Chapter 7

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I hope you would enjoy this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it.

"You better have one hell of a good explanation as to why you are holding my necklace," the prince spat, his eyes burning holes in Castiel's lowered face.

He moved closer and snatched the necklace from Castiel's hand.

"That necklace was in the box I explicitly told you not to touch."

The slave remained silent, he was considering what to say and do, the problem was that the prince wasn't a patient man under normal circumstances, and now even less.

"Answer me!" he shouted and lifted Castiel face by his chin.

"My lord I didn't try to steal it…" Castiel answered in a low voice.

"I didn't say anything about stealing it," he interrupted him with a smug voice and released his chin with slightly more force than necessary. "I just asked you why you were holding it."

'Crap' Castiel could have kicked himself; he had just dug his own grave.

"My lord, I know that the word of a slave isn't worth much…"

"Don't give me that groveling crap!" the prince spat, his patience wearing thin. The slave lowered his head at his prince's anger.

"I don't think you are stupid or greedy enough to try and steal it." He moved away and circled Castiel, trapping him, making him feel vulnerable.

"And even if you are, there are many valuable objects in the palace that nobody would notice when they are gone. Instead you looked for this of all things." He came to stand in front of Castiel again.

The slave remained frozen.

"I don't know why I even have a conversation with you at all, you are just a slave!" His frustration was visible.

He turned from the slave and placed a hand over his eyes in an attempt to make himself calm down, before he lost control.

When he turned back his voice was lower but he was far from calm. "Look at me!" he ordered and the slave obeyed.

"I am not one to make a verdict without proof," he tried a different approach.

"You were found with the necklace in your hands, with a witness to your crime no less. There is no point in covering for the one who sent you, it's clear that it's not your doing."

He came closer to Castiel and looked right into his eyes. "Tell me the truth," he said in a soft voice, almost asking. "And I will not hold you responsible, OK?"

"I am sorry my lord, I honestly don't have a better answer for you."

The prince's eyes narrowed again.

The slave fell to the floor bowing his head in the most profound way he could. "I will never lie to you my lord," he said simply. "I didn't try to steal your most precious possession and I work for no one but you."

"You mock me!" the prince stated in renewed anger.

"NO my lord," Castiel tried but the prince, in his anger, refused to listen.

"Get out of my sight!" he shouted. "I hereby find you guilty…" The furious prince approached the bowing slave, towering over him like an active volcano.

"No… please!" Castiel tried again.

"… And I will hand you your punishment within an hour."

"Guard!" the prince yelled and a guard came in.

"Take him to his quarters," he ordered. "Make sure he will stay there, and no one is allowed to see him!"

The guard grabbed Castiel by his arm, lifted him from the floor and dragged him out of the room.

The door to Castiel's room slammed open and Castiel was roughly thrown in. He landed on the hard floor but managed to keep himself from sustaining any real injury.

"You have an hour," the guard stated. "If I were you, I would come to terms with my maker before the actual meeting." With an evil smirk filled with delight he got out and slammed the door behind him.

Castiel lifted himself to his bed and set on it with a small humph.

The events of the past hour came flashing back in his mind; he saw himself coming through the prince's door, the terrified young slave who understood he was caught, and the prince's fury.

He hadn't been prepared for what had happened, he hadn't counted on someone else being involved, quite the contrary. But he didn't regret his decision to not reveal the young slave as the criminal or more accurately sacrifice him.

Prince Sam's mysterious departure and the sending of an inexperienced slave to do a job so delicate, was a clear sign that the young slave was a scapegoat.

He had underestimated his foes, only now did he understand the full extent of the plot, but it was too late now. He could do nothing to change it.

Castiel mentally kicked himself for not seeing it earlier, it was so obvious now. If Gabriel was the one sent to get the necklace and somehow managed to get caught (unlikely as it was), that would have been like a huge *I am guilty* sign on prince Sam. But this slave belonged to Lady Jo, so even if he got caught, this would never be linked to Prince Sam or Chuck.

