From the moment of your birth under the scarlet moon, you had been promised to Sir. Fergus Crowley of the western highlands. He came from a plentiful land with access to both the river and the sea. You were to be wed on the day of your twenty first birthday. Cain, the king of the highlands had pushed for it to be sooner, but your father had held his ground and the date was set.
You had made peace with the marriage. It was political, and you knew your kingdom would benefit greatly from the highlands. Fergus was a sly man, cruel in some ways, but he was not horrid. He knew the benefits of the marriage as well as you did, and made no effort to pretend he had any real interest in you. The two of you were close acquaintances at best, and neither of you moved to change that.
As the days before your birthday flew past, the two kingdoms prepared for a wedding. The venue had been set; the people were excited. Everything accounted for, it seemed the marriage would go smoothly.
The only problem was Dean Winchester.
Two weeks ago, King John Winchester of the Southern Plains had shown up to witness the marriage (and, by proxy, treaty) between the Middle Kingdom and western highlands with both his sons in tow. Prince Sam Winchester had been a kind, shy young boy with a fondness for books. You had offered up your personal collection and watched as he lit up with delight. The two of you made fast friends.
Dean Winchester, however, you could not stand. All he ever did all day was eat the entire stock of food in the pantry and flirt with your maids. He bothered you and Sam in the library, and became nothing but a pest to the entire household. He was a nuisance, a ruffian and nothing more. Or so you had thought.
All it took was one simple conversation to change your entire view of him. You were sat in the library, reading. Sam had gone to bed over an hour ago, so you were surprised to hear footsteps near the door. You peered over your shoulder and watched as the tainted oak pushed open to reveal Dean.
"What are you doing in here?" You internally winced at how rude your words sounded.
He immediately began backing out of the room, "I'll go, if you'd like me to."
"No, please come in and sit. You are a guest here. Forgive my rudeness," He gave you a curious look before traversing the room to sit next to you. After he didn't say anything for a moment, you went back to your book, wary of the presence next to you.
"Do you love him?"
You choked on nothing and looked over at the prince with baffled eyes, "Excuse me?"
"Sir Crowley, do you love him?" His green eyes were wide with curiosity.
"I, well," You paused, thinking for a moment. Dean was a complete stranger. He knew barely anything about who you were or what you valued. Guest or not, he bore no right to ask such prying questions. Still, you answered, "No I'm not."
He remained silent for a minute or so, face free from any emotion. You sat staring at him, watching for any sign of a reaction. The prince showed no sign of shock. He did not gasp as one of your younger maids, Jessica, had when you'd confessed your true feelings. Dean simply remained silent.
Your own resolve crumbled, "While this had been very educational, Dean, I must be off to my-"
"Marrying him will be a mistake," He cut you off. You gaped at him, but before you could protest, he spoke again, "You're a fool to think you'll be content with a loveless marriage," His eyes remained calm, no emotion in his features.
You were at a loss for words, completely caught off guard. After a moment of collecting your thoughts, you calmed yourself, "It does not matter if I'm content. What matters is my kingdom."
"You say that, but deep in your heart you know it isn't true," He looked at you with a sad smile, "Believe me."
You sat there in confusion for a moment before it dawned on you. You turned to Dean with pitiful eyes, "Your betrothed," It had completely slipped your mind that Dean had been set to marry a few years prior. Everything had been set for their marriage when the bride had mysteriously disappeared.
"Please don't look at me like that. Lady Braden did not disappear, Miss y/n, I helped her leave. She's living happily on the eastern edge of the plains with a husband and son. I receive letters every few months," Dean smiled, mostly to himself.
You inched closer on the chair, "What happened?"
"We were not in love. Or, She was not in love, I should say. I, at the time, was very much in love with her," You gave him another pitiful glance, and he waved you away, "Anyways, it was a few night before we were to marry when she came to me confessing she was in love with another. She begged for me to help her escape with her now husband. I couldn't force her to stay, no matter how much I thought I loved her, so I called up my most trusted guard and he escorted the two out of the city."
You stopped to take it all in. Dean had been willing to give so much away, even his own love, to ensure his beloveds happiness. It was a moment before you spoke again, "You thought you loved her?"
He smiled, "I did not know her very well. We had just met a few weeks before our marriage ceremony was to be held," He sighed, leaning in towards you and resting his head on his chin, "I believe I loved the idea of a wife more than Lisa herself."
