Chapter Text
***
Wolfwood sighed. He was not getting paid enough for this. From where he lay on top of a small hill, he had a great view of the overgrown castle and its main gate. However, the only cover the hill provided came in the form of a particularly nasty thorn bush which seemed to have a personal vendetta against him. It was almost impressive how the needles continued to find the few spots on his body that weren't protected by thick leather and solid metal, Wolfwood mused as he shifted slightly and felt yet another painful prick on his backside.
It was all the king's fault, obviously. Today was the third day he spent in that blasted bush, watching the blasted castle for any sign of life from within. So far, he'd not seen a single scale or as much as a whiff of fire that hinted at the presence of the dragon that supposedly terrorized the castle, according to the reports of the cowed villagers nearby. He'd spent a couple of days doing reconnaissance there before choosing his current spot after much deliberation. No matter how much he disliked King Legato, he did take his mission seriously, if only to deny the bastard the satisfaction of hearing a report of how Wolfwood had been chomped in half by an angry lizard after waltzing in unprepared. It'd probably make Livio cry, too.
So, here he was, watching that damn castle and digging thorns out of his ass every evening while cursing his existence. He wasn't even sure there would be a prince waiting to be rescued, even if he did make it past the dragon and into the castle. It had been years since anyone had last seen Prince Vash and from all the stories Wolfwood had heard, he must be close to a man far past the prime of his years already. Well, if Legato wanted to marry a wrinkly old guy to gain political power and expand his empire, he could be his guest. Wolfwood wasn't going to get in his way, that was for sure. If the guy was still alive that is.
A blur of movement from the direction of the castle's interior yard tore Wolfwood from his idle thoughts. Around him, the rest of the forest fell into unnatural silence; birds and beasts alike sensing the presence of a predator on the hunt. Wolfwood could feel the hair on his back rising instinctually and when he looked down to the castle again, it was just in time to see a pair of massive wings rising over the castle walls.
Like a ship’s sails catching in the breeze, they unfurled gracefully, before beating down with an audible whoosh of rapidly displaced air. Elegantly swinging itself up into the air, he saw what was undoubtedly the truly enormous form of a pale-white dragon. Its long body ascended unhurriedly with each beat of powerful feathered wings and Wolfwood felt a shiver of both anticipation and dread run down his back.
He watched as it lazily circled the castle once before turning westwards. Wolfwood didn’t dare move a single finger until the silhouette of the beast had disappeared over the next mountain ridge and birdsong once more filled the woods. After exhaling the breath he had unconsciously been holding, he decisively grabbed the massive broadsword and the duffle bag lying next to him and finally – finally! – crawled out of the damn bush. Showtime.
The way down to the castle was proving to be hard work. There were remnants of a road leading up to the main gate of the castle but it was clear that nature had been doing her best to reclaim this patch humans had so rudely carved out decades ago. The most annoying hindrance proved to be even more thorn bushes, painfully digging into his arms and legs with what felt like purposeful ill intent. It was slowing him down far more than he liked and Wolfwood didn't know how long the dragon would leave his prey unsupervised. He didn't care to find out, either. There was one sure way of speeding up his way through the hostile forest…
He took a quick, careful glance around him and sniffed the air for good measure. Nothing. Good. He buckled his sword and pack to the leather harness that crossed over his torso, then focused inwards where he could feel the ravening beast shackled within. Forcefully, he dug his fingernails into his palms until he could feel his skin giving way and blood dripping out of his clenched fists. Focusing on the sharp pain, he wrestled the beast down and forced it into submission until it gave him exactly what he needed.
The loud cracking of his bones shifting and reforming startled the birds around him into flight once more. Thick, coarse fur started growing all over his body and he fell onto all fours, newly elongated arms and legs ending in long claws. He felt his jaw change shape as sharp teeth pushed their way through his gums and replaced blunt ones. Wolfwood panted with the effort of staving off the full transformation, concentrating on the pain to retain just enough of his humanity to not fully give in and remain in his hybrid state. After painful seconds that felt like minutes, he finally stopped shivering and stood upright.
Immediately, the damp, cool forest air carrying a million different smells filled his nostrils and invited him to go out and follow them, chase and maybe hunt one of the deer he could smell downwind. His newly sprouted tail twitched once before he ignored the temptation. He had more important prey to hunt.
***
It felt good to run. That was one of the only things Wolfwood actually enjoyed with the whole sordid curse. The feeling of wind blowing through his fur, the strength in his limbs and the miles just melting underneath his paws - it wasn't as good in this form as it was when he was fully a wolf but he still very much needed the equipment and gear he was carrying. His going was much faster now, easily loping through the forest with the thorns unable to pierce through his thick fur. After barely any time at all, he finally reached the stone bridge leading over the moat to the gatehouse. It was just as overgrown as the rest of the road, so Wolfwood carefully pushed onwards.
