Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

"I want to invite the dragons."

Dean set down his quill, squinting at his future husband as he tried to scrutinize the situation correctly.

"Okay," he started slowly as he scratched the stubble on his chin, "you just want an open invite or...?"

Cas shook his head and clarified, "There are a few members specifically I want to reach out to. I'm not even sure if they're still..."

He trailed off awkwardly, neither of them wanting to acknowledge that there was a very real possibility many of Castiel's friends and family had been killed by humans. That little word, alive, was hanging over them in the room, making the atmosphere uncomfortable.

Dean nodded encouragingly for Cas to continue and was grateful when he did.

"I think it would do well with the liaison between humans and dragons if both species were represented at the ceremony. Perhaps if we're lucky, they may actually grow to like each other."

Dean snorted, which warranted him a dirty look from the dark haired man sitting across from him.

"So, how do you propose to find them?" Dean asked, leaning back in his seat and propping his feet on his table with his arms stretched back behind his head.

Cas thought for a moment, "I have a few places I can try. I think if I start there, I should be able to get a good lead..."

Dean shot forward, "Wait, what?"

They stared each other down, before Dean finally broke and clarified, "Why do you have to be the one who goes? Can't we just send a messenger?"

"Dean," Cas answered exasperatedly, "From what I understand, would you be comfortable sending a single human into a dragons lair?"

Dean's shoulders dropped, "No."

"I'll be fine," Cas reassured him, walking around the table to cup his face, "they're my family. I need to make sure they're okay."

Dean nodded.

He understood Cas' reasoning, but that didn't mean that he didn't like it.

He took a deep breath, remembering that he couldn't just order Cas to do whatever he wanted to do, and nodded a second time.

"Okay," he breathed, "okay, but you're taking Benny with you."

Cas rolled his eyes, "I hardly think that's necessary..."

"Just..." Dean grabbed the edge of Cas' robes and pulled him down with a satisfying yelp from the other man so he was sitting in his lap.

He nuzzled his neck, breathing in the skin and finished, "Just humor me. Since I can't go, I'd feel better if Benny was with you."

Cas sighed, kissing the top of Dean's head before running his fingers through his light strands of hair.

"Of course, Dean."

--

Dean lay his head on Cas' naked chest, rubbing his cheek against the smooth skin and scales.

"I'm gonna miss you," he mumbled into the skin, his hands trailing up the other man's ribs.

"Me too," Cas answered solemnly, humming in pleasure when Dean's fingernails scratched a long line down his skin.

"Come back to me?" Dean asked nervously.

He was extremely concerned that once Cas left, he wouldn't ever come back. What if he got hurt? Or worse: what if he saw the world and decided that there was something better out there for him?

Cas propped himself up on his elbows, frowning down at Dean's face.

"Of course I'll come back," he answered sincerely, lifting Dean's chin up so he could meet his blue eyes, "Out there, they may be my friends, my family...but you're my mate, my home. No matter where I go, or what I do, I'll always return to you."

Dean blinked, letting the words settle into his brain, before leaning up to kiss Cas slowly.

--

Dean held onto Cas tightly, refusing to let him go.

They were standing on the castle steps, with Benny waiting at the bottom for them so the two could start their journey.

Andrea, Benny's wife, had not been happy that he was leaving again for another dangerous mission so soon to when he returned. But, Benny was a good soldier and was standing there, ready to go.

Dean, however, was feeling the opposite.

"I change my mind," he grumbled, kissing the side of his lover's neck.

"Oh do you now?" Cas replied, slightly amused.

"Yes," he replied firmly, "You need to stay here. With me. Naked. Preferably all the time."

"Hmm," the dragon hummed, "While tempting, I think I'm going to have to delay that until I return."

Dean grumbled, sighing dramatically, but stepped back, his fingers still lingering against the other man's skin.

"Be safe," he breathed, before bending down to kiss him lightly one last time.

Cas smiled and turned to join Benny so they could leave when they heard a voice scream in the background.

"Wait!" he called, the three men in front of the castle all turning to the commotion.

Sam was running down the steps, a bag strapped around his chest, with Bobby not too far off behind that.

He raced up to the three men, panting slightly as he declared to Castiel, "I'm coming with you!"

Dean laughed and messed up Sam's hair, "Good one, kid."

Sam glared at Dean and repeated again, "I'm going with Cas."

Dean frowned when he slowly realized his little brother wasn't joking around.

"Like hell you are," he scoffed, turning towards Bobby who had finally caught up to the group, and nodding towards Sam with an eye roll, looking for confirmation that he was being completely ridiculous.

Bobby shook his head slightly and frowned, "I hate to do this to ya, boy, but Sam's won me over to his side."

Dean shot the older man a betrayed look before shaking his head and speaking determinedly, "I don't care why he wants to go, he's not going."

"Hang on," Cas spoke, holding his hand out to stop Dean from stomping back into the castle, "He did run all the way out here to catch us. We may as well listen to his reasoning."

The Prince sighed in exasperation, rubbing his forehead before urging Sam to speak, "Alright, let's have it. Why do you want to go?"

Slightly surprised and relieved that he was actually being given a chance to speak, Sam started, "it's not that I want to go, it's that I need to go..."

Dean rolled his eyes, but before he could refute his statement, Sam continued.

"Cas is going to see the dragons, right? Well, we need a representative from our kingdom to go with him. One of the purposes of your marriage of to bring together the human and dragon race. So, how can we actually bring them together, unless we have a liaison in between the two?"

"Cas is the liaison," Dean replied simply, ready for matters to be put to rest.

Unfortunately, Cas shook his head, "I am their Prince and your mate. I have too many biases. Sam's right. We'll need a human and a dragon to both act as liaisons for each race. Each will be able to keep in mind what's best for their race, while still being able to get along and compromise with the other. What with my duties as the queen, plus my biases, I won't be able to have enough time to research and then implement whatever compromises we want. I can certainly help, but I can't be in charge."

Dean sighed, scratching the stubble on his chin as he conceded Cas' point.

