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“Once upon a time, in a far off land devastated by war between the fae folk and the human king, a young prince knelt by his mother's bedside and held her hand as she drew weak breaths. 'My dear son,' she rasped, 'the fae folk were only keeping their word. I should not have interfered, but I could not bear to see your brother taken.'
'Why would they have taken my brother?' asked the prince.
'When your father was still but a prince himself, and we were newly wed, he was slain in battle. I could not bear to live without him, so I called upon a favor from the fae folk and asked that they revive him. A dark sprite named Alistair came to my aid, and healed your father, but made me promise to invite him into our home after ten years' time. Ten years did pass, and your brother was but six months old when Alistair returned. He meant to take your brother, and raise him as a slave in the unSeelie court, but I refused him, and fought him back with iron, which burns faerie flesh. In his rage, he cursed me with a fever that will last a hundred and one years, if I manage to live so long.'
'And so Papa wishes to kill all the faeries?'
'Yes, my sweet boy. But it was my fault that Alistair came. Not all fae folk are wicked, little one, and I fear he will never see that. You must be a bridge between our worlds.'
The young prince swore to do so, and with that, his mother fell into a deep sleep, burning from the inside out under the faerie's curse. As he grew in years, so too did he grow in strength and wisdom and kindness. He became an excellent hunter, with the aim of a sharpshooter and the judgement to take only what he needed to feed those in his care; he cared for his father's subjects while he was away trying to burn down the wall of thorns barring men from entering the fair folk's realm; he learned the healing arts, and warded off plague and maiming for the common folk and courtiers alike. He raised his little brother as best he could, ensuring that his hunger for knowledge was satisfied and that he was never without companionship. But once his brother came of age, and traveled to the neighboring kingdom to study, the young prince – now a man, as beautiful and kind and brave as his mother, and the regent of the kingdom, for his father had died in battle – made his way to the front lines and crept through a gap in the wall of thorns.
A path made itself clear to him, for the Seelie land recognized that he was a pure and righteous soul, and meant them no harm. The prince strode deep into the forest, seeking out the Seelie court, and walked for days without encountering a single living thing. He began to fear that his father's hateful mission had driven away all the fae folk, and that he could never mend the bond between the two peoples. After a fortnight's wandering, he laid down to rest on the fringes of a clearing, nestled in the roots of a tall oak.
He slept for a short while, but was awoken by the sudden emergence of a figure from a ring of toadstools in the center of the clearing.
'Who are you, that trespasses on the land of the fair folk?'
The prince blinked sleep from his eyes, and took in the sight of the most beautiful man he had ever seen. He was tall, with hair as dark as the night sky and eyes as blue as the clearest morn. He peered down his noble nose at the human prince, pink lips pursed expectantly.
The human prince rose to his knees, bowing low before the stranger. 'I am the prince of your neighboring kingdom. I seek audience with your ruler. I seek only peace, fair one.'
'I am the prince of the fae folk. Address your concerns to me.'
The two princes sat and spoke through the night, and come morning, they had come to terms. The two realms would war no more.
They parted ways, to share the news of peace with their respective subjects, but as they reigned – in prosperity and in polity – they both felt that something was missing, and sought each other's counsel once more.
They met in that same clearing, each lonesome, each longing.
'Should not our kingdoms' bond be stronger?' the fair prince asked the human regent.
So they dismantled the wall of thorns, and together, split the vines into kindling for the human peasants, that they would not suffer the cold come winter.
Weeks passed, and once more, the two princes met in the clearing.
'Should not our kingdoms' bond be stronger?' the mortal asked his fae friend.
And so they paired fae folk with human families, that they might share knowledge and form friendships as dear as the one the two regents had. The fair king spent time with the human king and his family. He greatly respected the youngest prince, and they spent many a day reading together while the elder human brother treated them to the finest dishes he could prepare. He even spent time with the old queen, feeling the fever rage beneath the blistered skin of her palm.
'We will find a way to cure her,' the Seelie king promised, clasping his shoulder and drawing him into a tight embrace. 'You will see your mother returned to you.'
'Thank you, my friend. I have faith in your power; if anyone can break the curse, I believe it will be you.'
The dark sprite Alistair watched, and amassed his forces, furious that the kings' friendship was derailing his plot.
