Ch. 1. Golden slumbers

Dean was born in Master Robert's household.

Robert and Karen were a happily married couple. And they were happy despite everyone else's desires and opinions. Robert's father died disgusted with his son's choices in life, and his mother's last words for him on her deathbed were filled with hatred and disappointment. His mother and father never understood why he had to go and marry the girl, they had no problem with him fucking her in the dark, just like any other respectable angel would...

But Robert, hurt as he was decided to pursue his happiness nonetheless, he loved her madly so he didn't care to be ostracized from society just to be with the one he loved. You see, before Karen was his wife, before she was the reason his family turned their backs on him, before the scandal was sound and around, she was one of the many slaves working at his home.

There was nothing special about her, she wasn't particularly beautiful or bright, she just made the most delicious pies in the world and could read him like a book. She understood him like no one else could, and loved him like no one else did. So they were happy living in their home peacefully among their slaves.

Robert was a kind angel, and a very understanding one too. His marriage taught him respect for humans, he knew they were more than beasts to order around, so he tried to look out for the ones he owned. He treated them right and fair so they followed his orders without the need for him to be too strict, the punishments for misconduct were minimal in his house. That line of thought brought him many disdainful looks whenever he was in town and sometimes the cold shoulder from both the angel and demon community but he didn't care.

He retired from his seat at the Council and dedicated full time to his true passion: research and translations as Head of the Linguistics Department, partly because he was tired of the negative attention his marriage attracted, and mostly because he got bored of people and that position allowed him to work from home. He didn't like to interact with anybody except his wife and a handful of people, he thought of it as a bit tiresome and worthless, books were better company anyway and he really liked their quiet life, so for the majority of society he became a hermit by choice.

Mary was a house slave and John was Robert's overseer, and over the years they had two sons, Dean and Sam. The boys were trained from a very young age to be house slaves as well, one of the very first lessons they needed to learn was to be seen but not heard, and only talk when addressed.

It was easy for her to teach them that, she wasn't very talkative. Mary was purchased in one of the many travels the Master made and she didn't speak their language till Robert taught her the basics so she could move around the house properly and communicate with the rest, but she was never too articulate.

Since before Dean was two years old he followed his mother in order to learn the light chores. She would explain them in English first but whenever she needed to correct him or was in a hurry, her Gaelic would come out. Naturally, Dean was quite fluent in both languages. 'Mo chridhe' she called him and he reveled in the endearment, he was a small boy and she was his heart too.

By the age of three Dean was able to help in the kitchen while looking after his baby brother who was still too young to start his training. That didn't stop him from teaching the baby all he knew about the people, fruits and vegetables they came across, and everything about his small universe. He told him about their mom and father, the house they lived in, the family they belonged to, how to stay away from their elusive Master and what was expected of him as a slave. The baby didn't always understand what Dean was saying but he always looked at him with awe, his big brother was his everything.

Robert took interest in the boys since they were very young. When Dean was four years old he was dusting while being followed by his little brother, and as he believed their Master was out in town they wandered into the study even when he knew it was off limits for them.

The angel was quietly working on his desk when the two boys entered the room, he could see them but they were not able to from where they were standing. Robert was about to call their mother to take them out, he didn't like the prospect of being disturbed by babbling infants, but then he heard the older one talking, he was explaining to his baby brother the difference between numbers and letters. Robert thought it was funny, he was trying to explain something he knew nothing about because, how could he? so he kept listening till the boy tried to explain as well the difference between the letters in different languages.

The angel paid more attention then, he was very impressed. This boy was smart, if he could recognize different alphabets at his age he wondered what else was he capable of, so he cleared his throat to let them know they were not alone.

The expression on the older boy's face went from soft and animated to a panicked concern. Robert came closer to the boys in a calm manner, trying his best to not scare them but it was obvious they knew they had to be in trouble. He noticed that while Sam was trembling with fear and teary eyes, Dean, who was also trembling with not very concealed fear, placed himself between him and his brother, holding his hand. The angel was awestruck by this little guy, this brave and intelligent boy that was risking himself to protect his brother from an unknown fate, the same brother he was moments ago teaching about the ways of the world.