You were left at a loss for words yet again. Dean Winchester continued to surprise you in such ways you may never understand. He looked at you, concern and curiosity in his eyes. Your eyes danced over the freckles on his skin. He was a beautiful man, far more handsome than any prince you'd met.
"I understand that this marriage will benefit your people greatly, but you must think of what you desire, y/n. Your own happiness should come before anything else."
Dean reached out his hand, tentatively cupping your jaw. He ran him thumb along your cheekbone. You leaned into the touch, relishing in the comfort it brought you, "How could Lady Braden not fall for you?" You murmured the words into his palm.
Immediately, he pulled away. You sat up straight and watched as the prince fumbled to stand, "I've made a mistake, Your Highness. It's late. Sam will be wondering where I am," you frowned, knowing Sam had gone to bed hours ago. You stood up with him and placed a hand on his arm. The prince yanked himself away as if he'd been burned, "Please, I must bid you goodbye for the night."
"Oh, well, goodnight, Dean. Tell Sam I said goodnight, as well," Your brow furrowed in puzzlement as the prince all but sprinted out the library door. Shaking off the confusing behavior, you collected your things and blew out the lantern before leaving for your chamber.
You were puzzled to find that, the next morning, there was no sign of Dean. He hadn't appeared at breakfast, which wasn't at all strange, according to his father. Later in the morning, you had run into Sam. When asked of Dean's whereabouts, he had simply shrugged. That left you with no leads and an entire castle full of possibilities.
When you couldn't find him after an hour, you began searching for a way to entertain yourself. There was much preparation needed for the wedding, but your mother had forbidden you helping at all. She valued your health a deemed it better to keep you from having the stress of the wedding on your shoulders. It was a grand gesture, one you had been thankful for at the time. Now, however, you were bored.
"Look who it is," Crowly rounded the corner and smiled. You gave a small curtsie in response. The two of you began walking together, arms linked, "Now, what is it the lovely princess is doing wandering the halls in such a state?"
You gave him a polite smile, "Just traveling the halls. I'm usually so busy, but my mother was adamant I do none of the legwork for the wedding."
"Ah yes, your mother," Crowley nodded, pointedly avoiding the topic of the wedding. The two of you walked in silence for a moment before he spoke again, "A very lovely woman. I do see where you get it from," He smiled, sending chills down your spine. Something about that smile put you on edge in ways it hadn't before. You mused about when that had changed.
"Thank you," You bowed your head, and wondered if your conversations with the man had always been so rigid. You thought of Dean, and how easy it had been to talk to him the previous night. The two of you spoke of such deep and meaningful things. Crowley only ever talked of the weather or the kingdom; small pleasantries you spoke of with guests, not the one you were meant to marry.
Dazed, you were stolen out of your thoughts by a breathless maid rushing down the hall. Jessica stopped in front of you, her chest heaving and eyes wide, "Your Majesty, please come quick! It's His Highness, Dean Winchester."
You immediately sobered, "What of him? Is he alright?" She shook her head, causing panic to spread through your chest. You motioned for Jessica to lead the way, giving Crowley an apologetic look.
He dismissed you with a wave of his hand, "Don't worry about me. Attend to our guests," Something sat wrong in your gut with the way he said 'our', but you waved the feeling away. Offering a faint smile, you turned to follow the maid.
She led you to the courtyard, where you could see two men fighting in the distance. You hiked up your skirt and ran faster. A figure was running towards you, which turned out to be Sam. He stopped you, his eyes wide with concern, "Y/n, before you run into this know that Dean meant no ill will. He's just, well, fiercely protective?"
"What? Sam, move out of my way," You walked around him, towards the fight. As you moved closer, you deciphered the two figures of Dean and Sir Gordon Walker, a knight from King Cain's court. Gordon had Dean on the ground, a Blade at his throat. The both of the. Surrounded by other Knights and castle workers alike. Your eyes went wide, "What on earth is going on here!?"
"Your Majesty," Gordon looked up immediately, his eyes wide. Everyone else scattered. He loosened his grip on Dean, but his blade remained at the princes throat. The knight looked from Dean then back up to you, "Your majesty, please understand. This man threatened my life."
"Like hell," Dean's response was breathy, and he looked as if he might pass out. The prince opened his mouth to speak more, but Gordon pressed into his throat with the blade, cutting it slightly.
