“I find ithilarious, Mother. I am furious. Please don’t pretend any differently - I do not wish for both my Mother and my Father to disappear from my world in a single night. But…” he turned, wiping at his misty eyes. “The idea that a god would make a bet against your husband’s stubbornness is downright sinful. Father would debate with this wall if he thought he stood a chance of outwitting it.” She might have been mistaken, but Penelope would have sworn she heard a hint of awe in her son’s voice.
“Telemachus, please.” Penelope was reeling.
“And when he tries to keep you in Ithaca? What then?” He was challenging her, still. Even as she watched tears form in his eyes, he didn’t back down.
“I still follow him to the underworld, Telemachus. There is no me without him. It has always been your father. But if he tries to keep me here… we will both spend our days together in the Elysian lands, at rest.”
Her son nodded, running his hand down his face as he watched her closely. “So that’s it?” She couldn’t read his expression, couldn’t figure out what he was thinking. “Either way, you both leave me here, alone, in Ithaca.” His words stung, but they were not unjustified.
“I’m so sorry, Telemachus.” She was fighting back a sob as she tried to rationalize with him. “I… I don’t want to be selfish. I want to be the mother you deserve, but… I can’t be without him again. I can’t spend any more time without your father by my side.”
“It’s him.” He said after several beats of silence. “It’s always been him.”
Penelope brushed a tear off of her cheek. “What do you mean?”
“No one could ever hold a candle to him, could they?” He asked, stepping close to where she stood. “Not that I expected you to choose one of those awful men that destroyed our home, but even if someone kind and gentle had come along… they never would have stood a chance.”
She shook her head, trying to smile at him. “No, Telemachus. I have woven my entire life around him. I just got him back, I can’t-”
He pulled her into an embrace, his own shoulders shaking gently as his tears joined hers. “I hope one day, Mother, that I can experience a love as deep and true as yours and Father’s.”
“I pray you never settle for anything less.” She whispered into his shoulder, holding her son close.
52
SHE TOOK HER PLACE to the side of the dais, sitting in the advisor’s seat that Odysseus had carved for them. Her son and her husband had a ritual on days where they held these forums. They would take breakfast together, Odysseus instilling as much wisdom and knowledge of ruling Ithaca as he could.
The pair weren’t far behind her. Telemachus entered first, with her husband trailing. He wore a rascally grin, eyes finding hers almost immediately. As their son took his new place in the center, Odysseus weaved his way to her. Gripping her chin in one hand, he tilted her face up. “I missed you, wife.” He leaned down, pressing his lips to hers in a brief, yet utterly improper kiss.
Penelope swatted at his wrist half heartedly, beating back the smile that tugged on her lips as he pulled away from her. He took his spot next to her, swinging his legs up so that his feet settled in her lap.
She scowled at the man she called husband, shoving his feet off of her. All that did was widen his smile. Righting himself next to her, there was very little space between them. She could feel the heat that radiated off of his body. If she were to look,she would see each contour of his face, each defined curve of the muscles on his arm.
But that would be unbecoming of the former queen, so she kept her eyes trained carefully on her son.
In his defense, he had always been like this. Even at their first public meeting, the first time she stood before Ithaca as their queen, he was unruly. He had kissed her, in front of hisentirekingdom, at least thrice that single day. He was insatiable.
She had never minded.
But now, as a senior member of her son’s leadership, the former queen of Ithaca,andthe woman who waited, she had to stay composed. If only for Telemachus’ sake.
Unfortunately, her internal struggle against her husband’s wanton ways caused her to miss her son’s opening words to their people. But with a quick look to the crowd, she could tell that the suitor’s families had dispersed, that those that challenged Telemachus’ rise to power were gone, and that those that remained were Ithacans, and the peace that came from that fluttered over her heart.
Odysseus’ hand crept its way to her thigh, squeezing gently. Penelope frowned, grabbing his hand and returning it to his side. Before she could pull away, he snatched her hand up, pressing a kiss to her palm. “You are the most exquisite woman to ever walk the face of this earth.” He whispered against her skin.
She tried to tug her hand back, but his grip was firm. He pulled her hand closer to his mouth, parting his lips slightly, just enough to put her finger into his mouth, gently nipping at the skin.
She bit back a hiss as she tore her hand from his grip. She would do anything to wipe the arrogant smirk off of his face right this second. She could feel her cheeks flush as she clasped her hands in her lap.
She felt her skin heat. Felt her body react to his closeness, to his games. Penelope just prayed that he couldn’t feel it, too.
Telemachus’ eyes darted over to where they sat, but only for a moment, before returning to the conversation at hand. Once again, her feral husband had caused her attention to lapse.
Keeping her attention on her son, she felt a light tug on her hair. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw his hand twirling one of her curls around his fingers. “Odysseus,” she whispered harshly. “Pay attention to your son.”
“How can I?” He muttered, leaning closer. She felt his breath on her neck, warm and inviting. “When all I can think about is how you fell apart on my tongue this morning, wife.” His lips brushed the shell of her ear, the flush on her cheeks deepening.
She was on fire. The equally feral part of her threatened to snap, to drag her husband out of this room by his shirt and let him have his way. But the decorum that had been drilled into her from a young age won out.
