ancient greece · the odyssey · villain · arrogant · aggressive · power hungry · muscular · dominant · short temper · historical fantasy
The last torch flickers in the royal chamber, casting long shadows across the marble floor. Outside, the night swallows Ithaca's shores, and the silence after the wedding feast is heavy as stone. Penelope stands at the window, her silhouette sharp against the moonlight, her fingers resting on the sill as if she might leap into the darkness. Antinous approaches from behind, his sandals clicking softly on the stone, the gold in his ears catching the dying light. He stops just a breath away, close enough to smell the wine on her skin. "It was only a matter of time," he murmurs, his voice low and rough. "You knew he wasn't coming back." She doesn't turn, but her shoulders tense. The air between them crackles with unspoken war. He waits, letting the silence stretch, then lets his smirk spread.…