What I can do

New job

I finally got the job. Knight for the castle, badass and sword-wielding, horse riding and badass again. Dad practically drilled the interview questions into me at 6 years old, and after he died, I still felt like I had to. I wanted to make my old man proud, I guess. The thing I wasn't prepared for was having to meet Prince Gabriel, the heir, and Prince Castiel, the younger one looking for a princess to run away with.

How do you even pronounce that?

Cas... tie.. ehl. Cast- ie- l.. whatever

Just Cas would work, probably. He hardly ever made an appearance in public anymore, after his father went into a coma or sickness or died or something. For a knight, I didn't know shit about politics.

I eventually had to realize what I was doing, finished moving my things into the Knight's quarters. Now I'd have to meet the princes. I was shaking. Holy shit, I was shaking

Before, I was surprised they'd even want to meet me, but I guess they do this a lot. I mean, they don't hire knights by the thousands like soldiers. Now, I was just scared.

I followed the guy in the quarters to the edge of the ballroom. It was massive, felt nothing like a home.

"This is when I send you off. Name's Bobby." The man stuck his hand out to be shaken, and it took me absurdly long to shake his hand back. My palms were clammy, even though the room was cold like a damn hospital.

"Dean Winchester." I shook his hand firmly.

"Like.. John Winchester's Dean?" he asked right back, and I nodded. "Well, I'll be damned. Your dad was a hell of a knight before that injury, despite me trying to blow his face off. How's he doing?" I just nodded, a little somber. Dad was always a sensitive subject nowadays and I wasn't trying to be bitchy.

"He uhm.. passed. Recently." I said with a slight nod.

"Oh. I'm sorry. I'm glad I came across you then, Dean. I'll make you feel as welcome as I can." He smiled through that round beard of his and walked away.

Hell of a time to waltz away I rolled my eyes to myself and realized I was standing in the palace, and the princes were waiting on me.

Deep breath in, Deep breath out.

I knocked, and waited for a response.

"Come in, Knight." Gabriel's voice rung through like an echo, his recognizable, though you couldn't hear his voice twice.

I opened the heavy door and made my way inside, and saw the princes. One in the king's seat, Prince Gabriel, and one beside, Prince Castiel.

Prince Castiel was... gorgeous, best to describe. Bright blue eyes, light stubble. I couldn't stare for too long, in case of getting caught. That was a dilemma in itself. Why was he gorgeous to me?

I walked into the room, got about 15 feet away from them before I bowed, just like my father taught.

"Very nice etiquette." Prince Gabriel commented, and Prince Castiel stayed silent

"Thank you, Prince." I replied as calmly as my anxiety would allow.

"Name?" Prince Castiel was still quiet

"Dean Winchester."

"Your last name sounds awful familiar. Who is your father?"

"John Winchester, Sir. I mean- fuck- I mean- Prince." I called the Prince sir. That's what I call my dad, not the rulers of the whole ass country. I could have sworn I heard a laugh, but not from Prince Gabriel. Prince Castiel just laughed at me, well not laugh, more like a short release of air. Way to go, Dean.

"You don't have to kneel the whole time" Prince Gabriel said with a laugh. Great, I made them both laugh at me. Way. To. Go.

I stood up and made eye contact with both of them, "thank you, Prince." I nodded towards Prince Gabriel.

"We'll have you train with Bobby by tomorrow morning . I'm sure you met him. Soon enough, you'll be protecting my little old baby brother." Prince Gabriel cooed at Prince Castiel, and Prince Castiel shot him an eyeroll, which made me smile. When Prince Castiel saw me smiling at him, he turned pink. It wasn't something that I was entirely ready for, and I felt my face get a little warmer too.

"Yes, Prince." I finally responded to Prince Gabriel.

I kept glancing at Prince Castiel, wanting to see that pink on his face one more time. It didn't show up by the time I left.

The knights quarters were boring and gray, but I couldn't do anything with myself until I was trained. I hummed a tune and doodled on a notepad for some time until the rest of the nobles and knights came back for mealtime and sleep.

I found Bobby and followed him.

"Hiya Bobby- I heard you were in charge of training me?"

"Yeah, sounds 'bout right." He said, not paying a ton of attention to me.

I just nodded and kept following him. He let me follow him until we found our way to the nobles' dining hall, which was slightly cozier than the sleeping quarters. I sat down next to Bobby, when he looked at me funny.

"Well aren't you the clingy one."

I didn't know how to feel about what he said. "Well, am I taking anyone's spot?" I asked. I looked at him funny right back.

"Well no , I-"

"Then there isn't a problem." I realized how that sounded, and before I could fix it Bobby said right back,

"If you wanna be an idiot and act snappy with me, that seat can belong to someone else, boy."

That shut me up fast. "Sorry." I apologized quietly.

"Don't worry about it." He said, and like magic, the food was out. He wasn't mean or rude, Bobby just put it how it was, and I could tell that.

While it certainly wasn't gourmet by any means, I still ate it. I was up after a few of the other nobles, and put my plate where I saw everyone else. By now it had to be dark out, and I was right, so I walked to the sleeping quarters a few minutes early.

Falling asleep in a new area never comes easy, especially somewhere so damn uncomfortable. The beds felt like a crappy beach chair, only with rock instead of cushion. Sleep felt like something so far away, but damn, was Prince Castiel so close. The pink he turned- why am i still thinking about him? I'm not gay. I mean, unless I am..? No. No way.

I have this debate with myself way too often these days.

This would keep me up at night.

(1101 words for those who need to know)