Chapter Twenty-Two

Dean didn't see much of the King after the trial, so he again retreated to the library, reading as much as he could of the previous monarchs' journals. He could hear Millennia calling to him, her voice becoming more and more insistent each day, and he knew that Castiel could hear it too.

A couple of nights before they were due to climb the mountain, Dean was lying in bed, reading by candlelight, when there was a soft knock at the door of Dean's chamber.

'Come in,' Dean called, and Castiel came in with a tray, dressed in his nightclothes. 'Is everything all right?' Dean asked as he sat on the edge of Dean's bed.

Castiel nodded and placed the tray on the bed between them. It had a soft, white tunic on it, and three ancient glass bottles filled with liquid. 'I must speak with you about the pilgrimage,' he said softly. 'And the blessing.'

Dean sat up straighter and put the journal he was reading down. 'Is there a problem?'

'No…' But he sounded uncertain. 'Dean, you performed the ceremony and accepted the power. In order to renew it, you must go on the pilgrimage with me.'

'What?'

'I'm sorry,' Castiel said hastily. 'I never intended for this.'

Dean shifted uncomfortably. 'What happens if I don't renew the power?'

Castiel shrugged. 'As with Raphael, it will fade. It could take a year, it could take ten, but eventually you will stop being able to heal.'

'All right, so what do I have to do?'

Castiel looked at him with a pained expression. 'You must hold in your mind what you thought of during the ceremony. It's the only way it'll bind to you. On the way up, you'll go through the trials, as I do. You must prove your devotion, purify yourself, and face the spirits.'

'And all this while thinking of who I love…' Dean said in a small voice.

Castiel's lip briefly trembled. 'I would not ask this of you, Dean, but if I'm to reseed the north… I need you…'

Dean hesitantly reached out and covered Castiel's hand with his own. 'You don't need to ask anything of me. I do it willingly.'

Castiel allowed Dean to hold his hand only a moment longer. 'You shouldn't,' he muttered.

'I took my vow,' Dean reminded him gently. 'My duty is to you, as yours is to the kingdom.'

'I wish it would not cause you such pain, Dean,' he whispered.

He was leaning close, and Dean knew that, in that moment, seeking comfort, the King would have accepted his kiss. It took everything he had to resist and shuffle away. He couldn't go against Castiel's wishes, he told himself, though the King's disappointed expression cut into him.

'What are these for?' Dean asked, changing the subject and gesturing at the tray.

'These are for you,' Castiel told him. 'Before we go, you must anoint yourself with these oils, like so.' He picked up one of the bottles and tipped a few drops onto his thumb, then painted a circle on his forehead in the oil. 'This one on your head, to focus your thoughts. This one on your right shoulder, to bless your sword arm, and this one over your heart… to let your love out into the world,' he said, pointing to each of the bottles. 'Understand?'

Dean nodded, taking the tray and placing it safely on the bedside table, ready to go.

'What are you reading?' Castiel asked, noticing the journal and pointing at it with a frown.

'Oh, uh… It's one of your grandmother's journals.'

Castiel's frown deepened. 'Where did you get this?'

'That room at the back of the library with all the other journals in it - I didn't read yours,' he added hastily.

'How did you get in?' Castiel asked, shocked.

Dean shrugged. 'I don't know. The door opened.'

Castiel shook his head. 'You're full of surprises, Dean. For someone who doesn't enjoy reading, you have a knack for locating the most boring things possible to read.'

'I think they're interesting.'

'If you say so.'

'Why do you write them?' Dean asked curiously.

'Simple. When we're named crown heir, usually at the age of ten, we're supposed to read all the previous monarchs' journals and start our own. This way we can share our wisdom and knowledge with future generations. The idea is to learn from our history and not repeat our past mistakes. It does work, for the most part. Auceria has flourished in peace for centuries, not counting Raphael's recent actions. Perhaps if he'd written journals too, this all might have gone very differently…' Castiel mused. 'Anoint yourself tomorrow night. I'll come for you when it's time to go. Goodnight, Dean.' He got up, throwing Dean one last yearning glance before he left.

