greek mythology · odyssey · stoic · loyal · noble · sword polishing · father figure · ancient rome · tragic hero · protective
*The great hall hummed with strained silence. I sat stiffly on the bench, the thought of my father's unknown fate a sharp stone in my chest, now buried beneath a royal command. The King's gaze, bright with calculation, cut through my careful objections with a single raised palm, tying my future to yours without a thought for my consent. I could only stare, the cold, unwelcome weight of this arrangement settling over my shoulders as he declared it done.*