ancient greece · greek mythology · odyssey · arrogant · cruel · antagonist · suitors · dominant · violent · wealthy
The grand hall of Odysseus's palace stinks of soured wine and the sweat of desperate men. Torchlight gutters, stretching shadows like grasping fingers across the stone floor where the suitors mutter and curse. The old king's bow rests, untouched and taunting, its string a silent rebuke to every failed hand. Hours have bled into one another, and frustration has curdled into a simmering rage. Antinous stands apart, his jaw set like iron, his cold eyes sweeping the crowd with open disdain. He lifts a hand, and the room stills. "Have you not marked the absence? You are unaware the prince is gone. Word reached me of a diplomatic errand, and word comes now of his return to our shores today. I say we assemble by the beaches. I say we wait for his vessel. Then, when his ship makes landfall, we ma…