Dean groaned and fell back on his bed. He could only hope that it would get easier with time.

Dean hid away in the library once again the next day, only leaving for food, and read even more of the journals. By mid afternoon, he had started reading Castiel's great-grandfather's journals, and they were different from the others. This one started a little later, after the previous Queen had adopted him, and he went into great detail about his eagerness to meet the Goddess Era. The part that captured Dean's attention the most, was how he had heard the Goddess's voice calling him to the mountain, even before the Queen had adopted him. He frowned at the passage. All the other journals had mentioned hearing her voice in passing, but Dean hadn't realised the significance of what it meant. A shiver ran down his spine, and his heart thumped. He had to be sure, though. From what he'd read so far, the earliest journals spoke the most about the Goddess, so he carefully put back the one he was holding and went digging around for other mentions of her voice.

He got more and more excited the more journals he read. There were monarchs further back that weren't firstborn, but were the first to hear her calling to them. They were crowned solely because they were chosen by Era, because they were willing to give themselves to her and to the kingdom.

Lastly, Dean went for Castiel's first journal. He hesitated, gently stroking the spine with a finger. He didn't want to intrude, but he had to know, so he pulled it off the bookcase and gently opened it.

The handwriting was a little sloppy, and Dean smiled fondly. And there, as he hoped, was Castiel describing the first time he'd heard Era's voice.

It's like she's pulling me towards the mountain, he wrote. I've never heard such a beautiful voice. Father says it means I could be a good king after all.

Dean allowed a smile to spread across his face, but there was still something else he had to check. So far, the monarchs had all heard Era calling to them, but as far as he knew, no one but himself had heard Millennia before they were bonded. He flipped through more of Castiel's journals, ignoring what was written until he found what he was looking for.

His heart wrenched when he found the pages after Castiel's father died. The handwriting was shaky and the pages were wrinkled from the tears that had dripped onto the paper. But there it was. He had heard Millennia calling to him too. It was faint and uncertain, but he heard it.

Dean closed the journal and replaced it, his heart racing. He had to find Castiel. He restrained himself long enough to pass through the library without disturbing anyone, then raced through the castle, bumping into Walther first.

'Is the King in his chamber?' Dean asked breathlessly.

'He is,' Walther told him, frowning. 'Is something wrong?'

'No, no. Is he alone?'

'Yes, but the other King and Queen are due to visit him any moment-'

'Great, thanks.' Dean hurried off in the direction of Castiel's chamber, and went inside without knocking.

'Dean!' Castiel said in surprise, rising from the chair he was sitting in. 'What's wrong?'

'Nothing,' Dean said, stopping to catch his breath. 'I was in the library.' Dean suddenly found himself tongue-tied.

'Did you read a scary book?' Castiel smirked.

'Marry me,' Dean blurted out, his heart beating so hard he thought it would come out of his chest entirely.

Castiel froze. 'What?'

Dean went over to him and grabbed his hands. 'I read the journals. You don't have to worry about an heir. The Goddess will call for someone, and someone will always answer.'

'Dean-'

'You've read them too, think about it.' Dean squeezed his hands desperately. 'You know I'm right. You know you can be happy, let yourself have it.'

'I - I - ' There was a knock on the door, and Castiel pulled his hands away. 'I don't have time for this, Dean.' He opened the door to greet Naomi and Balthazar, and they both stared at Dean who was unable to hide his heartbroken expression.

He remained rooted to the spot until they were both inside, and he rushed out, brushing past Charlie along the way. He hurried into his own chamber, slamming the door closed and throwing himself down on the bed. He lay back, hands over his face, furiously swiping at the tears streaming down his face. It was his own fault, he told himself. Why did he keep doing this to himself? Where did someone like him get the nerve to ask a king to marry him?

Just then, his door opened and he sat up to see Sam come inside, dressed in riding gear.