Furthermore the young slave's failure would only have resulted in his own immediate death. The whole thing would have been considered as an independent act of a young and stupid slave and would not be handled with the proper importance. Those behind it would be safe and the only one who suffered would be the slave.

Castiel had to admit, it was a win-win situation. Had the slave succeed in his mission; excellent. But if he failed, he would be the only one who suffered.

Of course he could have told the prince everything, but after he was caught *red-handed* his already fragile credibility was severely damaged; the crown prince would never believe him over his beloved brother. He could have blamed it on the young slave but the poor slave that probably didn't even know he had been manipulated, would just be put to death and the prince and Chuck would get away unharmed.

This way or another he wasn't going to win.

He got up and started pacing aimlessly in the room.

He knew what was to come. A slave's life wasn't worth much as it was and one's who stole from his master was worth even less. Castiel knew he was likely walking to his death, but he would go nonetheless. He would not save himself and condemn the poor slave to death for following an order he had no choice but to obey.

'There has to be another way. There has to be a way for me out of it!' he thought in frustration while his mind tried to find a solution. Much like Gabriel he'd had his fair share of coming up with ingenious ideas. He wasn't as deviously cunning as Gabriel but then again nobody was.

'It's just a necklace for crying out loud, isn't it a bit over the top?'

He sat back on the bed.

He wasn't afraid of death. In fact he had wished for it many times before.

Back home he'd had a mission to fulfill and he'd failed miserably. The guilt was more than he could bare and he just wanted it all to be over. He couldn't care less about what would happen to him, he only cared about Anna. She had suffered the most from his mistakes so he had tried to make sure she at least got across the border safely. He couldn't have foreseen the amount of soldiers that would be waiting for them on the other side. He had tried to draw their pursuers away from her so she could escape along with her personal guards, but failed and ended up being caught along with her.

A slave only existed in the present; he didn't have a past, or a future. He didn't have the next day, the next hour, not even the next minute. He only existed right there and then. So a slave couldn't have dreams and hopes and Castiel did his best to forget. Forget all that he was and all that he wished to be.

All that had changed when he was reunited with Gabriel. He finally allowed himself to hope again.

He hoped that even if he couldn't turn back time, he could at least make amends for all that had happened in his land, partially by his own fault and all of what his people had been through.

He hoped he could make a difference, that he could make all that had happened to him mean something.

Mostly he hoped that maybe from this position he could make a change.

That hope that had kept him going minute after minute, day after day, that had made him desperately cling to life, was slowly fading away.

He raised his hands and cupped his face in them. Their coldness and the darkness that they provided eased him a bit.

The image of Gabriel came up to his mind.

He let his hands fall back into his lap in frustration. All that effort he and Gabriel had put into making the prince like him and basically surviving had been washed away in a matter of hours.

And Anna who loved him like a brother, who was willing to go with him to the end of the world and almost did, and who unknowingly had predicted his fall, would be left alone.

He was letting them both down in the end.

He had failed again and he would pay for that, but at least now something good would come out of it; the young slave could be saved, he would live. The slave that would never know how close he had been to death and who it was that had really saved him and what he had sacrificed for that.

He let his eyes travel aimlessly across the room. He didn't want to think about anything any more, he just wanted to lose himself in those last moments he still had.

Eventually his gaze landed on his open hands at his knees. They were trembling a bit so he clasped them together to make them stop.

"After everything I have been through, before and after the exile, now is the first time I truly feel alone. Gabriel and Anna can't do anything to help me," he said in a low voice.

"I'll have to face the prince alone and hope he will be merciful."

A loud knock on the door told him it was time.

He got up. He wasn't so keen to leave but there was no point in delaying the inevitable and making the prince angrier by letting him wait too long was not going to give him anything.

