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There was no way in hell; Michael was going to leave Castiel alone in the cabin with the Phoenix. The Frenchman heard tales which depicted the half Brit in a dastardly light. He wouldn't be surprised if Winchester discovered a way to be rid of the manacles holding him down. Michael's artic blue eyes landed on Balthazar, who spoke with the ship's cabin boy, Gabriel. He whistled at the blond pirate to capture his attention. Balthazar whipped his head Michael's way. He instructed Gabriel to rinse each cabin's chamber pot. The seventeen year old rolled his honey colored eyes. That was his least favorite task as cabin boy.
Balthazar approached Michael with a grin on his face. The wind had picked up in the last ten minutes. Balthazar's white lawn shirt whipped with the breeze. "What can I help you with, mon ami?"
Michael nodded towards the cabin Dean was being held prisoner in. "Castiel needs Anna to come and attend the Phoenix?"
Balthazar's blond brows rose almost an inch. "Are you serious? He should let that filthy chien rot."
"I couldn't agree more but our captain has set his mind to heal Winchester's injury. He's afraid the Duke will not give us the ransom if his son dies during the voyage home."
"I do not like this one bit," Balthazar said as he spat on the wood floor. He turned on his boot heels and headed to the ship's nursery. He knew he would find Anna there. It was her sanctuary onboard. All the crewmembers knew to stay away from Anna. She was basically Castiel's souer. Right before L'Ange Bleu's maiden voyage, Castiel warned his men that if any of them tried to lay a finger on the petite redhead, he would personally castrate them. He patted his dagger as he said the word castrate. Balthazar also threated the crew.
The blue eyed pirate entered the plant nursery. The strong scent of herbs and poultices assaulted his nostrils. Anna stood over a wooden counter mixing a green leafy plant into a poultice of some sort. She wore an old green wool dress. Balthazar loved seeing her in that color because it brought out the forest green specks in her hazel eyes.
He cleared his throat to garner her attention. Anna froze. "What do you want, Balthazar?" The petite redhead stiffened.
Balthazar nervously licked his lips. "Castiel requests your presence. The prisoner's injury is more serious than we believed it to be."
Anna shrugged. "Why should I care? He should rot in hell for what his pere did to my family."
Balthazar strolled closer to her. "Castiel has his reasons. He despises the Phoenix as much as you do."
"Fine but I must restrain myself from poisoning that rat." Anna brought with her the bowl she had been mixing. Balthazar walked two feet behind her.
Twenty five year old Anna Ulliel is Castiel's cousin and only living relative. Both of their late fathers had been brothers. The Ulliel family was one of France's most affluent. That was until the Duke of Winchester turned the family into the angry mobs during the Revolution. The British nobleman ingratiated himself into the Ulliel family. He started a business partnership with the two brothers. John Winchester even promised Jacob, Anna's father the beautiful girl would marry his heir. He signed a fake document proclaiming this. Everything changed for the worse one stormy evening. That was the night; the Duke led a blood thirsty mob into the Ulliel Chateau in Montpellier.
The malevolent and greedy duke stole all the gold coins and jewelry from the Ulliel family's vault before fleeing under the cover of darkness. The man was never heard from again. The angry peasant mob hurled rocks through all of the chateau's windows. The first floor doors rattled as large groups tried bringing them down. Most of the family's servants managed to escape. The most loyal suffered a tragic end as most of the Ulliel family.
Castiel fought with his father Joshua because he wanted to help keep their home safe. He was barely in his teens. So his father and uncle locked the blue eyed boy and his younger cousin inside a cupboard in the cellar. Castiel was so desperate in wanting to stay; he ripped a silver locket his mother always wore around her delicate neck. She kissed him hard on the forehead before saying goodbye. "Soyez fort, mon age"
The night felt as if it would never end for the two youngsters. Anna shook as her cousin held her in his arms. Their mothers' blood curdling screams for help rang across the chateau. Castiel sang Anna a lullaby to soothe the shivering girls' nerves. Hours later, Castiel held Anna's hand tightly as he slowly opened the cupboard. The entire estate was silent as a tomb.
The two youngsters rushed to the servants' wing of the chateau and put on workers' clothing. They made sure the coast was clear before burying their parents' remains in the vast rose garden, Castiel's mother was so proud of. The twosome walked for days, until miraculously they came upon Balthazar and Michael. Castiel and Anna were unaware the two young men were mercenaries. Balthazar was almost seventeen, when they first met him. He instantly took Anna under his wing. Castiel at first was not too trusting of the older boy's motives. Anna fell in love with Balthazar the first evening the four of them set up camp, when Balthazar placed his only blanket over her shivering form.
Castiel and Michael began flirting early in their relationship. Michael was a runaway gypsy, who had always been an outcast among his people due to his sire being a French nobleman. He was tall for an adolescent boy with raven hair and intense, frosty artic blue eyes and olive skin. After Castiel informed Michael what the bastard duke had done to his and Anna's family, the leader of the quartet came clean with him.
Castiel surprised him by asking Michael to teach him to fight and how to effectively use a sword and dagger. In no time he taught his blood thirsty pupil to be a cunning mercenary. Castiel started joining Michael and Balthazar on many of their missions. Eventually, the trio purchased an estate in the outskirts of Rome. That is where Anna taught herself to grow herbs and plants.
Years passed and Anna decided one evening to declare her love to Balthazar. She wore her prettiest muslin flowered gown and braided her long auburn hair. She took along with her a bottle of red wine and went to the stables, where Balthazar spent most of his time grooming horses. As she hastily entered, her heart beat wildly. She inhaled and exhaled deeply. She was close to the last stall which Balthazar was in. Anna received the shock of her life. She heard female giggles and moaning coming from within. Anna approached the stall. A buxom harlot from the village's tavern had Balthazar pressed against the wall. They kissed passionately. One of the wench's hands stroked Balthazar's exposed member.