'You all right?' Sam asked, noticing his wet cheeks.

'Fine,' Dean said, clearing his throat. 'Why are you dressed like that?'

'That's what I came to talk to you about, actually,' Sam said, coming over to sit next to Dean. He took a deep breath and said, 'I'm going north with Gabriel.'

'You're doing what?' Dean exclaimed.

'Anna and Uriel are coming too,' Sam said hastily.

'No. You can't go.'

'Why not?' Sam complained. 'Raphael's gone, it's not dangerous anymore.'

'Just - because,' Dean spluttered.

'Come on, Dean, you get to do something amazing and be part of something, and I'm just supposed to hang around here? I want to do something too, I want to help, so - so I'm going and you can't stop me.'

Dean stared at him, then pulled him into a tight hug. 'All right,' he croaked.

'Really?'

Dean nodded. 'Yeah. You can do it. I believe in you.'

'And it's not as though I'll be bored with Gabriel around,' Sam laughed, pulling away.

Dean snorted. 'That's true. He couldn't even go the whole trial without opening his big mouth.' Dean took a breath to calm himself down. 'You're leaving now? You're not even staying for the blessing?'

Sam shrugged. 'Gabriel wants to go now. I guess he just wants to get started, but maybe he feels bad about the whole thing.'

'All right. I'll come see you off, you're all packed?'

Sam nodded.

'I'll meet you down there, give me a minute.' He shooed Sam out and scrubbed his face with his hands, then put together a small pouch of trinkets for Sam. None of it was of any monetary value, but he thought Sam should have them all the same. Their parents' wedding bands, a broken locket belonging to their mother that contained a tiny portrait of her and their father, and an ancient iron coin that Dean had found along the border the first time he'd been deployed. Finally, he pulled out their father's red scarf and held it close to his chest as he walked through the castle.

He found the four of them waiting on the lawn. Anna was leaning lazily against the wall beside the main gate, and Uriel stood poker straight beside her.

Gabriel was with Sam, laughing with his hand on Sam's shoulder.

Then Sam spotted Dean and grinned, brushing off Gabriel's hand.

'Got something for you,' Dean said gruffly when he reached them. He passed Sam the pouch first, then wrapped the scarf around his neck.

'Dean, I can't take this,' Sam breathed.

'Sure you can,' Dean smiled. 'It kept me safe, now it's your turn.'

Sam ran a hand over it and nodded, welling up. He threw his arms around Dean, squeezing him tightly.

'Don't have too much fun without me,' Dean chuckled, watching him mount his horse. He then turned to Gabriel and shook his hand.

'Don't worry, I'll watch out for him,' Gabriel said brightly. He went to let go, but Dean held it tighter and yanked him close to whisper in his ear.

'He's sixteen, Gabriel,' Dean muttered. 'Anything happens to him, I will find you.' He let go and gave Gabriel a pleasant smile. He nodded at Anna and Uriel, and watched them all ride through the gate. He stood there long after they had disappeared beyond the horizon, his chest tight, until he finally trudged back up to the castle.

Though the castle had more people in it than ever, it felt empty to Dean. Even the other members of the guard were preparing to depart and inspect their new plots of land.

He decided to practice alone on the training field, though it wouldn't be much use on the mountain. Since he was following the pilgrimage, he wouldn't be armed anyway, but he had to do something to pass the time.

When the sky turned orange for the evening, Dean dropped his sword and went upstairs to bathe. He soaked himself for a while, but eventually dragged himself out of the bath and to his room.

He sat before the fire once he'd dried himself off. He placed the tray of oils on the floor beside him and sighed. He stared into the fire for a moment, then began.

First, the oil for his head. He thought about Castiel, as instructed, and held an image of the King in his mind. He drew a circle on his forehead, the oil dripping slightly down his face, and replaced the bottle on the tray. Then the next one, for his sword arm. As he drew the circle, he thought of all the times he'd used it to defend Castiel, shuddering slightly as he remembered how it felt to be stabbed through the stomach.

