Chapter Text
Antinous glared over his darling lover's shoulder. His eyes met Peisistratus, who sat on the bench across from them with the same easygoing energy he remembered. An area that could only come from someone who had never spent a second doing the hard work for his kingdom, only watching and admiring those who did.
Next to the prince sat Eulalia. While the flirtatious remarks had stopped his sister was still hanging onto every dull word that left the other man's mouth. Every dull joke he made while recounting his time away from Telemachus was met with wide, curious eyes and an expression of pure awe, as if the prince had sailed across the seas battling monsters rather than sitting in his palace performing arts.
He wasn't even paying attention to her, not really. He glanced over every now and then with what seemed to be a fond smile, and listened to her own input to the conversation and reacted with something resembling genuine interest. Antinous refused to believe any of it was true though. He wouldn't go after his sister for any reason besides annoying him.
To add to his theory the lesser prince had offered quite a few smug looks at Antinous between conversations. It likely had something to do with the fact that Telemachus was now sitting on his lap in an attempt to keep him from strangling his friend. Not that it was Antinous’s fault. Had the prince spent a few more seconds chatting with his father he would have been able to successfully punch Peisistratus without getting caught. Instead he showed up right before he was about to swing, and was punished by being forced beneath him.
It wasn’t really a punishment in Antinous's eyes. He was still much larger and stronger than the prince even though he had proved himself to be a little warrior. One little shove and he would be free to slap the smug face off the blond brat's face.
He simply didn’t want to. Being trapped beneath Telemachus would never be a punishment to him, not when he got to hold him and nuzzle him so easily. If anything it was a reward for not losing his temper sooner. He now got to show off his pretty prince on his lap to everyone who walked by.
Mainly he wanted to show off to Peisistratus, who should be incredibly jealous of him. Or so Antinous thought. Obviously their competition for the prince’s affection had long since ended, but they weren’t supposed to stop competing all together. Peisistratus was supposed to keep trying to win Telemachus away so Antinous could keep proving he was better than him. He couldn’t do that if they were civil and acting like friends.
Unless of course his strategy was to make Antinous think he was standing down so he would let his guard down. The suitor would obviously never do such a thing.
The sound of giggling broke Antinous out of his thinking. He looked over at Eulalia, who had a hand politely over her mouth as she stifled a laugh. Peisistratus may have stopped obviously flirting with her, but the few words had clearly stuck. His sister had not stopped laughing at every terrible joke the lesser prince made.
“You do realise that you're meant to laugh when something is funny,” Elaina muttered a little too loud. She had the misfortune of sitting next to her lovestruck sister, and spent most of that time glaring daggers every time a laugh left her lips.
“It was funny,” Eulalia huffed. “You just hate seeing other people enjoying themselves.”
“Or you just have terrible taste in men.”
“If you can even call him a man,” Antinous added quietly.
Not quietly enough when his lips were next to his handsome prince's ear. Telemachus gave him a light jab in the rib with his elbow, along with a cute little glare. He was so endearing when mad, not in the same way he used to be though. Rather than reminding him of a kicked puppy he was just a gorgeous man whose beauty only enhanced with anger.
And every other emotion.
Perhaps he was a little too infatuated with his lover.
Regardless he gave the prince a nuzzle as an apology. Telemachus gave no sign of response in return, but Antinous knew he couldn't resist the attention. Not even when he was grumpy because his suitor was once again picking pointless fights with his friends.
“You're one to talk,” Eulalia scolded.
Antinous snapped back defensively. He was not going to be emasculated by his sister of all people. “What's that supposed to mean?”
“That you don't look very manly cuddled up to the prince like a clingy wife.”
“I am not cuddled up like a clingy wife! I'm just hugging him.”
“And nuzzling him, and kissing him, and whining if he looks away for too long.”
“I do not whine. I wasn't even making any noise until now.”
“Well it wasn't Pallas.”
