Chapter 1: Seen

Kassandra and Brasidas steal a few moments away from the rest of the soldiers and go out of the Spartan camp and into the woods. They have been a couple for a few months since a little after Kassandra returned to Sparta.

They don't care much about what others may say, but they prefer not to draw attention on them. During her time in Sparta Kassandra was sleeping in his house. Myrrine was accommodated to a friendly house, as they couldn't be to their own before being granted their citizenship back. Myrrine is aware of her daughter's relationship but she remains discreet.

Kassandra loves Brasidas but she is no traditional woman. She may see him frequently, live with him even be faithful to him for the rest of her days but she is not made to have a family of her own. Brasidas loves her even more than she does. He asks of none of these things from her. He is a Spartan but he doesn't agree completely with most Spartan laws.

He is willing to be ripped off from many of his rights for being unmarried beyond thirty-five -in just one year's time- for her shake. Although deep inside he wishes for nothing more but he will not push her neither now nor ever. He doesn't care if he won't be allowed to participate in Spartan festivities neither the Gerousia, if he will live until his sixty, nor not be promoted to General. The only thing that stings to him a little is not to have a child. Secretly, he hopes one day Kassandra will change her mind about this, but still he prefers being with her than not.

The chemistry they share is unique and it was immediate. From the first moment they trusted each other, became friends and assisted one another. Months after their first encounter and it is as if they have been friends for years.

They have reached a clearing, a good spot to stargaze. Soon enough they are in each others arms kissing forgetting completely about the stars. They start to roll over the ground in a playful battle to win the upper hand. All the while laughing and kissing.

"You must learn to lose sometimes. You won't always have the upper hand." Brasidas teases her chuckling.

"I don't think so Commander." She mocks him playfully, laughing.

"Well, I think otherwise. It's an order as your Commander." He kisses her between each sentence.

For a moment it looks like she has given up. As though she doesn't care anymore who will manage to keep the other on the ground, as a proof of being stronger and smarter. She melts into his embrace and caresses. However, it's only a distraction, a trick of hers to overthrow him easier and trap him beneath her in a tight grip.

"Your orders don't work on me. Boss around your troops, Spartan." She smirks and kisses him passionately.

"We'll see about that." He says with a dirty laugh.

Suddenly, a sound of metal hitting upon metal makes both of them stop their games. Brasidas landing on top of Kassandra covering her with his body for protection as he looks to his side to identify the source of the sound.

They both freeze as they face Nikolaos standing there with a furrowed face and his sword and spear in his hands. Brasidas stands up abruptly as soon as he realizes what Kassandra's father had witnessed. However, Kassandra stands up after him crossing her arms to her chest looking somehow even angrier than her father.

"You could be dead if someone else was lurking." Nikolaos hisses through his teeth sheathing his sword.

"What do you care?" Kassandra rages. She doesn't care at all that her father saw them together, but she knows that Brasidas does and he will feel ashamed of having a relationship.

"You are my daughter." He fumes walking closer trying hard to contain his anger.

Nikolaos was a distinguished General and was used to obedience to his superiors and his troops obeying him. Right now neither his daughter's behavior is honorable nor a prominent Spartan officer's. A Commander who won many battles, soon to become General, smart and well trained slipped like a young boy without discipline.

"You recalled it too late." She takes a few steps closer facing him ready to punch him.

After what he did, he shouldn't even dare to face her again, let alone scold her. She couldn't bring herself to take his life in Megaris. She realized she doesn't hate him enough to do this. A part of her recalls the days she was a child and he was her father. He isn't any longer. He is dead to her, the same way she was for him all this years. The same way, her life had no worth to him that day on Taygetos.

"YOU! Leave my sight." Nikolaos barks looking at Brasidas and pointing his spear towards him.

Ignoring his daughter's barb towards him, regarding his false choice, he glares daringly at the other Spartan. The Wolf knows well that he cannot command his daughter, but the younger man has been his soldier and he'll obey.

"Don't make a move, Brasidas." Kassandra orders him looking behind her and turns her attention back to her father. "You have no authority to command him, no power over me. I want you to leave and never see you again." She threatens him grabbing him from the neck in a strong grip.

Nikolaos drops his spear and catches Kassandra's hands while Brasidas pulls her back by her waist. The younger man talks smoothly in her ear with his deep voice in an attempt to calm her. He feels ashamed and regretful he is the reason that father and daughter wrangle, worsening their already bad and frail bond.

"Kassandra, no. You will choke him. Don't do it. Please, listen to me."

She gets her hands away from her father letting him breath. Nikolaos coughs roughly. "Don't make me regret I didn't kill you in Megaris. What do you want?" She questions breathing heavily because of her rage.

"You would be an Agiad; you have the blood of kings. A warrior... It is unacceptable to act like a hetaera!"

Nikolaos accuses her, his harsh words don't aim to insult her but to ease his anger. Before Kassandra can jump on him again and break his neck Brasidas wraps his hands around her to prevent her from attacking her father, sensing midsentence what the Wolf would say. Nikolaos doesn't even flinch, making no attempt to take a single step back, out of reach.

Despite being aware of the great effort to hold her back, he is unwilling to cease and let it go. He adds sadly. "I expected more from a future General as well." There is no need to say more, he knows that Brasidas is clever enough to consider his actions further on his own.

"It is my choice if I marry or not. That doesn't mean that I move around sleeping with men to call me an hetaera. But even if I did it is none of your business." Kassandra states enraged breaking away from Brasidas and storming off to clear her mind. "Don't come after me." She yells behind her back leaving the two men alone.

"Forgive me Nikolaos. I do love her." Brasidas says lowering his head.

Nikolaos punches him in the face. "This is for sleeping with my daughter. I would do more if I didn't believe you have good intensions." The older man threatens standing above the younger, landing a second fist at his stomach with all his strength.

Brasidas doubles a bit, yet refuses to make any sound. He straightens again and spits blood from his mouth on the ground. His teeth ripped his inner cheek causing the bleeding. He swipes his mouth with the back of his hand and lifts his gaze to meet with that of the Wolf's.

"If she would accept, I would ask her to marry me." Brasidas admits looking Kassandra's father in the eyes.

"Ask her and she will. One day." Nikolaos notes making it sound somewhat between an advice and a threat.

"You know how headstrong she is and I don't want to push her." Brasidas justifies.

Nikolaos grabs him by the back of his neck. "I said DO it, and be careful!" He squeezes him for a few moments and then turns around, picks up his spear and leaves him alone to think.

. . .

Notes: If more people out there like this AU, I may turn it into a small series of oneshots. Let me know with a review. Thank you anyways! Hope you enjoy!