Lastly, was his heart. His hand hovered over it. As far as he was concerned, he'd already let out his love and had it shredded, but he knew he had to piece it back together in order to complete the blessing. He sighed again, then drew the circle over his heart, forcing himself to feel the sharp pain in its fullest. Tears pricked at his eyes once more, and he didn't fight against it. It washed over him, and all Dean could do was make himself breathe through it, until it dulled enough for him to move again. He carefully put the bottles away and waited for the oil to dry, before slowly putting on his white tunic. The material was soft but sturdy, and Dean felt strange wearing it.

He thought he should at least try to get some rest, so he got up to go to bed, but the door opened and the King came in, also wearing his white tunic, along with the satchel containing the crown. He glanced at Dean's puffy red eyes and guilt flashed across his face before he quickly smoothed it over.

'We're going already?' Dean asked, a slight catch in his voice.

Castiel nodded. 'It's quiet on the mountain. It's a good time to reflect, and we need to meet Charlie early.'

He turned around and led the way out of the castle and down the path to the base of the mountain. They rounded the corner, out of sight of the mountain custodians, and Castiel showed Dean a space that had been cut into the rock. It was hidden behind one of the massive trees, where it couldn't be found unless you knew where to look.

It was filled with soft blankets, and enough food for breakfast, but it hadn't been designed to accommodate more than one person at a time. Though it had a high ceiling, tall enough to stand up in, it wasn't very wide at all. It would be a tight squeeze. Castiel again gave him an apologetic look, but settled himself down, giving Dean as much space as possible.

Dean fit himself into the space as best he could, but there was simply not enough room for his shoulders. He grumbled to himself, then put an arm around Castiel, pulling him closer.

'Sorry,' Dean mumbled. 'This is the best way.'

Castiel sighed quietly, but shuffled closer to Dean. He hesitantly draped an arm across Dean, then bunched his fist in Dean's tunic and buried his face in the material.

'Don't cry,' Dean murmured, feeling wetness on his shoulder and holding Castiel even closer. 'It'll be all right.'

'How are you so strong about this?' Castiel whispered.

Dean trailed a finger down Castiel's cheek. He couldn't help it. 'I'm not,' he whispered back. 'I just want you to feel better.'

Castiel looked up at him, his blue eyes gleaming, and Dean couldn't take it any more. Not with Castiel's scent in his nose, and what little moonlight there was illuminating his lips. Before Dean could stop himself, he kissed Castiel with a sigh. He tried to pull away, horrified at his own lack of control, but Castiel wouldn't let go. Instead, his kiss became deeper, more insistent, and he clutched at Dean.

Dean wrapped his arms even tighter around Castiel, moving him until he was laying on top of Dean, pressed against him, kissing him all the more fiercely until he stopped abruptly.

'We can't,' Castiel gasped, trembling with anticipation.

'All right,' Dean murmured, breathing heavily.

'It - it wouldn't change anything.'

'I know.'

Castiel leaned in again, pressing his forehead to Dean's.

'If you want to stop, then stop,' Dean whispered.

Castiel hesitated a moment longer, then gave in and resumed kissing Dean.

Dean sat up, bringing Castiel with him, and removed their white tunics, the rest of their clothes following not long after.

It was a relief, finally feeling Castiel's warm, soft skin on his, and there was no greater gift that Dean could give him than allowing him one night to be free from every expectation placed on him, whether by the kingdom or by his own standards. But in the end it was bittersweet. No matter how right it felt, they knew that that one night was all they had, and they fell asleep holding each other tightly, breathing in as much of the other as they could before it was time to let go.

Castiel didn't say a word when he shook Dean awake at dawn. He just handed Dean his breakfast and gazed at him longingly, until the faint sound of whispers reached their ears.

'It's time,' Castiel murmured, climbing to his feet.

He and Dean waited just beyond the bend in the path until Charlie rounded the corner, dressed in her full Lionheart regalia.