His aim, in cursing the queen, was to destroy the Seelie court through the old king, and then unleash the fury of the unSeelie court on the human world, destroying it, and claiming both realms for himself and his children.
Unaware, the rulers of both realms met once more in the clearing.
'Should not our kingdoms' bond be stronger?' the faerie prince asked the king he loved dearly.
Before the king could speak, Alistair and his children attacked, burying the mortal king deep beneath the Earth's surface and cursing the fae prince to kill all he touched.
Unaware of the taint in his skin, the fair regent shoved Alistair and his kin aside, dropped to his knees, and clawed at the earth with his bare hands, the soil turning to dust and the grass wilting as he flung it aside, screaming his companion's name.
He dug through a colony of ants; they gave a mighty shudder and, en masse, collapsed. He did not notice.
He dug past a worm, finger brushing its head as he passed it; it shrivelled up and dissolved. He did not notice.
He dug through a gopher's warren; the rodent let out a shrill, rattling squeak and flopped over. He did not notice.
The human king's hands broke through the dirt, and the fae prince fell back, allowing him space to climb free of his entombment. It was then that the Seelie ruler looked down and saw the patches of gray, desiccated dirt and grass beneath his clenched fists.
The prince turned tail and took flight, leaving his dearest friend alone and terrified, surrounded by the corpses of his enemies.
He searched for weeks, combing over every inch of the fae folks' land. He was trained as a huntsman. He knew the forests well. At long last, he found his dearest friend crouched by a river, hands curled up in his lap, fish floating belly-up downstream.
'Why did you run from me?' the young king asked. 'I was afraid. I needed you. Why did you leave me all alone?'
'I am cursed.'
The king frowned. 'I don't believe you.'
'I returned home, in hopes that my people could fix it. But they touched me. They died. My hands are stained with the blood of my subjects because I am cursed, and I do not want your blood on my hands, too.'
'I'd rather have you,' the young king said, crouching down at the fae prince's side and reaching for his hands.
The fae price recoiled out of fear, but the king persisted, changing course and cupping his cheeks.
'Cursed or not,' he finished, leaning in and kissing his companion.
He did not die. He was unharmed.
'I should have known,' the fae prince laughed. 'Curses can always be broken by true love's kiss. I should have known.'
They kissed again, as if to prove to themselves that they were safe, and then the fae prince clutched his lover close and took flight.
Not all of the fae folk had died, but those that hadn't were mistrustful of their leader, wary of his touch.
'Be not afraid,' said the mortal king. 'See? I hold his hand in mine and I do not perish. He was cursed. He did not mean to harm your people. He is good, and kind, and just. Forgive him.'
'I am sorry,' said the prince of the Seelie court. 'I would die myself before harming any of you.'
The fae folk understood his honesty, and they forgave him, and all was well.
Next, they took flight, and before the sun set, they arrived at the king's castle, where the mortal pressed a kiss to his mother's forehead. She awoke, and her blisters healed; it was as if she had never been cursed.
The two regents were wed the next day, and in uniting their two kingdoms, all was well.”
-
The Bridge Between Realms
“ Whaddup, bitches?” Charlie strode into the costume HQ with two trays of Starbucks. “Tinkerbell, I got your Oreo frappucino – the barista somehow got Mona from Jo Anna, which is super weird. Wreck-It Ralph, your boring, boring black coffee – Benny, I keep telling you, one pump of cinnamon dolce and one pump of hazelnut, it's gonna taste like your momma's pecan pie, it's gonna be delicious.”
“Charlie-girl, I will drink that frou-frou coffee drink crap when I take your place as The Little Mermaid,” Benny teased, taking his cup and chugging it. “Thanks, ch é r.”
“Any time, Papa Bear.” Charlie turned on her heel and lightly punched Dean in the bicep. “Prince Puffy Pants, I have your vanilla latte. Also, the barista seems to think your name is Dena. So. That's going on your paychecks from now on, I swear to Galadriel, I will talk to Bobby, and he will do it. He loves me.”
“Loves me more,” Dean pouted, sticking out his tongue. “Has anybody seen Cas?”
“Why? You missin' your boyfriend?” Jo teased, tugging her green elastic slipper on over her heel.
