The night he spent with Meg had provided a dreamless sleep, but unlike she had predicted, their families were a little angry in the morning. Azazel had simply shrugged when Gabriel complained, saying that the two of them were too injured to do anything untoward, and had been through something incredibly traumatic, so there was nothing wrong with the two of them taking comfort in each other's presence. Gabriel disagreed, saying that inspiring gossip would only hurt, and gave Castiel the worst scolding he'd had since he was a child.

Azazel tried to keep him busy, and proved very good at distracting Castiel during the day, having him visit with the wedding guests who had traveled from far and wide, repeating his tale to singers and storytellers, and helping with the wedding preparations. It left him exhausted most nights, and he fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow. When exhaustion didn't chase away his nightmares, he went to Ruby. The young witch provided sleeping draughts that chased away his dreams, but they left him in a fog during the day, making it impossible to accomplish simple tasks. His foot healed slowly. Ruby and Garth examined it every day, Ruby working her magic over it while Garth studied her. The young man wasn't a full-fledged witch, but he had been dabbling in healing magic. Ruby, having no desire to become the official castle healer, simply watched him and coached him through simple spells.

Castiel barely saw Meg, even when Garth let her off bedrest and she was allowed to freely wander the castle. Tradition dictated that the bride and groom be separated for at least three days before the wedding. Meg's people truly believed that absence made the heart grow fonder. Three days was the minimum, although longer was considered better. Once again he found himself cursing Ennom and their ways.

Azazel locked Meg up in a new room on the other side of the castle and put her in charge of the final decorations. It would be the room that they were deposited when their friends bedded them on their wedding night. After their wedding feast, their friends and family would carry them to the bedchamber and deposit them together on the bed, wishing them well as they left. It was a tradition in both Ennom and Araboth, and one that Castiel wasn't looking forward to. Their families took their meals separately on the nights before the wedding, but Azazel stopped by before the servants came to snuff the candles out to give Castiel a brief update on the condition of his bride.

He waved away the sleeping draught the night before the wedding, wanting to have a clear head for the ceremony. He tucked himself in bed that night expecting horrific nightmares, but to his surprise, none came. He dreamt of Meg that night, but instead of seeing her naked body being mutilated by the spider child, he saw her standing by the sea in nothing but her nightgown, her hair pinned up and a smile on her face. The sea crashed around her, the waves rolling up onto the beach, and Meg held her hands out for him, inviting him to swim.

He woke that morning with a smile on his face. The dawn had come, and with it the servants knocking on his door, saying it was time to bathe and ready himself.

He did as he was told, letting the servants scrub his back and wash hair and dress him. His wedding outfit was far finer than the one Azazel had given him for his journey, and finer than any clothing he had ever owned. The tunic was made of soft, black material that flowed easily through his hands, and was embroidered richly around the collar and down the arms in gold thread. The symbols on his tunic were old, an ancient language that hadn't been in use since before Lilith was the crown princess. He recognized only one of the symbols, but was sure that Meg would be able to tell him what the rest of them meant. The matching black leggings molded to his body, the trousers were also deep black, and the leather boots that reached his knees were brand new and impeccably clean. The buff colored cloak that completed his wedding outfit was plain but lined with fur to ensure that he would be warm, even though the day was bitterly cold. He would lose the warmth when he removed his cloak to lay it at Meg's feet, but he appreciated the thought all the same.

The servants brushed his hair and went to braid it, but Castiel waved them away. Meg had always liked his hair down. He'd had to cut it a little shorter when Crowley had singed it, so it barely fell to the top of his shoulders. Instead of putting it up or braiding it, the servants brushed it until it shone and applied a few drops of rose scented water to his scalp before combing it through the rest of his hair.

Azazel and Gabriel met him at the door. Their clothes were finely made, but both of them were dressed more plainly than Castiel. Custom dictated that the bride and groom were the only ones dressed elaborately on their wedding day. Gabriel was dressed in blue and Azazel in soft bronze, but neither of their tunics had the same level of detail in their embroidery that Castiel's did. Both of them had forgone wearing their crowns, or any sort of jewelry. Castiel himself wore no gems or gold, but he knew that Meg would be outfitted in the finest that Azazel could find.

His father-in-law's yellow eyes sparkled when he saw Castiel in his wedding finery, and Gabriel graced him with a soft smile. "I wanted to check on you before I went to collect Meg," Azazel said. "I know that you know what to do, but remember to act like this is your first wedding, not your second. Be just as attentive and sincere as you were in the woods. Just follow Meg's lead."

Castiel nodded. "Yes, sir."

