Chapter Text
Castiel first learnt of Dean of Winchester, crown prince of the Naga race, from one of uncle Metatron's frequent rants. Thus, Castiel came to know that the oldest son of King Winchester ("and say what you may about those impure belly crawlers, they know how to govern. They know that a strong kingdom needs a king. Not a woman with delusions of grandeur. Not a weak-willed omega!") had just started his service with the royal army. Metatron had observed that unusual choice for Naga princes with some trepidation. He feared that it could boost morale in the ranks of the Naga and make them strengthen their military presence.
Naga and angels hadn't been at all-out war for decades, but tensions were rising substantially under Metatron's ambitious political plans that mostly seemed to consist of isolating the angels from previous allies and overhauling angelic culture. "Bringing it into the new century" as he used to say, though from where Castiel stood he was trying to return them to the darker days when war still ravaged the continent.
Castiel was only there in Metatron's study to write down his soliloquies so he listened to every word Metatron said. And while Metatron tried to devise strategies, using Castiel as a sounding board, Castiel filed away all the jumbled information for later use. But even as he did commit the name Dean Winchester to memory, Castiel wasn't particularly interested in the Naga, neither was he particularly interested in warfare. For most of his life, he had been considered to be the third in line for the throne and would have become Anna's chief strategist. He had received training accordingly, which also meant that he was skilled as a soldier, maybe not battle-ready and definitely not battle proof, but skilled nevertheless. But Since Metatron had seized the throne and had continued to fill his cabinet with all the displeased men and alphas he could find, Castiel's prospects for the future slimmed with every year that passed.
Luckily, his mother didn't spend the years of unofficial exile in idleness. A year after Castiel had first learnt of the Naga warrior prince, Naomi staged a coup and ascended to the throne. The icy relations with the Naga weren't her first concern, though she did make some vague diplomatic efforts to let them know that she wouldn't follow the same interests as Metatron had. But there was so much to fix after what Metatron had done to their country that the Naga simply weren't any of the queen's primary concerns.
With nobody worrying about what Dean Winchester was up to, the name retreated to the very back of Castiel's mind.
Considering that Naga and angels had an unofficial "no communication and no confrontation" policy, Castiel never expected that he would one day come into near direct contact with Naga, least of all Dean.
Castiel, in a fit of madness, had chosen to spend his summer at Rains Landing (or "Deluge Town" as it was called by almost everyone who had to spend an extended period of time in the town). Castiel was officially the Prince of Rains Landing, a honor bestowed on him upon his birth, so he was supposed to make an effort at liking his dominion. Rains Landing was strategically well placed, overlooking the extensive border region to Naga land, well-fortified, but unfortunately situated in such a spot that the heavy clouds blowing from the west dropped all their rain on the town during the summer months. There were more exciting and friendly places to be at, but the heavy weather resistant architecture, the pale, heavy stone, the weathered wood, the constant noise of rain gurgling through the drains and the old castle fascinated him.
Castiel was in the process of listening to one of Uriel's hilarious stories from Raphael's court when a messenger came rushing through the doors.
"I come straight from the governor. Urgent news, your majesty," the messenger said.
"What is it? Out with it!" Uriel barked impatiently and Castiel shot him a warning look. The messenger wasn't impressed by Uriel's lack of temper though and instead turned away from him to address Castiel:
"A small patrol of Naga has crossed the border into our land," the messenger said and Uriel jumped up from his chair at once, hand already on the hilt of his sword.
"What?!"
"Calm down, Uriel." Uriel looked back at Castiel with a displeased frown. "We're not at war. They have no reason to attack us."
"You tell that to the vermin who have invaded our lands!"
"The governor thinks that they did so by mistake," the messenger continued and Castiel admired her ability to remain so calm when Uriel looked like he was ready to jump out of the window to cut the tails off the unfortunate Naga. "The size of the group is 6 individuals and they have set up some tent structures in the forest as the weather is very bad. They have only moved a small distance across the border. The governor thinks that they are a border patrol taken by surprise by the rain and had to seek the first best shelter."
"How can one be surprised by the rain in Deluge Town?" Uriel said with a sneer which made Cas bite the inside of his cheeks to keep himself from laughing. "And why haven't they just gone back to their outpost? If they are border patrol there surely is also housing for them further inland somewhere. On their own dirty soil."
"Naga aren't well equipped for extreme weather," Castiel said and the messenger nodded patiently.
