You Win or You Hide, (PG), 18/18.
Charlie.
Charlie stood on the balcony of her new chambers, looking out at the bright streets of the capital. Colour and life had been restored to the city, and the first promises of spring were just tangible in the air. Knights below displayed Eagle colours proudly, and the smallfolk bustled about their business. Children were playing at whipping tops.
She ought to feel ecstatic. Instead, she felt a little empty. Part of it was the things she had done during the battle - killing people, to be frank - and part of it was the sense that the end of the story ought to have more justice.
Almost as if in answer to her thoughts, there was a soft knock at the chamber door.
“Come in,” she called, surprised. Chuck had been busy with his new knightly duties, Gabriel was doing whatever he did, and Castiel and Sam, as his new chief advisor, were fully occupied with running the kingdom. Dean was appointed captain of the new Kingsguard. Castiel and Dean were also occupied with, well, each other.
The last person she expected to see, and the first she would have hoped for, entered and inclined her head.
“Anna!” Charlie exclaimed.
“My lady,” Anna smiled. She looked as beautiful as ever - possibly more - simply dressed in a green gown with a deep red belt that brought out the colour of her hair.
“Please, um, sit,” Charlie flushed, clearing a space and wondering how she’d already managed to clutter up her new rooms. “I did not know you were still in the city. Can I pour you some wine?”
“Please,” said Anna. “I have decided to stay a while. I thought I would take the chance to know my cousin a little better. Amongst other people.” She held Charlie’s eyes, still smiling warmly. Charlie absolutely forced herself not to spill the wine.
“I heard about your deeds in battle,” Anna said. “You were very brave.”
“Well,” Charlie dismissed. “You know, I didn’t really do anything, I just fired from a window, and well, I’m not a soldier like-“
“Charlie.” Anna stopped her. She reached out and touched Charlie’s hand. “I think you were brave. Take the compliment.”
Charlie swallowed. She held Anna’s eyes for a long moment, and her heart was full and her stomach fluttered. “Thank you,” she whispered.
“I also think it’s very unfair,” Anna went on quietly, “That Chuck gets a knighthood, and the men get lands, but you can’t.”
“I suppose,” Charlie murmured. “But I don’t want a knighthood.”
“What do you want?” Anna asked intently, leaning in.
Pause.
“The fair maiden,” Charlie whispered, leaning in herself:
A slow smile spread over Anna’s face. “Well,” she said. “I have it on good authority that the maiden feels the same way.”
And then they were kissing, tasting of sweet wine, and Charlie realised it wasn’t the ending after all, but only -
- the beginning.
Chuck.
“So, great news!” Charlie came running up at Chuck’s side and took his good arm. “Anna and I found a priest willing to perform the ceremony in secret.”
“What ceremony?” Chuck asked, moving his book out of the way before Charlie could crumple it. He’d found that reading kept his mind off booze, and having his arm sprained in battle gave him an excuse not to train at arms, so he was spending a fair bit of time in the library lately. He liked books. He had even thought he might write a book, now that he’d had an adventure and all, and was quite frequently sober.
“For Cas and Dean,” she said.
“I repeat - what ceremony?”
“Their marriage ceremony, of course.”
Chuck’s brain travelled around in a loop and came up blank.
“Huh?” he said at last.
“We’ll do it in the forest, just outside the city - oooh, at midnight! Won’t that be romantic? With the moonlight on the leaves and everything. Sam’s gonna be Dean’s best man and Gabriel will stand for Cas - he promised to slip away when we’ve arranged everything. I’m gonna be the ringbearer and-“
“Charlie,” Chuck shook his head. “I don’t understand. Who’s getting married now?”
Charlie stared at him. “Cas…” she said slowly. “And Dean. Who else?”
Chuck entirely failed to comprehend the sentence. “But,” he said at last. “They’re both men.”
“I just said we found a priest who’s going to do it! Apparently in the old days it wasn’t even that unusual. Wait,” something dawned over her face as she watched him. “Chuck are you telling me….no….you didn’t…oh I’m so sorry,” Charlie started giggling. “Oh no, I shouldn’t have said anything. But Chuck, you’ve been travelling with them for months. You’ve fought a battle with them. How could you - you still didn’t know?”
Slowly, and with an almost-audible cranking, the pieces slotted into place in Chuck’s mind. ‘I suppose my brother would die before he let Cas take a scratch….trust me champ you don’t want to go in there.Go in there'.
“Cas,” he said slowly. “Castiel, the King. And Dean. Cas and Dean. Are an item.”
Charlie looked anguished suddenly, “Oh, you won’t tell anyone? It’s just I thought you already knew, I mean, they’re not exactly subtle, and we’ve all been through so much together-“
“Charlie, Charlie,” Chuck shook his head, holding one hand up. “It’s - good for them. I’m happy for them. And I won’t tell anyone.”
“Not even when you’re drunk?” she narrowed her eyes.
“I’ve actually been drunk a lot less lately, if you’ve noticed.” He considered adding, ‘for you’ , but decided there was plenty of time for all that.
“You know, you have,” said Charlie. “Awesome job, Chuck. So - you’re all - cool with it? About Dean and Cas?”
Chuck shrugged. “Charlie, if we’re going to hell for everything the priests say is a sin, I most definitely do not have room to judge anyone.”
“Oh,” Charlie blew her breath out. “Well in that case, I suppose I have something else to tell you.”
*
From
- The Chronicles of The Restoration of the King of the North -
By Ser Charles of the House Shurley.
(A book).
And so it was that the King of the North wed the good knight Ser Dean Winchester, and there was much rejoicing amongst the people. Or at least, there would have been much rejoicing, had the people known about it. Probably some would have rejoiced. Others might not have rejoiced, or even declared that such a thing could not be, or was gross and all, but they have no part in this chronicle.
The ceremony was conducted at midnight, and was witnessed by the noble knight Ser Charles, the pride of his House, who had done many valiant deeds, and also the fair lady Charlie Bradbury and her consort the Lady Anna, cousin to the King. (Charlie did truthfully love Ser Charles, but seeing that alas he had full relegated her to the friendzone, being pure of heart, she did wisely transfer her affections to Lady Anna, who returned them in full). Ser Dean did play the maiden’s part, of which he complained mightily, but to be honest someone had to cloak somebody else and Ser Sam and Ser Gabriel agreed it was not meet that the new King should kneel to his knight. Also there was Lord Gabriel’s noble hound, and a parrot, but the parrot was relegated to the wheelhouse, for it loudly abused all the party.
And lo there was feasting and merriment. But quietly.
They all returned to the citadel, and Lord Gabriel departed back to his holdfast. But for love of Charlie, Lady Anna did remain, and the king did appoint her to his council, for she was full wise.
And so the brave Ser Charles did undertake to write the chronicles of their adventures, which here concludes, in hope and good faith that all of them would live happily ever after.
The End
~ The End. ~