Azazel nodded back. "That's what I like to hear. Now get downstairs. You've people to greet. I'm off to find my daughter."

Gabriel escorted him, and together descended to the ground floor of the castle. In Ennom, the bride and groom walked together to the altar side by side, instead of the groom waiting for the bride at the end of the aisle, so he would be forced to wait alone, greeting guests as they filtered through to their seats, until the last one was seated and Meg met him at the door to the gardens. Even her father would not make the journey with them. Fathers did not give away their daughters in Meg's country.

Gabriel gave him a friendly slap on the shoulder and winked before departing to his seat. The other guests began to filter through the hall, each one stopping to congratulate him on his wedding or successful escape from the woods. He shook hands with more people than he could count, dodged well-meaning advice for his wedding night, and shot stern looks at the people that told him lewd jokes about the bedding.

Ruby and Benny shuffled past, both of them dressed in dark red. Ruby's dress was cut tightly to expose the small bump on her stomach, and Castiel noticed Benny beaming with happiness when others congratulated the couple on the child. Anna went past him alone, Charlie unable to escort her because of her status, and refused the arms of several men. Her forest-green gown was conservative, the collar high and the sleeves long, but she held her head up and walked with her back straight.

He stiffened when he saw Hael approach, her arm looped through Tom's. Hael had dressed herself in a soft yellow, and her gown was a little too tight and the neckline a little too low for Castiel's liking, and she was pressed too close to Tom for it to be entirely appropriate. Tom's tunic was a soft purple, so it looked like he had dressed to compliment Hael. Despite that fact that both families were supposed to be separate before the wedding, Castiel got the feeling that his little sister had been sneaking off to see the prince, and that they had planned to dress, and act, as though they were a couple.

Castiel gave her a long, stern look. Hael stuck her tongue out at him. Tom laughed leaned down to whisper something in her ear that made her laugh, too.

"Don't worry," Tom told him as Hael walked through the doors. "Nothing untoward will happen. We just grew close when she took care of me in Araboth. That's all."

Castiel gave Tom a stern look and sent him on his way. Meg's uncle, Alistair, was next in line. Castiel shivered when he looked at him. Alistair was a tall man, and had scared Castiel since he was a child, even before he knew that that man's job was to oversee the dungeon and torture the prisoners that no one else could break. Azazel had believed that a good queen had to be strong enough to withstand the sight of bloodshed, and had apprenticed his eldest to Alistair when Meg had turned thirteen. The man had been fiercely protective of his niece, and Castiel got the feeling that, should she become unhappy, not even his marital or blood status would save him from the man's knives.

Alistair was dressed head-to-toe in gray. Castiel had never seen him wear any other color. His balding head shone in the torchlight, and his strange, pale eyes never revealed a hint of what he was feeling. His grip on Castiel's hand was a little too tight to be called friendly, but not tight enough to be truly threatening.

"You will make her happy," Alistair said in his strange, crooning voice. It wasn't a question, but it wasn't quite an order, either.

Castiel swallowed hard. "I already have."

"It's a shame that Lilith couldn't come. I hear she's quite beautiful, and quite skilled in Craft as well."

"She needs to heal. She was injured in the woods," Castiel lied. Meg and Azazel had decided that it would be better for Lilith to live away from the castle, at least for a little while, to adjust to the new world. Casey had taken her deep into the mountains, where there were small villages full of people who didn't ask questions. Ruby had called it a place of healing, and Castiel believed her. The last he'd heard, Lilith had been punished for her sin of necromancy, and was healing from the lashes. He didn't know if Ruby meant emotional or physical wounds, and he didn't want to. In any case, she would never tell him. It was coven business, and not for him to know.

Alistair narrowed his eyes, but said nothing else and left to take his seat.

When the last guest had filtered through the doors, Castiel breathed a sigh of relief and leaned against the wall. It was quiet for a moment, with the servants gone and the guests chattering outside. He stood up straight again when he heard footsteps and turned toward the stairs, waiting for Meg to descend.

Azazel walked proudly down the steps, his arm looped through Meg's. Castiel felt his mouth open and struggled to close it when he saw Meg's lips twitch. Her gown was a light blush color instead of the traditional white, and was gathered just under her breasts, letting the rest of the skirt flow softly down to her ankles. Sleeves made of delicate lace added a more conservative feel to it despite the gown's open, heart-shaped neckline.

Her veil covered only her hair and flowed down her back, leaving her entire face uncovered. When he looked closer, he could see small snowflakes embroidered all along it. Her hair had been kept down to match his, but some enterprising servant had lightly curled it and brushed it away from her face, pinning back only a small section. The rest of it flowed down her back and over her shoulders in a dark curtain that ended just below her breasts. Unlike other brides, who usually outfitted themselves with gold and gems, she wore no jewelry, save for a delicate silver ring that had once belonged to her mother. Castiel wondered how long she and her father had argued about that.