"A bit of rain is not extreme weather," Uriel muttered. Castiel refrained from telling him that Uriel had heartily complained about what he now called 'a bit of rain' just moments earlier.
"The governor thinks that they were just trying to protect themselves. They do carry weapons, but they seem to be unaware of their location, so the governor doesn't think that they planned any aggression."
"If Hannah has reached that conclusion, then why are you informing me?" Castiel asked curiously.
"As Lord and omega you outrank the governor, so if you choose to press charges the governor will fully support you." Uriel seemed to like that idea if the way he tapped his fingers against the hilt of his sword was any indication. Poor Uriel will be disappointed.
"I don't think this is necessary. Is there any way to contact them?"
"You can't be serious, Castiel. You can't go out to meet those snakes!" Castiel lifted his arm to calm Uriel down.
"I'm not going to meet them. If Hannah agrees, then I will send a message over to ask for clarification on their presence in our country. If Hannah and I are pleased with the answer then there will be no consequences," Castiel decided and the messenger bowed and then left to inform her boss of the decision. Uriel groaned and then sat down on the couch, obviously irritated.
"There will be fights enough for you to test your strength once you rejoin the army. I know that after Raphael's court, Rains Landing must be boring you." Uriel folded his hands in his lap, sword currently discarded as it won't come into use any time soon.
"I wouldn't have minded some action. But no matter. For now I go where you go. Even if you want to sit around in this damned wet stain you call a dominion." Castiel rolled his eyes.
"To the leader of the Naga patrol
It has come to our attention that you crossed our common border into our angelic land without prior communication.
Please state your intent. If you do not reply we have to assume that this is a planned invasion and it will be met with adequate armed force.
The messenger who carried this note is at your convenience should you want to reply.
At your service,
Castiel, Prince of Rains Landing and Hannah, governor of Rains Landing"
Castiel didn't expect a quick answer, but the messenger returned to him with an answering letter within the hour. He quickly pulled it out of its unsealed envelope and unfolded the slightly damp page carefully.
"To the highly esteemed Prince and Governor of Rains Landing
Our intention was not to invade. We have lost our way and, surprised by the increasingly heavy rain, were forced to seek shelter. With your kind permission, I will allow my men to rest, dry up and warm up." The next line was neatly crossed out: Unlikely at this stupid, impossibly wet outpost. The letter continued on in the writer's neat hand: "We are willing to pay a fine for our miscalculation. Let us know of your decision.
Prince Dean Winchester."
"What's the hell is a prince doing in the muck out there?" Uriel asked, after he had read the letter over Castiel's shoulder. Castiel was however too surprised to pay attention to him. This was a letter by the fabled Dean Winchester, the hero of Metatron's nightmares. That he was here meant that the prince was still a member of the army even though it must have been five, six years since Castiel first heard of him from Metatron. And he was here, right under Castiel's nose. Castiel heard Uriel shift behind him and then the letter was pushed down and Castiel looked into Uriel's suspicious face.
"Your expression is questionable. Are you so surprised by the Naga's ability to write?"
"Don't be ridiculous." Uriel wasn't really looking for an answer to his question anyway.
"I hope you fine them. It would just serve them right to be put in front of a tribunal. Hah! Can you imagine? Six snakes with trails of dirt crawling into our pristine buildings."
"A city that's covered in rain or snow for 8 months out of 12 can deal with a bit of additional staining." Uriel grumbled something at that, but Castiel was already up and on his way to governor Hannah, the first draft of his answering letter forming in his head.
"To Prince Dean Winchester
We have reached the conclusion that we trust that your 'invasion' was a simple mistake. I must inform you however that our meteorologists predict that today's heavy rain will last in this same ferocity for 5 days. Maybe you are not familiar with the weather situation around Rains Landing (wicked tongues called it Deluge Town, and even as it pains me to criticize this noble city, they have got a point). Officials at Rains Landing advise travelers to send for weather maps for the duration of their journey and to pack their equipment accordingly.
I have sent along the weather maps for the next days, some energy rich rations in case you haven't packed any and some weatherproof gear. It will do little to protect the entirety of your body, but it will keep parts of you warm.
Castiel."
"Dear Prince Castiel
Thank you for your hospitality. I will be sure to send remuneration once I can contact the financial offices of the capital. Please send along a bill to the military station at Hetfield at your first convenience. I have listed the address below.
