Chapter Text
While Telemachus and Antinous exchanged blows, Eros watched with interest, noticing the unspoken tension. He proceeded to shoot one of his golden arrows at Telemachus, but at that very moment, Telemachus moved, and the arrow struck Antinous instead. Immediately, Antinous felt a sharp headache and dizziness that soon brought him to the ground. Disoriented, he saw Telemachus with a confused look on his face—and with good reason: his opponent had collapsed as if an arrow had pierced his chest. Suddenly, everything around Antinous went dark.
~✮~
Telemachus, seeing how Antinous had suddenly fainted, ordered some servants to take him to the infirmary. Though he disliked Antinous, he still had to be “hospitable” due to the rules of xenia. Antinous began to wake up, confused and still plagued by that indescribable headache. He immediately noticed he was no longer in the hall with the other suitors. How long had he been unconscious?
Before he could figure out how he ended up there, two people entered: a servant and the prince. For some reason, the young prince seemed more attractive than usual. Wait, what the hell was he thinking? Trying to shake off those stupid thoughts, Antinous saw Euryclea approach, leaving Telemachus at the doorway. Seeing that Antinous had awakened, she asked gently, “How are you feeling?” though her tone betrayed a hint of disgust.
“Well, I was never exactly known around the palace for being the best suitor,” Antinous thought. But he hadn’t come to the palace to be one either. Before Anticlea could say anything else, he noticed the little wolf leaving the room, and that made him feel strangely sad. Wait, why the hell did he keep thinking about him? Gods, he should be glad not to have that annoying presence nearby. But for some odd reason… he longed for it.
Euryclea, with a frown, asked Antinous again how he was feeling. Snapping out of his thoughts, Antinous clutched his head and asked, “How the hell did I get here? What happened to me?” Still disoriented. Not just about how he got there, but about the thoughts in his head. “You fainted,” said Euryclea, pulling him out of his daze. “And Prince Telemachus kindly brought you here, asking other servants to take care of you.” What? The little wolf, even though they had been fighting, had asked for help on his behalf? It wasn’t too surprising; the prince was naïve after all. But for some reason, the gesture made Antinous feel a sting of happiness in his chest.
“Ugh, why can’t I stop thinking about that boy?”
~✮~
Meanwhile, Eros watched from afar, a mischievous gleam in his eyes. His arrow had struck Antinous, and now the suitor was in love with Telemachus. The god of love chuckled to himself, pleased with the unexpected twist.
“Oh, the irony,” he thought. “Antinous, so arrogant and self-assured, undone by his own desires.”
Eros wondered how long it would take for Antinous to realize his feelings, and how Telemachus would react when he discovered the suitor's new affection. The god’s curiosity was piqued, and he decided to keep watching the unfolding drama with great interest.
As he flew off, Eros whispered to himself, “This is going to be entertaining.”
But then, Eros decided he wanted Telemachus to fall in love with Antinous as well. So, he aimed at Telemachus, but just as he released the arrow, a servant rushed by, making him lose focus. The arrow veered off course and struck one of Penelope’s maid, who let out a shriek as she suddenly felt an intense attraction to a nearby vase.
Undeterred, Eros tried again. This time, the arrow bounced off a marble column and hit one of the suitors, who inexplicably fell in love with his own reflection in a nearby mirror. Telemachus, unaware of the chaos, continued with his day. Eros gritted his teeth and tried again. However, a sudden gust of wind swept through the palace, causing the arrow to miss Telemachus and strike a nearby dog instead.
The dog, now in love with a cushion, began to shower it with affection, to the great amusement of the palace residents. Eros stomped his foot in frustration. “Why is this so hard? I’ve done this millions of times!” he muttered to himself.
As the god continued his attempts to strike Telemachus, the palace plunged into further chaos. Arrows flew wildly, hitting various objects and people, each reacting in increasingly bizarre ways.
One suitor began to recite love poems to a marble statue, while another proclaimed himself king of the palace. Penelope’s maid, still in love with the vase, tried to kiss it, while the dog continued to smother the cushion with affection.
Eros scratched his head, confused. “What’s going on here?” he asked aloud. But he didn’t give up. He was determined to make Telemachus fall in love with Antinous, even if it was the last thing he did.
That was when a familiar figure appeared, gently floating above the chaos: Hermes, with his light tunic and caduceus in hand, watching with a half-smile.
“Eros…” said Hermes as he descended gracefully onto a palace column. “Are you composing a tragic opera or just losing your mind?”
“I’m working!” Eros huffed. “This is complicated!”
Hermes crossed his arms, clearly enjoying the scene.
“You’ve struck half the palace... and still can’t manage one stubborn mortal like Telemachus?”
“You don’t understand anything!” Eros snapped. “It has to work!” At that moment, another arrow flew out and landed in a tree in the garden, causing its branches to twist together as if falling in love.
Hermes burst into laughter.
“Oh, young Eros... Perhaps true love cannot be forced. Perhaps all of this is just… a game with very entertaining consequences.”
Eros clicked his tongue, still watching Telemachus from afar.
“This isn’t over. I will make that boy fall in love. Even if I have to enchant every stone in the palace.”
Hermes, still wearing his ironic smile, sat casually on the edge of a fountain.
“Then go on, little archer. I’ll be here... enjoying the show"