Visibly excited, but trying to contain himself, Sam continued, "So, since Cas can't do it, someone else needs to go with him. We want to establish a good relationship with the dragons, sooner than later, given our history in between the two races."

"That is a wise point, Sam," Cas commented, smiling slightly as Sam preened under his praise.

Dean huffed, not liking that this plan was making sense and gaining support of his mate.

"Why can't Benny just do it? He's going," Dean tried, missing at Benny who had been standing at the side, quiet throughout the whole exchange.

"Benny doesn't know a single thing about politics. He wouldn't be able to handle delicate situations correctly, and could possibly make relations in between the two races worse," Sam scoffed, before quickly turning to Benny and adding, "no offense."

"Can't take offense to what's true, brother," Benny replied, a small, amused smirk lighting up his face.

Sam scrunched his nose at the endearment brother, but continued pressing forward.

"We need someone who can be diplomatic and make sure that we can keep the peace in between our people and theirs. I have to go."

"So why you?" Dean asked haughtily, not liking the feeling that they were all ganging up on him.

Wasn't he supposed to be the King?

Why was he even bothering listening to them speak?

He glanced at his lover who was looking at him curiously, his head tilted to the side while his big blue eyes sparkled in the sunlight.

Ah, right.

That was why.

Dean pressed again, "Why are you so convinced that it has to be you who goes? I'm not convinced you're the right person for the job."

Sam pressed his lips together, "I know how to talk to other royalty. I'm good with other species, and can be calm in tense situations. I won't have any prejudices against their race when coming in, so I should be able to represent us fairly."

Sam stepped forward, pleading with Dean, "Please, Dean, you know I'd be perfect for this."

Dean shook his head, despite already knowing that Sam really would be perfect for the position.

"It's too dangerous. I can't send my little brother, who is the next in line for the throne, by the way, leave to enter a possibly hostile environment."

"You're letting Cas go," Sam shot back.

Dean frowned, "I'm not letting Cas go. If it were up to me, he wouldn't ever leave the castle grounds."

Cas merely rolled his eyes, while Dean continued, "As of now, I am technically not his King. If he wants to leave, I have to let him."

Dean pointed his finger in Sam's face, much to the younger boy's annoyance, "You, on the other hand, are my responsibility, and I say no."

"What do you think, Bobby?" Castiel spoke up, turning everyone's attention to him and the older advisor, "I agree that this is a good idea, but is Sam the best person for this job?"

Bobby shot an apologetic look at Dean, "I think he is. There're others that may be more qualified, but they hate dragons with a fiery passion. You'll want someone there who won't start any fights. Sam has grown up in the castle and had lessons on diplomacy, plus practice while sitting in court. I reckon he's the best we got."

Dean scowled, "He's not going alone."

Cas frowned in reply, "He won't be alone. He'll be with me and Benny."

"And who's gonna protect him, huh? If we're sending him, we're sending an army to protect him as well."

Cas shook his head, "Absolutely not. We don't want the dragons thinking we're coming to start a war. Benny will be sufficient enough."

"Then Sam's not going," Dean concluded.

"I can take care of myself," Sam argued.

"Absolutely not." "Hell no." "Sorry, brother."

Sam frowned at the three voices of Bobby, Dean, and Benny which just shot him down.

"I can watch both Sam and Castiel at the same time, your Highness," Benny reminded Dean cautiously.

"And, need I remind you that I'm a dragon?" Cas shot back, "I technically don't need a guard anyway. The only reason Benny is coming with me is to make you feel better."

"I don't like this," he replied stubbornly, folding his arms tightly across his chest.

Cas glanced at Sam before stepping forward, placing his hands on Dean's biceps, lighting brushing the skin up and down.

"I know," he answered sympathetically, "but we both know you know this is a great idea."

"But he's just a kid," Dean insisted.

Cas shook his head sadly, "I don't think he is anymore."

Dean's shoulders slumped and he let Cas pull him forward into a tight hug.

"This sucks."

"I know," Cas repeated, his voice laced with amusement, "but it's the right decision, and in your heart you know that, your Highness."

Dean nodded, sighing into the embrace before stepping back.

"I promise," his lover continued, "nothing will happen to your brother. You have my word."

Dean smiled weakly, "I trust you, Cas. Just don't get hurt yourself in the process."

"I will come home to you," Cas assured him, jumping straight to his main concern, "I will always return to you, my mate, my love."

"I love you too," Dean mumbled, shy as he realized he had an audience.

Sam was watching the two, his mouth dropped wide open as he stared in disbelief. Bobby's eyebrows were raised slightly, but he was mostly stoic at the interaction. Benny was simply watching the two smugly.

Dean coughed nervously before stepping back and motioning Sam to come forth. He surprised him when he pulled him into a big hug.

"If you get hurt, I swear I'll kill you," Dean growled in his ear.

Sam's while countenance lit up, "You mean... You'll really let me go?"

Dean nodded bitterly, "Yeah. Go and be diplomatic and shit."

Sam threw him a classic bitch face look, which Dean merely smirked back at before messing up Sam's moppy brown hair.

"You'll do great."

"Thanks Dean," Sam replied seriously, lunging forward to give him another tight hug, "I won't let you down."

"I know you won't," Dean assured him, patting his back a few times before they parted. He kissed Cas on the lips one last time waving as he watched his lover and his brother wander off towards the castle gates where the stables were to grab their horses and go.

Dean motioned for Benny to come closer to him and watched him seriously.

"You're a good soldier, Benny. Bring them home."

"You have my word, Your Highness," his burly friend replied. They have each other a brief hug before Benny was jogging to join the other two, leaving a sighing Dean behind with a curious Bobby.

"He really is good for you, you know that?" Bobby commented, in a way that seemed as though he were reminding and reassuring himself as much as he was doing so to Dean.

"Yeah, yeah," Dean answered, waving him off before turning and heading back into the castle.

He heard Bobby mutter under his breath, "idgit", before following close behind.

--

Cas hid his smile as he patiently and calmly answered all of Sam's questions about the dragon race.

He enjoyed the younger boy's enthusiasm, knowing that he would need it for where they were going.

