Chapter Text
There is a wingless griffin in the middle of their courtyard, flanked by two smaller winged ones. Dean would have panicked ages ago if Cas hadn't shown him his true form. As it was, he rushes down the steps to greet their guests and finds Castiel already attending to them.
"Uh, are your wings hidden?" Dean blurts out at the tableau. Uncomfortable situations made him babble. Great. Good to know.
The familiar swirl of blue light brightens before a woman with a severe countenance, her hair high in a rigid brown bun appears. She has an eyebrow raised at Castiel expectantly.
Cas clears his throat and bowing his head and motioning towards the Winchesters who have come running to see the commotion. Each of them bears a weapon and are at guard. "May I present the House of Wyncestre? The Baron, John and his wife, Mary. With his two children, Dean and Samuel."
The woman glances over at the mage, but he keeps his head bowed low. She waves her hand at Gabriel, who is part of the envoy, instead. The short man steps forward, glances at Cas uneasily and says, "Naomi of Schyreleah, Daughter of the Moon and Stars, Queen of the Eyrie."
Dean's jaw drops, and he studies the monarch in a different light. She isn't dressed regally. In fact, the clothes, like Castiel's, are dated a few years past. What is a queen doing in the heart of Winchester Manor?
He looks at his parents; his father is standing rigidly, but his mother has dropped into a deep curtsy, effectively hiding her blade beneath her skirts. She must have learned that back when she was part of the Clan Campbell before John stole her away.
"I see why you've been missing your summons, my son," Queen Naomi rebukes.
Dean stops to calibrate his thought process. Son? He sees Sam and his parents mouthing the same thing. Dean shrugs since it is news to him as well.
"Respectfully, mother, I don't think you see anything at all."
"Does this mean you will settle down and marry one lioness in the Eyrie? Hannah has been asking after you."
Before Castiel can respond, a winged griffin touches down between the two, instantly transforming to an unassuming, if frazzled, bearded man. Gabriel steps forward again to announce, "Charles of Schyreleah, Lord of the Sea and Skye, King of the Eyrie."
John looks like he is going to explode where he stands.
King Charles tries to get a word in edgewise, "Naomi, he said—"
"I know what he said!" Naomi turns to Dean and glares daggers at him. "When Castiel first laid his talons on you, he was lost! Now I can't even get him to marry because he's busy—"
"Mother, I'm not marrying any of the wildcats, because, if you haven't noticed yet, I prefer wings." Naomi gasps in distress. "The competition during mating season is frankly, appalling. I want no part of it. I had hoped that you would figure it out by yourself…"
"But what about Hannah?"
"Mother. I am your fifth son! You have Michael as the heir, Lucifer as spare, and Gabriel toddles around after you. Surely you can proclaim either Raphael or Lucifer to marry Hannah? Samandriel is—"
"Samandriel is only a hundred years old!"
"Well, I wasn't going to suggest he marry her! Consider that he might enjoy her company, mother."
"Your... Majesty, do you want refreshments? The journey must have been long and—" Mary interrupts, gesturing towards the dining room. She takes the sudden visit of mythical royal creatures in stride, bidding their servants with subtle gestures and a glare at Dean which promises a very lengthy talk.
John gives Dean a significant look at the new knowledge of Cas being a griffin. To Dean's defense, he just didn't know how to broach the subject.
Once inside the formal dining room, the argument continues. "Castiel, you need to get married. You're over a thousand already. And you're nesting. You built a complete cabin away from the palace," Naomi said in entreaty. "Eagles die of pining when they do not mate."
Castiel's lips are thin, annoyance shining through. Before Dean had spent time with Cas, the hunter would have called it anger, now he knows it is mortification at his mother's meddling, carefully concealed. "Mother, I can settle for companionship."
"He is mortal, my son. You will pine for the rest of your days when he leaves." This world, Dean can almost hear the words Naomi omitted.
"I would rather take the handful of years I'm given, mother," Castiel stares Dean in the eye despite the address. Dean suddenly can't breathe. He doesn't understand what is happening. Castiel continuous softly, "than live in your gilded cage."