The pup lifted her head off the ground when her name was called, but Antinous paid her no mind. He instead scowled over at his sister. It had been a long time since he got into a physical fight with the girls, and that had been a time before his muscles had toned and his height had fully come in. That did not mean he wouldn't take her on.
“She’s not wrong,” a new voice came from behind him. Antinous jumped before turning to look at the newcomer. Eurymachus, obvious. His face filled with that same smug entertainment he wore while watching the suitors fight amongst themselves during their days at the palace. Some things seemingly never changed. “I could taste the desperation before I even saw you.”
“You’re supposed to be on my side,” he snarked back. Literally the only person he could confidently call a friend, and he was making fun of him with everyone else.
“I’m not going to lie in front of the prince, Antinous. I value my head,” the lord replied in mock offense.
Telemachus chuckled at the teasing. It was a rare sight to see the two of them getting along so well. Normally both men had a mouthful of crude insults to send towards the other. It could be entertaining if it weren’t for the fact that Antinous knew they believed those insults to be true.
He could live with his love and friend not getting along. It went both ways after all, and Telemachus didn’t seem to mind it too much. So long as they weren’t getting too aggressive with each other at least, but that apparently just led to having the prince on his lap.
No, the real problem was apparently when they were getting along. In a matter of seconds he was willing to bet telemachus would join in on the teasing, and there would be no one left to defend his dignity. Unless one of his two other sisters were feeling charitable, but they were also trying to muffle their laughs behind dainty hands.
He moved to rest his chin back onto Telemachus’s shoulder. Entertaining them with a reaction would only cause more teasing, and he was not in the mood to be gangned up on by so many people mocking him. He still had some pride to save.
Telemachus turned to press a brief kiss to his cheek. It was likely meant to be some sort of cheap apology for laughing, but Antinous accepted it without complaint. He couldn’t ignore the flutter in his chest no matter how much teasing it earned him.
“I think you’re plenty manly,” the prince spoke in his cheery little tone.
Antinous gave him a gentle smile. “Thank you, Tel. Your appreciation is the only one that matters.”
Eurymachus slapped the back of his head. Before he could retaliate the lord was moving to the other side of the bench to sit next to Endora. His sister gave him nothing more than a short glare before turning back to the book she had been reading for most of the day now.
“Have you really replaced me, your best friend, with some random prince who’s hated you far longer than liked you?” Eurymachus asked dramatically.
“Yes.”
He looked shocked for a moment. His lips opened as if to make some comment on how quick his answer came, but it closed just as fast. A moment later there was a pout on his lips as the theatrics started up once more.
“Betraying our friendship for some whore? I see how it is.”
“I am not a whore,” Telemachus snapped. So much for the two getting along.
“Perhapse not, by you are certainly a thief. He used to warm my bed, you know.”
“He did what?”
“And now I’m warming his bed,” Antinous quickly interrupted. Telemachus looked like he was ready to jump off his lap and go feral on Eurymachus. As entertaining as that would be, it wasn’t worth the hassle. “So now he gets to be my priority. So sorry, old friend.”
Eurymachus let out a short, amused chuckle. It wasn't a stark difference from the panic of their last meeting. Though his eyes were still dark with little sleep, and his presence lacked the same confidence it usually held.
He never got the chance to find out if Eurymachus spoke to the king. After the argument he had left with Telemachus, leaving everyone else in the foyer. He wasn't even sure if Eurymachus had been brought with them, or left to wonder what had happened with the rest of the crowd.
Questions he would ask now if it weren't for the glare he was now receiving from the prince.
“You did what?” his little wolf asked through gritted teeth. “With who?”
He smoothed out the silky fabric of Telemachus's chiton as he spoke. “Nothing, my love. Just casual bonding time between friends.”
“That doesn't sound like casual bonding.”
Antinous leaned up to peck the prince's lips. He only got cuter the more scrunched up with anger his face got.
“I'm teasing, little wolf. No need to get territorial.”
