Welcome, my children! This is my new fanfic based on a head canon I came up with but will not tell you, because that would ruin the surprise! A quick reference, because it can be pretty freaking hard to remember:
Helena- Ancient Greece
Sadik- Ottoman Empire, present-day Turkey. Currently has no country name, being part of Persia's empire and the empire's son.
Romulus- Rome
Aldrich- Germania
Eadburga- Britannia
Andraste- Gaul
Chapter One
Helena marched down the dirt road, sandals making a content noise in the morning air. She couldn't help but yawn with an open mouth, bags under her eyes evidence of her all-nighter, or rather, all-weeker. She had been working hard lately to keep up with all the extra duties and hadn't gotten a full nights sleep for a while, a direct consequence of her expansion.
Upon reaching her house, she settled herself at the base of a tree and watched the last of the sunrise fade into a softer sky. She had just started to doze off when she was jolted awake by a familiar voice.
"Well well well, if it isn't the empire herself, caught unaware."
Her green eyes snapped open, and she saw her greatest rival. "Persia." Helena growled.
"Please, I'd rather not be referred to by his name." His voice was slick, like olive oil. But there was still a distinct edge to it, betraying irritation, perhaps even anger. Anger which soon subsided. "It's Sadik to my friends. We are friends, aren't we?"
"I haven't the faintest idea where you would get that notion. I would never be friends with the likes of you." She replied offhandedly.
He grinned at her, eyes sparkling behind his mask. "Why? Because you're afraid of me?" Sadik teased dramatically. "The mighty Greece, scared."
Helena's eyes narrowed angrily. "I'm not afraid of anything."
Sadik laughed, a deep, clear sound. "Then why is your hand on your weapon?"
Helena looked surprisedly at her right hand, which was tightly gripping the hilt of her short sword. It was soon released like a white hot iron, followed by another bout of laughter from the masked man.
"If you're just here to taunt me, I suggest you leave." The threatening affect was cut by a large yawn, revealing just how tired Helena really was.
Sadik's tone shifted to one of concern. "You should sleep."
Her eyes rolled. "As if I could sleep with an enemy near by. I don't know about you, but I had better training than that."
"Then sleep." He bid, sitting down on the grass next to her. "I'll make sure nothing happens to you. No one will hurt you on my watch."
Helena scoffed at the idea, but settled herself back against the tree, deciding he wouldn't try anything. He knew first hand what happened when her wrath was unleashed. She allowed her eyes to slip closed, sighing. The wind was blowing softly, the leaves of the tree creating a shade from the sunlight.
Her breathing soon became deep and steady. Helena's head rolled to the side, resting on Sadik's shoulder.
He waited for it, the bark and the bite he had come to expect from this feisty queen he had shared a rivalry with. She made no move to stir, and he contented himself with playing with her hair.
Brown locks twisted around his tanned fingers, silky and soft.
"Meow." A noise above his head startled Sadik, quiet as it was.
Looking for the source, he saw a cat slinking in the branches of the tree.
"You're a cute little thing, aren't you?" He whispered, watching the animal jump across a limb, landing safely on the other side. "Greece really does have too many of you little beasts. She'll be overrun soon if she isn't careful."
But the cat didn't reply, it scarcely even noticed the member of Persia's empire speaking to it. If it did, it didn't acknowledge him and the sleeping woman, never realizing that that woman was the cat's entire world in human form.
When Helena awoke a few hours later, the sun had risen high in the sky and had a beam shining through the leaves and right into her eye in that way light tends to do to anyone trying to sleep. Her neck shifted in an attempt to get away from it, and she became aware of the weight on her head, following the curve of what her own was resting on.
Sadik had fallen asleep, and his cheek now rested on the top of her head.
Helena pulled her head away, startling Sadik awake.
"Huh? Wha-?"
"Oh, did you stay and watch over me this whole time? My hero." She said sarcastically. She stood on her legs, which were steadied from her rest, and cracked her neck and back knuckles.
"Well, not that you aren't wonderful company, but I've got work to do."
She turned away from him and began walking away.
"When can I see you again?" Sadik asked, making Helena stop.
"With hope, never."
She resumed walking, pausing in the doorway of her house when Sadik spoke again. "Watch your western side. There's rumors of new nations gaining strength."