5 entire days of this? Are you kidding me? Unfortunately, we will have to stay in our temporary shelter until the weather lets up. Usually, rain doesn't bother us too much but since the temperatures have dropped considerably since this wall of rainclouds moved in on us, we aren't as quick as we usually are and there has been no better shelter on our path. No other shelters listed on our map withstood the passage of time and the adverse weather conditions here. If you allow, we will wait out the rain even as it seeps further into our tents.
There's so much caked dirt between my scales, I fear I'll never get it out. It's a horror. And it's too wet to get our tails dry. My last station was in the savannah. I haven't been in a place this humid in four years. Deluge Town, indeed.
Dean."
"Dear Dean
Unfortunately, I am not kidding you. I have checked with the governor and there are some old military barracks not an hour's march away from where you're situated. I've issued you an official permission to stay on our land for the next days and to use the amenities if you wish. They are dry and are equipped with heating appliances, but little else in terms of comfort I fear. I have sent a guide along with my messenger in case you want directions.
Is getting sand out of your scales less of a problem than dirt?
If you allow me another question: why exactly are you scouting the border? No Naga have been sighted in this border area in the last thirty years, or so the chief of army tells me.
Castiel.
P.S. the materials are gifts. Tokens of our hospitality. You don't have to pay for them."
"Dear Castiel.
We have safely reached the barracks. Getting my men to move their tails was more difficult than braving the rain. We're all drying now and waiting out the rain. Thank you.
As you said; we've neglected this border since there are no cities in close proximity and the terrain isn't particularly easy to manage for us. The Hetfield line serves as our inner border, but since we are now entertaining slightly less icy relations we assumed it would be safe to make a border check and see which bolt holes and stations are still available to us. (None, so far.)
Usually we're a hunter squadron, so we're of course also looking to remove any dangerous creatures. My men want me to ask if there are any Leviathans around here. There's so much rain right now that my guys have been pissing their tail feathers in fear of crossing paths with one.
AND of course we're also here to secure our border against angel invasion. We've done a great job at that so far, huh? ;Y
By the way. Is Castiel a chick or a dude name? I can't tell.
Dean.
P.S. I insist. The country is rich enough to send its thanks for hospitality, believe me. I'm not boasting. Well, maybe a little."
Castiel should have expected Uriel's exaggerated non-verbal disapproval when Castiel excused himself from their formal dinner to take the envelope that Tessa waved at him from the door.
"Do you really think it's a good idea to continue the correspondence with these mud worms? Haven't you already done all that is necessary?" So Uriel had something to say about it after all.
"I don't see why not," Castiel said, thanking Tessa for her service.
"For one you're always sending one of the messengers out into the rain and exposing them to potential enemies. I still don't believe that they told the truth. They're monsters."
"You don't have to worry about me. Going out into the rain is my job and I get good money for it," Tessa retorted with a small smirk. "And while the Naga come to look, they always keep their distance. I don't know if they're afraid of me or if they're just shy."
"Well, we do know that Naga are cold-blooded loners. They don't seem to touch and interact much. No wonder their squadron got lost if they don't communicate properly," Uriel said dismissively. Tessa shrugged.
"I don't know about that. Their leader seemed friendly enough even as he made sure not to come too close. I think he stood three meters away from me, but he stretched his upper body towards me to exchange letters."
"What?" Tessa tried to explain how Dean moved, but Castiel was too engrossed in reading to listen to them. He left them alone to bicker and went to his study to pen his answer.
"Dear Dean.
There are no Leviathan here. Rains Landing has a special unit that sweeps the area for clues about Leviathan activity twice a month as a precaution, but there haven't been any Leviathan in this district in over 50 years.
But I've been told that there's suspicion that a Wendigo might be nesting in your forests. A tracking team has followed it until the border but of course didn't cross.
I assure you that even though I am feathered, I am not a chicken. Though I think the term "PRINCE" of Rains Landing should have clued you in on the fact that I am a man. So in this case Castiel is a "dude name". ;)
Castiel
P.S. I insist too. Are you really going to argue with me?"
"Hey Castiel.
Fuck shit. Yes, you're right. It's too cold for my brain here, I already forgot the Prince part. You're far more informal that I suspected an angel prince to be.
Yeah, we've heard from Hetfield scouts that they suspected a Wendigo having moved into the region. They've issues a warning to all travelers and then called us. Tracking the son of a bitch in this weather sucks, especially as only fire is efficient against it. We've checked out all possible hiding places so far, but no luck. I hate those things. Had to take out a nest once before and I still have nightmares about that one.