Azazel led Meg down the stairs and walked her over to Castiel. His grip on her arm was tight, and even though it was time for him to let her go and step away, the king seemed rooted to the spot, staring right through Castiel as if he wasn't there. Meg went to step away, but Azazel's grip grew tighter.

"Dad, you have to let go now," Meg said softly, tugging at her father's arm. "For God's sake, I'm not going anywhere. We're going to live here, remember? Let go. I have to go with him now."

Azazel shook himself. "You're so young, to be married."

"Well, you planned the whole thing. Besides, you and Mom were younger than I am."

Azazel slipped his arm from Meg's and kissed her cheek. "I know. That doesn't make it easier."

Castiel held his arm out for Meg. Azazel nodded and stepped through the doors. "Come out when the music starts," he instructed just before he closed them.

"You look beautiful," Castiel told her. Meg smiled at him.

"You look good, too. I'm glad the seamstresses got the sizing right. So old-fashioned, though."

"I don't know what half of these mean."

Meg reached out and gently traced a finger down his arm, naming the symbols as she went. "Love. Devotion. Fertility. Everlasting. Love, again. Bound. One soul." The wedding music began to play before he could talk again. Meg faced the doors and gripped his arm tight. "Here we go. Smile big, Clarence."

He stood up straight and smiled as two servants pulled the door open, but found it hard to keep his smile when he gazed outside. Just as promised, the gardens had been transformed into a winter wonderland. A plush, red carpet stretched from the door to the table at the end of the aisle. Icicles hung from every tree, and the ground was liberally powdered with snow. Soft pink flowers lined the carpet and decorated the stark white table at the head of the aisle. The chairs for the guests were all off-white, and there were snowflake-shaped garlands strung between each row of seats. The witches had done something to the place to make it warmer. Despite the cold that had settled on the land, the garden was as warm as a summer's day, and he began to sweat under his heavy cloak.

Meg tugged on his arm, forcing him to move forward. The guests stood as one and watched them walk. Meg moved in time with the wedding march, her steps even and precise while he tried to walk beside her, nearly tripping over his feet due to nerves. His heart began to pound and his palms grew sweaty, but he managed to stay on his feet. The music stopped once they reached the table, and Castiel heard the rustling of fabric indicating that the guests had sat down again.

Azazel stood from his seat in the front row, walked behind the table, and clapped his hands together. Castiel stepped away from Meg, removed his cloak, and laid it at her feet. Stepping on top of it, he held his hands out for her and drew her onto it. Meg accepted his hands and stepped gracefully onto the material. Unlike him, her palms were free of sweat. Azazel smiled at them and then turned his attention toward the audience.

"Hello, friends and family, and other honored guests. We gather today to witness the joining of Prince Castiel Novak of Araboth to my daughter, Princess Megan Masters," Azazel said. "Children, you may begin your vows."

Just like in the woods, Meg went first, offering herself to him in marriage. He made his own offer. When he finished, Meg took a deep breath and reached for the objects on the table. Delicately picking up a round, undecorated silver locket, she held it out to him. "I offer you a piece of myself, so we may be together even when we are far apart."

He took the locket from her and slipped it over his head. He did not know if it contained her hair or blood or pieces of her nails, but it felt warm on his skin despite the chill in the air. The pendant settled over his heart.

Meg reached for her pair of stag antlers next. "I offer you food for your table, so that we may never go hungry, and with it a promise that I shall always provide for you." He took the antlers and laid them on his side of the table, where his own gifts for her waited. Meg smiled, picked up his sword, and held it out to him, balancing the blade on her upturned palms. The dark metal glimmered in the watery sunlight. She took another deep breath. "I offer you this blade, and with it the protection of my body, until the end of my days."

Castiel took the sword and kissed it. The metal hummed in his hands, happy to be back where it belonged. He secured it to his belt and took his own deep breath, reaching for the locket he had picked for Meg. It held a few strands of his hair and a dab of his blood. It was small and simply made, the pendant shaped like an octagon and the silver undecorated save for a ruby set in the middle of the pendant. "I accept your gifts, and I accept you as my wife. With this, I offer you a piece of me, so we may be together, even when we are far apart."

Meg took the locket. Her veil prevented her from putting the locket over her head, but he saw her tuck it in a hidden pocket of her gown.

