"Penelope? What—" Odysseus began.
"Hush, my dear," Penelope said, putting a finger to his lips, her voice was soft and musical. "You did it, you got your crew home, look"
Odysseus looked, and saw many men standing on the docs, but when he looked for his friends, Eurylochus and Polites were nowhere to be seen. Nor was Cassandra.
Then Penelope was pulling on his arm.
"Come with me, my love," she said. "You must be tired."
"Where is Telemachus?" Odysseus asked as she led him through the cheering crowds, which threw flower petals and grain into the air. It fell around him, and caught in his hair and his chiton. He caught a petal in his hand. It was soft, but from a flower that was unfamiliar to him.
Penelope did not seem to notice as she led him up the steps. "Telemachus is playing with his friends," she answered his question. "He will see you at the feast tonight."
"Does—" Odysseus could hardly speak. "Does he look like me?"
Penelope smiled at him, a smile so filled with joy and contentedness, Odysseus felt the years of absence slide off of him. She pulled on his hand again.
"Come with me," she said. "Come rest, you've traveled a long way."
Their bed chamber was cool and dim, curtained off from the bright sunlight outside. Still, that breeze blew through, and everything smelled fresh and clean. Penelope led him and left him to strip off his chiton and his sandals, returning to proffer him a cup of wine.
"Here, my love," she said. "Drink this, fresh from the vines this past season. You can still taste the sunlight on the grapes."
Odysseus took the cup in both hands, and went to drink, when he paused. He shook his head, and handed back the cup. "Not now," he said. "I only need one thing." He sat on the bed and pull his wife down to meet him.
Her lips tasted of fruit and wine, and her skin was soft under his rough hands. She melted into him and once again, he paused.
His Penelope was a fierce princess from Sparta, and did not generally melt.
"This must be a dream," He whispered.
Penelope propped herself up one one elbow. "This is not a dream," she said. "You're home. Have some wine, it will calm you."
Odysseus shook his head to try to dislodge the fear in his mind, then turned back to his wife.
YOU ARE READING
Defying Fate
FanfictionI read a Tumblr post while back about Odysseus meeting and adopting the prophet Cassandra, who had been cursed so that "Nobody would believe her." Of course, if he's going to adopt Cassandra, whom he never met in the original story... why not adopt...