Dean.
P.S. Of course I am, stubborn is my middle name. If you don't want us to pay you back, then what do you want? Should I name a street after you? Make a donation to the great spirit to bless your junk to be ever prosperous? Do you have a wife anyway? I'm sure she'd be happy if the great snake blessed you, if you know what I mean. ;Y"
"Dean,
It's 17 degrees Celsius. It's hardly cold. And you're one to talk about informal writing.
But this Wendigo situation makes me think. We've not been at war for decades now and with Metatron gone it's also unlikely that tensions will develop into war again. I know there have been deaths on both sides within living memory and many resentments because of that still today. But we share such a substantial border region and the complete lack of exchange seems ridiculous and dangerous to me.
The unit tasked with following the Wendigo could have easily dealt with it if it was usual for them to contact their colleagues on your side of the border. Like this they decided that it was your problem now. They can send you all reports and they know the terrain well enough to know of suspected nesting places.
We have enough common enemies; shouldn't we encourage a friendly relationship so that we can use our resources most efficiently? My guard calls me delusional, but I don't see why we shouldn't try to connect. What do you think?
Castiel.
P.S. Okay then Prince Dean Stubborn Winchester. I don't have a wife and neither do I plan to take one. So maybe rather name a street after me. Since you so insolently ask about my private matter, I feel I need to ask too. I haven't kept up with the tabloids so I don't know what the Naga royals are up to. Has the great snake made your wife or your husband happy?"
"Castiel.
Well, I'm in charge of this operation, so I won't turn down the help of your experts even if it's unusual for us to work together. I'm sure my guys will drag me across the shit bench for accepting your help but the quicker I send this thing up in flames, the better. And I suppose you're right but what would we even do to reach a 'friendly relationship'? There's going to be opposition to anything that goes into the direction of political alliance because pretty much every Naga has stubborn as their middle name. :Y Are we supposed to encourage trade? There has been no cultural exchange between our two species in forever because we're so different. I doubt we have things to export that the other would want to import.
Dean
P.S. Buddy, I'm a wild, awesome bachelor that slides both ways and I can tell you that the great snake has definitely blessed me. :Y"
"Your mother would be ashamed of the kind of letters you write," Uriel complained, helping the servants packing Castiel's bags. It was close to September now and the time to return to the capital was fast approaching. While Castiel wasn't sad to leave the rain behind, he had greatly enjoyed the exchange of letters. But the capital was 5 hours away, even for one of the fast flyers and Castiel couldn't quite justify to engage the services of one of them just to carry letters to the border.
Besides, the storm was lifting now and with the information that he was able to send to Dean they were certainly already working on solving their Wendigo problem.
"And you really want to push for a better relationship with those mud worms? Do you think your mother or Anna will agree to wasting resources on this? And he has a point; there's nothing to trade."
"Well, they certainly could use waterproof gear," Castiel muttered to himself but Uriel heard him and snorted in amusement. "And of course I want to better the relationship. If we no longer have to guard the Naga border then we could focus on other borders. I'm sure you dislike demons more than you dislike Naga."
"That's true," Uriel readily agreed and then he turned back to packing. "Still don't understand how your brother could fall for one of them." Castiel didn't know that either, but it was what it was. Not every demon was bad, not every angel was good. But the demons and their exploitation of weaker members of their society were really a problem. His mother had worked hard to find solutions though they proved to be difficult enough even with Jimmy's diplomatic efforts. So the demons continued to be his mother and Anna's main concern. What if Castiel made the relationship with the Naga his concern? Dean was the future king, and he had proved himself to be reasonable and open-minded.
So why not?
That Uriel would laugh at Castiel's suggestion was no surprise, but Dean pretty much did the same.
"An arranged marriage? Really, Castiel? Sure, that's definitely a thing we royals do and I do understand the merit. But you also have to see that this is pretty much the punch line of joke, right? An angel in the Naga capital!
But before you get your feathers in a twist: it's not the worst idea either. It would at least show mutual willingness to unite. Though I have to postpone discussion about this to later.
We have located and destroyed the Wendigo. Our mission is therefore over and my father called me back home. I thought my term with the army would be prolonged for another year, but it seems that I have some 'princely duty' to attend to. I'll get in touch with you again as soon as I'm back home, but it will take some time for our letters to reach each other now.
