*Warning: Sensitive Topics
Greece (Heracles Karpusi) x Reader Historical AU!
Dead bodies littered the ruined streets of Greece. The familiar sound of clashing swords echoed down the dirt ridden roads and through the dirtied alleyways. The sniffling children and the cries of poverty stricken adults were drowned out by the yelling of the Roman soldiers fighting the struggling Greek army. The familiar sight of the victorious Roman army consumed the vision of all the villagers bearing witness to the historic scene. (Y/N) peeked her head out from behind the rubble of a destroyed house to watch as a tall male with golden curls and bright blue eyes that could rival the blue of the sky stepped out from the legion and gestured to the ruined village "Men go forth and enjoy the spoils of your victory." The Romans cheered and immediately terror consumed the Greek people.
Some Roman soldiers carted off the prisoners of war and others turned to enjoy the fruits of their labour as they ventured closer to the trembling women who attempted to protect themselves from the terror of the Roman Empire. (Y/N) turned and hid behind the rubble when the men ventured further away from the main road. She held her breath as the sound of people drew closer to her hiding spot. She soon released a breath when the footsteps disappeared. She waited briefly before moving out from underneath the rubble and peeked up at the sky.
Terror washed over her at the sight of the male from before. He gazed down at her with a cold-calculating look before a lecherous smile formed on his face "I didn't expect a kid, but you'll be put to good use." Tears stung her eyes and she moved away from his outstretched hand. The look in his blue eyes slowly turned threatening as she continually evaded his movements to secure her "If you don't cooperate, I'll kill you, just like I killed the others." (Y/N) remained rooted to the ground at the news and the tears now freely flowed down her cheeks. The man smiled "Good girl." He grabbed her left arm, but the pulling sensation (Y/N) felt disappeared with the sound of an anguished cry. She looked over at a boy few years her senior with unique brown hair and empty green eyes.
(Y/N) glanced at the blood seeping out of the dead Roman soldier before turning her complete attention to the boy. He grabbed her hand in his "We have to leave. They'll kill us." She nodded and followed him into the tall cornfields in an effort to camouflage themselves and protect themselves from the fury of the soldiers. She remained silent as outraged cries filled the sky once filled with cries of pain and terror. She tightened her grip on his hands and shifted closer to his side. She didn't want to think of what would happen to the people in her village. The young children remained in silence for hours until the bright sky turned dark and ominous. The boy dragged her through the cornfields and up a hill that allowed them to gaze over the city of Alexandria.
The city remained frantic with the arrival of the Romans. She looked over at the silent boy "Thank you." He looked over at her with a monotone expression "You're welcome." They remained in silence and gazed at the slightly diminished beauty of the city. "I'm (Y/N)" she stated, "What's your name? How old are you?" "Heracles Karpusi. I'm six" he replied, watching her carefully from the corner of his eye. She fidgeted slightly "Do you have parents to get back to?" He stared at her for a few moments before turning away "My father abandoned my mother when I was one year of age. My mother passed away recently." He paused "Where are your parents?" "Gone" she replied, and the two were enveloped in silence once again. "What are you going to do now?" (Y/N) asked, glancing at him in curiosity.
He laid down on the grass and stared up at the moon "Sleep." She blinked at him "What? At a time like this?" "Sleep is essential for the human body" he rebuffed, and turned over with his back facing her. (Y/N) copied his action and curled into herself to preserve some warmth. She ignored the familiar sting of tears and shut her eyes while muttering a silent prayer to Artemis. Heracles opened his eyes and looked over at the girl laying by his side "I have a plan." She opened her eyes and looked over at him with slight hope growing within her. He turned to lay on his back "We'll go to Alexandria tomorrow." The hope disappeared to be replaced with panic "But the Romans." He reached out and squeezed her hand "They don't know we killed him. We'll be fine." She stared at Heracles and nodded "Okay." The two fell asleep back to back under the night sky.
People merrily roamed throughout the streets as Roman guards stood watch over the mass of Greeks. Despite the enslavement of their people, some managed to live in peace and flourish within Alexandria. (Y/N) quietly made her way through the crowd and towards the home, she shared with Heracles. She ignored the leering gazes from the Romans and pressed on with determination to arrive at her location. She opened the door to her humble abode "Heracles!" The lack of response slightly concerned her. (Y/N) took a deep breath to calm down and got to work putting away her groceries "He's probably at the docks with the other fishermen." Hours later Heracles entered the house and lazily sat down on the messy bed. His brown hair looked tousled and his green eyes were weary with exhaustion.