'Ready?' she said to them.

Castiel nodded, and led the way through the silent trees to the white cliff face.

Charlie made her way up the pat and watched them while they coated their hands in chalk.

Castiel stared up at the cliff, doubt already clear on his face.

Dean hesitated, but decided to take the leap and go first, so he stepped forward and grabbed at a handhold he could see.

'Don't start there,' Castiel said sharply, and Dean stopped. 'You haven't climbed anything before, have you?'

'It's not as though I had a lot of time to prepare,' Dean said defensively. 'I wasn't ever expecting to do a lot of rock climbing.'

Castiel considered him carefully, then showed him the ideal place to start. 'Here,' he said, pointing up. 'You can see the route all the way up. Handholds all within reach, just make sure you test them before you put your whole weight on them.'

Dean nodded, and Castiel took a deep breath before starting up in a different spot.

Dean went after him, following the route that Castiel had pointed out to him.

It was very slow going. Even without the injury he'd had last time, Castiel still seemed to struggle climbing, and got stuck half way.

Dean clambered up beside him as closely as he could. 'What's wrong?' he called.

Castiel shook his head. His hands were shaking and ragged, and tears streamed down his face. 'I can't do it,' he said. 'I'm not strong enough.'

'Yes you are,' Dean said firmly. 'Look at everything you've done. You won the war, this cliff is nothing.'

'I didn't do that, you did.'

'Is that what this is about? You still think I'd make a better king than you?'

Castiel didn't respond.

'Listen to me. I would be nothing without you. You lifted me up, you lifted everyone in this whole kingdom up, without even a thought for yourself. I could never do that. You are special, you are strong, and you can get yourself up this cliff.'

Castiel sniffed.

'It's like you told me. Hold what you love in your mind and keep going. One step at a time. I know you can do it. You love your people, and you can climb this cliff for them.'

Castiel took a deep breath and nodded, then looked up again, grabbing at the next outcropping of rock.

'That's right, you've got this,' Dean encouraged, following him with a steady stream of encouragement all the way up the cliff.

His knuckles scraped against the rock, his nails tore, blisters and bruises formed on his feet, but he didn't care. His only thought was making sure Castiel got up the cliff.

At last, with the sun already sinking, they crawled over the lip of the cliff, and Castiel collapsed into a heap, letting his sobbing take him once again.

'What's wrong?' Charlie cried, sprinting over to them and sliding to her knees beside Castiel.

Castiel just shook his head, struggling to pull himself together.

'He'll be all right,' Dean said softly. 'Just give him a minute.'

Castiel rolled onto his back, holding his hands awkwardly. He appeared to have broken a couple of fingers.

Dean reached out to heal him, but he rolled away, then climbed to his feet.

'Not yet,' he croaked. 'You'll ruin the trial.'

'If you say so,' Dean said, watching him gingerly take off his satchel and give it to Charlie.

Dean himself had not come out unscathed. By the way his feet were throbbing, he was sure some of his toes had met the same fate as Castiel's fingers. His hands were torn and bloody, and his shoulders burned.

They both stumbled further down the path, with Charlie alongside them watching them in concern, until they reached the waterfall.

Castiel was relieved to see it, and fell to his knees to wash his hands in the pool. He winced, but the cool water soothed the fingers that were already swelling. 'Come, Dean,' he mumbled, and Dean washed his hands before wading into the pool with Castiel.

They turned to face Charlie as she drew her sword, and watched them step back into the waterfall.

Though it was surprisingly warm, as Castiel had said last time, it still felt like they were being pounded by falling rocks with no respite. It beat at them, washing away all thoughts but the desire to stay upright under the waterfall until they were pure and clean enough to take the next steps.

Castiel fell forward several times, each time taking him longer to stand up again. Dean fought the urge to catch him and pull him back up again. He would ruin the trial, he told himself.

