more skilled in a fight. They never stood a chance." There was a slight nostalgic smile on Dean's face as he started into the distance, memories of his old life most likely flashing before his eyes. But then he snapped out of it and turned to look at Castiel, the next words seemed more important somehow.
"And then one day, he wandered into the tavern. James. The minute I saw him, I felt drawn to him. His scent… It was so… familiar. He smelled like… Almost like home. Almost." Something heavy settled in Castiel's chest when he heard Dean say these things, but he would not interrupt the omega, no matter how much it hurt to listen to him speak like that about the man who tortured him.
"Even his eyes, they were so similar to my mother's, blue as the rivers that ran our land. They were nearly perfect." Castiel forced himself to keep looking at Dean and not avert his eyes, reeling in all his emotions, all the anger and sorrow he felt. Dean deserved to tell his story, to be heard.
"I felt this incredible pull and I thought that… I believed that was it, that he was… That he was it, you know?" The omega's said it with a smile that gradually started to slip away as the story reached that turning point, the part where Dean learnt the harsh truth. A heavy silence fell upon them, lingering for a few minutes before Dean took another deep breath, making the air seem lighter, at least to Castiel.
"He wasn't what I expected and I soon realized I made a mistake. But I also realized one more thing…" Castiel's brows quirked up in curiosity. "There was… There was still something about his scent and his eyes, but I didn't know what it was… I didn't know until… Until I saw you."
Although Dean said it with a smile, like it was good news, Castiel still felt a sharp, stabbing pain in his chest. If it were true, if they really were truemates, then it meant that Dean was manipulated by James solely because the lesser alpha smelled similar, because of their familial bond.
"Hey, hey, no, no, no… I didn't tell you this so that you'd feel guilty over something you had no control over. No matter what, you could not have prevented it, okay?" Dean closed any space that was between them, his hands reaching to grab Castiel's, to give as much comfort as he could. The omega should not be the one offering consolidation. Castiel was trying hard to find the words to show he was still remorseful about what happened, but Dean wouldn't allow it, he simply kept talking.
"I fought them, you know. I fought them every step of the way. At first I fought them all the time, then I let them think they won, that they broke me, and then I would start fighting again." There was a firm, pleased smile to emphasize the point - he was a feisty omega that would not bow down to anyone, that would not roll over and present. "Jimmy boy never even managed to knot me." He whispered conspiratorially, as if he was sharing a secret and they would laugh at it.
Castiel could not comprehend how he was able to simply disregard everything that happened to him, how he was able to even joke about it. Except, perhaps it was not a joke. And there was nothing simple about it. Perhaps this was how Dean dealt with what happened.
"I won't break." Dean suddenly said. "What happened to me… It happened. I cannot change that. But it led me to you, and that is all I want to focus on. That is all I care about." All Castiel could do was nod, understanding a little bit better.
"I want to look forward and be happy about our future together, about us. I don't mind talking about what happened, according to our healer Pamela, talking is even encouraged. But I won't do it if it would make you sad and angry or make you feel like you are somehow responsible. Because you're not."
"I… I just wish you didn't have to go through all that." Castiel said, hanging his head low, his eyes falling on his lap and their intertwined fingers.
"I know. I know. I do too. But there's no point in dwelling upon the past. Maybe it was right. Maybe I had to go through that so that I could spend the rest of my life being happy with you." His omega was one remarkable creature, without a doubt. Castiel felt so unworthy, yet he couldn't deny he was beyond happy to have someone as magnificent as Dean for a truemate.
As they just sat there, gazing into each other's eyes with so much hope and affection mirroring in them, Castiel couldn't help but feel blessed. Yet, as a man with not so many words, he failed to convey those thoughts and emotions, allowing doubt to sneak it's way into his omega's mind.
"You do want m… I mean, you don't see me as damaged or…" Dean's eyes were averted as he slowly started to move away from Castiel.