It has been just about a week since he'd left there castle with Benny and Sam by his side.

Already he desperately missed Dean, tempted to turn around and give up his search to head back.

However there was another part of him that couldn't wait to see his brothers and sisters.

It had been much too long since they'd gathered together.

How many of them were still alive?

Would they be glad to see him return?

Or would they resent him for being captured in the first place?

Castiel hoped they would understand his decision to say no to the cruel Leviathan.

It truly was a terrible situation, with no possible good outcome for the dragon race.

Cas had simply done what he thought was best and paid for it dearly.

There was only one good thing that had come out of that whole mess.

Dean.

He smiled unthinkingly, his thoughts wandering once again to his mate back at home.

Dean certainly was the greatest thing that had happened to him yet.

When that little boy showed up on his doorstep, lost and confused, calling him the beautiful lost prince, his heart had been stolen.

When he returned to fulfill his promise in rescuing the dragon prince, Cas fell in love.

Of course, he had initially fought back, not thinking that Dean would be able to save them both.

If he had a choice in between his life and Dean's: he would pick Dean every time.

He was convinced he wasn't important.

But Dean?

Dean was everything good this world had to offer.

"What was it that we're looking for again?" Benny's voice interrupted Sam's ramblings and pulled Cas out of his thoughts.

"A large boulder with Enochian Ruins etched into the face," Cas replied automatically.

They had been searching in the area, Cas' memory slightly fuzzy from years of disuse, for the entrance of the mighty fortress of the dragons.

Benny pointed his finger off to the right and asked, "Kind of like that?"

Cas immediately turned around, his spirits lifting as he recognized the carvings.

"Exactly like that," Cas breathed, taking a step forward to get closer to the boulder.

Each Enochian symbol represented the great Kings and Queens of the past.

He raced to the rock, his fingers reverently tracing the deep groves.

He bit his lip as he found the symbols representing his own line.

It had been so long since his parents were killed, and he still missed them terribly.

He took a deep breath, feeling the energy of the dragons from the rock in front of him before he took a step back and spoke clearly, "Ol Barinu niis. Odo."

The boulder let out a deafening crack before pushing itself to the side, revealing a grand entrance into the side of the mountain.

"Wow," Sam gasped, stepping forward eagerly, "So, dragons really do live in caves?"

"I suppose, in a way," Cas replied amused, "Although this certainly won't look like any cave that you've ever been in."

The two began to walk towards the entrance when Benny stepped forward, holding out his arm to stop them.

"Hold on a moment," he spoke sternly, stepping in front of them to block them with the whole of his body from being able to move forward.

"What now?" Sam whined, the gaze of his eyes slowly gliding until it was completely fixated on the mysterious opening.

Benny snapped his fingers in Sam's face to re-catch his attention.

"We need to go over the rules again," he told them.

Sam groaned, rubbing his eyes with his large hands, "Beh-nee! We've gone over this already! We know the dumb rules."

"Then you won't have any trouble repeating them again," Benny challenged, glancing over to Cas as though he were waiting for him to object at any moment.

Cas nodded his head in approval and turned to Sam, waiting for him to answer.

Realizing there was no getting out of this, Sam sighed and answered in a monotonous tone, "I will not speak until Cas has introduced me and given me permission. I must always stay by your side. I will not go off alone with any dragon at any time without your knowledge. I won't accept anything they offer me directly, but instead will allow you to check it first before it touches my hands."

He took a deep breath and continued in the same boring tone, "I will not start or participate in any arguments that could harm relations in between the human and dragon race. I will not require Benny to do anything he deems could be considered ridiculous, as he has one job only, and that is to keep us safe. I will remember his job and, within the best of my ability, not do anything that could make him doing his job harder."

Benny nodded, satisfied in his repeating, despite his lack of enthusiasm.

He then turned to Cas and raised an eyebrow.

Before he could be prompted further, Cas quickly recited, "I will not do or say anything that could bring any possible harm to either the human race or to the future King, my soon-to-be husband, Prince Dean."

Benny raised an eyebrow, "And?"

Cas sighed, "I will not get myself killed."

The burly bodyguard nodded, satisfied, "Great. Now we can go in."

"Thank you!" Sam replied exasperatedly, looking back at Cas with big hazel eyes as he waited for permission to go in.

Cas subtly nodded before taking his own initial step through the invisible barrier of the silver boulder.

A chill ran down his spine as he felt a surge of magic pulse through his skin, dancing along the edge of his hairs, causing them to stick straight up.

"Whoa," Sam gasped, the same time Benny growled, "What the hell was that?"

"It was a line of defense to help protect the dragons," Cas spoke calmly, "Anyone who wishes harm on the dragon race would have been poisoned and dramatically weakened, thus allowing the dragons to easily counter any attack and stop any opposing threats against their kingdom."

Benny scoffed, "And were you planning on informing us about this?"

Cas frowned, "I had not planned to, no."

"You didn't think that this would be important information to know?!" Benny hissed, stepping forward until he was in Cas' space.

The dragon merely shook his head, "Neither of you pose any ill-will or threat to the dragon race. Therefore, the magic screen will have had no effect over you. I assure you I was not trying to keep any pertinent information from you. I simply did not think about it, but I knew it would not apply to you."

Benny sighed, running a hand over his face, "Yeah, I know. That's fine. Just, in the future, let me know if we're about to walk through any hidden traps."

"I will do my best," Cas answered, turning to look at Sam who was staring at him wide-eyed with his mouth dropped wide open.

Cas tilted his head in confusion, glancing back behind him to try and figure out what Sam was staring at, when he caught sight of his wings fluttering behind him.

"Oh," Cas said, realizing that this was the first time Sam had seen his wings.

"Woah," Sam repeated again, as though he were unsure whether or not he were allowed to look, but just couldn't pull his eyes away.

Benny looked in between the two, frowning when he realized that Cas' true nature was showing.

"Why'd your magic bracelet stop working?" he asked curiously, gesturing to the dark wings fluttering behind his figure.