A sudden metallic pang and the feeling of something colliding against his foot startled him. Looking down, he found a helmet. A badly singed helmet, at that. Wolfwood raised his eyes and more clearly investigated the ground before him. And, sure enough, upon closer inspection he could clearly see that the bridge was littered with various armor pieces in varying stages of decay and overgrowth.
Fighting the slightly queasy feeling in his stomach, he shouldered on towards the heavy oak doors, passing split-open helmets, broken swords and cuirasses covered in soot and heavy scratches. What was curiously absent were any sort of bones. The beast probably ate them all, a helpful little voice supplied in the back of his head. He shook himself and forced his thoughts back on the task on hand. The oak doors looked massive up close but at least there was no metal grate obstructing the entrance. With a sigh, he rotated his shoulders once, set his still-clawed hands onto the left door and began to push.
He'd guess that back when this castle was still inhabited by people rather than giant lizards, it had probably taken at least five people pulling a rope in the gatehouse to open this door. The only help Wolfwood had was the gracious support of the rusting hinges that creaked ominously the more he pushed, before finally giving way and abandoning the duty they had held for the past decades. With another satisfactory grunt, Wolfwood widened the gap just enough so he could slip into the castle.
Taking a quick look around, he found three buildings in his immediate vicinity. On his left was a rectangular stone garrison that was directly attached to the outer wall, a tattered flag with the old kingdom’s insignia hanging over the entrance. He supposed that this is where soldiers had once stayed before the dragon attacked. A bit further inward to the right were what seemed to be the remains of a wooden stable, the roof long caved in and its former function only discernible by its position and the frail skeleton of wooden boxes.
However, it was the third building Wolfwood immediately directed his steps to. Across the yard, rising multiple stories into the sky stood the actual castle, walls decorated with gargoyles and multiple intricate fresques carved into the stone. The main entrance was marked by yet another massive set of double doors, but when Wolfwood pushed against them, they proved to be much lighter than the first and he was easily able to step inside.
The first thing he noticed was the thick layer of dust that covered everything and assaulted his sensitive nose. He had to fight back a sneeze and hurriedly shifted back to his fully human form, quietly cursing all the while. He quickly retightened his harness and belt, before carefully edging along deeper into the castle. It was dark in here, the windows tinged and overgrown and only a sliver of sunlight falling in behind him through the open door. However, as his eyes adjusted to the dim light, he recognized he was standing in what was a large entrance hall, with a massive, winged staircase leading to the neighboring wings of the castle.
Wolfwood remembered that the largest tower he had seen had been on the left side of the castle and decided that that was as good a place to start as any. After all, if he was a giant lizard, he would put his most prized possession into his highest, most secure treasure chest, too.
Carefully trudging through the castle, he couldn't help but notice how clean it seemed. Sure, there had been plenty of dust and cobwebs in the entrance hall but the deeper he went, the more signs he saw of obvious care being put into the upkeep. The kitchen he passed by at one point was almost suspiciously clean and when he stepped inside for a closer inspection, he found it well-stocked with spices and neatly ordered utensils. Someone was definitely living here. Huh. Maybe he'd find Legato's mysterious prince after all. He pocketed one of the plump red apples lying in a bowl on the counter before continuing his search.
Munching on his apple, he began to ponder what he knew about Gunsmoke kingdom. Sunday school at the orphanage had never been his strong suit and he'd often drifted off during lectures or played cards with Livio under the table. What he did know was that the kingdom had been without a ruler for at least 80 years and had been in turmoil even before then.
There was something about two crown princes ruling the kingdom together, although Wolfwood was unsure of the details. Then, the dragon attacked the kingdom, killed one of the two princes and kidnapped the other. Nobody had seen Prince Vash since.
Vash, what a stupid name! He'd almost laughed in Legato's face when he'd been told that he was to retrieve Legato’s fiancé-to-be and deliver the prince as hale and marriageable as possible. His brain conjured up the image of a wrinkly old man with missing teeth and a peg leg, dressed in a white veil and pursing his lips to give Legato a kiss and it was only with extreme restraint Wolfwood could keep his laughter in.
Sneaking down yet another long, winding corridor that opened to one side, he discovered a perched-in courtyard and Wolfwood had to do a double take at the sight that greeted him. The courtyard itself was huge and was without a doubt the space the dragon had taken flight from earlier.
However, what had caught his eye were all the flowers. There were hundreds of them, carefully arranged in a neat garden that surrounded the intricate mosaics that made up the open space in the center. Wolfwood was by no means an expert on plants, knowing just enough to know which ones were probably edible and which ones would kill him, but even he recognized the immense rarity of such a varied collection.
Looking closer, he could see that most of the flowers were some shade of red, although there were plenty in other colors. Also, he noticed a few fruit trees and vegetable plots in one of the corners that looked a little out of place at first glance but were obviously also well-cared for. That at least explained the apples in the kitchen, Wolfwood thought. This place just kept making less and less sense. Shaking his head, he reoriented himself towards where he could see the large tower looming over the courtyard and continued his trek.