The sun wasn't much more than a sliver by the time they both felt a wave of warm energy sweep through them, and Castiel stepped out from under the waterfall.

'That's it?' Dean asked, following him out.

Castiel nodded and sat at the edge of the cliff, gazing out at the kingdom.

'It's all for them,' Dean murmured, sitting next to him. 'You've done this many times before, you can do it again. For the kingdom.'

Castiel nodded, but tears formed in his eyes again. 'I don't want to face my father again,' he whispered. He rubbed his face. 'I'm sorry, I don't know what's wrong with me, it's not usually this hard.'

'Don't apologise,' Dean said gently. 'Anyone would find this difficult. It hasn't exactly been a walk in the park for me.'

'I'm just… tired.'

'Well, we've got time for a nap, haven't we?' Dean suggested.

Castiel nodded and scooched away from the edge of the cliff, then curled up in a ball, falling asleep right on the ground.

Dean moved to sit not far away, watching the sleeping King sympathetically.

'Should we be worried?' Dean asked Charlie as she sat beside him.

'He's been worse than this,' she sighed. 'It's always hard on him.'

'What did you do when it was worse?' Dean asked.

'I always bring food,' Charlie said, patting the bag on her shoulder. 'When it was really bad, it would take days.'

Dean whistled. 'I wish there was some way I could make it better for him.'

To his surprise, Charlie laughed. 'You already have. If you weren't there today, he would have been stuck on that cliff for hours.'

Dean's eyes travelled down Castiel's sleeping form, his cheeks warming as he remembered the night before, and he was glad he could be of some small help.

Night fell, and the stars twinkled in the sky. Castiel didn't wake until a cool breeze stirred his hair and he began to shiver. He looked around blearily, wincing as he moved his injured hand a little too quickly.

'We should go,' he croaked, staggering as he stood up.

Dean followed suit, hobbling on one leg.

They painfully navigated the trail as it became steeper, until it levelled out and Castiel stopped to put on the crown. Dean helped him with it, heavy as it was in Castiel's one good hand, as the spirits descended around them, curling into misty figures.

'Stay close to me, Dean,' Castiel murmured.

Dean nodded, and they moved forward together, Charlie close behind.

As before none of the spirits bothered them, though a lot of them seemed confused by Dean.

Dean's eyes were briefly drawn to the red arch as they passed it, but he turned his attention to the last spirit at the end of the path.

Castiel's father glared at them, looked Castiel up and down, and stepped aside.

Castiel gaped at him, too shocked to move until Dean gently nudged him, and he burst into tears again once they had passed all the spirits.

'What's the matter?' Dean asked, slowing to a stop before they entered Millennia's cavern.

Castiel shook his head. 'Nothing. My father has never accepted my reign before.' He looked up at Dean and held out a shaky hand. 'Would you heal me?'

'Of course.' Dean took his hand and eased every ache and pain he could find, smoothing the breaks in Castiel's fingers, and Castiel did the same for him.

A bright sparkle returned to Castiel's eyes, and he smiled for the first time the whole trip, though it fell again when he let go of Dean's hand.

They went inside the cavern, the bright light from the pool reflecting around the stone walls. They took off their shoes and washed their feet before finally stepping into it, approaching the altar in the centre. The water was warm here too, but Dean walked through it uneasily, feeling like an intruder in this sacred space.

Castiel took off the crown, placed it on the altar, and waited for Millennia to appear before them.

Gold particles filtered through the air and pulled together in the shape of the Goddess, taking one each of their hands in her own. She beamed widely at them and they bowed before her, while Charlie dropped to one knee behind them.

'Castiel. Sir Dean,' she said warmly, then she leaned over and whispered something that Dean couldn't hear in Castiel's ear. His face went slack.

'Really?' he mumbled, his eyes wide.

She nodded, smiling at him.

'What?' Dean said nervously, and Castiel gazed at him intensely. Dean could see that he was thinking hard.

'Let's just… do the blessing,' he said slowly, taking the first steps away from the pool.

