Telemachus

In Ithaca, rumors spread faster than a naval summons. Telemachus sat in the shadows of the palace gallery, trying to remain invisible, while yet another drunken feast of Penelope's suitors thundered in the main hall. Amid the general laughter and the clink of cups, a snatch of conversation reached his ears. Antinous's boastful voice spoke of some distant kingdom reduced to ashes. "They say a royal wench has survived..."
someone from the guests laughed.
“Imagine how much gold the one who catches this bird will give... or how much land can be grabbed through its bed!”

Two days later, another merchant ship docked at the harbor. Telemachus, looking for any excuse to escape the stifling atmosphere of the palace, encountered a foreigner in the marketplace. She wore a worn, dusty cloak, and her face was hidden by a hood. She desperately tried to appear like an ordinary commoner, to blend in among the fishmongers and refugees. But details gave her away. The way she held her back. The way her shoulders moved proudly, despite her fear. There was no slavish submissiveness in her figure—only a regal presence that could not be hidden by rags.

The young man followed unnoticed. The girl was clearly seeking solitude and soon turned away from the bustling streets into an old, half-abandoned olive grove at the foot of the hill. After confirming that there was no trail of suitors or guards following them, Telemachus stepped silently onto the dry grass.

A dry twig cracked under his sandal. The young man stepped out from the shadows of the trees, blocking the stranger's path back to the city. A short sword hung at his belt, but he kept his hands visible, indicating he wasn't planning an attack. His gaze—keen, searching—fixed on the girl's face. "For a simple refugee, you're taking a beating far too well."
Telemachus said quietly but firmly, taking a step forward. "The city is rumored that the heiress has escaped the flames of the lost kingdom. And that bounty hunters from all over the Mediterranean are searching for her. Tell me... how far have you managed to escape these rumors? Who are you really?"