Inside the tower a large spiral staircase rose up along the outer wall and led to what must be the first of many levels. There were signs of human occupation here, too; clothes haphazardly thrown over furniture and a used mug on a nearby table making him pause. He wasn't sure what was expecting him at the top of this tower but he had a feeling he'd found the target of his mission. Resolutely, he began climbing the stairs.
Layer after layer he climbed, passing what seemed to be another sitting room (even more messy than the entrance downstairs), a study (weirdly orderly in contrast to the sitting room), a washroom with a door that presumably led to an attached outhouse, yet another sitting room and finally what appeared to be an indoor greenhouse. The last one he could already smell before he entered, but he was still not prepared for the wave of smell that hit his nose once he pulled open the door.
There were dozens of contrasting smells, some cloyingly sweet, others fresh and citrusy and about every other floral scent imaginable in between. The room itself was stuffed floor to ceiling with plants, some of which Wolfwood had never seen before in his life. In his periphery, he could swear some of them moved but when he whirled around to look at them, not even a leaf twitched out of place. All of his senses were telling him that something was off about this tower and the entire damn castle. Wolfwood carefully backed towards the next part of the staircase and, giving the offending flowers one last wary look, started his ascent again.
When he opened the door, he immediately knew he had found what he was looking for. The last floor of the tower consisted of a spacious bedroom that was covered from corner to corner in various knick knacks. There were books piled high everywhere, walls lined with equally overflowing shelves that were spilling with books, charms and other small trinkets. The large wardrobe that took up almost an entire wall was halfway open and Wolfwood could see the uncontrolled chaos of clothes inside peeking out. Dispersed throughout the room were even more plants; not nearly as many or as large as the ones downstairs but still providing a distinct cozy atmosphere.
However, Wolfwood only dimly registered all of this. What his focus was drawn to instead was the impressive bed towards the back of the chamber. It was made of solid wood carved with intricate figures and even though his view was obstructed by the soft curtains hanging from the bedposts, he could make out the shape of a figure lying on the bed. Wolfwood couldn't help but hold his breath as he approached the bed as carefully and quietly as he could. Resolutely, he grabbed a hold of the soft, velvety curtain and drew it back to reveal the figure on the bed. And his mind went blank.
Prince Vash of Gunsmoke kingdom? Well, he certainly didn’t have a peg leg or any wrinkles. Wolfwood doubted any of his teeth were missing, either. Instead, he was faced with the most beautiful man he had ever seen in his life.
The stray rays of sunlight filtering through the obscured windows and curtains illuminated the figure before him and made him almost glow. Soft, impossibly unruly blonde hair covered a head with features so angelic that Wolfwood wasn't sure he hadn't ascended all the way into heaven on his climb up. A faint exhale of breath drew his attention to the plushest and most kissable lips he had ever seen. They were slightly parted in sleep, chest steadily rising and falling in a slow rhythm. The only imperfection marring his features was a small beauty mark underneath his left eye, yet even that somehow seemed to only accentuate the man’s beauty.
Wolfwood hesitated. He'd never thought this far, of what he'd do once he'd actually found the prince. Because this must be Prince Vash, there could be no doubt about that. Although he did wonder about the fact that there was clearly a young man lying in front of him instead of the wrinkly old-timer he'd been expecting. Maybe Blondie had been cursed? Stuck under a sleep spell, unable to age or wake up all this time he'd been in the tower. Yes, that must be it, Wolfwood decided.
But what to do about the curse? He wasn't a wizard and the breadth of his knowledge of witchcraft was limited to how to spot and fight it. He tried racking his brain for any recollection of sleeping curses and possible remedies but the only thing that came to his mind were the children's stories Miss Melanie had read to them at bedtime. His memory of those evenings was a little hazy; he mainly remembered the sound of her gentle voice lulling them all to sleep, a calloused hand brushing through his hair before blowing out the candle next to his bed. There was something about kisses in them?
Wolfwood frowned. He really wished Legato or even the Cardinal had been a bit more forthcoming with information. He was paid for his head-chopping skills with his very large sword, not for his curse-breaking prowess! He supposed he could just lug this prince over his shoulder and carry him out of the castle, asleep and all. Though he really hoped it wouldn’t come to that, mainly because he'd rather not carry another man halfway across two kingdoms, even a man as handsome as Blondie. Horses were also out; they did not like him very much as a rule. Whatever. He'd try the kiss thing, and if that did not work, he'd worry about his options then.
Mind made up, his gaze fell back down towards Sleeping Beauty on the bed. Suddenly, his mouth felt rather dry while he could feel his hands getting uncomfortably clammy. Right. He could do this. He licked his lips once to bring back a semblance of moisture to them, wincing at how chapped and dry they felt, before slowly bending down towards the man below him. Instinctively, he closed his eyes when he was just inches from Blondie's face. But just as he was about to close the gap between them, a sharp inhale from below made his eyes fly open again.
Eyes as blue and deep as the ocean were staring right at him and Wolfwood could swear he felt them pierce through his skin and layers of flesh right down to his very soul. Plush lips opened in a surprised oh. Prince Vash was awake.