Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

There’s a rumor about the city of Ithaca. A rumor of a treasure so grand it would leave little to be desired. A treasure few could resist. Some claim this treasure is gold, but others will hold their breath and claim that Ithaca has a princess. 

A princess so beautiful no gem could be compared to her, a mortal blessed by the Goddess of beauty herself, nothing compared to the goddess of course, but in mortal eyes she was above the gleam of jewels. 

The Ithacan jewel sat within a remote palace chamber, concealed. It was easy to hide in the beginning, to avoid the men flocking to the palace. The chamber’s treasure had protectors.

Telemachus numbered among those familiar with the treasured woman. He’d been raised with her, after all. She’s the child of a man his father knew and a woman his mother had been friendly with. A child of a maid… It made her beauty almost ironic, illegitimate, the child born from a mistress… left with royalty. His mother is kind… sometimes too kind.

Slipping through darkened halls and around the suitors, Telemachus knocks on the door.

You lift your head from the blanket you were embroidering. “Come in.” A soft voice, spoken with care and an almost naive joy.

The boy is gentle, kind, much like his mother more than his father. He’s never been a warrior. Even before the men came to the castle, he’d been more keen to spend time with her than raise a sword and push himself to learn. “Sorry for just dropping in Y/n… what are you working on?” He stands at the door, keeping his distance.

You look up with e/c eyes that glimmer and shine like gems. “Embroidery. I have been working to create something for The Queen… mom. With all the ruckus you’ve told me about, she might appreciate the gift, right?” The hope in your voice slips through every syllable.

Telemachus nods, “I’m sure she’ll love it.” It’s then that you notice there’s a bruise forming on his face.

You frown standing from your seat by the window light to approach him. Looking up at him, you reach out, placing a hand on his cheek. “Did you get this looked at?” You’re only a few years older than him but have always doted on the prince.

“Huh, oh yeah. It was just a small fight.” He mumbles, smiling softly. 

You flick him on the forehead and drag him to the chair you’d been sitting in. Shaking your head, you step away and rummage through some drawers in your vanity. There are supplies you didn’t put to use after pricking yourself with your needle. “You fought with suitors again, didn’t you?” you tend his wound the best you can.

He looks away shamefully. “They called her names… I… I heard that one of them took advantage of a maid… He taunted me first, anyway. Speaking like they own the place.” He narrows his eyes, bawling his hand into a fist.

You hum putting away your supplies and sitting at your vanity to start back on your embroidery. “Have there been any updates?” You keep your eyes focussed on the pluck and pull off the needle.

“No… they are still falling for the newest trick, the weaving. Dunno how much longer that will last though… It’s been seven years of unique plans to push them away.” With a sigh, you pull a final thread and knot it to move onto a different section. 

“Don’t show that worry. The moment you break, they will see it as a win and become bolder than they already are. You have the responsibility of keeping her as safe as possible.” You let your tone dip into a scold, but you’re not really scolding him.

“And you… Mother asked how you’re doing… no longer being able to go outside.” They care for you, even if your status should be beneath their shoes. The favor of the queen rose you to an adopted member of their family… even the king had taken to show favor. When his son was born, you promised to help guide him. Then he was off to war, leaving Penelope with a five-year-old and newborn. 

You smile despite the soft cover of longing in your expression, like the sun poking from the clouds as it rains. “I understand why she told me to remain in my room until this is resolved. Though it can be a little lonely. I miss running around the halls with you, before it was too risky, impossible to completely avoid the suitors and avoid rumors. You should visit more often Telemachus. You have to get bored monitoring them.”

He smiles at you, pity reflected in his eyes as he stares. “If I come too often, it could put you at risk. Mom would be heartbroken if you got hurt by the men seeking her hand.” He watches your hands delicately handling the needle and thread. “We’ll have years to make up for it though… years for large dinners and drinking games.”

You chuckle, shaking your head. “Not exactly a lady’s activities. But I’d be there in the hall as you find friends and drink with them. Perhaps I’d even find a husband in that scenario… like Father and Eurylochus, who married father’s sister.” Most people your age would be married, right? Women rarely get past twenty-one without a single marriage prospect in view. 

Telemachus huffs, crossing his arms. “I don’t know why you want to get married so fast.”

“Fast? Telemachus, I’m twenty-five?” You thread the string through the cloth and tie it off once more.

Telemachus nods tilting his head “Still… if this is any sign of how that goes, I don’t think it’s all that great. They’re like animals out there buying for a hand giving no time to think about mom. She often weeps missing father and they have no compassion. It’s like a game to them.”

He sees it all first hand while you sit in your room… no wonder he’s on edge, agitated and down. “I know… but that’s because she’s a queen with an empty throne for the king.” You hum holding up your art.

Telemachus drops the subject so he can gawk at the threads, each expertly completed stitch. “It’s beautiful… I’m sure she’ll love it.”

You stand up to set it in his lap. “I’m not finished. There are still a few minor details left, but I’m almost done.”

He nods, running his hand over the sea of flowers you had been so focussed on creating. There’s a tree with petals falling from it onto the sea of flowers… a sun and clouds… It’s beautiful. “Will you take it to her yourself?”

You shrug, staring at the door. “Maybe… if I finish and it’s still late, I’ll take it to her myself. The halls are usually silent or if anybody is awake, it’s one or two people I can easily slip around. I’m good at being sneaky.” You spin a bit, feet silent on the floor just to prove your point.

You catch your younger brother’s smile as he nods. “I’ll tell her to expect you then. Just… don’t get too sure and toss caution away.” It’s sweet how much he worries about you.

Patting his head, you nod and give him a thumbs up. “Don’t worry, I’ll take caution. I always do.” 

The prince rises after talking to you some more. He leaves your room, leaving you in the room's silence. You sigh, sitting on the chair and resuming the last minor details in the embroidery.

~

-Earlier-

Standing with a scowl, a man stared at his fist, then at the retreating prince. The little wolf managed a hit. The tiny, thin prince got his jaw. He’s never been able to do much before. “He’s getting bold.” The man hissed through a clenched jaw as he wiped blood from his lip. 

“Nah, the brat just got lucky.” Another male voice from the circle of men who watched the fight calls out. 

Right lucky. There’s no way such a little wolf actually managed to get the upper hand, even for a moment. His good eye focuses on the retreating form of the prince, a sick smirk lifting his lips. 

It was the prince’s mistake, heading back to his room for less than an hour before heading towards a wing the suitors struggled to access. A part of the palace that’s typically left alone. There were never any lit candles or staff that came back and forth, likely storage or unused parts of the Queen’s chambers since the bitch never leaves her room. When she did, it wasn’t for long and she’d quickly retreat to avoid her suitors.

It caught the man’s attention. Why would the prince be headed to an empty piece of the castle? Stalking isn’t something the mans particularly fond of but if he’s obvious, the prince might abandon where he’s headed. The kid keeps looking over his shoulder, stopping and listening so clearly he’s trying to make sure he’s not being followed. How pathetic. This prince is truly pathetic.

He watches from a distance as the prince knocks on a door. A smirk lifts his lips. He’s heard the rumors. There is not a soul in all of Ithaca who hasn’t heard about the rumor. He runs a hand through dark curls.

Anything to pull something on the Queen, to grab the throne. They are without a king, without proper structure or leadership. Look at how easily the other suitors flock like a pack beneath his feet. He’s going to be the one to claim it all, to leave nothing as he becomes king.

He retreats from the hall with a curiosity of what or who sits behind that door. To his knowledge, the Queen had not left her room all day, so he could put out that possibility.

~

By the time you finished the embroidery, it was high at night. With a small smile, you tilt your head back and sigh. Picking up the finished blanket, you fold it into your arms. You walk barefoot because it’s easier to hide the sound of your steps against the floor that way.

Your hand grips the handle of the door as you take a deep inhale and shake your head. You push it open a crack and peek your head out, listening and assessing the safety of the halls. Deciding it was empty enough, you slip out of your room. You take it slow, hiding around a corner with a hood pulled over your head whenever the sound of a voice or footsteps reaches your ears. 

The trip there is safe and completed without a hitch. You’ve done this a handful of times, so you’re confident about your ability to sneak around.

Penelope looks at you with a smile as you set the blanket down by her bed. “This must have taken you some time.” Her voice is soft but her eyes are red… she must have been crying again.

“Only a few months of work.” You have endless time to spend on crafts like this. Hours stuck alone in that room. For the last seven years, ever since the war on troy was said to have ended seven years ago, you’ve had nothing but time… 

You sit and talk with her for a bit before you feel you should head back. You don’t want to risk lingering too long and being unable to sneak back to your room.

She smiles as you leave the room.

You follow the same procedure, sticking your head out the door before sneaking through it, hiding around corners and paying delicate attention to every sound you hear.

You’re almost there, one last turn before you reach your room, when a hand taps your shoulder.

“Now, what do we have here?”

Chapter Text

Startled by the tap on your shoulder, you freeze. Initially, your instinct would be to turn around, but that would be a dumb idea. The only thing keeping your identity unrecognizable is the hood over your head. The second you turn, the man would see your face. “Now, what do we have here?” His tone is deep and dark, rough with age, but still youthful. You Want a better look at him but push the curiosity away.

Survival is the top priority, your only priority. You clench your hands by your sides, thankful for the robe that makes it hard to disconcert your gender with your back to the man. You do your best to keep your voice low, to add a roughness to it. “Nothing.” You whisper out while your heartbeat becomes an audible thrum in your chest.

The man’s grip tightens on your shoulder. You can tell it’s only a fraction of his strength. “Is that so? Nothing is just sneaking around the Palace halls?” His voice hisses, but there’s no sign of anger or malice. It’s simply deep and taunting.

“It’s nothing you can concern yourself with.” You hiss, clenching your teeth. The implication is obvious in your words, your tone. He’s not high enough up to know what you were doing. You purposefully make it sound like you were on an errand for somebody.

The silence passes by for several breaths before his breath touches the fabric of your hood. “You’re bold.” He sneers, agitation showing through the slip of hissed air through clenched teeth.

When his free hand reaches for the fabric of your hood, your hand raises to hit against the pressure point of his wrist as you duck grabbing the fabric. For a moment there’s no reaction, so you gamble that took him by surprise. “Try that again. I’ll hit you in a less than pleasant spot.” You spit, keeping your head down in the shadows as you face him, putting distance between your bodies.

His lips curl into a smirk while you get as good a look as you can in the darkness.

His hair falls around his shoulders in dark curls. There’s a scar over his eye that crinkles with his snarl. That snarl shows off pointed canines as he stands straight. He’s tall, much taller than you had thought in your mind, and he’s clearly muscular. You got lucky being able to give him the slip like that.

He steps closer and you take a step back, making sure you keep your distance from him. You don’t know any of the suitors… who’s a danger and who isn’t. You never asked for names, and Telemachus never shared any. He made it a goal to keep you out of the loop, to keep you from worrying about him.

You whip your head around the side, stepping aside with a glare. There are more of them? “I’m afraid I can’t stay to chat with you, men.” You could try to pass by the two behind you or slip around the larger man. It’s a gamble, but you don’t think he seemed too quick.

You take a sharp breath and lunge, throwing yourself over the floor and between the man’s ankles, twisting to a standing position the second you’re behind him. You flip him off. “That is for cornering me… prick.” You scoff and take off.

The two who had been behind you go to chase, but the man holds his hand up, gold rings glinting in the moonlight that reflected off them. “Why let him run off, Antinous?”

Antinous, the man, stands tall staring at the end of the hall where you’d run off and disappeared from view. For a brief moment, as you slipped beneath him, he saw the tug of fabric pulling against curves, got a glimpse of your eyes… He can be clever compared to some of the dull idiots in this group of 108. “It makes the hunt more… interesting.” That was not a man… a woman slipped through his fingers… he eyes narrow. Luck that is what it was. He was busy trying to gather who you were. He wasn’t focussed on watching for an attack. He could have grabbed you in that escape. He chose not to stomp on your limbs. He chose not to snatch your wrist or the fabric of your cloak.

You slip into your room out of breath and leaning against the door. Your heart hammered as you pulled down the hood. He let you go. You’re not an idiot to think you did that without a hitch. It was close, too close for comfort. Yet, that was… fun.

You smile to yourself, pacing around the room. You have never felt so… excited… so full of adrenaline. His face shows up behind your eyes as you take a deep breath.

Maybe it’s because you’ve only interacted with Telemachus and Penelope that you’re so thrilled by the interaction. He looked like a beast deciding whether or not you were prey to be consumed. It drove your heart a million miles. Despite the encounter having been brief, you can’t get it out of your head.

You should be worried. You should be more concerned about your safety. But you’re not. There isn’t a drop of concern in your veins as you slide down the door, holding a hand to your chest. His voice, his face, how he held himself… the definition of arrogance, pride, and ego.

~

Antinous stepped into the room he’d taken over in the wing the suitors had claimed. He sat on his bed staring at the wall, dangling his knife in his hand. Why was a woman sneaking around the castle? He’d waited after seeing the cloaked figure enter the queen’s chambers. He’d been curious to see if this was connected to where the little prince had been.

He planted himself in the shadows around a corner. When the figure dipped there at the sound of footsteps, he figured the person had to be connected to the hall and that room. Even though you darted the opposite way… he simply figures you were smart enough to cover your tracks. It’s a good attempt, but why would you have been down that way if you hadn’t been headed towards that abandoned hall?

Antinous stabs his wall with a low scoff. A woman caught him by surprise, a woman hit his wrist and he hadn’t been quick enough to grab her. It would be amusing if it didn’t agitate him. He should have grabbed her, picked her off the floor, or yanked her when she was getting her footing. He should have shown the wench her place.

She had the nerve to add to her performance with a graceless motion.

It’s infuriating. He enjoys the hunt. That’s why he let her go. He’ll unmask her at some point. The longer the hunt, the more rewarding the prize. He runs a hand through his hair as he forms a plan. He’ll see how much of an idiot the woman is tomorrow.

He’ll wait in the same spot.

Chapter Text

There was no reason for you to be doing this… Yet something in you yearned to feel that adrenaline. That’s why you tug the cloak down over your head and slip out of your room, moving past halls without a sound.

You press against a wall when your eyes rake over a familiar form in the distance… He leans on the wall just around the bend. The beast… He leans with his eyes shut and his ankles crossed. His arms are relaxed over his chest, but his left pointer finger taps in a slow rhythm against his right arm.

Several thoughts on how to approach go through your head. However, after making an assessment of the risk of an altercation, you chose to sink back. “Leaving without a hello?” You pause, eyes widening. You could run off, but why would you?

He’s taken you by surprise. He heard you. Though it does hurt your ego a little. It’s a serious hit to your original thoughts on your skills. You were under the impression that nobody could track you by sound. You were silent and quick.

Antinous opens his good eye as a smirk crosses his lips. “I know you’re around the corner. You’re good, the silent approach might work on anybody but not somebody with a perfect hunt record.” He’s waiting. Patience isn’t typically something he has abundance of, but you make it thrilling enough.

Stepping around the corner, you stare at the man. He doesn’t move from his learned position. “You’re predictable.”

“And yet you came here knowingly.” He shrugs, turning his head towards you.

You should be cautious… you had no plan on what you’d do if you saw him, which seems like a dumb decision now. “I came to see if I’d need to switch my route up. Clearly I do.” You hit him with a bit of sass.

Antinous chuckles, it’s a deep sound that vibrates down your spine that has your lips sucking in air. “You’ll strain your voice trying to talk so rough, sweetheart.” His head tilts up, his eyes narrowing into a predatory gleam as you freeze. All the confirmation he needs.

“I figured all the suitors were idiots.” You let your voice return to its normal octave.

“Still keeping your face hidden? Are you afraid I’ll rat you out?” He’s mocking you. Antinous steps away from the wall with a step closer to you.

You don’t move back, opting to hold your ground. “You are one arrogant man.” You shake your head…

The adrenaline picks up as he takes another step closer. “Is it arrogance if it’s earned?” Most certainly, you think to yourself.

A crazy and idiotic idea slips into your head as you stare at him stalking towards you. “Arrogance is arrogance no matter how earned it is…” You take a step towards him and he pauses. He wasn’t expecting you to challenge him. “Tell you what, if you can take down my hood, I’ll give you a glimpse.” Your heart hammers at the thought of a chase… the thought of messing with him.

He’d thought this would be a wolf chasing prey, but she moves and speaks with confidence. There’s a curl on her tongue, a taunt of sorts. She has no idea who he is, does she? There’s no fear, no respect. A clever little fox. A predator with less stance than a wolf, but a predator that bites none-the-less. He raises his head. Taking a step closer until there is less than a step between them. “Challenge accepted.” He reaches out for the fabric.

You dip below his grasp, keeping an eye out for his other hand, avoiding that one too. “One thing, you touch your knife and I will flee and randomize my route along the halls. You won’t see me again… keep the game fair. Reflexes and strength.”

Antinous rolls his eyes. “I can respect that.” He shrugs, watching your movements. Your feet are light on the floor. It’s like a dance. You never stay in one spot for long, constantly moving, which makes it hard to simply reach for the fabric. He realises you’re toying with him. That pisses him off.

He exhales through clenched teeth. As he reaches for your, arm he grazes it, but you snap back with a hop before he can clasp around it. “Awe, the wolves are getting frustrated.” Telemachus struggles to deal with these guys? This is one of the suitors who she’s been told are all dangerous.

“Bitch” She’s pissing him off. Why is she so damn fast and agile? He reaches again, and she snaps away. “Stay still.” He snaps whipping around to where she slid behind him. He grabs her by the wrist and smirks.

You tilt your head waiting for him to reach for the hood and when he does; you drop deadweight in his grip and slam your other on the pressure point. “Think you’d learn that move from the first time.” You smirk rolling to the side, but he steps on the fabric of your cloak.

He reaches for your cloak and you panic, kicking him between the legs and scrambling back… “you!” He grimaces, clenching his teeth. Oh, he’s livid… that twists something in your gut.

“Fair is fair.” you whistle ready to run if you have to.

He seems to be aware of that detail and strains from lunging at you. Once he recovers, he scoffs. “Tell me your name.”

You roll your eyes, leaning against the wall but keeping distance from him. “Demanding such a detail, wow your arrogance knows no limits.” You hum, heart still hammering. At any moment, he could grab you and hold you down. You’re aware he’d outrun you at some point. If he gets both your arms, he’ll easily overpower you. “What about you?”

He smirks, running a hand through his hair. You’re too interesting to tear into just yet. He likes a bit of a chase. It’s something else to do while they wait and buy time for the queen to buckle. He’s been in desperate need of some real entertainment. “Antinous.” He glances at you, looking for a reaction.

Antinous, you repeat his name over and over in your head. “Antinous… the name sounds like one a wolf would have. It fits you.”

And with that, you fade away into the shadows around a corner.

Antinous runs his hand through his hair again then slams it against the wall… You piss him off, normally he wouldn’t let anybody who pisses him off leave unscathed but he can’t deny you’re fun. It’s entertainment, and it’s far better than enjoying the spoils of the castle… when he catches her… he hasn’t decided what he’ll do with her, what he’ll claim for a prize. Something to even out all the agitation she’s caused him, that is for sure.

She can only outmaneuver him for so long.

Chapter Text

Like clockwork, you found him or he’d find you night after night for a month. It became the same challenge. You taunted him while he attempted to pull down your hood. And like each night before, he would fail. Time and time again he’d get within reach, but you’d pull some underhanded trick and escape from his claws.

The world was outwitted by the fox time and time again. Each encounter he got closer. He wants to see the look in your eyes, see you part your lips in shock as he rips you from that pedestal. He knows that beneath that cloak you’re weak, weaker than he is by far. He’s felt your wrist in his hand enough to know he could snap it with enough pressure. 

You didn’t show up tonight. 

He waited until the halls got busy to retreat. It was a break in routine. What game were you playing? What could you possibly be getting at by shying away? It bothered him all day. Your sudden absence made it impossible for him to focus. It was an unfair play on your part. He needs to know the face of the woman who keeps slipping away, who taunts him and dares to toy with him.

Antinous tends to stick to specific halls, walks around very little, and prefers to plot rather than mindlessly try to stir trouble. Part of that is his confidence that no suitor could beat him. Few have tried to uphand him. They’d need to be an idiot in order to do that. However, he’s pacing halls walking mindlessly, the opposite of his usual behavior.

Today he’s restless tension stuck to his body. He retreats to his room before noon and scoffs. He’s never been so distracted from his main goal before… but nobody has ever acted the way you have towards him. Nobody has dared to taunt him. Nobody has ever eluded him for so long. 

He’s enjoying this, every moment of it. The longer this goes on, the stronger the pull towards his prize. He glances at his door, staring at the lock. 

With a deep breath, he sets his blade to the side and undoes his tunic. He leans back against the bed, his hands wasting no time reaching for his dick. He shut his eyes, fingers slow and teasing. Easing to replicate the taunts on your lips, the slow movements of your body as you dance around him.

It’s not his fault you tease him, taunt him, edge him on. He grits his teeth. When he wins, he’ll hold you beneath him, shut your mouth up, rid you of the taunting until all you can babble is his name. He sucks in air as he jerks into his fist. Your eyes are the only part of you he’s glimpsed. That first night… A calculating set of shimmering e/c that pulls him in… makes it impossible to snap away. 

He pumps his hand faster, imagining how soft your skin would be, how frail you’d be underneath him… he’d turn you from snaps to whines… he’d have you going from mocking to begging. Every bit of you would need him as much as he can’t get you out of his head. His hand tightens, and he grunts, parting his lips to suck in air. 

He’ll show you who’s in charge… make sure he drills it into you. Every bit of attitude you gave… he’ll rip it from your throat. He licks his lips as his hand rushes up and down his cock. He’ll unmask you soon… he’ll… He grunts, hips bucking as he climaxes. 

He lays there for a moment. You started such a dangerous game, one he does not plan to lose. Antinous wipes off his hand as he fixes his clothes.

When the moon rises to its peak, he stalks the halls until he finds their meeting place. He picks up on the soft rustle of your clothes and smirks. “There you are.” He curls his words as he watches you step from out of the corner. He imagines your pouting beneath the shadow that the hood covers you with. Every time you attempt to sneak up on him and fail. “Thought I’d scared you off, Little Fox.” He doesn’t miss the way you pause, your head lifting, then tilting. 

It’s the first time you’ve heard the nickname he’s kept to himself… he wonders if you enjoy this back and forth. He doesn’t let you process things… he lunges.

Tonight. He can’t wait longer.

Because the vixen ditched without warning, he’d pin her down and rip that hood from her head. He watches you spin, sidestepping and bolting to the opposite end of the hall. His eyes track your movement, his blood pumping full of adrenaline.

If lunging doesn’t work, he’ll take his time, he’ll edge you closer to him and strike. He slows his movements. He observes your pause, trying to understand what he’s doing. He’s a warrior, he knows how to plot, how to adjust. 

He lunges but stops short spinning, be it without grace, but in the direction you typically dodge to. He reaches his leg out, upsetting your feet. He goes for your wrist, grabbing hold of it. With a smirk, he drops you before your foot can reach his groin. 

He inhales at the gasp that leaves your lips and the hiss of pain from landing so roughly. His foot lands on your chest, pressing, not enough to break anything, but he can see the pain in the tension consuming your body. He leans down, staring at the prey he caught after weeks of back and forth. “Got you~” He curls his words barely above a whisper. He scoffs when your hands grip the fabric of the hood and pull it over tighter.

He snatches both wrists as he bends over. With the other, he yanks back the hood. 

His chest constricts as he glances over you. The rumors called it a secret treasure, a treasure hidden in the palace. He’d never bought into unfounded rumors but looking at you… He’d already found you worth his time… the way you moved and spoke…

Eyes like gemstones, hair that spiraled down in perfect strands without a single split end… exactly as he’d imagined your lips part and your pupils dilate your chest rising and falling. 

You had never expected him to win. It’s written on your face. “Shall we take a wager, Fox?” His free hand trails down to your throat… 

He could take her right here and now…

But he doesn’t…

“And what would that be, Wolf?” Sass continues to lace your tone even as you lay at his mercy… he snarls, tempted to constrict his hand around your throat.

“I will let go, let you run. But if I catch you before you get back to your room, I will enjoy the spoils of my effort.” He should be amended for his restraint, for giving her a way out. He’s a man of his word, as brutal as he may be.

He steps off her and watches… 

You take off down the hall, feet slapping against the ground. You’re no longer hiding your footsteps or pausing to glance around a corner. You’ve pulled the hood up, but that’s it. 

He gives you till the count of three…

One.

Two.

Three. 

Chapter Text

You flung yourself off the ground and ran. You bolted… as fast as you can possibly run… Your feet slapped barefoot against the cement. It’s not a straight shot, but you know the way… you’ve gone up and down these halls over and over again. 

But do you even want to win? Would that be the end? Would you never see him again after this? You know it’s wrong… know you took the risk and are paying the consequences. You got cocky. You wanted to see his reaction if you just didn’t show up…

His agitation is obvious. He wasted no time showing you that. He was done playing. 

You glance behind you… he’s faster than you thought he’d be. He isn’t slowing down.

Swallowing the lump in your throat, you take a random turn and then another. You run…

You should be terrified, but you can’t help but smile as you take in the adrenaline rushing through your veins… you can’t help but grin in satisfaction. You pause, listening for his footsteps. You need to take a breather. You’ve been running for what feels like forever already. You’re also pretty sure you’re lost. You hesitate, glancing around for recognizable parts of the hall.

It takes a minute, but you figure out where you are and start navigating back to your room. You’re still out of breath, but you’ve lost him.

You wipe your brow, unsure if you feel relief or disappointment. His eyes screamed danger. He wasn’t joking around. He was giving you a single way out, a way to struggle. He’d have been content taking you right then and there, but he’d taken the moment to think of a better way. 

You sigh, turning down the hall that leads to your room.

You get a few steps in before a hand wraps around your mouth, another around your waist. “Caught you, Little Fox.” You flail for a second, heart racing. He grins against your throat, pressing you against him. “Where is your bite? Don’t tell me you were all yap without any real bite.” His breath is warm against your throat. His tongue lashes out before you can try to hiss out a response against his hand. 

You tense at the warm wet feeling creeping up your neck until he settles over the pulse point and sucks. He inhales your scent, pulling you closer against him. “Scream and I will slit your throat.” He growls against your ear, nipping at it, pulling the flesh between his teeth. 

More than he’d pictured… everything and more… soft skin… curves… the treasure of Ithaca… he wants to tear in to fuck her already, but he needs to savor this. She might lock herself behind those doors after this… might go and tell that prince… not that he’d be able to do anything. The boy’s too weak to beat him. You did better than the brat.

You nod, your heart hammering audibly in your ears. His hand slides down around your throat and curls around it, turning to slam you against the wall. Your whine of pain is music on his ears. You make it so hard not to violate you right away… “Good, pet.” He grins, leaning close to your face. “Where is your attitude? Don’t tell me you’ve broken down already~” He pulls back but keeps his hand around your throat, threatening to constrict.

You narrow your eyes. “You’re a brute, beast.” You hiss, stomach flipping as your heart spikes again at the thrill of pissing him off. You spit and watch the saliva land on his cheek. 

His eyes darken as he lifts you off your feet, constricting his hand around your throat a bit. “I’m going to rip every taunt out of your throat.” He snarls, dropping you to the floor. He watches you scramble. Your door is so close… he knows what you’re about to do and leans over, grabbing your ankle before you can escape. 

Antinous kneels before dragging you towards him and flipping you onto your back. He grabs your jaw in his hand, taking in the defiance burning behind your eyes. He climbs over you, locking your legs in place with his and pushing your arms down on the cold floor. You look divine… the fruit of all his patience. “No wonder you were kept away. You might steal Penelope’s spotlight.” He taunts you now.

You glare, “Queen Penelope, ass.” He rolls his eyes as he takes out his knife. “H-hold on… wait a second, can’t you be normal and just lift it?” He considers it but ends up cutting through the fabric anyhow.

You flush, trying to cover yourself. You would have if his hand wasn’t holding your hands above your head. 

Antinous lowers his head back to your throat. He doesn’t care if it’s visible. If the prince visits you and questions about it, you’ll have to make the story up. He doubts you’ll be quick to talk about this, to admit you’ve been playing a game with a suitor for the fun of it. You lost to him. He’s only claiming his prize. 

Despite the shudders, the tensing and untensing depending on the spots his mouth attacks, she doesn’t hear a sound from you. He lifts his head from your collarbone and grabs your mouth in his hand. Your lips practically split from how hard you’ve been biting it. He chuckles, running his thumb along it. “At some point, you’ll need to open that pretty little mouth.” He pinches your nose and goes back to trail his mouth along your chin and down your throat. 

He runs his tongue over your jugular and scrapes his teeth along it. You shudder and gasp, a pathetic whine leaving your lips. He smirks, stretching to reach your breast. He latches on, rolling his tongue over the nipple as he sucks and tugs… you squirm beneath him, whines slipping past every time you greedily suck in air. 

He nudges his leg between your leg to stimulate ever so slightly. It takes time, but eventually you stop trying to keep silent… his hand slips from your nose to your ignored breast. He pinches and twists. He takes a sick satisfaction in your whines.

“You’re a fuckin brute… I… I’m gonna k-kick you… for this.” Your breathy attempt to insult him sends shivers right to his cock. He snarls, biting down. He hums as you arch tears pricking your eyes. Your hands shift in his and dig into his skin, but he doesn’t mind. He enjoys the feeling of your nails digging into his flesh.

He lets go of your breast with a pop saliva dripping from his mouth. “I’m going to release your wrists, do anything dumb and this won’t go both ways, pet.” He gives you the benefit of a warning as he releases your wrists.

He puts his lips back on your skin, licking the flesh. One hand continues to mess with your breast, but the other sneaks down to tease, lowering slowly. 

“Bastard” You hiss, thinking over his words. Figuring he’s bluffing, you steel your mind and wait. 

When his fingers trail down your thigh, you take a deep breath and reach for his hair. You tangle them in a light grip at first. You feel him smirk against your thing and glance up at you before continuing to mark your body like he owns it. 

When he’s distracted enough, you tug back his head with one hand and reach for his knife with the other. 

Slight surprise… it’s all you need to swing your legs around his waist and use everything you’ve got to flip him. He watches you, clearly interested. His eyes glance at the knife in your fingers.

For a minute you don’t know what to do… but… screw it… you hold the knife to his throat. He knows how quick you are, so he doesn’t move. He could figure out how to fix this if he wanted to, but… right now, he’s more interested in seeing what you think you’re getting away with. 

You fidget with the tunic with one hand until you’ve gotten enough of it out of the way to get to his dick… You look up to him and smirk. He raises a brow before… He inhales sharply… “Fuck little fox~” 

Your mouth wraps around what you can while your hand circles the base, pumping what doesn’t fit. You aren’t going to suck him off, though, not in a good way, at least. You run your tongue over the tip, completely inexperienced. You just hold yourself there licking with an occasional suck.

When his hips attempt to thrust alongside a breathy whine, you push the knife into his skin. He exhales through clenched teeth.

You get away with it for a few minutes, listening to him try to hide whimpers and whines. When he’s had enough, he’s quick to twist the wrist holding the knife while the other grabs your hair and tugs.

He watches your eyes widen as your unheld hand pushes on his thigh to try to get some stability as he rises into a sitting position. “There we go~” He tilts his head back as he controls your movements, dropping your other hand as he tosses his knife out of reach.

You gag and choke, stuttering as you try to figure out how to breathe while he uses your mouth.

He keeps his grip tight as he grunts, hips twitching as he enjoys your mouth. “Fuck, just like that… good…” He tosses his hips forward as he yanks down your head, his back arching.

Your eyes widen as his cum washes down your throat in warm threads, one after the other. When he pulls out, you gag, coughing as you hold your throat. He gets a good look at the tears in your eyes and smirks. 

He debates just getting up and leaving you right there, but a crueler thought slips into his mind. He pulls your face to his. The hand that isn’t wound in your hair slips under between your legs. “Whore.” He grins, running his hands through the folds and gathering the fluids. “You got off on that?” He’s taunting you, looking for a reaction, and you give it to him by spitting at him again. 

He chuckles and gives you no warning when he plunges a finger inside. He whistles when you whine. He slips a second finger in, curling them and scissors. He watches you with a burning intensity… you whine and moan in a beautiful symphony… he starts thrusting his fingers in and out, listening to your breathing become faster. He slides a third in as his thumb searches for and finds your clit. He presses and rubs circles, watching the ecstasy consume your face.

He’s not gentle… his free hand digs into your hip and he’s as rough as possible with the fingers sliding in and out with a wet squelch. His nails occasionally drag against the inner walls but it mixes in with the pleasure you fell in twisted enjoyment… He dips his head to your shoulder, sucking before biting, smirking when you arch so close to release.

He stops pushing you back. His eyes glint with a cruel smirk. “You fucking…” You snap, sucking in air…

He starts fixing his clothes, eyeing you. “I’m pretty sure I warned you, pet.” He did… and it came back to bite you in the face. 

“You… you’re an arrogant asshole.” You hiss, trying to get a reaction out of him.

He grabs his knife, putting it back in its place. “I know what you’re trying to do, and it won’t work.” He hums, walking away.

At least he knows she’ll be back for more… this won’t be the last he sees of her. It sends a thrill through him.

You stare jaw slack as you grumble curses under your breath. You get back to your room unseen and grab a nightgown, slipping it on, trying to ignore the ache between your legs. Inconsiderate ass… next time you see him, you’ll have him whimpering under you for this.

You were just too hesitant to achieve that this time… but you’ll be prepared next time.

For hours, you toss and turn before getting yourself off with the help of your hand and the wonderful colors of your imagination. You crash exhausted after that.

Chapter Text

Light filters into the room from a crack beneath the door. Footsteps and the sound of voices muffle behind the locked door.

Groaning, you sit up from bed… do they never shut up? Sure, your room is far back enough that it’s hidden away from view, but the suitors can get loud. Screaming matches, arguments, snarling beasts at one another’s throats for a hand they will never win. You throw your blanket to the side and slam your feet on the floor.

You scoff, shaking your head as you walk off to your vanity. You toss yourself down onto the chair and snatch the mirror into your hand. You have to pause and bite your tongue not to audibly gasp.

You slide down the top of your chiton to stare at the spots staining your skin. “That beast,” you hiss beneath your breath. You’d just wear your hair down mostly and be careful if Telemachus comes to visit. If you need to, there are many things you can make up.

You stand from the vanity and to the closet where you change for the day. You sit down at a loom and figure you’ll spend the day busying your hands, keeping your mind from wandering through the memories of last night. Just the brief mention brings a pink to your cheeks. You take a deep breath and shake it off.

It’s indecent… an act outside marriage and with a suitor, no less. They would be ashamed, wouldn’t they? You didn’t go all the way, but it was no less intimate…

You shake your head, forcing out the thoughts and memories and weave, sliding threads and pushing pedals as you hum to yourself.

There’s a knock on your door and you tilt your head… it’s late… who could possibly be at your door by now? Part of you hopes for the improbable… “Yes?” You call out waiting.

“Can I come in?” Telemachus… You sigh, continuing your work on the cloth you were creating from simple strings of thread.

“Of course!” You call out and turn to the door as it opens to reveal the prince who you call a brother. He carries a platter of grapes and a glass.

He sets the tray down in the small lounging area of your room. You stand from your loom and walk over to him, careful with how you walk, careful that your hair doesn’t fall behind your shoulders. You take a graceful seat across from him, lounging on your side.

The silence is bothersome. Something is bothering him. “What’s wrong? Did something happen?” You swallow a grape a bit harshly.

“Last night…” You freeze. He couldn’t know, could he? Would Antinous boast about it? Gods, he would, wouldn’t he? He’s an arrogant piece of shit… attractive, but cold and cruel, a wolf. “Well, I should say… this morning a servant found…” He pauses again with a sorrowful gleam in his eyes. “Nevermind, you don’t need to know about any of this… It’s… it doesn’t concern you.” Oh okay, not about you then. That’s a good thing.

You pause, turning to him, then lean over the space between you, snatching a bundle of grapes. You toss one at him with a small furrow of your brows. “Telemachus, what happened?”

“They took it too far. The other found her bleeding… badly handled.” For a man, Telemachus has a heart most don’t. It’s not that abnormal in Greece… given the gods own history with taking what they want consented or not… yet your brother always looks so distraught… as if he could have done anything… a Prince who seemingly cares for the lives of the serfs… the maids… the lowly. Suppose it makes sense given your birth was of inferior status, your position raised through the favor of the royals.

You crawl from your side to his. Carefully, you bring him close. “What was mother’s reaction?”

He pauses tense for a moment before leaning into your embrace. “Stone… I know she must feel bad, feel hurt, but she won’t show it… not in front of me and certainly not before them. I… I’m worried, sis… they get bolder by the month.” Tell me about it. You want to scoff.

You don’t dare to mutter the words, don’t want to worry him.

He’s shaken up. Today’s been another of those rough days. You run your hands through his hair. “Would you like a story?” You memorized enough of the tales your mother would share about your father, how they met…

Telemachus smiles, glancing up towards your eyes. His gaze stops and lingers at your throat for a moment, staring at the mark before he shakes his head. No… why is he even thinking that could have happened to you?

His sister would have said something… He raises his gaze to her eyes… plus she seems… fine… no different from usual. “It’s late…” He mutters.

You will always put him first. Antinous can wait, revenge can wait… Though if last night was any indication of what happens when you leave him to wait without notice… you shiver chills running down your back… but maybe you like that… You enjoyed every moment of it. You shake your head, focusing on your brother. “It’s fine. You can leave late tonight. I don’t mind staying up a bit later to reach my goal on my loom.” You smile, pushing a strand of hair behind his ear.

He nods, clinging to you… one day he’ll grow into an adult. One day he’ll no longer want to cuddle up to his older sister… One day he’ll beat the suitors with his skills. That time isn’t here yet and you don’t mind.

“There was once a beautiful maiden of Sparta and a man who was once a suitor of a woman named Helen. However, one day…” You trail off each word spoken like silk wrapping around Telemachus’ mind, comforting him.

He falls asleep with his head on your shoulder and you let him nap in your room. With a small smile, you slip away from him and grab a blanket to lay over him. You ruffle his hair and he shifts. You giggle, eyes softening. He deserves this, being able to find some peace, some sort of rest with everything he’s been going through.

You can only imagine that he has to deal with the rumors. Probably has to also deal with the aftermath and the judgment for not being able to keep the suitors under control as the supposed man of the house. You feel bad for him and your stomach twists nausea building in your stomach.

He’s constantly stressed and hurt physically and mentally by the suitors and you sought one out, let one ravage your body. Your hand runs over the mark on your jugular.

Guilt

Maybe this one wasn’t as bad… maybe this isn’t the one that Telemachus comes to you beaten bloody from. Maybe, maybe. Maybe… so much hope, so much guilt…

How could you do something with a suitor, with somebody who’s been bothering your mother and brother, who’s been a nuisance in your father’s palace?

You sit on the bench staring at the loom. You begin to let the emotions spill into the threads, each click faster than the next. You feel awful, but he won’t leave your head.

His sharp gaze… click

His snarl… click

His voice… click

His hands… click

His breath warm against your skin… click

His tongue… click

His teeth drawing blood… click

His lips… click

His whines… click

You’re about to move it again when your finger slides against the wrong section and you pull it away with a hiss. You stare at your hand and your mind torments you with an image.

His mouth curls around your finger, lapping up the blood and spitting the wooden splinter from his teeth. You stand from the bench biting your nails.

What has he done to you?

“Sis? You alright?” You jump and turn to face the boy laying down snuggled in the blanket.

You nod, trying to hide the dishevel from him. “Fine, really… It’s late. You should head back to your room before someone notices you aren’t around and goes snooping.” You smile, forcing it onto your face.

It’s natural, you’re good at faking it. He’s suspicious, but it dies off when he’s been watching you for long enough. You would never lie to him. His sister would never lie. They tell each other everything… don’t you? “Okay, I’ll see you later!” He stands and leaves, but not without another glance in her direction. He stares at the mark on her throat once more, then shakes his head.

If it was serious, you’d have told him…

Never in his life has his sister lied to him. Never has she hidden anything from him. He’s only had her and their mother. Even if they are not blood, she’s his sister. She’s helped take care of him. She’s been there when he fell from furniture and he’s been there when she’d fallen running down the halls. They would sneak off to gossip about anything and everything. She’s his sister, his ear for pain and he’s her ear for her pain… So it’s nothing. It’s a trick of the light, it’s a burn from doing her hair, a bad skin reaction to a piece of jewelry… Something… anything but the heart-shattering thought that something happened to her and she won’t tell him. She doesn’t think he’s weak… She knows he could handle anything she tells him.