By the way: are you propositioning me? You're unmarried, I'm unmarried and the next thing I hear from you is "hey, how about an arranged marriage?" I knew angels were wild ;Y
Dean."
Castiel scrunched up his nose. Well, he hadn't exactly thought his suggestion through all that much. Anna would probably be the much better candidate for an arranged marriage because she was a woman and the future heir to the throne. Of course, Anna wouldn't move to Naga capital, that much was sure, because future queens didn't move for men. Castiel didn't know if Dean was an alpha or an omega, but he could see Dean fitting together with Anna.
He heard from Tessa that Dean and his team had already left, so he couldn't even send him a reply. Thoughts (or maybe one should call them fantasies) of Dean kept him company on the journey home to the capital. While his character shone through in the way he wrote his messages, Castiel still knew nothing about him. He had wanted to accompany Tessa or one of the other messengers to meet, but Uriel had advised against it. Dean was armed after all and fully trained. Castiel on the other hand didn't have enough training to take on a warrior Naga ("but you do fight dirty, so who knows" had at least been a comforting comment by Uriel). So all he had to go on was the gossip.
According to all the messengers, Dean was very tall (accounts varied, but 'huge' seemed to feature in all descriptions) and he kept his distance though he was always friendly and even flirty. He never stared, keeping his eyes always firmly trained on the face of the person he talked to which made Castiel wonder if he wasn't as curious about their many physical differences as Castiel was. He couldn't even imagine just how Naga really looked, how their human flesh blended into tails, how they moved, how they talked. All that he heard from everyone was that Dean was handsome, pretty even, if you ignored that he was basically a monster who could probably eat you alive.
Monster or not, Castiel would have loved to meet him.
Castiel was glad to be back home in the sunny and windy city of Eden. The light blue skies and the sunshine were a welcome change from the three months at Rains Landing. He took a moment to greet everyone and get settled again (and groom his wings during a long, hot bath), before he asked to meet his mother. Naomi agreed right away.
"Castiel, good to see you! I have meant to call you. We have much to discuss. Good day to you too, Uriel." Naomi said without preamble as Castiel and Uriel were let into the Queen's study. Naomi wasn't one to hug or kiss her children, but she quickly fussed with Castiel's feathers and his hair. "I don't know how you manage to thrive in Rains Landing, but you always do. You look well." Castiel felt his chest swell at the praise. "Well now, sit down you two. Let's talk."
"Thank you, mother," Castiel said and took a seat on the couch and Uriel took his usual armchair off to the side of the table. There were already a cup of tea and Castiel's favorite cookies (the one his mother made herself) waiting for him. He and Uriel exchanged a look. The presence of the cookies was slightly suspicious. It meant that his mother would try to win him over for something that she knew Castiel possibly wouldn't be so thrilled about. The last time it had been about wearing his official royal dress for a state visit.
"So. What did you want to speak about?" Before Castiel could answer the door opened again and Anna came into the room.
"Sorry I'm late," she said and then she sat down next to Naomi. Now Castiel was even more suspicious, especially since whatever Naomi had in store for Cas, she had requested the back up of Anna. Castiel took a sip of tea, ate half a cookie, keeping both of them waiting for a moment.
"When I was in Rains Landing there was an incident at the border. A Wendigo had gone through the forest and while the experts were able to follow it, it soon crossed the border into Naga land. So they didn't act." Naomi nodded. "But they also didn't inform the Naga. Independently of what the experts had found, the Naga had also been alerted to the presence of the Wendigo, and they wasted a lot of time and resources doing the work that our experts already did. I contacted them and offered them help. Surprisingly they accepted and the problem could be dealt with swiftly." So far both Anna and Naomi were listening attentively, without a trace of disapproval on their faces. If anything, they seemed pleasantly surprised. "This incident made me think of the necessity or at least the merits of an alliance to the Naga." Naomi started nodding right away and Anna seemed to relax in her seat. "So you agree…?"
"Of course. We have actually been thinking about that as well. We wanted to ask you how you felt about it."
"Oh. Oh okay. It certainly would be beneficial," he agreed, too surprised to even ask how they had reached that conclusion.
"Most beneficial yes. Also because it might undo some of the resentments that Metatron caused," Anna added. Funny how they all thought alike. What was the chance! Naomi was quick to continue, and even though she remained perfectly calm, the way she folded her hands let Castiel know that she was actually nervous about whatever she would be saying next.
"So we were thinking of an arranged marriage." Castiel widened his eyes.
