The Dreams of Princes

Part XVI

The morning of the wedding day came, and Cas woke slowly, staring at his ceiling and trying to decide if it was worth it to get out of bed, to go to this. But he had to. If not for himself, for Dean. Because Dean's heart had been broken that day, too, and he was the one being married away.

Getting himself up, he put on the suit he was supposed to be wearing and let the servants into his room to help make sure it was immaculate. Once they were satisfied, they all left, and Cas sat, numb.

Could he really let this happen? After all of the things they'd been through, all of the things they'd continue to go through as rulers? Was he really going to let one couple damn all of it to hell?

Against his better judgement, Cas let these thoughts continue. Why not, after all? It was all hypotheticals.

   He sat for almost an hour, thinking, before he decided to take a walk around the castle to clear his head. This may have worked, except for the fact that wedding preparations were happening all around him. This had been a shit idea, after all. There was only a half hour until the wedding, of course it would be like this. He should have known. Turning to go back to his room, he saw the doors to the lounge open as servants came out. Inside the lounge, he could see Dean, standing stiff and staring out of a window.

   Everything in him was screaming at him to leave it alone, to go back to his room and wait it out, but he couldn't. If he hadn't seen Dean when he did, he may have been able to, but not anymore. He ran to the lounge, throwing the door open behind him and then closing it, turning to put his back against it as he locked eyes with Cas. Dean stared at him, obviously having been panicking.

   "Cas?" He whispered. It broke Cas's heart to hear him like that. He sounded so destroyed, so hopeless. Cas stepped away from the door, walking towards Dean. He got within a foot of him and stopped, terrified that Dean would lash out at him.

   "Dean, please, don't do this. Please," he cried, staring into Dean's eyes. The agony Cas felt was reflected in them, and it was almost worse that way.

   "Why do you care?" Dean asked, the tears beginning to fall. "You hate me, you have every right to. I shouldn't have ever initiated anything. I knew damned well it wouldn't be fair to you." Dean put a hand on Cas shoulder, and Cas trapped it there with his own.

   "No, Dean. I never hated you. I loved you too much, and it hurt to see you without me, to know you would be with someone else. Please don't go through with it," he whispered, tears streaming down his cheeks as he clutched at Dean's hand. "Please."

   Dean held Cas's face in his other hand, crying as Cas leaned into the touch. Cas let go of his other hand, and it also found its way to his face. Cas held Dean's wrists, heart pounding at the touch. He didn't know how much he had missed Dean until he had gotten him back.

   "You know if I could back out from this for you, I would. I would have months ago. But I can't. I love you, I'll love you until I die, but I can't. This country needs to stay safe, and that's far more important than what I want," Dean said, placing his forehead against Cas's own. "You deserve the world, but I can't give it to you," he said, his voice breaking as he broke down himself.

   Cas couldn't help it. He kissed Dean, all of the agony from the last few months and their inevitable fate in just a few minutes pushed into it. Dean reciprocated, his hands in Cas's hair as they stayed there. They finally pulled away, Dean locking tearful and regret filled eyes with Cas as he realized the time.

   "It's time for the wedding," he whispered, and Cas sobbed aloud. Dean flinched, as if the very sound broke his heart. He crushed Cas in a hug, sobbing as well. "I'm sorry, Cas. I am. But you know I have to."

   At that moment, they heard a thud behind them and jumped, turning. There was Lisa, and she had thrown the door open, fuming. Cas felt his heart drop. Was she angry at them for going behind her back?

   "No. I was coming to see you, Dean, and ask if you were sure, but I have my answer. I won't let them torture you like this. You'll get your happy ending," she said, turning and storming away. Her black hair billowed behind her, a stark contrast to the wedding gown. Sharing a look of concern, they chased after her, not sure what she was planning on doing. If she wasn't careful, this could mean a war.

   Lisa stormed through the doors of the palace, coming out to the area the wedding was to be held, filled by hundreds of citizens of the kingdom. She stalked over to the microphone that was set up for the vows and yanked it off, holding it in hand as she turned to the crowd. Her hair swayed in the breeze, but the rage in her eyes didn't match the rest of her heavenly getup.

   "This wedding is not happening. Not because of Dean, but because of me. My parents blackmailed Dean into marrying me because they wanted control of Brecori. Well, mom and dad, guess what? I won't give shit to you. If you try to come after Brecori for this, I'll join them against you, and you'll have no heir at all," she spat. Jonathon and Alyssa stared at her in horror. She was in a rage, her eyes wild and tears flowing down her face. "I'm done being manipulated by you. I'm done letting you manipulate others. We're going back to Calivei, and if you ever try something like this again, you'll lose your daughter and only heir forever." She threw the microphone down and ran, Dean and Cas staring in shock from the back.

   Suddenly, the crowd roared in anger as they realized that this royal couple had tried to blackmail their own. The Braedens narrowly escaped the crowds, but Dean and Cas never noticed. By the time the crowd yelled, they were gone.

Three years later

   Cas and Dean had fallen even deeper in love, deciding to be married after a year and a half. Cas informed his parents that he would not be in charge of Haland, but was leaving that responsibility to Gabriel so he could live with his husband in peace. Gabriel agreed, on the condition that Sam could come with him. Gabe and Sam were married not long after Cas and Dean were, to the Novak parents' collective horror.

   Cas had easily talked Dean into adoption, and they had a beautiful little girl named Emma.

  Despite the weight on their shoulders, they were happy because they could share it. No burden was too much for them together, and they had the most important things to both of them. Cas was in a place he had grown to call home, a place he loved, with Dean and a child. Nothing he had ever thought would happen in his life could have prepared him for what did.

   In the end, despite Dean insisting he couldn't, Dean had given Cas the world, after all.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Finishing this cause otherwise it ain't happening McYeet there she be