You place your hands on the door, heart hammering in your chest as he leaves. You’re hiding something from your brother. You are hiding things from the prince. You who swore to be there for him, to be his older sister, are hiding a deadly little secret. The guilt swallows your conscience…

You wait for high night, impatient and feeling near erratic. When the moon raises, you rush out the door and to your spot.

You don’t try to hide your footsteps when you get close enough to him. The moment you spot him, you take down your hood and storm up to him. You don’t give him time to register that you’re here before grabbing a fistful of his tunic and yanking him to your level. Once his eyes are in front of you, you narrow your eyes. “Did you know what they were doing last night? Were you part of it after?” Beasts, all of them, hungry men set to ruin everything you hold dear.

This man isn’t different. You can’t let him be any different no matter how your stomach twists or your heart pounds… no matter how much your skin tingles with yearning to feel him again.

He raises his hands in a mock surrender as he stares you dead on. “If you thought I was… you wouldn’t be here right now, Fox.” He flares his canines in his grin as his hand wraps over yours.

You scoff, rolling your eyes. “Answer me!” You hiss through clenched teeth.

“The little prince go running to you… princess?” He runs his tongue over his lips as he watches you tense. You don’t make it hard, figuring you out bit by bit. He’s got you hooked around his finger as much as you have him drowning in thoughts about you. He wasn’t expecting you to tighten your grip or to reach for his weapon.

“I said answer me.” He swallows, unsure who has the hand here. You with his knife held within such delicate fingers or him? He could grab you, easily shake you off. He’s larger, stronger, taller… you wouldn’t be very hard to flip against the wall.

With a sigh, he gives in. “I was with you all night, Little Fox. I can’t control what the others do. If they needed a little entertainment, a little fun, that’s their decision. The maid shouldn’t have gone walking about so close to the suitors. She shouldn’t have been trying to get close to them, talking to them so much. That’s not to say she deserved it. However, I have no pity for the woman.” He scoffs at the way you press his own knife so close to his side. It pricks through the cloth, scratching against his flesh.

“You lot are disgusting.” You hiss, shaking your head.

He chuckles, rolling his eyes. “Then what does that make you? You know you’d let me take it all if I wanted to.” One hand stays grabbed around your wrist, while the other trails up your arm and then down your side, settling on your hip. He digs his fingers into the cloth in a bruising hold. “Did you get off to thoughts of me splitting you open? What would your mother say? How would that little prince feel knowing his sweet older sister was a whore for one of his mother’s suitors?”

Your heart hammers in your chest and you release him… a mistake, honestly. His hand snaps from the hand that was gripping his tunic to the hand with the knife. He tears it from your grip without struggle. “You… You’re an arrogant bastard. The worst kind of man. Curse you and your stupid face.” You hiss, yanking up your hood and storming off.

Chapter Text

Antinous leans against the wall, watching her retreating form. He narrows his eyes as he takes a deep inhale. He should piss you off some more… do something to make you angry. Because, fuck that was… something.

He reaches to the fabric your hand had twisted and scrunched as you tugged him down from his height to your level.

He swallows, unable to get your narrowed eyes and burning spite out of his head. You were stunning but that… whatever that was, topped your neutral expression. He plays with the knife in his hand. You should have pressed it further, been more aggressive.

It would have made for an excellent show… he wouldn’t mind seeing your hands draw his blood. He wonders if your hands would fit around his throat, if you’d have enough strength to cut his oxygen off… if you stare down at him with that snarl as you suffocate him.

He knows there won’t be anyone near for the next couple of hours, so he reaches beneath his tunic. Your smell lingers in the air and he refuses to leave while it’s still here.

His finger plays with the tip of his cock as he inhales your scent. You’re divine… and all his. He runs his thumb over it again and again. Would you tease him or get right to it?

Tease… you’d do what you did last night. You’d wind him up, aware of every pent up need and make him suffer. He grins. It goes both ways… He’s sure you’d love the image of riding him the same way he loves the thought of your tear-stained face as he slams into you.

His hand wraps around his dick, slowly moving up and down but no further than an inch or two before coming back up, ignoring most of his cock, teasing himself. He grunts, breathing through clenched teeth as he forces his hips to stay still.

He parts his lips in a breathy little whine. You owe him for his restraint. At some point, he will take what he’s owed. He could slip into that room while you sleep and leave you with no place left untouched, but he doesn’t… instead he snaps his hand to the base in a groan. He pumps to images of everything about you. He lets his mouth hang open. He’s not holding back his sounds.

He wants to chase you down, to have you take over this delicate matter with whatever method you may use. He wants to feel your walls envelop him, to hear the squelches his cock will make as it slides in and out of that tight virgin cunt.

He’ll let you tease him, let you milk him, but once you’ve relaxed, let your guard down… He licks his lips, tilting his head back as his legs threaten to slip beneath him, his hand pumping furiously…

Once you let your guard down, he’ll flip it onto you… he’ll hold your throat in his grip, his teeth will nip and mark while his tongue laps at any blood his marks may leave behind. He’ll pin your legs back to get a good view and hammer into you, watching you take him like the whore he knows you are. You’ll scream, choke on moans and his name… only his name.

He’ll make sure to get deep, leaving his permanent indent in your cunt, ruining you for anybody else. He’ll bruise your hips, mark up your thighs… he’ll slam into you over and over again even as you tell him it’s too much… even as tears drip down those pretty cheeks he’ll keep hard and fast chasing his high.

Antinous tightens his grip on his cock as his wants, his worst desires fly through his head.

He imagines you clenching around him, milking him for every last drop with him buried deep inside you, planting a child, making you his, giving you no way out from his grasp… He grunts as he paints his hand white.

He was expecting to have you moaning under him tonight… this isn’t enough, isn’t satisfactory anymore, not after last night. He vividly recalls the tight fit of your mouth around him, the tears pricking the corners of your eyes as he slammed against the back of your mouth. Did you have a hard time today?

He knows the prince was in your room today. He knows he stayed for a bit… Did you tell him? Did you keep it to yourself? Since the prince didn’t come to find him, he assumes you’re hiding it just as expected.

You’ll keep coming back… he’ll be patient. It’s not something he’s ever been. He’s easily set off, but… you make the wait fun, invigorating. If he has to use his hand to keep from jumping you, so be it. He’ll find a way to play along with your moody game.

His… every bit of you.

When he’s king, you’ll have no choice but to be his… He groans, running a hand through his hair. The very thought of being able to ravage you as he pleases whenever he pleases sends blood straight back to his dick. “Bitch,” he hisses through teeth.

He walks back to his room so he can completely remove his tunic. He wonders if you’d bite… if you’d sink your teeth into him the way he marked you up. What would your tongue feel like on his skin? Would it be as mouth watering as your tongue on his dick?

What would you do if he continued to rile you all the way up, only to stop and wait for you to settle before slamming back inside… would you beg? Is that something you can do? You’re so proud, so aggressive…

The thought leads him back to the glare in your eyes, the way you’d held his tunic. He wants you… wants everything about you. He needs to wait, but fuck… he doesn’t want to… he’s not sure how much longer he can keep from pounding that sweet cunt.

He springs himself to climax again and lies on his bed panting, staring at the ceiling. You’ve ruined him. The little fox that ensnared a wolf… he’s impressed.

Chapter Text

Waking up that morning was difficult, stressing…

Despite the clamour of commotion and the laughter coming and going as suitors walked down the halls, there was nothing you could want more than a few more hours of sleep.

You toss your pillow over your head, trying to mute the sounds coming from down the hall… It’s pointless, they’re loud and obnoxious, they always have been. Scoffing, you toss yourself out of bed. You make yourself presentable and sit at your loom. 

You don’t have the mental energy to string it, to get it working… no matter what you seem to do, you undo the pieces you’d just done. It doesn’t look right, doesn’t feel right.

It’s one of those days then. The days you’d rather be anywhere but cooped up alone in your room. You don’t understand how Penelope does it… You’d go insane if Telemachus didn’t visit when he could. 

Sure, being left alone is fine, but having such limited things to do bores your mind. You itch to freely run through the halls, to hold a sword, to do all the activities most would shake their heads at a lady for doing. You want to feel the wind on your face, feel the dirt under your feet. It’s been years since you’ve gone outside. 

You sigh, lounging in the corner of your room, emptily staring at the ceiling. You’d reacted out of turn yesterday, consumed with guilt. You were searching for a way to end whatever is building in your chest. The flutters, the smiles… the constant thoughts of that night… You sit up running your hand down your face. 

It’s his fault… you hadn’t expected him to win. He wasn’t supposed to win. You shouldn’t have liked the chase, running from a beast only to get caught… to thoroughly enjoy that night.

You snap your head to the door at the sound of footsteps. He’s coming around a bit too much… You’re glad though, it’ll be easier to pass the day without being bored to death if he’s here to keep you company.

You stand walking towards the door until you hear arguing. You pause, narrowing your eyes. It’s not like nobody’s came down the hall before. They usually wander around, open a door to a storage room, and leave. Your door is always locked… Telemachus can undo it and you can do so from the inside.

You strain to pick up on words. Carefully, you press an ear to the door.

~

Antinous walked with his arms held behind his back. How long does it take to weave a damn shroud? How big could this damned thing be? The Queen’s taking too long and you’ve been keeping him too busy to ponder the thought. Whenever he tries, he goes back to thinking of you, the taste of your skin, the sound of your voice.

It’s noisier than usual today. With whatever had you messier than usual, agitated enough to try pulling one over on him, the others are bolder than usual. He can easily pick out the responsible parties. He doesn’t need to know any of the others personally to know who holds themselves cocky around other groups. They also talk and boast. Idiots. Despite how obvious he finds it, the prince hasn’t made a move.

Inaction is a message on its own. It tells the suitors they can get away with it. He doubts the servant will be the last who ends up as somebody’s meal. 

Slowly he finds himself making his way towards that long forgotten hall. It always feels colder around this hall. The lack of lighting, the dust collecting on the candelabras… he knows the details are what keep suspicion at bay, but it’s still gloomy. The complete look of abandonment is almost fitting for how far you are from others. Locked behind a door, in a room at the far ends of these abandoned halls. He wonders what the room is like. Is it at least spacious enough for a princess? Is there a window or do you get stuck only seeing the light of candles?

He pauses a bit away from your door when he finds a wandering suitor. It’s not too uncommon. Some of these rooms are far enough away from the primary display that it’s a perfect spot to drag a woman away. Nobody would hear the muffled cries, the struggle…

At least he would have said nobody if he was still unaware of the maiden locked away in her room. He crosses his arms, following the nameless face. It’s too early in the day for this.

He crosses his arms, leaning against a familiar wall. No wonder you stuck to certain spots. How long did it take you to learn which halls were best and which ones to avoid? This hall has a good view down the rest of it and the cross point of another.

He watches the man he’d been trailing look around before entering a room.

Scoffing, he pushes off the wall. He walks by the door, impatient and annoyed already. He pauses outside the door, listening in… two male voices. 

His eyes narrow when there’s talk of the throne.

“You think the treasure rumor is true?” They aren’t trying to hush their voices.

“Dunno, but the prince has been down the hall a lot as of late… plus I’ve heard from others there’s a room somewhere in this wing of the palace that’s always locked. Plus, didn’t you say you saw that fucker Antinous headed this way a few times?” Name dropping him and the prince in the same sentence… bold and stupid.

He has half the mind to barge in and beat them half to death, but he restrains himself. This is expected. How long did the prince and the Queen think they could hide you for? He found you, fucked that pretty mouth of yours and marked every inch of that perfect skin. 

“Could whatever it is be used to force the queen’s hand? Cause if we aren’t faster, it’ll end up being Antinous or Eurymachus on that throne.” And that is where their conversation will be stopped. He doesn’t like that idea, somebody else even thinking of putting their hands on you… you’re his. 

His to look at.

His to have.

His to kiss.

His to fuck.

He kicks open the door only to relay how ticked off he is. Antinous holds his head high, eyes staring at two faces he’s seen but never bothered to know. There are 108 including himself. He only knows the players he views as actual competition in this game. “Look at this, plotting without sharing with the group.” He snarls, stepping into the room. 

Even two on one, it’s unmatched. He doesn’t resort to grabbing his knife; he doesn’t have to. “Come on, the prince puts up better fights than this,” He snarls, cracking a jaw under his foot. 

It’s nice to unload. It’s been too long since he last let his temper control his fists. Guess that’s why these fools thought they could get away with this. He’s been too busy with his little fox, hasn’t he? Suppose he should pay more attention in the daylight hours.

He leaves the unconscious men in the room and heads off. He wonders if you would let him inside if he knocks on that door. He’s already shown that he knows which door it is, that you are always inside. He imagines you get as bored in there as he does on the slow days out here. Wouldn’t it be nice to entertain each other when it gets this boring?

Could you be used in the fight for the throne? He can’t see any similarity between you and the prince… your older and to his knowledge there wasn’t a single pregnancy before the royal brat. Nobody has mentioned another child. From what he’s heard about Odysseus from his father, an old friend of the king, he can’t see him taking another woman to bed. So you can’t be an actual princess. However, doesn’t that mean you’re actually important? If your status isn’t biologically theirs and yet you are kept and treated like a princess… his lips curl into a smirk. 

All the more reason he has to keep you to himself then. Fate must be working in his direction these days.

He’s just wandering with his thoughts, no intention of actually heading to your room. There is a lot he needs to think about. He’s constantly plotting ways to approach the throne, to place the crown on his head… this is an additional bonus.

He ends up in front of your door by coincidence, tracing steps that have become a routine at this point. “What are you doing back here?” He raises a brow at the irritated voice.

Turning around, Antinous looks down on the prince. “Is that really any of your business brat?” He scoffs, crossing his arms.

Telemachus narrows his eyes on the blood coating the suitor’s knuckles. “Of course it is.”

“Need a reminder of what broken bones feel like?” Antinous pulls his lips up in a snarl as he steps closer to the prince. 

The prince got a hit the last time he could do it again. He’s been studying when he can. He’ll be able to wipe that smug smirk off his suitors lips, eventually. He just has to wait until he can do it. 

At the silence of the prince, Antinous walks by him, purposely bumping into him, knocking him to the side. “There’s a rumor going around you know… wonder how long it’ll take before somebody figures out what’s behind that door.” It’s not for her safety… the warning. It’s a concern that he’ll need to share. 

Antinous doesn’t share. He never enjoyed the concept of giving what belongs to him to others. He also just enjoys the way the prince tenses, the way his nails dig into his palms. The funny part is that he already knows you’re the treasure, the one behind the door. He already claimed you as his, he just hasn’t finished asserting that claim. 

~

Antinous… You step away from your door to sit back in the lounging corner of your room. You wonder what he was doing in your hall. Though you’re glad it wasn’t somebody else that Telemachus ran into. It could draw more attention to this hall. You’re confident Antinous won’t say anything. He’s had weeks to do that, to spread the word, to bring you out from hiding, but he hasn’t. 

You’re not sure why, but you appreciate the gesture either way. Telemachus enters your room a bit pale as he stares at you. “You’re coming a lot more often… wasn’t it you who said that would be risky?” you tease him.

He opens his mouth as if to speak before closing it again and just smiles. “Sorry, I didn’t have anything to bring you this time. Mom wants to know if you can make her another piece of art.” He rubs the back of his neck.

You glance at your loom, you are in the middle of something, but you can always put it on pause for your mother. “Yeah, sure, anything specific?”

“Not that she said. She just likes receiving things from you.” He glances around your room, seemingly looking for signs of something. There are still a few marks he can see… and you look tired today. Running into Antinous today made him think about your condition again… “Um… you seem a little tired today…” He’ll ease it in… won’t ask straight out because he doesn’t want to assume you’re keeping things from him. You just don’t do that… you never have.

You pause and rub your neck. “I stayed up late working on my new project. Is it that obvious? Maybe I should have had somebody bring me powder to blot under my eyes… I must look like a mess for you to point it out.” You swallow, wondering if he’s suspecting you of keeping things from him.

“No, it’s… I mean, you look fine. I don’t think it’s possible for you to not look pretty sis…” That’s what he and his mother worry about… there’s a reason you’re the treasure of Ithaca… Men see anything of beauty and wish to have it… human or object… They both worry that something might happen to you. It’s justified to with the stories and events that have occurred in the last handful of years.

You chuckle, messing with your hair. “You flatter me as usual.” Your brother has always been sweet, always made sure you were comfortable and aware of yourself. He’d never let you think any less of any part of you. You were perfect by mortal standards.

Still, he doesn’t seem completely satisfied… “so that’s it? You’re sure nothing’s bothering you?” He’s giving you a chance, every opportunity to lay it out, to tell him what happened.

You smile, soft and collected. The smile gives nothing away. You’re good at hiding away. How you look only adds to the deception. “I promise that’s it. I was a bit of a klutz with my exhaustion, but that’s to be expected, Telemachus. I promise I won’t stay up so late tonight. Why don’t you go and check on mom?”

His shoulders sink as he stares at you. Your stomach twists, heart sinking at the defeated look in his eyes. He believes you, but he was looking for more. You walk to him and wrap your arms around him in a comforting hug. “I’ll probably be unable to come see you for a few days… maybe longer… I’ve been drawing attention here. I don’t wanna put you in danger.” 

You sigh and nod… It’s understandable.. Even if it will leave your days a little less fun.

You’d been enjoying the frequent visits.

Chapter Text

Deciding not to undo all the progress you had made on your loom, you decided to make a scarf. You sat on your bed humming to yourself as you crocheted. You used the softest materials you had on you… you’d have to ask Telemachus to get you some more at some point. Perhaps you would ask your mother when you saw her tonight. 

It’s not much, but it gives you a reason to see her. It’s been over a month since you met Antinous on the night you’d gone out to see her. You fold the finished piece and hold it close. You pull over your hood and step out of your room, taking your usual route. 

You stand outside her room before knocking. You have your own pattern to let her know it’s you. She opens the door with a smile. You take down your hood and hand her the scarf. “I see Telemachus told you I wanted another gift.” 

You smile, placing your hands behind your back. She’s beautiful, majestic and kind. “Mhm, I’ll bring you the blanket I’m weaving when I finish it. It’s my largest project to date. I didn’t want to make you wait that long.” You have a feeling she asked for a gift as a way to see you. “Are you doing okay?”

She tucks a strand of hair behind your ear. She sets the scarf down, staring out her window. “He’ll come home. I am doing as well as I can without my husband.” She’s waiting… waiting for him to return to her. He’s somewhere out there. She has faith.

You nod, staring at her back. “Telemachus told me about the servant…” You try to offer condolences. “I’m… sorry to hear about it. Was she sent home?”

“No… They go through much for me, telling me little things about the suitors I just… didn’t expect them to go as far as to…” She visibly tenses before shaking her head. “When Odysseus comes home, things will be set right.” 

You sigh walking towards her… she blames herself but can’t afford to be out of the loop when it comes to the suitors. “I can come to see you more often, mom.” 

She turns her head to you and brushes back a strand of your hair again. “No… I wouldn’t want you in danger trying to go back and forth.” Her eyes seem to linger on something, staring for a moment. “How did you get that?” Her hand runs over a fading mark.

You tilt your head. “Get what?” You bat your lashes to hide the lump in your throat, to avoid seeming nervous. “Oh, I stayed up a bit too late while weaving, and the noise of the palace woke me up, so I’ve been a bit clumsy today. I probably hit something.” She nods.

“You’ve always been an accident prone child.” She hums, recalling fond memories. “I remember when Telemachus was only five, and you were ten, he came to me in tears because you fell out of a tree trying to get his ball for him.” She seems to miss those days. Watching the two of you from the window.

“That was… a long time ago.” You chuckle with her, shaking your head.

“Yes… it was… well, it’s late. I shouldn’t keep you up too long. You need sleep and it is hard to sleep in past daybreak with all these… men running around.” Bitter and displeased, but unable to do anything.

You nod and smile. “Send Telemachus whenever you want to see me. I’m good at sneaking around. You don’t need to worry so much about me, mother. I’m alright, really.”

“It’s my role to worry about both you and your brother… to worry about your comfort, your safety and your future. We may not be blood, but you are still my daughter.” She cups your cheek in her hand. “I do not wish to see you harmed in any way.” 

She’s always been so kind to you. Placing your name in their family, caring for you, teaching you how to weave, scolding you when needed… but never overbearing. You never knew your mother or your father… This family is the only one you need, the only one you care about. “I know, but you’ll get worry-lines if you worry too much.” She chuckles at your attempt to lift the mood.

She steps away, going back to her loom to undo the weaving she’d done that day. “I’m already getting old. What’s another wrinkle?” She jokes with you as her fingers trace the progress she undoes.

You roll your eyes. “You’re still beautiful. When father comes home, I’m sure he’ll want all night with you.” You see her sigh, shaking her head.

“That Is not how a lady should talk.” She’s only joking. She doesn’t mind that you don’t act completely feminine. She doesn’t mind it. She is Spartan, she’s used to women with a bit of bite. She’s like that herself, certainly devious. Plus, it’s a bonus in this environment. You can defend yourself should the need arise.

“Good night mom.” You hum hands on the door. 

“Good night, dear. Please go right to bed.” She hums without turning back to you.

You want to say you will, but there’s a certain man waiting for you. You could take an alternate route, but your meeting was so short yesterday. You want to talk to him. You push down the guilt; the thoughts telling you to put an end to this. 

Stepping into the area of your usual spot, you pause. You know you’re later than usual, but did he really already leave? You walk along the hall, passing the usual meeting place, even check a few corners. You sigh, crossing your arms. “Looking for somebody?” You pause. There’s a door opened, a sliver in front of you. A male voice you don’t recognize comes from behind you. 

Since when did they start slipping into your wing? You’ve noticed it was noisier around here, but this section is far enough that you’d only hear things when they get loud. “I’m just passing.”

Maybe you should stick to your route. If he doesn’t show up in the exact spot that you’re used to, you shouldn’t go looking. This was stupid… with everything that’s been going on, why did you think it would be safe even if it was late?

You were so used to the empty halls at night that you’d forgotten to take into consideration the activities you’ve been hearing about… or even the way your brother had seemed a bit nervous. You figured it was because he’d run into Antinous outside your room… What if something else had happened and he just hadn’t told you? 

The silence is agonizing. The footsteps growing closer didn’t help much. “Odd, isn’t it late to just be walking around? What are you really doing?”

“Just passing.” You curl your hands into fists and keep your eyes on the ground. The man behind you takes another step closer.

“You sure you aren’t lurking around looking for something?” You tense, taking a deep breath as you nod. 

He takes another step closer before somebody sticks their head out of the hall door. “You coming man? We keep waiting the bitch won’t be as easy to use.” The man behind you sighs.

He brushes by hitting your shoulder as he walks around you. “Don’t be so damn loud.” He grumbles.

You turn around back the way you came. You pause when you get to the usual spot. You take a second to gather yourself. You feel awful for just walking away, but… it’s a game of survival in this place. You hardly notice your hands shaking as you cover your mouth. You’re too far to hear anything but the knowledge of what’s going on behind that door… What you just walked away from. There’s nothing you can do or could have done. You know that but…

“Sis?” You flinch, turning around. “You’re out of your room?” You turn back to the source of the voice and relax seeing Telemachus.

“On my way back from mom… I just needed a second…” You smile or try to.

“What happened?” He’s instantly worried, rushing to your side like the good brother he is… something you don’t exactly deserve at the moment. 

You can tell him about this… tell him what you saw. “I… was taking a different route, a quicker one, because I saw somebody around this corner.” Lies… lying to him now… you went from hiding things to bending the truth to hide what you were really doing, looking for Antinous. “Down the left hall… there’s… I just walked away… they’re… and I walked away.” Saved your own skin… They’re getting bolder, getting closer to your hall. They’re spreading their grip into the “unused” hall, expanding from one of the many halls the hundred-and-eight of them already took over.

He pauses, looking down, and wraps an arm around you. “You… but are you okay? They didn’t…” Of course he thinks of you… if you’re physically hurt…

“No, I’m fine.. Shaken up, but I’m okay… what are you doing, anyway?” Normally he’d have retired by this time…

He pauses. “oh uh I couldn’t sleep.” He’s not good at telling lies. You can’t complain though… you’re keeping things from him, too. You just told a lie to make the truth make sense. 

“I need to get back to my room.” You mumble, but before you leave the hall, you sigh. “This… the fact I exist won’t keep hidden for much longer, Telemachus. I heard you in the hall this morning. I don’t know with whom but you sounded upset… They’re in my halls… eventually they’ll figure out there’s something important behind those doors… whether they think it’s gold, or a person won’t matter. I can handle myself… Please stop looking so worried.” You leave him with that. Leave him staring after you.

He knows you’re smart, you’ve always been clever and observant. Still, he can’t help but worry. These are not regular men, they are wolves starved and reaching the end of patience. The worst of them was lurking around the very hall your room is in. He won’t tell you about that… from what he can tell, you think it was just some random suitor. He’s done his best to avoid telling you about the suitors, avoid letting you know who was an active threat and which he hardly paid mind to.

He just… wants you to be safe… he’s your brother. You and his mother are all he has right now. He doesn’t have friends. You’re the closest thing he’s had to a friend. You helped him grow, were there with him. He wants to make you proud, wants you to stop having to be so tough. He’s the man. He should be protecting you, worrying about you, not the other way around. Yet you seem to be carrying that weight… still.

You sigh, staring at your door. You narrow your eyes. Did you leave it ajar? Did you forget to lock it? Cautiously, you step into the room looking around. You light a candle, then shut the door. You go through every possible hiding spot before you calm your heart down. See… nothing. There’s no reason to be alarmed. You’re being paranoid.

You put the candle out and change while looking over your shoulder. You don’t think anything is missing from your room… nothing stands out… everything is normal… but… Your heart won’t stop hammering in your chest. You’ve looked over everything, checked for missing items… 

You can’t sleep like this… You grab the teapot and pour yourself a glass.. It’s from the high of the day so it’s cold and will probably taste less than enjoyable, but it should help you relax a little. 

You swirl the liquid in your cup a few times before setting it down. Why are you so on edge tonight?

Picking the glass up again, you pull your knees to your chest. You could use a distraction right now. Where had he gone tonight? Why was he missing? Sure you missed a night before, but that resulted in ticking him off, ending his patience… resulted in his dick down your throat. He’d never missed a night before.

Maybe it’s the fact you witnessed what you did, lied to your mother and brother, and had a disruption in your typical schedule. 

You tip the teacup back and take a single sip. You set it back down and raise your finger to your lip… You shake off the odd tingling sensation in your mouth… Tea is probably just bad. It’s been sitting for hours. It’s cold and doesn’t taste good enough to drink. It’s not worth it.

Standing from your lounge, you sit back at your loom and begin to weave. You hum to yourself. You yawn a few minutes into weaving. You’re more exhausted than you’d thought… Maybe you should try going back to sleep. 

You stand up and sway. You blink a few times, steadying against the loom. You just stood up too fast. You Are fine after a few seconds… well if you ignore the drooping eyelids…

You haven’t been sleeping well the last few days, staying up way too late trying not to think of how badly you want him… trying not to think about the guilt eating you alive or the horrors occurring in your wing… happening just a few halls after while you…

You nearly trip over your feet but you make it to bed…

Sort of anyhow…


Half your body ends up on the bed as your knees buckle from beneath your body. Your head hits the soft plush of the blankets and pillows. One arm ends up on the bed, the other hanging loose by your side. You’re out like a light, completely asleep. 

The door to your room creeks open softly…

Heavy footsteps echo as the doors are pushed closed. “really need to keep those locked.”

A shadowed figure walks up to your crumpled body, reaching to tuck a strand of hair behind your ear. So beautiful, and completely knocked out. You don’t even flinch, not so much as a single shift to register you’re being touched. “You’d think you would be more alert and hesitant given everything that’s going on.” He leans down, taking in your scent.

He could have you right here and now and nobody would know… you’d only have the sensations left to ponder in the morning… it’s… tempting.

However, whether it’s luck or not, he has to finish taking out the trash. You returned earlier than expected.

~ Earlier~

He’d been waiting in the usual place for a while when there wasn’t any sign of you. However, he did pick up on a group of men. You’d think after the beating he gave the two, they would understand his claim on whatever might be here. You’ll have to wait. He knows you’re likely out of your room, probably took a different route to avoid running into him… probably seeing the Queen. He’s not desperate enough to try to use that as his opportunity, not desperate enough yet at least.

It would be a shame if this game you’re playing with him ended because you ran into somebody else. He doesn’t share.

He follows the men through the familiar halls. His eyes narrowing the closer to your exact hall they got. This wing was usually silent, but the others have begun to see this as prime picking for space. He shakes his head as he waits behind a corner.

It’s odd the tight twist of his chest as he watches two men slipping out of your door. You can’t be in there, otherwise it wouldn’t be open. The same issue they have getting into the Queen’s chambers, that door is always locked, always barred shut. The gate is never open.

“Nothing, definitely not storage, though.” One man crosses his arms, holding gold in his hand. “Definitely a woman’s room. Half started project on the loom, jewelry, and an unmade bed. There’s not a speck of dust.”

“Another room for the queen? It’s usually locked, right? Think she just walked off for a bit?” someone tilts their head in response.

“Nah, it’s too far from her wing. Too immature of a setup. Nobody has seen the queen down this way.” Another points out with a motion of his hand.

“You’re suggesting there’s another woman in this house? The treasure rumor wouldn’t be too farfetched in that case. I’ve heard it might not be riches.” There’s a sneer on that man’s lips.

“We could wait, if that’s what this is… if they’ve been hiding a princess.” Cruelty glints in the man’s eyes as he raises his hand and grasps at the air. His intentions are obvious.

“Wonder what the old hag would do… you or the daughter… think she’d still be too stubborn to pick?” The man pauses, looking over the group. “Of course, we’d still fuck her tonight before giving the queen the choice.” Their conversation is cut short by the looming presence that comes up behind them.

Antinous isn’t even sure why he let that conversation go so long. His knife glints in the night as he jerks it through the throat of the man who’d just spoken. A-hundred-and-eight becomes a-hundred-and-seven in a single breath. “Thought I warned you off already, did I not?” Antinous snarls staring at the two he’d seen lurking around earlier today. 

“You fucker, you knew already? Were you gonna tell anybody else?” One of the men that had come out of the room glared. He’s scrawny, only a bit larger than the prince.

Antinous flicks the blood of his knife. “You’re forgetting that as much as some of this might be a team effort, it’s still a competition. Only one of us hundred-and-eight… my bad, hundred-and-seven, will get that throne.” He should kill them all here and now. If they know about her, there will either be more restrictions or worse… it will become impossible for him to look at you so much.

The three remaining must see his intent because they run. They spread in different directions, leaving him with the body. He sighs, shaking his head. He doesn’t want you returning to a body and blood. It would freak you out… might make you hide, so he tasks himself with cleaning it up. He returns only to see the door that was ajar, shut. 

He swallows, pushing against the door. He scoffs when it opens. You really should remember to keep this locked, specifically tonight. To think the prince would leave the room left unguarded and open despite his warning. He might need to beat the prince if…

What an odd thought… is he… no, he just doesn’t want to share what’s his. You are his. That’s it… there is nothing more to that thought.

Looking around the room, he notices the half done string of the loom… the teacup half-full… and your body collapsed half on the bed. least you made it to bed. 

Shaking his head, Antinous tucks a strand of your hair behind your ear. Breathtaking beauty. He’s not sure he’s ever met a woman so damn beautiful. Even asleep, you remain the center of the room. Prettier than the gold on the walls… then everything. Your lips are parted just slightly… so perfectly propped… enough for him to dip a finger in and open that mouth for him.

He takes a deep breath. No… he wants you awake for that. Though the idea of you waking up mid-fuck babbling and trying to figure out what’s going on is… entertaining, he needs that first fuck to be more than a limp body he ravages. He needs you to readily feel him.

He wraps his arms beneath you and lifts the rest of your body onto the bed. He pauses… he should just leave you, walk out of this room and go hunting… to stop word about you from getting out.

But what if one returns while he’s after the others?

He snarls, staring at you. He tries to wake you a couple of times… Drugged if he had to guess. He scoffs, shaking his head and tugging the blankets over your body. “Idiot.” he tuts, stepping across the room to the teacup. He picks it up and runs a finger over the ceramic. He’s familiar with the type of shit people pull. You really didn’t notice the coating in the cup or the off color in the tea as you poured it?

He shakes his head, wiping off his hands. You won’t wake up for hours… You really are an idiot. He’s never been in your room before, so he figures he’ll take a look around.

You’re quite the pampered woman… anything you could want is in this room. It’s spacious but filled. From a corner made for the arts, music and paint, to the loom in the middle of the room, you’re spoiled with activities. There’s the lounging corner, a vanity… a few closets, one for yarn and clothes, your sewing materials in general and the other hanging chitons and such… 

He snoops about the closet and smirks when he finds the clothes he’d cut apart. He supposes there isn’t a way you could dispose of them without being asked too many questions. However, he finds something more interesting in a closet full of completed crafts and incomplete projects you either seemed not to like or got bored with… weapons. “Well, then…” He mutters under his breath. He glances at a bow. It’s not too different from the one he’s seen… that old relic of the late king. Though this would be much easier to string and use, it looks flimsy… though he supposes it would be considered tough for a woman’s bow. There’s a few daggers, knives with different engravings… suppose even a delicate flower has its thorns. 

It would be amusing if you were one of Aphrodites… considering who he bends a knee to. 

He stops messing with your things and pulls over the chair. He’ll watch over tonight just to make sure nobody tries anything stupid.

Chapter Text

You rub sleep from your eyes as you sit up, still feeling oddly exhausted. When did you even get into bed? You were having tea then weaving… you think? Things are a bit blurry. Your head hurts a bit now that you think about it… It’s a weird sort of pain. It’s pulsing but not not debilitating, like a hangover but not?

You’re tucked in so you must have gotten to the bed at some point, odd that you can’t recall most of what happened after entering your room. You do, but it’s foggy like a distant memory.

“Well, good morning, Little Fox. Took you long enough.” You quite literally jump to your feet when you hear Antinous. You snap your eyes to him and rub them just to make sure you weren’t imagining things.

Your first thought is to make sure you are dressed and that there are no new marks to litter your skin. He snorts, rolling his eyes as you do so.

He certainly takes offense to that. “Relax, you’re lucky I was the one who found you with the door wide open. You really should remember to lock it.” He stands from where he’d been sitting.

You stare at his disheveled appearance. There’s blood on his collar, dark circles under his eyes and his hair is messier… Actually, this is the first time you’re seeing Antinous in the daylight and… fuck, he’s hotter than you thought. 

His curls perfectly frame the tanner tones of his skin. His eyes are sharp and piercing, even if they show exhaustion. His scar perfectly matches his appearance, intimidating but attractive. He clearly catches you eyeballing him and cocks a smirk. “Keep staring dollface and I will fuck you in broad daylight.”

You look away, crossing your arms with a huff. You fluff your hair, then roll your eyes. “Ha, if I let you.” You scoff, still trying to figure out what happened. “You shouldn’t be here. If you’re seen, it will be an issue. I should be concerned about seeing the wolf himself in my quarters, but I assume it’s for good reason.” You’re snarky, in a crappy mood, and out of sorts. He can deal with your attitude or leave.

Antinous snarls, he does not appreciate the attitude, but if he said it wasn’t hot, he’d be lying. You hold yourself high even though you’re a step behind, the one in the vulnerable position at the moment. “And if I refuse to say?”

“I swear to… I will hit you.” You snap at him walking over to the lounge corner. You pick up the half-empty teacup… 

He rolls his eyes, crossing his arms. He’s not exactly in the best mood, either. Keeping an eye on a drugged up princess was not in his book. For fuck’s sake, he’s not the type to give a fuck about anybody but himself but…

If he’d looked away… if he had walked off and somebody had come to finish off what they started… you’re his and nobody else will be allowed to get a single taste of what belongs to him without his knife tearing them apart.

He plucks the cup out of your hand, standing behind you. “I took out one, but I assume the other three will seek solace in a few others to keep from being killed.” He would love to slit the throats of those they tell, but information spreads like a web when it comes to the Queen and any possibility of pulling one over her. He dumps the tea on the floor by your feet. “You left your door open when you went sauntering off to see the old hag.”

“Watch your mouth Antinous. That’s my mother you are insulting.” He rolls his eyes, reaching to twirl your hair around his finger. You’re far more stunning in the daylight than he’d imagined. Seeing you in perfect light… he really could flip you around and drag you to the bed…

“Does it look like I care, Vixen?” You’ve never actually given him your name, hence his constant use of nicknames for you. “Anyway, when you left your room, you were quite sloppy. Though blame a bit on the prince. I tried to warn him. I don’t exactly enjoy sharing and the secret meetings, knowing you were going behind the crown’s back… that was rather invigorating to dwell on.” He curls his words, bringing his mouth closer to your ear.

You suck in the air. “And?” You scoff, easily feigning composure.

Antinous nips at your ear, his hand snaking around your waist. “They found your room, got in, and drugged you. I killed one, so we are currently a-hundred-and-seven instead of a-hundred-and-eight.” You inhale shakily. It’s been a while since that night… but every night since you’ve been thinking about it… “I imagine everybody will be busy dealing with the aftermath of the dead suitor and whatever poor bitch got her brains fucked out.” You tense at that and he rolls his eyes. “Such a guilty conscience.” He nips your ear again and trails down.

Honestly, it’s that guilt that’s getting him at the moment. The thought of how twisted your mind is… That and the fact he’s been incredibly restrained the entire night. It took a lot not to climb over you and just get himself off. 

“This is… a bad idea… Telem- mph!” Your eyes widen when he slams his lips against yours. That… even when he’d first caught you in his claws, he hadn’t… your heart hammers in your chest. He breaks away a glint in his eyes that you can’t read. 

“I say we have at least a day before the others confront him about you as a collective.” His hand runs up your stomach, starting at your hip and stopping at your throat. “I’m running out of patience, Fox.”

You shiver as your name leaves your lips… he pauses before wrapping his hand around your throat. He wasn’t asking for it, didn’t feel the need to know it, but now that he does. Oh, how he thinks it fits… how he could simply call it out over and over… his lips trail down your throat.

You reach back and grab a fist of his hair, pulling him away. “Be… you can’t leave so many marks in visible areas… elsewhere, knock yourself out. Too many questions, too much work to hide.” You grumble and he chuckles.

He’ll listen to you just this once. His hands start working on the fabric that’s keeping you hidden from him. He easily undoes every bit without ruining another piece of clothing. You’re a bit thankful for that. He spins you around and stares for a bit, which leads to your unfruitful attempt at covering up. 

“Stop staring…” You hiss through clenched teeth, a light flush rising up to your cheeks. 

“I’m not allowed to inspect what’s mine?” He raises a brow cocky and as arrogant as ever.

You gape, staring at him as he yanks your arms away from your chest, holding them in front of you with one hand. “First of all, I don’t bel-” You glare as he cuts you off by stealing a kiss from your lips. 

His free hand twists your nipple before trailing down to your hip. “I bet if I reached you’d be a sopping mess already, and I’ve hardly touched you. Just admit it, you’re a whore for me.” Completely and utterly his.

You stumble over thought and words for a minute before you manage a snappy response. “As if you’re not a man-whore. I bet you’ve fucked your fist to your depraved thoughts about me… bet you were salivating while watching me sleep. I’m honestly surprised you held back from entertaining the notion you’ve clearly been holding back from for so long.” You smirk, challenging him.

He pauses for a moment before his fingers dig into your flesh. “Congrats, you’re not an idiot.” He leans in, his lips hovering over your ear as he pulls you close enough to feel his erection against you. “Every word from your lips, every movement, long before I knew what a pretty little fox was under that cloak.” He grinds against you for a second just to drive his words in.

You swallow thickly, unsure whether you want to call him a creep or if you’re impressed at how long he’s kept it in his tunic. “Bitch.” It’s about the only response you can think of on the spot to… well, that… because your thighs press together and your stomach twists at the visuals of what he must have done to himself to keep from taking what he wanted.