"Lord, no!" He shouted and without thinking, he embraced Dean, pulling him back close, closer even. He should have been more careful, he should have made sure Dean wouldn't mind being hugged like that, but before he could apologize or pull away, Dean practically sank into his embrace, dipping his nose in the crook of Castiel's neck to take a long exhale.
The action made goosebumps arise on his skin as Castiel let out a long content sound, holding him just a bit tighter. "Don't ever, not even for a second, think that you are anything but perfect, my strong omega. To me, you are everything and please believe me when I say - I am the luckiest man alive; to be given a chance to be yours is way above what I could have dreamed for."
"Be mine?" Dean asked, a bit of confusion in his otherwise pleased tone of voice.
"Yes, yours. I wholeheartedly give myself to you; do with me as you please, just don't ever leave. As long as I can quench my thirst in your emerald eyes and breathe in that scent of freedom you carry around, I am a content man."
"What about sex?" Dean blurted out and Castiel stuttered, checking on a breath and started coughing. "Yeah, sorry. I totally killed the mood."
"No, um… No. It is okay. Soon we will be married and when the time comes, when we are ready, we will mate. I can be whenever you wish it to be, there is no pressu…"
"Now?" There was a definite teasing in Dean's voice and a devilish smile on his lips, despite his head being mostly obscured, tucked away in the crook of Castiel's neck. Castiel let out an exasperated sound, followed by a low chuckle. He had no idea Dean was such a cheeky person, and he found that he actually liked it. He liked it quite a lot.
"How about we start with breakfast and then see where the day takes us?" Castiel offered instead.
"As long as it doesn't take you away from me, I am good with that."
Despite the early wake, Castiel managed to be late for breakfast, but not as late as Dean, who left Castiel alone to change and was supposed to be at the table already. He came in a few moments after with a wide smile and a handful of small field flowers commonly found in the royal gardens. His step was light with a bounce to it as he practically danced his way to the table. Prince Samuel grunted and it drew Castiel attention to him just in time to see his warning glare directed towards Dean. It was confusing as to why his younger brother would look at him like that, until the moment Castiel was startled out of his thoughts by a set of warm, soft lips on his cheek, gone the second they made any sort of a pressure.
Castiel's surprised expression fell on Dean who only smiled carefree, and immediately it dawned on him what prince Samuel's glare was about - he was warning Dean to behave, something the omega chose to pay no mind to. Castiel's lips couldn't help but form a smile as Dean sat down to the only empty chair available, that just happened to be the closest one to the king's. It still seemed too far away, however, Castiel could chance that once they were married and lingering touches wouldn't be frowned upon. Speaking of…
"Oh, how distasteful!" Lady Rubette expressed after a gasp, her hand on her chest and her eyes wide, a perfect picture of an obnoxious snob she was raised to be. "I have heard we had a guest from another country, but I had no idea you would be so… Crude and brash. I mean, seriously. Do you really think someone as sophisticated and handsome as our king Ja… Castiel would choose you?"
Anger started to bubble inside Castiel and he tried to take a deep breath, to calm himself and not lash out at the beta. Thinking that averting his eyes would help, he chanced a look at prince Samuel who had an annoyed look directed at his brother who hadn't heeded his warning. It was as if he knew something like this might happen. Next to him Lady Charlotte was trying to contain a smile as if this entire situation was laughable; she certainly was enjoying a little drama. Baron Bartholomew was strangely pale and wide-eyed, while Lady Megan was hissing and trying to whisper something to Lady Rubette. Castiel could overhear words such as 'prince', 'arranged', 'wedding', and for a moment Castiel pondered if she was even aware that Castiel already chose Dean.
"But he is an omega…" Castiel heard Lady Rubette whisper back to Lady Megan, the silly girl thinking none would overhear. Lady Megan froze for a second, eyes roaming the rest of the people at the table before finally landing on Castiel's. She tactically pulled away from Lady Rubette, leaving her alone, to stare down at the grave she dug for herself.