"Another side effect of the magic we just walked through," Cas explained, stretching his wings out before pulling them tightly in against his back to rest there, "It lowers any magical defenses you may have in place."

Benny hummed again, noticing Sam was still staring unabashedly and pushed him to pull him out of his reverie. Sam blushed bright red, realizing what he'd been doing and murmured a quick apology.

Cas waved his apology off, "Just don't stare at the other dragons when we reach the grand hall and we'll be fine."

Sam nodded fervently, physically and mentally gearing and preparing himself so he wasn't accidentally rude in the court of the dragons.

Cas nodded once, satisfied that Sam would be able to control himself before turning to lead them up the dark hallway.

The hall was lined with dark and light stones, interwoven with each other to create intricate patterns.

The further along they walked, the brighter the hallway became, until suddenly glittering jewels and brightly shining gemstones were placed within the walls of the grand hallway. They walked until they reached two large wooden doors, blocking them from continuing.

"Just beyond these doors is the grand hall," Cas informed the other two, "Here we will be able to request an audience with the current King and continue from there."

"Awesome," Sam murmured, mimicking his older brother's often used phrase.

"Ready?" Cas asked amused as he glanced in between his two traveling companions, the younger one bouncing on the heels of his foot in mixed excitement and terror, while the other's face was completely void of any emotion, telling Cas just how uncomfortable with all of this he truly was.

"Let's do this," Sam exclaimed, his bright eyes focused solely on the dragon before him.

"Lead the way," Benny responded, holding his arm out for Cas to go ahead.

Cas took a deep breath, steeling himself to be prepared for whatever he found beyond those doors and pushed them open.

--

Dean groaned, his face buried deep in his hands.

"I. Don't. Care." He spoke through gritted teeth, "Just pick one."

The woman who sat across him scoffed, "I can't just pick one, Your Majesty. You need to make the decision yourself."

"Why can't you?" He challenged, "It's not like it really matters."

The woman gasped, "Not like it matters? This is one of the most important days of your life. Every little detail counts!"

Dean moaned, throwing his head back against the chair as he lounged in the seat.

He glanced over to the young, blonde woman sitting next to him, "You pick."

"No way," she smirked, leaning forward as she watched his predicament, "I am enjoying this way too much to help put you out of your misery."

"C'mon Jo," Dean whined.

Jo and Ellen had traveled from their small town to the castle at Castiel's request. He had thought that the two women who be invaluable in helping prepare for their upcoming wedding and coronation and had decided he rather liked the strong-willed women.

Dean had agreed, deciding that he should accept all the help he could get while Cas was away.

Jo shook her head, "Nope, Not doing it Sir."

Dean scowled as he stared at the long line of floral arrangements along the dining room table, "I'm about to be King. I shouldn't be doing any of this crap anyway. Isn't this sort of frilly stuff the Queen's job?"

The florist gasped, taking offense that the King thought her trade to be considered 'crap' while Jo rolled her eyes.

"That's sexist," she pointed out.

Dean shook his head, "My Queen is a man. So, it can't be sexist."

"It's racist, then," she challenged.

He scrunched up his nose, "That doesn't even make sense."

Jo opened her mouth to argue, when the florist interjected, "It doesn't matter what it is. The future Queen, His Highness Castiel, is currently not available," judging by the slight sneer on her face, the woman clearly thought this was unacceptable, as though picking the floral arrangement for their upcoming wedding was more important than any excuse they could come up with, but she continued, "therefore, the decision rests with you, Your Majesty."

Dean sighed dramatically, thinking a moment before pointing to a simple arrangement a few feet off to his right, "That one. The blue one."

"Excellent choice, Your Highness," the florist spoke, relief lacing her tone, "This is a beautiful, yet simple and elegant arrangement with white lilies, blue roses, forget-me-nots, and baby's breath."

"Great," Dean answered, grunting as he stood up from his seat.

The florist bowed deep to the floor as he brushed past her, with Jo bouncing along as she followed behind him.

As soon as the door closed, Dean leaned up against it, stretching his neck as he took a deep breath.

"Congratulations," Jo smirked, patting Dean's arm awkwardly, "You survived and still have your balls in tact."

Dean rolled his eyes, listening to Jo cackle at her own joke.

"Just tell me what's next on the damn list," he growled, motioning in the air for her to give him his answers.

Jo pulled out a folded white piece of paper with a schedule on it, and glanced through the list.

"We just finished with the florist, and now you need to pick a...type of ribbon to put on the end of the chairs."

Dean banged his head against the wall several times in preparation.

--

Cas glanced around the room as the grandeur hall was filled with gasps as he and the two humans stepped onto the tiled floor.

He forced himself not to look around the room at the faces of many of his brothers and sisters whom he still remembered and cared for.

He had to follow protocol first. Hopefully, there would be time to reunite later.

"I am Prince Castiel, son of the late King, his Highness Charles and his wife, the Queen, her Highness Rebecca. I request an audience with the current King of the court," he called out to the room, his eyes watching an older balding man with dark gray wings and silver scales that he'd always thought were kind of drab at the forefront of the area.

He remembered this man, from when he was in the court with his parents at a young age.

The man sputtered as he watched Castiel walk closer, the hushed whispers of the hall at his presence growing louder and more steady.

"Ca-Castiel?" The older man sputtered, his eyes wide.

"Zachariah," Cas acknowledged, nodding in the direction of the man.

"You're alive?" he asked incredulously, his wings fluttering wide behind him, as though he couldn't really believe what was standing right before him, "And you brought..." he sniffed the air, looking for confirmation before sneering, his wings poised as though ready for a fight, "humans?"

"It would appear to be so, yes," Cas answered back, making a pointed effort to keep his wings calm despite the fact he was irritated at the older dragon's posturing. He paused for a moment before prompting again, "Zachariah, could I meet with the current King?"

Zachariah coughed awkwardly, his wings immediately curling tightly against his back as he seemed to come to his senses, before nodding briskly, "Of course. If you would wait for a moment, please."

He scurried off to presumably go speak with the King, leaving Castiel and the others behind.