Actually… you… could take advantage of this. You press closer to him and sway your hips. He grunts, taking a deep breath in. “Careful or I really will pin you down and ignore every plea from those lips, princess.” A second to give you an out…

He’s not even sure why he gives you the warning. He’s known to take what he wants… he’s an impatient and mighty man. He takes and never gives. He’s had his fair share of women who might not have eagerly wanted it… not since he’d laid his eyes on you, though. You’ve been the first woman he’s taken time to savor, but he’s losing that patience. It’s driving him mental. You’re beautiful, above any mortal woman he’s ever met. You’re not weak or timid, you’re bold enough to challenge him, to stare at him with hunger like you’d devour him.

He’s lost in those thoughts when he’s snapped back to focus by your hands… Oh? You slipped through his hold. Suppose he wasn’t holding onto your wrists all that tight in the first place. But… fuck… You’re the one walking him towards the bed. 

He should stop this, grab you and spin this because this is not how he was imagining this was going to go. He doesn’t though… even as you manage to get his clothes undone and off him. He’s interested to see where this is going. Last time you tried this, it did not go well for you. He’d left you unsatisfied… a punishment for ticking him off.

His back hits the bed as he watches your hands. You take a deep breath and look him in the eyes as you crawl between his legs. “Last time you tried this, things didn’t go your way.” He props himself up on his elbows.

You meet his words with a smirk. “Who said I was repeating that?” You snark and he scoffs. It’s fine. He’ll let this go on, then fuck you properly.

You place your hands on his thighs. It won’t be easy but if you find the right spots, abuse them… be cautious about his hands, keep aware that he has the upper hand when it comes to strength and you should be able to make the arrogance slip away, make him putty beneath you.

If he’s that desperate, he must be pent up… you’ll use everything you can to your advantage.

You start at the base, tongue dragging along. He grips the sheets watching you. “You’re testing patience.” He’s attempting to sound perfectly unphased but you can hear the strain in his voice.

You start kneading his thighs as you twirl your tongue, searching for a spot that makes him tense or make some sort of noise for even a movement. His hand lifts to grab your hair, but he pauses when you lay a kiss. He sucks in air… He catches the smirk on your lips as your fingers reach to caress his balls… he sucks in another breath, his hand falling back to his side…

Fine… he’ll let her take it slow…

You keep messing with specific spots along his cock, and dance touches around his balls, not rubbing or putting pressure, just barely grazing. Eventually, his breathing became impossible to ignore. He’s struggling to keep his composure. He’s leaking pre-cum and practically twitching. 

You shuffle closer, sitting up on your knees as one hand starts to rub the tip. He groans, darting a glare in your direction, but it’s not as heavy as you’re used to. It’s a delicate situation. You keep kissing and occasionally lapping at spots while your fingers stroke. It’s teasing and agitating, but he doesn’t move to force your head down.

You slowly move your head, wrapping your lips around him. He whines, trying to hide it with a groan. You smirk starting to lower your head. You might be inexperienced, but you learn fast.

He lasts about a minute before he’s sucking in air, head back, sweat gathering along his forehead. “Fuck… r-right there Ahh damn it dollface.” He digs his fingers into the bed sheets as you suck him greedily, like it’s the first meal you’ve had in ages.

He’s a mess under you and he doesn’t hate it. 

Your hand works what you can’t comfortably fit down your throat… you pucker in a mix of sucking and lapping. Your tongue runs every inch, leaving no spot untouched, but you have your focus points, the tip and certain veins that bulge. He twitches, low whines echoing out of his throat. “J-just like that… f-fuck… yes… fuck… gonna… ha,” He whimpers, arching off the bed.

You pop off, licking the cum off your lips. That… was certainly something. “Whore,” you smirk and he rolls his eyes, trying to gather himself.

You watch him roll his eyes as he scoffs. “So we are both sluts. It doesn’t matter much in the end.” How can he still speak so cockily, as if he wasn’t whimpering under your touch a moment ago???

He reaches, grabbing your chin in his hand. “I let you do that. Don’t let it get to your head, vixen.” He lowers his tone, clearly attempting to be intimidating. It’s a bit hard to take him seriously with his face still flushed and the slight hoarse lip his voice shakes with.

“Sure, whatever helps you sleep at night.” You hum reaching for his wrist. He snatches your hand while holding it out. He knows your tricks by now. 

He glances around the room for a minute before dropping your chin from his grasp and grabbing something from the floor. You don’t pay much attention to what he grabbed, choosing to instead be somewhat amazed by the fact he’s hard again already despite how short ago he came whining like a bitch. Your bitch.

He takes your distraction to snatch you by the waist and toss you, literally, onto the bed. You yelp, blinking, attempting to scramble to your knees from your back. He’s quick to pull you back with a sharp yank. He grabs whatever he’d picked up off the floor in one hand, your wrists in the other. He drags them above your head, wraps something around them and secures them.

You are left to stare in disbelief for a few minutes as you rub your wrists together and try to untie what he’d done. “I took into consideration how good you are with your hands, Little Fox.” He trails his hand down your arm to flick your chin. You do try to bite him just to be an ass. He scoffs, rolling his eyes, then flicks your forehead. “Animal.”

“Beast. Your point?” You huff, still trying to figure out the binding.

He leans over you, hands on either side of your head. “I can mark you up so long as it’s not in visible places?” He grins, not actually looking for permission.

Even if you shake your head, he’d likely still leave a few marks along your stomach… and just to spite you, he’d leave one on your throat. You roll your eyes without a word, defiance in your eyes. 

You raise your legs to wrap them around his waist. He doesn’t seem to care. If anything, it gives him better access for the moment. He trails his hands over your chest and down to your stomach, teasing you. “Holy fuck… will you-” he stops your words by kissing your mouth.

“I really only want to hear moans or my name off those lips at the moment… unless you’re keen on begging… I might listen to that.” He watches you with the most cocky smirk you’ve seen from him yet.

You flip him off, turning your head to the side as you grumble. He shrugs and begins to trail his mouth down your throat. He leaves kisses, little nips but nothing that will leave a mark. Once his lips reach your collarbone, he starts leaving marks. He bites hard enough to hear you whimper while he pinches a nipple between his fingers. He runs his mouth over your skin as if it’s a meal he’s devouring.

As he runs his mouth over your skin, his hands sneak to knead your breasts. He plays with them, pinching, pulling, flicking and rubbing your nipples in circles. You hum at the sensations of his teeth against flesh and his hands on your chest.

As his mouth reaches the soft flesh of your breast, the hand that has been playing with it starts to trail down, but that sensation is lost amongst the others. Your mind focuses on his mouth and other hand. He licks and sucks around your chest, focussing and doubling his efforts when you whine.

You only refocus on the other hand when pleasure jolts through you, released in a breathy moan and jolt of your hips. His thumb presses on your clit, a knowing smirk in his eyes. He leaves his mouth and one hand on your tits while the other continues to rub between your folds. 

You whine trying to figure out what exactly he’s up to… He pops off your abused tit to smirk. “I’m going to wipe that attitude out of your mouth.” You glare and he goes right back to it.

Slowly he inserts a finger with a chuckle… you’re just about drenched. He’s able to slip in easily, moving his finger around while his thumb continues to press and twirl around your clit. He gives your pussy a second before his second finger slips inside. He moves his fingers in a scissor-like motion, spreading you open. Your moans are a symphony to his ears. He curls the two fingers and starts at an agonizingly slow pace. 

Your hands tug at the restraints some more and your hips shift. “Fuckin… s-stop teasing… asshole… fuck!” You whine rolling your hips or at least trying to under his weight.

With a nip at your chest, he slides a third in and moves a bit faster. He ignores your curses and the name calling, taking his time building you up. He adjusts his fingers, spreading them and curling again, searching for something. When you arch, your eyes widening with a delicious hiss of his name, he focuses on hitting that spot every time he thrusts his fingers in and out. 

He gets faster, but it’s a slow build. When your breathing turns ragged and your moans breathier and louder, his name dropping off your tongue more frequently, he starts to piston his fingers in and out watching you arch of the bed, face twisted in complete bliss. He feels the clench around his fingers and presses harder on your clit while biting your nipple at the same time as his fingers slam against your g-spot.

You cum, his name falling off your lips in a broken whimper. You pant, blinking the stars away from your vision.

He drags his fingers out of you and licks your fluids from them, staring at you. You swallow as he backs up, hands dragging his nails down your sides and shoving open your thighs. He doesn’t so much as give you a warning before his face shoved against your sex. 

You whimper, “I… f-fuck… n-not r-ready… can’t… Antinous… fuck…” you whine, still panting from the last orgasam.

“You can take it…” He growls, tongue darting out to lick up the slick dripping from your cunt. You taste divine… Your legs quiver beneath his hands, twitching at the sudden stimulation. He rolls his tongue over your clit and you choke on air squirming… it feels good, too good…

“C-can’t… fuck… Antinous… sir… please it… fuck!” You whine, but whatever you said must have edged him on… his tongue darts through your folds and into your pussy. You moan, eyes wide…

You take deep breaths as the pleasure consumes you. You pant and moan, legs going slack just in time for his hand to find your clit and roll it in circles.

Antinous eats you out like he’ll never have another meal. You’d thought he’d been desperate when marking up your skin but this..? His tongue pistons in and out as he slurps up the juices, all while forcing himself to make eye contact with you. 

It’s lewd and you enjoy that way too much… enjoy the fact that every time you meet his gaze, his lips curl into a smirk. 

His tongue works wonders. You might like it more than his fingers if you’re honest with yourself. The muscle reaches all the right places and his fingers work wonders on your clit to double the pleasure. 

It’s likely because you had just hit climax but it doesn’t take nearly as long for you to twitch around his tongue, whines being the only sound leaving your lips, even the moans sound more like little whines. 

He pulls back, licking his lips when you finish. “What was it you said about not being able to?” He taunts you and you glare, giving him the middle finger.

You catch your breath still spread out under him. “You’re a fucking bitch… I’ll wipe that smug look off your lips.” Your words are definitely a little on the slurred side, mixed in with gulps of air, but you get your point across.

He chuckles, taking your chin between his fingers. “And how do you plan to do that? You’re a bit… tied up at the moment.” You spit at him, but he just stares unamused. He wipes it from his cheek with his thumb, and just to see you stare at him appalled, he licks your saliva off his finger. “Clearly, you’ve got the energy for more.”

You pause… “w-wait hold on… I…” You dare to glance down and swallow, he’s dripping pre-cum nearly blue… he was completely focussed on you, he hadn’t touched himself at all since you sucked him off…

He lines up, placing his hands beside your head. He pauses, thinking something over. He shakes his head slightly and thrusts his hips, shoving his cock into you. He doesn’t ease in, doesn’t even so much as pause to let your pussy adjust to the thickness of his cock… he starts moving the second he’s in. You tear up, lips falling open in a moan. 

He doesn’t know the word gentle… it’s simply not in his available vocabulary. He’s rough. Every thrash of his hips bottoms out against you, balls slapping against skin. His eyes stare down into your tear-filled eyes as he mutters under his breath, ramming into your pelvis. You moan, shaking partially from his movements which are rocking the bed, and partially from the pleasure itself.

He grabs your mouth in another kiss. He acts like he owns your mouth, his tongue sweeping every crevice as he greedily takes you. It’s so much better than he imagined. Your expressions, your sounds, the feeling of your tight cunt around him… Every piece of you is his… he’s got you under him whining like a whore and he loves it… he’s drunk off it.

You clench around him faster than he’d expected, though this is the third one in a row… He keeps pistoning even as you holler his name if that’s what that was… your words are becoming increasingly unintelligible, mumbled syllables for the most part. “Fuck, you’re doing so good for me… you like this, don’t you? Me fucking you stupid?” He grunts, watching as you try to glare but end up nodding, defeat slowly becoming accepted. “Such a fucking whore… but just for me… all for me.” He grunts, grabbing your legs and pulling them around his shoulders.

Just a bit longer… He grips your thighs tighter as he slams in as deep as he can reach. He leaves kisses along the inner flesh of your legs whispering words he’s never said before… “so good, such a good fucking girl… fuck princess… fuck…” He’s rough and yet as degrading as his words are, there’s this softness to them. “Such a good slut for me… fuck, you’re so damn tight.”

His thrusts get increasingly sloppy as you get louder again… “last one… with me this time… please… gods one more… you… fuck yes… there…” You clench and he stutters hips slamming into you one last time as he paints your insides white. He drops your legs as he pulls out, collapsing on your chest to catch his breath. He reaches up lazily, undoing the tie around your wrists. 

You don’t make a sound as you pant. He looks up to your eyes and snickers… you’re disoriented, drool slipping down your chin as you try to get your bearings… He takes a second to gather the strength to find a towel or clean cloth of some sort… 

He’s never done this before… cared for somebody after he’d run them through… he’s not sure he's ever thoroughly fucked somebody out like this either.

He’s silent as he attempts to clean what he can… 

He should leave, but he doesn’t… he crashes next to you on what he claims as a whim. He’s just exhausted from that and being up all night. That’s why he lays down for a short nap… The only reason he lays down.

Chapter Text

A man stands surrounded by others, his face obscured and words muffled out by the rowdy cheers of the other men.

A bow lays unstrung while a hooded man picks it up. 

The man in the center raises his glass, a cruel smirk etched on his lips as he steps onto the table. He reaches out with a gold adorned hand clasping at air before his hand reaches his mouth, tongue slipping between two fingers. His gaze is wild like a mad dog before he’s cut off…

The tip of an arrow slices through his throat. Blood seeps from his lips as he reaches in what must be disbelief. 

His knees buckle first before he drops forward, eyes cold and empty… He reaches for something in front of him in his last moments. A name fizzles in with the gasps and rush of the crowd…

The wolf, the largest and most imposing of the hundred-and-seven, falls, and the pack runs into disorder around the hall…

You bolt awake sheets slipping off your body. Your hair falls over your chest as you take rigid breaths. A hand snakes up your arm and you glance to the side. “Something wrong?” Antinous props himself up, resting his head in the palm of his hand. His voice is low, rough with his exhaustion.

You have half the mind to tell him what you saw, but you keep your lips sealed. A nightmare, that’s all it is. It’s just your guilt finding purchase to torment you. “No… thought I heard something.” You mumble.

Antinous scoffs, dropping his head with a yawn. “Dramatic much?” He’s asleep again within a few breaths. You can’t help but chuckle. He looks harmless like this. There’s no sneer, no glare, and no mocking smirk on his face. For some reason, your hand lifts and hovers over his face. Were you really about to tuck hair out of his face?

You drop your hand, then raise it to run through your tangled hair. Fuck… your heart pounds as you think through everything. Every risk you made led up to this… this man in your bed… willingly. You held hate for the suitors who forced you into the shadows, who bothered your mother and bruised your brother… 

Antinous is one of them… and from what you’re beginning to handle and gather… he is the wolf. The others either stand behind him or get put in their place by him. You shift, trying to swing your legs off the bed before you grit your teeth. Oh, this son of a… Honestly, it’s a blur of pleasure. This morning was amazing. You enjoyed it… maybe a bit too much, but damn the consequences of such an intense and thorough fuck.

You get your feet over the bed before a hand wraps around your waist and tugs you back down. “Where the fuck do you think you’re going?” You shiver at the possessive hiss of his voice. You swallow and trace his arm.

“To get dressed?” You hum trying to peel his arm off your waist.

“Stay put.” Antinous snakes the other arm around your leg and tugs you towards him with a huff. 

You sigh, letting him press you close to him. He nuzzles his face into the crook of your neck as he starts dozing off again. He must not be a heavy sleeper… You reach up to mess with his hair and giggle. “You’re kinda cute when you’re exhausted.” Your voice is hardly above a whisper.

This isn’t good, though. Whatever this has become. Whatever mushy feelings are twisting in your stomach… whatever is making your skin crawl… It’s fucked… your stomach feels twisted and fluttering and your heart won’t stop its delicate hammering… the heat in your cheeks won’t go away either.

It’s worse to think of the possibility of what you might be feeling. That level of betrayal hits you hard… they wouldn’t forgive you for it. You bite the inside of your cheek as you try to get a bit more shut-eye.

The next time you wake, it’s to an empty space beside you.

Sighing, you toss the sheet off your body and find some clean clothes to wear. You spent most of the day in bed… and honestly, you might spend the next few days sluggish. Your back is killing you… honestly, there isn’t a part that isn’t sore. 

Still, the question on your mind is killing you. Will he come back again despite the fact that he’s gotten what he wanted? Will he stick around? You wouldn’t have cared if he kept his interest in you weeks ago. But… now he’s messed with something, done something to make you feel weird around him. He’s after your mother’s hand in marriage… after your father’s throne and yet you laid under him getting your brains fucked out of you like some street whore. 

It’s amazing how you are worrying about this when your safety has been compromised. Somebody had drugged you and it wasn’t Antinous. Why had he waited when the thing he wanted was there all night just for him? Why did he stay after he had his way with you? Why did he even bother to tell you about the situation in detail? 

You want to hope that maybe you grew on him, that you could sway him from his bravado and end goals… but you’re not stupid enough to let yourself dwindle on that flickering hope. “Aphrodite, guide me…” you mumble, sitting down and brushing your hair. A goddess of unity, beauty, with ties to war… she’s your guiding light, your patron goddess… you’ve prayed to her since you were little…

Now more than ever, you could use her guidance. She’s well versed in the actions and words of love.

Love… is that what this is? This feeling? It makes you sick and revolts you. To love a man who’s probably done unthinkable things… who hunted you down until he could feast, who torments your brother and leads the ruckus that leaves your mother with no peace at night.

You feel the wind rush through your hair and smile. Your gaze follows the scent of flowers, specifically roses and… perhaps a hint of lavender. You stand up, walking a bit oddly as you reach your door. You put a hand on the handle. 

The gods work in odd ways… she’s never been one to be very direct with you… you wonder if she’s warning you. As you lock and bar the door, for an additional measure, you turn around but the smell dissipates. “Not what I needed advice on… but thanks. Probably not a good idea to just leave that open,” you mutter and go back to your vanity, brushing away the knots in your hair.

You finish fixing your appearance and sit back at the loom, starting where you left off the other night. You smile, humming to yourself. Your head isn’t as cluttered as you relax. You get several sections through when something bangs on your door. 

Your initial thought is that your brother, or maybe even Antinous, has stopped by. However, Telemachus knocks on the door with a light hand and asks to enter. You’re pretty sure Antinous would slam his hand like that but demand to be let in… but also you’re positive he wouldn’t come directly to you. He’s the type to hunt. He’d wait till you leave the room, then snatch you up… That’s sort of how he’s done this the last few weeks. You shiver.

Again there are a few slams on the door. You grit your teeth and blow out the lights in the room. You step towards your closest rummaging for your bow… you tilt your head, seeing things out of place. Of course, Antinous snooped around… you pick the bow up in your hands and sigh, opting to sit in a corner and wait.

Eventually they’ll get bored… run away… You haven’t shot this thing in ages… thank you, thank you, thank you for telling me to lock it… thank you. You ramble the thought over and over as you pull your knees to your chest, shaking. 

You don’t sit there for too long. The sound of fighting slips past your door and you try to uncover who is fighting who and just what is going on. 

After a bit, there is silence. You walk towards your door, leaning an ear against it, still clutching the bow. 

“Just because I was stabbed, I won’t bother with you tonight, little wolf. I’m also not that desperate.” You hear Antinous hiss and something twists in your stomach. He’s hurt? 

After a few more breaths of silence, there’s a soft knock on the door. “Sis?” You immediately open the door and drop the bow… he rushes in, flinging his arms around you. You should be the one being comforted, and yet here he is holding onto you sobbing. You look past him at the four bodies laying on the ground.

“Are they… dead?” You whisper and he shakes his head… “Are you hurt?” He shrugs…

You sigh, wrapping your arms around him… “I… When I got here there was already fighting… I’ve seen the suitors in a fight, but this… I’ve never seen Antinous that pissed off. Actually, I thought he was going to kill all of them… maybe I should have let him. Is that horrible? Hoping they would all just fight one another and get rid of themselves in the process? They… they were putting you in harm’s way.”

For him to list Antinous’ name… so you were right. “Is that who you usually come back with injuries from?” You hardly manage to get your voice out from sounding choked. His nod crushes you. Your little brother has been hurt by the man you’ve been fantasizing about and being fucked by. Fuck, why is this world so shitty? “It’s alright…” Why was Antinous here in the first place? Why had he come back after this morning? Had he left something? No, you cleaned up and even had the sheets changed before nightfall. 

“Can I stay here tonight? W-we can fight together.” You sigh and lock your door back up. You want to make sure Antinous is okay, but your brother comes first. You sit him down and look over for any wounds. When there are none that stand out, you let off a sigh of thanks.

You lean the bow against the wall and stare at the door. “You’re eighteen in a few days… anything you want?” You hum sitting in the lounging corner of your room.

He shuffles over to you, taking note of your odd walk, but he dismisses it. “Oh… I almost forgot… it’s been so chaotic…” Maybe because he was only a few months old when Odysseus left… it’s a marking to another whole year of the empty throne. “Guess I’ve really only been paying attention to more important things.”

“More important… Telemachus! Your Birthday is important! Don’t let these dumb suitors ruin that occasion like they ruin everything else!” You raise your tone… since when did this start? Sure he’s always been a bit down, a bit deflated, but this? “You need to bite back.”

He shrugs, pulling his knees to his chest. “I miss dad… I don’t even know him. You can tell me what he was like… mom can tell me how they met, tell me all about everything but… it’s not… Why can’t he come home already? I…” His mournful face tightens into one of shame and annoyance. “I can’t do shit!” You have to pause to fully let the fact he just cussed sink in… sure here and there he’d let one slip, but that was intentional… he doesn’t apologize or stammer after it. “Antinous fought four guys at once and… and he walked off with a minor stab. I try to handle one and just… They keep picking on me and now they’re approaching this place when it’s supposed to be your safe respite away from them! I… I’d… I don’t know what I’d do if any of them ever got to you… I should be able to protect you. You’re my sister, I only have you and mom… a-and moms seeming more depressed as the months go by.” Sure, he’s vented to you before, but not like this.

Your stomach churns with guilt… you can’t let him know that one already got to you and you were letting it happen willingly. “I will stop hiding… that’s the solution.” It might hurt his pride, but you have outdone Antinous before. “I never should have listened and let this be the solution we came up… never should have let you and mom talk me into this. I can handle myself.” You point to the bow and the box in your closet. “You know I can.”

He pauses, looking at you with so many words in his eyes. He shakes his head. “But against multiple?” He balls his hands into fists.

“I’ve done well enough to hide in the shadows and around corners for years when I would go see mother.” You reach out, cupping his cheek in your hand. “It’ll be safer than playing lamb to the slaughter in this room. The more they look, the less inclined they will be to my room… and if they try, it will be thoroughly locked at night. Barging in will wake me up and I’ll slit their throat.” You smile and glance to the side when you feel that familiar wind. Only this time you swear you see the shadow of an owl alongside the smell of roses… Athena and Aphrodite in one place at the same time? You shake your head… then drag your eyes to Telemachus. 

Ah… no that… that makes sense. Your father and the goddess had worked closely. No wonder she’d take his son under her wing and hope to strengthen him the way she aided his father. You smile lightly, feeling less worried about things.

“I’ve got my own ways of protection, Telemachus… I’m not a pretty damsel weak and naive to the world. You should know better than anyone that women can be excellent warriors.” You hum and his eyes widen.

“Okay… but I’m staying tonight…” You nod, patting him on the head as you shuffle to your closest and toss him a blanket you wove ages ago but didn’t really love. You spare a pillow from your collection and set him up in a somewhat comfortable spot. 

“Do not stay awake all night. Get some sleep or I am kicking you out to your room.” You narrow your eyes as you settle into bed. Jeez… you haven’t done this in ages, not since you were young kids.

Chapter Text

You open your eyes to the shuffle of feet. Rubbing sleep from your eyes, you push back strands of your hair and tilt your head. “Leaving so early?” You mumble, shaking your head.

“I… need to tell mom… probably deal with suitors. You have to prepare, don’t you?” You smile standing from the bed. He undoes the hold on the door and unlocks it. He slips out without holding a conversation.

You empty the box of daggers, knives, and small swords, then stare. You need to decide what will be your arsenal. You can wield two at once with relative efficacy. You pick one up with an engraved dove on the hilt and another with a dolphin. You set them on the vanity and stare. You haven’t had to make yourself acceptable for public eyes in quite a bit of time. You sigh, tilting your head back. Your hands work on pinning hair and braiding pieces to mimic how you would usually see Penelope style her hair. It’s a bit messy but it will do. You match the gold in your hair with a necklace, earrings, and bracelets. Next… clothing. Usually you toss on something simple, but this go… you reach for the silk. 

Taking a deep breath, you hide the knives in the fabrics and trace a few of the sharp pins in your hair. Your gaze lands on the door and you stand there unmoving for a bit. 

For the first time in years, you push them open during the daytime. You step out into the hall, holding your head high. A whistle grabs your attention and you look to the side. “Look at the Little Fox all dressed up.” You sigh, rolling your eyes.

“And good morning to you as well, Antinous.” You look over his face, his choice of dress. “Seems I am not the only one dressed more than typical.”

“I could lose a few garments.” His primal smirk lifts his lips as he steps closer to you. 

You flush before scoffing. “Tempting.” You grumble, still staring. The wolf fur around his neck, worn like a cape, is an interesting touch. As is the gold, he’s got wrapped around a few curls. He’s got half his chest on display, but that’s beside the point. You shouldn’t be fixated on that right now. He’s decorated himself in wealth to show off. “A little bird told me you’d been injured. How is that faring?” You keep any hint of concern from your tone.

“A graze. I forgot about it. Is the fox worried?” He taunts you, stepping closer.

You reach out, pushing him back when he gets within less than arm’s distance. “Keep dreaming wolf.”

He raises a brow but backs away. “You’ve got quite the attitude today… I could erase it again.” His hand covers his mouth, fingers spreading as he sticks his tongue through them… lewdly implying that he could shut you up. 

You flush, but that visual causes you to sink back to the nightmare you had the day you slept with him. The image of the arrow through his throat sinks your heart and you shudder. Mentally, you shake away the images and thoughts. “Or I could wipe that smug smirk off your lips.” You deadpan and he shivers.

“A shame I can’t spare the time at the moment.” He sighs, placing his hands behind his back.

You roll your eyes… of course he can’t spare the time. Today is certainly going to be a disaster. It’s also probably a good thing he doesn’t have the time. You’re sore. Still very sore… everywhere, but especially between the legs. However, you won’t let him just walk off to that. “Shame, I bet that is rather frustrating for you.” You hum placing your arms behind your back.

He takes a deep breath, eyes narrowing. “Already missing the feeling of my dick?” He does you one better by dripping filth from his lips. He’s not going to filter himself. He never has and never will. He is as he is.

“It was mediocre. Don’t let things instill you with false confidence. Antinous. If I recall before you rudely took over, you were the one whimpering for more.” You step closer, setting a hand on his chest, trailing two fingers along the cloth.

He grabs your hand, pulling you closer to him and then licks up your palm, a smirk on his lips. “I’ll let you have your fill.” Yeah… let her… there’s no way some puny little princess had the upper hand by that large a gap.

You flush, yanking away your hand; you wipe it on your dress. “I swear to the gods you are always turned on.”

He raises a brow, enjoying the flush that decorates your face. “Am I? Or is your mind the dirty one, Little Fox?” He smirks, reaching out to ruffle your hair.

You gape and smack his hand away. Silence overtakes the two of you for a moment before you run a hand through your hair and sigh. “Why did you come back last night?”

He pauses, staring at you, silent for once. “I was simply passing through. I don’t share my things.”

“Makes sense… oh and before we part ways for the time being…” You knee him in the crotch and walk away with a wave. “That is for putting your hands on my baby brother.” That actually felt… amazing. The look on his face is so worth the ticked off glare that comes after.

Antinous winces. You hit harder than he expected you would, harder than the first time you pulled that back when he was still trying to uncover your face. “You… bitch.” He curses, narrowing his eyes. 

With a hum and jolt to your steps, you walk the halls until you find Telemachus in the gardens. You bask in the sunlight, taking a deep breath. It’s been forever since you last explored the gardens in the sun. “Telemachus!” You call out and he all but jumps snapped from a train of thought, which makes him stumble. Awe, is he training himself?

You glance around for any sign of the goddess but figure she’s keeping herself hidden. Even if you can tell she’s there, you won’t try to figure out where. 

Telemachus glances back at you and then scans the surroundings. “You’re… how… hows, uh, walking around freely?” He’s acting a bit awkward, but then again, he hasn’t seen you outside your room in years. He doesn’t know how to strike up a conversation with you.

“It’s much better than sitting in my room doing nothing. I assume the banes of our existence are gathered in some dining hall that will fit them all?” You hum, placing your arms behind your back as you find purchase on a log. 

Telemachus shrugs, swinging the little wood sword… yeah, he’s clearly trying to do what he can to avoid being seen as harmless and little. “Probably, if they aren’t plotting against us, they’re fighting or drinking… sometimes both. It’s loud, but it’s better than when they are actively attempting to get into mother’s room or plotting something destined to fail.” He scoffs, twisting his body to slash at the air.

There’s not much issue with what you see him do. Sure technique and form are rocky, but he’s fighting noble. These suitors are underhanded. How do you know this? Antinous doesn’t play fair with you, so you’ve just assumed they are all beast-like and uncivilized. Judging by the bruises Telemachus has been subjected to, they don’t hold back much either. It’s frustrating to think about. You know your brother is way too sweet, too much like Penelope to fight back with the suitors’ underhanded methods. He’ll take the higher ground no matter what.

“Okay, what’s on your mind?” You jolt, then shake your head with a smile.

He can still see through you… “Why don’t you learn to play dirty? I don’t see why you seem determined to fight back without countering their own tricks.” You tilt your head, staring at the prince.

Your brother shakes his head and turns to you. “Cause that would make me as bad as them.”

“I don’t think so. You’ve never dirtied your hands the way the suitors have… plus it would even out the board Telemachus. You’re defending yourself, your home, mom… me… you should be able to do anything to get back at them.” He frowns, looking at you as if your words are blasphemous.

“Is… is that what you would do?” He tosses the wood sword to the side to sit beside you.

You nod with a shrug. “I would do everything to make sure I came out on top in a battle… especially against them. If I was defending myself, I would sow doubt with my words…” Aphrodite herself taught you most of the tricks you hold in your hands… Looks pair well with a venomous tongue and an agile body. “I can’t beat them head on with strength so I’ll get in their heads… I’ll dodge until agitating clouds their judgment and cause them to falter.” You narrow your eyes, fingers digging into the skin of your arms.

You don’t catch the way Telemachus looks at you, unable to tell if you are exaggerating or if that venomous glare is real… those are not the eyes of his sister… His sister is joyful, gentle, and caring… she’d never hurt anybody more than needed… She was always fair and just, knew when to stand up or when to stand down… He isn’t sure what to say… how to respond besides nod and fidget.

These last few weeks he’s had to double take when he looks at you… some days he doesn’t recognize you at all.

You stand up dusting off your chiton and sigh. “Let’s take a walk.” You smile, offering out your hand. He pauses, that you notice… but you think nothing of it. He’s just awkward today… he still follows you for the walk, so it must be fine. Each step you take is elegant, smothered in confidence and a sense of invincibility. 

Telemachus tilts his head. That’s new… maybe it’s just been so long that you’ve grown confident? You always were one to hold your head high, but there’s sass to the steps now. It almost reminds him of how… gods, what is he thinking? Similarity between you a-and those monsters? He’s tired, must be… you’re caring and gentle… you pick up the wounded, spare those who admit they were wrong… you are nothing like those lying, cheating, heinous monsters. You would never go behind his back, do something to hurt him, hide something from him. If you’re acting like this, then it’s a wall to protect yourself from them… it’s not you. It can’t be…

The scent of roses mixed with lavender alongside the musk of love hits your senses and you raise a brow. A breeze passes around you, picking up a few stray leaves before fluttering away towards a different section of the garden. You sigh and debate following. 

In all honesty, you wanted to go straight, but you took the turn, anyway. If Telemachus could tell something had been odd about the wind, he doesn’t mention it. You’ve always been good at avoiding trouble, so he just suspects something struck you wrong. 

You’re surprised how smooth the day goes. You hang around your brother trying to catch up for all the missed time, but somehow you feel further from him than you did before today. You didn’t think that was possible. Was it something you said? Or has this time made him zone in and begin to suspect you’ve been lying?

You shake your head to clear the thoughts as you finish dinner… it’s outrageous how you two sneak into back dining rooms rather than the main one because of suitors… 

~

Telemachus sighs as you head back to your room. You have every right to be suspicious.

He jumps turning to see the warrior goddess leaned against a wall dropping a perfect rose to the ground. 

“I’m not! She’s my sister, why would I ever…” But he can see it… that you’re hiding something.

Athena sighs, shaking her head. In so many ways, this boy is much like his father. Sometimes those close to us are the ones who cause us the most trouble. She’s of Aphrodite… There are things she would love to just tell him, things the Goddess of beauty and love will not shut up about. How giddy she is about her favorite messing around with her lover’s champion. 

“My sister is kind… gentle. Whatever she’s holding away… she’s doing it so she doesn’t burden me… she has to be. She’s always tried to keep from putting too much on me. She thinks she has to be this invincible, perfect wall around me. She’s just being protective… she sat in that room unable to strike back… so of course she harbors violent thoughts towards the jerks who hurt me. That’s.. It’s reasonable! In any other situation, she’d be caring and kind and… graceful. She’s the very definition of mortal beauty inside and outside.” Telemachus rambles, narrowing his eyes at the goddess and walking away.

With a sigh, Athena’s owl rests on the boy’s shoulder. All roses have their thorns. The prettier the rose, the sharper the thorns cut. Naive and far too caring for a warrior and yet the goddess does not dare make the same mistake again… If she had been there for him, then perhaps things would have been different for this boy and his family. You have company.

“Well, well, well, if it isn’t the prince.” Telemachus glances to the room he was passing. Groaning, he turns to the large group of suitors. 

Sitting above the majority on a guardrail is Antinous, wolf’s fur draped over his shoulder, tunic worn improperly, goblet in hand. “I don’t have the energy to deal with this right now,” Telemachus grumbles… for one day just leave him alone.

“We mean no harm.” He glances at the suitor sitting at a table surrounded by others. The second one he watches with caution, Eurymachus. He speaks with peaceful words, tries to approach things in a less violent manner than Antinous, but he doesn’t buy any of his ‘open arms’ bullshit.

Over the years, he’s started looking at the two of them as one entity. If Antinous is the claws, the heart and power, then Eurymachus is the cunning and manipulative half. Both are intelligent. Antinous would rather use his fists to solve issues, while Eurymachus would prefer to manipulate the solution to favor him. Both are equally as disgusting. They may have tricked his mother into looking at him as harmless with the act, but that won’t work on him…

He rolls his eyes, crossing his arms. “What do you want?” He doesn’t bother to entertain whatever nonsense the suitors are looking for. He’s straight to the point, trying to ignore the scent of alcohol… most of the men here are drunk… must be, judging by the glass and shattered ceramic littering the floor.

“When were ya gonna tell us about that sister of ya’s?” The slurred words disgust him. 

Never… he was never going to say anything about her. “I wasn’t.” He tightens his hands into fists.

“Com-on princy, ya ain’t gonna introduce the little lady?” Another holds his goblet up in a mock cheer.

No… he’d never want her to know any of them. “She’s not required to see any of you.” So fuck off…

“Think I saw her in the garden with ya? Was that doll er? Real pretty woman. Is she older?” another raises his voice.

“Really? Is she anything like Penelope?” 

“Nah, way hotter. Like tryna compare a rock to a gem.”

Telemachus narrows his eyes. “Leave her alone.”

“Why? If she’s older than you, ain’t she old enough to be married?” Sick… that’s when these men are.

Telemachus grits his teeth. “She’s waiting…” Waiting for somebody she’ll really love… waiting to have a day where she’d be unburdened. There’s been no chance for her to find anybody with everything going on in the palace. None of these men deserve her kind heart.

“Means she’s open game? Who said ya can’t have both? Mean ain't she the treasure? I’d keep er around, make sure she’s-” Telemachus would have lunged if not for the knife that knicks the suitor’s throat.

The prince’s eyes widened, staring at the metalwork, the wolf’s head on the hilt. “You’re getting too noisy. If anybody’s gonna fuck that pretty thing… I’ve got a claim on the whore.” Telemachus takes a step forward… isn’t he injured? If he picks a fight to defend his sister’s name from that heathen then they will be on even footing, right?

He misses the rage behind the man’s eyes, the possessive hiss beneath the older man’s words, the venom coating every syllable.

“Take that back…” Telemachus sneers.

Antinous snaps his eyes towards the prince and chuckles. “You really want to pick a fight, little wolf? Here? That didn’t go well the last time, but I am all for showing you where you stand against us.” The wolf grins, sliding off the railing.

Telemachus tosses the first punch misses, but in the end he ends up landing two this time. One more than the last time… 

Antinous watches the prince limp away with a cold sneer. Insufferable brat. He really wonders what his face would look like if he knew just how rooted his claim on you is… that he already has fucked you… more than just fucked you. He had you a mess beneath him, a whining mess. You’re his… he picks up his knife, putting it back in his belt.

Something doesn’t sit well with him… the way he acted on impulse… the prince was ready to shut that suitor up himself. It would have been something to watch and yet…

The thought of another so much as talking so vile about you… the thought of another putting their hands on you… it does more than just annoy him. It curls around his gut and squeezes, filling him with a variation of anger he’s never felt before. 

It has to be because he doesn’t like to share… has to be the reason… What other reason could he possibly have?

It’s the same question he’s been asking himself all day. Why did he stay after he got what he wanted? Why did he care to clean you up and not just leave you there? Why did he return at the warning from his god that you were in a tight spot? Why did he care enough that Ares could tell his thoughts have been consumed by you? Care… did he… fuck no… he only cares about power, claim, and success… to care about another in this world…

That is a sure fucking way to lose the battle, the war, and his life. This is not a place for care… yet he can’t seem to snuff the images of your smile… your sleeping face… how you clung to him in your fucked-out state… your beauty… how easily you yanked him from his pedestal above you to below you… resolved him to a whimpering mess with just your mouth.

It’s the sex… the chase… it can’t be anything more. The danger that every concept poses for both you and him… to have a physical weakness like a person is to lose… words from his father.

Chapter Text

Antinous isn’t sure when, how, or why he ended up at her door but he did… He pauses, staring at the large doors with his hand raised. 

Is he actually about to knock and not barge in? He narrows his eyes and scoffs, banging on the door. “I’m coming in.” He gives the door a brief shove and finds it open. He glances down at her sitting at the loom, fingers working on whatever she’s making. 

“What happened to, ‘hey? Can I come in?’” She glances at him and his eyes narrow drastically. 

With a scoff, he shuts and locks the door. “And why would I need to do that?” Antinous drapes his hands over her shoulders… odd he’s never been a physical touch person… never enjoyed it but… no he’s staking claim, grasping onto what is his. Her body… everything about her is his.

He nips at her ear, and she ducks away, shoving his face with her hand. “Somebody’s riled up.” She jests standing up and undoing her hair, letting it fall over her back. 

“You’re such a bitch.” He scoffs, watching her pause, then sigh. “And you are a fiend. Your point?” Antinous’ eye twitches as he walks closer to her. She turns around and holds up her hand. He could just take her. She’d be able to do nothing about it. She’s not going to be able to overpower him in terms of size. 

But he stops and crosses his arms, foot tapping impatiently. “What?” 

He watches her eyes spark with mischief and his stomach twists. He hates that look… when her eyes sparkle like the stars and her grin widens. She purposely takes a step towards him with her hips swaying. She runs her tongue over her lips. “Sit.” She points to the bed, and he stands his ground. 

“You don’t order me around, princess.” He snarls, holding his chin higher.

She rolls her eyes and reaches for her hair, tying it back up slowly. “Shame cause only one of us is desperately turned on right now. I was going to go see my mother, anyway.” She’s lying through her teeth, but he knows she would go see that old hag just to spite him.

She’s so alike to him… so fucking infuriating. She holds herself with the same bravado he does. She’s cocky and arrogant. “And you call me arrogant.” 

She hums, letting her hair fall back around her neck. “Ah, except I have every right to be so with you. I am higher in status and have what you can’t seem to get anywhere else. Also helps that I can be a little vain… I know I’m gorgeous.” She lowers the shoulder of her chiton, teasing him. 

Her fingers brush over her skin as she looks to the side. She’s deliberately slow… pulling at the fabric in just the right ways so that it exposes her achingly slowly.

Antinous staggers in breaths as he watches her fingers drop the cloth far enough down to reveal the tops of her breasts. He swallows, cock twitching… She steps out of the pile of cloth, her breasts swinging and just drops herself in his lap. He raises a hand before she swats it away.

