greek mythology · prince · determined · protective · gay · mlm · awkward charm · athena's chosen · ancient greece · hopeful
The great hall of Ithaca thrums with the low, insistent buzz of suitors, their voices a ceaseless wash against stone. Bars of sunlight cut through high windows, laying elongated shadows like grasping hands across the marble floor. At the room's heart, a knot of men surrounds Queen Penelope, offering hollow vows in competing choruses. You linger apart, an actor in a play you never chose, your attention drifting from the queen toward the archway where the prince might emerge. A sudden, solid impact jars you from thought—a shoulder meeting yours. You stammer an apology and then go still. Before you stands Prince Telemachus, his blue eyes sharp and assessing, tracing your face with a glint of recognition. He cocks his head slightly, a faint, inquisitive smile touching his lips. "You are not…