Crowley and Aziraphale were in Rome, They were having oysters when Crowley remembered why he was in Rome at all and so they went their separate ways. Crowley had gone back to his house and taken off his fancier clothes before he headed out.

Of course he would do the most stupid of things as to not take his ring with him, he was captured by the guards and taken to the slave rooms. One of the guards recognised his eyes and put a consecrated Iron collar around his neck which blocked his miracles. They had no intention of letting him go.

Crowley was thrown into a cell, but ass naked, he sat against the far wall. The guards had taken what little clothes he had and cut off all his hair.

'Bastards all of them' he thought as he tried to pray to his angel to save him from his predicament but the iron collar blocked it.

This was four months ago.

Aziraphale was walking through the streets healing anyone and everyone he passed who needed it, that was until he heard some guards talking about a man with serpent eyes.

'The snake eyed slave is a pain, no one wants to buy him'

'Yes I wish someone would take him off the pharaohs hands'

'Oh Crowley what have you gotten yourself into?' thought the angel as he began to make his way towards the slave rooms at the palace.

The quartermaster was whipping Crowley as he was on his knees with both wrists tied to the floor. Aziraphale had walked into the large room with many slaves and noticed Crowley kneeling in the centre of the room. He winced as he heard Crowley scream out in pain. The guards were making an example out of him for the others and he seemed to be holding his own but Aziraphale knew he wouldn't last forever and so he went about trying to free him.

'Perhaps I could buy his freedom? But that would make him mine and what if he wasn't finished his work here? I can't leave him here' thought Aziraphale

"How much for him?" he asked the quartermaster

The man turned around and said "You don't want this one, he's defective, not better for anything but a good whipping"

"I asked for a price" said Aziraphale sternly

"Ten gold"

"Deal, now untie him" said the angel holding out a pouch with ten gold coins inside.

The man took the pouch and counted the coins inside before he nodded at the other two guards in the room to untie Crowley.

"Stand up, you've been bought"

The two guards helped him up and shoved him forward, Crowley landed on his knees before Aziraphale.

Crowley looked up and saw a familiar face before he looked down again. Crowley got to his feet and looked at Aziraphale who looked at the demon with worried eyes.

Crowley followed Aziraphale out the quarters and through the city when they happened upon Aziraphale's house, they went inside and the angel turned to face the demon.

"It's not as bad as it looks, trust me" mumbled Crowley

"Oh Crowley why didn't you miracle yourself out?"

"Consecrated iron" he stated pointing at the collar around his neck.

"Which blocks demonic power, oh Crowley"  "Come now lets get you sitting down you look like your going to keel over any second" said the angel who put his arm around Crowley's middle and as predicted Crowley's knees gave way under him.

"Sorry angel"

"Don't apologise my dear"

KNOCK KNOCK "Aziraphale open up!" shouted Gabriel from the other side of the door.

"Gabriel? What on earth...?" Aziraphale looked at Crowley with a worried look as he sat him down on the seat when he had an idea "Do you trust me my dear?"

"Depends on what you're going to do"

"I swear I will undo it, I swear" he stated as he ran his thumb over Crowley's collar.

Some symbols were burned into the iron.

Aziraphale walked over to the door and opened it for his boss.

"Ah Gabriel what a lovely surprise, what can I do for you?"

"Well I need to....Aziraphale why is there a demon in your house?"

"I captured him, I've been asking him some questions"

Gabriel brushed passed Aziraphale and towards the demon who stood up at the intruder.

"Control runes, I'm impressed, he listens to everything you say?"

"Yes, now what do I owe the honour?"

"Just to tell you you have a new assignment, get it done soon and any information of use your demon gives you pass along to me, understood?"

"Understood"

And with that Gabriel left, Aziraphale leaned his forehead on the door before turning around to see Crowley standing inches from him with a very annoyed face.

Crowley went to say something but no sound came out, Aziraphale's runes had made it so that Crowley could only do the things that he was told to do by the angel, which really pissed him off.

"Sorry my dear I had to do something to fool Gabriel"

Crowley pointed at the collar. Aziraphale wrapped both arms around the demons neck to get to the back of the collar to remove it but for some reason it burned him.

"Ow" exclaimed the angel to looked down at his own hands which were now red "Turn around for me my dear"

The demon did as he was asked, as the collar demanded him and the angel looked at the new runes currently burning into the iron.

"Oh my um....I can't remove it dear"

Crowley turned around and looked at the angel now furious, he wanted the collar off and he wanted it off now.

"God has branded it herself, I can't remove it, I'm sorry my dear"

Crowley looked confused and shocked. He pointed at his throat, it seems in all the fuss Aziraphale forgot to tell him that he could talk.

"Forgive me, you can speak"

"Why the heaven does she care about this?"

"I don't know, but you know she..."

"If you say it I will punch you in your...mysterious ways" "What does it say, specifically?" Asked Crowley as he turned around again.

"Its says... Oh my now that's a little personal"

"Just tell me"

"It says 'Serpent of Eden, guarded by the angel of the eastern gate' "

Crowley turned to see the look on Aziraphale's face and it was a genuine one, the demon had thought he was joking but he wasn't.

"It would seem she wants us to stay together"

"Whilst taking my free will in the process" said Crowley who slumped down in the chair, wincing when he leaned back forgetting about the wounds on his back. "Shit!"

"Let me take care of those for you my dear, its the least I can do"

"Alright"

The demon slid off the chair and onto the floor, he brought his knees up to his chest and sat there waiting for the angel. Aziraphale sat in the chair behind the demon and hovered his hands over the wounds.

"I won't be able to fully heal them, you will have scars"

"That's fine, wouldn't be my first"

"Angel I....I'm obviously a little pissed off about this but, I'm glad it was you and not anyone else who found me"

"I'm glad too, How long were you there?"

"A few months"

"Oh my dear I'm so sorry"

"What do we do now? I mean my lot are gonna have questions"

"Honestly I don't know"

Seconds later the collar began to glow and change? The iron seemed to now appear under the demons skin and it began to move down to his left arm, It stopped a few inches above his elbow It appeared to others as a black band wrapped around his arm with white runic writing.

"Okay so that happened" said the demon "Its not consecrated Iron anymore"

"Well at least now you can cover it up if you wish and you have your powers back"

"I suppose, well if I have to be stuck with someone I'm alright with it being you"

(Next few will be this story line but throughout history)