Chapter Eighteen:

When he had found out that Castiel was being tortured by Chuck's henchman, Dean had thought that he could not be angrier if he tried.

He was wrong.

He was situated outside of Baby's stable stall, and the truth of the last three years was staring him in the face.

Words from Prince Chuck's own hand. His cockiness had allowed him to write his schemes as stories, but Dean would make him regret this folly.

Because he now knew the truth. The Queen was not ill. She was a captive, just like Cas, and had been for years. She was a figurehead for her brother's combative rule. Queen Amara had not called Cas back into action so long ago – Chuck had.

And now she was trapped in the castle, the same one in which Dean ate and slept and had apparently been so blind. Chuck was more of a monster than Dean knew if he could have his own sibling locked away.

Dean felt grieved and guilty. He had intended to find out where Cas was and set off to rescue him immediately. But though The Pit was mentioned, clues as to its precise whereabouts were not. The Queen's location, however, was there in the fine print - including the secret entrance.

Dean bit his lip, thinking hard. Queen Amara was a powerful goddess, and perhaps the only one that could rival Chuck. It was clear that the only reason the prince had not killed her was because they shared a cosmic blood connection. Hurting her could destroy him as well. It was no wonder he had trapped her and lied to the public about her health instead.

There was no doubt about it. Queen Amara was his best hope to end Prince Chuck and ultimately save Cas.

Dean knew it was true, but he still hated it. He prayed Cas could hold out for him, and it pained him greatly not to be going directly to his rescue. If he had any inkling of where The Pit was, he would have gone without question, Queen Amara and her power be damned.

But he didn't. And he couldn't.

Dean stood up from his spot on the ground and heaved a heavy sigh. He pet Baby's head, hoping it would not be for the last time now that his mission was more dangerous than ever.

"Wish me luck, old girl," he said, and Baby nuzzled against his hand.

The great thing about Prince Chuck was that he trusted very few with his secrets. The guards at the main gate had no knowledge of his more dastardly plans than Dean himself had until recently. They had no clue that the prince would very much like to see Dean dead in the near future.

And so Dean was able to pass them without incident when he entered the castle grounds. A couple of the men even nodded their heads respectfully as he passed. He was the royal betrothed, after all.

Once he was beyond them and in the castle, he began to walk more quickly, following the mantra of directions that were stuck in his head.

Down the main hall. Left. Right. Down two flights of stairs. Right. Past the painting which depicted Lucifer's Fall from Grace. Another right. Another left.

He'd never been to this area of the castle before. The lower floors were generally reserved for servant chambers. And apparently prisoners.

And then, there it was. Even as a seasoned hunter who was used to finding small details, it would have been easy to miss. The section of wall was unassuming, and the large stone in the center was no different than a hundred other stones throughout the castle. But Dean knew its secret, and upon closer inspection, he could see the thin gaps separating that section of wall from the rest.

Dean took a deep breath and pressed the center stone with his palm. It depressed like a button at his touch. Immediately the wall segment began to turn on an axis, revealing the secret passage behind it.

Ugh, thought Dean. Freaking Chuck, man. What a cliché.

Dean quickly stepped through to the other side of the wall and waited for it to complete its rotation back into place. Once he was sure his tracks were covered, he pulled out his Demon blade. Unfortunately, he knew it would not be enough.

According to Chuck's manuscript, Queen Amara's chamber was consistently guarded by two angels at all times. If he followed this hallway around two corners, he would run right into them. If he waited, they would no doubt find him during their hourly patrols.

There was nothing for it. He had no blade that would work on angel. On a good day, he might manage to wrestle a weapon away from one and come out the victor.

Not two, though.

Blood would have to be shed. Specifically, his.

Zachariah and Uriel were bored out of their skulls. Guarding Queen Amara's prison chamber was always desperately dull. The two angels would much rather be out traipsing around the countryside, smiting demons and vampires and the occasional human when the mood struck. They would much rather be preparing new angels for the war Prince Chuck had promised them.

But tonight was guard duty.

"Have you ever thought that this is overkill, Uriel?" Zachariah asked his companion. "Like, does Prince Chuck really need us to guard Amara when her powers have been bound, and no one has ever come looking for her?"

Though Uriel was just as bored with his post, he could never find the candor of Zachariah. "You're blaspheming again, Zachariah. You're lucky the prince is not here."

