Page 43 of Elysium
THE KING AND QUEEN the remainder of the morning reminded of the wild love they had shared so long ago, of the connection they had been working to rebuild.
Eventually, Penelope had to force herself to pull away from the safety of his embrace. Odysseus grumbled as she left the bed, playfully begging her to stay with him, by his side.
“You could come with me,” she answered as she tied her hair up on top of her head. She shouldn’t have said anything. He was up in an instant, fastening a fresh tunic around him, grinning ear to ear.
“What is on our agenda today, wife?” His eyes sparkled, his entire face was alight with mischief.
“I have to go down to the docks, speak with our fishermen about shipments, catches. Now that the suitors have been… relocated,” she didn’t miss the way he stifled a laugh, “we won’t be needing to bring in as much.”
She rose, meeting his grin with a soft smile in return. “Come, king, it will do your people good to see their leader.” She looped her arm through his, tugging him out of their chambers.
Odysseus quietly hummed a tune as they traveled through the halls of the palace, stealing a look at his queen every so often. The pair was about to turn into the main hall when he yanked her backwards into a small storage room.
She didn’t even have time to scold him. His lips were on hers so fervently. His hands were on her, everywhere . Penelope gasped against his mouth, fingers clenching into his tunic.
He took several steps forward, pressing her back against one of the few bare walls in the room. One of his hands went to her hair, the other to her thigh, hitching her leg up around his waist.
She should have been angry, should have tried harder to fight him. This was irreproachable, certainly not the way a queen should act.
Definitely not a queen of her age, to be sure.
But with his hands on her, the way he still managed to grin as he kissed her, she was lost to him. Her hands snaked up the planes of his chest, tangling in his hair.
Once his mouth finally left hers, pressing kisses to the curve of her neck, her senses came back to her. “Odysseus,” she whispered, trying to make her voice sound harsh, “We have to-” she bit back a moan, his hand drifting lower, achingly slow, stopping her thoughts completely.
She could feel him grinning against her skin, feeling the faint rush of air as he chuckled gently. Penelope shut her eyes, centering herself, before swatting him on the arm. “You are incorrigible.” She scolded him halfheartedly, stomach fluttering as she took in his lopsided grin.
“Ever yours.” He gave her a mock bow, pulling away from her. She narrowed her eyes at him, sidestepping and pushing the door open.
Odysseus didn’t follow her, not immediately.
Penelope was just outside the palace walls when she recognized his footfalls behind her. He caught up quickly, offering his arm to her once again.
“Sorry, highness.” He muttered, leaning close. His lips were close to her ear. “Unfinished business.” He practically growled, just low enough for her to hear.
The flush that spread to her face was instant. “Odysseus,” she hissed, jabbing her elbow into his ribs.
He groaned, just barely losing his footing. He righted himself quickly, a brazen smile plastered across his face. “You wound me, queen.” He feigned, holding the spot where her elbow had connected.
Penelope huffed, turning her back on him once again. “You might have time to fool around, king,” she tossed over her shoulder, “but I have duties to attend to.”
She didn’t look back, but truly she didn’t have to. She heard him resume his humming only seconds after she had started walking. His tuneless song floating on the breeze around her.
As they neared the docks, he caught up, placing a hand on the small of her back. He said nothing, just stood there with her.
While they navigated the piers, Penelope noticed their people were avoiding them. Women that she had spoken to many times were quickly turning their backs, sailors that she had paid to protect Ithaca, refusing to meet her gaze.
Her brow furrowed as they continued walking, a tremor of anxiety flaring up inside of her.
Odysseus seemed oblivious to it. His grin was still stretched wide across his face, loose strands of his hair were blowing in the sea breeze.
“My king!” A fisherman shouted, whooping at him. The man hopped down from his place on the pier and slapped Odysseus hard on the back, returning the smug grin that her husband had been carrying.
Penelope stopped in her tracks, turning to face him fully. His hair was tousled… unmistakably more so than the ocean winds would do. His tunic was off kilter, as if…
She gasped, clapping a hand over her mouth. She dropped Odysseus’ arm, making her way quickly to a pane of reflective glass.
Her hair was unkempt, the tendrils of her braids wild around her face. Her tunic secured with a sloppy knot, and her lips…
Swollen from a stolen moment.
If her face had been flushed before, it had only deepened now. She frantically tried to calm her unruly hair, tucking the curls back into the leather ties that kept her hair up.
Odysseus’ reflection appeared behind her, setting his hands on her waist. “Deep breath, queen.” He murmured into her hair, reaching around her. He grabbed the tie at the front of her tunic, cinching it tightly around her waist.
He pressed a kiss to her cheek, that damn grin still stretching across his lips. “Are you embarrassed by me, wife?”
“Never.” She answered immediately.
“Do you wish to hide our love, wife?” His lips were by her ear again, his voice dropping.
“No,” she answered, though her voice was not as strong as before.
“Tell me, wife, did your parents touch? Did they hold hands? Steal kisses? Sneak away?”
“You know they didn’t.”
“Were they happy?”
“Odysseus…”
“We will never, have never , fit into the decorum, the standards, of what a king and a queen should look like. Should do. I am wildly in love with my wife, and I don’t give a damn who knows it.” His arms were wrapped around her middle now, drawing her close to him.
“Don’t we have a meeting, highness?” He asked, breaking her free from her thoughts, leaving no room for arguments.