War Of Athens [ A HOO love fanfic]

Frank

Second outfit.

As Frank marched to battle on the Greeks, he couldn't help but regret volunteering for this. Of course, the reward for contributing to winning this war would be huge, and his family needed that to survive. His grandmother. His daughter.

He felt a pang of guilt as he thought of them at home, without him. Jade hated it when he left. She always begged him to stay. His grandmother was always so steely, but he could see the pain in her eyes every time he left. She was getting so old. Thankfully, Jade was an easy child. But he couldn't even begin to think what he would do with her once his grandmother was gone. 

Thinking of that brought another painful thought. Hazel. He hadn't seen her in years. He didn't know if he every would see her again. And here he was, marching off to fight the Greeks. He was putting her in danger. But did he have a choice?

After Jade's birth, there had been a lot of scrutiny. Frank had only recently been able to drag his family out of the spotlight. All Jade's life people had demanded to know who her mother was. Frank had finally managed to convince the authorities that she had died in childbirth, but he would never escape the uneasy glances in the streets. If he tried anything during the war, his family would never be safe again. He was on thin ice as it was. Nobody in his cohort appreciated his fumble when they cornered Jason and the Greek princess. 

Still, every waking minute of every day Frank wondered whether Hazel was okay. Whether she had even made it to Greece safely. Whether she still remembered him. Or Jade. That thought hurt him the most. At least most people who were separated from their loved ones could survive on each other's memories. But the thought that Hazel might not even remember him broke his heart. 

The sky was dark, and the rest of his cohort had hit the sack long ago, but Frank stayed by the dying fire, staring at the stars. 

"Look, there's Cassiopeia, Frank!"

"Almost. That's Andromeda."

"Close enough." She sighed and massaged her temple. "It's getting worse," she whispered sadly. Frank gripped her hand tight. "Some mornings I wake up and panic. It takes me a few minutes to remember I'm pregnant."

"You've never had this much trouble before."

"I know. I'm scared, Frank." Frank gripped her hand tighter and pulled her close. They remained silent for a few minutes. "I could have sworn that one was Cassiopeia."

"Nah, but that's okay. It's not important anyways."

"No? And which ones are important, oh wise one?"

"Well obviously Orion is the best."

"Why, because he carries a bow?"

"Maybe." They laughed and for a while, their troubles were all but forgotten.

A tear slid down Frank's cheek. There was a tugging in his heart. Something that told him that no matter the risk, he had to do the right thing. With sudden vigor, he grabbed his bow from next to him and rose to his feet. They had made camp in a covered area right outside of Athens. A few lights glimmered in the distant castle windows. He took a deep breath, stealing a final glance at the camp behind him, and surged forward. 

---------------------

Despite what some might think, Frank had never had any difficulty climbing. It was surprising, considering how poor his coordination was, but he excelled at it. He had no trouble climbing the castle wall and slipping unnoticed into a loose window. He found himself in an empty hallway. He found it strange that there were not guards patrolling the hall, but who was he to complain?