Remain Hidden (DESTIEL AU)

Chapter One

The sun rose on another beautiful spring morning in the Earth Empire, and the Royal Palace was bustling with life. Servants swept up and down the polished stone corridors with baskets of fruits, laundry, or bundles of scrolls. Everyone was in a hurry to get where they were going, so it didn't help that they had to dodge two young Princes who chased one another down the busy halls.

"Just wait until my legs are longer than yours!" Prince Sam shouted as he tried to keep up with his elder brother's stride.

"That may be, but today you're still slower than me, Sammy!" Prince Dean hollered back, flashing his brother a goofy grin and continuing his sprint down the bustling corridor. Sam's protests were practically drowned by all the movement, and he ducked and dodged baskets and elbows with the ability of a gazelle. He could hear Sam trying to keep up and tag him, but Dean knew he was miles ahead. He turned a sharp corner, and collided into someone who rounded the corner at the same time. Dean felt his forehead smack into the stranger's very hard, and both boys went tumbling back on their asses.

"Hey!" Dean shouted angrily at the person who dared block his path. He blinked away a few stars and sat up right as Sammy's little hand grabbed his shoulder.

"Gotcha!" He giggled, his long brown hair flopping over his forehead childishly. Dean glared at the serving boy who had been in his way. It was all his fault Sam had caught him.

"Watch where you're going, huh?" Dean snapped as the serving boy sit up rather dizzily.

"Apologies, My Lord." The boy mumbled, gathering the once neatly folded clothing that had been flung out of his arms. He was thirteen or fourteen—around his own age—and was usually best at staying out of Dean's way.

Well, except for today, of course.

It took him a moment to recognize it was his clothes that had been flung all over the busy corridor.

"I want those washed again." He said angrily, picking himself up and rubbing the aching spot on his forehead. "They've all been trampled and soiled." Maybe the guy would learn his lesson by redoing all of his laundry.

"Yes, My Lord." The serving boy said quietly, gathering up the clothing and rushing off. He didn't so much as lift his eyes to meet of the young Prince's gaze, which was just fine with Dean. Servants were never supposed to look at their masters, and he probably had ugly eyes anyway.

"You're it, Dean." Sammy grinned at him before dashing off.

"I'll give your short legs a head start!" Dean shouted after him, immediately forgetting about the serving boy and racing after his brother.

— § —

Castiel silently rewashed the clothing he had spent all morning cleaning, his lips clamped shut so his annoyed thoughts didn't breach the surface. It was hardly his fault that Prince Dean had run into him—he had been the one running and not looking at where he was going!

But it wasn't like Castiel could argue with the Prince of the Earth Empire. He was just a serving boy for him, and he did was he was told—even if what he was told was stupid. The Prince wouldn't have noticed if he didn't rewash the clothes.

Castiel found it incredibly annoying that the Prince has ordered him to rewash his clothes. So his annoyance only grew when the fierce blush burning his cheeks wouldn't go away. In the split second that their bodies collided, Castiel felt like time at slowed down. He could feel Dean's warmth radiating against his own skin, and Castiel could have sworn his lips made momentary contact with the Prince's cheek. For the briefest of moments, he had caught a glimpse of Prince Dean's stunning green eyes, hazy and unfocused from the impact of their collision. Castiel never dared meet his eyes before but he did then, and that stunning, unearthly shade of jade green was now permanently burnt into the recesses of his mind.