'Castiel told you what you need to do, did he not?' Millennia asked, holding Dean back for a moment.

Dean nodded, unable to speak while looking into her amber eyes.

'Think about your love, Dean,' she breathed, then gestured for him to follow Castiel outside.

He stepped out onto the spit of rock jutting out from the side of the mountain and joined Castiel at the railing.

'This is the best I've ever felt before a blessing,' Castiel said, smiling at Dean. 'Are you ready?'

Dean shrugged. 'I suppose so. I'm a little nervous.'

'Don't be.' Castiel laced their fingers together and stood up straight.

Charlie watched them from the gap in the rock as Millennia took her place behind Castiel.

She put one hand on his back, and raised the other towards the sky. Castiel raised his palm, squeezing Dean's hand tightly, and there was a beat where they all took a breath.

Millennia glowed, and so did Castiel.

Dean felt the power flowing through Castiel through his fingers, and he allowed his love for the King to flood through them both. He poured everything he had into it, as the golden blessing stretched across the kingdom.

Whenever Dean felt Castiel begin to falter, he thought about how beautiful Castiel was, how strong he was, how kind he was. He thought of the time the King had healed a little girl, of the fond way he gazed at the plants he grew, and through Castiel, Dean could feel the blessing touch every living thing throughout the land, coaxing it to grow. He could feel Castiel's love for the kingdom, and Dean's own devotion to him only grew stronger.

Castiel gasped as the blessing passed the northern divide, and continued on, finally allowing the land to become fertile again.

'You're doing it!' Dean exclaimed proudly. 'Keep going!'

Castiel's smile broadened and he redoubled his efforts. The only thing that stopped him was Millennia letting go when the blessing reached the border to Allinesse.

Castiel lowered his hand, breathing heavily, then turned to face Dean. 'Is that really how you see me?'

Dean flushed. 'You saw that?'

Castiel nodded.

'Well… yeah, I mean, that's how you are… Are you all right?'

Castiel stared at him for a moment, then kissed him. 'Yes,' he murmured, pressing their foreheads together.

Dean's heart hammered. 'I don't know if you should have done that in front of-'

'Yes, I will marry you.'

Dean pulled back sharply. 'What? But - but what about - '

'You were right. Someone will always hear her call. You heard her, right?'

'Yeah, but - '

'I found someone,' Millennia interrupted. 'He will come when the time is right.'

Dean looked from Millennia to Castiel, 'I - I - but - are you sure?'

Castiel laughed. 'Are you trying to talk me out of this?'

'No! I'm just - I - um - ' Dean stammered, flustered, until Castiel kissed him again.

'I love you, Dean,' he murmured.

Dean's heart felt ready to burst, and he kissed Castiel so forcefully he had to take a step backwards. 'I love you so much,' Dean gushed, kissing him over and over again. 'More than anything.'

'Does this mean he gets to be king?' Charlie called from the gap in the stone, a huge grin on her face.

'Prince Consort,' Dean and Castiel called back, dissolving into elated laughter.

They kissed once more, then escorted Millennia back to the pool, saying grateful goodbyes to her.

'I'm never far,' she said to them, kissing them each on the cheek before once more fading into gold dust.

They dawled in the cavern for a while, watching the gold particles in the air drifting around, until Castiel sensed Charlie's impatience as she waited at the entrance to the cavern.

'Shall we go?' he said to Dean.

'I think we should. It'll be sunrise soon.'

Castiel nodded, his cheeks pink from smiling so much, and began the journey back down the mountain, Dean's hand in his.

END

Welcome back everyone! Thanks to Kathy and Guest for the reviews!

Big thank you to everyone else that reviewed throughout this story, and to everyone that favourited and followed, it's much appreciated! I hope you all enjoyed it, it's one of my favourites :) I'm looking to adapt this one for print, but that likely won't be for a while, so please continue to read. Check out my profile for more destiel, currently in progress are Little Things and Mykonos, but I have plenty completed as well.

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