Cas could tell that Sam was dying to ask questions, his eyes flickering from dragon to dragon in the room, not lingering on one person for too long, but he was grateful he kept his mouth shut. Now certainly was not the time. Especially not after Zachariah's obvious distaste.

He forced himself not to look around for more signs of others who felt the same way Zachariah appeared to about humans.

How many more hated them with just as fervent of passion as the older, graying dragon did?

He internally sighed, careful that his disappointment didn't show up on his face. He suspected that creating an alliance in between the dragon and human race was going to be far more difficult that he had anticipated.

He had known it would be tough, the two races had a long history and hatred and distrust in between the two. It was originally the reason why his parents suggested a marriage between the two Kingdoms, to help bridge the gap and perhaps learn to become allies.

Castiel wondered if his parents would have made a different decision, had they known the type of humans they were dealing with.

Someone from the left of him stepped forward bravely, among the crowd of whispering dragons, all fixated on their returning prince and his human companions.

"Castiel?" the girl asked hesitantly, flicking back her long red hair as she squinted to see him better, her soft brown and white wings shaking behind her nervously, "Castiel, is that really you?"

Cas smiled warmly, "Anael, it is good to see you."

Anael gasped, holding her hands up to her mouth, her wings shooting out behind her in excitement. It was painfully obviously she was holding herself back from rushing forward to pull Cas into her arms.

At his confirmation, the room erupted in cheers and shouts of joy.

"Welcome back, Prince Castiel!"

"We missed you!"

"We waited so long for your return!"

Cas stared back in surprise, looking at the happily moving wings, flurry together in a fit of excitement.

His heart warmed at the welcome, he had hoped they would be glad to see him, but he'd never imagined...

He held up his hand, speaking softly his thanks, before a door opened at the side, flinging back to hit the wall, and immediately deafening the hall.

A short woman with her hair tied back in a tight bun behind her head and royal robes stepped forward, gracefully entering the room as her dark, rich purple wings stood majestically behind her, showing just how regal and prominent she really was.

"Well, well," she spoke, no emotion showing on her face. Even her wings were completely still, showing no feeling that could betray her thoughts as she continued, "the prodigal son has returned."

--

"Now this is the type of wedding planning I can get behind," Dean moaned, shoving another forkful of food into his mouth.

"Don't speak with your mouth full," Ellen scolded, taking another reasonable bite of food.

"You're not the boss of me, I'm about to be King. I can do whatever I want," Dean answered back ostentatiously, but listened to the older woman and waited until he had swallowed first.

"Is the food to your liking?" the chef asked hopefully, watching as Dean shoveled in bite after bite.

"Hell yeah it is," He answered excitedly, "This is amazing. What else ya got for me?"

The chef hummed, "I suppose we can move on to desserts after this. Of course, there are several flavors of the traditional wedding cake I would like for you to test, but I also have some other items that may be to your liking for your wedding feast. Uh, macaroons, eclairs, cannoli, tarts, pies, orange rolls..."

"Hang on," Dean interrupted him, holding out his hand and looking at him seriously, "Did you say pie?"

"Why, yes I did," the Chef answered back.

Dean smiled widely, pushing his plate of food to the side, "I think it's time to bring out those desserts!"

--

Cas bowed deep to the ground, looking up at the strong woman in front of him.

It did not surprise him that it was her standing before him.

"King Naomi," he acknowledged.

She waved her hand giving him permission to stand up again.

"So it's true?" she asked, "You've escaped the beast's clutches and returned home, only to bring back a couple of the monsters who enslaved you."

Cas curled his lip in displeasure, "These are not the men who captured me. In fact, it was not the human race's fault for what happened to us."

Naomi laughed cruelly, "Ha, not their fault? If it wasn't for that damn alliance your Father desperately wanted, we wouldn't be in this predicament!"

"My Father was a great man doing what he thought was best," Castiel challenged, his wings furling out slightly in an aggressive manner as he stepped forward into the woman's personal space, "And you would do well to remember that you should not speak ill of the departed."

Naomi took a deep breath, taking a brief moment to compose herself, her wings shivering slightly before they returned to their original position, before she asked nonchalantly, "I suppose you've come back to regain your place on the throne."

Cas frowned, "No."

Her eyebrows raised high on her forehead, "No? Pray tell, why on earth not?"

"I am here to inform you that I intend on fulfilling my Father's wishes. I intend to marry into the human kingdom and rule as Queen, as it was originally designed for me to do so."

Naomi scoffed, but didn't speak up, allowing the other to continue.

"I'm here to request the presence of some of my family and friends to join me in celebrating this union, and come in hopes that perhaps we can form an alliance in between the two races, just as we had desired to do so, those many years previous."

Murmurs spread through out the hall, everyone lit up with either excitement or displeasure at Castiel's announcement.

Naomi held up a hand, immediately silencing the hall and asked, "Who are the humans with you?"

"This is Prince Samuel and his guard, Sir Benjamin, a Knight of the Winchester empire," he introduced.

"Why have they come?" she asked curtly and distrusting.

"Samuel is here, acting on behalf of King Dean of the Winchester Empire as the human representative for a liaison in between our two races. King Dean would very much like an alliance formed with the humans and the dragons, as would I."

"But clearly he didn't trust us enough to allow his representative come alone," she snarled, nodding her head in Benny's direction.

"Would you have sent someone alone into the hands of what may be a hostile environment?" Castiel challenged, narrowing his eyes, "At least he is putting forth some effort to resolve our differences and putting the past behind us."

Naomi's lips twitched briefly, as though she were going to smile, but she reigned it in, keeping the stoic look on her face.

"I simply can't think of a single dragon in my court that I can spare," she answered, with a wave of her hand.

"I can think of a few," a voice boomed from the back of the room.

Many in the hall once again gasped as Naomi frowned, displeased at the intruder, and Castiel slowly turned around, hope beaming in his heart.

The short man stepped closer, a mischievous smile gracing his lips and a swag in his step, while his light colored eyes twinkled in the light as his four golden wings rose hair into the air behind him, reflecting grandly from the light in the room.

