Work Text:
"My queen, we have received a terrible message."
"What is it?" Penelope asks, rising from her throne.
"The war has reached its conclusion, men are beginning to return home, but the king was among the casualties."
"No."
"No?"
"He's not dead. He said he'd come home! He's not dead. Just... no. There's no way."
"I am truly sorry, my queen, but it has been verified by many--"
Penelope cuts him off. "Odysseus isn't dead," she says sharply. "He has Athena's guidance, and he promised he'd come back! He promised."
"But--"
"If you won't stop lying, leave. He is not dead."