Chapter Text
108 suitors, all vying for his mother’s hand in marriage. None of them worthy of her, of course. The fact that his father was very much alive, although long missing, was only part of the reason they’d never get to marry her. She was above them, perfect in every way, and Telemachus would do anything to save her from a loveless, very likely abusive, marriage from any of these dogs. Absolutely anything.
Telemachus was long used to sneaking around his own home, learning how to not be spotted. When the suitors first arrived, he had noticed how his mother made her appearances, showing that she would at least humour their advances, but not nearly as much as he would expect. So she told him about secret tunnels and entries, some to help the staff get around and some for exactly the reason they used them, to not be seen. She had since stopped using them, and spent most of her time in her and his father’s room, but Telemachus used them daily.
Sadly, as much as he’d like to avoid the suitors entirely, the tunnels weren’t always the most useful. There were none in his room, the only exits being the window (A horrible exit choice, tossing yourself off a tower from this height would kill anyone, even at his age) and the door, which Telemachus quickly found was camped out by Antinous.
“Well, if the Little Wolf hasn’t left his hibernation, not keen on entertaining your guests?” Antinous mocked as soon as he opened the door. Antinous was at best a few years older than him, but he had years of training and generous genetics on his side, so he towered over Telemachus and filled the doorway entirely.
Wolves don’t hibernate, were you perhaps ignored by Lady Athena when it came to your creation? He wanted to say, but his mother had taught him about being polite. He failed a lot at being polite to these suitors, but he had to at least try for her. “I have just woken up, and if you need entertainment, our palace has many amenities you are free to use.” He’d rather them not have access, but if they were bored, they were restless, and if they were restless, they were violent. Men are violent by nature as his mother had taught him, but these men became more violent if they had nothing to do.
Antinous scoffed. “What? Too mighty to spend some time with us humble men?” Humble was the last word he would use for them, as they believed they were good enough for his mother.
“I’m sorry,” he hated apologising to them, they didn’t deserve his apologies, “But I have things to do, I can’t spend any more time talking.” He just wanted to spend some time with Argos before talking to his mother. Antinous, and the rest of his lackeys, could stay far away from him and his day plans.
He attempted to shut the door, but Antinous lifted up his arm to stop it from closing, although he could have simply stood there and there was not much he could have done. “Kicking me out? After you so rudely ignored me for today? How about I just come in and spend a little time with you?”
Before Telemachus could reiterate that he was sleeping, not ignoring Antinous, although he gladly would have, Antinous was pushing forward into Telemachus’ room before shutting the door behind him. Telemachus panicked silently. There was a man in his room, a man who had proudly stated how he wished to force himself upon his mother, and now they were alone.
His mother had given him a long speech when he first explained to her that he wished to marry a man one day. With the changing laws and acceptance of man and man rather than just man and boy, Telemachus expected things to be considerably easier than if it were his father’s day. While he was correct, she had explained it would be far from easy. Men are horrible, she had told him. You and your father are rare cases, please be safe, you never know how they will treat you, and these laws are still new. You have the blessing and the curse of being pretty, men will want you to be their eromenos, and I fear that you will be hurt like many women. It had scared him enough that the idea of marriage had been pushed from his mind for a long time. Still, he knew you didn’t need marriage for sex, and all men wanted sex. Antinous included.
“If you do anything to me, I will not be silent, you will be barred from entering this palace ever again,” he said in his strongest voice, trying to not look as weak and pathetic as he felt.
Antinous just laughed. Laughed, of all things, as though Telemachus wasn’t terrified. “What do you expect me to do? I’m just here for a friendly chat.”
“No, you are not, I’m not an idiot.” His father was favoured by Athena for his intelligence, and had found his mother’s intelligence to be her most desirable trait. He wasn’t as smart as the two of them, but he was far from an idiot, even if he lacked a lot of the experience needed most of the time.
“Alright, you caught me.” He put his hands up, knowing he had been figured out. “There is something I am here for, but do know I mean no harm.” Antinous was a violent man, harm followed him like blood from a wounded soldier. Antinous moved around him and sat on a seat, patting the spot next to him. “Now, why don’t you sit with me so we can talk?”
The door was unblocked now, he could happily leave, but something in his mind told him it wouldn’t be good, so he sat down, keeping an arms length between the two of them. Didn’t do anything, as Antinous scooched up next to him, so close their thighs touched. “Don’t be shy, that’ll do you no good,” he whispered, far too close to his ear. The hairs on his neck stood straight.
“What do you want?” Telemachus whispered, unable to look at Antinous. He stared at the floor, trying to calm his fears. He wants his mum.
“You know what I want,” he leaned further into Telemachus, too much of him touching. Telemachus felt plain sick at the touch, everything feeling so invasive, and he wasn’t even doing anything beyond simple touch. “I want the crown, and your tramp of a mother won’t give it to me.”