“ Territorial? You take the whole ‘little wolf’ thing a little too seriously,” Peisistratus piped up with a look of disgust. It was the first reaction he had made towards their relationship, and Antinous was excited to start an argument with it.
Unfortunately, his curiosity about Eurymachus was stronger. The blond brat would be staying at the palace no doubt, easy to find with his squeaky voice. His friend on the other hand had clearly been busy trying to keep his name clean while gathering intel on the rebellion.
“Did you manage to speak with Odysseus?”
“Not yet,” the lord replied with a tired sigh. His entire body seemed to deflate at the question, reality taking over their silly moment. “I was hoping to get another chance today, but I haven't been able to find him.”
“He was at the docks this morning,” Peisistratus provided. Antinous shot him a glare for speaking before he got the chance.
Luckily Eurymachus seemed to be just as annoyed with him. “That unfortunately doesn't help much now, blondie.” He turned his attention back to Telemachus and Antinous. “Perhapse I could go back to the palace with you two?”
“We're not going to the palace until tomorrow,” Telemachus replied.
His prince had given a short summary of the conversation he had with his father. A simple apology and hopes of the two working together to overcome the rebellion. Antinous hoped that the king had been sincere in his desire to hear Telemachus out. The kingdom was in desperate need of a gentle hand, even when justice needed to be served.
“So the king really did kick you out?”
“Kick you out?” Peisistratus squeaked. “What do you mean he kicked you out? What happened?”
“Long story,” Telemachus brushed off. “We had an argument over the whole rebellion thing.”
“Rebellion!”
Telemachus raised an eyebrow at the shrill tone. His suitor had to smother a chuckle in his shoulder at the sight.
“Did I not write to you about that?”
“No!”
“We haven't written anything since the festival started,” Antinous added. “Too busy with all the chaos.”
“Oh gods, I have so much to fill you in on,” Telemachus groaned.
Antinous stifled another chuckle into the prince’s shoulder.
“Clearly,” Peisistratus huffed before falling back in his seat. He crossed his arms childishly while glaring at them.
“So there was this one guy who tried to assassinate my father during the first day of the festival,” Telemachus started. His words were interrupted by Peisistratus’s loud gasp.
“An assassin? You didn’t tell me about an assassin?”
“Um, no,” the prince murmured now. “But he’s not around anymore, so we don’t have to worry about him.”
“No, you have to worry about the one from the other day,” Eurymachus replied.
Telemachus shot a glare across the bench. “We don’t have to worry about any assassins because Father and I will have everything figured out tomorrow. Then we can enjoy the rest of the festival without anyone trying to kill anyone.”
“If everything goes to plan,” Eurymachus once again had to point out.
Telemachus scowled at him. “It will go to plan. He said he wanted to work with me to end the rebellion. In order to do that, he will have to take my ideas into consideration.”
“And if he doesn’t?”
Telemachus didn’t have an answer for that, not a good one anyways. He supposed that he would just go back to the silent treatment until his father was desperate enough to stoop to his level. Or until he lost all respect of the people and was forced off the throne. Neither option was preferable.
He was the optimistic one. He was the one who hoped for the best, and fought for it when it refused to come easy. He had spent nearly four years doing that while the suitors festered in his home, abusing his resources and staff. He would continue to do while his father did the same with his people.
“You should come with me tomorrow,” he addressed Eurymachus. “You are the closest thing to an inside perspective we have. It would be good to get your opinion.”
“I would be honoured, your highness.”
“Great. Now can we keep the conversation light for the rest of the day?”
The prince leaned back against Antinous’s chest, and let out a long sigh. He would be happy when all of this was over, and he was able to go back to the routines he had made over the past year. Repeating those mundane tasks that seemed so boring at the time, but now felt like the only calm he was granted in this life.
Just for a few more hours he wanted to calm his anxious mind. Let the stress release from his body through friendly banter and festival games. It was all he could bring himself to do in preparation for tomorrow, and the days that followed as they put whatever plan they thought of into action. As they finally brought peace to Ithaca after twenty one years of chaos.