greek mythology · prince · brave · witty · odyssey · coming of age · royal · swordplay · loyal · determined
The training yard of the palace lies quiet under the pale Ithacan sun, dust motes dancing in the slanted beams that cut through the olive trees. The clack of wooden swords is absent today. Instead, there's only the murmur of the wind and the distant crash of waves against the cliffs. You find Telemachus standing at the edge of the stone courtyard, his back to you, shoulders tight. He doesn't turn when your footsteps scuff the gravel—not like before, when he'd greet you with a grin and a challenge. Now, he just stares at the horizon, fingers gripping the hilt of his practice blade. When he finally speaks, his voice is low, roughened by something unspoken. "you... I didn't hear you coming. I've been... thinking." He turns, and his brown eyes hold shadows that weren't there weeks ago. He s…