A/N: Definitions! Yay! Here were go…

Deme= Tribe/District. There are 10 within Athens.

The Assembly (a.k.a Ecclesia)= all citizens (males over 18 born in Athens to citizens) gathered to create laws.

Council of Boule/500= Men over 30, 50 are chosen yearly from each deme to represent the people. Prepare legislation, conduct daily administration, and take care of foreign affairs.

Archons (Magistrates)= 9 men chosen by lot each year. In charge of religious festivals and preside over law courts.

Council of Elders (Areopagus)= Ex-Archons. They try crimes, are in charge of the justice system and the law. Gather on the Hill of Ares (a.k.a. Mars Hill) and take care of major trials (homicide, religious, and crimes against the government).

Court of Appeal (Heliaea)= 6000 jurors that are picked from lot each year. Paid to try all cases not heard by the Areopagus.

Strategoi= 10 men, 1 from each Deme. The assembly votes yearly by ballot and the position can be held more than once. In charge of the military (army and navy) and the defense of Athens.

Himation= Outer layer worn by both men and women.

Chiton= Inner layer worn by men.

Athens 490 B.C.

Castiel walked with purpose through the halls of the Council, his head buried in the scroll between his hands. He was checking over the legislation one more time before presenting it to the Council of Boule. As a citizen of Athens Castiel had no right to come before the Council with this legislation, he was breaking several laws to even appear before them uninvited. At a mere twenty years old Castiel had no right to be in the Council chambers, having to be ten years his senior to even be nominated to have such an honor. But Castiel could not wait ten years for this law to been seen or passed. The representatives of his Deme would just not listen, so Castiel hoped that the other four hundred and fifty would.

Castiel was the youngest of four sons and three sisters; three of his own brothers holding places of honor in the government themselves. Lucifer had been appointed to the Council of Elders this very year after serving as an Archon five years previous. The year that he had been an Archon had been the best for festivals and ceremonies, many people praising his talent and claiming the gods smiled down on him. Lucifer now had the duty to preside over trials at the Hill of Ares, bringing the law of Athens to the most critical of cases. Gabriel had been appointed to the Court of Appeal, going to trials every day to appear as juror during court. He was to cast his vote on guilt and make judgment on the punishment of the criminal. Gabriel was not particularly fond of his job, but he was paid daily so he never complained. And lastly Michael, the golden boy of the family, had been elected to become a Strategoi, leader of the Athenian army and navy. There was only one appointed from each Deme, making ten in total, and Michael had been chosen. Their father had been beside himself, the greatest feast that the family had ever seen was held in his sons honor.

This cast a great shadow on Castiel, a burden of great proportions that he had to lift. There was much to be expected from him, each of his brothers earning a seat in the government of Athens, something every Athenian dreamed of. Castiel only hoped of joining the Council of Boule once he reached thirty, but his dream was to become a part of the Council of Elders.

His hands shook as he neared the Council room, the voices from the men within reaching out towards him, clear and concise as the echoed off the polished marble walls. The hall was only a fraction of the beauty that was the city of Athens. The central buildings formed out of mountains of marble, gold and precious metals adorning the walls. There were sculptures and statues everywhere, the paint that covered them creating the idea that they were ready to walk off their pedestals. But no matter what beauty was seen in the city, it was no comparison to the future temple of Athena, the goddess that the city was named after. The temple was going to be a testament to the goddess, a monument built only for her worship. It will take years to build and thousands of men to form. It will stand on the top of the acropolis, a beacon that each citizen could look to for hope and guidance.

Castiel sent a quick pray to the goddess Athena for wisdom and guidance before entering the chamber, stealing himself against the reactions and scrutiny that he knew would be sent his way. The moment that he set foot in the Council's presence the room went silent. The 500 men were seated in a circle; each Deme assigned their own section. Every eye turned to him, several questioning while the majority settled on insolence. Not one person spoke, Castiel remained frozen in the doorway of the chamber, unsure as how to proceed.

The oldest of the Council spoke first, rising from his seat across the room, "Who are you young man?"

Castiel cleared his throat, shifting his weight before answering, "Castiel sir."

The man nodded, clasping his hands before him, "Castiel, that is Hebrew is it not?"

Castiel nodded, "Yes sir. My mother came from across the Mediterranean, from the lands of ancient Mesopotamia."