"Come with me, boys" was all he said and walked to the parlor sure the kids were following him. When they arrived, Karen, who was embroidering, lifted her eyes from her needlework and was confused by the mismatched expressions in the lot before her. Her husband was pensive while the older boy was deadly serious and the younger one was shedding quiet tears. "Could you please fetch John and Mary, darling?" said Robert with a soft voice.

When the parents arrived, they stood still at the scene and lowered their gazes in a respectful manner. "The boys were in the study" Master Robert said, and related to his audience what happened. "And when I interrupted them he was showing a Greek grammar book to the toddler". His voice was gruff and the boys flinched.

Karen was a bit worried, Mary was close to tears and John had a stern expression on his face. They all knew Dean was curious and was trying to learn how to read on his own using old newspapers in the kitchens, and even though Karen had confronted Dean once about this she let it be, he was just a boy and there was no way he would get too far alone. They hoped to be right and that there will be no need to fully punish the boy for that.

But still, entering the study was bad behavior enough to be scolded, while touching and messing with the Master's books was granted punishment. Karen loved her husband but she remembered just fine what it was to be a slave, and the wicked ways one of her old Masters reinforced conducts in his house. She knew Robert wasn't like that but she shared the wary expression of the children's parents.

"So, what do you have to say for yourself, boy?" Robert asked with a frown, he wasn't truly angry at them but it was the way he always went about things. Sam whimpered and Dean squared his shoulders and faced his fate. "I'm sorry Master, it won't happen again, I promise".

Robert was marveled by this creature, this brave little soul. "What I'm sorry about is that you are confusing Epsilon and Sigma, and that can't happen again, I will not tolerate being surrounded by illiterate boys. So, in addition to your chores, you will learn to read and write properly, starting tomorrow". Even he didn't know that was coming and the tension in the room was suddenly replaced by relief, joy, and bewilderment.

Dean took lessons, and when Sammy was old enough he did too, and by the time Dean was fourteen and Sam eleven, they were well versed in Latin, Greek, French, German, Sanskrit, and Enochian, and capable of reading and writing in several other dialects and languages, alive and dead ones. They even were translating, decoding and researching when Master Robert needed a hand with his work, which was on a daily basis. Dean was extremely intelligent and was Master Robert's favorite. The boy was capable to learn a new language by comparing it to another one he already knew from the same family. He loved puzzles so he usually would solve spells quicker than Robert himself, and worked on translations on his own, checked before publication but still correct and accurate every time. This was highly irregular as it was illegal for a slave to read and write, so the boys were not allowed to show their skills outside the House, or in the presence of a visitor. Robert didn't need more bad reputation and the punishment for the boys would have been more than brutal.

The boys didn't mind, in fact, it was almost like a game to listen and understand the topics on the meetings held at Master Robert's parlor while serving tea. Robert would question them later, and the more obscure the subject and used language, the better the prize they would earn. They were encouraged to learn and question everything they knew, as a good researcher would, so Master Robert always presented them new challenges they would willingly solve. Those were happy times.

Little bubbles tend to burst though, and one evening when Robert and Karen were returning home from the town they were followed by a hateful bunch that stated the wrongfulness of their marriage. Robert was an angel, but even his strength wasn't enough to face a gang of young demons and angels alike. The last thing he saw before an angel blade pierced his chest was his home caught on fire and the lifeless corpse of his wife hanging from a tree.

The fire took them all by surprise and many lives were lost. John, Mary, and some other house slaves perished before the fire extended from the house to the gardens and then to the adjacent fields, taking crops and cattle and everything it could reach. There was little to nothing to be saved, and as Robert had no family or heirs, everything was sold by the Council.

Sam and Dean were shocked when less than a week after the fire they were at the traders to be sold. They refused to let go of each other so they were chained separately. Sam was bought by a demon with yellow eyes and Dean was bought by a demon called Alistair. The last time they saw each other was in the back room after the auction. They were crying and screaming and Dean had to be knocked out in order to be taken away.

Master Robert had been an awful Master, he hadn't prepared them for real life.