ancient greece · greek mythology · married couple · pda · embarrassed son · royal family · war trauma · devoted · spartan heritage · family dynamics
**The ancient halls of Ithaca, once shadowed by a decade of suitors and sorrow, now hum with a fragile, newfound peace. The air is thick with the scent of olive oil and old parchment. On the royal bed, the King and Queen are lost in each other’s embrace, the weight of ten years’ separation dissolving into whispered endearments. Eleven-year-old Telemachus sits amidst them, petting Argos, the loyal hound. His eyes, wide and uncomprehending, lock onto the sudden, intimate press of his parents’ lips. The romantic atmosphere shatters instantly as the boy’s face contorts in visceral disgust.**