#odypen

Throughout the history, royal marriages were arranged for political reasons more often than for love. But this doesn't mean those politically arranged couples could never find true love and affection in each other. That's the OdyPen dynamic I like. Marrying for a deal and discovering love.

Mirisiverse!Odysseus is a calculative man. He was the only male heir to the throne of Ithaca and had Athena as his mentor during his boyhood. Naturally he grew up into a man who seeks for his kingdom's benefits rather than romance and playing house in his own marriage. He courts Helen not for her beauty, but for the things the Spartan princess can bring into her marriage. Then he realizes that he's no match for Helen's other suitors from more wealthy and powerful kingdoms and houses. He's just a king/prince (Idk whether he married before or after his enthronement) of a small rocky island, not an appealing option as a son-in-law for the king of Sparta. Especially when the king is looking for a son-in-law who shall be the heir to his throne. So this clever man quickly accepts that he isn't very likely to be chosen as Helen's husband and searches for another option. Then he finds Penelope. Not as beautiful as Helen, many people may say, but she is still another Spartan princess. She may not bring the throne of Sparta as her dowry like Helen would, but that makes courting her easier. << I want this to be Penelope's first impression to Odysseus.

Meanwhile, Mirisiverse!Penelope has some family issues. This doesn't mean she doesn't love her family, but living as a cousin of the most beautiful woman in the world in that era when a woman's value was decided by how much of a wife & mother material she was wouldn't have been an easy task to do. Plus, if we are accepting the version of story which says Icarius threw her in water when she was a newborn and took her back only after a bunch of ducks saved her, and we're going to assume the Penelope later somehow found out about that incident, I think it will certainly stay in her heart like a thorn, whether or not she eventually became her father's favorite child. Anyways, what I'm gonna say is that Mirisiverse!Penelope is used to expecting that she won't be someone most significant as long as she is no more than just 'another Spartan princess'. She has already been long since she accepted that her future husband will not be someone as grandiose as Helen's, probably just a mediocre royalty or nobleman. Then Odysseus approaches her. Indeed a mediocre king/prince from a small island, not the most handsome, nor the richest, nor the most powerful among Helen's suitors or hers. << I want this to be Odysseus's first impression to Penelope.

Now Odysseus tries to court Penelope. It will be Penelope's intelligence that will captivate him. Maybe Odysseus acts like he's deeply enamored with her, and clever as she is, Penelope sees through his act. Maybe she'll comment that nobody chooses her over Helen as wife. Odysseus thinks Penelope is quick-witted and worth courting, Penelope thinks Odysseus needs more practice to be a good actor but he's somewhat cute. The two of them have a casual conversation that day. Then again maybe a couple days later. Then again. Now Odysseus stops judging Penelope as 'another Spartan princess' or 'someone worth courting' and starts seeing her as someone more than that, someone smart and witty and charming in many ways. Penelope is thinking Odysseus is a fun conversation partner and he looks cuter when his 'hyacinth curls' are slightly messy.

Finally Odysseus proposes. He is a cunning man who can easily trick and manipulate others if needed, but he doesn't feel like doing such a thing to Penelope, he at least wants to be honest and faithful to Penelope if he is about to spend the rest of his life with her. So he confesses everything to her: yes, he indeed courted Helen first, he only gave up her because he realized there was no chance that he would be chosen among all those kings and princes from greater, wealthier kingdoms. He courted Penelope because he still wanted a bride from a powerful kingdom like Sparta. But if she gives her hand to him, he will consider it as a great honor and be a worthy husband. At this point, Penelope is like "Well, he's cool and fun, and he's gonna make me a queen, so not a bad deal after all". She agrees to marry him under his promise of honesty and fidelity.

They marry like this and Odysseus takes his newlywed bride back to his homeland. There they begin adjusting to a married life and learning about each other. Then they begin to realize how they share the similar sense of humor, how they finish each other's sentences, how they feel comfortable with each other and don't need forced conversation to fill the silence between them. Before they even knew they grew fond of each other and now are enjoying each other's presence. That's how they permeated each other and fell in love.

Wait a minute… this feels familiar… HOLY FUCK IS HOLLYTAYA ODYPEN CODED NOW???

The going to the underworld for answers…

The war trauma…

THE FUCKING YEARNING

They're already married to each other

This story is multiple thousands of years old

Tagging Epic the Musical because it got me back into Homer and Greek Mythology, a love of mine for literally decades. Always happy to hear what you think!