"I think I'll be alright. I seem to recall the same thing happening in the East, and that turned out fairly well for me." Helena disappeared through the door, closing it tightly behind her.
Romulus lowered his sword, sweat dripping from his brow, panting with the exertion of battle. The tip of the blade found its way to the enemy's throat, point barely touching the Adam's apple of the blond man on the ground.
Confident amber eyes met defeated icy blue, and the sword was sheathed.
The Germanic Tribes looked at Rome with surprise, seeing a hand extended to him. Taking it, Aldric was helped to his feet.
"Sorry, Germania, but I'm not here to fight." Romulus explained. "I have a proposition for you."
The blue eyes narrowed. "I'm listening."
If Romulus' smile was anything to go by, this wouldn't turn out well for the blond.
"I was hoping we could be allies."
Aldric stared at him blankly. "Allies?" He responded skeptically.
Romulus nodded. "I manage the South and West, you protect me from the Northeast. In return, peace between us." His hand was extended and held suspended, Aldric clasping and shaking it in agreement.
Helena did see Sadik again. He came to her house the next morning, demanding to prepare her breakfast.
Seeing as she wouldn't have to make it herself, she allowed it. Of course, she watched his actions very carefully for any poisoning attempt.
"Why Miss Greece, you wound me." He said dramatically, concealing a smirk.
"Actually, this is to prevent it from happening the other way around." She explained curtly, drumming her fingers on the table.
Sadik brought the platter of fruits and bread to her, with which she regarded with suspicion. Sighing with defeat, Sadik plucked a grape from the vine and brought it to his mouth.
"There, now would you please eat?" He pleaded with impatience.
Giving in, Helena started picking away at the fruits. "Why did you come here?" She asked.
Sadik chuckled. "I was hoping you would spend the day with me."
Helena stopped eating to look at him. "And why would I do that?"
"Because I enjoy your company. And no matter how much you protest, I know you love spending time with me."
Her eyes rolled. "Fine." She said through a mouth full of food.
"Pardon?" Sadik asked with genuine surprise.
She swallowed what was in her mouth. "I said fine. It's my day off from work anyways."
Sadik smiled, but didn't say anything.
When they left Greece's house, the sun was still low in the sky, and Sadik led Helena up the hill and into a meadow, receiving plenty of sunlight but concealed from the road.
He sat down on the grass, laying down. Looking up at Helena with a face that rivaled that of a kicked puppy, she sighed and did the same next to him.
"What is the point of this?" She asked with minor irritation.
"Look at the clouds." He whispered to her. "You can find things if you keep your mind open."
Looking back to the sky, she saw what he meant. Shapes drifted, changed, but for a brief moment appeared to be things she knew only in her legends.
She almost jumped when Sadik started speaking again. "You know, I think I like you this way."
She scoffed. "What, am I not usually imaginative?"
He laughed at her irritation. "I was referring to your clothes."
She looked down at herself, remembering that she had switched out her usual battle armor for a blue chiton.
"You know about philosophy, right?" He asked her sometime later.
She nodded. "Many men of wisdom have been born to me."
"Where do you think we came from?"
She was caught off-guard by the question. "You know how the story goes, 'When two or more mortals gather in union, a nation will be.'" She recited from the texts she had had to memorize.
"I've never heard that before." She sat up quickly, looking at him with confusion.
"How? Every young nation is taught that."
He shrugged against the ground. "Persia wasn't the most gracious teacher. He mostly just left me alone, until he needed something from me. Like now, I suppose."
"Can't say it was the same for me." She said, stretching then laying back down. "I had to learn every rule, recite every legend, master every technique."
Sadik reached his hand to his face, removing the white mask and letting it rest in the palm of his hand on the grass.
Helena looked over at his face, seeing the smooth tanned skin and light brown eyes. She had always known those eyes were there, looked into them even, but she had never actually seen them.
She had to admit, Sadik was beautiful.
And so the two nations lay there, watching the clouds drift through the sky.
And so they found something that could be called happiness together.
Eadburga ran with everything she had, finally throwing herself behind one of the tall oaks that dotted the area. With great caution, she slowly looked around the trunk and, seeing no one, let out a weak laugh and made an effort to catch her breath.
"A tree? Really?" A familiar voice said sarcastically above her, making her jump. "Because there's absolutely no one in the world who would think to look behind the nearest tree."
