Castiel's Dragon (boyxboy)

4

Super short summary: You learn to hate Zachariah again from the beginning, Castiel talks to fish and it makes me sad, and the Destiel is in the air even when they talk about dead people.

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"What is there for us to talk about?" Castiel asked.

Zachariah sat across from Castiel, behind his paper-stacked desk, his hands folded pleasantly atop the clean mahogany.

"We have to talk about possible brides," Zachariah smiled bitterly.

"Possible brides?" Castiel's mouth suddenly dried. "I'm only at my sixteenth, I've no need for a bride as of yet."

"We have to be prepared for when the time comes to have the perfect bride as our Queen," Zachariah replied.

"...What would be the perfect bride?" Castiel hesitantly asked.

"Of course, she would have to be of a higher class, and healthy enough to give birth to many males," Zachariah chuckled. "Clearly. I have already a number of possible brides for you to see-"

"You already picked them out?" Castiel stood. "Do my parents know about this? Why wasn't I told earlier?"

"Calm yourself, young prince. Mind your manners," he scorned.

Castiel felt Zachariah's stare burning into him, so he sat down immediately, hands folded in his lap and back straighter than a ruler. "Forgive me. I find it insulting when my future is planned by others without my knowledge or input."

Balthazar's not-so-well concealed smirk angered the prince, but he forced his expression not to show it. "I would have figured that you would be used to having your future planned for you beforehand. It is only natural for a prince to be treated as such."

"That does not mean I have to like it." Castiel tightened his hands, feeling his knuckles go white.

"You should be glad. The King allows you far more lenience than most would show their sons. Many princes would not be allowed their pick of a bride." Zachariah's gaze held the prince in his seat. "The candidates will be visiting the day after tomorrow. You should be prepared to make a choice between them, as they've been determined to be the best choices for a future Queen."

So many words of protest climbed up to Castiel's throat and yet failed to pass his lips. His fingers were becoming numb from blood loss, forcing the teen to loosen his tight grip.

"I will if I can," Castiel answered. "I can make no promises for the future."

Zachariah stood, walking to the door and opening it for the heir prince.

"For the good of the kingdom, I would advise you to pick the worthiest," Zachariah spoke as Castiel walked past, holding back a glare.

*****

Castiel was distracted for the entirety of his training. Zachariah expected the young teen to choose a bride soon, which meant that his own father would also be expecting the same thing. But the prince just wasn't ready for marriage, or even the idea of picking out a future bride.

Due to Castiel's distracted thoughts, his hand was smacked, and so the wooden sword in its grip fell out easily as Castiel winced and rubbed the forming bruise.

"Sloppy work, Prince," his trainer scolded.

Uriel's usually indifferent stare hardened in annoyance. He had a dark umber skin tone with similar chocolate brown eyes. He was bulkier than Castiel, with a greater knowledge of the sword arts than most in the kingdom, and so his job was to teach the heir prince to wield a blade.