Chapter Twenty

Planning celebrations seemed to be where Castiel enjoyed himself the most. Dean accompanied him around town while he helped set up stalls and decorations, and while he was supervising tall torches being erected all around the castle lawn, with smaller lanterns being strung up between them. He grew flowers himself, wrapping them around all the wooden torch posts. The smell of cooking food permeated the air all the way through town, and the townsfolk began to cart it up to the castle in the afternoon. Castiel moved among them, tasting all the food and chatting with all the people that had made something for him.

Once Castiel was satisfied with the decoration, he pulled Dean aside and led him to the outskirts of town.

'This is where my garden is,' Castiel said brightly, as they arrived outside a plot of land walled in by the same stone the castle was made of. It was closed in by a stout iron gate that squealed as Castiel pushed it open. 'I come here when things get overwhelming. It helps me control the power a little better, although I never had quite the same issue with it as you do,' he said with a smirk.

Dean rolled his eyes, but stopped to take in the garden. It was lush and green, filled with flowers, seasoned old trees, and plenty of Castiel's favourite morning glories.

'There are gardeners here,' Castiel explained, leading him through a patch of thickly perfumed rose bushes, to an expanse of soft grass. 'They insist on caring for it on my behalf, so it's not as fun as if I could do it myself, but there are still some things I can do.' He knelt on the grass and gestured for Dean to join him. He put his hand in his pocket and pulled out a tiny pouch full of seeds. He poured some on the ground. 'These are cornflowers, I thought they might look nice in this grass. Would you grow them for me?'

'Um… How?'

Castiel cocked his head. 'What do you mean? I've seen you do it before.'

'Not on purpose,' Dean admitted.

'Ah, I see.' Castiel took a deep breath. 'I'll teach you.' He put his hand on the ground, feeling the grass and seeds between his fingers. 'It comes from strong emotion,' he said slowly. 'Love, mostly. Love for the kingdom…' Tiny purple flowers sprung up around his fingers. 'Love for the people…' They grew bigger and more vivid. 'Think about what you love… who you love… then channel it into the seeds. You'll be able to feel them, they're just waiting for the spark…'

Dean nodded and put his hand close to Castiel's. He closed his eyes and thought about Sam and how much he loved his little brother. Just as Castiel said, as soon as his love for Sam spread through him, he felt the seeds waiting for him. It was easier than he thought it would be, sharing the energy with the seeds, and when he opened his eyes, they had bloomed all around his hand. Castiel smiled at him warmly. 'Good,' he said softly, and Dean felt heat in his cheeks. Before he could stop himself, the energy poured out of him again, into every waiting seed and plant nearby. The entire plot erupted in blooming wildflowers, the grass grew slightly taller, and even the leaves on some of the nearby trees grew bigger.

'What was that?' Castiel asked.

'Nothing,' Dean said hastily. By now his face was blazing, but there was a sickening twist in his stomach when a forlorn expression briefly crossed Castiel's face.

'You're stronger than me, Dean.' Castiel sighed and he sat back, stretching out his legs. 'Sometimes I think you'd make a better king than me,' he admitted.

'What?' Dean said in disbelief. 'Absolutely not. Like you said, I don't know anything about running a kingdom, and I'm way too hot-headed for it. Remember that time I talked to Naomi when I wasn't supposed to? Or how about that time I yelled at you and nearly got us both killed? Not very kingly if you ask me.'

Castiel snorted softly. 'There's something to be said for that, I suppose. Even still, I'm envious of you.'

'Me? Why?'

'You can do things I'll never be able to do. This, for instance. It would have taken me hours to grow this much, and you did it in an instant.'

Dean gave him a sympathetic look. 'You don't have to be jealous of me. You want to know why it takes you longer?'

The King blinked in surprise. 'You know?'

Dean nodded. 'Yeah. It's because you care so much about the kingdom and its people, even people you've never met. Your power is stretched thin because it has to reach everyone, but me, I don't really care all that much.'

Castiel raised an eyebrow.

'I - I mean, I care, obviously, just not as much as you,' Dean said hastily.

Castiel rolled his eyes, but smiled. He got to his feet and brushed himself down. 'Let's go. It's almost time for the feast and we have to get dressed.'

Dean nodded and stood up.

'You can come here whenever you need,' Castiel told him, before leading the way back to the castle.

It was early evening by the time everyone had gathered on the castle lawn. The sun was low in the sky and a gentle breeze had picked up, flickering all the torch flames. Tables and chairs had been brought outside, and hundreds of candles were set upon them.

Castiel emerged from the castle, fully-dressed, with his silver band gleaming on his head and his ceremonial sword at his waist. He called everyone to attention and cleared a space in front of his table. He stood before it and had all of his royal guard kneel in front of him.

Balthazar was sitting at the head table, smiling broadly, along with Charlie and Dorothy. Dean stood off to one side, watching Castiel fondly, with a tankard of ale in his hand.