Sam next to him couldn't hold in his gasp as he stared at the golden wings, truly as unique as the dragon they belonged to.

"Hello there little brother, boy am I glad to see you."

--

Dean patted his belly, letting his eyes fall shut as he sat warm next to the fireplace.

"I could get used to this wedding planning if I'm treated to an afternoon like that," the man smiled happily, shooting a charming smirk in the other two women's direction.

Ellen chuckled, while Jo rolled her eyes in mock exasperation.

"See?" Ellen said, "What did I tell ya? It wasn't so bad once you gave it a chance."

"It wasn't so bad once they brought out the food," Dean corrected her.

"Amen to that," Jo agreed, squirming in her seat to try and get more comfortable.

Dean glanced at the clock, pleased to see he had fifteen minutes before he had to be at his next meeting.

He closed his eyes, and settled further into the squishy chair, letting the warm feeling of sleep draw over him.

As he nodded off, he wondered how Castiel was doing, and if he was having any luck finding his family.

--

"Gabriel?" Castiel breathed, looking at one of his only remaining family members before him.

While the older dragon wasn't his actual brother (in reality he was his cousin), they had grown up in the castle together, and often felt they were closer family than what they actually were.

"The one and only!" Gabriel confirmed, his wings standing straight out as he strutted forward and patted Cas on his back.

"So, a mighty human warrior has slayed the vicious beast and claimed you as his prize, eh Cassie?"

Cas' smiled immediately turned upside down, "No, that's not what..."

"Nah, I'm just playin'," Gabriel interrupted him, jumping up to throw his arm around the King's shoulders, their height being very similar.

Naomi pursed her lips, her wings shaking slightly, not liking the intrusion, but she did nothing to remove his presence, Gabriel being one of the few people who could get away with something like that.

His bright wings compared to her dark royal ones were almost comical. If they were in any other circumstance, Cas would be tempted to laugh.

Instead, he stayed quiet as he waited to hear what Gabriel had to say.

It was always a risk to let his close childhood friend talk in front of a crowd.

You never quite knew what was going to pop out of his mouth.

Cas held his breath and waited for the inevitable, hoping for the best.

"If Cas here says that this human is worthy, then I believe him," Gabriel declared to the hall.

"After all," he reminded them, "He's the one who warned us about the Leviathan. It's just too bad nothing could have been done sooner to prevent the tragedies that followed."

There was a moment of solemn silence as everyone remembered the deaths of the previous King.

"What happened?" Cas quickly asked, diverting Gabriel's attention as he was dying to know, "After I was taken?"

"Well, we needed a new King after your ol' man passed," Gabriel answered, "and both Michael and Lucifer were up to the challenge. Only, they couldn't decide on who should do it. So, they broke out into a war, which ended in Lucifer's death. Michael, distraught by his death, took his own life to join him, and left the Kingdom to be ruled by Naomi here."

"That's terrible," Cas spoke softly, wishing he had been there to prevent this from happening.

Michael and Lucifer were Cas' cousins as well, and they were mates.

He couldn't even imagine the two going to war over something.

But to have one of their deaths be the outcome?

It wasn't a surprise Michael took his own life in mourning the death of his mate.

Cas couldn't even imagine what he would do or how he would feel if Dean passed away, let alone if he were the cause of his death in any way.

"It is what it is," Gabriel said bluntly, "No point dwelling on the past. Which I believe is the exact point you are currently trying to make!"

"Yes, it is," Cas agreed, grateful for the smaller man's support.

Gabriel jumped down, stepping close into Sam's space, his wings curling around the younger boy suggestively and asked, "So, who's this cutie, here? Your soon-to-be hubby?"

Sam's breathing became a little more staggered as he looked at the beautiful golden wings just within arms reach.

Cas frowned deeply at the display, but made no effort to stop his older cousin, and shook his head, "No, this is Prince Samuel. My fiancé is his older brother, King Dean of the Winchester Empire."

"And I'm Sir Benjamin," Benny spoke gruffly, stepping forward to put himself in between the foreign dragon and his current charge, "Prince Samuel's guard."

"Benny," Sam muttered under his breath, embarrassed at the obvious display of protection.

"Oh ho," Gabriel answered amused, taking a step back as he held out his hands in mock defense, "better watch out for this one."

He relaxed his stance slightly, turning around so he could speak directly out to the dragons of the court, and asked, "So, Prince Samuel, What can you humans do for us dragons?"

Sam, whose eyes widened slightly as he realized he had the attention of every single dragon in the grand hall, glanced over at Cas who gave him a subtle nod to tell him that it was okay to speak with and answer Gabriel's questions.

Sam nodded in return, steeling himself before he moved to the side and stepped in front of Benny so he was directly facing Gabriel, who had since turned back around to face Sam once again.

"An alliance in between the dragon and human empires can do nothing but help. Through this we can ensure each of our race's safety and protection, from each other as well as from other threats. We can expand our trades, benefiting us both, as you would be able to have access to our ports out on the sea. At this point, we are open to suggestions and requests from the dragons as to what they would like from an arrangement so that the agreement can become mutually beneficial."

Gabriel whistled loudly as dragons spoke softly to themselves, "Impressive. You come up with that on your own?"

"I come here as a representative of King Dean of the Winchester Empire to act as a liaison..."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Gabriel brushed off the obviously rehearsed response.

He hummed for a moment to himself before asking, "How old are ya, kid?"

Sam glanced at Cas, hesitantly answering, "Ninteen?"

"Pretty young for a liaison," the dragon commented thoughtfully, "What makes you so special? Other than your princely status?"

"I know diplomacy," Sam answered, before anyone could tell him otherwise, "I've grown up in meetings, dealing with diplomats both from our empire and from distant lands. And most importantly, I don't have any prejudices. I want this union to work. I'm happy that my brother found Cas and I want our two Kingdoms to ally together. I'm willing to put in the effort to make this work."

Gabriel smirked, turning back to Naomi who was listening to Sam's spiel with a frown.

"I'm convinced!" he said, putting his arms out wide, his stance open and inviting, wings fluttering gracefully behind him, "Who are we to deny the Kingdom who is welcoming our own little Cassie into their family?"