"At least I am not some stuck-up wannabe princess who doesn't even know what a salad fork is." Dean said, surprising everyone with his retort as nobody expected him to have one. Well, nobody except his brother, probably. In his defense, Lady Rubette didn't mistake a salad fork for dinner fork,she was using it to eat pudding.
"Enough! I will not tolerate this!" Castiel finally said. Dean was being slightly childish, but it was normal to expect him to get upset over Lady Rubette's words. "I will not tolerate any disrespect towards any designation!" He let that linger in the air for a bit, let it settle within the minds of those who were not aware of his opinion before.
"Lady Rubette, you will respect everyone as a person and judge them as for their actions, not by their gender or subgender. Otherwise, you may be excused from this court. Is that understood." Castiel wasn't using his alpha voice, but his tone must have been laced with his emotions, his anger regarding this, because everyone's eyes were cast down in submission and respect, a silent acknowledgment of his request. Even prince Samuel's eyes were lowered, in reverance to the King's word.
Only Dean was beaming up at him and smiling brightly, making all tension disperse from Castiel's body, rendering him unable to keep his lips from twitching upward at the sight of his omega, his Dean. Thankful, others were still looking down and haven't had a chance to notice this.
It was only after Castiel picked up his utensils that the rest of the table relaxed slightly and followed suit, continuing their meal. There was a light tap on his foot not a minute later, and Castiel looked up to meet Dean's eyes. The emeralds shone bright, yet there was mild concern in them as they motioned for Baron Bartholomew. It would seem that the man was still pale, and his hands were shaking as he slowly ate, his eyes still downcast. Dean's brow cocked up as if he was requesting permission. Prince Samuel wore a frown, displeased by whatever Dean was about to do, but Castiel nodded, interested to see what his omega was up to.
"So, Baron, I heard you came from a large family, that you have many brothers and sisters, is that true?" The Baron's eyes lifted up, glassy and with a few unshed tears in them. He tried to hide his anxiety by putting on a smile, yet everyone could see it was forced.
"Yes, I do. I do. I have three brothers and six sisters. My brothers decided to take the path of Christianity, they are preachers of the Church of Saint Lawrence located all over France, and my sisters are all wed to wealthy families through the country." He replied.
"So how come you didn't follow the path of the good Lord?" Dean inquired, and Castiel had no idea where he was going with this, but the curiosity certainly grew.
"Well, I… I was never much interested in that, thought I did want to follow in my brothers' steps. But they, my brothers and my parents, told me that I shouldn't, that I should take my father's title to… To find a good wife and continue the family's name." Baron Bartholomew replied with a small smile.
"Oh, well. As long as it is something you want as well, then it's good. Have you found yourself a girl to court?" Dean asked innocently and everyone at the table rolled their eyes, knowing exactly what he was insinuating. Everyone except Lady Rubette who seemed just a clueless as the Baron.
"Oh, I… Well… No, I, um… No. I haven't." The Baron finally settled on an answer though his eyes that peeked at Lady Rubette told a different story.
"Oh." Dean said in a rather false surprise. "Hm. Perhaps I could help. I have been know to be a good matchmaker around our castle, isn't that so, Sam?" Castiel could see that Dean almost slipped and called his brother by that nickname the younger alpha disliked, but he stopped just in time, probably to give his words a more ernest tone.
The rest of the breakfast Castiel spent watching Dean trying to get the Baron to describe an example of his perfect future wife and amused himself with the fact that every word of his portrayal fit perfectly with Lady Rubette. By the end of the breakfast, she was engrossed in the conversation with the Baron that Dean exerted himself from, her smile growing as wide as the Baron's. Perhaps Dean was indeed an excellent matchmaker.
Unfortunately, Castiel had royal business to attend to, and he was highly displeased by the fact that he would have to spend the rest of the day away from Dean. He enjoyed learning more about him when the omega was this carefree and was allowed to be himself, despite his brother's obvious protests.
He had this amazing gift to turn an awkward or a tense situation around, bringing in cheer or diverting the interest elsewhere, and Castiel soon realized why he was so well loved in his home and why he was allowed certain liberties with propriety and etiquette. Sometimes, other things are more important.