The man smiled, ushering Castiel into the room with one hand, "What is your purpose here Castiel?"

Castiel entered the center of the room, turning several times before deciding to face the man who had been speaking to him, his back to many of the council members, "I am here to speak to the Council, I have an issue that I must bring before you."

The man sat down, leaning his arms against his knees as he examined the boy, "And why did you not bring this before the leaders of your Deme?"

Castiel clutched the parchment tighter, "I did sir, but they would not listen."

The man leant back, motioning for Castiel to proceed, "Very well. You may speak."

Castiel took a deep breath before addressing the Council, "Gentlemen, I am the youngest son of Charlleus, a scribe. As you know, a man has his profession handed down from his father and is set in the profession for the rest of his life. But what if that man is unable to support his family in that profession, or does not contain the skills for that profession? He will wither away and die, a burden to society. What I have come to propose to you men is that you pass a law that allows a man, with adequate proof and reason, to change his profession to one that is more suitable to his talents and skills. I have written up my proposal should you choose to read it," Castiel placed the paper on an empty seat in the chamber before moving back to the middle of the room, "Thank you gentlemen for hearing my proposition." Castiel then placed his right hand on his chest and bowed.

The man nodded at Castiel, "Thank you Castiel. We shall look over it."

Castiel bowed one more time before leaving, his head held high. It was when he was out of the building and standing on the streets that Castiel's nerves finally hit him, everything from his stomach fighting to be let free. He bent over on the side of the road, his throat stinging with bile and eyes filling with tears as his stomach emptied its contents. Castiel's hands shook as he righted himself, knees quivering as he looked around him. Few people had noticed him, many ignoring him and passing him off as another drunk.

Wiping his mouth Castiel walked away from the building, heading towards his house. The walk took around ten minutes to arrive at the middle class section of Athens. The people who lived here were tradesmen and artists, those who created for the city of Athens. Charlleus' house was a modest one for the size of their family and of their wealth. There was nothing in excess or splendor, very unlike the rest of the city. Castiel felt that this was the only place that he could relax, where he did not have to put on a face and act in such a way. This home was his safe haven, a spot for him and him alone.

Castiel entered through the archway, vines hanging down between the arches, flowers blooming and giving off their own unique fragrances. Beyond the arches was the main courtyard, a fountain resembling Hestia placed in the center. The vines extended to the pillars, spiraling up and down the carved marble. The roof was open, letting the sunlight stream into the open space and illuminating the area. Castiel shrugged off his himation, leaving him in his chiton. His sandaled feet crossed the grass, the smell accentuated due to the fresh trimming.

Castiel passed through the court and up the three steps into the center of the house where every hallway eventually lead. The center room had three hallways branching from it. The Eastern lead to the girls room, the western to the boys. The north hallway leads to the master bedroom, kitchen, and bath. Beyond the house was a garden, a dozen olive trees providing shade to the rest of the plants and herbs. There were four couches in the center room, a facing the table that was placed between them. Gabriel was lounging on one of the couches, feet in the air and a bowl of dates and sugared fruit on his chest.

Castiel tried to move as silently as possible, not ready to deal with his brother's antics at the moment. Unfortunately it was not silently enough. Gabriel's head snapped up, a smile crawling across his face, "Cassie!" He swung his feet around, taking the bowl from his chest and placing it on the table before getting up to hug his brother. Castiel was stiff as his brothers arms encased him, Gabriel lifting him into the air for a moment before putting him back down. Gabriel sat on the edge of the table, popping a date into his mouth before speaking, "So how'd it go Cassie?"

Castiel rearranged the himation on his arm, focused on the fabric and not on his brother, "It went well, they listened to the proposal and agreed to read over the legislation. The seed has been planted, now we just need to wait for it to grow."

Gabriel smiled around the fruit that was on his lips, his free hand coming out to smack Castiel on the arm, "Well done Cassie boy! We'll make a fine Athenian out of you yet."

Castiel sighed, leaving his brother behind him as he walked to his room. The room was simple, his bed underneath the window on the far wall, desk across from it and shelves beside it. Castiel placed the himation on his bed before moving to sit at his desk. The wood was well used and chipped, the years that Castiel had spent learning on it had taken it's toll. Castiel took one of the parchments that were stacked in the corner of the desk, laying it flat beside a blank document. Taking a deep breath Castiel put his pen to the parchment and started to write.