(Y/N) didn't allow his tired look to deter her and she made her way over to him with a bright smile "I have a gift for you!" He furrowed his eyebrows in confusion "What?" She placed a new tunic wrapped in a bow made with string on his lap "I've been saving up some money. It's a birthday gift." She smiled softly at him and took a seat next to him on the bed "Happy 16th birthday Heracles." He stared at the tunic with an expressionless face. He sighed and turned to her with a soft smile "Thank you. I will wear it tomorrow." She smiled at him and enveloped him in a tight hug with a faint blush settling itself on her cheeks. He hugged her back and pulled her to lay down on his chest "Let's sleep. I'm tired, and you must be tired." She hummed in acknowledgement and allowed herself to fall asleep and succumb to the warmth of his arms.
Rustling woke her the next morning, and (Y/N) opened her eyes to gaze at Heracles' scarred back. Her stomach clenched at the unpleasant memories threatening to take centre stage in her mind. She brushed them aside and stood up from the bed "Do you need help with anything?" He turned around to look at her "Why are you awake? You should sleep longer." (Y/N) blinked the sleep out of her eyes "I'm alright." She closely observed his expression. He seemed strained and uncomfortable with her presence "Did I do something?" "No" he immediately replied. Heracles sighed and finished with his clothing "I'll be home late today. I have other business to deal with." She nodded with a slightly resigned look "I'll make sure to feed the cats." He briefly smiled at the thought of the animal "Thank you." She merely nodded and watched him exit their home.
(Y/N) easily took care of the household chores and watched over the kittens for the rest of the evening. Night fell and (Y/N) stared at the door to the home with longing. 'I know he said he'd be home late, but this is too late' she thought, holding the cats close to her chest to ease her worry. Her worry continued to grow as time continued to pass. Her attention was immediately drawn to the door at the sound of it opening. Heracles walked into the house with a tired expression and a sword in hand. Questions formed within seconds, but the sight of Heracles exhausted made her pause. He looked over at her with a small, tired smile "Could we sleep first? I'll answer your questions in the morning." She glanced out at the brightening sky and nodded.
The familiar sound of people shouting and working away the day woke the two up from their short slumber. (Y/N) silently made breakfast for the pair as Heracles played around with the now awake cats. When the two had finished their meal she looked over at the sword leaning against the wall "Why did you arrive home with a sword? Have you gotten in trouble?" He silently shook his head and pondered his thoughts for a moment "I'm going to fight for the Roman Empire." A cold sensation washed over her as years of torture and mistreatment of the Greek people flashed before her "Why? How could...Heracles?" He stared at the wooden table as guilt washed over him at the sound of her broken voice. "I want to. I'll be fighting for the Roman Emperor Augustus. He's a good man. I'm proud to fight for him" he stated, but his gaze remained downcast and his voice sounded strained and foreign to her ears.
She shook her head "Look at me." Heracles looked up at her and winced at the anguish present on her face. She blinked away her forming tears "You can't do this. You'd be betraying your people Heracles. You'd be fighting for the thing that destroyed them." He kept his face monotone, though he couldn't completely ignore his own emotions "I have to. I have to do it to give you a better life than the life we're living." She gripped his hand tightly "I'll gladly continue living this life if it means having you here by my side. Heracles...please don't do this."
Notes:
It's said that he has a serious personality, but can be carefree and casual. In this one, I put a stronger focus on his serious personality trait
Artemis is the moon goddess in Greek mythology and I used the Greek name instead of her Roman name because they are Greek despite the Roman occupation
Augustus, otherwise known as Octavian, was the first Roman Emperor and was the Emperor during the occupation I think
Heracles is human in this
I was reading Julius Caesar by Shakespeare for fun and this idea came to mind + it worked with the prompt word
Prompt: abandon. Abandoned by parents, abandoning their way of life, how he almost abandons his people, all that
I hope you enjoyed the extra long chapter
Next is Finland