Dean was shell-shocked. After everything he'd been through to get Cas, and now he was gone, just like that. No one had been able to find any sign of Cas or Azazel for the last two weeks, and Dean was about to go insane. One day, Sam tried to talk to Dean about it, which didn't go well.

"Hey," Sam said as Dean slammed his sword back onto the rack in the training area.

"What do you want?" Dean asked.

"Are you okay?" Sam asked, his forhead wrinkling in that way that Dean usually found funny. Now he was too pissed off to care.

"Am I okay? Am I fucking okay? Of course I'm not okay! Cas is gone, and I can't do anything about it! How am I supposed to just sit here while he may be tortured or dying?" Dean yelled. Sam sighed.

"I know. I'm sorry. I don't know what happened, Kevin must have run into trouble. But Dean, we'll get him back," he said. Dean clenched his fists.

"One day. We had one day to be together. To be happy. And then he was just... gone. If they don't find him soon, I'm going myself. I don't care what Dad says, I can't just sit here," he spat. Sam stared at the ground for a second.

"Well if you do have to leave, I'm going with you," Sam said. "If Cas hadn't known anything, they wouldn't have taken him." Dean didn't say anything. He'd been the first to scream those very words at Sam when they first learned what had happened. Part of him was ashamed, but another part - the loud part - was furious at anyone and everyone who possibly could have prevented this.

"I just want this nightmare to be over. Who knows what Cas is going through right now, who knows if- if he's even alive," Dean said quietly.

"He is, Dean. He has to be. And we're going to find him and bring him back," Sam said. Dean didn't say anything else, brushing past Sam and heading back into the castle, but not to his own room. After what had happened with Cas he could barely stand to be in his own room. He slowly made his way to Cas's room and stepped in, taking it in yet again. It was exactly the same as it had been before Cas arrived. That broke Dean's heart. It was like Cas had never even been there.

Dean took another step inside, closing the door behind him. After a moment, Dean walked over to the desk and picked up the letter that had been laying there since Cas was taken.

Father,
As you may already know, Hannah has refused to marry Dean Winchester and fled Lebanon. We have been unable to retrieve her and in the face of war, I presented myself to be married to Dean. I know you disapprove of such matches, but please hear me out. We may not need Terren to win this war, but think of the time and the lives the alliance could save. And you certainly don't need me for a more advantageous marriage. Michael is still there, and he will serve you better than I could. We have all heard tales of the Winchesters, you know what they could do to us. Having them on our side is crucial. By the time this letter arrives I will be married, so I hope I have convinced you. If you must disown me, please, I beg you, wait until after the war. If not for me, for your people, whom you have always loved.

Dean had read the letter a million times. Sometimes it made him smile, thinking about how clever Cas was, playing both sides of the field as he'd been doing. But mostly it just made him sad. And angry. Cas had been trying so hard, and for his efforts he was now a captive, likely being tortured each day. Dean couldn't fucking stand it.

***

Dean barely knew what was happening, and he doubted anyone else did either. One moment everyone was going about their business, and the next there was an aloof blond man demanding to speak to the king.

"I'm sorry, who are you?" Dean asked as he approached the man stepping out of the carriage. Then the man started stretching his wings out and Dean felt his heart drop.

"My name is Prince Michael, and I'm here on behalf of my father. I must speak to the king," he said. Dean stared at Michael.

"You're Cas's brother," he said. Michael fixed Dean with a disapproving stare.

"We have heard of Castiel's capture and I have come to settle upon a next step with King Winchester. Where is he?" he demanded. Dean blinked, trying to regain control of himself. Michael's resemblance to Cas was faint, but it was there.

"I'll... I'll take you to him," Dean stumbled out. Michael nodded haughtily and Dean led him inside and to his father's office. John seemed unsurprised to see Michael, but perhaps he was simply good at hiding shock. It took no time at all for Michael to get to the point.

"Your majesty, my father sent two of his children to this court and now both of them have vanished. We don't know who is responsible, and frankly, we don't care. If Hannah and Castiel are not returned to us within a month, we will not hesitate to burn this kingdom down until we find them. Is that clear?" John looked furious, but Dean couldn't help but be a little amused. An affinity for making dramatic speeches was clearly a Novak family trait.

"We're trying our best to get Cas back, but Hannah left of her own volition. We have no idea where she could be," Dean said before his father could dig them into an even deeper hole.

"She did what? Why?"

"She didn't want to marry me. She ran away with the person she loved. Castiel offered himself in her place, but then he was captured," Dean said. Now it was Michael's turn to look furious.

"Castiel... Offered himself? My God, little brother, what foolishness have you committed now?" Michael clenched his fists. "Castiel must be returned before a month passes. You have heard what we have to say," Michael finished. Then he turned and stormed out. Dean and John watched him go in silence, and then John spoke.

"So Castiel's family didn't know. And doesn't approve," he said quietly.

"We'll get their approval. Trust me, Dad, it's all going to work out," Dean said.

"Dean you need to stop thinking that just because you're in love with this boy you can do whatever you want. I'm still the king, and you're still just a boy that never grew up," John spat. Dean flinched.

"Dad, everything's going to happen exactly as we planned. Sam and I will go get Cas back and we'll get married and we'll have the alliance we need. I can do this," Dean insisted.

"If you don't, you're no son of mine," John said. Dean ducked his head and hurried out of the room. Whatever his father believed, Dean knew he would either get Cas back or die trying.