Naomi sighed, hearing several murmurs of support from the crowd and asked, "And who would you suggest I send as our representative?"

Gabriel smiled widely, his wings flicking back mischievously, "I know just the person."

--

Cas' jaw dropped as a man bounded through the door, his dark mauve wings bouncing behind him, "Cassie? Darling? I'm so happy to see you, love!"

"Balthazar?!" he blurted incredulously, turning to face Gabriel, "You intend to send Balthazar?"

"What?" Gabriel asked confused, before seeing the blonde dragon swaggering forward and shook his head, "No, no. Balthazar isn't...that's who I want to send."

Cas stepped to the side, moving further away from Balthazar as he looked to the doorway once again, watching as a tall brunette shyly walked into the room, her posture straight and face devoid of emotion, although her powder blue wings fluttered nervously.

As soon as her gaze landed on Castiel, her shoulders and wings drooped in relief and she sighed happily, "Castiel. It's so good to see you."

Feeling a similar relief, Cas stepped forward to wrap his arms around the younger female, their wings pressing close together in a familiar embrace, "You as well, Hannah. Are you well?"

"I am," she answered happily, "And you?"

"I'm better than well," Cas assured her.

"Why didn't I get a hug when I came in the room?" Balthazar pouted, folding his arms and glaring from where he stood as his wings drooped in stubbornness.

Castiel laughed, turning to give his old childhood friend a hug as well, his wings pushing Balthazar's so they stood straight up, "Lively, as always," Castiel commented.

"Oh, well I try," Balthazar answered happily, loving the attention he was receiving.

"I hope I'm okay for the job..." Hannah spoke quietly, tucking a strand of brown hair behind her ear as her wings continued to flutter nervously behind her.

"You're perfect," Cas answered immediately, turning to Gabriel and repeating, "She's perfect."

"I know," Gabriel answered smugly, turning to wink at Sam and Benny who were watching the exchange.

Benny scowled in response while Sam's cheeks blushed darker red.

Amused, Gabriel clapped his hands and announced to the room, "Now, let's get this party rolling! We've got a wedding to catch!"

--

Dean focused on breathing steadily as he lied in his bed.

The wedding was in one week.

Just one.

And Castiel, Sam, and Benny weren't back yet.

He cursed out loud, before taking another deep breath and reminding himself not to get worked up as he was trying to sleep.

Damn it all to hell.

Where were they?

Were they safe?

Were they okay?

Did something happen?

Questions raced through his mind as he desperately tried to come up with answers for why they weren't there yet.

A timid knock at his door pulled him out of his thoughts.

He groaned as he stood up, throwing on a gray, plush robe before throwing the door open and staring at the timid guard who stood shakily before him.

"What?" he asked flatly, not in the mood to deal with issues.

"Th-There's a caravan, sir. Just an hour up the road heading our direction."

Dean's eyebrow raised, "A caravan?"

"Y-yes, s-sir," the soldier stumbled over his words.

"Do we have any clue who they are?" he pressed.

"Th-they claim - " the boy paused before pushing forward, "They claim that they're d-d-dragons, s-sir."

Dean's eyebrows raised, "Dragons?"

"Y-y-yes, sir. W-what would you have us do?"

"Tell Bobby I'm meeting the caravan on the road," Dean said, turning back in his room to grab his riding clothes, "Open the gates and prepare the guestrooms. If this is who I think it is..."

He paused, sincerely hoping it was who he hoped it to be.

He threw on his clothes, running out to the stables to hop onto his trusty steed, sending out a prayer to the heavens above, Please let this be Castiel.

--

Dean raced to the first carriage he saw, heeling his horse, and lifting his hand to tell the other soldiers behind him to do the same.

He watched carefully, waiting for a representative from the caravan to come and meet him.

His heart thumped loudly as a tall man with dark hair stepped out of the carriage, his gorgeous nearly black wings stretching out tall behind him, and a taller, young man with floppy brown hair walking side-by-side with a burly guy followed behind that.

Dean smiled, jumping off his horse and rushing forward to pull his mate and his little brother into his arms.

"Dean!" Sam complained, but pushed further into the embrace.

"Shut up, bitch, and accept this," Dean growled, pleased when Sam clutched onto him tighter.

"Jerk," Sam muttered, burying his face into Dean's side.

Dean turned to Cas who was looking up at him brightly.

"Hello Dean," Cas spoke warmly.

"Welcome home, Cas," Dean answered, pressing a kiss against his lips.

--

Dean didn't know how to feel about the dragons that Cas had brought back with him.

On the one hand, Castiel seemed to be really happy that they were around.

He smiled more and talked about good memories from when he was a child, telling Dean stories about things they used to do and games they used to play.

He would go out for morning flights with the others, stretching his wings and flying much too high for Dean's comfort level.

Yes, his family being there seemed to do much good for his mate.

On the other hand...

Balthazar and his mauve wings was too flirty and handsy with his staff.

Hannah (the actual liaison) was okay, although she seemed to like Castiel a little too much for Dean's liking. She was always hovering near him, her wings reaching out to touch his. He trusted Cas, but he knew he'd want to keep an eye on that.

Anna was just a little too sweet, constantly brushing her brown and white speckled wings up again Dean and seeking out his company, much like Hannah was doing to Cas. He'd decided to steer clear of her in fear she would come to the wrong conclusion.

Samandriel was quiet and Dean couldn't decide if that was a good thing or a bad one. He stood stoically, with his dark brownish red wings pulled tightly against his back, watching as everyone else bustled around.

And Gabriel?

Well, he honestly had no clue what to make of the boisterous dragon who strutted around the castle as though he owned the place, his golden wings filling up the spaces beside him.

He was loud, obnoxious, often rude, borderline uncomfortable, and had taken way too much of an interest in Sammy...

But he was Cas' family.

They all were.

So, Dean put a smile on his face and bared through it the best he could.

He sighed in relief as he and Cas entered into their room, closing the door behind them to drown out all the noise they were leaving behind.

