Duty Part 1
Title: Duty
Author: Gedry
Pairings: Dean/Cas, Sam/Gabriel
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 1109
Disclaimer: These characters do not belong to me. I am making no profit from this fanfiction.
Spoilers: None
Warnings: None
Summary: The Winchester’s kingdom has been safe for centuries but when increase pressures from other territories bring about a forced bonding complications arise. For azryk who made some beautiful artwork of Dean being a prince and Castiel being a knight.
Thank you moonofblindness!!
Duty
Dean and Cas have been friends for as long as he can remember. They played together, learned how to fight together, told each other scary stories, and stayed up all night clinging to each other. For his entire life, every time Dean turned to his left Cas was there just a little bit behind him. Not a whole lot has changed now that they are adults.
Well actually a lot has changed but they’re still together. Dean’s the crown prince of the Winchester lands; and Cas has gone from his socially awkward, smaller friend to his lead knight and trusted protector. Dean often misses the days when he didn’t understand class differences; he longs for the time before he came to understand that his closest friend was a servant. He wants a simpler life.
Instead, he’s getting bonded to a Princess from the neighboring kingdom in order to ensure that their lands stay safe from a possible invasion. Dean has always known his father to be calculating, but never more so than when he bartered Dean’s very soul away without even telling him first.
A bonding is a tangible thing. It creates a link between to two parties that lasts for the whole of their lifetimes; it makes two people one. Dean’s never really wanted to bond with anyone, but if he had he’s fairly certain that it would have been with someone he met first, and hopefully loved.
Now he’s not even sure he’s going to get to see the princess before the ceremony.
“Your Highness we need to go now,” Cas murmurs in a voice full of respectful reproach, which means someone is watching them. If they were alone Cas would have just called him an ass and told him to hurry up.
“Agreed,” Dean responds formally; and steps away from the window where he’s been staring while he’s been waiting for the inevitable to happen. They trail down the hallway in an orderly fashion to the throne room where Dean will learn the fate of the rest of his days.
There’s no refusing; he will be wed it’s only now a matter of timing.
“The other providence has demanded that you perform a task to prove your worthiness,” his father announces. “It must be completed prior to the ceremony.”
“What is it?” Dean questions numbly. He doesn’t care; it’s just something else he’s required to do, in this life of his that is nothing but expectations.
“You need to bring back the morning star, from where it is buried in the caves on the far side of the zone.” The king states in such a calm and commanding manner, it’s like he doesn’t realize he’s sending his son off to his death.
“No one has ever been able to reach the morning star,” Dean responds. “Every single person set on it’s path has perished.”
“It will be difficult but it must be done,” the king commands. “Chose your team wisely, and be ready to set out at sunrise.”
With that Dean’s dismissed, and he retraces his steps back to his rooms with a swirling head and a heavy heart.
“You need to choose,” Cas comments as soon as the doors shut behind them.
“You want me to pick people to follow me to their certain death?” Dean gasps. “I’m not going to do it Cas. If I have to go, then I’ll do it alone. No one is going to die, because my father can’t seal a deal on a marriage.”
“Dean,” Cas sighs in exasperation, “you’re royalty; this is how life is. You make the decisions in the best interest of the kingdom, and those of us under your rule do our best to meet your needs. You know this.”
“I hate this!” Dean blurts. “I don’t want to be this.”
“But it’s what you are,” Cas replies as though there’s no other way to look at it.
“So if I told you that I wanted you to go with me?” Dean snarls.
“Then I would be honored to participate in service to my future king,” Cas answers with a shrug. “It’s my duty Dean. Protecting you is something I will never regret.”
“It’s hard to have regrets after you’re dead Cas,” Dean warns.
“But without the risk then what would be the purpose of living in the first place.” Cas answers with a smile.
It’s something Dean can’t help but return with a grin of his own. “So that’s it then; we go off to die together?”
“I was thinking perhaps we should bring some other people with us to increase our chances of survival, but yes that is the general idea,” Cas chuckles.
Dean’s shoulders slump in defeat. He’s never been able to win an argument with Castiel.
Dean takes his evening meal in his room, and by the time darkness falls they have a listing of those who will join them on the quest. A messenger is dispatched to inform the others, while Cas and Dean select their weapons and ready their belongings.
It’s late in the evening when Dean collapses onto his bed and mutters, “We should sleep; long days ahead of us now.”
“I’ll leave you to it then,” Cas comments before rising out his chair to ease his way out of the rooms. Dean knows the other man will be up all night checking and double checking their travel plans and personal items if he lets him leave; so he makes a pitiful noise high in his throat, and struggles to hide a smile when Cas turns to him with a cocked head and a grimace.
“You’re going to make me stay aren’t you?” Cas accuses.
Dean grins then and rolls over onto his side facing the window. He smothers a chuckle as he feels Cas flop onto the bed beside him. A snort escapes at the pained sigh Cas lets out as he settles and Dean gets kicked in the knee for it.
He drifts off to the sound of his friend’s even breathing, and never notices Castiel slip away after he’s certain that Dean is asleep.
They have a lot to do between now and morning and Cas will handle it for his prince, whom he loves.
Part 2