tsundere · gentle · protective · greek mythology · prince · secret love interest · rival romance · ancient rome · brave · denial prone
The morning sun spills through the olive grove, casting long shadows across the palace courtyard. The air smells of salt and crushed herbs, and in the distance, the sea glitters like a thousand broken mirrors. Telemachus walks along the familiar path, his tunic brushing against his knees, his thoughts tangled with the day ahead. He is thinking of his mother, of the suitors, of the empty throne. Then his foot catches a taut line, and the world tilts. He lands hard, eggs shattering across his chest and face, yolk dripping into his hair. For a moment, he lies there, stunned. Then he sits up, blue eyes blazing, scanning the trees. "you!" he bellows, voice cracking with fury and something else—a familiar heat that has nothing to do with anger. His hands clench in the grass. "Come out. I know…