He hummed in pleasure as Cas pulled his body in close, nuzzling his face in Dean's neck.

"Hey baby," Dean spoke softly, brushing his fingers through his smaller mate's hair and wings.

That was another bonus that Cas having other dragons around. He felt more comfortable walking around without the bracelet and showed off his wings to the world.

"We get married tomorrow," Cas said, looking up at Dean with his bright blue eyes, shining in the dimly lit room, "Any regrets?"

"Only that I couldn't find you sooner," Dean said, giving himself a mental high-five when Cas swooned at the sappiness.

"I love you," Cas informed him seriously, as though he were concerned that Dean had forgotten.

"I love you too, sweetheart," Dean answered, pressing his lips lightly against the other's.

Cas pressed into the embrace more deeply, eager to taste Dean more on his tongue and receive more contact.

"Woah," Dean said, smirking at Cas' earnestness for more, "Technically it's our wedding night. Should we really be..."

"Dean? I would like to have sex. With you. Now."

"Well, I ain't arguing with that," Dean said excitedly, picking Cas up and throwing him onto the bed, closely following behind.

--

Dean shook his head, letting out a deep breath as he made weird noises to try and prepare himself for what he was about to do.

"You ready?" Sam asked warily, watching Dean go through his jittery routine.

"Let's blow this bitch," Dean answered, strutting forward and into the main hall, heading up towards the front of the room where he was supposed to be positioned.

The ceremony dragged on, many prominent names being called and several groups bustling down the aisle.

But there was only one body that mattered.

Dean held his breath as the doors finally opened, revealing the one person he really wanted to see.

Cas stood at the end of the hall in long white robes with silver accents. His wings shimmered in the light as they stood out in the hall, proud to be showing them off.

Several gasps were heard through-out the hall as they watched the dragon walk down the aisle, being reminded of the heritage of the soon-to-be Queen.

When Cas finally arrived to the front, Dean grabbed his hands and kissed them softly, whispering, "You're beautiful."

Cas merely smiled in return before turning to the minister to finish out the ceremony.

Dean had decided he wanted to get it all over with in one go.

So, he listened and knelt when appropriate so he could be crowned as the King.

The Archbishop spoke out, "I here present unto you: King Dean, your undoubted King. Wherefore all you who are come this day to do your homage and service."
He turned to the crowd and asked, "Are you willing to do the same?"

With one voice, the crowd shouted back, causing chills to run down Dean's spine, "GOD SAVE KING DEAN!"

Dean received a sword in his hand and a crown on his head and stood to be presented to the crowd once again, this time officially as their King.

"LONG LIVE THE KING!"

The crowd echoed the sentiment and the archbishop motioned for them to settle down so he could continue to the next part of the ceremony.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, we have been invited here today to witness and celebrate the uniting in marriage of Prince Castiel, Son of the late King Charles and Queen Rebecca of the Dragon Empire and King Dean, Son of the late King John and Queen Mary of the Winchester Empire.

"They are taking the first step of their new beginning; their new life together.

"The ability and desire for one human being to love another is perhaps the most precious and fulfilling gift that has been entrusted to us.

"For these two, they have set aside all differences to bring two nations together.

"It is and all-consuming task, a lifelong endeavor - the journey we've been preparing for all of our lives.

"Loving someone is a reason to stretch beyond our limits, to become more for the sake of the other. It is to look into the soul of your beloved and accept what you see.

"Loving is the ultimate commitment which challenges both humans and dragon to become all that we are meant to be.

"As they join in marriage today, King Dean and Prince Castiel are announcing to the world that they are welcoming that challenge."

Dean smiled at Cas, reaching out to squeeze his hand affectionately, wanting him to know for sure that he truly was ready for this challenge they were about to embark on together.

The minister asked them to repeat after him and asked them to answer with two of the most important words.

"I do."

After Dean kissed his new husband, the archbishop prompted Cas to kneel, much like Dean had done before and placed a silver crown on his own head.

"LONG LIVE KING DEAN AND QUEEN CASTIEL."

As the crowd repeated the sentiments and cheered for their newly married King and Queen, Dean grabbed his mate, his now husband, and pull him flush against his body so he could give him a deep kiss.

"You're mine now," Dean teased, nipping his Queen's lower lip, the world drowning out around him as he only focused on the one person he wanted to be with forever.

"I am," Cas answered amused, mimicking the motion as he returned the kiss, "And you're mine."

--

Four Years Later

"...And they lived happily ever after."

The little girl sighed, falling back onto her papa's big belly, nuzzling into the warm skin there.

"I like that story, papa," she said, "It's got everything! Monsters and swordfights and a prince who saves himself!"

"That he does, little one," her papa replied amused, brushing her platinum blonde hair out of her eyes,

"Although he never could have done it without the King coming to help him."

"And they really lived happily ever after?" she asked, blinking her wide blue eyes that matched his own back up at him.

The door opened before he could respond, and the girl jumped up, racing towards the tall man entering the room, "Daddy!"

The man bent down, picking up the small child effortlessly and giving her a big kiss on her cheek, "Hey there, Mary. What're you still doing up? It's way past your bedtime."

"Papa was telling me a story," she exclaimed, patting her small hands against her daddy's face.

"A story?" he asked, fake nibbling on her hands when they brushed his mouth, causing the girl to burst into giggles.

"Yeah!" she answered excitedly, "'Bout the Lost Prince!"

The man smiled, turning to take a look at his husband, and winking before he answered, "That was always one of my favorites."

"But daddy," the girl asked, pulling his face back so he was looking at her again, "did they really live happily ever after?" she asked again seriously.

Her daddy, hummed, as he seemed to really ponder the question.

He looked over at his husband, sitting in a big mauve plush chair, rubbing his plump belly, ready to pop with their second child any day now, his wings looking worn, showing off his exhaustion. They fluttered happily as he caught his husband's gaze, and he shot him a small, loving smile.

He looked back down at his daughter and kissed the tip of her nose.

"Yeah," he breathed happily, mouthing the words 'I love you' to his husband who repeated them back, "I think they really did live happily ever after."