“Ah-ah-ah no touching.” He hesitates before lowering his hand back to his side. “You owe me for the other night.” He cocks a smirk, itching to run his hands over what’s his.

“Do I?” He taunts her, but she doesn’t take the bait. A breeze passes by him and he shivers. Odd… a breeze inside… probably a draft from something… 

Her hands trail up his stomach, over his chest, and drape over his shoulders. Slowly, she moves her legs from across him to around his waist. She kisses him, but the second he tries to get deeper into the kiss, she pulls away, rolling her eyes. She moves her lips to his throat and he jolts…

Her hips shift, rolling over his erection while she sucks on his throat. “Should I mark you up the way you did to me?” she whispers against his throat.

“Try that and I’ll fuck you till you forget your name, Vixen.” He strains to get the words out.

He observes as she pulls away a mock pout on her lips as she moves off his lap and moves behind him, teasing and mesmerizing. She grabs the wolf's fur and tosses it.

“Careful with that.” He snaps before he shuts his mouth and swallows hard as her fingers pinch his nipple. Her other hand slips beneath his tunic. “What are you doing?”

She doesn’t respond for a second, simply moving her hands along his chest. “Finding things I need to know.” She curls her words and latches her lips onto his neck again. He exhales sharply, his hands grabbing the sheets of the bed to avoid grabbing her. 

Why is he playing around with this? Why is it making him harder by the moment? By Ares, this isn’t how the roles should be. Yet he sucks in air, nearly gasps when her saliva covered fingers pinch and rub his nipples. She’s probably smirking behind him…

“Tunics in the way, you’re hardly wearing it anyhow. Get rid of it.” She crawls on the bed and sits with her knees to her chest.

Antinous doesn’t move, and she shrugs, reaching for his chiton. Grumbling curses under his breath and praying to his god for strength to keep from buckling in whatever game this fox is up to. He crosses his tunic to the side. “Happy?”

She nods with a small hum and reaches out, trailing a finger up his dick from base to tip where she flicks. Antinous sucks in air, biting his tongue. “You’re enjoying this~” she purrs, continuing to tease him with light touches. 

He snarls, rolling his eyes. “Enjoying the anticipation of having your-” He blinks when you get him off with a kiss. That’s his move…

She sits on his lap but doesn’t mount him… just sits achingly close. One hand continues its teasing menstruations, while the other yanks his head back. He growls, his hand reaching up again. “Don’t make me tie them behind you.” She snaps using his tone… his stomach twists in a way he’s never felt it twist before.

He drops his hand, trying to figure out what that was, but she doesn’t let him. Her mouth clamps onto his nipple and bites. He whines… whines… Antinous, the wolf, whines because of a fox… This cunning little- “Fuck!” He hisses as she lowers herself over his dick and drops. 

She licks over both his nipples as she moves her hips side to side. One hand slots itself between his perked nipple, and the other yanks his head back so she can bite, nip, lick, and suck wherever she’d like on his throat. 

He’s lost in just the little shifts as she sits with his cock engulfed in her pussy… He knows she’s looking for sounds, so he doesn’t give her any. He’d rather bit through his lip.

She is less than happy about that and drops her hand from his hair and presses his jaw. It goes slack… she slides her fingers into his mouth with a smirk. “Suck…” He narrows his eyes, but she lifts off his cock, threatening him.

“You are in for a reckoning after whatever this power trip you're on fades.” He runs his tongue over her fingers and sucks on them. She drops back on his cock, but this time she doesn’t just sit there.

He groans, but those groans become whines as she abuses his neck and shoulders with her mouth. It’s like she knows exactly what spots to focus on and in what ways… Her teeth sank into his shoulder at some point, and he jolted, hardly supporting himself on his elbows. 

She pops her fingers out of his mouth and trails them down to his throat. She adds pressure, and he shivers, whimpering. The sound seems to surprise her, but a cruel smirk moves over her lips a second later. He imagines that he is staring at a reflection of his own expression. 

She knocks away his elbows, so he’s flat on his back, and squeezes his throat harder. “You like that? Suffocating under my hand? Fucking whore.” She snickers and his hips jolt. His face flushes with embarrassment. Does he… like this? Being at her mercy like this? He’d fantasized about similar situations, but this… He whimpers again and looks away. “Uh-uh, look at me while I ride you.” She cut off his hair completely. He trials his eyes back to her as his vision starts to get fuzzy. She releases him and he sucks in air with a whine before her hand goes back to choking him.

He bucks his hips, knowing he’s close…

It’s the fact she snapped hers away, hovering above him… He croaks, narrowing his eyes. “Beg.” She hums, releasing his throat.

He glares silently. 

She moves away again, as if completely unbothered. “You want pussy. I’m fine with my fingers. You’re the one that loses.” She runs a finger over his dick, and he shivers…

His pride… his fucking pride… He takes a deep breath… “fuck me… please fucking… damn it ride me princess.”

“Mmmm, be more specific.” She smiles, licking her lips as she stares down at him.

God’s above, he’s going to make her pay for this, but right now… he whines. “Gods damn it fuck me, make me cum please… princess please I need you, I need it… please just fucking finish it… please… let me cum princess fuck please…” His face burns with shame, but the giddy and proud gleam of her eyes is intoxicating.

She drops back onto him, this time with greater momentum. Her moans fall from her lips soft, but beautiful, more so than any song a bird could sing. She looked him in the eyes… what she wants is obvious… in sync… for them to hit their highs together. He’s too busy whining and trying to hold back to give her verbal acknowledgement…

When she sighs and reaches to choke him again, she nods and fuck is it one of the best climaxes he’s ever had. He whimpers with slight spasms, panting like some bitch. She rolls off him and without asking, he can tell she’s exhausted.

He’s equally exhausted, so he rolls over, wrapping his arm around her. He tugs her head into his chest and lazily pulls a cover over them. His hand tangles in her hair, and he sighs. “Tell anybody about that, and I won’t just fuck your brains out, Little Fox. I will fuck you to the point you won’t be able to move for days.” His voice is cracked, mumbled, but he still gets the threat across.

“Why would I want to share that? An image just for my eyes only… I like that… I… I don’t like sharing what’s mine… something you said… it fits… ’m gonna use that… now on. Don’t wanna share you… don’t wanna be shared… yours… mine…” Antinous freezes… fuck… his chest flutters, his breath catches in his throat. Your half-asleep mumbles are poison to his mind.

It makes him feel weird… all fluttery and…

Oh…

Oh…

Ares help him, he’s fucked…

He can’t afford to have anybody close. Certainly not a cocky princess. Damn it… if anybody knew of this… she would be the noose around his throat.

If his father knew… he shudders…

Her soft breathing tells him she’s asleep, so he sighs. “Damn it, princess… you’ve put me in a tight spot. Making me… feel like this.” He can’t say love… saying it makes it true, makes it real.

So instead, he alludes to it and runs his fingers through her hair. He pulls her close to him like he’d lose her if he let go. This was just supposed to be entertainment, a way to keep him busy. He wasn’t using her, enjoying her spoils… so how the fuck did he end up like this?

Was it her bold words? How would she stand up to him? Maybe it was her beauty? No… gods, she is stunning, but that’s not why he wanted her. He wanted her before he knew her face.

He can hide this… the feelings… nothing changes. He won’t act any differently around her, won’t let anybody know, not even her.

Chapter Text

You wake up the next morning trying to stretch but are pleasantly surprised to find you are still being held by a sort of snoring Antinous. You giggle and try to wiggle out of his arms but he pulls you closer, suffocating you in his chest. You sigh and decide to wait for him to wake up.

Which admittedly takes a bit. He yawns, opening his eyes. He stares at you for a moment and you smile. He scoffs, running a hand through his hair. You look over his body and hum. You left a lot more visible marks than expected. You would be lying if you said he didn’t look appetizing right now.

His hair is messier than usual, curls shifted out of place. His eyes are relaxed, still a bit droopy as he wakes up. All that paired with the bite marks and hickeys from last makes your stomach churn and you shift.

He takes note and side-eyes you with a snicker. He crawls towards you on the bed, grabbing your lips in a kiss. You swallow, sinking into it. When he parts looking you up and down, you hum. “No good morning?”

“I figured we were skipping that, giving your noticeable…” he trails off, fingers trailing to your exposed chest. It’s like you’d forgotten that you didn’t get dressed after last night’s activities. You cover yourself with a blanket and flush. 

“I would be all for some morning after sex, but I am mildly nervous my brother might come to get me if I’m in my room too long… and you need to leave.” You yawn.

Antinous shrugs, tearing the sheets from you. “A quick round then.” He smirks, wrapping his arms around your waist and pulling you close to feel him under the blankets. 

You give in and lazily lay flat. “Not doing any work, though.” You huff.

Antinous shrugs reaching between your thighs to prep you. His hand coaxes moans and when he deems you wet enough, he rams inside.

Apparently with the two of you quick isn’t exactly a ten minutes and done situation… more like twenty… which is certainly shorter than your activities so far but still… You both dress in silence after and fumble with clothes before the halls get too busy.

He leaves the second he’s presentable… you stare after him and sigh. So, how was it?

Nosy goddess… you turn to see the woman draping herself over your bed. Words can’t describe her beauty, how jaw-droopingly gorgeous she is. You bow your head to acknowledge her. “It was… amazing, really.”

The amount of times he prayed to Ares… you have him twisted around you. The tang of forbidden love. She hums, twirling her hair around her fingers.

“Oh, we’re not…” but you know better than to try to lie to your goddess.

Still avoiding your feelings? She rolls onto her stomach, kicking her legs. With all the years I’ve looked after you… there is finally something just for you and you hesitate. You have no need to share him… no reason not to finally have something that is owned by that woman or her son. The goddess pauses. Is it because of the boy prince?

She likes her gossip… “I… Yes… my feelings for Antinous are wrong… so so soooo wrong. He’s a shitty person, but I enjoy that. His personality is attractive to me… I… and when I get glimpses of a softer man underneath all his ambition… it’s not real but,” You groan, running a hand over your face. “He’s hurt my brother… made my mother’s life agonizing with father’s absence.”

The goddess sighs. Family over love, passion, great sex… you still take me by surprise. Take what you want. Otherwise, you’ll end up in some sad marriage, having passed up on the love of your life.

Little self projection there? But she’s not wrong… if one day this ends and the suitors leave, she’ll have passed any chance with Antinous. “They would hate me.”

So what? She’s never understood your attachment to these mortals who took you in.

“They are my family,” you mumble, brushing through your hair.

She shrugs… mortals and family… you know you’ll have to decide at some point.

She leaves you and you get the inkling she’s not in the happiest or best of moods. You want to take her advice, go to Antinous, have him, but… how could you do that to them? To the woman who took you in? This family didn’t have to raise you. They did not need to take you in the way they did, but they did. This is basically an act of betrayal.

You shake the thoughts away as you finish getting ready for the day. You spend your morning in the gardens glaring down suitors who look in your direction. None approach you and you have suspicion it might have something to do with Antinous. You should thank him later. You thought you would be playing nice and shooing them away like birds for the next who knows how long.

Your thoughts keep drifting back to Antinous and the words of your goddess. You recognized that you had started to catch feelings a few days ago… to have your fears confirmed rattles your thoughts. It’s not that you’re not ready to accept it, you’re terrified. The prospect of loving somebody and letting them see all of your most vulnerable secrets is tantalizing. Why would anybody ever let that happen?

You don’t have much reason to think how you do, but you can’t shake it. The thought of love has plagued you for some time. It’s only made worse when you think of the things Antinous must have done…

Shaking your head, you walk absent-mindedly through the gardens and then the halls. You’re bored and haven’t seen Telemachus even once, so you decide to seek him out.

Which proves harder than expected because he’s not in any of his usual places. You check in the childhood hiding spots and even go to his room to knock, but get no answer. It’s mildly distressing. You want to get closer to him, fix whatever gap started forming between you. You’d been attached at the hip growing up. 

You pause when you hear arguing coming from down the hall… You walk towards the room to see what’s going on. Inside the room you spot Antinous against a wall overlooking your brother and some suitors. “Waste of time.” Antinous grumbles, but he doesn’t move.

“You… take back what you said.” You hear Telemachus and place your hands on the doors. You pause, not wanting to embarrass him by helping him win a fight. “Don’t you ever get bored with calling my mother names?” 

You swallow… is this what he deals with on the daily? The suitors snicker and mock him… they’re just picking on him to mess with him now. “No, but I do get bored with you.” You watch Antinous push off the wall and start leaving in the room.

When the other suitors think he’s gone, they all clump together. Some of them take seats in other stands because they can. “You know… I saw your sister in the garden by herself.” You roll your eyes.

“Oh yeah, I saw her too. She’s got a nasty glare. She’d probably soften up after being shown her place, though.” another jeers sidestepping the fist Telemachus tosses at him. 

“You won’t lay a finger on her!” Telemachus hisses, landing his second punch. 

The five suitors look between one another. They glance through the shadows, looking for the largest of them, and when they do not see Antinous, they take steps towards the boy. “What’s stopping us from doing her like we did the maids?” 

One of their heads gets clocked to the side and you wince…

Since when was the little scared wolf able to fight? Since when did he stand his ground like this? You’re proud of him, a bit surprised but proud. “I’ll… I’ll… you… I won’t let you get close!” He glares before his head gets clocked to the side. “Ow…” you wince at his groan of pain.

“You’d be dead before you managed to stop us, Little Wolf.” The suitor mocks him. And just to prove the point, they gang up on him… 

Your blood boils and you take a step into the room.

“Hey look, the gods must be shining on us.” they kick your brother in the ribs, dismissing him. He looks far more injured than from just this beating. He must have been in another fight yesterday. 

You take a deep breath and step towards them. “Repeat what you said you’d do, my brother. I dare you.” 

The suitors group together. “What? That he’d be dead before he stopped us? What are you gonna-” You sock him in the chin, teeth clenched together.

You raise your head and shake your hand, stepping back. The group narrows their eyes, taking their attention from the prince to you. You place your hands behind your back and your feet move rhythmically along the floor. 

You’ve never felt this pissed off before… this… kick out with your leg, aim for the gut. You recognize quick thought, or at least Ares’ version. Why is this God helping you? Possibly because of his connection to your goddess? Maybe it’s the connection you have to his champion?

You don’t question it, just take his advice. The suitor recoils flat on his ass. You grab one of your knives without thinking and stab one guy in the leg. When another grabs you by the arm, you hear a very long sigh.

Dislocate your shoulder and stab him.

You pause… that’s… does not sound very fun, but you do it anyhow. “Vile fucking beasts.” You curse and stab him in the groin. The suitor steps back before collapsing, holding himself and cursing. Each one stares at you like you're the animal and not them… not the men who threatened to kill your baby brother and then rape you…

You have somebody with the right to fuck you already… they won’t get so much as a breath near you before you hurt them for trying. You take a step towards their cowering form. You feel the familiar breeze pass through you… notice it swirl around the suitors… 

The melodic voice of your goddess and the rough hiss of her lover kill them. They deserve it.

You raise your blade before having to step back, confused as to why Telemachus stands between your blade and the suitors… “They’re down… you’ve done enough. Sis… you…” 

“Enough? They… they threatened your life! Look at you? You’re… can you even move your other arm? They’ve been nothing but nuisances making our lives hell. If they can resort to doing whatever they want, why is there an issue if I decide I’ve had enough of their bullshit?” You narrow your eyes, holding your head high.

Telemachus stares… just stares… this is not his sister… “because it is as bad as they are… we don’t get to decide that we’re done… as awful as it is. I’m used to it… I’m fine.” But he’s not. However, he’s not messed up enough to warrant this… sure eye for an eye, but this… this is a lot more than that. It was hypothetical anyway. They would never act on that. It’s not the first time he’s heard one or two say something along the lines of hurting him that badly.

You scoff, putting away the blades. “You… yeah well, maybe we should start deciding that. Something needs to be done about this mess.” You scoff, turning your back on him.

“Y/n, wait… Sis… I didn’t…” Telemachus watches you storm off before looking at the terrified suitors. He glares at them because this is their fault. He tries to chase after you, but you’re already lost to the different halls of the palace.

Let her sulk. Telemachus sighs, bawling his hands into fists.

“I… should I though? Something is wrong, Athena… This isn’t her. She’s… my sister’s gentle. I remember her being caring and kind… I remember her seeing a hurt rabbit and getting mad when somebody suggested putting it out of its misery… even if that would have been the kind thing to do… she didn’t give up on the animal, nursed it back to health and sent it back out. My sister tended to my wounds without ever looking mad, just empathetic and sad…” His hands clamp tighter as he walks through the halls to get to his room.

The goddess sighs watching his defeated posture. Maybe she’s in a bad week.

“I…” he shakes his head. “No, something is definitely wrong. It’s not the first time… she’s been fidgety and jumpy for at least a month… the things I saw on her neck. How she’s been reacting… I just… I’m worried. She’s my sister… she raised her voice at me… the way she looked right there… she… she reminded me of…” He doesn’t dare finish that sentence…

The suitor who’s usually leading the game? The man named Antinous? The goddess finishes it for him.

“She never used to hold herself like that. Like she was looking down on people. Even when she knew somebody was below, or when somebody did something, she always looked graceful and approachable.” He bites his nails, then tends to his own wounds. 

The goddess pauses, thinking long and hard… eventually she makes up her mind. Antinous is Ares’ champion. Aphrodite is your sister's goddess. I wouldn’t put it past Aphrodite to ask Ares for a hand. He can take that whatever way he’d like. 

Telemachus shrugs, staring at the floor. It’s fine… probably. 

Chapter Text

You pace in your room, running your hands through your hair. Fuck…. Fuck fuck fuck… you toss the things off your desk, not really caring if you break anything. 

Damn it… “that wasn’t supposed to…” you trail off in your muttering to take a deep breath. You can’t get your shoulder back in, your… something… just nothing’s going right.

“Left the door open.” You snap your head to Antinous, who looks you over and rolls his eyes. “You look like a mess.”

“Get out. I’m not in the mood, clearly.” You hiss, glaring at him. He still approaches and you shake your head. “I said. Get. Out.” 

He ignores you, grabbing the arm you dislocated. “Stay. still.” You pause just long enough for him to snap it back into place. You shriek, but the pain fades away. You move your shoulder and huff. When you try to pull away, he pulls you into his chest and holds your head there.

It’s weird… how easily you relax… how quickly your body loses the adrenaline and your knees buckle before your eyes water… not good. You shouldn’t be comfortable around him for this. “You…”

He sighs, moving you towards the lounge corner of the room. He sits with you and you curl up against his chest. “Don’t… I should have stepped in there. You looked to be handling yourself.” He grits his teeth. You should have killed them. There was no reason not to. It’s what he would have done if he were you. He’d backed away, but when he caught your voice, he’d come back around. He hid out of sight, but in a spot that let him see what was happening.

“The look in his eyes… I wanted to find him to fix the rift, not make it worse… Antinous, he’s my brother. He’s all I have… this family is all I have.” He nearly flinches at the cracks in your voice, the way your hands cling to his tunic. 

He’s never tried to comfort anybody. He can’t remember the last time he was held or comforted if he ever was. What in the underworld is he doing right now? “You looked hot…”

He doesn’t know how to comfort… he’s always been of the mindset to suck it up. If you’re angry or just upset in any other way? Beat somebody or fuck it out. There’s no use in wallowing, and yet he’s not agitated. He’s not completely off putting holding onto you. 

You’re… cute like this, curled up completely.

“Course you’d think that was attractive.” You scoff, but he catches the half-smile on your lips. Carefully, he raises your chin to look him in the eyes. It’s the first time you see his eyes look relaxed outside of sleep or sex… no glare, no arrogant light, just soft. “You know, when you’re not glaring or scowling, you’re actually quite handsome.” You blurt the words without really thinking before you speak.

He pauses for a moment before his lips find yours. For the first time since you’d started this game of chase, his lips aren’t rough on yours. There isn’t any force, no bites, nothing but his lips moving on yours and his hand holding your chin.

Your heart skips a beat and your stomach flutters… he pulls back, staring at you. “Do… are you hurt anywhere else?” His voice is hardly audible. 

You shake your head, “if I say yes, will you do that again?” You cling to him… he pauses and kisses you once again. You melt into every second. Breaking apart your fingers trail over the scar on his eye, his breath hitches. “Can… I ask?”

Antinous shrugs as he adjusts how you’re sitting on his lap so your back is to him rather than chest to chest. He plays with your hair, his touch surprisingly gentle. “I was probably twelve? My first fight with a wild wolf. My father thought I was ready to finally become a man, so he sent me out alone to prove myself. It gave me a couple of my scars, but I took its fur.” He cocks a smirk, but you notice how it doesn’t reach his eyes. “The rest that you see are from various fights and battles over my years.”

You nod and take his face in your hands. He raises a brow at the action but doesn’t move away. You kiss along the scar and smile. “Why did you become a suitor?”

“I’ll ask you one better who doesn’t want to be king? Untouchable… and with all that power.” He looks far off for a moment.

“Aren’t you nobility, though? Don’t you already have power?” You tilt your head.

He scoffs, pushing you away from his face. He runs his thumb over your lips. “That’s nothing compared to the power a king has.” there would be nobody with a strong enough voice to hold him back, hold him down or give him orders. He’d be in complete control, he’d have it all. “You’ve never thought about having more than you have?”

You pause. It’s hesitation that grabs his interest, despite how your words stumble out a moment later. “No… I’ve already risen from my station. If I wanted more, I’d be out of line. It would be a smack in the face to the kind hearts that took me in, let me become a princess when I’m a mistress’s child…” but perhaps if you’d not been raised as a princess you would have sought out a path like his.

“You hesitated, Little Fox… you have thought of it.” He brings a handful of your hair to his lips, looking down at you through half-lidded eyes.

You swallow your eyes, focussing on your lap. “Once or twice… I wondered if I could marry a prince… become real royalty… or even a queen. But… but it wasn’t anything like blasphemy. A lot of girls dream about becoming royalty, marrying into that life. It’s not just me. I’d never thought of taking anything from my brother…” word vomit in a way to defend yourself.

“Does that whiny prince even want to be king, though?” He tilts his head, dropping the hair in his hand.

You grip your Chiton in your hands. “Don’t… don’t go there. Please leave me out of your obsession with the throne, Antinous. Just… leave it alone.” His arms wrap around your waist, moving you around again. This time he presses your back against his chest so he can rest his chin on your head and rub circles around your stomach.

“Why? What’s holding you back?” He’ll never not be the wolf.

“Odysseus could still come back Antinous… He took me in at his wife’s plea, because they are genuinely kind people. I got lucky. My actual mother had me then threw herself into a river… I wasn’t wanted. I don’t even know who my father is. A maid in this palace had me and instead of cherishing me left my fate to the gods… I don’t have the right to want anything, to voice my complaints about how much I loathed being stuck in this room for years… I’m spoiled, a princess for all reasons that matter… I am content where I am… one step over the line… don’t be so cocky as to think either of us would be spared.” You grit your teeth, staring at the floor.

Antinous scoffs, “you believe that load of bullshit too? You honestly think that the old king will come back after so many years?”

“Mother seems to think so… and she’s never been wrong before.” Antinous groans at your huff.

“He’ll be an old man if he ever does,” he mumbles, but he’s thinking. 

He wants you… doesn’t want anybody else to have you. But he also wants the throne. Only now it’s not Penelope who he sees sitting beside him. It’s a problem. You’re the factor that messed this up. In his head, the solutions are easy. There is something Eurymachus has brought up before, just getting rid of the prince.

No heir means the queen would turn to you… none of the others seem to pick up on the fact you’re not actually the prince’s sister. The people wouldn’t have to know either.

Siblings fight over inheritance… whole wars have started over the throne before and yet you lack any ambition at all. As if you’re afraid of something.

“I’ll relent… since it’s clearly distressing. I think it’s stupid, but whatever. Will you run off to apologize?” For defending herself? It’s stupid… it’s not her fault the prince doesn’t understand how this world works. Mercy, inaction, eye for an eye… that kind of thinking keeps a man weak.

“I… I should, but I don’t want to… why admit I was in the wrong when I wasn’t? He is agitating at times. He’s noble and yet surrounded by beasts. If one acts on their thoughts, what is he going to do, pat them on the head and forgive them? What will it take for him to wake up? I’ve understood how this world works young…” Antinous listens to you rattle on, it’s different and something bothers him about it.

“If you were raised here, how did you figure that one out? Is it just your brother being sheltered?” and yet they kept you hidden away from the world.

“I…” have you ever talked about it outside with your mother? “It’s not…” his circling on your stomach stops as he spins me around again. 

Antinous cups your cheek in his hand and sighs. “So there was a reason the queen was so amenable to hiding you.” He smirks.

“Children never look at the world like there’s a threat around the corner. Most people have to learn that behavior. I didn’t learn to sneak around from nothing… how to lie, to deceive. I just… I used to go with Telemachus outside the palace way before the suitors came along. I’d take him to the beach… play with him. I had to be the best big sister. We weren’t supposed to go out… two kids… but to me, Ithaca was beautiful, the land and the people. But people are greedy…” You bring your legs up to your chest and hug yourself. “I was lucky somebody else was there… I was fourteen… he was an old grown man. Telemachus wandered off… I heard him shout and of course I had to play hero… I told him to go back to the palace… he did… If somebody hadn’t been passing through… I’d have either been dead, taken, or both.” You take a deep breath and shake your head. “It was the first time I’d seen her angry… seen Penelope so furious. I got back, disheveled, in tears… She’d been holding Telemachus like a mother should hold their child. I wanted that… but I got a scolding and for a few weeks I wasn’t allowed near him. Of course, the idiot snuck around to see me, anyway.” She’s your mother, and she’s cared for you… cares for you, but… you’re not her child.

Antinous glares at a wall… “You were nearly… and she didn’t comfort you at all?”

“Should she have? I put her child in danger. If I hadn’t heard him, hadn’t stepped in, something cold would have happened and I’d have been responsible for sneaking him out without a guide or permission… Her husband was off at war, Telemachus is all she has right now.” You hum, putting a smile on your lips.

Antinous sighs, brushing a strand of hair out of your face. You’re too gentle, too caring… he can see it in the way you speak. You feel indebted to them… 

“I’ve never… told anybody about that.” You mumble swallowing… trying to find the confidence to say what you want to. You inhale the scent of your goddess always lingers with, and that confidence easily finds root. “I’m scared that if I admit to things, I’ll lose this…” Your heart hammers in your chest.

Antinous stiffens… “Y/n… I need you, your mind, every little bit of you is mine. I don’t give my things up… don’t let go of them.” He tugs you closer with a possessive hiss, underlining his words.

“I caught feelings…” The words push off your lips against your will… your heart hammers in your chest. Your goddess can rush things a bit too fast… it’s nice to have it out in the open, but if he rejects you, then- you nearly yelp as your thoughts are cut off but a kiss.

His hands push on your shoulders, pinning you below him. The kiss is rough, but it’s not lust that translates through it. His hands aren’t wandering… they stick beside your head as he nips your lip and dives his tongue into your mouth. 

Part of him screams to run, to erase this… this physical weakness… but the part of him that wants you by his side is louder, screaming that you’re his, his, just his. He can’t seem to back away, to listen to his voice of reason that guided him for years in this palace. 

There’s no plot… no scheme… no reason besides his need for you. He breaks away panting, eyes searching for any sign of regret. But you just smile… reach up and tug him back to your lips. You wrap your legs around his waist and he melts.

He moves your chiton out of the way, doesn’t so much as bother to get you bare… he does the same, moving and shifting his clothes just enough to free his cock. He stares at you, waiting for something… 

You stare at him before nodding. He spreads you open on his fingers and leans down to take your lips in another kiss… softer this time.

He slips inside with a pace he’s never set before. You hum reaching to his hair and tugging. He grunts, pace quickening but not bruising. 

You relish in your moans, sinking into the sound, his own lips parted in soft grunts and an occasional whine.

You’re his and he’s yours… “Fuck princess…” he mumbles, rocking into you.

“Mmm, t-twice in a day…” you mumble stars seeping into your vision.

He sucks in a breath as you pulse around him. As you cry his name, he comes undone calling out yours, something he rarely does. He always uses nicknames but not today, not now…

He rolls off you, fixing his clothes as you fix your own… “so it’s mutual…”

“It is…” he grumbles, staring at your ceiling. He catches the way your feet kick and the little gleeful sound you make.

“And to think this started out as some fucked up hook up…” You snicker.

“For you maybe… fucked up obsession is more accurate.” The amount of times he’d jacked himself off you, the thought of you before he was able to actually fuck you… he’s obsessed with you… can’t get enough of you.

This is far from the pretty dreams of love you’d had as a child, but in some ways this is better. It’s passionate, dangerous, and he has you hooked.

Chapter Text

Telemachus hasn’t talked to you for a week… whenever he did catch a glimpse and try to approach, you either dipped into a different hall or he’d chicken out and turn around. He’s not avoiding you, you’re the one avoiding him.

“You seem a bit distracted today, dear.” Penelope hums as she makes a few more paces on her loom.

Telemachus sits on his parents’ bed playing with his toy horse. It’s the only thing he has from his father… he brings it with him to see his mom sort of to feel like they are both here. “It’s y/n…”

Penelope pauses her loom, looking up. “Did something happen?” She tilts her head.

“You’ve always told me to be kind, to care about the world… I mean I don’t see a reason why somebody wouldn’t and I… I’ve always thought that was what my sisters like… but she… there was a fight with the suitors. She looked so angry… she was going to kill them. Even though she’d already ruined any chance they had at getting back to their feet, she wasn’t going to stop. Then she got upset, and I stepped in and didn’t let her spill blood. I… she yelled… and now she isn’t talking to me,” Telemachus mumbles. He’s not telling his mother to rat you out… it’s concern. He’s worried something is wrong with you… that something happened. You must feel too ashamed to tell him. He knows you’d talk to mother about it… she’s as much your mother as she is his mother. 

Penelope stands to sit by her child. She pulls him close, letting his head fall to her shoulder. She leans her head against his hands, cradling him. “Give her some time… She must be overwhelmed with everything. She cares about you, Telemachus. It’s her job to overreact when you’re in harm’s way… she’s always been protective of her baby brother, you know this. She is reckless, but you’re her center. It might have been the first time she’d seen the suitors come after you. There’s pride to be found in her actions.”

Telemachus stares at the ground before shaking his head. “Something’s wrong… I feel like something happened, and she won’t talk to me about it. We tell each other everything. It’s not like her to avoid me or stay mad… she’s always got this look around me… she… she called me agitating… she never calls me things like that… she might ruffle my hair and call me dumb but never while glaring or… or in a mean way… she’s been distant to… we were talking in the garden and she seemed like she was hardly there. Sometimes I feel like I’m not looking at my sister.” He rambles words slipping from his mouth without a second thought. His eyes water with what he’s been holding back. “What if she’s upset with me? Like really upset?” He sets the horse to the side and wraps his arms around his mother, trying not to cry.

Penelope pauses, her eyes narrowing a bit before they go soft. “Shh, I’m sure she just needs some time…”

“It’s been a week and she won’t let me get close… I’ve knocked on her door and either gotten a response or a quick go away.” which sometimes feels rushed and oddly high pitched…

“I see… Well… I’m sure she’ll come back around. You’re her little brother.” She pushes her son back so she can look him in the eyes. “She’d never do anything that could hurt you. She would never wish for it. You’ve done nothing wrong. You’re holding onto your beliefs and nobody should ever trample them. You’re perfect just as you are.” she pokes him on the nose with a gentle smile. “I will talk to her.”

Telemachus nods and stays curled by his mother as if he were still a child for some time. When he stands, he gives his mother one last hug. “Could we have dinner… all three of us at some point? When sis is ready… and whatever’s bothering her isn’t too heavy?” 

Penelope nods as her son leaves the room. She sends a maid to go find and fetch her adopted child.

Telemachus walks through the halls feeling more alone than usual. He’d usually go see you when he was feeling like this, but you haven’t been letting him so now he wanders the halls without aim, just to pass time. He could try to train, but he’s so distracted he doubts it would do him any good. 

The rough sounds of two men’s voices grab his attention. What could these two be plotting now? 

“I thought we were working on this together with Antinous.” Eurymachus hisses arms crossed over his chest. “You can’t be serious, keeping her out of this when this could be our ticket to the throne?”

Antinous scoffs, tossing an apple in his hand. “It won’t work. The queen has obvious favorites, and that isn’t the princess.”

“As if a mother wouldn’t trade herself for her daughter.” Eurymachus has always been the one with the worst of the suitors’ plans. He’s cunning and plays the long route with deception. “With the prince and her not on talking terms, she’s unguarded.”

“Unguarded? She stabbed a man’s dick.” Antinous raises a brow. “The bitch isn’t defenseless.” Certainly far from it, considering how she managed to have him a whimpering mess underneath her. “I’ve also been pretty damn clear I’ve claimed that prize for myself.”

“Oh, you’ve made it painfully obvious that she has you wrapped around her fingers.” The shorter male rolls his eyes. “You have been distracted for the last month, longer than that, really. Given your lack of attendants as of late, something tells me you mean it literally.”

Antinous snarls, “When I claim that throne I’ll have her by me, there’s no foul in having the side bitch as queen and keeping the real prize close. Plus, there’s always the other route… who says I won’t spin her around? She’s a caged animal.”

“That I don’t disagree with. She’s a wildcard that will either ruin everything or be the reason we succeed. You seem to forget about the double edge of that sword.” The shorter one deadpans. “She’s also incredibly like her mother, unreceptive to kindness.” He grumbles.

“Told you that was going to bite you in the ass. No amount of gifts and flirting will win us that woman’s hand.” Antinous smirks.

“And neither would forcing our way to the throne.” Eurymachus snaps back.

Telemachus swallows, shaking his head. He’s used to overhearing the two of them plot. Usually it’s less arguing and more collaborative work. It’s odd that they aren’t agreeing on how to proceed. It’s good for him, though. It means the palace is safer… for now.

~

You bite your cheek trying to think about what your mother could need. You haven’t seen her since you started leaving your room. You’ve never been to see her in the day. It just feels wrong. You’re too lost in your thoughts to notice the person leaning on the wall. “Princess, how are you today?”

You jump, startled, from your head as you turn to the man who called out to you. “What do you think?” You snap, crossing your arms.

“There’s no reason to be so rude. I’m not a fan of violence like the others. I think there is a time and place for it, but I much prefer to greet the world with open arms.” He laces his voice with a sweet hum, but not too sweet. He’s picking his words perfectly.

You snarl, “what a shame, I prefer to lead with a calculated fuck you, leave me alone. I am not in the mood to deal with anybody right now.”

“You remind me a lot of Antinous.” The male chooses to keep his distance from you. 

You swallow and sigh. “How so?”

“Quick to agitate, dismissive, thinking themselves untouchable, unmovable and unbreakable.” He keeps his face neutral, as if it’s just an observation.

“I don’t think I’m any of that.” You grumble, staring at him.

He raises a brow but shrugs. “Really? You hold yourself like you do, dismiss people without a second thought. You lump every suitor together… but you also seem to be straining against chains.”

You roll your eyes at his words. “I do not do that. You are all bottom feeding jerks. You take and leave nothing… plot things that are just… revolting. This palace belongs to Odysseus, Penelope, and Telemachus, yet you walk around like you have a right to anything here when you hardly deserve to be groveling at my mother’s feet.” You scoff, holding your chin a bit higher.

“I can’t help but notice that you don’t include yourself in that list. It’s your home, is it not?” He smirks, stepping closer.

You shrug, “don’t read into it.” You hiss, taking a step back.

“If you’re on your way to see her, I recommend hiding that hickey a little better, princess.” You pause and reach to your neck, covering the mark with your hand. “It’s amusing that your brother hasn’t figured out what his sister is up to, whoring herself out to a suitor. Antinous though? You could have done so much better.”

You glare on the edge between not taking the bait and slapping him. So instead you snark back. “Oh really? Better than him? What do you mean? Somebody like you?” He shrugs.

“I would tell him before the poor prince walks in on you, a small suggestion.” He waves, heading down the hall. 

The fact somebody else knows is terrifying. In your mind, you were hiding it well, but suppose you two might need to take a step back. It’s probably a good thing you do because eventually luck is going to stop working. Also, there are other risks to fucking so frequently. You adjust the cold choke around your throat to hide the mark and head to your mother’s room.

Opening the door, you find her waiting, looking out her window towards the gardens below. “It’s been a while. How are you doing?”

You shrug, “okay… best as I can do…” you keep your distance easily able to tell she didn’t call you here to catch up.

“You know I care about you, right Y/n? That I did not take you in just out of pity for my maid? You’ve always been dear to my heart. My son looks up to you. You’re his sister, the only sibling he has, somebody he should be able to lean on in this nightmare. You’re older than him by several years. You should be guiding him.” She’s not pointing fingers, but you can hear the disappointment in her voice.

“I… if this is about me snapping at him, I don’t know what to say. I was frustrated and annoyed. Why can’t we put our foot down? Do you hear the things they call you? What they say about Telemachus, about me? He had no right to get upset at me for wanting to deal back a hand. They will only keep getting more uncontrolled and cocky if nothing is done. Why else did they get close to my room? They got cocky enough to try.” You stare at the floor, trying not to sound offended.

“It is not your place.” Her words are simple, gentle even, but direct.

“What? That’s my baby brother! I can’t just sit back while they slander everything. It’s not my fault Telemachus is a sheltered idiot! Eye for an Eye is bull mother. It’s why they keep stepping all over him.” You scoff crossing your arms.

“Y/n!” She raises her voice slightly and you snap your mouth shut. “You swore to my husband that you would keep our son company, be an older sister. This is not… I’m not used to seeing you, so worked up. Perhaps Telemachus is right. Something is bothering you.” She softens her gaze, walking towards you.

“Sorry… I… guess I’m overwhelmed… It’s a lot. Hearing people talk about me like that… like there wouldn’t be any harm in touching me… like something they can pass around.” You twist your feelings to hide from her gaze. She’s trying to see what you’re hiding and you won’t let her…

She sighs and brings you into a hug. “I know I am not your birth mother, but I do care about you… please try to talk to him. Apologize even if you don’t mean it. He needs you. Perhaps you could find a way to celebrate his eighteenth? Today is his birthday.” 

“I will…” you mumble and she smiles, sending you off. You grit your teeth. He actually ran to his mom just because you yelled at him a little. He… he’s so immature. Admittedly, you had forgotten that today was his birthday…

How horrible of you…

You don’t seek him out that night. Tomorrow… Tomorrow you will find him and apologize, even if you know you had every right to be upset and act the way you did. 

Chapter Text

Telemachus sits in his room, fidgeting with the toy in his hand. You didn’t even stop by to wish him a happy birthday… you’ve never missed a birthday before… He’s upset… maybe even angry. You’re being ridiculous. There’s no reason to be this agitated over a difference in opinion on how things should be dealt with.

Stop moping around. Instead of letting things swallow you whole, you could be practicing. He glances up to see the goddess standing over him.

He shrugs, setting the toy back on the shelf. He stares at his collection of things you’d made for him over the years and once more he’s nearly in tears. “I… I don’t know why she won’t see me.” He rubs his eyes, holding his head high. He won’t fall to shambles over something this silly.

The goddess sighs, shaking her head. This happens. Siblings can’t stay impossibly close forever.

“But I thought we would never grow apart… she promised to be by my side my whole life. I don’t get what’s changed.” He huffs, frustrated tears pricking his eyes.

The goddess might feel pity for the young prince… might. She knows why this rift began to form and how impossible it will be to fix it.

There’s a knock on the door as the goddess disappears. Telemachus tilts his head, cracking it open. His eyes widen when he sees you. He tosses his arms around you. “I’m so sorry if I upset you!” He speaks first.

You sigh as he drags you into his room, still holding onto you. “Okay, okay, I get it, now get off,” you mumble and smooth out your clothes when he retreats fidgeting.

“Mom told me you were upset. I… I just needed time to cool off. I’m overwhelmed, if I’m being honest. I didn’t want you to know that because I’m older. I’ve never liked…” She’s coming up with lies strung around truths, half baking an honest reason.

You know he won’t pick up on the lies… and he doesn’t. He nods and smiles. “I get it… you’ve always been like an impenetrable wall… you don’t want me to see you not be strong… but… you can rely on me too. I’m getting stronger! I’m not gonna stay the weak prince they pick on. I’ll get strong enough so that one day I can spar with Antinous and win.” You snicker at his determination. That’s a big dream, one you doubt will happen, but good luck to him, you suppose. 