'All of you have done me a great service,' Castiel said, once he was sure he had everyone's attention. 'You were loyal to me, and you were there for me when I needed you the most. You will all be granted the title of Knight, and you will all be granted some land and a house, to do with as you will.' Castiel stepped up to Hannah, who was the first in the line. He tapped the sword gently on each of her shoulders. 'Rise, Lady Hannah, Knight of Auceria.'

She stood, hand resting on her own sword, beaming proudly.

Castiel moved on down the line. 'Rise, Sir Alfie, Knight of Auceria.'

Alfie jumped to his feet, a little too enthusiastically, and stumbled slightly. The gathered revellers chuckled, and Castiel continued on down the line, all the way to Ash at the end.

'Rise, Sir Ash, Knight of Auceria.'

Ash stood up and glanced at Balthazar, who raised his goblet.

Castiel sheathed his sword and took a step backwards. 'Congratulations, to our kingdom's newest, and finest knights.'

They all bowed, and clapping and cheering erupted all around them, then they all went to take their seats.

Castiel once again addressed the crowd. 'I want to thank you all for coming. The last few years have been tough on all of us, but I look at all of you with immense pride. Our kingdom and its people are resilient, if nothing else, and I certainly never thought I would see the day we would begin reunification with the north. Thanks, of course, to our friends in Negium and its King.' Castiel inclined his head to Balthazar. 'But thanks to all of you, all of our fair knights, and every man and woman that has fought over the years. We also couldn't have done it without our very own Prince Gabriel - come out here, Gabriel.'

Gabriel, who had been hiding in the shadows between the torch posts, hesitantly entered the light and stood next to Castiel. The torches reflected off the intricate patterns embroidered in gold silk against his emerald green clothes.

'It brings me great joy to welcome my cousin back, and I know that he will do great things in the future.'

Gabriel smiled, but there was doubt in his face. The crowd clapped for him nonetheless, and Castiel gave him a hug in front of all of them.

'If he'll agree to it, I would love for Gabriel to help me repair relations with the north.'

Gabriel looked shocked. 'You mean it?'

'I know you can do it. You know the people and lands better than I do by now.'

Gabriel smiled, this time more sincerely. 'I'll do it.'

'Thank you.'

Gabriel took a seat at a table not far from Castiel's, but where he would have his own space.

'Lastly, I would like to call up Lady Celeste, and Sir Dean.'

Dean choked on the sip of ale he'd been taking a sip of and hastily handed it to Sam, wiping his mouth. He approached the King, along with Charlie, and he turned them to face the audience.

'What are you doing?' Charlie whispered.

'Hush,' was the reply. Castiel cleared his throat and addressed the people once more. 'And to our Lionhearts,' he said, projecting his voice across the lawn, 'we all owe our most sincere thanks. Without them, we would not be where we are now.'

A solemn hush fell over the crowd.

'They have both gone above and beyond the vows they took for our kingdom… for me.' Castiel cleared his throat again, and waved Walther and another servant over. They were both carrying a plush red cushion with a key and a medal resting on them.

'I am awarding you both with the Royal Medal of Courage and Honour, as well as your own keys to the castle.' Castiel picked up Charlie's medal first, pinning it to her chest, then presenting the key to her. He then moved onto Dean to do the same thing.

'Are you sure about this?' Dean asked quietly, holding the heavy iron key in his hand.

'Of course,' Castiel said warmly. 'I trust you.' He took a step back and bowed to them.

The audience followed suit, and Dean blushed, scuffing his boots awkwardly in the grass.

When he rose again, he clapped his hands together. 'I think that's enough seriousness for one evening. This is a celebration after all.' At his command, the band struck up their instruments, and the sound of chattering and laughing filled the air.

Dean spent the majority of the evening at Castiel's side, while he made his rounds through the tables, greeting everyone he could find. Charlie flitted back and forth, spending some time with Castiel, but always returning to Dorothy, dancing and drinking with her when she could.

Castiel was stopped by a young girl with a plate of lemon tarts.

'Did you make these?' he asked her, and she nodded shyly. He took a bite of one. 'Oh, these are wonderful!' he told her. 'Here, what do you think, Sir Dean?'

Dean took a bite too. 'Yeah, they're really good, Your Majesty.'

'I think everyone should have one of these, but you must make some more for me,' Castiel said warmly. 'If it's all right with your father, of course,' he said, nodding at the man who had accompanied her.

The girl beamed widely, glancing at her father, then hurrying around the tables, offering the tarts to anyone who wanted to try them.

'Your Majesty?' Castiel muttered to Dean, an eyebrow raised and a delicate pink blush spreading across his cheeks from the wine he'd been drinking.

'Sir Dean?' Dean countered, and they both dissolved into a fit of laughter.

'Excuse me, Your Majesty?' Ash approached them, twiddling his fingers nervously.

'Yes, Ash?' said Castiel, hastily collecting himself.

'I - uh - I wanted to ask…' He took a deep breath. 'You've been very kind to me, especially after I lost Rowan. I wanted to thank you for that, and for knighting me, but…'

'But?' Castiel prompted.