Next, Castiel picked up a rabbit skin. When they were children, he and Meg had practiced their snares by hunting rabbits together, and he thought it a fitting gift. "I offer you food for your table, so that we may never go hungry, and with it a promise that I shall always provide for you."

Meg took the fur and ran her fingers over it.

Last, Castiel picked up the dagger he had bought for her when he'd turned eighteen. It hadn't been custom-made, not like his sword, but he had found it at a merchant's booth when he and Gabriel had taken a short trip to the world market, where travelers from all over the globe came to sell their wares or seek a new life. The blade was sharp, and the handle was made of bone inlaid with mother-of-pearl. There were small birds carved into it, giving the weapon a feminine feel, and was far nicer than the dagger they had used for their first marriage ceremony.

"I offer you this blade, and with it the protection of my body, until the end of my days," he finished. Meg took the blade and kissed it.

"I accept you as my husband," Meg said loudly.

Azazel stepped out from behind the table and moved between them, facing the guests. "Normally a ceremony would conclude here, but as this is a match made for love as well as for political reasons, the children have requested an additional, and more traditional, bit of ceremony be added."

He turned to face them and deposited a small, plain, silver cup between them on the table. It was chipped around the edges, and clearly very old, but was polished to a shine. Clearly, it had been in the family for a long time, and had seen many blood vows over the years. Castiel wondered absently if Meg had kept the wooden cup from their first marriage ceremony, or if it had been lost in the fight with Crowley.

Meg raised the dagger that Castiel had gifted her and cut her palm. Making a fist, she drained some of her blood into the cup. "You have my soul already. With this offering, I reaffirm our vow."

Castiel took the dagger and cut his own palm. The cold air bit into his skin, but the blood was hot and flowed strongly when he made his own fist over the cup. He stumbled over the new words, but managed to make his voice seem clear and strong. "You already have my soul. With this offering, I reaffirm our vow."

The guests were silent as Meg delicately plucked the cup from the tabletop and held it to his lips. Without fear to flavor it, her blood tasted almost sweet, and he swallowed the offering without gagging. He took the cup from her fingers once he'd had his swallow and held it to her lips. Just like in the woods, she drank their mingled blood without hesitation, and he gently rested the cup back on the table when he was finished. The cut on his palm stung. Azazel gestured for the two of them to join hands. Her bloody palm was slippery against his, and her hand was cold. He instinctively put his clean hand over hers to warm her flesh, and Meg rested her other hand atop of his in turn, completing the ceremony.

"What we have joined today, may no man tear apart," he declared. "Castiel Masters, you may now kiss your bride."

Castiel leaned forward and kissed her quickly. When they separated, the wedding guests cheered. Ruby smiled, stood from her seat, and threw a handful of confetti in the air. The paper bits hovered over their heads for a moment before exploding into a small shower of snowflakes.

Castiel squeezed Meg's hand and laughed as the guests clapped. Because they were made of magic, the snowflakes felt almost warm on Castiel's cheek. Meg raised her clean hand to grasp them and looked up in wonder, blinking away the snow that landed on her eyelashes. The guests clapped and whooped as Ruby threw a few more handfuls of confetti in the air, creating the fake snow for the guests as well.

Azazel waved his hand for quiet. "Now, if you will all rise and follow the servants to the hall, there will be food and dancing to celebrate the marriage. Our happy couple will be along in a moment, as soon as their wounds are seen to."

.

The feast was magnificent.

Castiel had never seen so much food in his life. There were trays laden with sweet puddings and cakes, platters of boar ribs and bacon and pork chops. He saw whole swans roasted in their plumage and wild turkeys and roasted pigs. There were other plates piled high with fruit, blackberries and apples and oranges and strawberries that had been carefully cultivated in the castle's glass gardens or imported from far away. Meg must have told her father about Castiel's nightmarish visions in the woods, because pears were the only thing missing from the buffet.

He and Meg shared the traditional stag's heart first, the two of them feeding each other from their forks. Both of them mostly stayed out of most of the dancing, Meg because of her stomach wound and Castiel because he had never quite mastered the steps. While Ruby had healed his foot, he still gave that as an excuse. His sisters saw right through it and managed to drag him out for a few dances, and Meg took a few turns at the slower ones with him, but Castiel was content to spend most of the evening sitting with his bride and watching the guests enjoy themselves. Meg enjoyed her place of honor at the head of the table, chattering with everyone who came to wish the two of them well and sampling every dish that the servants put before her.

When the feast began to wind down, Castiel noticed Hael and Tom out of the corner of his eye. They were laughing with each other, trying to slip out of the room unnoticed. Both of their faces were flushed from the rich wine and dancing, and Hael was beaming with happiness.

