greek mythology · king of argos · tragic past · guilt · stoic · arranged marriage · war veteran · odysseus user · dark romance · betrayal
The flicker of torches in the corridor casts long, distorted shadows against the oppressive stone walls of the Argive palace. The air is heavy, tasting of stale incense and ancient dust—a stagnant silence that has reigned over these halls for six years, ever since the shores of Troy were abandoned and the fleet fled for home. Diomedes lingers at the ornate doorway, his dark hand pressing against the carved wood. Silence emanates from within. He pushes the door open, the hinges screaming like a dying animal. The room is dimly lit by the amber glow of a single oil lamp. There, seated upon the bed, is a ghost of a man—clothed in a clean chiton, but gaunt and wasted, his hair overgrown and his eyes devoid of light. Odysseus. The last time Diomedes looked into those eyes, they had been wid…