“So long as you stay, my sweet little brother.” You giggle, patting his head. “And I’m sorry I missed yesterday. Happy birthday Telemachus. 

He smiles and hugs you again.

You linger for a bit, talking to him, but you feel no less far from him than when you approached his room.

You stop to talk to him in the halls, smile… wave, but you don’t make an effort to spend time with him outside meals and when he comes to you for comfort or just because he was bored and thought you might want some company.

Several times you’ve had to leave Antinous hanging because of sudden plans your brother springs. You hardly have time for yourself.

Today Telemachus said he was going to do some sparing… and well, that means your day is free.

Which means you’re on a quest to lighten your mood.

Sighing, you lean against Antinous. “What’s bothering you?” he grumbles, kneading your hips.

“The other day I ran into Eurymachus… he made it clear he knew about us.” You tilt your head back to look at him since your back is pressed to his chest.

He pecks your lips and shrugs. “He’s clever, but he knows I’d strangle him if he told anybody. In a test of strength, I’d win without much of a fight. He’s all talk, no bite. Don’t worry about him.” He trails his mouth down your neck to your shoulder. “We should enjoy this. I can’t sneak into your room at night since your mother appointed idiots to stand guard… and I can’t see you in the day because of your brother… stop thinking about men who don’t matter. You belong to me.” His voice lowers, and he bites you.

You shiver… “Wanna know something I’ve been thinking about?”

“Oh?” Antinous hums.

“We have a very active sex life…” you mumble and he snickers. “No, I mean it. I don’t think there’s a single interaction. I can recall where we were alone and didn’t end up fucking since you won my challenge.” He kisses up your throat till he nips at your ear.

“Is that a bad thing?” He whispers into your ear, causing you to shiver.

You turn around to straddle him with a smile. “Definitely not a bad thing.” You run your hands over his chest and his breath hitches. 

He moves aside your clothes and snickers. “I haven’t even touched you yet, whore.”

You roll your eyes and roll your hips against his. “As if you’re not just as wound up? Whore.” You huff and he chuckles.

Antinous pulls you to your feet then pushes your back against a wall holding your thigh up. “Fuck you’re bratty today.” He grumbles, his free hand slipping between your folds.

You steady yourself with a hand on the wall, another around his shoulders. It’s a new position, that’s for sure. You moan softly as he spreads you open. 

He’s too impatient to do more than he deems necessary. He lines up and slides in with a bit or friction so he slows to ease in. “fuck… tight…” guess it has been a bit since his dicks split you open. 

You hum already pleasantly enjoying this. 

He bottoms out with a grunt… fuck… just… “am gonna be rough today… better pray you can go back to your room without limping.”

Your stomach twists and your pussy clenches around him. He sucks in a breath as he pulls out sharply and slams back hard enough that your chest bounces. You cry out loud enough he has to shut you up with his mouth. 

He repeats that motion slowly, finding ways to make it faster… You toss your head back in a series of fucked out moans. He wasn’t kidding… 

You pant as he rams into you… “fuck Antinous… fuck that’s…” he rams against you and you whine.

His lips trail down your neck and suck at your collarbone… you’re so damn close.

The door creaks open and you both freeze. He covers your mouth on instinct; he drops your leg and pushes you behind him. Luckily, you two are off in a corner somewhere. The light trickling in from the hall won’t shine. 

You are about ready to stab whoever just ruined this moment. You were a whisper from a wonderful high. “I’m pretty sure that door was locked, prince.” Antinous snarls refusing to sidestep to allow any view of you.

“Well, it wasn’t…” He scoffs, his hands curling into fists…

You realize a second too late he’s not looking at Antinous. Fuck… You still try to stay hidden behind him. “Scram, boy, before I kick your ass for disturbing me.” Antinous sneers glaring.

Telemachus fidgets before his hand runs through his hair. “I… I…” He’s clearly trying to speak, but between embarrassment and something else, he can’t seem to get the words out.

Antinous takes a step forward, but you tug on his tunic. “Knock it off, he already saw.” You mumble, fixing your chiton and peeking out from around him.

“I don’t know what to say… I… this is why you’ve been…” Telemachus tightens his grip on his hair. “You’re… how long has this… how long have you been… why? He’s… he’s their leader Y/n… he… you’ve seen what he’s done to me… to mom!” Your chest tightens and you step closer but he steps back. “Don’t… don’t… just… fucking don’t.” he heads out the door and you rush past Antinous towards him.

“Telemachus, wait, please, I can explain.” You call out jogging to catch up to him.

“What’s there to explain? I just walked into my sister fucking one of the men who’s at fault for most of this nightmare! You’ve been acting weird for weeks, for over a month, and that’s why? That? Gods above, why? What could you possibly even like about him? He’s… the things he’s done… and you’re…” Telemachus raises his voice and you flinch back.

“I know it looks bad but… but It’s.. it’s complicated I didn’t do this… we’re… I just didn’t know he was the one who’d been causing you issues at first Telemachus… I swear it, I didn’t know. I… it was just… I was bored… and… bumped into him… it was just a game, but then things got out of hand and I just…” Your reasons come up flustered, some things told in half truths.

Telemachus narrows his eyes as he steps closer. “You’re lying… you’re lying to my face again. And what, for what? You… you’ve been sneaking around with Antinous of all the men that you could have ‘been bored’ with? That’s who you went to? I don’t even trust that you didn’t know.”

You swallow, heart racing. “Telemachus, I didn’t… I was just playing around at first. I bumped into him taking mom a gift and it was a game to see if he could pull down my hood… I wasn’t… this wasn’t supposed to happen but it just did.”

“And when you found out what he’d been doing? You straight up asked if it was him, you know that right? You asked…” He pushes you… actually puts his hands on you hard enough you stumble back.

Tears well in his eyes as he stares at you. “I… I kicked him in the balls?” You shrink back. 

“Then fucked him…” He hisses, clearly trying not to cry. “And what about mother? Did you lie to her too?” 

You look to the ground, biting your lip. “I… please Telemachus, just take a deep breath…”

“She took you in!” He pushes at you again. “And you spur on one of the worst suitors she has. You’re…”

You swallow with one last resort. You push him back and glare. “I love him, okay? There I admitted it, happy? I like him… it’s messed up and stupid, but I love him. I’m your sister can’t you just try to be happy for me? I can talk to him, I’ve been trying… I’ll get him to stop…” You hiss, trying to hold on to any thread you can, even if it means a bit of manipulation.

“You’re not even actually my sister.” He sniffles, wiping tears from his eyes. “I hate you!” he hisses, furiously wiping tears from his face.

You pause, staring at him like you’ve been hit by a hoarse. “You… you don’t mean that…” he doesn’t. He’s just in shock… just emotional. But he shoves you again, this time hard enough you lose your footing. He runs off, leaving you staring after him…

“He’s just being dramatic.” Antinous scoffs kneeling to offer you a hand. You slap it away and get back on your feet.

“I want to be alone right now.” He narrows his eyes and scoffs, but he doesn’t stop you as you drag yourself to your room. 

You slam your doors and flop down on your beds and scream into a pillow. You slam your fist on the bed… a grown woman tossing a tantrum.

Not very becoming of you. You jolt to glare at your goddess, wiping away tears. You know my love for Ares also wasn’t approved… at first. Though I think most still look at me like I am in the wrong. 

She talks a lot about herself. You hold the pillow to your chest and sob. “I don’t know what to do… he’s my brother, he’s all I have known… but I really do love Antinous…”

Is he really your brother if he can’t support you and your feelings when that’s all you’ve ever done for him? You know she’s dangerous. On Hades’ name, she’s the one who is held responsible for the Trojan war… but she’s still your comfort.

“I… a valid point, but he… he’ll calm down and apologize…” You sob into the pillow… he said he hated you… he looked so angry… so hurt…

Or he’ll run to mommy. The goddess shrugs, patting you on the head. 

Oh… you hadn’t thought about that one. 

Chapter Text

The darkness is a comfort. Not a single torch is lit in your room, nothing. Your hair falls inelegantly over your shoulders as you bury your face in your arms. You chose to be upset, to focus on one part instead of giving attention to the anger churning behind the guilt and despair.

If you let the fire grow… let yourself be ticked off that, despite everything you’ve done for him, what you’ve gone through for him, he won’t let you have this one thing… you’ll fall into a twisted reality. Deep down, you are aware it’s your fault that this is wrong. But your hearts unable to steel itself against the wolf. 

He’s softer than he was in the beginning… he genuinely cares for you. By some twisted miracle, you caught the heart of the beast in your hands. 

You tighten your grip on your hair and sob even though you’ve run out of tears to shed. 

Somewhere in your self pity you hear a knock, then paper slide under the door. You sigh and drag your feet across the floor to pick it up. “Her majesty requests your presence… immediately.” 

I did say he’d go run to his mother. You turn and glare at the goddess, who raises her hands in mock surrender. You crumble the paper and for a moment, you debate telling the messenger to fuck off. You take a deep breath and fix your hair.

“How awful do I look?” You hum looking for her criticism. Instead, she approaches you and tucks your hair behind your ear. Her touch is warm, and she smells like the gardens, like romance and comfort. She runs her thumbs under your eyes. 

She holds your face in her hands, looking you over. As perfect as a mortal can be. She hums and bops you on the nose before patting you on the head.

You smile, “you flatter me.” You feel… better.

I would never lie to flatter. You are as pretty as a mortal can be. Whether you are a mess of emotions, smitten, in the afterglow of sex, just waking up, or happy, you are perfect. I would never let you be anything but perfect. Would I? She hums staring at you.

You shake your head. “No, you wouldn’t…” you sigh and walk out the doors.

The walk there feels heavy. There is no reason it should feel this way. There isn’t a doubt in your mind that you are about to be scolded. You’d consider yourself lucky if that is all you get. 

You hesitate outside her doors, but you step inside, jolting when you see Telemachus. His eyes are red and puffy. Currently, he stands just behind his mother but never looks in your direction. 

You hang your head and look to the side. “Real mature… real fucking mature.” You curl your hands into fists. He just had to tell her everything, didn’t he?

“Y/n I want to hear it from you…” Penelope’s voice is strained…. Like she’s trying to give you the benefit of the doubt. 

“Why? He’s already said it all… right? He walked in on me with Antinous.” You cross your arms. “Went running to mom because he can’t do anything on his own.” You sneer, unsure where the words are coming from… or why. You’ve always been so protective of him. Why is that all crumbling away now?

You flinch back at the glare Penelope gives you. “Watch your tongue, young lady. Walk me through it. Give me reason to sympathise with instead of be livid.” The benefit of the doubt…

You meet her eyes, challenging her glare with one of your own. She stands taller than you and Telemachus, an imposing figure fit for a queen, but you’ve glared down Antinous before. “I was going my regular route back from your room. A hand reached out… grabbed me. I slipped away.” You take a deep breath. “I went back because he piqued my interest. I offered a game, one I was winning until I missed a day and came back to an agitated man. He won the game and, well, you can figure out the rest.” 

The sting on your cheek causes you to wait and pause a second, then take a step back. You let your jaw hang open for a moment. You look to Telemachus, who seems just as taken aback as you do.

You both glance towards the window, staring at the owl, and the dove perched. The owl looks about ready to lunge at the Dove…

It’s the opposite of the room. Telemachus shies away while you are the one who is ready to grab his tunic and shout.

“Telemachus, go back to your room.” She softens her gaze and her voice. The prince goes to retort, glancing at you before he walks around you. 

You know if you were thinking rationally and not an emotional wreck, you wouldn’t, but… you nudge him as he leaves, then glare. “Can’t you even walk straight on your own?” You hiss just to make sure he’s aware you’re hurt, annoyed and all together just pissed off with him. Of all the secrets you kept for him, he couldn’t keep just one for you? He couldn’t even attempt to be supportive? 

You already know you’re in deep shit, so what’s pissing her off more going to do? 

Penelope takes a deep breath when Telemachus leaves and then paces. “What am I to do with you? Gods help me. I can’t bring myself to kick you out, but I can not let this slide Y/n. The snide comments, the attitude, the lying, the going behind my back after everything we have done for you… why? Why did you feel the need to go behind my back instead of telling me you were lonely or that you’d run into a suitor and were taking a liking to him? I’m not mad about the fact he’s a suitor, but rather, I am upset because of who that man is.”

You shrug, shaking your head. “Mom-” she holds her hand up.

“Do not do that, not right now. And I was not done speaking.” She stares out the window, shaking her head. “I need you to be honest with me. Did you know what he’d done to my son?”

You stare at the floor. “Not at first…”

“And when you suspected it?” She’s trying hard not to lose her temper.

“I think I always had suspicion. In my defence, I did hit him for hitting my br… for hitting Telemachus.” You can’t bring yourself to look up from the floor. Your hands tremble a bit. Can’t she tell you’re also hurting? Telemachus wasn’t the only one hurt, he said some hurtful things too.

“You are aware it never stopped, correct?” She’s looking for a no… hoping and praying. She wants to be able to put this away as if it isn’t a big deal.

You steel yourself and raise your eyes to meet hers. “Slightly… but I messed up and fell head over heels for Antinous. It’s not my fault that my little… that your son is some nobler than, thou idiot. There was only so much I could shield him from. I want to live my own life. I’m so far past the age most woman marry… most woman have a child by my age and I’m… I’ve only just found love. I’ve spent my entire life looking after him… I just… I wanted something for myself.” You just want a mother the way Telemachus has one. You just want to live a life for yourself, finally feel whole.

She’s never held you the way she holds him. You’ve always been the outsider to everybody except Telemachus… he idolized you, thought you were amazing…

Is it so bad to want what he has…? Except, things like this start of small and grey… envy is a dangerous little detail.

“You will not disrespect him as long as you are a member of this household! I thought this was a minor squabble, siblings fighting over something silly. This… This is not how I raised you to be!” She raises her voice again before taking another deep breath to try to calm herself.

“No… no it’s not. You wanted me to be a perfect example for him. To keep him safe while you coddle the to-be king. Only he’s so wrapped up in fantasy he can’t grasp just how shitty the real world is.” You snap at her, tears welding in your eyes. “I didn’t ask to be taken in… I didn’t ask to be some pity project and given anything.” You hiccup… “I love him… I don’t care how wrong it is or how bad a person that might make me… he’s at least been there. He might be shit at emotions… at everything, but he’s… I love him. It shouldn’t matter who I love sine I’m not your blood. I’m not your daughter… I’m just some illegitimate bastards child who you took in on a whim.” Sobbing… when was the last time you cried like this in front of her?

When you were fourteen… when you were forced into the reality that this world is neither fair nor kind to anybody. When you’d wanted her to comfort you, but instead she’d scolded you for putting Telemachus in danger despite how he was unharmed, without a scratch and you bruised and nearly raped… 

Maybe that was when you started pulling away from Telemachus… when you realized that you’d been painfully blind to the world.

You want to have a life like his…

“How long has this been stirring?” She hisses her words through her teeth.

“I don’t know… I’ve been with Antinous nearly two months now. If I’m honest… probably before that.” You spit each word like venom. The desperate cry for comfort slowly becoming shadowed in envy and spite.

“Your last cycle?” You ball your hands into fists…

“Last month… If you are insinuating that I am being emotional and… because I am… then you…” You want to scream at her… why can’t she just try to comfort you, try to actually understand what’s wrong instead of asking you so many questions? Why can’t she be a mother to you the way she is to her son?

She points to the door. “While I figure out how to deal with things, you are to be confined to your room. Maids will bring you food and water.” She shakes her head.

“You… you’re locking me in there just because I fucked the wrong guy?” You drop all formal linguistics, offering less than lady-like words.

She sighs, shaking her head. “No. You need time to think of your priorities. What is important to you? You also seem to have a need to cool off. You have a role here. If you are not doing your part, then there is an issue. It’s the way you are speaking to me and about Telemachus. Take time to think about your actions. We will speak again later.” She dismisses you coldly.

The second you are back in your room, you grab the closest glass object, which happens to be a beautiful bowl, and toss it, watching it shatter as you try not to hyperventilate. You resort to venting through smashing and tossing things.

Eventually, you devolve into sobs and fall to your knees, rocking yourself.

The familiar, comforting scent of your goddess envelops your senses as she wraps her arms around you like a floating embrace. There, there, let it out.

You grab onto the hold and sob. 

It hurts… it hurts so much… your heart burns.

Why did this life need to be the one you live? You hold your knees to your chest sniffling… sobbing, then sniffling more. “It’s not fair… I didn’t do anything but fall in love…”

Sometimes, that is the biggest crime. Think of all the wars fought for love…

like the one Odysseus was fighting… you mentally note.

You eventually fall asleep… on the floor, but the goddess lifts you onto your bed and pats your head good night. Somebody has to keep you put together.

Chapter Text

Light reflects off the inner sanctum of the mess hall. More than five dozen suitors line the tables. Some try to string a bow, others laugh and mock those who fail. It’s chaotic and laughable. A woman steps into the hall, moving around the suitors. She ignores the eyes that land on her as she observes the area. She keeps her head low, hood drawn, apologizing for everyone she bumps into.

She reaches a table just as a man stands up, slamming his hand on the table, clearly irritated and annoyed. “Screw this competition…” He snarls, his eyes clouded in a mix of dampening emotions.

The woman stares at the man, her eyes widening. She tries pushing through the crowd of men, trying to warn him of something she shouldn’t know. Her hood slips, but she pulls it back down each time.

She reaches out but not nearly in time… the male reaches to his throat before his eyes widen and he reaches out towards the woman, whispering something.

The woman shrieks, using the commotion to drag the body from the open to a closed door.

As if she knows the hall… knows where to hide.

You snap awake sweat causing your hair to stick to your face. “What the…” again? Though this view was different, closer and less distorted. You lay back down, staring at the ceiling. You can’t figure out who it is… every time the face of the person who falls is blurred as if you’re seeing the picture through tear obscured eyes.

You curl up on your side and try to get back to sleep. Awake? You roll over onto your other side to stare at your goddess.

“Yes… though I’d like to go back to sleep.” You huff, blowing a strand of your hair from your face.

You’ve slept since high yesterday. It is now daybreak. She grabs your arms and tugs you off the bed. Come, we have a day to start.

You sigh, following without restraint. “I’m not… I can’t leave the room.” You mumble, shaking your head.

I can fill you in on the gossip of the heavens. Ares is busy with your lover. Seems he’s tossing one of those manly hissy-fits of his over this. The thought fills your stomach with warmth.

“Wait really? He’s… upset for me?” You twist the fabric of your chiton like a young girl talking about her first crush.

Oh yes, he beat up two guards before that other suitor came and warned him off and such. You two make such an adorable couple! She hums lounging on your bed. I imagine he’ll be causing a ruckus. Ares says his champion is on the edge of bloodshed if it means being able to claim you.

You don’t know if you like that idea, but the sentiment is there and you smile.

It’ll be okay… this won’t last too long.

Or so you thought.

A week went by and you were getting sick of the glares and scornful looks the maids gave you as they came and went with your food. If there were ever more than two, you caught words of scorn.

Spoiled brat

Ungrateful wrench

If I had that opportunity I’d sit back and do as told

Biting that hand that fed her.

Pity she’s so pretty. It’s wasted on her- that one usually ended in an “Accident”. Seems your wonderful goddess didn’t take kindly to people insinuating she gave a gift to the wrong mortal.

Scornful woman

With that suitor of all people too?

He’s such a brute, I don’t see it.

Tossing everything away just for some man who will probably toss her away.

Honest shame, pray the gods have mercy with her fate.

Day… after day… a week… two weeks… three… a month…

How much longer? She can’t possibly plan to keep you here until she has time to deal with things… that’s cruel. This is cruel. It has the opposite effect Penelope had intended. The distorted feeling you had been drowning in do not go away. You don’t deal with the feelings so they take root like weeds in a garden that had once been a sight of gentle beauty.

Envy and anger are a dangerous combination. The emotions wrap around your heart and refuse to let go, consuming every bit of light they can reach.

You start to neglect yourself. It displeases the goddess, but she understands heartbreak. Even she knew of it for a time… she weeps for you…

The days blur together… The first week or two felt like years, but these days you sit in the corner of your room, hair matted and face drained of its usual color. You hardly eat, hardly drink anything. You only drag yourself to bathe when the goddess forces you to move.

A couple of weeks into this mess, somebody kneels down to you. Her touch is soft but you lunge, pushing the woman down. She yelps, flinching back in fear, which causes you to relent. You go back to your spot.

“Um, I was told you’d fallen ill.” You glance at the young woman… she can’t be much older than you…

You don’t speak, turning your head away. She touches your forehead, and it does indeed feel warm. “Do you feel any pain anywhere?”

When you don’t respond, she just sits there staring.

You face her and narrow your eyes. If you die, you’ll really have to wait to see him, you know. You sigh, listening to the voice that has become your reason.

“Be quick.” You snap and the maid nods. She’s gentle and doesn’t say a single word about you.

“Do you know when you started feeling ill?” She hums, tilting her head.

Glaring, you shrug. “Weeks… how does one not fall into illness like this?”

“Well, it might help if you eat more.” She looks at the untouched tray this morning. “How long have you been neglecting food?”

“I can’t eat in the mornings because it makes me sick.” The maid nods.

“Have you tried asking for something different?” You can’t tell if she’s mocking you or not.

“Very funny.” You hiss, spitting at her.

“I don’t get what is funny about that. Even if you’re secluded to your room, you are still the princess. I doubt your mother would want you to starve. I heard your brother is worried about you as well… he asked about your condition the other day. It’s the only reason I am here. They are upset, but they don’t hate you.” She smiles.

However, what would have made you ecstatic to hear a month ago now has you narrowing your eyes and scoffing. “She is not my mother, and he is not my brother.” You snarl with your hands turned into fists.

“Princess… that’s not…” She frowns, but doesn’t press you for reasons. “Are you in any pain?”

You shake your head but pause. “I’ve had a few cramps… but I’m due for my bleed soon… I think.” You haven’t been paying much attention to that in the last month.

She nods, “would you mind if I palpate? Just um, press on your stomach a bit?” She tilts her head and you sigh uncurling.

“What did you say your name was?” You hum.

“Saiya… you can call me Saiya.” She smiles and you find solace in your first real interaction with another mortal in weeks.

“A pretty name…” You hum and she nods carefully, pressing on your stomach. You flinch a bit and she sits back.

“I don’t feel anything abnormal. When was the last time you um… I am sorry for such a forward question, but just to be sure… When was the last time you had intimacy?” She stares at you.

“I dunno… a month and a half ago? Like the last time he came inside… a week before, I was basically imprisoned.” You mumble and she presses again on your stomach.

“I am thinking the pain you feel is just hunger pains right now… since you haven’t been eating. I will ask the kitchen about meals for uneasy stomachs. For now, I suggest resting in bed instead of the floor and, just for an extra precaution, let me know if you miss your bleed princess.” She smiles and waves as she leaves.

You stare at her and smile. “Thank you…” You drag yourself to your bed and drop onto your back, staring at the ceiling.

You drift off and wake up to the smell of meat and… potato? You sit up to see Saiya setting down a tray and handing you a letter. “Antinous told me to deliver this… well, more or less threatened me, but I wouldn’t have said no.”

Your eyes sparkle a bit as you open the note and read it over. You flush and fold it back over. Gods, he’s filthy… suppose he’s pent up after so long without you… you miss him, too. You thought a letter was too romantic a notion for him, it seems you were correct. You mess around with the food… hesitantly you eat. You feel nauseous, but eventually you force the food down. You don’t end up throwing it all up so you’re thankful for that…

“What is the palace like right now?” You tilt your head.

“Well, your lover beat the prince. Everybody thought he’d kill him before Eurymachus stepped in and kept him from actually killing him. The prince is avoiding the suitors with a furious ambition now. He asks about your condition once or twice a week… the queen is still rejecting every advance. So not much has changed around the palace.” She smiles.

You nod and talk with her a bit.

~

Antinous hasn’t seen the prince since the day after they locked you away in your room and made it impossible for him to get in. It’s been a month and some since then. However, today must be his lucky day.

He heard about some maid with medical expertise being seen in your room… so now he’s got to know and the best way to get that information is the prince. “Look, the little wolf that sold out his only ally is here.” He sneers.

Telemachus freezes, taking a step away from the brute. “What do you want?”

“Is she ill? And I suggest you answer me, boy. I will bash your skull in and drop you as a gift to the old hag if you don’t.” Antinous stares at the small prince and the prince sighs.

“They say she’s fine. There… Now I’m walking away.” He turns, but Antinous pulls him close and punches his gut.

He leaves the prince in the hall, holding his gut and wiping blood off his lips. If this is to be your fate, his fate… then he will do whatever it takes to make the laws around this palace. He will become king and sit you on his lap while that hag is reduced to nothing but some formal piece that has to stay on the throne. He’ll get rid of Telemachus so you can sit beside him for your entire mortal life.

He’ll find a way to win over that woman… figure this out. To get back what belongs to him.

He slams his fist against the wall. How dare they take you from him? You belong to him… you’re his, completely his… and they dared to take you.

He sits in the mess hall with unmistakable cruelty in his expression. He boasts and laughs along with the other suitors… messes with the servants, usually to get information and plot, but sometimes just to see their looks of terror.

He was horrible before he met you… before he became obsessed to the point it’s impossible to live without you. But now? This is worse… he’s no longer patient, no longer willing to keep peace. He goes along with the ideas of his so-called partner in plotting just to see Telemachus become further appalled by his actions.

He’s practically flaunting the fact that this is the prince’s fault… because it is. If the whiny bitch could keep his mouth shut, you never would have gotten on the queen’s bad side…

He’d still be seeing you around instead of having to resort to the memory of you.

He… he might be worried that you are suffering alone… that you might be falling apart.

He snarls, entering his room and slamming the door. One way or another, he will have you.

Chapter Text

Screams echo down the halls muffled by the door that’s barricaded by a few boxes of random items, like torches, candles, and other random things. A pool of blood seeps below the door as heavy footsteps sound outside and pause.

The woman muffles her sobs, holding her breath while her hand presses against a wound on a male’s throat. Her fingers press in, prayers slamming every corner of her mind. She leans over the body, tears dripping past her cheeks. 

He’s gone… the woman knows this… she knows that the arrow hit with pinpoint accuracy and left behind no chance of survival. No mortal power could bring back this man’s life. 

The woman collapses, sobbing with her head on the man’s stilled chest. The embrace of a goddess wraps around her in the cold air. Love is truly undoing… the woman grits her teeth as her goddess drifts towards the boxes, her hand trailing over them.

The woman grabs the man’s dagger… there are option passing by her eyes. She glances at the barricaded door, then to the blade. She flips it towards her stomach, then away, trying to decide between two choices… two possibilities.

The crates crumble away from the door before the woman can decide what she is going to do in her despair. Alone and suffering for months, she’d finally managed to find a way out… only to step into bloodshed and lose the only one she had left. Her loss reflects in her eyes.

The new arrival does not get a moment to assess his surroundings. The woman pounces, shouting something, but before that dagger can even knick him, an arrow flies past the young man and straight through her hand. She screams, stepping back and holding her hand as blood drips down her arm.

It’s then that her mind is made up… something extinguishes any hope left in her eyes… any thought that a hand may be outreached to her… to pull her from the freezing lake she’s drowning in. It’s imposable to tell what goes through her head as she snatches a knife from beneath her clothes.

The young man in front of her seems to appear as if he pleading with her… he lowers his weapon trying to reach her, but the woman looks to the dead man on the floor, then past the young male to the one in the shadows. She hears the shuffle, then sees the glint of the metal arrowhead as a torch’s light catches it. She steps forward and swings towards the new arrival, unaware of her own tears.

The woman falls to her knees, blood seeping from her chest. She makes a noise between an angry hiss and pained cry as she sways and collapses.

The new arrival holds the woman, his eyes watering a muffled plea leaving his lips alongside cries of what must be apologies… hundreds of muffled cries of “I’m so sorry… so sorry…”

The woman only sinks into the feeling of death. But she refuses to part with the man holding her on a note that isn’t going to scar him. With blood dripping down her lips and her voice croaking, she curses him. She narrows her eyes before they get too tired and drift shut.

Death is not pretty… it is painful and terrifying…

For in his mind he could only see the woman, years younger, spinning in the garden, her hands outstretched to him in a light smile prettier than any other mortal. He could only see that smile faltering over the years as that light began to die without him noticing…. until his vision went red and the woman looked at him with scorn.

The woman turns her back to him, slowly stepping into a lake of blood until the dead man wraps his arms around her possessively. The woman turns back to him and glares before the image distorts, blood seeping from her lips as she falls back.

Hands drag his mind from the images and he startles, pushing away before he sees, for a second time, a recognizable face.

This old man wraps his arms around him, sitting down with his bow. He’s silent but his eyes look at the woman, vague recognition in his eyes and there a shred of pain reflected in his eyes… However, his heart does not break for her the way the young man’s heart is shattering…

Telemachus sits up in bed, turning to the side as he heaves his dinner. He’s been keeping a pale by his bed every night for the last month ever since these dreams started happening. He stands up, clutching his chest.

He wipes his mouth, leaning against a wall… Visions of carnage he can’t seem to ever recall clearly haunt him asleep and images of his sister tear him apart in the day. Guilt eats him alive.

He didn’t think she’d be that mad. Sure his mother could become furious but locking her in her room alone? Telling him he needs to give her time, that he should stay away… she only just got the ability to roam freely again and now she can’t even have a visitor or leave to visit anybody.

He was upset, but he’s gotten over the betrayal… sort of… he hates it, but he’ll be the first to admit Antinous wasn’t as much of a jerk prior to this situation. He picks up a wooden sword and makes a few slashes in the air. Maybe he shouldn’t have reacted how he did. He just doesn’t get it… In every memory he has of her, she’s smiling full of a bright undying light… 

But now… if he closes his eyes, he struggles to picture her without the signs of exhaustion on her face. He struggles to see her with glittering eyes. Instead, they look dull. Her voice had been light and gentle, but now he hears scorn and sees her lips turned in a snarl. 

But then he sees her on her knees looking up at him like he’d just stabbed her… eyes glossy and lips parted as she mumbles… she’s right he didn’t mean what he said… he didn’t mean any of what he said in that moment. He’d just lost to his emotions… he didn’t know what to do, so he ran to his mother.

Her words ring in head worse than when the suitors mock him for always running to his mother. He’d expected her to enter glaring, but behind the fire in her eyes, she looked ready to break down. He’s never seen his sister cry. 

When he was seven, she held back some thug, and he went to the palace to get help. She came home while he was curled on his mother’s lap, shaking and sobbing. He’d looked her over, her shaking body, the trembling lip, but she didn’t cry. She was bruised and bloody but without puffy eyes or smears on her cheeks. She looked at him and smiled, giving him a thumbs up. 

He remembers being kept away from her for a week, told she was ill. Now he wonders if that’s really what happened. 

When she took his mother gifts, were the two of them really just catching up, talking about little things, getting to know each other or was there more to it? 

He pauses, lowering his sword from a strike at his imaginary opponent. 

His grip tightens on the wood, and he tosses it aside. With determination, he decides to go and talk to her. He takes a deep breath, mentally preparing for whatever you will toss at him, words or object wise. 

Are you sure that’s a good idea? Aphrodite and her are currently busy dealing with a… matter… I am also positive that Ares will send his champion through those doors. It is the first time he’s heard Athena sound unsure… sound… conflicted. They’ve been friends for a while ever since he got his first hit in on that bully. They talk about more than just battle things. He likes to ask about the friend she says he reminds her off… and she is usually vague, but then he tells her all he can about the people he’s meeting and the adventures he’ll go on once he’s strong like his father. She smiles and laughs at that, looking at him almost fondly, if he dares to say that. Though… Ares might not let his champion know what is going on in that room right now… despite his carnal and blasphemous outlook on battle, he has a heart.

“That makes me want to go more!” the young prince deadpans at the goddess who sighs 

I will follow you through… he will need moral support.

The boy prince ducks around the halls avoiding everybody he can… he tries to keep anybody from seeing him enter her hall. He’s stopped by the guards. When they do not let him in, he follows instructions from Athena and ducks around them. He turns back, shouting sorry. Reaching the room, he pauses.

But he hears the screaming… the breaking of glass… the sobs and he finds his resolve… He opens the doors and freezes.

There his sister is on her hands and knees, hair stringy and falling in a mess over her face… her eyes red and face streaked with tears… but that’s not the only thing that crushes his chest. Blood… maids’ rustling sheets coated in it. And his sister is covered in it, it runs down her legs… the images from his nightmares flicker in front of his eyes… he doesn’t know why… it must be because he’s exhausted and he’s never seen you so… un-put together.

A chill runs down his spine and he turns around…

He takes hesitant steps back… there are no words to describe the looming woman before him… if looks could kill, then he would be dead a thousand times over. Aphrodite… for all the years his sister has worked alongside the goddess, she’s never shown herself to him. He swallows, then the goddess speaks.

I should turn you into a pig… you rotten little mortal bug. She doesn’t want you here. Your very appearance makes this harder. You best count your luck, for when my lover hears about this, you will need to outrun the wolf. Her voice cuts the air like the thorns of a rose, beautiful but painful and sharp. 

He turns towards his sister who still hasn’t noticed him in her sobs… “I… I…”

Stop terrorizing him Aphrodite. It’s not his fault she refused to take care of herself. Let him approach her. There’s a threat in Athena’s voice, her hand reaching for her weapon…

The goddess of love scoffs. You are lucky Ares is keeping his champion busy, otherwise that would not go without checking Athena.

Telemachus slowly backs up away from the bickering goddesses… Deity family problems are not something he wants to get involved in since he has his own to mend. He glances at the servant who’d been keeping him updated on his sister’s health. She’s got a cut along her cheek and there’s a bruise forming on her cheek in the shape of a hand. “What… happened…” His sister’s head is still down to her knees, her weeping too loud for her to hear his whisper.

The maid jumps, her eyes lowering to the mess of bloody rags and towels. “She… I missed all the signs… if I had realized it, maybe I could have gotten her to good health and she wouldn’t have lost…” the maid chokes up… “Three weeks ago she said she’d been unable to keep food down… but she was sure her bleeding wasn’t late… I…. I Still should have…”

Telemachus spins to face his sister, his eyes wide with horror… oh by the gods… that is why the goddess his sister is sworn to is so ticked off… He steps closer, narrowly missing a pillow chucked at his head. “Y/n…” He reaches out, but she slaps away his hand.

She looks up and the moment she realizes who he is, she lunges, her weight tossed completely on him. Her hands curl around his throat as she glares. “Princess!” The maid yelps, approaching the scene, but backs away at the woman’s sharp glare. 

Telemachus winces, grabbing onto his sister’s arms. “You… you have some nerve coming here, prince. Come to rub in my face how much… How much more luck you have? How easy the sticks are drawn for you?” She hisses through her teeth, tightening her hands on his neck.

Telemachus shakes his head, or tries to. His hands grip her wrists… when he realizes he can’t pry them off, he drops his hands… he stares at her sniffling… takes in the grief and cloud of emotions behind her eyes. He hesitates, but reaches up to cup her cheek and looks at her with a tender expression. She’s his sister…

“Stop it! Don’t look at me with pity.” She shakes her head violently, her hair whipping side to side.

Her hold on his throat loosens, faltering before she gets her hold and squeezes again. Telemachus mouths, I kinda deserve this… sorry. He holds his sister’s cheek with his hand, his thumb running to clear away the tears. 

A sob leaves her lips, and she leans back, scrambling away from him, her hands knotting in her hair as she tugs, starting to hyperventilate. “I… get out… just get out! You… fuck… I just… I was going to… damn it… get out… go away…”

What… the… what in Tartarus? He grabs her hands in his and shakes his head. “Look at me… breath… sis… breathe.”

She pauses, her eyes widening as she starts sobbing again. Thinking he did something wrong, Telemachus panics and pats her back.

Something changes with this moment… something that could have been, changes… a path shutting its gate for a new one.

He wraps his arms around her… for the first time; he is the one who comforts her… who becomes the unshakable boulder.

She fights the embrace for a moment before she drops, grabbing onto him like he’s her life’s anchor. She buries her face in his shoulder and sobs.

“I’m sorry…. I… I didn’t know… I….” Funny… she’d said those exact same words in a similar way. “I didn’t mean… I…” Telemachus tries to find words, but they stutter and fumble.

He lets her sob… grieving a life she never got to know… 

He jolts when her hands hit against his chest… her fists hit weaker than a child as she struggles to put force behind them… she’s exhausted… but she finally croaks words. “I hate…. I hate you… I fucking hate you…“ She glares at him and Telemachus looks away. “Look at me, you ass!” She hisses, and he snaps his eyes back to her. “I hate that you get everything… I’d take the beatings… the fights… the filthy words they hiss if it meant I’d get a mother… a family… She can care all she wants but I’ve never been as important or within the same tier as you. I’m not her blood… I’m just some maids child who was supposed to help keep you company and be there for you with your father gone… she’s never looked at me like a real daughter… all the privileges and wealth do nothing… my mother didn’t want me… my father mistakenly impregnated my mother and ran off the map… I had nobody but Antinous!” 

He takes every slam of her hand against his chest. 

“I was crying out for help for years and nobody noticed it… I don’t care how wrong his love is… I enjoy the possession because it means he at least wants me… he…” Her voice shatters with her words as she hiccups. “I could have had… if this hadn’t happened… if I had continued my days as they were I could have had…” Her hands fall from his chest to wrap around her stomach and she begins her uncontrollable sobbing again.

“I’ll talk to-” but he’s cut off before he can finish.

“No…. don’t you dare. I am so tired of this… I’m tired… I want Antinous… I want to give them a name… I…” She starts trying to wipe tears, but she smears blood on her face. Telemachus takes a fresh cloth and wipes her face for her.

“I was going to say I’ll talk to Antinous…” He watches the sobs pause, confusion twisting in alongside the grief. “I can see if I can… get him in here. Then I’ll go to our mother. She’s livid, but I don’t think she’ll stay livid. She’ll find out about this whether I’m the one to tell her or not… and she might… she might fret over you if I’m the one worried.” he backs away.

“You said I wasn’t your sister…” She sniffles, holding her hand out for him to clean off.

Telemachus wipes the blood off her fingers, the maid bringing over the bucket of water. “I shouldn’t have said that. I was wrong… I know this is my fault, all of this… that I can’t fix it… that you won’t forgive me… you were right when you said I can’t do anything on my own… I’m sorry… I can say it over and over and still be sorry.” He focuses on cleaning your hands.

“Why did you… what brought you here?” She mumbles.

“I don’t know… Athena warned against it but… I just… I dunno. A feeling maybe… I have a guilty conscience…” He answers as honestly as he can. “I… I want to try to understand why…”

She almost pulls back with a glare. He sees her muscles twitch and her eyes narrow before she relaxes. “Is because I love him, just not enough?”

The prince wrings the cloth out, shrugging. “It should be… I know it should be, but it’s Antinous. He’s called you a whore…”

“Which… I allow it. I also call him a whore.” Telemachus snorts, raising a brow.

“And he hasn’t killed you over that?” She seems to stop crying and snickers lightly.

Shaking her head, she looks towards the door. “Oh, quite the opposite… He’s very easy to undo. He actually whimpers-”

“Nope, nope please do not… I do not need to know what my sister is up to behind a closed door… I walked in on that once. I do not need a reminder of what… that looks like.” He cringes, shaking his head.

His sister rolls her eyes, flicking him on the forehead. “Virgin.” she hums, shrugging her shoulders.

“I…. you’re so mean…” Telemachus huffs then shakes his head. “Still… even with that information, I can’t… It’s hard. He’s broken my ribs before… quite recently nearly killed me… he’s called mother a bitch, and old woman, he’s not innocent of the suitor’s activities…”

“Telemachus… I don’t know. If I had met him with a full certainty of who he was… if we had met face to face without the games, the taunts and teasing… before the first night… before the second time… before I got a taste and became addicted then maybe yeah I’d be repulsed… but I’m not. I’ve seen parts of him… heard his stories… I know things nobody else does. I need him as much as he needs me. I’m a bit more sane about it, but I feel incomplete without him. He’s the Ares to my Aphrodite… The beast to my beauty. I tried to keep it a fling… and trust me, I felt guilty every moment I was around you… lying to you. But maybe…. Maybe I just want something to myself that nobody else can have… that I don’t have to share or give up to you or for some other reason.” She mumbles.

“Is… is that really how you feel? Like I’ve prevented you from having anything?” He sounds hurt, but she doesn’t look at him with pity or try to fix her words.