Anna dropped the wine bottle on the hay covered ground. It shattered into pieces. Most of the wine landed on her pristine dress. Balthazar swiftly dropped the strumpet to the ground. Anna fled humiliated.
"Ma belle fleur, this is not what it looks like!" a frazzled Balthazar exclaimed.
Anna wiped tears from her hazel eyes and ran inside the estate, where she cried her eyes out to Castiel. Balthazar pounded on the chamber door incessantly. The cousins ignored him. He screamed for so long, his voice gave out. "Anna, please let me explain s'il–vous plait. This is all a misunderstanding!"
Castiel opened the door. Balthazar briefly saw Anna's big eyes filled with tears. She remained sitting on the canopied bed. This was a sight he would never forget. He shattered her heart at such a delicate age. He was a cochon.
"If you know what is best for you, leave maintenant! I have an urge to rid you of your manhood," Castiel hissed as he removed his dagger from his waist and pointed at Balthazar's cock.
Tears swam in Balthazar's eyes. "Perdonnez-moi, ma petite fleur," Balthazar said sincerely to Anna before leaving.
Anna was taken away from the painful memory as she approached Michael, who stood sentry outside the prisoner's cabin. "I will fetch your medicinal basket. I stabbed the Phoenix on the stomach. He probably requires stitching." Balthazar left.
When Michael opened the door for her, Anna was greeted by a thrashing manacled man. Castiel leaned against the wall. "Took you long enough! He has a fever and has started to lose coherence. He only babbles."
"I am doing this for you. He could die a slow and painful death for all I care." She approached the Phoenix. Her eyes landed on the red, angry stab wound. "The injury is infected. Balthazar is fetching my basket."
"Merci, cousin," Castiel held her hands briefly.
Gabriel, the cabin boy knocked on the door before entering. He adjusted his wool cap. "Do you need my assistance?" His eyes widened upon seeing the deranged chained man on the bed.
"Bring me a kettle of valerian tea. This will make him drowsy and help him fall asleep." Gabriel nodded and rushed outside.
Michael and Balthazar soon entered the cabin. The smell of sickness already permeated the enclosed chamber. Michael opened the porthole to let fresh air in. Gabriel quickly sauntered inside with the valerian root tea. He poured a generous amount in a tin cup. Anna added brandy. She instructed the four men to hold the prisoner down.
Michael and Balthazar each held a thrashing ankle down to the mattress. Castiel and Gabriel held the Phoenix's wrists. Anna held his head and was able to pour the contents of the cup slowly. Once Dean's eyes became glossy and started to droop, the four men released him. Castiel placed his head on his lap. He smoothed the prisoner's wet hair. He placed the tin cup by his mouth so Dean could finish drinking the laced tea.
"How long before he falls asleep?" He asked.
"Not long, I mixed valerian root with passionflower. The brandy also will help. He will be out as a log in fifteen minutes." Anna and Gabriel prepared the shepherd's poultice which would stop the internal and external bleeding. She instructed Gabriel to bring her the bottle of brandy. Anna would use it to sterilize the needle that she would use to stitch the wound.
Twenty minutes passed. Michael and Balthazar remained standing by the door in case the Phoenix regained consciousness during the procedure. Michael hissed as Anna began to stitch the side of the dosing man's abdomen with thread and needle. Castiel playfully hit him on the arm. "You are un grand enfant."
After Anna stitched the wound perfectly, she instructed Gabriel to pour brandy over it. Castiel thanked her. "I will spend the night here. I want to make sure he recovers. Tell me what I have to do."
Anna instructed him how to apply the shepherd's purse poultice every two hours to prevent the bleeding from reoccurring. Also, Castiel had to give him sage tea every four hours to make the fever go away. Castiel went over the instructions and then told everyone to leave.
Michael remained in the cabin after the other three occupants left. "I do not want you alone with him. I will never trust that bastard. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree." He glared at the unconscious man.
Castiel caressed Michael's jaw. "I know how to defend myself. After all I learned from the best." He kissed Michael tenderly. "Go have dinner and then off to bed. I know it's been a harrowing day for all of us."
"If he tries anything against you; I will personally gut him open." He bade Castiel good night and vacated the cabin.
Castiel stood by the porthole and gazed at the full moon. It illuminated the inside of the dark cabin and outlined Winchester in blue light. Castiel was extremely tired. All he desired was to sleep for days. He removed his lawn shirt, boots, stockings and trousers. Castiel joined Winchester in bed. He adjusted the chains to make himself comfortable. Dean was shirtless.
Castiel placed his hands over the slumbering man's burning chest. The fever remained. The Frenchman removed the Phoenix's trousers and wrapped his arms across the wounded man's torso. He covered their bodies with a blanket. Dean's body continued shaking due to the infection. He remembered to apply the poultice again. After he gingerly massaged it into the stitched wound, Castiel spooned his enemy's son.
He touched his swollen lower lip for a few seconds. That was the result of Dean biting him after he forced a kiss on the half Brit. Castiel pressed his hand on the left side of Dean's chest to make sure his heart was beating normally. He closed his eyes as he held tighter to the dozing man. Castiel hated himself for feeling so protective over someone he'd sworn himself to hate.
Translations:
mon ami-my friend
chien-male dog
souer-sister
Soyez fort, mon ange-Be strong, my angel
ma belle fleur-my beautiful flower
cochon-pig
maintenant-now
grand enfant-big baby