“Muh muh muh muh muh muh?” Dean laced on his vest and sipped his latte. “Thank the barista for my extra whipped cream, Charlie.”
“What can I say? Gilda digs me. She hooks me up!” Charlie set down the full tray on one of the benches and winged the empty one into the trash.
“To a sex swing?” Castiel said, sauntering in behind massive Ray Bans, toeing off his untied sneakers.
“You know it!” Charlie swung a high five in his direction and the resounding clap filled the changing room. “Get dressed, Faerie Prince, or I'm withholding your cake pops!”
“Did they have birthday cake today?” Castiel asked, eyes lighting up.
“Yes, and if you don't get your ears on in five minutes, I'm eating them myself. Chop chop!”
“Can I have one?” Dorothy asked, adjusting the shoulders of her yellow ball gown. “Come on, babe, I've earned it! I watched Merlin with you last night. It wasn't half as gay as you promised it would be. I totally deserve cake pops.”
“Only because I love you,” Charlie said, offering a brownie cake pop. “And we're sharing this.”
“Meanie,” Dorothy purred, biting half of it off the stick and grinning. “Better hurry up, Cassie, or they'll all be gone.”
“Dean, help me with my harness,” Castiel demanded, padding over to his coworker and turning his back on him, arms crossed.
With a fond sigh, Dean wove the straps around his waist and over his arms, then helped him into his cape, concealing the straps as best he could. “There you go, Prince Pouty-Pants.”
“Thank you, King Swiftie.”
“Hey! Taylor Swift is popular for a reason!” Dean insisted, jabbing him in the back. “I know you liked Shake It Off, don't deny it.”
“I'm still disappointed that Karlie Kloss wasn't in the video for Style,” Charlie piped up. “They're totally dating. And they're ahh-dorable.”
“Hey! We don't make assumptions in this house,” Castiel said, pointing sharply at her. “She can come out on her own time, on her own terms. Her sexuality, her business.”
“Sir, yes, sir.”
They all finished getting dressed as their various characters, and dissipated throughout the grounds in coordinated groups.
Dean and Castiel parked themselves under the bridge, and were immediately accosted by two cute little girls in Snow White and Tiana costumes.
“Your wings are really pretty, Your Highness,” the oldest one said, petting the synthetic feathers trailing on the cobblestones.
“Why, thank you, Princess. Your compliment is much appreciated,” Castiel said, bowing deeply.
The younger sister, carefully patting her green bow to make sure she looked her best in front of royalty, said, “Can I borrow your sword?”
“Now, why do you want a sword, my Queen?” Dean asked, crouching to her level.
“I wanna raid the churro cart,” she said, hands on her hips, chin jutting out.
“How 'bout we just get you some for free, without any plundering?”
“But I like plundering,” she insisted.
“Come on, honeybunches,” Castiel cooed. “Let the Queen plunder.”
“I just think it's below a Queen's station to plunder, when she could make some merchant's day by demanding free wares. But alright. I'm not one to disobey my betters.”
The little girl pursed her lips, crossing her arms around her Stitch doll's neck and patting her chin. “Okay. We can ask.”
Dean smiled, and took both girls' hands, leading them over to the churro cart. When the girls' dads finally caught up, they grinned, and took an SD card's worth of pictures before leading their daughters off to Tomorrowland.
Things slowed down around noon, and Castiel absolutely jumped Dean, wrapping his legs around Dean's waist and kissing him hard. Dean let out a surprised little moan before grabbing Castiel's ass with one hand and backing him into the wall.
“Do you know how hot you are, when you're being nice to kids?” Cas gasped, nipping Dean's jaw. “So. Hot.”
“Yeah?” Dean tilted his head to the side, burying his face in Cas' shoulder. “You're pretty hot, too, y'know.”
“Shut up, I know it.” Cas ducked back down and bit Dean's neck just on the border of his collar.
“Don't gimme a hickey where little impressionable kids are gonna see it,” Dean hissed, pinching Cas' butt. “I'm a king! I have to be presentable.”
“I'll present something,” Cas retorted, biting his ear.
Dean whimpered. “Kinky fucker.”
“Your kinky fucker,” Cas murmured, kissing the tooth marks on his earlobe.
Dean grinned. “My kinky fucker.”