'I was hoping - instead of land and a house - could I - could I go to Negium?'

'Oh,' Castiel said in surprise. Then he noticed Balthazar hovering a few feet away, pretending not to listen, and he smiled. 'Of course you can, Ash. And take my blessing with you.'

Ash grinned, relieved. 'Thank you!' He hesitated, then hugged Castiel tightly.

'I hope you'll be happy there,' said Castiel, hugging him back.

'I think I will be,' Ash said. He turned and walked as casually as he could manage towards Balthazar, who looked delighted when Ash told him the news.

Balthazar glanced over at Castiel and mouthed 'Thank you'. He then took Ash by the hand to dance nearby the band.

'I wasn't expecting that,' Castiel said.

'Why not?' Dean asked.

'They've known each other a long time. If this was going to happen, I would have thought they would have before now.'

Dean shrugged. 'They both had someone to let go of first. It's hard.'

Castiel gave him a searching look, then shook it off and took another drink of wine. 'Dance with me,' he said, taking Dean's arm.

Dean had no time to protest, not that he would have, and he let Castiel lead him over to where everyone else had begun to dance. They drank more, and all the things Dean hadn't had time to feel came rushing back to him. He wistfully watched Balthazar and Ash together, having finally dropped all pretence and were holding each other closely. It had been almost three weeks since Castiel had kissed him, and neither of them had spoken about it since. Longing threatened to overwhelm him, and he stumbled away from the crowd, leaving the King to dance and celebrate with his people.

He watched from the edge of the lawn, where the air was cooler, and his racing heart slowed. He could hardly stand to be close to Castiel, not when his eyes sparkled, his cheeks were flushed, and his lips looked so soft. He drained what was left of his own drink and grabbed Alfie, who was wandering past.

'If he asks, tell him I've gone to bed,' Dean said and Alfie nodded seriously, struggling to focus on Dean. Dean slipped away, through the castle doors and up to his room.

Away from all the revelry, Dean realised how much he'd had to drink exactly, and staggered out onto the balcony. The night air was refreshing, and if he craned his neck, he could still see the celebrations on the ground, the music and voices drifting up to him.

He sighed and finally let himself feel the deep ache and yearning in his chest. If Castiel had been anyone else, it would have been so much easier. But he was the King. It wouldn't be appropriate to hold him and kiss him in front of everyone. He dragged a blanket and a cushion out onto the balcony and lay back, looking up at the twinkling stars overhead, occasionally taking a swig of wine. He was dozing off when he heard the King's balcony door open, and he scrambled to his feet, stumbling as he went.

Castiel had come out onto his balcony, his cheeks red, and his silver band lopsided on his head. 'Dean,' he said in surprise. 'I thought you went to bed.'

'Oh, well uh…' he gestured at the little space he'd made on the balcony.

'I see.'

Dean went to the divide between their balconies, doing his best to stay upright in front of the King.

'Are you all right?' Castiel asked softly. 'You seemed down at the celebration.'

Dean just shrugged, looking away.

'Tell me.'

'I really don't think you want that.'

'I do,' Castiel insisted.

Dean sighed again. Maybe it was that his heartache had only worsened in Castiel's presence, or maybe it was simply the alcohol that made him finally let it out, albeit haltingly and without looking Castiel in the eye. He leaned against the wall at the end of the balcony.

'I love you,' he said plainly, finally bringing himself to look Castiel in the face.

Castiel let out a long breath, his happy expression falling. 'Dean-'

'You kissed me,' Dean interrupted. 'And I know you meant it.'

'I know I did,' Castiel said, scrubbing his face. 'I never thought I would make it out of that alive. I was selfish. I'm sorry.'

'But-'

'I can't. All of those things I told you in Negium are still true. I have to find a wife and have an heir.'

'You seem really excited about the prospect.'

'Don't speak to me like that,' Castiel said sharply, and Dean wished he could shrivel up into nothing, where it wouldn't hurt. 'Don't you think this is difficult for me too?'

Dean bit his lip. 'I'm sorry,' he whispered.

'So am I,' said Castiel, his voice softening. 'I never wanted to hurt you, Dean. If this is too hard for you, you can go-'

'Stop,' Dean said. 'I'm not going anywhere. If - if your Lionheart is all I ever get to be, then I'll take it.'

'Dean-'

'It's fine.' Dean stepped away and scooped up the blanket and cushion he'd brought outside. 'Goodnight, Your Majesty,' he said, bowing as formally as he could while still swaying from the amount of alcohol in his system. He went inside and closed the door before Castiel could say anything else, then slid down onto the floor, his heart shattering into pieces. He sat there for a long time, the pain and sorrow washing over him as he realised he would be spending the rest of his life this way. He dragged himself across the room and poured himself one more goblet of wine before finally throwing himself down on his bed. He would definitely regret the amount of wine he'd had to drink in the morning, but for now, it dulled the sharp knife in his heart.

Welcome back everyone. Thanks to Kathy for the review! See you again next time.