Zachariah rolled his eyes. "It's just between us, Uriel. While I don't intend to tell the prince to his face, even you must agree that this is pointless? No one ever comes down here –"

Suddenly there was a crashing sound down the hallway.

Uriel and Zachariah shared a quick look of shock before pulling out their Angel blades and striding towards the source of the noise. They rounded one corner, and then the second, and that's where they found Dean Winchester. He had his back to the wall and was clutching a bloody wound on his arm.

The two angels shared another look. They both knew of Chuck's plan to kill Dean, but they also knew that the prince wanted things done his way, in his own time. However, if Dean had found this secret passage, it was quite likely that the so-called jig was up.

Dean grinned at them. "What's up, Uriel? Zachy?"

Zachariah glared at the petulant nickname, and neither angel lowered their blade. "Nothing much, Dean-o," Zachariah spat. "We're right where we're supposed to be. You, on the other hand…"

"Ah, yeah. Chuck said you'd be surprised I was here. But where's the other guy? He said there would be three angels…"

Uriel frowned, and Zachariah squinted slightly, confirming for Dean that it really was just the two of them. It was all he needed to know.

The two angels realized what they'd revealed, and suddenly they were both lurching towards him with their Angel blades. But Dean was already moving. He jumped aside to expose the bloody symbol that had been hidden on the wall behind him.

"No, do-" started Uriel, but he could not finish the statement before Dean slapped the angel banishing mark with a bloody hand.

The effect was immediate. The two angels erupted into chaotic light, blinding and hot, and then they were gone. Elsewhere. Nowhere. Dean didn't know or care. He'd bought himself some precious time. Thank you, Cas, he thought, for it was the former angel that had taught him that illegal trick many years ago. Just in case.

Dean hurried down the hall and found the door at the end. He was surprised to find it unlocked and threw it open eagerly. He stepped inside the room. Most of the chamber was behind an outfit of cell bars, with a door that was chained shut with a large padlock. Inside the cell was a thin mattress and…

A woman. Who was staring at him.

Dean walked towards the cell. "Queen Amara?"

The woman stood up from her spot on the mattress and approached him. Dean noticed that despite how tired she looked, she still had a demeanor of unmistakable grace. "Not Queen anymore so much as prisoner, but yes. I am Amara. Who are you?"

"Dean Winchester."

The Queen's face lit up with recognition. "THE Dean Winchester? My brother never shuts up about you. Although…not in the best of ways. He plans to kill you, you know."

"I know," replied Dean. "I read his stories. They're trash, but that's how I found you. I want to help you and ask for your help finishing Chuck in return."

Amara looked at him shrewdly. "Are you a witch, Dean?"

"No."

"Then you cannot help me."

Dean touched the padlock on the cell door. "It might take me awhile, but I can break this lock."

"It's not that puny lock! My powers are bound. I have no magic or strength. It does not matter if I can leave this room if Chuck can throw me right back in. I'm no match, and neither are you."

Dean rubbed his face in agitation. He should have known it would not be that easy. "Okay, so…to get your powers back, we need a witch?"

"Yes. A powerful one."

Dean nodded. "Okay. Then I'll find you one, and we'll take out Chuck together."

"Oh, Dean. Do you really think I'd let that happen?" said a voice behind him.

The hunter turned on the spot and slashed haphazardly with his Demon blade, but Prince Chuck merely disappeared and reappeared out of Dean's reach. "Really? You know that won't kill me."

"I don't care if it kills you!" Dean shouted, unable to keep his anger in check now that Chuck was in sight. "I want you to hurt, Chuck. Like you're hurting Cas!"

Chuck put on a pitying expression. "Not anymore. He's dead. I killed him a little while ago."

"No," said Dean, and it took everything in him not to let his knees give way. "No!" He made another attempt to slash at Chuck, but the god merely did his reappearing act again.

"Don't worry. You'll join him soon. But after the wedding, of course."

And then the Prince reached out and placed a hand to Dean's head, putting him immediately to sleep. Before his body could crumple to the floor, Chuck snapped his fingers and relocated Dean to his bedroom. He would stay locked there until the wedding. For his own good.

Chuck turned to face Amara, who was gazing stoically at him through the bars of her cell. "Sorry you had to see that, Sis," he said. "But don't worry, there shouldn't be any more visitors bothering you."

If looks could kill, Chuck would have been dead a thousand times over.