It was late in the afternoon and Castiel was bored out of his mind, listening to Lord Arthur and Sir Chase talk about disposal systems and their implementation in homes. He had to excuse himself under the pretense that he had to use the toilet. Not very creative, but believable.
He was just about to turn a corner when Lady Megan's voice reached him, the tone far too forward. "I don't wish to be matched with anyone, thank you very much. You are good at that, but you are no miracle worker."
"Come on, Meg. It can't be that bad." Dean's voice responded. Since when were they on such friendly terms?
"Lady Lilith won't be so pleased that her daughter Ruby didn't manage to snatch the king, but even she knew it was far-fetched, considering how bright the girl is. But my father… Azazel, the Compte de l'enfer* is going to be furious when he finds out I too failed. He will either kill me or force me to attempt to be the King's mistress, for which, believe me, I have no aspiration." Lady Megan's voice was laced with despair, pain and hatred for her father, evident in the way she mockingly said his voice. The musketeers warned Castiel about Azazel and his past failed attempts to infiltrate the court to gain power, but was always kept at a respectful distance. He knew of Lady Megan's involvement in his plans, yet he knew not her feelings regarding it all.
"Choosing another… is simply not in the cards for me." Castiel could picture her as she spoke those words - her head held high and the spite that was evident in her voice would be visible in her eyes too. She was too proud, too strong to show just how much that truth was hurting her.
"You split and I'll deal." Dean said, the double meaning of his words not escaping Castiel. Lady Megan was stubborn, but Dean was much more adamant and unwavering.
"We'll deal." The sound of Castiel's voice startled them both, but as his words took root in their minds, Dean's lips widened into a huge smile while Lady Megan's eyes sparked with a mixture of disbelief and gratitude, as if she wanted to hope, but dared not. Not quite yet.
Because of his little disappearing act, his meeting with Lord Arthur and Sir Chase got prolonged, and all the other meetings were pushed up, so by the time he was done, dinner was already finished. He did instruct for it to be served without him, so he should not complain, yet as his stomach growled at him, his heart whined for his omega. He tried to ignore both his heart and his stomach until said heart plopped down to said stomach as Castiel screamed like a little scared pup. And for the second time that day. And for the same reason.
"Aaaaagh!" A breath in, a breath out. "Dean!"
"Good evening, Cas." The omega responded with a devilish smirk that showed a glimpse of his pearly whites. He was once again lying on his belly, on Castiel's bed, surrounded by complete darkness. That was, until Castiel entered and allowed the hallway lights to illuminate the bed.
Dean rose up and lit the lamp on the nightstand as Castiel came into the room and shut the door. It was amazing really, how Dean managed to slip away from his brother and bribe the guards into letting him in Castiel's room. "You missed dinner, so I thought I'd save you some." He motioned for a small table on the other side of the room where a dome sat on the table.
"That is very thoughtful of you, Dean."
"Come, take a seat." Dean took Castiel's hand and guided him towards the table. "Voila! Kielbasa with mashed potatoes and tomato salad." It was actually a tomato-cucumber-feta salad, but it was mouthwatering nevertheless. There was a peculiar smile on Dean's face as he set the cutlery and placed a napkin in Castiel's lap, but the alpha soon realized what it was, when Dean took the knife and fork, cut into the meat and lifted the utensil to Castiel's mouth. The king let out a chuckle, pausing for a moment to grasp if he really wanted Dean to feed him, before realizing it wasn't about what he wanted. It was about Dean and his desires.
So he leaned and took the bite, for some strange reason keeping his eyes trained on the omega, yet Dean's own slipped to watch his mouth part and accept the small offering, wrapping his lips around the fork and letting Dean slide it out, empty. Dean's own mouth was parted as he fed him some mashed potatoes and a piece of the salad, eyes widening and breathing heavier by the second.
