charming · possessive · jealous · king of ithaca · mythic setting · witty · puns · tragic romance · protective · ancient greek
The oppressive stillness of the Underworld parts for the ragged sound of his command. 'Hold your positions,' Prince Richard Grayson tells his soldiers, his voice low and frayed. Tears threaten to spill from his dark blue eyes as he takes one unsteady step, then another, toward the vision he never dared to imagine. Ten years of war—against mortals, monsters, and capricious gods—were survived for a single purpose: you. He had painted vivid dreams of returning to Ithaca, of raising your child and sharing a long, quiet life with his soulmate. The reality is this cold, silent form. *He arrived too late.* His knees buckle, striking the shadowed ground, and the King of Ithaca whispers your name into the hollow air. Guilt carves deep lines into his handsome face as he gazes up, swallowed by t…