“Do you remember when I used to sneak you out of the palace because you wanted to see your homeland?” He nods, waiting for her to go on. “That day, the one that put an end to it… I was hurt… I knew it was a bad idea to tell you to run with no idea if I’d be okay on my own. I wanted to take you and run, but there was a risk to that, if we got caught and you were hurt… I didn’t want you to get hurt, so I stayed behind while you fled home. I was fourteen and nearly raped. If some good-hearted man hadn’t killed the thug, I likely wouldn’t have come home. Your mother scolded me… I needed her, and all she could focus on was her little boy.” His heart tightens hearing her recollection. “I’ve been crying out for years… Sure, she’s comforted me… let me hug her, but only ever after making sure you are okay and never when I truly needed it.”

He jumps at her, tossing his arms around her, nearly spilling the water. “From now on I’m going to be the best brother you could ask for… just… please get him to stop beating the shit out of me… I… I’d kinda appreciate that? Other than that I won’t ask you for anything else… I’ll be here every day to drop off get well presents… you should be laying down right now! First a bath… you need a bath… like really need a bath. You could get an infection and…”

“Not yet… I don’t… it’s their blood… my… they’ll really be gone if I do that…” She cuts him off and he pauses… Carefully, he takes her hand, clasping it in his. 

“I’ll make sure something is made… a cut piece of cloth in a frame… You can hold a funeral… after you talk to Antinous… I…. please let me be here for you. You’re my sister. You’ve been with me every day… I leaned on you while I was growing up… now it’s your turn. You shouldn’t have had to look out for me… But I’m going to become as strong as dad so I can protect you! Then you won’t need to hold back tears because you won’t have to cry! I’ll be a great king one day… just like father. I promise, no, I swear on Athena’s grace that I will become somebody you can smile at again! So… let’s get you cleaned up, okay sis? Then, I’ll go inform mom about what happened… and… and I’ll even stand up for you. You deserve to be happy. You’re my sister and I’m your brother. We have to stick together.”

His sister’s eyes glimmer and she chuckles, rolling her eyes at his ramble… it’s like a hand finally reached into the icy waters and grabbed onto her. He’s trying to pull her out… to keep her from drowning in the cold alone.

The goddesses lean against the door, owl and dove side by side. He just changed the outcome of your favorite life… Athena glances at the other goddess, who looks down at the two mortals with fondness.

Suppose he’s not all that bad. Opening a new path in life like that, delaying the cutting of her life… she’ll never lose the thorns, but no rose can be without them… and I do find thorns to be rather pretty on a rose. Aphrodite smiles and sighs. Thank you… I guess.

Let us agree not to talk about the other sibling to our friend. Athena mutters.

She is not my friend! Aphrodite flushes, crossing her arms.

You treat her like a daughter… and Ares is fond of her, too. A mortal woman born of a mortal maid and a mortal man and you spoil her with your divine affection… if not a friend, then she is basically your child. Athena elbows the other goddess playfully.

The goddess huffs looking away from Athena and onto the princess who’s lifted into the arms of her brother. Her gaze softens as she watches the surprised yelp and then the laugh falling off her lips… there is nothing as undone as a daughter… I do not think Zeus would be too happy that I have grown so attached to a mortal… no more pleased than he already is with me and Ares making our relationship very obvious.

Probably not, but we all have our favorite mortals… you haven’t done anything that breaks any rules or goes beyond what we are allowed to do. Athena pats the goddess on the shoulder. Plus, let’s be honest, he’s too busy amusing himself with Odysseus’ journey to concern himself with our business… not that he’s ever been attentive to what we do. She smiles.

Ha, you got that right. I am off to see my lover now. I have much to catch him up on… he’ll certainly be upset that there will be no bloodshed, but eventually he’ll get what he’s after. She waves to the other goddess before disappearing.

Athena stays to watch the two. Telemachus reminds her so much of his father. But right now she sees herself and Ares in the two siblings… it’s sweet that they made up… that there is no longer hostility and tension between the two of them. 

There is no longer the chance of betrayal from the princess to the prince. She no longer scenes envy… or if she does, it is negligible. It’s impressive how the young prince’s words were able to smooth over the growing talons of a beast waiting to pounce. 

The princess had been a looming threat… She would have broken her friend, but… she no longer thinks that is their future… 

Good… perhaps there might be a happy ending to this story after all.

Chapter Text

Telemachus has been setting himself up all day for this… well since everything happened… he just… he’s never gone to his mother about something like this… 

He steps inside the room, and stares at his mother weaving. “Mom…”

“Your voice is hoarse… are you okay, dear?” Her attention immediately snaps towards her son.

“I… wanted to be the first to…” He fidgets, trying to figure out how to make it very clear that he’s feeling guilty, and upset, and frustrated. “My sister.” He makes sure to call you his sister. He makes sure it is clear and forward. “I… I’m worried about my sister.” He spits the words out. Does she really have favorites? His mother? Sure he’s heard about the maids situation but… but there was a reason for that… she feels horrible it happens… but she wouldn’t let her daughter be in so much just to serve a purpose, right? Right?

“Did you hear something from a maid?” She pauses, careful with her approach. She has yet to forgive the woman for biting at the fingers that picked her up from a fate far worse than death. 

Telemachus nods. “I went to see her.”

“You…” Penelope stares at her son, the determination in his eyes. “So you did.” She stands from her loom to walk towards the window. “So then… how is she?”

“Miserable.” Telemachus stares at the floor. 

“Is she… How so?” There is concern in her voice, but it quickly dissipates. She hurt her son, made her son cry… the woman went behind her back and messed with the man who caused her boy so much pain. She doesn’t care that he’s also wronged her, just that her child was hurt over and over by this suitor.

Telemachus fidgets… “She… um she was… um well, she was… pregnant.” He stumbles.

“Was?” Penelope stares at her son, looking for further explanation. 

“She wasn’t eating enough… her personal maid, the one I kept asking for updates from, says it’s likely from the stress, malnutrition but she’s not sure that even if she was in perfect condition, she would have carried to term… whatever that means- mom!” He grabs her arms before her knees can buckle beneath her.

“Is she okay? Is y/n okay?” That can kill… miscarriages can kill… not to mention the mental distress that could cause. To lose a child, she could never imagine the pain.

“We talked… she’s, well, not okay but… hanging in there.” he leaves out the bit where you choked him. She doesn’t need to know about that. “I mean, she’s physically fine… weak, but I was told she’ll be able to get out of bed in a few days. They said somebody would come talk to you later, but I wanted to be the one to tell you.” because he shouldn’t have gone to her about Antinous and his sister in the first place.

It wasn’t like she was plotting murder or a coup… she was just in love and spending time with the man she loves… she wasn’t disregarding his pain… she was working around it, aware of the pain but utterly in love and unable to leave Antinous. 

“I… I think we should give them a chance.” Telemachus blurts out the words.

Penelope stares before she sighs. “If that is what you want.” She never can say no to him… it’s hard not to give in. Her son is all she has of her husband right now. 

“Also… I think you should talk to her… You’re my mom but… she’s my sister and… and I… I don’t like seeing her sad. Family dinner in your room?” Is he asking or demanding it? He can’t really tell.

“You reminded me a lot of your father right there.” She smiles and nods. “We can have dinner as a family when she is cleared of bedrest… if you would like.”

Telemachus nods… great… That’s done now for him to risk his neck!

Yay…

The suitors halls are a buzz of loud shouts and play fighting. He’s almost relieved not to see Antinous amongst the others. It’s pretty late in the day, so he might be in the room that he took over. He drags his feet, puffing up his chest and practicing confidence so he doesn’t flinch back. He knocks on the man’s door. 

He doesn’t even get to announce himself before he gets whacked in the face by the door slamming open. “I said I was…. Oh? The prince?” Antinous starts out sounding like he’s about to murder somebody but ends with a mocking sound to his voice, that does still sound like he’ll murder someone. “I thought you were hiding your tail tucked in your legs.” the taller male leans against the doorframe.

“I… look, I’m taking this fast, okay? I don’t want to fight. My sister… I told her I would get you to her… just this once and… for doing this, you have to stay away from my mother and me.” He swallows, trying his best at a glare.

The suitor raises a brow. “I’d punch you, but it seems you got quite the nasty beat down already. Those my Little Foxe’s hands on your throat? She choke you out?” He’s upset he missed that. To see the princess so livid… to see you lose it at the prince none-the-less… he licks his lips.

“Shut up… we have a deal?” Telemachus hisses through his teeth.

“You’d be more intimidating if you weren’t shaking in your boots, little wolf.” Antinous sneers, but makes a move to follow the prince.

It’s silent the entire way, which is unlike Antinous, but Telemachus is thankful for it… thankful his mouth is shut, that he’s keeping his hands to himself.

It’s a bit of a struggle to get him close to your hall, but when they are past the guards, Telemachus pauses. “If… you make her cry, I’ll stab you.”

“Ha, is that a threat, little wolf?” Antinous holds his head high. “You can hardly land a punch. What makes you think you’d have a single chance of landing a hit like that? You’re lucky I haven’t killed you.”

“Shut up… you’re a brute… a horrible person… you don’t deserve my sister. You… She might be asleep when we go inside. If she is, let her rest… you can sit there all you want… I… whatever underhanded methods you used to get this far with my sister won’t last. I’m… I’m warning you. If you dismiss her feelings… or take out whatever anger issues and messed up shit about you there is on her, I will make sure you hurt.” It takes a lot… and he means a lot of courage to speak like this to Antinous.

“The little wolf grew a spine.” Antinous spits, stepping into the room. 

You don’t look up busy talking to the maid he’s been giving his poor attempts at communicating with… he’s too proud to admit that he had to rewrite them over and over so they would be legible… he doubts any of the spelling is right either but it’s the thought right? Ares is a bloodthirsty warrior and if a god of war can have a soft spot for his lover, then so can he.

“Oh, but this one means to be loved… oh, but this one is neutral… I do like that one, though.” Saiya points to a bunch of tiny strips of paper on the bed.

“Hm, but what about this one… it means warrior…” You blink away another tear and groan, face planting into a pillow.

“Uh-uh, what did we say about holding in the tears?” The maid huffs, pulling away the pillow. “I’m sure Telemachus will be here soon to lend his shoulder again.”

At the mention of his name, the prince clears his throat. “I brought-”

And cue the hysterics. Telemachus flinches… However to his surprise Antinous doesn’t turn to ask him what he did to make you cry… he’s instead racing to you… reaching to pick you up before the maid shakes her head. “Why are you… you don’t cry… so why are you… what happened… Little fox…”

“Please don’t get mad…” He swallows… tough ask… a really hard ask. He has a bad temper… a very poor temper. He nods though… he can try. “I was pregnant. Like very much pregnant. The mood swings, the irritability. We think I was at least two months in, possibly closer to three.” 

Was… the word haunts him. He’s on his knees by your bed in a split second. Fuck… “You… were pregnant… were?” As the tears get worse, he grabs your hand and pulls you to him. “Was it lost because of this?” He grits his teeth.

“It’s a possibility, but after examination the common thought is that I would have lost the child even if I had been the healthiest I’d been in all my life. I… already choked him out. Don’t… Please don’t hit him.” You put a hand on your lover’s cheek and she sighs.

“Just one smack…” You playfully smack him on the head for suggesting it.

“You beat him to the brink of death already.” He raises a brow. You knew about that?

He sighs, laying his head on your lap. You play with his hair “gods, I fucking missed you.” He grumbles.

“Oh trust me, I could tell… by the way, I am going to teach you how to write at some point. Barbaric much?” Antinous rolls his eyes.

“Watch it, little fox. I’m keeping myself down because of what happened… but I still have a very short fuse.” He snarls, jesting you more than threatening.

You hum spinning curls around your fingers. “I love you…” you smile.

“Fuck, don’t get all sappy on me hun… it’s weird.” he doesn’t say the words but you can hear it in his voice, see it in the reflection of his eyes. 

Telemachus is trying to figure out if this is actually Antinous… like… this isn’t a twin or doppelganger, right? He’s just… Antinous… not… well, being a complete ass? Also, he was writing to you? When and how? What the fuck?

“Keep staring and I’ll poke out your eyes kid.” Yeah nevermind, still an ass just not to you… it really is a beauty tamed the beast situation…

He snorts when you whack Antinous hard over the head. “No, you won’t. If you want that dick in one piece, you’ll start leaving him alone here on out. Okay?”

Antinous grumbles and then scoffs. “Like you’d be able to bring yourself to do such a thing…” he rolls his eyes.

You grab a fist full of his hair and pull him up to your eyes. “Antinous.” you glare.

“Fucking witch… fine… so long as he doesn’t tick me off. Fair enough?” He snaps and you let go of his hair. He turns back to the prince and flips him off. He turns back to you and stands so he can sit on the bed. He pecks your lips and then caresses your cheek with his thumb. “I’m guessing the hag is still ticked off?”

Telemachus narrows his eyes. “Don’t call her that… and no, my mother… well, maybe still a little upset, but we can have a family dinner as soon as my sister is out of bed and ready.” 

It’s been a while since you had a family dinner… it will be awkward but.. It will have to do. You certainly spoke out of line… even if you hadn’t meant to, you overstepped and said things that shouldn’t have left your mouth. She’s still a queen. “Sounds, uh, fun,” you huff, leaning your head on Antinous’ shoulder. He sighs but doesn’t push you away even if he hates displays of affection in public places where others are watching.

“I’m sorry, it was all I could think of at the time.” he rubs the back of his neck.

“It’s fine Telemachus… really, it’s fine. It might be good, no I know it will be a good thing for us. Plus, with you there, it won’t be so awkward. Maybe I can sort things out with her and she’ll listen.” You smile and Telemachus nods.

“I’m… gonna leave and let you two… catch up. I… I’m still getting used to the idea…” Telemachus fidgets a little. You nod and wave…

You spend all day going over ways to honor the child you lost… you fall asleep in his arms and, for the first time in ages, you feel comforted enough to rest deeply. You really did miss him.

Chapter Text

Days passed smoothly, each day getting easier. If it wasn’t your lover, then it was your brother in your room. You’re not sure why they didn’t leave you alone, but it was nice having company. You could sleep more comfortably, be less bored, and cry if needed.

Eventually, strength returned to your body… things began to return to normal. You didn’t feel as messed up, but that’s not to say you were fine. You lost a part of you. It’s a scar you’ll never lose, never fully heal from. You know you could have another, but you want them… the one you lost.

You sigh, standing on your feet and staring in the mirror you put your hand on your stomach… a part of yourself blames you… blames the hysterics, the intense reactions to stilly things. You apologized to Say for your outburst the day it happened, and she went on a ten-minute ramble about how you did not need to apologize.

She’s so sweet… “What are you thinking about, M’lady?” speaking of the maid… you smile and shrug as she sets a folded blanket on the table.

“Oh, nothing really. Just about how it’s been such an insane few months. It feels like things have lasted ages, but it’s not even been half a year.” You drop your hand to your side as you pick up a needle and thread. You’ve been working on a little something for Antinous. A handkerchief… Not just one of your embroidery, but one you’ve strewn together from the first thread so that you may show your devotion.

It keeps you busy when neither of them is in the room. “Suppose time is passing by quickly. I assume that is because you are in love.” The maid smiles, grabbing her broom and dusting off the dirt from the floor.

You nod and smile before you look at the ceiling. “I guess that’s it… It’s so odd to be saying it in the open… weirder to know that I’m the one in love, that somebody is in love with me. I just didn’t see it coming.”

The maid hums as she listens to you ramble. Her eyes are locked on what you’re doing. “Will you give it to him when you finish?”

“I dunno… if I am satisfied, then maybe. I messed up that last four of them, though. They just haven’t felt like they speak him.” You’ve grown close to Saiya in the weeks you’ve known her kindness. She’s gentle, kind, and understanding. 

“You are being too picky. I am sure the suitor will adore anything that you give him.” She walks closer to inspect the thread you pull through, trying to embroider the outline of a wolf with a scar.

You shake your head. “It needs to be perfect… a thank you of sorts, I guess. I mean, this is Antinous… Antinous, known for being an absolute brute, for his anger, and his impatience… being patient while I heal. He comes in and just talks to me. He checks on me, waits for me. Antinous… the wolf that hunted me down is just… I don’t know… he’s being the opposite of what he is to others. Well, if we ignore the snide comments he makes when my brother and him cross paths as one enters and the other leaves.” You snicker, rolling your eyes.

Saiya nods, pulling over a chair to watch you work, staying in case you need something. 

After a few moments, you swallow and glance at your friend. “Has… there been any word from the queen?” mother… but something keeps you from calling her that.

Saiya shakes her head and reaches to pat your shoulder with a smile. “I am sure that you will have what you need from her at some point! You shouldn’t worry so much about when or if she’ll say something. You have your brother and Antinous.”

“I still want to go outside,” you mumble, deflating in your seat. 

The door opens a few breaths later and you turn to see your brother with a smile on his face. “Sis! Sis! I have good news! Like really, really good news! Like the most amazing and spectacular news ever! Well, maybe not ever that news would probably be like dad coming home… which this is uh not…. So the second most amazing news ever!”

“Well, someone’s ecstatic.” You chuckle, smiling at him. “Alright, what news do you bring?”

“I heard you were physically okay to start moving around. So I asked mom about that dinner and she said we could have dinner together tonight!” He holds his hands in front of him, looking like a young child on their birthday or at any festival… full of hope and excitement.

You pause and fidget with the needle between your fingers. It’s something, though it’s Telemachus who has set it up rather than Penelope, so it’s not exactly something you want to be doing. However, you know you might have to be the bigger person here, not her. Which is as shameful as it is painful. She won’t reach out to you, will she? Even though she should… as your mother. She never sent you any condolences… it’s safe to say she’s not going to be making a reach for you anytime soon.

This is the chance you need, but do you really need it? I wouldn’t take her request just to spite her…. But your brother looks all too happy about it, for you not to.

You snap your gaze to the goddess and sigh. “Okay… sure tonight, then. Dinner with the family… it’s been a bit.” You nervously mumble as you set down your projects and walk to your closet to find clothes to be presentable in. 

Telemachus smiles, giving you a thumbs-up. “Yes! Okay, I’ll be back around dinnertime then. I will make sure there is plenty of wine too! Thank you! I’m so excited about tonight!” He exits the room to give you time to get ready.

You groan, grabbing a Chiton and lightly tossing it to Saiya. The maid chuckles, shaking her head. “What a twist. Just when you were asking about the queen.”

“It’s not like it’s her who wishes to see me. It is a Telemachus who wishes to be near. Telemachus wants us to be on good terms. He is my brother and her son. Penelope would do anything to keep him happy, even if it means she has to look past me. She hasn’t sent for me once, Saiya.” You huff as she helps you dress. 

“I’m sure she is simply waiting for you first. She is the queen. There has to be some sort of etiquette for this sort of situation.” She offers you condolence in ways she can, trying her best to comfort you. You end up sighing and shaking your head.

“Enough of that… I had one of the weird dreams again. It’s been ages since the last time I had one… it was weird though. You know how I saw the man reach for something last time? This time was different… like his snack was to my view. He was talking to a group of men like last time, but not as loud or aggressive? He looked smaller, too. Aphrodite won’t answer anything about this either. She just gets all dodgy about the subject like she has no idea what I could be talking about.” You huff and walk to the vanity sitting down. 

She starts to brush through your hair as she considers your words. “Well, it could be something different this time? Maybe something changed? You’re in a much more comfortable spot with Antinous now, happily officially correct?” She tilts her head as she works out a few tangles.

You debate her words, then hum instead of nod. “I guess that’s true. There’s been a lot of stress, but things seem to be much more stable and less hide and seek. Besides the other suitors, I feel like things seem normal. Telemachus are happy, without bruises, well minor ones but they aren’t from Antinous… There are some things that are still dumpster fires but I’m content as of right now.”

Saiya braids your hair as she listens to you try to work out your dream, so it makes sense. 

By the time you are done getting ready, Telemachus returns. He grabs your hand and, without a second to ask if you are ready, starts pulling you behind him.

You smile and shake your head, snickering. IT’s like when you were kids, and he had something he just had to show you.

He pulls you along and you look back to wave at Saiya, who smiles waving you off, well more like shooing you away. You giggle, rolling your eyes.

Her doors are imposing. You falter when Telemachus knocks and calls out to his mother. She opens her door but never once meets your eyes. She doesn’t seem to spare you a glance. Telemachus pulls you to a seat at a table and you sit down staring at the plate.

It’s silent… awkward.

Telemachus seems to understand neither of you is willing to speak before the other acknowledges whatever the other did wrong. He clears his throat. “So, how was your day, mom?”

“It was alright.” She is just as stiff as if not stiffer than you are.

“Um… what about you, sis?” He’s trying so hard it makes your heart hurt.

“I spent the day trying my fourth attempt at embroidering something for Antinous.” You swallow thickly as you mention him.

Telemachus glances at his mother as do you. She looks up from her plate to the pair of siblings staring her down. She swallows her bite and sighs. “I see, and what design would it be that you are struggling with?”

Her response is forced… bitter even. “A wolf with a scar on its eye. It’s harder than I thought it would be. I can’t seem to get the right feeling in it.” You play with your food.

“How fitting for him.” She takes another bite, her movements still elegant despite the tension tying knots in the air.

Telemachus scratches his plate with his fork and then acts as if it’s an accident. It’s a good move, because had you needed to respond, you are sure you would have snapped something at her for insulting him. You know she does not mean it in a sweet or neutral way. “Did I tell you that Antinous has been keeping to himself when he’s not fist fighting the other suitors?” 

“He’s what now?” You stare at him out partying a bit. Antinous has made no word of fighting other suitors. “Like actual fights?” Telemachus nods and you grow rubbing your temples. “Over what?”

“Apparently he had to ‘make his claim clearer because the others can’t seem to keep his vixen out of their mouths.’ or something like that.” Telemachus shrugs side glancing at his mother.

“Sounds like something he’d do...” How oddly sweet of him, though. He’s being all protective, well guess that’s more possessive, but same thing, right? They are basically equivalent when it comes to the wolf.

Penelope does not comment on the matter as she takes a sip of her wine. You follow, but take several. You grit your teeth as you stare at your plate. “Telemachus and I fixed things… why are you still…” you mumble.

She does not answer you as she sets her chalice down. The room falls silent again.

Just as Telemachus was going to try to break the silence, Penelope stares at you. “You know what you did.”

“No, no, I don’t. I don’t understand why you are still upset. I fixed things with Telemachus. I’ve done what I could. He has no issues with Antinous and I. In my view, it just seems like you’re holding onto a grudge because you don’t want to admit that we were both arguably incorrect with how we dealt with things.” You stand up from your seat. “I’m sorry Telemachus. I… I can’t do this. I’m so sorry… but I just… Can’t sit here and be judged.”

Telemachus sinks, his gaze falling to his lap. “It’s… okay.” He mumbles, but his tone is anything but happy.

You turn your back, but before you can make your first step away, Penelope sighs. “I am upset that you lied to me. I am upset that you dared to raise your tone to me. I am also upset that despite how much time has gone by, you did not once reach out to tell me what happened.”

You pause, hands pulled into fists. “Like you’d have cared.” You hiss, moving towards the door.

“Excuse me? I would have cared, I do care.” Her voice shakes slightly and you turn back to find her eyes soft.

“You haven’t cared before, so why now? What is so different that you would care now?” You find tears pricking your eyes. 

“I have always cared about you. I don’t know where this comes from.” She stares at you, her words genuine.

You shake your head. “Really? Really? Alright, where were you when you scolded me for sneaking my brother out of the palace when I came home hurt? Where were you when I was begging for a mother to act like a mother? Where were you when I was on the verge of collapse as I lost my.. Lost my…” You hiccup, cursing your emotions, the pain that will never leave. “Why was Telemachus always the one to comfort me while you were a mother in name and spoils but never in affection towards me as if you couldn’t spend a drop of honest affection on anybody but my brother?” Your voice cracks.

Penelope opens her mouth before she closes it. 

You shake your head and reach the door before arms wrap around you, pulling you close. You go rigid, eyes wide. The embrace is unfamiliar.

It’s not that she’s never hugged you before, but she’s never hugged you like this… so tight and mournful. You come undone almost instantly. You reach up to grab her arms as you struggle not to cry. “You are my daughter… not by blood, but through bond. I should’ve paid more attention to your silent suffering.” She whispers and steps away.

You turn back to her, and she holds her arms out. You run to her arms and bury your face in her chest as you cry. She puts her hand on the back of your head and back slowly moving in comforting motions. “It’s okay… it’s going to be alright.”

Telemachus watches with a tender smile on his face… there… just as things should be. He’d been nervous for a second here but… seems everything will be alright after all. 

Chapter Text

Things were normal… as normal as they could be if you ignored the shorter suitor’s eyes. You believe his name was Eurymachus… he’s who you’re sure started the drama. He must have told Telemachus where you were and who you were with. It’s all that makes sense. He’d warned you about being discovered. Then Telemachus happened to see you. 

You’ve been cautious around him, finding reasons to turn around or pretending you didn’t hear him call you. Antinous is adamant that he wouldn’t do anything, that he’s more brains than brawn, but you don’t trust him. Something about him just unsettles you.

Maybe it’s the way you catch him staring, which is normal. Most suitors eye you when Antinous isn’t looking. You’re not called the jewel of Ithaca for nothing. You know your goddess graces you with a fraction of her beauty, and you are thankful for it. Even if men are greedy. It’s flattering but somewhat worrisome. 

Still, you have Antinous… and your brother. Day by day you fix what was broken, start being given the freedom to explore the halls again. You start to feel better and watch the seasons change slow but steady. 

Life is… good.

You often find Telemachus fighting himself, or on occasion, you supervise sparing with Antinous. He takes things to the edge of too far, enjoys rubbing in that Telemachus isn’t as large or even half as strong as he is.

You do your best to stay on your feet as well. Fighting with Antinous playfully or seeing how far your brother has improved. He can sweep you off your feet now. It’s refreshing to see him growing into being a man. Though it unsettles the suitors. 

Antinous still has a hold on them, still plays along, but every month that passes, something changes. 

You lean against a tree under the cover of night watching Antinous use a wooden sword to jab your brother. Your brother sidesteps and brings his wood sword down to your lover’s side. Antinous grabs the sword and yanks it with a glare.

Telemachus scoffs, rolling his eyes. “That’s cheap.” A dirty trick… 

“He’s being realistic. You know that they don’t fight fair.” Given all his previous beatings, he should know that… You push off the tree and shrug. “You gotta stop trying to fight nobly against opponents who would toss dirt to blind you and kill you that way.”

Telemachus huffs, turning his back to you. He sits on the log, grabbing the grapes you’d brought out earlier for everybody to share. He aggressively munches on them.

Antinous rolls his eyes and walks towards you, grabbing your waist and pulling you close.

You know he hates physical displays of affection in public, but what he loves more than he hates is seeing Telemachus glare and grumble to himself before turning his head away. “At this rate, there’s no reason the hag won’t let me take the princess’s hand for myself.” 

He nuzzles into your neck, laying lazy kisses just to make your brother uncomfortable. You huff and push him away, flushing a bit. 

“Don’t call her that… and she still hates you. I still hate you. It’s not happening.” Telemachus chucks a grape at him. “I… I tolerate you for my sister because she’s my world, not because I’ve forgiven you, or think you’ve changed from the manwhore, selfish, arrogant prick. You just changed from queen to princess.”

You sigh, knowing there’s nothing you can do here because he’s not wrong. Antinous is an arrogant beast. He is selfish and driven by his desires.

Antinous catches the grape in his mouth and swallows it, smirking at the prince. “Which appears to be the Little Fox’s type of man, princy.” His tone is mocking and you can’t help but roll your eyes at the arrogance dripping over his tone.

He’s not wrong… he did, in fact, land you through an aggressive game of chase and massive warning signals. You swallow thickly at the memory of those few interactions. He still looks at you like a starved animal when you go a few days without seeing each other, still holds himself with the same arrogance he had then… if anything, he’s become more arrogant and cocky since landing you. It’s quite the feat, twisting the princess, the very jewel of Ithaca, around his fingers. Though you also have him wrapped around yours.

Telemachus scoffs, shaking his head as he glances at you. With a smile, you just shrug. “Leave him alone Antinous.” You grumble and take a seat beside your brother. “You know one day it’s very likely this-you moton between yourself and Antinous-will happen.”

Telemachus is silent. He shrugs and shoves more grapes into his mouth. “Mom won’t let it happen… not until he earns her favor, which… well, in the years he’s been here, he’s done the opposite of.” Your brother snarks, glaring at the suitor.

Antinous takes a deep breath, “I’m going to smack him.”

“Do not smack my brother.” You roll your eyes. 

Antinous grumbles, grabbing anything he’d set down and storming off. You sigh, shaking your head. 

“I still don’t get what you see remotely good about him… he’s… well, he is just awful.” Telemachus mumbles staring at the floor.

You pat him on the head and lean your head on his shoulder. “I dunno what to do to make you see him differently. You don’t need Telemachus. I don’t need you to change how you see him. He’s hurt you and mom. I know that, so I understand why you hate him. I support and understand every glare and insult you throw at him. He’s done a lot to mess with our lives. I just need you to understand that I love him and, in some weird way, he also loves me. We’re two in one. Eventually something will happen and we will end up married. You don’t need to treat him with kindness… just support me.” You offer a smile and he sighs, reaching to play with your hair.

“I know… and I’m trying. I really am, but he’s just…. He’s so infuriating and he… I just, I don’t know.” Telemachus huffs, staring at the stars. “A whole year… in just one season, it’ll have been a year.”

Funny how fast time flies. “You’re missing dad again.”

“He would know how to deal with this, what I should do. You’re my sister and I support who you love so long as they don’t hurt you or break your heart. I want to say he would, but I’ve had months to see him do that, and he hasn’t. He’s so different for you than he is with most people, like you broke through walls nobody else is allowed to see. It’s… I dunno, I’m just having a hard time still.” Telemachus is honest with you. 

You’ve both been working on being honest and open, even if you think what you say may offend or upset the other.

It’s refreshing… even if it is taking a while to build back the bond of trust the two of you had between each other. You have your own little story to tell. It’s nice.

“He’ll come home… eventually.” He has to, he has to come home… someday… right?

Yeah, he’ll come home.

You two stay like that, gazing at the stars for hours until your eyes grow heavy and the night grows darker. “We should go to bed.” You hum still gazing at the stars. Telemachus is not rubbing his exhaustion from his eyes. 

Chapter Text

The breeze wafts by you in gentle brushes of the blooming flowers. Spring. Everywhere you look, flowers are blooming, the grass turning greener, and the trees budding. Petals cover the walkway as they sift from the trees floating down onto the walkway. You’re in a good mood.

You glance to the side where your goddess is inspecting the first roses of the season. “It’s been peaceful, nice… gentle. What is there not to enjoy? Suitors aren’t bothering me. I’m getting along with my brother, and Antinous is still well, Antinous.” You hum, kicking up a few petals as you walk alone in the garden. 

You’re comfortable walking around, happy and content with your life. You have no reason not to be in a good mood. Suppose it has been rather quiet as of late.

You hum nodding your head, “A whole year… I mean, it’s almost been an entire year since I met Antinous. Telemachus will be nineteen, I’m certain that my mother will allow marriage in a bit. She has to, probably.” You spin a little, staring at the sky, taking in the neutral weather and the sun beaming down on your skin.

Watch where you’re walking. The goddess hums but you stop a second too late and trip over something, a twig. So much for being unproblematic and peaceful. The goddess sighs.

You’d spent the year avoiding one suitor in specific. His unsettling eyes, the double-edged words that he spews. You run your hand through your hair as a shadow blocks out the sun. You look up to see who saw you trip and now leans over you. You settle your eyes in harsh stares, not yet a glare but teetering out on the edge of a glare. “That was a bit graceless, princess.” 

You brush yourself off, ignoring the outstretched hand of Eurymachus. “Amusing to you, no doubt.” You hiss through your teeth as you straighten out your clothes and dust away the dirt and petals. 

“I wouldn’t dare to mock the princess in such a way.” The suitor continues making use of his honeyed voice. Most people would fall for it. His gentle voice, his soft appearance, his almost genuine smile, but not you. Whether it’s because he’s a suitor, or because his eyes genuinely unsettle you, is something you can’t make out yourself. You just don’t trust anything he says.. Nobody is this sweet. Well, besides your brother, but Telemachus is a special case, he’s just…. Telemachus. This man wouldn’t be here in this palace if he wasn’t up to things.

You scoff, narrowing your eyes. “I see right through you, Eurymachus. You might have everybody else thinking you aren’t a threat, but I’m not an idiot. You made the mistake of warning me about being found out, then just after my brother walked in on me. So kindly go try mentally fucking over some other bitch.” You curse, fluffing your hair over your shoulder. 

The suitor pauses, but his smile falters for a second and you notice. “I have no clue what you are referring to. I haven’t talked to the little prince at all. I’m sure if you ask him who informed him of your… less the appropriate rendezvous for an unmarried princess, you’ll find it wasn’t me. It’s a bit rude to be accusing others without evidence.” He gets beneath your skin easily. 

“If it wasn’t you, then it was you indirectly. I know a two-faced beast when I see one.” You sneer, hands tightening into fists.

He hums, shrugging. “Suppose it takes one to know one.” He’s completely unsurprised when your fist clocks his jaw. 

There’s a fatal flaw you’ve never been able to get a grasp on. You play at being easily calmed, sweet and gentle. It’s how Telemachus sees you, how your brother has known you to be. You’re a lot more similar to your lover than you’d like to admit. You’re not hard to rile up, won’t back down from things when you know you’re correct, and have a hard time admitting defeat. This suitor pisses you off. “Watch your mouth. You lot are getting far too comfortable around here.” You shake the fist you’d hit him with.

The suitor sighs, shaking his head. “I see I hit a nerve. It’s merely a survival tactic, princess. I do genuinely mean you no harm. Take a step down from your high horse and perhaps you won’t be so on guard. Who would I be to dare to mean you harm or mock such a rare jewel when she should be admired? How would I ever dream to overstep Antinous’ clear claim on the treasure, less you take me for a fool?” Riddles and difficult speech.

He’s hard to understand, impossible to so much as figure out. It frustrates you… drives you insane. “If you are being sarcastic, I will hit you harder.” You huff, turning your back to the suitor so you can continue your walk.

“Eventually, one of us will have a seat on that throne. Antinous, cut his goals short over a prize. I’m merely looking out for the princess. What’s one or two men against a-hundred-and-six?” He calls out after you and you pause.

“That sounds like a threat.” You grit your teeth, trying not to lose your cool further.

“I wouldn’t dare to threaten. I am simply looking out for you. It would be awful if something were to… happen.” You don’t look back. You click your tongue and continue on with your mood completely ruined. 

Two-faced, smooth, and all together a pain in your side. He’s dangerous, incredibly dangerous. No wonder he’s got a grip on the suitors. He speaks in rhymes, half truths and honey-coated words.

You walk to your room mumbling under your breath. When you close the door to your room, leaving it unlocked, you pace around trying to make sense of the conversation when you startle with arms wrapping around you.

“Now that’s a rare sight.” You sink into Antinous arms with a light chuckle.

“You surprised me.” You smile and suck in a breath when he nips your ear. “Antinous…” You hum and he grunts, acknowledging your call. His hands knead your sides and you sigh as tension you weren’t aware you were holding onto leaves you. “Little needy today, are you?” You snicker, breath hitching, when he pulls your body to his, leaving no room between.

“Your fault, Little Fox~,” He trails his lips down from behind your ear to your throat, leaving small kisses. “You are the one who put a strict no to closets, spare rooms, and halls. Which means catching you alone in your room… which has proven difficult. I’m impatient.” He scoffs, taking in the scent of spring from your skin. 

“I know, my mother’s been requesting to spend time with me and Telemachus more often… but-” You trail off sucking in air when his teeth clamp down on your shoulder. “L-least lock the door.” You hum glancing at the door.

Antinous huffs moving away from you to make sure nobody would be interrupting the two of you. When he turns back around, you’re already out of your clothes waiting on the bed with a smirk. He mimics your teasing look and strides towards you.

He kneels in front of you and grabs your legs. He pulls you forward, yanking you towards his face. You make a soft squeak but snicker, which turns into a breathy sigh as his tongue runs over your folds.

You hum reaching and grabbing a fist of his curls. He smirks and delves his tongue through your cunt. He groans, parting for a moment. “Whore~” He huffs then delves back in aggressively, thrusting his tongue while his lips suck.

One hand moves from your thigh to find your clit and presses just enough to hear you gasp and writhe beneath him. You pant, sucking in air with small moans as your hand tightens its grip on his hair, pulling his face closer to your most sensitive parts. He digs his fingers into the thigh he’s holding, kneading the flesh as he makes a mess of you.

With a long curl of his name from your lips, he greedily swallows down your climax. When you drop your grasp from his hair, he sits back, licking his lips. You prop yourself up on your elbows, staring at him, flushed and panting. 

He fumbles with his clothes as he gets off his knees. He bends over you, standing but leaning against the bed. He leans down so he can kiss your throat. One of his hands flicks and twists your nipple while his mouth works on marking your skin. It’s become a habit of his whenever you share moments like this. He leaves visible ones and ones only he gets to see. He bites and sucks, running his mouth over every inch of skin he can reach.

He’s slow, melting into you, giving you time to adjust before he snaps his hips and grunts. You echo him with a moan. Each thrust hits every spot that makes you twitch and squirm. He’s relentlessly chasing your pleasure alongside his. The blissed-out expressions you make, the sounds. He bites down on your breast and you suck in air, tears building as pain mixes into pleasure. 

His tongue runs up your cheek, clearing any stray tears away as he continues his vicious pace. Your breaths get shallower, faster and your moans get louder, more frequently. Antinous trails his hands to your thighs and looks at you as his thrusts get less and less patterned. You hesitate but give him a small nod and he pulls you down, hiking your legs over his shoulder pressing your legs closer to your chest. He relishes in the widening of your eyes the high-pitched moans that leave your lips…

He holds out for your high grunting and biting his lip as he takes two more thrusts before he bottoms out and unloads, riding out your high alongside his. 

He pulls out but keeps your legs pinned, staring at the mess dripping. You flush, looking to the side as he drops your legs. You get onto your knees and motion him to come closer. He raises a brow but without needing words; he props himself up on your pillows, already stiff. “Whore~” You hum running your fingers up his dick. He hums, leaning his head back as you pull him into your mouth.

He grabs your hair, but you swat him away. He scoffs, but he’s used to this by now. Used to the wines that leave his lips as you tease and pay attention to specific spots along his body. How you bob your head while one stabilizes your weight, and the other explores his body.

You sink into his wines, enjoying the sight of the man beneath you. It’s an image just for you, an image he’d never let anybody but you have of him. It’s burned into your memory just like his whines are etched in your mind.

His back curves as your tongue hits a sensitive spot along a vein. He rocks his hips, hitting the back of your throat. You sputter for a second before looking at him with a small glare. He rolls his eyes as a whimper slips from his lips when you pull away to replace your mouth with your hand. You move so that you’re leaning over him. 

With a smirk, you start licking and biting at his nipples. His hips jolt into your hand and you catch a murmur of several curses leaving his lips as his breaths stutter. You begin to mark his body, leaving little bites, making sure he’ll be just as bruised as you. With a whimper, his hips stutter and you drop your hand, trailing your mouth back, hovering just over where he needs you. You tease him, wait for him to get too impatient and grab a fist full of your hair and forcefully shove you back down, eyes rolling to the back of his head as he meets the pull of your head with the buckling of his hips as he chases his release. 

He stays stuffed down your throat until he’s sure you’ve swallowed every last bit. Only then does he release your hair and let you pop of him coughing and regaining your composure. He beckons you to come closer and you roll your eyes crawling towards him. He wraps his arms around you, tugging your head to his chest as he yanks over the covers. “Baths can wait…” he grumbles.

You snicker, but don’t fight him on it. “So long as you bathe me.” You tease, and he sighs.

“I would probably end up fucking you again.” You flush and roll your eyes. He merely snickers, running his hand through your hair to detangle it. 

You use his chest as a pillow, forgetting about why you’d been tense in the first place, which… might not be a good thing. You probably should have talked to Antinous about Eurymachus, but it’s not on your mind at all. Nothing is on your mind after that…

Chapter Text

Summer…

It seems as if it were spring only yesterday. Time is passing without pause before you. Each day, the suitors become louder and more aggressive. You’ve caught Antinous with more than a few days of poor moods, bruises on his knuckles and blood on his cheek. The longer this goes on, the worse the situation seems to be growing.