“Don’t you dare call my mother a tramp!” he shouted, finally looking at Antinous. He was just grinning at his outburst. He truly had no care for anyone, just his games.
“I just did, and there’s nothing you can do about it, Champ.” With the final word, he reached out and gripped at his hair, rumpling the laurel that was fastened around his head. “Because I’m offering your mother some solace, I will keep the suitors at bay, find some more time for her to choose before they become too restless, and I will even back off on my own attempts,” his words were slow, low and harsh, mixing with the pain of the tight grip in his hair. Attempts were a generous word, but he was too interested in what Antinous was offering.
“You’ll back off?” He couldn’t keep the smile off his lips. His least favourite option, never any options, his father was alive, was simply offering to stop? No. He had to be reasonable. Antinous had to want something in return. “What is your price?”
Antinous grinned harder, and tugged at Telemachus’ hair, forcing him to look in his eyes. “It’s something simple, in return for giving up the chance to have your mother’s hand in marriage, I need your guaranteed hand in marriage.”
The air felt suffocating. The words spun around in his head, and Telemachus swore he could feel bile rise in his throat. He couldn’t throw up, that would be one of the worst things to do in this scenario. “My hand? Why would you want that?”
Antinous laughed in his face. They were far too close. “I thought your family was favoured by Athena? I just told you, I want the crown, and if your mother won’t give it to me, I will take it from you.”
“I can’t give you that, you would make a horrible king,” Telemachus argued. As tempting as it was to have him back off from his mother, he couldn’t put Ithaca into a worse position.
Antinous finally let go of his hair, causing Telemachus to hiss and hold where Antinous’ hand once was, touching how laurel leaves were flattened into his hair. Antinous leaned back, looking rather smug despite the rejection.
Did he just want to humiliate Telemachus? He expected much worse from being denied a chance at the crown yet again.
“Well, if that’s what you want, I guess I’ll just let the suitors continue with their plan to break into Penelope’s room tonight, since you obviously don’t want my help.”
Telemachus felt his blood run cold. They couldn’t be, could they? This had to be a lie, right? But what if it wasn’t? He had seen a lot of men congregating rather close to her room, speaking in hushed tones and reminding Telemachus all too much of the dogs he enjoyed to equate them to ( Sorry Argos ) as they all but salivated.
“You wouldn’t,” he muttered. He felt helpless, if it was true, there was no good outcome. It was either his mother or him, with Ithaca suffering no matter the option. He wants his dad to come home, slay the suitors and take his rightful place as king. He wants to stop feeling as though ruin is bound to come within the months.
“Oh, but I would, you don’t love your mother all that much, since you’re not willing to help her, so why worry in the first place?” Antinous’ voice was void of humanity, just filled with smugness and tease.
Telemachus could barely think. He had to save his mother, but was marrying Antinous the only option? The guards wouldn’t help, they were aging, and not enough. “I…” Telemachus began, but another would simply not leave his mouth. He couldn’t deny nor accept. Antinous had him between a rock and a hard place, with no way to escape.
“Listen, I’m a nice guy,” Antinous lied. “So how about this; I will leave now, and you can come talk to me at dinner, and give your answer then, and I shall help protect your mother if you give the right choice.”
Telemachus could only glare. How was that a nice answer? He would ‘help’ his mother not be taken by beasts as long as he gave himself up to the monster that controlled them? It was men like Antinous that made him doubt the whole gender. His mother was right when she said that only he and his father could be trusted to be decent people.
Antinous just smirked at his expression and stood up, pulling Telemachus with him. He grabbed his chlamys with surprising gentleness, although it made him feel no less sick. “I expect you to look presentable if you choose to be my bride, I think red would look much better on you.” Being called bride had Telemachus wondering if he could get Antinous close enough to his window to shove him out, but he knew he wasn’t nearly strong enough to do so.
“I shall not,” be his bride was one thing he would not do, “Blue is the colour of my family, chosen to represent Athena, if, and I truly mean if, I were to marry you, I would not give up my family’s colour.” He would already have to give up far too much, at least let him have the tiny things.
Antinous frowned, but did not push his demand. He pulled his other hand up to pull a flattened leaf from Telemachus’ hair. “Then at least get a new laurel, smashed against your skull is not as stylish as you may think.”
Telemachus wanted to argue that he was the reason his laurel was a mess, but more than anything, he wanted the man to leave. “I will do so, so if that is all you have to ask of me, I would like to continue getting ready for my day.”
Antinous stopped touching his clothing, but Telemachus felt no less suffocated. “That is all, so please, think about my offer, I do believe it could be very beneficial for the both of us.” He stepped back and opened the door, giving one last look over his shoulder. “And I know you know what’s good for you.”
Antinous was gone, and Telemachus was left feeling like his heart was gouged out. It was his mother, or him. The people of Ithaca would suffer either way. There were only two people who had the option to be saved here, and he wished the answer wasn’t already made.