He reached out and grabbed the door handle, but he couldn't bring himself to open the door.

He turned around and looked at the room one more time. Those temporary quarters had been his home and refuge for the past few weeks and he really hadn't thought he would depart from them under these circumstances.

Another minute passed and he still couldn't move away. He scanned the room one more time, saying goodbye, not just to the room but to his last hope of redemption.

He turned the door handle and got out.

The guard was waiting for him. "It's about time," he said with an annoyed tone. Castiel didn't bother to answer.

The guard led Castiel out of the slave's residential section and into the main hall that diverged into the different wings of the palace.

The recent events were a big secret, so naturally, as someone old and wise once said, the whole palace knew about it and consequently the whole palace also came to see Castiel's death march.

Strange voices expressed their owners opinion about him, while others made very complex calculations and predictions about his survival chances, taking into account his physical appearance, beauty and character, as well as the way the prince had allegedly woken up this morning, his usual hot temper, his impatience and his affection or aversion to angels in general and to this one in particular.

Castiel ignored them firmly; he couldn't care less about them right now.

For the first time ever since he'd gotten here, Castiel raised his head high in pride and walked through the crowd. If he was going to his death then he would go with his head up high, like how he really was and not like the slave he had become.

The guard led him through the many corridors of the palace that led to the prince's room. The way to the prince's room was longer then he remembered and he really wasn't focusing on the road so he was grateful to be led by someone. Eventually he was there and he wasn't alone.

Balthazar was also there waiting to be allowed in.

Castiel made his best effort to not make any eye contact with Balthazar. He couldn't give him the pleasure of seeing him at his downfall.

From the corner of his eyes he could see Balthazar's smug grin spread all over his nice face. He reminded him of a rose, so beautiful from afar and yet so dangerous at close hand. One wrong move and blood could be shed.

"I heard about your little adventure, my friend," he whispered to Castiel.

"Well, rumors do tend to move fast here," Castiel remarked as if nothing of it concerned him.

"Perhaps I wasn't clear. I didn't hear some rumor. The story was reported to me."

Castiel tilted his head and Balthazar moved a bit closer to the angel and said, "I know everything! The plot, the conspiracy, the framing, I know all of it."

Castiel's head turned to him. "How…" he said before he could stop himself.

Balthazar grin changed to a huge and evil smirk. "I will tell you because you are a dead man already; all of it is my doing."

Castiel moved away as far as he possibly could. Balthazar's closeness made him feel sick. If he was lucky he might be able to get Balthazar to incriminate himself, he only hoped that the prince was listening.

"Don't flatter yourself too much Balthazar," he stated pretending not to care.

A light shiver went through Balthazar's body and if Castiel hadn't been so distracted he would have probably noticed it.

"How else would I have known that you are being accused of stealing the crown prince's necklace and in fact been framed by one of Lady Jo's slaves?" he asked.

Castiel's eyebrow only rose in a nonchalant way. "You could have heard about it from the guard at the door. We both know how close you two are, don't give yourself credit you don't deserve Balthazar."

Again the shiver appeared.

"I am responsible for your death!" Balthazar stated firmly. "A week ago I heard about Prince Sam's dilemma. I went to him and offered him my service at getting the necklace in exchange for his help with the whole personal slave thing. He told me he didn't want his personal slave involved so I offered to send someone else. Guess who."

Castiel's face stiffened. "You sent that young slave to steal the necklace? You set him up?"

Balthazar nodded with clear satisfaction. "Yes, he is young and stupid. It wasn't too hard to trick him. All I had to do was promise him he would be freed and sent back to his family if he did this tiny job for me." Balthazar burst out with laughter. "That idiot actually believed me."

Castiel suppressed the urge to kill him right there and then. "So I guess the framing thing was also your doing?" he barely managed to say.

"Oh no…" Balthazar confessed while getting himself calm again. "That was all his idea. Quite surprising, honestly. What do you know? That boy might have a huge potential. I might take him under my care and teach him a thing or two."