"Yes, good," he answered and looked to Anna. Anna was willing to do this? Anna however lifted an eyebrow.
"Why are you looking at me like this?" she asked and Castiel frowned. "I'm not going to bite the bullet and enter a contractual arrangement with a snake person."
"But you're the next in line…? Surely…"
"The Queen and King of Winchester specifically requested you to marry their oldest alpha son," Naomi said and the only thing that disturbed the silence that followed was some barely contained snickering in the background. Castiel looked over his shoulder and saw that Gabriel had crept into the room to listen in on the conversation. Why was he here? Why was he laughing like that?
"Won't they expect a princess?" Castiel asked. Naomi waved that thought away.
"Omega is good enough for them. They won't mind that you're male. But it's not like you're actually expected to produce a heir."
"If you two can even interbreed!" Gabriel threw in from the sidelines. All of them looked at him. "Just imagine Castiel climbing on that big, fat tail and impaling himself on a Naga dick? Hilarious!"
"Silence, Gabriel. This is not polite conversation and I expect you to behave in front of your sister and brother."
"But I… I don't quite understand," Castiel said and Naomi's sent one last warning glare towards Gabriel and then looked at Castiel. "I'm going to marry Dean? You really want me to marry a Naga?"
"Oh come on. Don't be so surprised. They already threw one twin to the wolves, so why not waste the other on a second species of monster!" Naomi quickly rose to her feet and lifted her arm to point towards the door, which banged opened with the force of her anger.
"Leave this room at once! I will not tolerate such disrespecting behavior!" Gabriel didn't seem particularly repentant. He merely raised his hands and, with a grin on his face, skipped out of the room. Castiel looked at his mother and sister.
"Is that how you see Jimmy's marriage? Is that how you'll see my marriage? Like a waste? A sacrifice? Because if yes, then I won't do it. I don't want to be a martyr," Castiel said angrily. "You'll have to find another way to build a rapport with them."
"No, no. Cas. We don’t think that," Anna calmed him. "The arranged marriage is the best way to show goodwill on both sides." Castiel narrowed his eyes at her. "They will let their son come here and we accept him into our family, show him the culture. He'll-"
"That won't work," Castiel interrupted and both the women looked at him with surprise on their faces. "You can't make Dean come here."
"And why not?" Naomi wanted to know. "He's a man. Men marry into the wives' family. That’s how things are done here and I will have our ways respected, even by outsiders."
"Yes, maybe. But…" Castiel shrugged and then pointed to the stone steps leading down to the door, the spiral staircase behind Naomi's desk leading to the gallery. To the many stairs in the city that they could see from their window. "Have you forgotten that Naga have snake tails? They don't have feet. How is he supposed to climb all the stairs?"
Naomi and Anna didn't say anything for a while, but then Anna lifted her hand to cover her face with her palm and Naomi said a simple "oh". Castiel and Uriel looked at each other and then actually had to laugh.
"How didn't this occur to you?" Castiel asked and both Naomi and Anna seemed embarrassed at that.
"Forget about the stairs. How is this dude supposed to shit into our toilets? I don't think the regular toilet rooms are big enough to allow him in at all. Will he just poop on the streets like a misbehaved puppy?" Naomi seemed disturbed at that and Castiel shushed his guard. Of course, Castiel actually didn't know anything about this topic, but certainly this wasn't a conversation he needed to have since it wasn’t possible for Dean to come here anyway.
"So… you would have to move. To a pit of snakes," Anna said slowly. "Metaphorically of course. I'm sure they're… decent. Right, mother?" Naomi still had a disturbed frown on her face, but she nodded eventually. "Would that even be acceptable to you, Castiel? Remember, you have the option to say no."
"I know… But I think it's a good idea. And it's not like I've been saving myself for anyone else."
"So that's decided then," Naomi said, once she had regained her composure. "You will marry Dean of Winchester." Castiel couldn't quite believe it. Was this was God had planned for him? What was the chance of Dean Winchester being sent to do border patrol, for his squadron to accidentally cross into their lands and for Castiel to be there to strike up a conversation with him! And all the while this happened his and Dean's family decide that a political alliance would be a good idea? And now he's agreed to a marriage to Dean Winchester. A political marriage had always been on Castiel's radar and he had been willing to do his duty if his future husband was an agreeable person where friendship and mutual respect was possible. But a Naga?