"Release him!" Your voice boomed, slightly more hysterical than you intended. Gordon hesitated, looking down at Dean. You're eyes narrowed, "That was an order."
"Well, I hate to break it to you, princess, but I don't take orders from you."
Before you could respond,Cain appeared out of nowhere. His gaze flicked between the two men on the ground, "You do, however, take them from me. Release the man, Walker," Gordon immediately withdrew the blade, "And while we're here, I want you to know that you do, in fact, take orders from y/n. I do not want to hear of anything other than complete obedience from you. Consider this your only warning. Now follow me."
And with that, Cain was gone, Gordon Walker in tow. You gave whoever sent the king your way a silent thank you before falling to Dean side. He clutched your shoulder for support, "How bad is it, doc?"
You gave him a look and examined the wound. It was a long gash, but not very deep, "You'll live," You grabbed his arm to help him up. He struggled slightly, but managed to stand on his own, "What in God's name happened, Dean."
The prince turned away slightly, his cheeks and neck flushing. He mumbled something under his breath. When you asked him to repeat it, Dean looked at you, biting his tongue, "He was saying some things I didn't particularly agree with."
"What sort of things?"
He shook his head, "It doesn't matter anymore. I'm sorry to have caused a scene," The prince moved to leave, but you grabbed his arm. He sighed and turned back around, "He called you a whore, alright? He claimed you to be a whore and I got a little angry. Don't worry about it. It's over, anyways."
You stood still, taken aback by such a gesture. Dean had went through all of that trouble simply to defend your honor. Your mouth went dry at the mere thought of such a thing. Never had someone gone to such lengths for you. Eyes locked with his, you took Dean's hand in yours, "Thank you, Dean."
He smiled, briefly, "Of course."
You smiled back, lost slightly in his eyes. It was a few moments before you realized the situation, "Now, let's get you to Pamela. She'll fix you right up," You pulled your hand from his as the two of you walked, being sure to keep a respectful distance. Apparently, all the Knights already beloved you to be a whore, but you didn't want to further such a rumor. It wouldn't end well for Dean, either.
"You know, I can't help but notice you got here rather quickly," Dean looked over at you, smirking, "You were worried about me."
"Don't be ridiculous. I was more worried for your opponent. I had figured a brave warrior such as yourself would have taken a man like Gordon Walker with ease. I guess I was wrong," You batted your eyelashes innocently. The prince leveled a glare at you, which cause a burst of laughter from you.
Dean huffed out a breath, "I am a warrior."
You smiled, shaking from silent laughter, "Of course you are, Dean," The two of you walked in silence for awhile, peaceful in each other's company. Once you were within the safety of your own personal wing, you grabbed Dean's hand again. He looked over to you in surprise. You returned the gaze with sad eyes, "I can't marry Crowley."
"Y/n..." Dean pulled his hand away from yours, side stepping a little.
"I mean, I don't even like him. We were talking this morning, and I realized how boring he is and how much else I don't know. It's never bothered me before, but then I talk to you and realized how terrible life will be if I marry this man. A complete stranger," You paused mid babble and grabbed the princes arm, "Dean, I don't want to marry a stranger."
Dean sighed. He looks at you with wide, pitiful eyes, "I know."
"Then what do I do?" You let go of him and rested your head in your hands. After a few moments of deep breaths, you looked back up, "The wedding is in a week. I can't call it off, I just can't. There's too much riding on this."
"I know," The prince rested a hand on your shoulder. You laid your head atop it and sighed, "We'll figure something, y/n, I swear. You won't have to do anything you do not want to," He carded his fingers through your hair once, twice, before pulling your head up, "In the meantime, I still am slightly bleeding from the neck."
A small laugh escaped your lips "Yes, of course. Let's get you to Pam's, before you bleed out," You walked Dean the rest of the way there. The two of you parted ways, but only after Dean promised to meet you and Sam in the library after breakfast the next morning.
"I'll see you tomorrow then, Y/n," Dean leaned against the doorway, fresh gauze pressed against his neck.
You began to back away from the infirmary, a smile still on your face, "Tomorrow morning. No disappearing like you did today."
"Never again," Dean smiled and winked. You felt a blush creep up your neck. He saluted a goodbye before turning back into the room. His figure was replaced with Pamela and her 'all knowing' look. She caught your eye. You shook your head and turned down the hall, deliberately ignoring the bounce in your step that hadn't been there this morning.