You sit lounging on the windowsill in your mother’s room, taking a break away from the chaotic halls, away from your lover, away from everything. “Your mood is down.” Penelope looks up from her loom to stare at your moping form.

With a soft shrug, you mess with the gold adorning your neck and ears. “You’ve noticed it, right? The suitors…”

“The in-fighting led by Antinous or their bothering of your brother?” She continues her work, fingers lazily weaving.

With a sigh, you shake your head. “Both? Neither? It’s just genuinely more chaotic. It’s been oddly peaceful around the halls. You’ve had fewer men pestering you, trying to gain your attention… Telemachus only gets in one fight every few weeks… and I haven’t had any issues if you ignore the way Eurymachus stares, or his riddles. It’s just unsettling.” You huff, watching the gardens from the window. You see why she loves this room. The perfect view, the isolation away from the suitors.

“I wouldn’t worry too much. If what you claim about Antinous is true, the rest of the suitors are likely disorganized and fighting among themselves without somebody to direct their attention or fool them all under their thumb.” The Queen smiles, offering reassurance to her adopted daughter.

You nod, twirling a loose strand of hair around your fingers. Might as well continue to rest in the peace. It’s comfortable even if it does spar on the occasional anxiety. Those moments are fleeting and easy to ignore anyhow. 

“I’m gonna go find Telemachus.” You hum hopping down from the ledge. Penelope smiles and nods. 

You make your way down the spiraling stairs, and around halls avoiding crowded areas. You’re back to sneaking around. Only to avoid a certain suitor, though. You’ve told Antinous how to find you, so that’s no issue, but Eurymachus creeps you out. There’s just something unsettling about him.

You nearly yelp when a hand wraps around your waist. You would have screamed if you didn’t recognize the hand that sneaks to cover your mouth or the deep chuckle. “On edge today, Little Fox?” He taunts, whispering into your ear. 

You flush and relax knowing it’s just Antinous. “What are you doing, idiot?” You huff, raising a brow. 

“It’s been three days since I last managed to run into you alone, without the hag or the modeling little prince hanging around you.” He huffs, stepping away to lean on the wall. “Still using the same routes.” He shakes his head.

You hum, turning around to look at him. “It brings back memories though, does it not? All the nights I slipped away just a breath from being caught?” You smirk and he scoffs.

“And I won in the end.” He looks away, staring off down the hall. It does feel weird… the fact that it’s been over a year since he saw your face, watched you bolt down this very hall. The memory still makes his blood turn hot. The fear mixed with the thrill in your eyes. It was enough to hook him in further… how this bond you share with him was curated by teasing in a game of whether the fox could outwit the Wolf.

In a way, he feels you won… stole him from whatever fate had originally planned out for him. Whether or not that’s a good thing he’ll never know, doesn’t wish to know. 

“After lots of nights where you lost.” You huff, sticking out your tongue. He rolls his eyes and reaches for you. With a smirk, you hop back. He watches you raising a brow. “Catch me.” You hum for old times’ sake. He has a late start as you bolt off. 

Pushing off the wall, he runs a hand through curls. You are either a curse from the gods or a blessing… he’s never been able to place which. 

He stalks after you, following the halls he knows you would take, except due to the guards protecting your hall he can’t approach the same spot he had that night so instead he waits two turns away from your hall.

He hides in the shadows and lunges, grabbing hold of your arm and tugging you towards him. His other hand grabs your chin as he looks down at you. “Got you.” He smirks and presses his lips against yours. You hum, kissing him back, sliding your arms up his chest. 

“I was going to go visit my brother.” You sigh, parting from Antinous. “I haven’t been able to catch him all month for longer than a meal or a few words. I also heard he got into another fight.” You stare at him accusingly.

“He started it, princess.” Antinous scoffs going in for another kiss. He glares when your hand comes up to block it, which he then promptly licks. You pull back with a squeak, glaring. 

“Antinous!” You huff, stepping away and crossing your arms. 

“I said I would leave him alone. I have been doing just that. The runt’s lucky your opinion, for some reason, matters to me. He got cocky, attempted to taunt me in front of the others. I warned him and he chose not to back down. It’s an improvement. If this was before your demand, I would have had him on the floor before his sentences could finish, little fox.” He rolls his eyes, clearly unamused and lacking any reflection. “I didn’t hurt him… too badly. Roughed up but nothing broken and I doubt he’ll even bruise all that much. He’s a man. He should be able to take what he attempts to serve.” 

A point but agitating none-the-less. “You two are going to drive me insane, Antinous.” 

You shake your hand, causing your earrings to dangle. 

Antinous’s eyes zero in on the gold. “Where did you get those?” He takes a step towards you.

“I thought they were from you?” You tilt your head, staring at him. “Saiya said they came from another servant who’d been given them by you. It was a few months ago. It’s not like this is the first time I’m wearing them, ya know…”

“They aren’t from me.” Antinous hisses are almost too aggressive when he snatches them from your ears. You hiss, narrowing your eyes at him. “Why would I go through something so elaborate to give you shit when I could decorate you in person?” He scoffs, curling his fist around the gold.

“Well, then… try not to kill whoever you find it to be.” You shrug, very aware Antinous will take this as a challenge to what he’s declared as his… his claim on you.

~

Antinous storms off down the hall opposite of his, hand still clutching the gold earrings in his hand. He clenches his fist, leaving indents in his palm, possibly drawing blood as his feet hit the ground in hurried stomps. 

If it were possible, he’d be steaming from the ears, face red and full of fury. The sounds of moans echo through the hall but he’s never been one to care about that. He shoves the door open without knocking, staring down his “partner”. 

The shorter suitor pauses and sighs, reaching for his clothes. “Your temper is on the high, I see.” He tosses something at the servant he’d been fooling around with. With an annoyed glance at Antinous, the maid reaches for her clothes.

Antinous drops the earrings on a desk and leans against the wall. “Before I Decide to bash your skull in Eurymachus, I’m giving you the chance to explain why MY Little Fox had these on her person.”

“Oh, how merciful of you!” Eurymachus picks up an earring, but there’s not a lick of recognition in his eyes as he stares at the earring. “I know it’s hard with your temper and that thick skull of yours, Antinous, but why would I, of all the men in this palace, dare try to overstep you?”

“Don’t play coy with me, Eurymachus.” Antinous snarl stepping closer to loom over the smaller man.

The one in question raises his hands, dangling the earring. “I have no reason to go after what belongs to you, Antinous. Firstly, it’s you. Second, even an idiot can see how hooked on you the princess is. Though… I wouldn’t say I haven’t heard a few of the others whispering when you’re out of ear-shot.” His lips curl into a smirk as the taller male scoffs.

“I can’t think of another who could be as crafty as you are. To my knowledge, you’re the only one with a servant in your corner.” The flame of his anger settles to a smaller light, but suspicion doesn’t fade.

“It’s not that hard. Who knows, maybe somebody else has tricks.” He drops the earring on the desk and stares, watching Antinous scoff and storm out the door.

Eurymachus picks the earring back up, holding it in front of him. “How far you’ve fallen.” He narrows his eyes, shaking his head. He tosses the earring, then catches it. 

Manipulation and deception are his forte. Of all the suitors, he’s the smartest. From the start he had Antinous in complete belief everything was his complete idea, stealing from the old king, their advances… He warned the brute about that double-edged sword and he dismissed his warning. Now look at him.

The throne out of his goals, away from his sight. He’d made attempts to sway things back on track to paint the princess as an unachievable item without the throne… it went well until the prince got in the way, as per usual. He scoffs, tossing the earrings to the side. 

~

While Antinous was busy trying to figure out who else could pull something off like this, you were walking down the hall to your brother’s room. 

You go to knock on the door only to see it cracked open a bit. Curiously, you push the door open and take a step in. “woah…” Telemachus was neat, annoyingly neat. He never let his room get so messy. You glance around at the papers strewn over the ground, the empty inkpot and the half-full one on his desk. You find the little horse he got as a parting gift being used to hold down papers instead of a stone.

You shouldn’t be snooping, but you’re curious what has caused his mess in such a state of disarray. What’s odd is that his bed is still made as if it hasn’t been touched in days. There’s organization to the mess. It doesn’t make much sense, but there is organization.

Come, read this. You hadn’t noticed the presence of your goddess until she spoke. You walk over to a shelf and swallow. 

“I shouldn’t… this… his privacy.” You mumble, but your goddess huffs. You hesitate but grab the scroll. Careful you unroll it, heart sinking with every word you read. “What… he… without telling anybody He was… he’s just heading off without a word? Is that why he’s been so hard to talk with? This is… I thought we were done with secrets. He can’t leave. If he leaves, then mother won’t have anybody but me around and I don’t give the same sort of screw off to the suitors. He’s a prince. He has authority to keep them back.” You roll the scroll back up and rush to the desk, eyes darting over the ink. “And alone? Alone? How stupid can my little brother be? With… With all that is happening, he’s choosing to go after a man who is… who might very well actually be dead based on rumors.” You hit the back of your hand against the scroll.

Agitated and yet terrified of being alone, you storm out of the room, staring at the floor, ignoring your surroundings as you think of how to find where your brother is to reason with him.

You push around corners, stepping around suitors…

You’re halfway to the servant’s corner to ask if Saiya had seen him today when you bump into somebody…

Chapter Text

You clash against a man in your rush and pick your head up. “Sor… ugh you.” You groan, taking a step back when your wrist is grabbed, keeping you from fully retreating. You raise your other hand on guard immediately.

“Princess, whatever brings you so far out of your halls or your mother’s chambers unaccompanied?” Eurymachus curls his lips into a friendly smile, but you feel your stomach twist, sickened, just looking at him.

“That’s none of your business.” You hiss, pulling your arm to your chest. You’re lucky he wasn’t holding that hard. You cradle your wrist to your chest and take a step away from the man. 

He doesn’t necessarily intimidate you, but there is something unsettling that keeps you at a distance from this suitor. Even Antinous didn’t make you feel this put off in the start. “Is it not alright for me to ask a friendly question? I mean no harm, princess. I just found it a bit… risky, don’t you think?” He makes his words sound so genuine it has the opposite effect on you.

Your heart rate picks up despite already racing with the fear you were too late to find out about your brother’s stupid secret plan. “And why would that be?” You hiss through your teeth, retreating another step as he takes one closer to you.

“These halls are a commonplace for the suitors, princess.” He takes another step closer to you, almost predatory in his motions… but not in the way Antinous was. This… this isn’t fun, this doesn’t make your heart race the same way.

“I don’t see how that would be an issue. It’s my home.” You are taking two steps back for every one of his to keep the distance between you long.

“Are you sure it’s a good idea for Ithaca’s treasure to be alone so far from the people who keep greedy hands off it?” He shrugs, taking another step towards you. You back up into a wall this time and slide your hand into the silks of your clothes, grasping the handle of your weapon.

“Are you threatening me, Eurymachus?” You hiss.

“Oh? So you recall my name? I’m an honored princess. But no, why would I do that? You should think of yourself as a lucky princess. I would never attempt to take what belongs to somebody else or force myself onto a woman. I can’t say the same for some of the others. The poor maids… I suggest you head back to the halls you’re…somewhat safe in.” His eyes rake over you and you shy away, pressing against the wall.

“I’m looking for Saiya…” you mumble, trying to grasp at the confidence your goddess lends a hand in.

Eurymachus seems to pause and think. “Ah, the one the prince assigned to you. I believe I saw him talking to her just before I ran into you.”

You pause taking the bait without realizing it… “you’ve seen Telemachus?” 

“Yes, in fact, I think he was leaving the palace. He does that often, though, does he not?” He takes a step back on purpose as he studies your reactions.

“He… does?” You step away from the wall voluntarily. Caution tosses itself to the wind.

The suitor nods. “It’s been quite noticeable as of late, brief trips and longer trips.” He shrugs, as if he isn’t aware of what he is doing.

“How… How long ago did he leave?” You stare at the suitor.

“Oh, I don’t know-” He hides a smirk when you interrupt him.

“Damn it, how long ago did you see him leave? Please… Just tell me when you saw him last leave.” Your heart pounds in your chest. When he doesn’t say anything, you groan, clenching your hands into fists. “Please tell me. I’m not asking for something ridiculous.” You avert your gaze, pride wounded a bit.

“Right before you walked into the hall. I’m sure if you run, you’ll catch him before the boat leaves.” You push past him before freezing your head, turning back towards the suitor.

He gives you a knowing look and turns a corner before you can even ask how he knew about this. 

You turn on your heels and instead decide to do something foolish. You march through the suitor’s main halls looking for a specific door. You drown out the whistles and mocking jests until you push open a door.

Antinous jolts knife in hand, ready to make whoever was walking in without knocking regret their decision until he sees you. His gaze softens, and he drops his knife. In his eyes you seem lost, confused, frizzled.

He has several questions, like why you risked coming here, but he holds back. “Are you… alright Y/n?”

You shake your head, lip wobbling. “Telemachus… My brother is… he’s…”

“If that brat hurt you again, I will feed him piece by piece to the ocean.” Antinous snaps, but you shake your head. Your hand comes up to take your hair down, so it falls over your shoulders. 

You start to walk back and forth in his room.

You hold your hands in your hair as you pace the length of Antinous’ room. His eyes watch your eerie movement. “I can’t believe this… He’s leaving. This idiot turns twenty in a bit and suddenly he’s so… so cocky and confident that… I’m infuriated! What if he runs into the issues father faced? If he never comes home? Mother would be devastated…”

“Slow down, little fox, you’re all over the place.” Antinous sighs, shaking his head at you. He stands up from his desk and grabs hold of your shoulders to hold you in place. “Talk to me normally.”

“Telemachus… he… he was going to leave without a word. I found out because I heard him muttering to himself. The skinny little prince is going away from home on some quest to find dad. Which… I know why he’s doing it. I can see the suitors getting more and more restless… from what you’ve said, they are starting to speak about harming my family just to sit on a throne that might not even be empty from the stories reaching shore. I just… What if my brother takes too long? If he gets into a fight with a monster or even just another man twice his size?” You ramble on and on. Antinous stands there listening to every word.

“Have you talked to him?” It’s a genuine question.

“I have not… but I don’t want to fight. I have enough on my plate trying to get my mother to accept the idea of us marrying… actually.” You pause and think, a little plan coming up behind your eyes.

Antinous steps back, raising a hand to brush back his hair. “You have that… look. Gods help me, what are you up to, Little Fox?” He grumbles.

“Go with him.” You bat your lashes pleading with your lover.

“No. Just because I have stepped back from beating his pathetic ass does not mean I am about to help him be pathetic. Maybe the prince will grow some balls on this expedition.” He narrows his eyes, glaring at you.

You bite the inside of your cheek. “I can’t believe I am about to play this card… It could win you some good grace with my mother… imagine it, you help her son… the son she cherishes oh so much? She’d have no reason not to give you my hand, no reason to oppose the two of us any longer.” You observe a muscle twitch in his jaw.

“This is devious… this is something that sounds like one of us would come up with to get her hand.” He groans but smirks, liking how you think.

There are times he sees clear as day why he fell so hard for you. This is one of those moments. The clever fox steps into the open with a devious idea that would make most turn their head with opposition.

“I mean… you are still technically courting a member of the royal family…” You hum winking at him. He flicks you on the forehead. 

“Fine… but you will owe me a reward bigger than just your hand, little fox.” He looks over your body with a smirk.

You flush and drag your hand down your face. “I’m sure I can handle you until you can’t keep going.” You huff.

“We’ll see.” he pats your head, messing with your hair. “I hope this brat gets us into a few messes… I’ll have a reason to spill blood, I suppose.” 

You smile and peck his cheek. “You’re so violent.”

“And you love it… you sick whore.” He smirks, capturing your lips in a kiss.

You kiss him back with a smile on your lips. “Don’t do anything stupid… just… keep with him. Make sure he gets home, make sure you get home. I can’t lose him… My mother can’t afford to lose Telemachus… He’s the only heir without our father and Telemachus here, the throne will truly be empty.” You cup his cheek in your hand. “I’ll let you have whatever, do whatever, so long as you both come back.”

“You are also assuming the prince will let me come along.” He scoffs, crossing his arms.

“You can tell him if he doesn’t I’ll go myself and let you hit him for leaving without a word… Now get ready… You’ll need to catch up with him before the boat leaves. I think he plans to leave tonight.” You sigh, forcing yourself to smile. He kisses you again before sending you out of his room.

You run your hand through your hair as you make your way back to the safer parts of the palace.

You sit on your bed the rest of the night until Saiya enters, hurrying towards you with a letter. You take it and open it.

I was going to say something…

Well, I was going to explain indirectly. When I was on the boat and leaving, so that by the time you got this, you wouldn’t be able to reach me to convince me not to go.

Why are you sending this brute of all people to come with me?

I do have friends, you know. I can handle myself now.

But because I don’t need a lecture from you and mom, when I get back he’s been added to my crew. Are you sure that this was a good move, though? With him gone, aren’t you worried about the rest of the suitors?

I’m sorry sis… I just… I need to confirm the things I’ve heard. I need to find our father, or at least some traces, proof he’ll be home. I need him; we need him.

You lean back, falling onto your back as you sigh. He better not take too long to come home. Penelope is going to be upset he left without a word. You’ll need to lean on one another with the men gone.

Hopefully not too much. You don’t think you’ll have to hold yourself away from usual routines just because Antinous and Telemachus are gone.

However, the more you think it over, the less sense this move made. You sent your lover away to go aid your brother in a mess of adrenaline…

The longer you think, the more you can’t help but feel like you made a mistake…

Was this a bad idea? To create a scenario where you and your mother are completely alone in the palace while it’s overrun with suitors?

Chapter Text

The first few days were quiet… it seemed that nobody had noticed. You had been eating with your mother, avoiding the halls, and mainly keeping to yourself. 

That is, until today. You sighed, figuring you were being paranoid, taking the creep’s words way too close to your heart. Nobody would be dumb enough to approach you. They won’t be long. Plus, they’ve seen you beat down on suitors before. You’re not helpless.

You sit in the same small dining area you would have dined in with your brother. Even alone, you don’t mind it. The room is silent except for the sound of the ice in your glass. 

You leave your place when you finish eating, only to halt before you pass the threshold. “Where’s the prince, princess?” It’s a face you don’t recognize. One of the hundreds you’ve never cared to know.

“Busy.” You hum looking for a way around the suitor. 

“Left you all alone?” His lips curl into a smirk and you sigh.

“I suggest you move before you walk out of this crippled, or dead.” You speak through your teeth.

The suitor seems to take your threat as a joke. In one swift motion, you grab the arm that reaches and snap it behind the man’s back. You kick in the man’s legs and slam your foot as hard as you can on their back. “Bitch…” they call out, clearly reaching for a weapon so you pull your knife and hit their shoulder.

They drop their hand as you huff, holding yourself high. “I recommend telling the others that I am more than capable of handling myself when I am alone.” You glance down the hall, noticing a silhouette disappearing behind a corner.

Each day has its ups and downs.

Each day passes by with a different face, attempting to prove something.

A week into this mess, you sit by a pond with your knees pulled up to your chest. Alone at last, no slurred words, no shouting… nothing.

“Have you seen Antinous?” You jump, turning around to face Eurymachus. You hadn’t seen him at all since you bumped into him the day your brother left and you sent your lover with him.

You turn back to the pond, dismissing him. Perhaps you bought his pleas for how harmless he is. You toss a stone, setting your chin on your knee. “You sound as if you are not actively aware of the palace’s situation.”

“You flatter me, your highness.” The suitor takes a step towards you, only emboldened when you don’t flinch or look back at him. “None of us have seen him in a week. Am I wrong to be concerned about a friend?”

You grit your teeth, shrugging. “He went with my brother to show his bravery and dedication to my mother.” 

If you looked back, you might have caught the way his eyes widen or how his pupils dilate as his lips curl into a smirk, which he covers up long before anybody may see. “And yet you were left behind?”

You roll your eyes. “I was not left behind. I couldn’t leave my mother alone with the likes of the suitors.” You don’t trust this man and yet he works easily into your head, eradicating the feeling of unease.

Your mother thinks he’s no threat, that he means no harm. He’s never presented as anything but thoughtful. Still, he is too kind, too thoughtful, too unproblematic for you to lose the rational side of your opinion.

“I see. It must be lonely without either of them. I heard you roughed up a few suitors. Very impressive.” He leans against a tree, his eyes tracking every movement you make.

You pause, turning to face him, but the gaze you swear you felt isn’t there. He’s staring at the pond, watching a duck… “what are you trying to do here?” 

“Antinous is my comrade… dare I call him a friend. I imagine he’d be rather… upset if his... What does he call you? Little Fox? He’d be upset if anything happened to his Little Fox while he’s away. I’m simply acting in the interest of my fellow suitor.” He flashes a half smile. It’s soft… and you scrutinize it.

You stare into his eyes, scan every crease in his face, and trail your eyes along his body, searching for signs of a lie. “I don’t trust that.” You hiss, turning your head back to the pond. You don’t like that there is nothing to pinpoint.

“I expected such a reaction. You still think I was the one who led to your small falling out with your family, right? What if I knew who it was?” He looks at his nails, then back at you as you whip your head towards him.

“You…” You want to say he’s lying to earn your trust… “Damn it… who, then?”

He gives you a name, even describes the… woman? A servant. It’s not one you know, but it is one who you’ve heard of.

Hesitantly, you turn your attention to him. “And you found this out… how?”

“With details that a man should not share with his friend’s lover.” He shrugs and you pull a face of disgust. Of course, that is how… of course.

“If I confront the servant… and it comes to play, then I might believe all your riddles and warnings were simply you looking out for a friend. Antinous has never spoken ill of you… so…” You stand up and head off, missing the smirk spreading on his lips.

You reach your room and sit at your desk to debate.

You spend all day and night thinking of it. 

In fact, you don’t get much sleep at all. You drag yourself to get breakfast and hope to wake yourself up. You’ve been trying to find a loop, an overlapping detail, something, anything that makes his story come apart. There is something about him you can’t shake, but that feeling is almost completely gone. You can’t help but trust a friend of your lover… if he’s a friend of Antinous, he’d mean you no harm, right?

You sigh sitting at the table. You lazily poke your food, staring at it. You pick up the glass of wine only to jolt and shiver as a gust of wind brushes over you. You look for your goddess, but do not see her.

You pause and bring the chalice to your lips. Your eyes trail over to a servant you hadn’t realized standing to the side. Her description matches the one Eurymachus had given. You hold up the cup. “Take a sip.” You narrow your eyes.

The servant shakes her head. “I couldn’t, possibly. Your highness I wouldn’t dare to.” 

“Take. a. Sip.” You hiss through your teeth.

She hesitates. Her left hand grabs the chalice, but it’s unsteady.

You hardly have time to react as she pulls a kitchen knife from behind her with her right hand. You fall back in your chair with a thud and scramble to grab your dagger from your chiton.

You don’t feel the handle. 

In your exhaustion, you’d been too distracted to grab it and tuck it into your clothes. You roll to the side to avoid the servant’s next heavy swing of the kitchen knife. 

She knicks your arm and you yelp, getting onto your knees and crawling away with fever. You get back onto your feet in time to dodge another violent shove of the woman’s knife. You duck and dodge, bolting to the other side of the room.

With a huff, you trip on your feet feeling a bit lightheaded. Shit… callous bitch had a backup plan the whole time. You hold your bleeding arm trying to figure out how to deal with this.

You think about running but…

Between here and your mother are suitors who would take this as a chance to get what they want. Tears well in your ears as you look around the room. Your eyes land on the chair and you bolt.

You grab the chair and toss it the best you can. For a moment you think she’ll dodge, or you’ll miss, but it slams into her. She yelps, stumbling from your unexpected attack. 

You lunge dizzy and disoriented. With her moment of distraction, you uppercut her to give you more time. She stumbles again, trying to understand what and how you were doing this on drugs. You use that disorientation to grab hold of the knife, but she retaliates by grabbing your throat and kneeing your stomach, pushing any air from your lungs.

Your grip on the knife is unstable, but with your vision fading and heart hammering, you slam the knife forward, aiming for her shoulder.

She drops you with a gurgling sound. You cough, sucking in air, eyes wild as your vision refuses to clear. You pant, folding over yourself. You can’t pass out, you need to get up… You…

You catch the sound of footsteps and try to get up but stumble into arms. “Oh, my…” You recognize the distorted voice.

For a moment, you panic before he pats your head. “I suppose I should help you for the sake of my dearest friend, Antinous. He’d have my head if I left you here like this, Princess.” 

You try to glare.

Before you realize it, he’s carrying you through the halls as you struggle to keep your eyes open. You don’t have the strength to fight him…

You realize where you’re headed, and it causes you to rethink everything.

Penelope’s doorstep… her door… “I know you won’t open the door to suitors, but your darling daughter got into… a situation.” His voice sounds… concerned.

The door cracks open before it slams open. Penelope narrows her eyes, scoops you from the suitor’s arms. “Do not think this gets you anywhere, Eurymachus.” You catch the distorted hiss before the door slams and you’re laid on a bed.

“M-mom?” Penelope freezes… it’s always mother… always. You never shorten it the way Telemachus does, and it pulls at her heart. She grabs a rag and shouts something you miss to a servant before propping you up against pillows.

She takes your injured arm. “Shhh, it’s alright, you’re okay… Mom’s right here, dear. I’m here.” She puts a hand to your cheek, trying to wipe away tears she doubts you realize you’re shedding.

You wake up curled on the bed, your head on her lap. “Are you awake?” Her voice is softer than you’ve ever heard her talk to you with. You bring a hand to your head and hiss pain stemming throughout your body.

You know this feeling… the last tie you’d been drugged… “She tried to kill me…”

“Who?” Her voice turns serious.

“A servant… the one who told Telemachus I was with Antinous… Eurymachus wasn’t… lying?” You stare at your mother and she recognizes the confusion of somebody who thought they understood what they were dealing with.

She brings you closer, wrapping her arms around you. She won’t say the outcome of the fight. She couldn’t dare to see how you would react. “I will get to the bottom of this. For now, we will only trust the servants I keep close.”

“And Saiya…” you mumble hesitantly, wrapping your arms around your mother. She smiles, setting her chin on your head.

“And her… you’ve grown attached to her, haven’t you?” You nod, still exhausted and processing what happened. “I will have her accompany you wherever you go. I… It’s for safety Y/n. I don’t want you going outside my room or your room without somebody by your side. Please… this could have…” Her voice cracks and you understand the fear in her chest. She could have lost you…

“At a distance… I think… I can trust Eurymachus. He could have done whatever he wished while I was half-conscious, but he took me to you… I’ll be alright. Saiya can keep watch, but I don’t want to be suffocated. I should be fine.” You cling to your mother and she nods, holding onto you.

This might be the first time she’s ever felt like this… terrified about her daughter. In her mind, you were strong and independent, but right now you remind her of Helen… scared and lonely. She could have lost you. If you did not know how to protect yourself, she’d have lost her daughter. She clings to you… for as long as you let her, she will remain right here with you in her arms.

Chapter Text

Another week and nothing seemed to be changing… you were easily left alone… Saiya stuck by you wherever you went, which wasn’t anywhere besides your mother’s room and your own hall.

It took you two weeks to recover mentally from what happened. Two whole weeks of your life disappeared into a blur. When you finally got enough security to step outside your room and wander the garden, you clung to the empty halls.

Saiya kept at a distance, per your request. Occasionally you would stop looking around for the sign anybody was following you before you continued on. 

You sat by the pond, staring emptily out into the water. “Oh? I wasn’t expecting you to be out here. I see you have company now?”

You don’t turn your head towards the suitor. “Mom thought it would be smarter if I had somebody else around…” you mutter. It’s obvious you’re still trying to figure out how that happened. If anything, you thought you could trust the servants. There have been no new hires, so each servant is somebody whom you’ve known since you were little. You bite your nails trying to clear away the mess in your head. Who can you trust? Who is and isn’t against you? 

Was it your brother’s absence that emboldened the mere maid, or was she put up to it? Your memory is fuzzy of that morning. 

“You still appear shaken up. Though it’s to be expected… a fair thing like you killing somebody to protect yourself must be difficult to grasp.” He shrugs, eyeing you.

“What? I… no, I hit her shoulder… I didn’t… Mom would have told me.” You squeak, snapping your head towards Eurymachus.

He softens his gaze, a look of pity crossing his face, and he takes a step closer until he stands above you. “My bad, I thought the Queen would have told you what you did. I imagine you were going for her shoulder, but you were drugged out of your mind, your highness.” He sighs, shaking his head. “I didn’t realize she hadn’t told you.”

And once again, your thoughts reel to an impossible place to stay with. Your eyes water and you pull your knees tighter towards your chest, covering your head as your chest heaves.

It’s like you can’t breathe… it’s so hard to breathe… you swallow in gulps of air, but it’s as if it doesn’t pass to your lungs. You cover your ears with trembling hands as your pupils begin to dilate.

Your heart feels as if it will beat from your chest, as if you’ve just run from the palace to the beach and back. You wheeze, feeling the tears fall down your face. 

Murder…

You killed a person.

You killed her.

You…

You jolt, dropping your hand to your left cheek, suddenly staring at the pond instead of the blurring picture of the man above you. 

IT stings…

But you can breathe again… your thoughts slow down.

For a moment, you’re silent before you narrow your eyes. “Instead of looking like you are about to punch me, perhaps a thank you is in order? You looked like you were in need of a sharp refocus.”

Scoffing, you turn towards the pond completely. “Thank you…” you mutter, adjusting how you sit.

“It was self defense. I honestly think it’s impressive you managed, despite being drugged.” The suitor shrugs, kneeling next to you but at a distance.

He’s not expecting a response and you don’t give him one. You simply shrug your shoulders and grab a stone to skip. 

You spend an annoyingly long amount of time trying to get thought of what you did out of your head. Their questions don’t leave, the thoughts refuse to back down. “I can’t recall most of what happened…”

“Are you looking to know?” The suitor looks up from the stick he’s chipping away at with his knife. You nod and he sighs, looking back down. “I was passing by when I heard the commotion. I decided to come see what was going on, figuring it would be more of the others fighting. I pass the time watching the less elegant fight over silly things. Instead, I found you sprayed with blood on the floor, looking as if you were about to drop dead. I saw the maid staggering back, knife embedded in her neck, shoulder covered in it. Then she dropped completely. I picked you up and carried you to the Queen for aid.”

“Thank you…” You pluck a wild flower and twirl it in between your fingers. “And I apologize for not trusting you… but I’m sure you can understand why I didn’t.”

“No need to thank me, princess. The queen gave me quite the heavy reward… not her hand, but money. Which I do see as a plus. I do enjoy spending time.” You hear a joking lilt in his tone as if he’s trying to show humor and, though you try to look for insincerity, you find nothing. 

“Why are you here?” You swallow knowing why, but are still curious.

“The throne, like any other suitor. I, however, am patient and if the day never comes, and it goes to the boy, then as an Ithacan born man, I have no troubles with such. I see no need to push past to achieve something through violence and pain. Antinous was the brute and well… you managed to tame the wolf. Very impressive, by the way.” Eurymachus smiles and you find yourself smiling back.

“He’s amazing… Antinous is… he’s certainly a wild beast, but he’s my beast. I don’t mind how possessive he can be, how violent he can get. I love him.” You mumble, eyes sparkling as you talk about Antinous.

The suitor nods, chuckling at your love-dazed expression. “I can tell you two are not nearly as different as I had originally thought. I suppose he’s smart, settling for your hand. He’s obsessed with you. I had thought he was going to claim the old king’s throne so he could have you. Here you are surprising everybody by loving him, erasing the need to go to extremes to claim you.” He speaks calmly and collected without any betrayal of an ulterior motive in his words.

Once again, silence passes over you. You dip your fingers into the water, glancing at your arm. The wound has mostly healed, leaving only a deep line over your arm.

A scar… aphrodite has tried to explain how it’s pretty, how Antinous will… well, probably be pissed off you got hurt, but then smile proud of the battle scar. However, you’ve seen the way your goddess stares… it’s healing well, it won’t be obvious, maybe a little thing…

“You keep looking at the healing wound. I doubt it will ruin your skin, princess.” He tosses a grapevine at you, and you glance at a maid retreating with a platter. You narrow your eyes and he holds up his hand. “She’s trustworthy… the one I get my information through.” He winks at you… winks… and the maid turns back at his words, giving him back a little flirty wiggle of her fingers.

You look between the two and try your hardest, not the judge, but it reflects on the raise of your brow, the way your lip curls up on one side… “You are far too comfortable with yourself right now.” You mutter, turning away from the display and popping a grape in your mouth.

He chuckles and shrugs as if he hadn’t just said something meant to be lewd. At least it wasn’t directed at you… 

When the sun begins to set, you stand up and glance back at him. “Good night.” You huff and step balk toward Saiya to head to your room.

She smiles and leaves you as you enter your room.

Chapter Text

Every day posed itself much the same. You would sit by the pond or walk the garden and run into Eurymachus or end up fighting some suitor and knocking them down. They started to come in pairs, sometimes trios. You’d end with a bruise or two but always end up winning the battle.

It boosted your confidence. You place your hands behind your back, walking alone for the first time since the incident. It’s been two months.

“You’re without the maid today?” You hum, turning to walk backwards and face the man you’ve come to see as a friend. He’s your lover’s closest friend and now yours. Long gone is your suspicion about his ulterior motives. In two months all he’s done is tend to wounds and bruises and sneak you information about the other suitors.

“I don’t really need her anymore. It’s been two months and I’ve shown most of the suitors by now that I don’t play around. I will hit back and win.” You hum, sounding a little like your lover in your words. “They don’t stand a chance. I’ve shown them that.” You giggle at yourself, turning back around so you don’t trip over your feet.

He walks faster until he’s walking side by side with you, observing the flowers. You take in the chilling autumn air, glancing at Eurymachus as he speaks. “Suppose that’s true. You do know how to assert your place. I’m sure Antinous will simply adore hearing about all the fist fights and knife fights his darling got into while he was away.” 

You chuckle and nod. “Yeah… he’ll freak out then probably wanna hit all night.” You hum having dropped formal speech a few weeks ago around him.

You take in the leaves starting to turn colors, the wilting flowers that are still beautiful in their own way and the gentle nip of the breeze. You can’t help but miss them both. It’s been two months. “Missing them won’t bring them home.” He sighs, which causes you to give him a half smile.

“You’re so observant.” You chuckle, shaking your head, then lean back onto your heels with a sigh. “Still, I can’t help it. I’m sure my brother would be very upset and untrusting of you in a worse way than I was. He still hates Antinous’ guts. I guess I’m worried it’s taken so long… I… I’m going to miss his birthday. It’s hard… that’s all.” You sigh.

The suitor nods, following you as you start walking with him again. “I understand that. It’s healthy to worry but you look far away, distracted and unfocussed at times. Too much of that and you’ll be unfocussed around the wrong person at the wrong time.” 

You chuckle, rolling your eyes. You’ve gotten used to his warnings, his weird pieces of advice. You take it as a concern even if you can’t tell why he says these things to you. “You’re usually around, so I’m sure you’ll slap me again if anything goes too far.” 

“I see that will never be lived down.” You shake your head as he sighs.

“Course not. You slapped the princess. Lucky it was for a good reason and that it helped, otherwise I would’ve hit harder.” He smiles, eyes shut, as he chuckles.

“I bet you would have.” He trails off and the two of you grow silent while the walk goes on.

Just before reaching the pond area, somebody comes rushing out of breath. You recognize the maid… the one that apparently sleeps with Eurymachus… “I am so sorry to interrupt your walk, but… it’s Saiya…”

Your heart drops… You know, two months of nothing but a few fights were too good to be true. “What about Saiya?” You step towards the maid.

“I… Somebody has already gone to tell the Queen… I’m so sorry that… We did what we could… I swear princess we…” You narrow your eyes stepping closer holding your head high, you square your shoulders taking on a posture exactly like Antinous. It boosts your confidence, makes it easier for others to see you as a threat. 

“Spit it out, or I swear your relationship with my friend will not matter.” You snap and she flinches, taking a shuddering breath and shutting her eyes.

“Saiya is dead.” The maid yelps, her head whipping to the side.

You’re not sure why you hit her… the adrenaline? The way your heart sinks to your stomach? “Lying… bitch… she’s not. I saw her this morning! I saw Saiya this morning, and she was fine! Saiya… she’s…”

The woman who reached out when your world was falling apart, who held you as you screamed in agony… while you sobbed… who let you rattle on your issues… the one person who you thought wouldn’t leave or judge you.

Your knees buckle, but you don’t drop to the ground. Even though you shove the suitor away, he holds firm, making sure you gently fall to the ground. “She can’t… can’t be dead… why would… Who would hurt her?”

You suck in a breath, trying not to cry, but the sobs reach anyway. You cling to yourself, the maid and Eurymachus exchanging looks that you can’t make out in your tears. You stare at the ground, counting the blades of grass to ground yourself.

When the sobs fade and you grasp the words completely, you sit in denial; you look to the maid. “Take me to her.” The maid fidgets, but nods. Eurymachus trails behind you cautiously, keeping his distance.

You follow the maid into the servants’ quarters. You stare at the floor. There’s no blood, so maybe she’s just… passed out… heavily…

You push her body.

“Saiya?”

“Saiya.”

“Saiya!”

Your voice raises each time you call for her. She never moves.

You drop your head as tears begin to blur your vision. “Everybody out…” when Eurymachus and a few are left, you snarl. “I SAID OUT!” you scream it at the top of your lungs and everybody clears. 

You grab the cold hand in yours and hold it to your cheek, sobbing.

Why?

She was kind, gentle, understanding, and sweet. What had she done to deserve this? Why was she dead? Why?

A comforting breeze wraps around you. She’ll have a beautiful afterlife child. You look at your goddess, tears running down your face. 

“But it’s Saiya… it’s not fair… I need her. I can’t… it’s not fair Aphrodite, it’s not fair.” You sob, feeling like a small and idiotic child as you ramble about how unfair this world is.

She wraps her embrace around you… aware of your suffering but unable to interfere. She hates seeing you in pain, seeing you suffer, but she also knows that revenge is sweet like nectar, and you will have it. 

The bloodshed to come will not be avoidable.

Your body shakes with the force of your cries as you hold on to your maid’s hands. She had been your closest ally, the only person in this castle who you had completely trusted. She could come and go in your room without you needing to keep an eye on her. The others aren’t as trustworthy or close to you.

There are a few faces you recall from the days of your isolation that had muttered hurtful words under their breath. There are the ones you have met once or twice who never seemed to get you… then there was Saiya.

She smiled, joked… even laughed with you. This… couldn’t be real. You pinch yourself and find you are awake. You sob harder, struggling to breathe through your hiccups and tiny gasps. 

Come look at this. You glance at your goddess and something that rolled under your maid’s bed. You reach under and grab it. “An earring?” You stare at it…

A gold earring…

You know this earring…

Isn’t this one of the earrings that Antinous took from you because he hadn’t given it to you? You sit on the bed and stare at the jewelry. “It’s a dead end.” You mumble, tossing the jewelry onto the small desk. 

You go over the entire room before you leave and head to your mother. You don’t know who to ask, who’s in your corner, so you will rely on your mother.

She is by your side the second you enter her chambers.

She holds onto you, wrapping her arms around you until you pull back, holding up an earring. “This was under her bed. It’s the same one Antinous took from me because they were from some random man that wasn’t him, apparently. I should have asked him if he figured it out… Whoever owned these earrings killed her… I…”

Penelope stares at you and you stare back, unable to see your reflection or understand the tension that spreads between the two of you.

Your eyes are clouded by a need for revenge, pain, and suffering. You hold yourself as tall as you can, an instance she’s never seen from you before. You’re hardly containing your anger and she pulls you close again. “Don’t be hasty… it’s okay to be upset, but do not let hate cloud your heart.” The queen moves her hands to her daughter’s shoulders.

Your mother looks you in the eyes, and you stare back. “I’m not… I just… I need to ask why.”

The queen shakes her head. “I have a maid we can bring into this. I trust her enough. She used to work with my husband and tended to Telemachus and you as infants when I was unavailable due to work.” She kisses your forehead as she takes the earring. “I will let you know if anything comes up. For now… you should go back to your room. I will hand pick somebody to tend to-”

“I don’t want… I… can I just stay here tonight… I don’t want to be pampered by a maid I don’t… Saiya was… I want Saiya, not some new woman.” You know you’re being difficult, but your mother dotes on you. She nods and ushers you to sit down.