"A future king. A good match, Cas" Anna said and handed Castiel a plate of cookies even though there were still some in the saucer of Castiel's almost untouched tea, "even though he's half snake."
"Well… I suppose so," Castiel muttered.
The long years of political stand still and the viciousness of the past war between their races was bound to cause opposition to Castiel's arranged marriage both in court and in the public opinion. Naomi was of course a good strategist and she talked almost as well as Metatron, but even though they sold this arrangement as "a symbolic union, a cultural exchange that shows the willingness of both people to make an effort in peaceful, mutually beneficial and supportive coexistence" voices didn't shut up about how this was disgraceful for the royal house. There was a two week long debate happening in which Castiel learnt many things about what people thought of him as a male omega (some opinions left over from Metatron's old cabinet) and just what the angelic people seemed to know about the Naga. Or seemed to think to know about the Naga. While newspapers, experts and the public came to display just how deep the rift between their countries were and how it was actually not such a bad idea to try to bridge it (what if the Naga did have valuable goods or technological knowledge that they could share?), Castiel tried to navigate the long lists of things that would, might, be expected of him, going in this alliance as representative of the angelic race.
He had no idea if the lists were useful so he decided to try to talk to people that had come in direct contact with the Naga before and to go through all the books he had available to him.
"You won't expect Naga to be quick because they are big and heavy. But they are. And they can manage almost all terrain, as well as climb and swim with great skill," he was told by one of the older soldiers, who had experienced the war and was more than willing to talk to Cas about his experience. "The best way to defend against the Naga is to go up. Keep distance until you find a way to attack. But they use bows and spears on us so try to go high. They rarely engage in close range combat and will only try to crush you with their tails in very dire circumstances because if they don't hold you properly they expose their tail to your attack and if you stab them you can do massive damage."
The worry for Castiel's safety in a city of people who knew how to hunt and kill angels was one of the main topics of concern the people expressed. Castiel was a good fighter, not as accomplished as some of the men and women who had officially entered the army, but most people agreed that if you had to send anyone into enemy territory, it might as well be Castiel.
"Prince Castiel is strong, resourceful and he will know when he is being abused by his new family. He will be able to adequately represent the values of our nation, while also defending himself against being consumed by the Naga way of life," the newspaper said and Castiel was actually proud of that.
"If you see that you don't like your new life in the Naga capital or if your husband makes demands on you that you don't want to meet, then you don't have to put your health or happiness over this contract," Naomi reminded him sharply and while she was approaching the drafting of their marriage contract as a stateswoman, Castiel knew that his mother was worried about him. "Contracts can be broken and redrawn," she continued, softer now. "Trauma on the other hand is harder to get over." Naomi raised her head to look into Castiel's eyes for a long moment. "I don't want my son to be in danger."
"I will take care of myself," he promised and Naomi sniffed, then she turned her attention back to the contract.
The train of the Naga royal family arrived with the pomp and noise one expected. Castiel had spent most of the morning hiding from his maids so that they wouldn't try to dress him in the official wedding dress yet. He had mostly succeeded because everyone was very busy with the last arrangements of the feast. He wore his normal clothes, but his hair was more adorned than usually. He saw his maid look at him in disapproval as he passed her in the corridor, but she knew him well enough to not press the subject. He walked to the audience room to steal a glance at his future husband from the gallery before he was officially meant to meet him. Just what would Dean be like when they met face to face? Castiel's heart was beating quickly in his chest. He hadn't been this nervous in a long time.
He reached the gallery overlooking the audience room just as the Naga came in. They were… they really were humans with snake tails. Long tails that slid gracefully in small arcs across the floor. And there, behind a dark haired man and a blonde woman, was a younger man, standing impossibly tall, with his brown hair kept short, a black headband adorning his hair, the ribbons falling down to rest across his broad shoulders. As Tessa had said he was beautiful to look at, his hair a bit ruffled, his face slightly flushed.
He kept behind his parents, at a distance and while they greeted Naomi, he straightened, becoming even taller, his hands clasped behind his back and his eyes darting around as if he was looking for dangers. And then he looked up, at the gallery and spotted Castiel. There was no time to try to hide now, so Castiel stepped away from the pillar and nodded at him, a small smile tugging as the corners of his lips. Whether the Naga knew that he was Castiel or not, Dean Winchester winked at him and let his tongue peek out of the corner of his lips.
;Y
Castiel smiled back.
This wasn't such a bad start as far as meeting your future husband went.