There is a pregnant pause as everyone in the room watches Dean. He doesn't even realize that he is supposed to respond to that. "I don't have wings?" He offers weakly.
Gabriel snorts and Dean suspects that if Naomi didn't have such firm control of her emotions, she would have wailed. She does let out a suspiciously strangled moan. Charles, who was drinking from a goblet of wine that Mary served, trying to ignore the proceedings, says absentmindedly, "Castiel means he prefers men to women."
Castiel has grown red over the exchange, his fingers pinched over his nose. "We exhibit sexual dimorphism in the Eyrie. Female griffins are wingless but larger than males, presumably to protect the nest. Therefore, females are called lionesses, males are eagles and are winged. Raphael has treaties on it written somewhere if you want to peruse it."
"Uh, thank you?" The statement ends up sounding like a question as Dean frantically looks around to find Sam, who is covering his mouth to hide a smile. The traitor. Sam is entertained by the entire debacle. Once he has Dean's attention, Sam jerks his head towards Cas.
When Dean looks at Cas, he finds the mage—the prince—has been staring at him. Dean quirks an eyebrow in question, and though the blue-eyed man is still pink from embarrassment, he holds Dean's gaze. Dean is sure there is an answer there somewhere that he isn't willing to parse yet.
The king clears his throat, which breaks the staring match. "Naomi, it's obvious that Castiel has imprinted. You're not going to win this one."
Naomi's eyes sharpen as she observes her son. Resigned, she focuses on the Winchesters. "Magic. Something valuable to your people. Some grimoire."
Stunned, John is silent before Mary elbows him. "Unacceptable. We need the grimoire to defend ourselves from the elves, should they attack. Your help when we hunt, and we give you a part of our lands to the North."
"We already hold lands to the North!" Naomi protests. "It is not our fault your people settled here. My son is a prince!"
"My son is the heir to a barony, a hunter, and can weave magic!" John thunders, his hand thumping against the table.
Dean feels light-headed. And also insulted. He is a baron's son, and they are talking about exchanging him like a commodity. "Are you guys selling me?"
All the infighting grounds to a halt. Mary bites her lip in amusement. Sam looks like he is one guffaw short of rolling on the floor with laughter.
"Oh, good god, Castiel," Naomi waves her hand imperially over Dean. "Please attend to your human. I cannot believe you're marrying an imbecile."
"Just for that, I'm asking for two mages to come to live in Chesterford," John snarls.
"Marrying?" Dean stands up, toppling over a goblet. Naomi's irritation ratchets up.
Castiel is by his side at once, covering Dean's hand with his own. "I'm sorry about my mother. She has a sense of...entitlement. It comes with being queen for so long. I was telling you the truth though; I can settle for companionship."
Companionship? Dean thinks, bewildered. He's gotten used to the mage, and thinking about it, he hasn't spent a single day without him for weeks. "Is that what you want?"
Castiel tilts his head to the side. "I want you any way you'll allow me to remain by your side. In any capacity that you'll have me."
"Wolf's breath," A grin finds its way to Dean while he looks at Cas. He recognizes the adoration buried between the sarcasm and sass. "You're sappy."
Gabriel grimaces while chewing on the pastries set before him. "You must work on him cursing using wolf expletives though. I know it's because they thought a wolf was feeding on their children, but it's silly. He can't be like that in court."
Castiel ignores his brother, focusing on Dean. "Dean, you haven't answered the question yet."
"You asked me something?" Dean teases while Cas guides him back to his chair holding his hand. Dean furrows his brows. "What? Did you get a word wrong?"
"I don't get words wrong," Castiel growls.
"Oh, okay then." The time that Dean is being deliberately obtuse can't last too long. Not if Cas spells it out. "Yeah, Cas. I'll marry you."
"Good." A sparkle of mischief lights Cas eyes before he continues, "then we can work on that ridiculous pronunciation of vgeg. Really, Dean—"
Dean shuts him up by leaning forward and kissing him.
And they lived happily ever after.
Fairy Tales are more than true: not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us dragons can be beaten.
Neil Gaiman
Coraline