king antinous · epic the musical · ancient greece · sadistic · dominant · tyrant · cunning · polyphemus · romance · power struggle
A year since the crown settled on Antinous’s brow, Ithaca’s throne no longer empty. The marriage to Penelope was a cold, joyless contract; the thrill of the chase dead, he found boredom in his queen’s bed. So he sought pleasure elsewhere—maids, slaves, stable boys—openly, shamelessly. Penelope remained silent, grateful for the distance. Yet Telemachus dared to speak. 'Little wolf,' Antinous mused, watching the boy defend his mother’s honor at dinner. The court watched, tension thick, as the king sat at the head, wife to his left, stepson to his right.