A shaggy blond head poked down, limbs twisted into the branches to allow Andraste to hang upside down.
"It's not my fault you insist on acting like an animal." Eadburga protested.
Andraste rolled her eyes, then regripped her hands to bring her face level with Eadburga's.
"Well, no matter how much you complain, I still won. What's that now, 28 to 5? Want to try for best 29 out of 57?" The Gaul prompted.
"No." Eadburga muttered. "You've won."
Andraste grinned deviously. "So I get the prize?"
Eadburga nodded in defeat, putting the back of her hand on Andraste's head for support, letting her fingers tangle into the messy blond hair. She planted her lips on Andraste's own, a long, passionate kiss, breaking away before it got too intense.
"You know, I think you lose on purpose because you want to kiss me." Andraste mocked.
Now it was the representation of Albion's turn to roll her eyes, grabbing a gold-clad arm. With a quick jerk, the nation of Gaul was sent sprawling on the grass.
Quickly, Andraste pulled Eadburga down with her, the both of them laughing.
They soon settled against the oak, Eadburga resting against her neighbor with the blonde's arm over her shoulders.
Eadburga plucked some tall grasses, beginning to weave them together as Andraste watched with interest.
Gaul's slender fingers snaked to the light grey fabric covering Eadburga's belly, softly stroking the noticeable bump underneath.
"What's it like?" Andraste asked, gentle voice a shocking contrast to the boisterous female that had been there only a few moments prior.
"Oh, I don't know." Eadburga replied. "I suppose it's exciting, but I'm nervous. What if I'm not a good mother?"
"You will be." Andraste said seriously, all traces of teasing gone. "You are my Albion, the strongest nation I know, and you can do this." Their fingers snaked together, squeezing gently in reassurance. "Besides, you have me here."
"I know. But it still concerns me. I am wary of things that did not use to concern me. Perhaps you will know the feeling one day."
Andraste nodded. "And you're sure it isn't ours?" The question had been weighing heavily on her mind.
"Yes. I think he's just mine." Eadburga said with remorse for the way fate had dealt this to her.
Gaul nodded sadly. "Do you still think it's a boy?"
Eadburga smiled. "Yes. And I know what I'm going to name him." Her lover looked at her expectantly, to which she replied with little more than a whisper. "Allistor."
Every person, as well as nation, has many firsts in their life.
First friend, first love, first kiss, you see where the omniscient voice of narration is going with this, right?
Helena's were simple: Sadik Adnan was her first friend. Sadik Adnan was her first love.
And Sadik Adnan was her first kiss, four months after the morning he found her napping outside her house at sunrise, on the oh-so-cliché doorstep after he walked her home after her allowing him to buy an evening meal for her at one of the nicer eating establishments of Athens.
Now, I know what you're thinking when I say 'allowing.' But trust me, while Helena appreciates the gentlemanliness, she doesn't make it easy. Sadik had to forcibly pass the few drachmas he had taken to keeping on him into the hand of the inn's host while being somewhat restrained by hands that were stronger than they looked pulling his biceps away from the confused mortal.
But that was something he loved about Helena; she had that Spartan fire. No matter how much Athenian composure she carried herself with, he knew it was there.
The walk itself was filled with playful bickering, Greece visibly more relaxed around the masked man. If one looked, their fingers were twisted together. Their laughter filled the air on occasion, hers of fine glass bells and his deep and rich.
When they arrived at the end of the road and at the female's spacious home, they stopped before the door. Helena looked up at Sadik, her last chuckle dying down.
Reaching up slowly, she tenderly removed the white mask and stood up on the tips of her toes.
The entire ordeal was a nervous one, lips just brushing each other before applying more pressure. It was sweet, chaste, and in Sadik's mind, utterly perfect.
When it ended, they looked into the other's eyes, green into brown, nose tips beside each other. They smiled at each other, mask soon nudged gently into Sadik's hand.
Without a word, Helena turned and went into her home, closing the door behind her.
The other country sighed, feeling the warmth in his chest as his heart pounded.
Sadik knew that this was what happiness felt like, what love was. It was the highest point in his thus far bleak and uninviting life.
But alas, everything must end.
So? What did you think? Review and tell me, next chapter will be up next week. Hasta la pasta!