She caught his eye and froze, clearly thinking that Castiel would stop her from sneaking off. He held up one hand, fingers splayed, and pointed toward the door with his other.

"That's nice of you," Meg commented as she took a sip of her wine. Her face was flushed from the wine, and her eyes bright.

"I'll give them five minutes before I send Gabriel looking for them," Castiel said. "That's what your father would've given us, when we were younger. I don't see the harm in sneaking away for a few innocent kisses on a night like tonight. Romance is in the air, as your father would say."

Meg laughed. "Well, someone better pass the message onto Gabriel, because they picked the perfect time to sneak away."

Confused, Castiel looked around and swallowed hard when he noticed that the music had stopped and most of the guests were smiling and nodding to each other. A few of the women were giggling and lightly shoving each other as they looked as Castiel, and a few of the men were shooting Meg cautious looks.

"It's time to go to bed?" he guessed.

"And no one will come looking for them in the confusion," Meg told him. "Which means they'll be getting more than five minutes. Plenty of time for more than few innocent kisses, if they want. But Tom's a gentleman."

Castiel groaned and looked around for Gabriel when the fiddlers began to strike up a jaunty tune. Meg stood and patiently waited for her friends to surround them and tug them toward the bedroom. The women, unable to lift Castiel, simply poked and prodded and shoved him out the door. He heard Meg laughing in delight as Benny let out a cheerful roar and threw her over his shoulder.

The way to the bedroom was short, and he ignored the dirty comments being thrown his way by the women. Ruby was at the forefront of the group, her hand fisted in his tunic, while Anna and one of Meg's other cousins shoved him from behind. He heard Meg giving as good as she got from the men right up until Benny deposited her on the bed and playfully threw the blanket up over her face. She laughed at him as she pulled the blanket back down, throwing a punch in Benny's general direction.

"Maybe our kids can be as close as Ruby and Meg," he said to Castiel. "Do you want the musicians to stay outside the door for, or should I send them back down to the feast for a bit?" Traditionally, most of the musicians played outside of the bridal chamber for at least an hour to cover up any noise, while the rest of them retired back to the feast hall to play for any remaining wedding guests before they wandered off for the night, in order to give the bride and groom some privacy.

Castiel showed Benny to the door. "Tell them to go back to the feast, please. And I'd appreciate it if you could locate my sister and watch her for me. She snuck off with Tom right before the bedding."

Benny laughed. "Course she did. Romance is in the air tonight. I'll find her."

Castiel gave Benny a small smile. "I appreciate it."

Benny nodded and closed the door. The music stopped. Castiel took a deep breath and turned around to see Meg smiling from the bed.

"Help me get this thing off," she said, throwing the covers off and standing. "I can't undo the buttons on the back by myself."

"Still looking forward to the seaside?" he asked casually as he undid the pearl buttons that held her dress in place. Meg shrugged and stepped out of the dress, leaving her clad in nothing but her thin shift. Castiel swallowed hard.

Meg scooped up the dress and hung it over a chair. "About that. How do you feel about a little detour?"

"Detour?"'

She took off her veil and laid it on top of the dress. "Well, you're a big hero now, and you've got the magic sword. Ruby and I were talking, and dad got a report yesterday about a village that's been hassled by an ogre. It's about a day's detour from our country house. He was going to send some knights with us that would branch off and dispatch it, then come back to the country house to see us the rest of the way, but seeing as you're the new future king, I figured maybe we could take care of it."

Castiel blinked. "We just spent over a week fighting for our lives in an enchanted forest, and now you want us to go and kill an ogre?"

"Yes."

"You're crazy."

"It'll be fun."

Castiel sighed. "Fine. But that's it. Then we are going directly to the seaside and spending some quiet time together."

Meg smiled at him. Stepping closer, she wrapped her arms around his neck and stretched up so they were face to face. "That's my boy. But for now, let's go to bed. Tomorrow is another day."

Castiel smiled back and scooped her into his arms. Meg laughed and reached to pull back the covers on the bed, laughing again when he threw her onto the mattress.

"Caveman," she teased.

"You love me."

"That I do. Now, come here."

Castiel deposited his swordbelt on the table and stripped out of his tunic. He jumped into the bed with her, laughing when she laughed, and pulled the blankets up over both of them.

Meg bared her teeth at him. "Gonna kiss me, Mr. Masters?"

Castiel lowered himself over her so that their noses were touching. "Oh, I'll do more than that."

"Prove it," Meg challenged.

Castiel leaned over and snuffed the candle out. Tomorrow was another day. But for now, he fully intended to enjoy his wedding night.