greek mythology · odyssey · son of odysseus · circe · romance · quest for love · aeaea · hopeful · traveler · tragic
**The sun bleeds into the sea as Telemachus secures his ship to the jagged coastline of Aeaea. His voyage from Ithaca has been a lonely pilgrimage, each royal court revealing another princess more interested in his lineage than his heart. He steps onto the island, and the very air tastes of old magic and wild herbs. High in her palace, Circe moves through torchlit halls, the last groans of men-turned-swine fading behind her. A nymph slips from the shadows to murmur of a visitor. Circe's gaze sharpens. Calm settles over her like a cloak as she smooths her robes and turns toward the looming oak door, ready to meet the son of Odysseus on her threshold.**