There was something in the air, not quite tension, but still heavy enough to make Castiel's breath hitch frequently; there was a strange tingling sensation crawling all over his skin and some odd warmth spreading deep inside his stomach. It was on the seventh bite that he finally had to pause this little dance of theirs and take a glass of water to chase off the dryness of his mouth.
Unintentionally, his tongue darted out, rolling over his wet lips and gathering the last droplets of water and Dean silently gasped, then shuddered, filling the room with a scent of sweet cherries.
"Dean? Are you alri…"
"May I kiss you?" There was an urgency in his voice, as if he would spontaneously combust if he wasn't allowed a kiss and Castiel didn't even get a chance to finish his nod before Dean's hands were cupping his face and his soft lips were pressed against his.
Something exploded inside of him, this elevating feeling making him dizzy as those plush lips danced over his. Those hands cupped his jaw, fingers moving to brush against his neck and Castiel let out a small, pathetic little whine, feeling as if his chest was about to explode and set free a thousand and two butterflies that had started to swirl around inside of him.
And then, good Lord, Dean was moving closer, his legs parting, his thighs sliding on the side of Castiel's legs until they couldn't no more, and then down to Castiel's lap until he was completely situated, straddling him. There was a moan or more likely a whine, pathetic, deep and needy and then his hands were rising up, sliding over Dean's arms up to his shoulders and over his shoulder blades. Castiel didn't think it could get any better. He was wrong.
Dean started rocking back and forth, making Castiel gasp loudly at the sensation that spread from his crotch through his entire body; it felt as though he was set ablaze. His gasp broke the heated kiss, yet Dean didn't mind, his lips traveling across Castiel's jaw and down to his neck, making the alpha go crazy.
"De…" He tried once.
"Dea…" He tried the second time.
"Deaaann…" The third time, it came out as a childish whine, but Castiel couldn't help it. He wanted this, this and so much more, but… He didn't want anyone to dare think he took advantage of Dean, in any way, and was this really what Dean wanted? What he needed? After everything that happened with James, was it wise to just… "Deannn…" There were tears forming is his eyes, it physically hurt to try and stop Dean, yet he dared not push him away, he could never do that.
Dean's warm lips were leaving a wet trail on the skin down his neck, occasionally pressing harder or applying suction, and on Castiel's third attempt the suction to a particular place close to his mating gland intensified. When Castiel called out for that fourth time, he could feel Dean's sharp teeth graze against his skin and he cried out, the tears in his eyes finally spilling as his orgasm hit him like a tidal way, much more powerful than any other he had ever experienced and… apparently, much less messier.
"Shit, oh, shit…" Dean practically jumped off of him as Castiel's idled brain tried to figure out what just happened and if he in fact came dry or not? "I'm so sorry, Cas, I… Oh, shit, I almost… I almost bit you."
"It's… It's alright, Dean, I…"
"I'm so sorry, Cas. It's just that, your scent and the way you taste… I got carried away, I'm so sorry."
"It's quite alright Dean, I… I really enjoyed that." Castiel could feel his cheeks burning up at the admission, but he had to tell Dean, he had to show him that he didn't resent Dean for what happened.
"You… you did?"
"Of course I did. I told you before Dean, you are the utmost perfection, not just your appearance, but also your personality and actions. I… I long to touch you, to feel you, to hold you, to… Kiss you. Every moment of the day, I yearn for you. So of course I enjoyed that. But Dean…" How should he say it without hurting Dean? Without it seeming as if he was pushing him away?
"You want to wait." It would seem his omega was highly intuitive.
"I do. Not because of what your family might say or what the court might think… Because of me. Because I need that reassurance. Please don't think…" Castiel's hand reached forth and took Dean's, squeezing it lightly, both to give and to receive comfort.
"No, I understand. You need us to take it slow, I get it. I don't like it, but I get it. But kissing is still on the table, right?"
"As long as it is private, yes, I can…" Castiel didn't get a chance to finish before Dean pulled him in for another deep kiss, this one a lot slower and tender, a perfect one for a good night.
*Compte de l'enfer (French) - Earl of Hell