For once Castiel completely agreed with Balthazar. Keeping the young slave nearby and training him to be deadly and devious was a sure way to guarantee that Balthazar wouldn't live to see his next decade.

"But do you know what else he is?" Balthazar asked.

"What?" Castiel said, not really asking.

Balthazar came closer to Castiel again and whispered in his ear. "Expendable."

Castiel drew back from him as if he had been set on fire. "You are a despicable man, you know that?" His breath sped up with anger.

"Maybe, but I am a despicable living man. You on the contrary are not."

"Isn't it a bit dangerous for you?" Castiel changed the subject.

"I have been a loyal servant to this house for a very long time so I have the prince's trust," he proudly declared. "Besides who would believe you?"

"I meant trying to steal the necklace."

Balthazar rolled his eyes at Castiel and feigned stupidity.

"Huh… you worry about me… I'm touched, but really, who would link it to me?"

With that Castiel really couldn't argue. "Why are you here, anyway? It's not like you are involved."

"I don't know," he admitted. "I was summoned."

Whatever Castiel had wanted to answer was lost when the door in front of them opened.

Castiel and Balthazar were led in front of the crown prince, who was seated in a comfortable sofa, calmly staring at the two slaves in front of him. They bowed in respect and waited for the prince to speak.

At first the prince didn't say anything; he just looked back and forth between the two slaves.

The tension was unbearable and the continued silence was only making things worse.

Eventually the crown prince spoke.

"I am sure you both know what happened here an hour ago." It was a statement, not a question.

"The reason I've asked both of you to come here is because it directly affects who will be my personal slave."

And Castiel thought the situation couldn't get any worse. Not only was he going to depart from this world, the last thing he was going to see was Balthazar's victory.

"But before I declare the one who will be my personal slave, I will give you another chance to redeem yourself. Admit your crime and I will not punish you severely."

The prince didn't look at or speak to Castiel directly, but Castiel had no doubt he was referring to him.

The conversation he'd had with Balthazar only strengthened his decision not to incriminate the young slave and he sure as hell wasn't going to formally take the fault for something he hadn't done, so he kept quiet.

The prince's gaze wandered to Castiel. There was something there but Castiel couldn't tell exactly what.

"Castiel, are you sure you have nothing to say?" he asked in a calm voice.

Castiel tried to calm himself as much as possible as he answered. "No my lord, I don't."

The prince's eyes narrowed. "Are you sure? You were caught red handed… This is the last chance you'll have."

Castiel nodded his head and said, "I understand that my lord, yet I didn't commit the crime I am accused of and I will not admit to a crime I didn't commit."

"Let's say I believe you, who then did try to steal my necklace? Are you going to frame the young boy?"

Out of the corner of his eye Castiel could see Balthazar shift uncomfortably. 'So he isn't as sure as he pretends to be.'

"No my lord," he answered honestly. "I don't believe the young slave is to blame, yet I can't answer your question as to who else is guilty."

The prince lowered his gaze and seemed to ponder about something. When he spoke again his gaze was directed at Balthazar.

'Something is off,' Castiel thought. 'The way the prince looked at Balthazar…'

"And you Balthazar? Do you have anything to confess to?"

The prince was trapping Balthazar with his gaze, who looked a bit nervous at the unexpected attention but other then that remained completely calm and collected.

"Well Balthazar? Do you have something to confess?" the prince repeated his question.

"Me my lord?..." he asked calmly with his nervousness barely noticeable in his voice. "Why would I have something to confess?"

"Are you sure?" the prince tried again.

"Yes, my lord," he said confidently.

"Very well," the prince said and got up.

The two slaves bowed down as the prince came close to them.

"I have made my decision."

A/N:

I know I promised to update really soon but I was really sick this week, so it took me longer to update than I expected.

Please read and review... it keeps me going.