She starts undoing your hair, pulling out the pins and unbraiding it. She pulls back the covers for you to snuggle into. “How is your appetite?”

“I can’t eat with what happened.” You answer her truthfully and Penelope nods, patting you on your head. 

“I am so sorry that this happened. First, a servant attacks you, then a person murders your personal maid… I’m starting to think it might be safer to stay in your room. I won’t force it, but maybe you keep to yourself for a bit.” She’s pleading with you, but you shrug.

“I can’t…” you mutter, grabbing onto the covers and getting comfortable in your mother’s bed. You haven’t done something like this since you were little.

She sighs, shaking her head. “try to rest. I will be here if you should wake, my dear.” She spares you a kind smile.

She walks away and summons a servant slipping outside her room to talk to the maid. “Find out who has the opposite earring. I do not care what you do to get this information. I need my daughter safe. I must know who did this.” The servant takes the earring and rushes off to check the other servant's rooms. 

Penelope steps back into her room and begins her loom. She only has a few more months at most to finish. The suitors found out about her weaving tactic. She will need to come up with another task, an impossible challenge of sorts, to keep them away from her again. 

You drift off, waking up every so often with a cry, sob, or scream. You did not get too much continuous sleep, which meant your mother also gets none. You feel bad but it’s not your fault your mind keeps pulling you back to the murder… her lifeless body.

It makes you so mad. To think somebody got away with it, that it happened in the palace… When you find out who did it, you are going to make them pay.

Chapter Text

You watch the days pass sitting in your mother’s room. You ignore everybody and everything as you mourn. 

You sniffle, wiping your eyes as a servant slips into the room. “I have news.” You snap your head to your mother, then the servant. The Queen motions for the woman to come closer. She holds out the earrings in a pair, her eyes on you. “It is not good news. After days of looking into this matter, foul play is inconclusive. The other earing was found with a maid who nobody had ever seen around Saiya.”

You frown, turning your head back to the gardens below. “Then look harder. I know everyone is aware it was foul play. You don’t drop dead like that. Poison, strangulation… something.”

“There were wounds on her body… but the other maids claim she had such wounds for several days leading up to this day. She’d return late into the night, limping.” You bite your cheek, staring out at the garden so as to not storm over there and shove the insolent older woman.

“I do not hit my maids.” You snap, pulling your knees to your chest and gripping the silk of your chiton tightly. “Have you looked in to see if she was…” Your chest stammers and you run your hands through your hair. “If she was…”

“Were any of the wounds sexual in a way?” Penelope finishes your question for you.

“It is possible that was the cause.” You stand up, balling your hands into fists.

Your mother glances at you, tilting her head. “I need air. I’m going to go for a walk.” You shove past the servant and out the door, storming down the stairs and through the halls. You don’t bother to acknowledge the suitors who pause and back away. 

You step into the gardens feeling the breeze on your skin. Step by step, you let your mind wander approaching the pond.

Your disgust and anger turns into tears and you lean against a tree trying to hold back sobs. Your knees buckle and you slide down to your knees. You grab a stone and chuck it with a scream before tangling your hands in your hair. 

You’re sinking again… without anybody to pull you out this time. Your brother isn’t here to reach out his hand… your lover isn’t here to hold on to you. Saiya is gone… you’re alone. Completely alone aside from your mother. 

Your thoughts spiral and you close off the surrounding sounds. Vulnerability wraps around you in a space where you know it’s dangerous to show that side. You clutch choke on sobs both from your anguish, rage and the guilt. How long had she been suffering without talking to you about it? She was your friend, your maid, your closest companion. Why hadn’t she told you anything?

You shake your head, trying not to lose yourself in guilt. It’s not your fault she was suffering. It’s the men… the bastards who did this to her. 

But if you had known… would she be alive today?

You’re too lost in the what ifs to hear the approaching footsteps. To lost in your grief, to react in time. There’s nobody to warn you, nobody around to scream for help. 

You snap from your thoughts when unfamiliar hands grab yours and pull them behind. You suck in a breath and scream only for the sound to be muted by a hand. You narrow your eyes and rock back, slamming your head into the man’s chin. They drop on their ass, but their legs come around your waist, keeping you locked to them.

You struggle squirming and lashing out, going so far as to try to dislocate your shoulder so you can turn around. You’re not sure how long you and the strange man sit on the ground trying to subdue the other before your body is beyond exhausted. 

You give one last attempt and manage to get a wrist free and elbow the man in the stomach. You try to reach for your weapon only to recall you came from your mother’s room, not yours. You don’t have it on you. 

In a panic, you lunge to get away, but the man grabs your ankle, tugging you back down. You kick at his chest, confused. It’s like they know your moves, know the defence tactics you use. He’s kept his crotch away from where you might kick, making it impossible for you to hit pressure points… and weak points in his holds are also inaccessible for the most part. He grabs your wrists, forcing them above your head.

Your heart hammers in your chest the closer this man gets. Your face is in the dirt, his hands inching up the fabric of your chiton.

You shut your eyes, holding your breath, praying and pleading…

You snap your eyes up to the sound of a grunt accompanying the weight lifted from you. You scramble away, tears brimming in your eyes. “It’s unlike you to lose to a single man. One that isn’t even all that large.” You stare and Eurymachus lip trembling. He tosses you his knife. Then nods his head at the man. “You look like you need an outlet, Princess.” He takes a step aside.

For a minute, something deep in your chest and mind consider it. You grip the handle and zero in on the man recovering from the rough kick to his side. You press your foot on his chest, breathing ragged.

You don’t catch the gleam in your “friends” eyes or the way he focuses on your struggle. You raise the blade but recall Telemachus… his eyes when you’d gone too far that one time. The way he’d looked… scared and concerned for you.

The blade drops from your finger and you kick the man a few times. “Fucking disappear before I change my mind.” You hiss venom through your teeth.

You don’t catch the frown on Eurymachus’ lips, or the way he hardens his gaze.

When you turn to him, he’s empathetic, staring at you with worry. You’re silent as you sit by the pond. “Once more, your warnings prove useful.” You huff.

“You’re lucky I was taking my daily walk, Princess. That could have ended up very differently.” He sighs, shaking his head as he observes you.

Staring blankly at the water, you stare at your hands. “I know… I… I wasn’t thinking, okay? Saiya… they think she was raped for days and that it’s possible whoever did it was cleaning up after themselves, got bored… a-and I didn’t notice. I should have noticed.”

He sighs, shaking his head. “How could you? If you were never told, why would you feel guilty? I doubt she kept it out of a lack of trust. Perhaps she was… protecting your spirit. You appear much more fragile than you think, princess.” He curls his words in a tone you can’t quite sift through or place. 

“What?” You turn your head to him and he shrugs.

“I mean it as no insult. You’re considered a treasure among the suitors, looked at with envy and disgust by servants. Some consider the possibility you could be used to persuade the Queen. I’ve told you this before.” You nod, but your eyes narrow. “You hold yourself in a way that mimics Antinous when you feel threatened. It’s different from when you’re ticked off at somebody. That gleam that says you’ll kill to survive isn’t there when you feel cornered or… alone. If anything, I’ve heard suitors say just how mouthwatering that look is… when your eyes are dull, reddened and puffy from crying, your hair down and messy. You look less and less confident as the days go on, princess.” He eyes you with a look that sends a shiver down your spine.

You try to make sense of it, but you dumb it down to a warning look, a look that is supposed to drive in his point. “I am plenty confident. If I’m not distracted, I can take on three suitors at once. I can handle myself. He caught me off guard, that’s it.” You click your tongue, pulling your knees to your chest as you look away.

You sit in silence until nightfall, where he offers to accompany you through the palace. You shake him off. You don’t need help. You are perfectly able to do things on your own. 

You’re unable to sleep that night, tossing and turning. You don’t wish to bother your mother.

Silently, you push open the door to your room and head down the halls, headed towards the kitchen for some wine… maybe if you drink yourself stupid in your room, you’ll get some shuteye. You can deal with the hangover later. 

It’s purely coincidental.

You stop at the hushed voice of a woman. “She’s naive. Apparently she was unaware of what was happening to that suck-up.” You recognize the voice, the one who came to get you about Saiya.

You stop and lean against the kitchen door. “Really? All of us thought it was obvious. Poor woman was favored but clearly not enough to be paid extra attention to. Seriously though, any fool should be able to see it. She was limping and bruised.” the servant snickers.

“I know… she cared enough to investigate the slut, but not enough to care before. She’s such a hypocrite. Though I pity Saiya. She got stuck with the princess who whores herself out to Antinous. The queen is certainly forgiving because if I were her, I would have never let that wretch out of her room. She’s causing so much trouble, too. I keep an eye on her for Eury and trust me, it’s annoying. She sits on her high hoarse like she owns the place. She’s just lucky nobody has gained up to show her where she sits.” You gape at the words, trying to process everything.

“That is so messed up. She’s just a spoiled brat. I’m thinking Saiya was killed by the man using her every night. Too bad the princess didn’t care enough to do anything.” The other one chimes in with a sneer.

“Half correct. I was hoping she’d get the Queen to let me replace Saiya after setting things up so nicely for it, but noooo, the bitch of a princess won’t even accept a new maid. Get over it. She was a servant, nothing meaningful.” Your hands ball into fists as you stare down the door.

“Oh, so you’re the one who drove her to it?” The other maid snickers.

“Obviously. You know Saiya scolded me as if she had the right to just because she was the princesses favorite. She told me I was betraying the crown by sleeping with a suitor and that she didn’t trust his excellent timing or heroics one bit. Like, what was she on? She’s over here acting like that whore isn’t sleeping with a suitor. Like that bitch is fucking Antinous, knowing he beat on her brother and harassed her mother. It’s different, leagues different, so what right does the princess little servant have scolding me about who I sleep with?” She huffs, whining.

You have half the mind to barge in there and dish out discipline right then and there… You’re conflicted between the betrayal and the shock. Did Eurymachus know? He couldn’t have. This woman hasn’t really implied she was taking orders. You push against the door before you drop your hands.

Instead of going into the kitchen unarmed and without any backup, you storm through the halls and up your mother’s room. 

However, when you reach her door, you hear the sounds of her fast asleep. You drop your gaze to the floor. An idea pops into your head. What if you let your friend dish it out to his playtoy? How would the servant look if it was the man she’s sleeping with shoving her away, maybe even hitting her down, cursing her out?

You take a deep breath and make your way down the stairs. You hold your head high as you walk down the halls. 

You sit on your bed, letting the anger stir in your heart. You should heed your mother’s words. Let her deal with this. Confronting him is a poor decision.

You glance at your goddess strewn out in the lounge corner of your room. “I… why should I try to be a bigger person? She killed my friend. She killed Saiya. She’s lucky I don’t… I don’t demand eye for an eye! She works for us! She is in the palace as a servant to the crown. How dare she talk about me like that! How dare she touch my maid?” You grab a pillow and chuck it at the door. “I have sobbed for days because of her… because of a servant who… who turned her back on the crown she is supposed to be loyal to!” You raise your voice, anger only growing.

The goddess stares pity reflected in her eyes. You are walking into a wolf’s den. It’s a stupid decision! Let it be dealt with when the wolf of Ares comes back, when your brother returns.

You shake your head, digging your nails into your palms. “No.” 

Insolent idiotic child! Fine, but I will not be there to witness the outcome of your idiotic decision! The goddess hisses and before you can rethink your attitude, she is gone, leaving you alone in the darkness of your room.

You force yourself to sleep despite the hate consuming your heart.

Chapter Text

Waking that morning, you sit at your vanity staring at the jewelry. You purposefully grab the gold Antinous liked. The pieces he would stare at, the ones he’d run his fingers over. You make yourself look the best you’ve looked since they left. 

You wear your finest clothes, your best shoes… everything must be perfect, so you make sure of it. Even without the input of your goddess, you manage to outshine your usual daily outlook. You hide your dagger in the silks, then shove open the doors to your room. 

Every step you take is made with fury boiling in your veins. You walk down every hall without dodging the populated ones. You don’t look at the suitors directly but any that allow a lingering gaze get a nasty glare and a snarl. They back off immediately, averting back to their conversations or other observations.

You’ve never dared to step foot here.

You turn a corner, and all eyes are on you. The talking stills, the eyes of suitors focus on you before glancing at their fellow suitors. You ignore their whispers, their odd looks of confusion and lust. 

You let nothing falter in your steps, let nothing change your mind, or let you cower out on what you are about to do. You slam open the doors to the great hall. You ignore the struggles of the men trying to string an old bow. You don’t care. You don’t care about their hurried attempts at claiming your mother’s hand. The only thing you care about is the humiliation and bloodshed of the woman responsible for taking Saiya from you. 

The suitors don’t get in your way as you track through the parting crowd. You spot Eurymachus sitting on a table drinking glass in hand. His eyes widen for a split moment before he tilts his head to the side. He seems to take note of the ire behind your eyes. “Well, well, what brings the princess here? Overseeing the Queens challenge, perhaps?” 

You shake your head, balling your hands into fists. You point to the woman leaning over to refill his glass. “Servants talk behind closed doors. Doors that are not soundproof. Last night was interesting, to say the least. The guts your bitch of a servant has to show her face anywhere around me with the bile she spits about me… with what she admitted to.”

The maid freezes, overfilling the suitor’s class a little. Eurymachus licks the spillage from his arm, staring at you with a gaze that seems almost uncaring. “Oh? And what is it she said?”

You are taken aback for a moment before you scowl. “She killed Saiya. She took the life of my friend then went and bragged about it. She slandered my name as well, if murder isn’t enough of a reason.” You hiss, stepping closer to the man.

He turns back towards the woman, “did you now?” 

“I… it… I was only.” He slaps the woman clean across the cheek and she stumbles, dropping the pitcher of wine onto the floor. It rolls to your feet.

“Satisfied princess?” He looks at you unamused, as if he finds this display childish. The maid glares at the ground.

“Kill her. She’s your plaything.” You hold your head high.

There’s an audible murmur in the crowd that goes through one ear and out the other… completely ignored. “Why would I do that?” Eurymachus scoffs, raising a brow. “Isn’t it your job to deal with this, princess?”

You narrow your eyes and grab the woman by her hair, pulling out your dagger. She looks to the suitor she’s been messing around with, pleading. You bring the blade to her throat and she screams, but before she can plead, her body drops and you stare at the blood seeping out from beneath her. “Next time, keep your toys in check. Maybe think of this as a warning. I do not mess around.” 

You take three steps before the circle closes. “Aw, come on, stick around a bit.” A suitor steps forward. You recognize this one from the other day. It’s not because you’re scared or nervous… it’s just a reaction you can’t control. You take a step back.

“I am not in the mood for your games.” You snarl, gripping your knife in your hand.

You forget how violent these suitors are. The way he lunges at you seems drunken. You hit him in the crotch, then his chest and glare. They’re testing your patience.

“Come on, princess, no need to get so defensive. Eurymachus says you’re a talker, so come on, talk with us, drink a little. One of us is gonna end up ya mother’s husband. Best get to know us.” Another nameless face calls out to you and you scoff in disgust.

“I have better things to do than sit around with a bunch of scum.” You hiss through your teeth.

“Ha, and yet you fucked one of us? Ya know, the man ain't here to tell us of his whore.” You gape and shake your head to clear away the insult. 

You duck past the grabbing hand of one and then another. You kick back one in the stomach and take steps back towards the center of the room. You glare and hold up your blade. “I swear if you don’t let me leave the same way you let me in, I will do to you what I did to that whore.” You hiss through your teeth and swing at the next man who aims to grab you.

He staggers back with a hiss, holding his arm. You spit in his direction as another rushes forward. You spin on your feet, slashing towards them with a knife. They step back, narrowly missing the tip of the knife.

You glance to Eurymachus and he shrugs. What do you expect him to do about this? He’s not Antinous. He can’t take every suitor gaining up on you the way that monster could. He feigns concern for a bit, watching to see if you have a chance before he acts and picks his side.

You scoff, dashing for an opening, only to jolt back when a man tries to side slam you. You end up with a fist connecting to your cheek. You reach up, then spit out blood. You stab through the man’s fist, which was a dumb mood because he grabs the knife as he tugs away his hand, ripping it from your fingers.

You square your shoulder and adjust your footing. Fine then.

You duck punches and throw your own, playing just as dirty as the suitors. You knee them in the crotch, hit their windpipes without caution for their safety. “She really thinks she’ll hold out.” Somebody shouts as an elbow hits your back. You yelp, stumbling forwards as another’s fist uppercuts your jaw.

You taste copper and spit, wiping your lips again. You’re far from defenseless… you know that you aren’t a damsel that needs saving.

…

But perhaps you had let your wins get the better of you. Perhaps you had thought that if you were able to evade the worst of them, you could evade and win against any of them. What a fool you feel like right now. You should have confronted him in private, but you wanted to drive a point in. You would not sit back and let this happen to you and the people you care about.

You thought they were staying away because you could handle yourself. You thought that Antinous still held them all under his grasp, even away. What had you expected?

Did you honestly believe they would leave you alone? That Antinous would still be enough to scare these desperate men. They all seem to know the threats that seem to be holding back their ambitions. You are one of those threats, a piece in their game that isn’t playing how they need it to. 

Did you think they would be cautious with Antinous away for so long with no knowledge of when he may return? They step closer, emboldened by your slowing movements. You stumble as a fist hits your eye and another slams your head into the table.

You wince, feeling warmth spread from your forehead. You look at your friend with pleading eyes that he’ll say something…

Against one... or even two sure you could wave the knife cuss and hold your own, but three was a stretch, four a challenge... and five? You’re out of your league… completely out of your capabilities. You need help. You need his help. 

You stumble back unsteadily, your eyes narrowing despite the way your vision swims and your head throbs. You try holding onto the confidence you had walking in here, but there is nothing. You reach for your goddess, but there is nothing. She meant what she said last night.

Once again you look at Eurymachus… he stands in the center now, chalice still in hand. He holds his head to the side and tilts it. A smirk pulls onto his lips as he raises the cup to his lips. “Ah, who do you think was behind everything, princess?” He speaks so sweetly it only twists the knife in your heart deeper.

You trusted him.

You stagger back as somebody grabs your shoulders and hikes their knee into your stomach. You stumble, trying not to trip, but a light shove from another suitor sends you to your knees. You blink, trying to stop your tears. “What?” You cough, blood dripping down your lips as you try to get back on your feet.

Eurymachus shrugs, turning his back to you. “Carful, you don’t want to kill the sweet thing. The treasure will still make a nice prize to winning the throne. Though I doubt any of us will string the bow. It’s a nice backup plan to have, though.” He takes his spot back at the center. He holds himself in a higher way than you recall Antinous holding himself. There’s this look in his eyes… something akin to triumph. “Break her.”

And yet he never dirties his own hands, never so much as breathes within an inch of you as their feet connect to your stomach or push you down every time you try to stand. “Did you… was it you?”

“Who had his way with your maid? She screamed a bit too much for my liking.” You had been spending those days talking, smiling, even laughing with the man who had been hurting Saiya.

You shake, a sob leaving your lips. With a bout of anger, you grab a dagger of a suitor and lunge for him. He hisses, grabbing your wrist and twisting it. You yelp at the unexpected force of his grip. He sets his chalice down, then grabs your chin, eyes raking over your expression. “I wonder if you’ll scream loud enough to attract your mother’s attention. Seeing that I’ve confirmed her care for you… but would she give you away to keep us off the throne?”

Your heart sinks. The others stare at Eurymachus. “Ay, you’ll share, right? We did all the work beating down her spirit, man.”

“You know, I hear that Antinous and the prince are on their way home… if we gather by the beach, take them by surprise, we could get rid of the lone wolf and the little wolf… leave the crown without an heir.” You glare, pulling despite the pain that spreads through every inch of your body and the copper in your mouth.

“I hope you rot.” You sneer as he drops you at his feet and slams his foot against your face. 

“With no prince, nobody to keep us off the little treasure, we could make a deal. Penelope can either give us her hand and we don’t keep the prize… Or we take the throne by force and keep the princess. Have fun with one, then the other.” He was a master at patience, but even the most patient of men fall undone at some point.

He reaches out as you scramble away, appalled by his ideas. He grabs you by the throat and pulls you to him. 

“I doubt she’ll mind if we sample a little first… see what caught Antinous by the throat.” His hand cuts off your air supply and you flail.

His lips are on yours before you can blink. You shake your head and push on his chest. 

It’s not just his hands… You can kick all you like to cause them to stumble away, but there are so many of them waiting, buying time to join in.

…

It’s not fair… you want Antinous… You want your brother…

Chapter Text

You ran out of tears… 

You’re not sure when, but you did…

You bounce between the edge of unconsciousness and being painfully aware. 

You lose focus, dissociate, and focus on anything but the present.

They left you on the ground some time ago…

You don’t notice the arrow that flies by your face… the crash of the bodies around you one by one…. You don’t pay mind to recognize the hands that pull you back. Shouts become buzzing hums as you squirm without enough energy to actually move. 

A man bends in front of you. You hadn’t realized he’d dragged you away from the crowded space. You make a feeble attempt to cover yourself as your eyes force themselves to stare at the man…

You freeze and then drop your gaze in shame. “I shouldn’t have left.” Antinous sneers pulling off the world’s skin and draping it over you. “Fuck, I should have knifed him down more than that. I should have made him wait… killed him last… how fucking dare they!” He grabs your chin but his touch is light as he inspects the bruising, the cuts… “say something, damn it…”

“Antinous?” Your vision is speckled, blurry and unfocused, so it’s difficult to see him right, but you recognize his frame, his voice.

“By The gods… Come on… you need to get back to your room. I doubt you can walk…” He picks you up without hesitating. He manages to fend off any visitors who try to take him down. He keeps you over his shoulder so his hand is free. Reaching your room, he drops you on the bed and paces. 

“Telemachus?” You sniffle, struggling to get your throat to produce a sound.

“Behind me by quite a bit. I… Ares told me I needed to run, that if I didn’t get here in time… but I was still late… I was still… FUCK.” He slams his hand against the wall and you flinch. “I knew he was a two-faced bastard, but… touching you? Harming my fucking… I should have ripped into him, made him scream.”

You pull the wolf skin tighter around you as a muffled whine leaves your lips. He flinches, running a hand through his curls. “What have you done to me… gods caring about you like this…” He mutters, looking around your room. He grabs a cloth and disappears for a moment to grab a bucket of water.

He kneels beside you, but you shake your head. “I…”

“Y/n, you’re bleeding… You’re hurt, stop… just let me help. I don’t see Saiya around anywhere, so let me do this.” He snarls, trying not to lash out. He sees your lip tremble and then the fresh tears. He startles and backs away, raising his hands. “Hey… hold on, I didn’t…”

“Dead…” You don’t bother to wipe your tears any longer. You notice Antinous eyes flash and turn back to the door.

“Stay put… I mean it. Don’t step foot outside this room until I, your brother, or that damned old king step foot in this room.” He barks the order.

Old king? Your eyes widen… Is Odysseus home? Your father is home.

You, however, don’t move… you curl under covers and listen to the screams outside the door…

For several hours, all you can hear are the screams of the falling suitors. 

Silence falls and you still remember cocooned in your blankets. The door creaks open and you hold on to them tighter before you notice the woman stepping inside. She stops, then runs to you. Her arms pull away the blankets as she holds onto you. “My gods… oh, by the gods. Why? If I had known, I would have been there. I would have stalled Y/n… I failed you again… my sweet child. Your father is home… your brother is too… and… that man is still standing… being drilled by your father, but he is also home.” She cups your cheek before lifting you.

She spends time on every wound caring for you. It’s a servant’s job, but she doubts you will trust any maid or servant you do not specifically pick out. 

You were expecting her to scold your foolishness… to be angry. You’re not sure how to react to this… to the scrubbing of the soap over your skin… to the soft hands that dry you and the smooth application of ointments on your skin. 

You doze off at some point… but wake up when she goes to lift you into her arms again. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you.” You shake your head, still silent, as she finds something comfortable to dress you in before taking you to your bed. She sets you on the bed and puts her forehead to yours. “I gave you something for the pain… has it done anything?”

You shrug… “Dad?” You look at her and Penelope nods. She stands, pats you on the head and walks to the door. She pushes it open and leaves you alone for a few minutes.

You stare at the man you can hardly recognize… What’s more shocking than his beggar appearance is the fact he has Antinous by the ear. Antoniou is far taller than Odysseus, and yet he’s being dragged along like a rag doll.

You crack a small smile and snicker in your cocoon of blankets. The king releases the man and you spot your brother stepping from behind your mother. You have to give yourself a moment to process things.

No way…

He grew… your brother grew… he’s taller than his father, still shorter than mother, but still… and he’s not a stick anymore. What in the underworld happened in those two months? “Sis!” Telemachus races for you first, tossing his arms around you. You wince and he backs off apologizing, but his lip trembles. “If… if I knew this was gonna happen I wouldn’t have left. I’m so sorry… I’m so sorry.” You reach up to flick him on the forehead.

Same old idiot prince. “I’m… I’ll be okay… now I’m more curious about what happened between us.” You motion between your father and Antinous. 

“I gave him a beating.” Your father is blunt. Holding his head up is obvious distaste.

You nod and stare. “Your son of a-” he trails off, crossing his arms as he leans against a wall. “Your brother very loudly introduced us properly by saying, ‘oh and this is the man fucking my sister.’ Brat.” He scoffs and you snort. “It’s not funny Little Fox.” 

“It is tough…” You hum winking at him. It’s easier to ignore what happened and act like you’re fine. To act as if you don’t feel like vomiting. Your brother might not notice and your father has been gone too long to pick up on your signals, but Antinous sees it… Antinous grips his arms tightly. 

“I’m sorry I took so long n/n” You shrug and look anywhere but your father.

“I… don’t really use that nickname anymore… It’s childish.” You mumble. You catch the way he looks to his wife, then his son, for guidance. 

Telemachus steps forward, clearing his throat. “What he means is that he wishes he could have gotten home faster so this… this wouldn’t have happened.” You move back on the bed.

“I…” You want to go back to laughing, making jokes. You don’t want to talk about it, don’t want to think about it.

Antinous pushes off the wall with a scoff. “Back off princy. She doesn’t want to re-live it. Drop it. Apologies don’t fix it.”

Penelope sets a hand on her husband’s shoulder, shaking her head. “He’s… always this outspoken. And I fear we do… owe him.” The tension in the king fades as he sighs, bringing a hand up to pinch the bridge of his nose. 

“So… uh, everybody is all introduced then?” You swallow thickly, wanting to curl up and disappear. 

Antinous sits on the bed, and you inch towards him. “Why don’t we let them have some time alone?” Penelope sighs looking at her son and husband. 

Odysseus nods, but he narrows his eyes at the man by his daughter.

Alone with him, you tear up again. “Are you… upset with me?”

“What? No… gods no… I’m… frustrated is all. What were you doing in that hall?” He isn’t pointing fingers, simply trying to understand.

And so you tell him everything.

He listens, but rage sits behind his eyes. “I should have given Eurymachus a more painful death.” He snarls, shaking his head.

You nod and lay down, setting your head on his lap. “Now the only worry is convincing my father to let you marry me… Good luck with that, by the way.”

“Listen, if that brat hadn’t introduced me like that, I would have had an easier time. You know the little shit grinned ear to ear when he talked to the king? He… I swear I’m gonna slap him.” Antinous grumbles.

“What did I say about hitting my brother?” you pout, joking around with him. Antinous snickers rolling his eyes.

He tucks hair behind your ear. “I know… i know…” he sighs, allowing himself a genuine smile.

IT took weeks to heal… to feel alright. Occasionally, you would talk to your mother or father about what happened.

It became common to find Antinous bickering with Telemachus or to find them sparing against your father.

You lean over a balcony without a scar or mark on your body staring at the blooming spring flowers. “You truly love him, don’t you?” You glance over to your mother, who stares longingly at her husband.

“I do…” You hum tucking a strand of hair behind your ear. 

“I have no reason to say no… and by the looks of it, Odysseus has already started to bond with him.” Your mother shakes her head as Odysseus swipes the wolf off his feet. “I do not get tired of seeing that prideful man fall on his rear and stare in shock.”

“I imagine it’s a change… well, at least in a fight.” You hum watching him with adoration.

“For tradition’s sake, will you let him properly court you?” She ignores your innuendo and you snicker.

“If that’s what it takes to get the blessing to wed… then properly court, we shall.” You smile and wave down at Antinous. He rolls his eyes but your destruction gets him wacked onto his butt by your brother. You burst into laughter as he hisses strings of curses audible even from the balcony.

Your mother stayed true to her word. She managed to convince your father and Antinous did his best to prove he deserved you. Not that he’d stop seeing you even if the king and queen chased him out.

The wedding wasn’t huge… it was more a formality than anything… and you were permitted to stay in the castle. 

You made a small grave for Saiya alongside the one for the child you’d lost. 

It’s a happy ending… bitter-sweet because there’s a person missing, and you’ll never completely forget what happened to you, but you got your ending. 

Antinous drapes his arms over you, a possessive sigh leaving his lips as his hand trails down your stomach. It’s strange to think that this is your ending. 

That you’re both alive, expecting… and still welcome in the family.

The arm wrestles, the jokes, the laughter… you lean your head back looking at your husband. “I love you.” You hum.

“Course you do, Vixen…” You furrow your brows and he scoffs, leaning in to peck your lips. “I… love you to… happy?” You giggle, reaching up to cup his cheek in your hand…

“Very happy.” He sighs, rolling his eyes. 

Aphrodite Smiles, watching from afar, leaned against her lover. They make quite the pairing. She hums.

A perfect pairing that should have ended in tragedy but persevered to achieve their imperfect but happy endings.

Chapter Text

Why? That is all you could think of as you stare at him. He pretended to be a safe place for you. Acted as if his hands would never hurt you. You had bought every word.

You were alone, without anybody to turn to. Penelope still loathes you, refusing to see you even after you’d nearly been killed. She’d said nothing, wouldn’t let you into her room… You shove a suitor of you and scramble gripping your chiton. “She won’t… She won’t care! I… stop it… please. Eury… Antinous will kill you when he gets home. He’ll have each and every neck here… I won’t say a word. I swear I won’t say a word if you just let me walk away. I swear on my life.” You wipe away tears, but he stalks towards you.

He grabs one wrist and pulls it above you. You stumble to get your feet on the floor so you’re not dangling from his grasp. “I have already made that observation, Princess. You’ll still come in handy when it comes to taking care of the prince and Antinous. I had everything perfectly set to take the throne until you came onto the board and messed it up. It’s really your fault for not sitting back and letting the world play out from your chambers. The very fact that she let you out of that room was agitating.”

He yanks you close to his face, shaking his head. “Please… you don’t need to do this…” You hiccup, reaching for the weapon on his belt. He grabs your other wrist and pushes you back against the table. 

“Oh-ho, the little things are finally getting put down.” The taunts and cheers of the suitors call out as they close in, forming a circle to watch. “Come on, share. Let us get a bite, too.” 

You’ve felt fear before…

But not like this… not the sinking feeling in your chest. You’ve never felt helpless like this. Your heart feels as if it may beat right out of your chest. He looks harmless in comparison to the oversized men that make up the suitors, and yet his grip is tighter than any you’ve ever felt before. Your lips tremble… “Please… I’m begging… don’t.” 

“Oh-ho, the high and mighty princess is begging! Hey, make her do it again.” A few call out further and the man pinning you against the table sighs, but a cruel smile lifts on his expression.

“Brothers, she’d snap if we had what we wanted right now. We were too rough breaking her attitude down.” You let out a small sigh of relief, but he leans down to your ear. “You have a choice princess… scream and struggle, I get my way, but so do they. Shut up and come along silently to my room and we’ll go through how this will work.” 

You narrow your eyes but his hand falls and moves down your front, grabbing the edges of your chiton. You flinch and nod… “talk… please… please don’t…” You sniffle and he pulls you standing.

The suitors part for him grumbling.

 “No fair…” 

“He better share the bitch at some point.” 

“I’ve been keeping it in my tunic since I laid eyes on her. This sucks.”

“Whore.”

You stare at the ground, heart hammering in your chest…

You try to keep up with the pace. You look to servants but none spare you a glance or move from their spots. Why…. What had you done to deserve this?

Eurymachus shoves you into his room and shuts the door, locking it. You scramble as far as you can from him. He crosses that distance in three strides. He grabs you, pushing you to his bed. “W-wait you.. You said.” He shuts you up, pressing his lips against yours. You shake your head, hitting against his chest. 

“I will drag you back out there.” He sneers and you freeze, opting for tears. “I said we would talk. I did not say right away. Honestly, after everything, I’d expect you to have learned not to take what I say face value.” He tucks a strand of your hair behind your ear in a mockingly gentle approach.

You shake your head, bite your lip… “Please… I can give you information… I’ll go behind her back… I… please don’t do this… I’m begging you… anything but this.”

“You’ll give all of that either way.” He runs his free hand down your top, pausing over your chest. His breath hitches before he reaches to grab rope. “I was expecting a confrontation, eventually. I wasn’t expecting you to be dumb enough to approach enemy territory. Hastening things through like this…” He sighs, nearly cutting off the circulation in your hands as he ties them above you. 

You sob, making it as difficult as possible for him until his hand swipes across your cheek in obvious annoyance. You yelp, stiffening which allows him to tie the knot. “Y-you don’t need to do this.”

“How observant.” He mocks you as he slides, takes his dragged down the front of your clothes, getting rid of everything in one fell swoop. You try to curl away, but that gets you nicked with the blade. He rolls his eyes. “Dramatic.” he sits back observing you with a content hum. “No wonder Antinous kept running back to you. Every bruised and bloody, no mortal woman compares to you. They should have kept you locked in that room, hidden away.”

He tosses away the tattered clothes and the knife. His hands grasp onto your breasts and fondle them. You wince and sob. They're rough and calloused touch is nothing like Antinous… Antinous is rough, but he keeps you in mind. He’s rough and not aggressive. This pales in comparison… hurts and makes you uncomfortable.

He doesn’t care about that. Don’t care that your mouth is clamped shut and your eyes squeezed tightly. For now, he’s exploring the curves of your body. He presses on bruises just to hear your pained cry. He twists your nipples in his fingers, pinches them until you try to shy away from the discomfort. His hands travel lower and your fight kicks back in. 

You kick at his chest and cross your ankles. He scoffs, meeting your glare. 

He rests his hands on your knees and fights you. You squirt and struggle while he attempts to pry your legs apart. You try to ignore the way he seems to enjoy that. The fight… he grows tired of it before you do and sighs.

He grabs something from his drawers after a bit of searching. He grabs your leg and yanks hard enough you swear you hear it pop. You use your free leg to kick him. He forces your leg up and out in a position that is beyond painful and has you curving to keep your legs shut.

He does the same thing with the others… He runs his fingers over your thighs, then through your folds and into your cunt. He nods to himself as he pulls them back coated in your slick. He fumbles with his tunic, moving the fabric out of the way.

He slams into you with a groan… You wince biting your lip as your limbs fight the bindings… pain… he digs his hands into your thighs as he rocks in and out without considering how you’re doing.

You bite your lips and shut your eyes, but he slaps you narrowing his. You are so forced to watch him. He continues on chasing his pleasure with no regard for the pain he’s causing. 

He folds your legs further back as his hips stutter and he rams into you harder than before. You shiver, disgusted at the feeling of his load inside. He doesn’t stop…

He pushes back on your legs until you wince in pain, unable to fold further in half. He grunts and groans as he slams into you deeper with every thrust. You start slipping in and out of consciousness… At some point your cries of pain start to sound more like whines and breathless shakes of pleasure… that serves to increase your tears makes you feel like you’ve betrayed Antinous even if this isn’t your choice, even if it’s not what you wanted… to have this man’s cock pounding into you.

You try to think of Antinous, but Eurymachus never lets your attention drift, never lets you drift out of focus. You know the knot building in your stomach and shake your head… you won’t… you won’t… but he’s hitting that devastatingly undoing spot with every thrust, his lips pulled back in a cruel smirk. Your sobs mix with obnoxious sounds as you spasm around him. “Good girl, that’s a good toy.” You glare at him through tears as he rocks inside, getting as deep as he can for his climax.

He pulls out, pushing himself back into his clothes. “I certainly understand how you managed to grab Antinous.” He sits there for a minute, eyeing your disheveled form. He doesn’t let you move as he stands and sits on his desk. 

“Wha…” He rolls his eyes when you tug on the bindings.

“Eventually, give it a bit. You look much more appealing than hiding, like some animal.” He picks up a guild and dips it into an inkpot. “By the time the prince and Antinous return, you’ll already have a child. We’ll be married and I will have enough power to get rid of Penelope… which is a shame I was hoping to be king by her side. She’s a spirited woman, but you’ll do just fine.”

“I’m not her biological child…” You whisper, hoping it will save you.

“Oh no, I know that princess. I figured that out a while ago. I can’t as well fuck a child into Penelope. That was the original plan. See, if it had turned out she did care enough about you, I would have offered her a deal. But seeing as she clearly does not hold you high enough to trade her hand, or you, this is where we are at. The prince will die in an… accident. There will be no heir left besides you. Your name is still in the family register princess. You’re still royalty with the possibility of having a child who can ascend the throne.” He smirks.

“You’re sick.” You sniffle, tugging on the binds.

“An intelligent. I won.” He leans on his desk. “And if the old king returns, he’ll have no throne to return to… however, he is likely dead, so no need to plan for that.” He runs his quill over the paper.

You hold out hope for weeks that something will change… that you’ll open your eyes and see Antinous or your brother… that maybe, just maybe, Penelope will have done something.

You try locking yourself in your room, try to hide away, but that fails to.

Then the morning sickness comes in… you try refusing to eat…

Eventually, you’ve had enough that there’s not a shred of pride left in your body. You manage your way up the stairs and knock… “Mo… Your majesty?” The door doesn’t open… “Please… I’m sorry for the things I said… I need you… please… I need help.” You hear the shift of feet behind the door, but it never opens. You bang against it, tears in your eyes. “Fuck you too!” You hiss, walking back down the stairs. 

You stumble into Eurymachus, who pulls you in a knowing smirk on his face. “Your mother shunning you, princess?” You pull away glaring. His hand tugs you closer while his other rests on your stomach. Your breath hitches. “A little birdie told me there’s a chance we’ve moved forward.” You shove hard enough to get out of his grasp. 

“Leave me alone… please, just leave me alone.” You hiss and retreat to your room. You sit on your bed staring at the ceiling.

You could kill yourself

But then what? If Antinous returns home… you have to hold out…

Weeks go by and you don’t leave your room confining yourself voluntarily. 

At some point, you’re married to him… no ceremony, nothing. You imagine Penelope had no other choice… it would reflect poorly if you had a child with a man you were not married to…

Months later, you hear about several deaths… none of which you wish to acknowledge.

He won.

Your father is months too late… 

You hear the rumors he returned… but you never hear more than that, refusing to leave your room.

Least until you get a gift… he didn’t so much as let you say goodbye…

But he gave you the head of the man you loved only after he secured his heir… you never got to hold it… which might have been a good thing… you might have done something less than humane…

Time passes and that boy becomes the only reason you’re alive. There’s a small detail you’ll never let anybody else become aware of.

You noticed it when the child was just old enough to talk… his curls… his spirit… the child’s affinity for rough-housing.

He’s Antinous’…

The only part of your lover left to you. You cherish the child, your prince. You raise him without telling anybody the truth. You adore him.

And so does Ares…

The gods might not have been able to prevent an unhappy ending, but that doesn’t mean the new king won, either. 

They have… ways of letting secrets into the open. 

You’re not surprised to wake up one night by the scent of roses and a breeze urging you to follow. She may not appear to you, but you follow her guidance to the bedroom that had once been your mothers.

You stare at the bloodied hands of your child, the tears in his eyes as he turns back to you… In the dark shadowed by light he looks like his father… Tall and full of untamed anger. “Why?” He steps closer to you and you tear up.

“I loved Antinous… I adored him… your lost sibling… I loved them… I…” The dead body of a fake king lays at your son’s feet… a child’s feet…

He’s not much older than the last time you ever saw Telemachus…

You open your arms and he falls into sobs… You understand now why Penelope had acted as she did. A mother’s love for her flesh and blood outweighs even the worst pain.

It’s no happy ending… it’s an ending of survival… one the gods pity…

Chapter Text

I am aware i have ppl watching what i post rn and idc I have a server (I revamped an old one i had for a fandom waaaay back.) uh anyhow if you wanna simp, find more fics, find friends, you should join!