The Crimson Prince: prologue
The raft rocked slightly from the lapping of the water against the barrels and the air was hazy with the afternoon heat. Every now and again the wind would carry the songs of the slaves as they worked in the fields and you could hear them over the sound of frogs calling from the water edge.
It had taken them almost the whole summer but they had built the raft themselves and entirely in secret. Castiel’s father would certainly not have approved and Dean’s mother would have been sick with worry if they knew.
The ropes had been the easy part. There was an abundance of it in the supply barn and Dean had learnt from some of the slaves how to weave it from flax. Dean considered it important to understand how to make or repair rope if you wanted to get work on a ship, which was something both boys wanted to do.
The wood on the other hand had been a lot more difficult. They could not cut down any trees that Castiel’s father or one of the hired hands would notice. In the end they had enlisted the help of Thomas one of the slave children who was only a year younger than Castiel. He had helped them by keeping look out and telling them when the coast was clear for the two boys to haul the wood down to the clearing by the river’s edge.
Slowly but surely the raft had come together. It was longer than it was wide. Ten logs across and long enough that the three boys could lay down across it side by side and not hang over the ends.
They had managed to rig up a sail using a sheet that Castiel had taken from the linen closet in the hall. But mostly they just navigated through the reeds with a long pole. When they had gone out far enough they would stick the pole down into the mud and tie the raft to it.
Sometimes they would sail out to the small island that was further along the river. Dean had even suggested that they try to make it to the opposite bank but Castiel had been worried that they might not be able to get back and then his father would find out.
Mostly though, on days like today, they would make their way out past the reeds and tie the raft to the pole. They would drift lazily in the one spot while they dangled their poles in the water and wait for a bite while they wiled away the afternoon.
The two boys had been fishing for about an hour already. Their poles still dangling worms in the water even though they had discarded them in favor of the packed lunch of cheese and left over cornbread that Molly had made for Castiel.
Both boys sat with their legs dangling down in the water as they ate and watched the boats pass on the river. But when they had finished they had both lay back, Castiel’s hair brushing occasionally against Dean’s shoulder.
They only had to turn their heads to be eye to eye. They lay there laughing and talking, enjoying the warm afternoon. The sunshine warmed Castiel’s skin and made Dean’s freckles shine like gold on his pale skin.
At some point they had begun cloud watching; pointing out to each other the interesting shapes they thought they could see in the clouds. Occasionally they argued as best friends are wont to do sometimes. Castiel watched the clouds pass as Dean described what he thought the big puffy one overhead looked like.
"See there are the teeth and that is her ear, that sticking out part." Dean pointed, raising his arm in a straight line that caused a shadow to fall across Castiel's face. To be honest, Castiel could not see it. To him, the cloud reminded him of the lamp in father's study. But Dean had never been in that part of the house so it was pointless trying to disagree.
"Hey." Dean said after a while. He sat up cross-legged on the small raft and turned to face Castiel. "I have got an idea." There was a mischievous grin pulling at his lips and Castiel instantly got the impression that whatever it was it was probably going to get him in trouble.
"This better not involve scaring the cows or making old Mister Washington think that his barn is haunted again." Each were things that Castiel’s father had punished him for.
Dean gave Castiel a petulant look. "Please that is amateur stuff. This is brilliant."
Castiel could not really see how this would be different, especially since all of the other schemes he had gotten in trouble for had been Dean's in the first place.
"What is it?" Castiel asked figuring that he could at least hear Dean out.
"We should become blood brothers." Dean practically beamed as he made the suggestion.
"Blood brothers?" Castiel raised an eyebrow. It sounded kind of bad in his opinion.
"Yeah it was in this book that mother read to me. About a boy named Temujin. He and his best friend cut themselves so their blood mixed and it made them blood brothers."
After a moment or two in thought Castiel nodded in agreement. It certainly was not something that father would punish him for. Well, so long as he did not get any blood on his clothing.
Dean pulled the knife from his belt and held out his hand in front of Castiel. He winced with a hiss as he dragged the
knife across the thick part at the base of his thumb, cutting his palm.
Castiel pulled a face. It looked like it hurt and suddenly he was not so sure it was such a good idea. Especially in sight of the crimson that was beginning to seep out of the cut on Dean’s palm.
Dean turned the knife in his hand so he was holding the handle out toward Castiel. A smile spread across Dean’s lips as Castiel took the knife and copied Dean’s actions. He ran the knife across the heel of his palm gritting his teeth as he did so.
Taking back the knife, Dean slid it into the sheath on his belt and held out his hand. Castiel reached out, curling his hand over Deans. They were palm to palm as their blood mingled. Castiel thought it stung when they squeezed their hands together but Dean laughed.
“Now we will be friends forever. Nothing can come between us.” Dean informed him matter-of-factly.
Castiel grinned as he tugged his handkerchief out of his pocket. He had been intending to wrap it around his own palm because it stung but Dean’s cut looked deeper than his own and it was bleeding a lot more. He reached out and wrapped it around Dean’s palm.
Dean smiled at him. A huge grin that made the flecks of gold in his green eyes shimmer.
“When we grow up we shall become Captains of the fleet and go and fight pirates together.” Dean grinned. Both boys wanted to grow up and fight pirates. “You and me, Cas, against the world.”
Dean stood and held his fishing rod up to the air shouting, “Death to all pirates!”
“Death to all Pirates!” Castiel jumped up and cried out as well.
Castiel almost toppled off the raft and Dean threw his arms around him. Dean smiled at Castiel and then ran a hand through his hair. With a smile he set Castiel back on his feet. “Careful Cas. No drowning before we defeat the Crimson prince together.”
More booty this way