Chapter Text
Odysseus sighed. “Is this really necessary?”
The man he was following barely glanced back. “You agreed to the conditions.”
Odysseus grimaced. “Well, yes, I did, but…” he wasn’t expecting to have to venture through a cesspit of crime and depravity to finally hold a meeting.
The man scoffed. “And so the word of a king holds so little weight. Color me unsurprised.”
Odysseus shut his mouth and tried to ignore the eyes that trailed after them as they made their way through the sketchy alleyway. Eventually, after taking too many twists and turns that even Odysseus’ prodigious memory couldn’t make heads or tails of, they ventured out of the dark alleyway and stepped onto a small, secluded port. Docked with thick ropes was one singular ship.
Odysseus couldn’t help but stare. He had heard of the infamous ship and her mistress, of course, but it did nothing to prepare him for actually seeing it in person.
The black ship with its magnificent pitch sails glistened under Artemis’ cool light. The model of the ship was peculiar, something Odysseus had never seen before. The ship was tall, taller than any other ship he had been on, and the sequence of oars that usually lined the sides of such vessels was missing. The eyes of the foreboding pitch-black pegasus figurehead seemed to follow them as they made their way up to the ship and boarded.
The man led him up to the captain’s quarters and held the door open for him. Odysseus nodded at him and stepped through. When his foot had barely crossed the threshold, the door slammed behind him.
Well. He supposed that he couldn’t expect proper manners with this sort of company.
Odysseus turned to observe the room, simple, functional, with a large bed with rumpled sheets and a handful of personal belongings, and finally, his eyes landed on her.
His breath caught.
Odysseus had only one true love, his darling Penelope. She was the light of his life and the only one he would ever touch. She would always be the most beautiful woman in the world to him.
But that did nothing to stop him from being stunned speechless.
Seated in front of him was an astonishingly gorgeous woman. She wasn’t traditionally beautiful in the classical Greek way, with girlish features and generous curves, nor in the Minoan way, with a stout, hardy build. No, this woman was tall, taller than was fashionable, with a leanness that belied the strength in her honed muscles. Her hair was as black as her ship, wavy from the salt spray, and was cut startlingly short, to end just above her collarbones. She wore curious clothes, with strange trousers adorning her crossed legs, and some sort of long, unidentifiable leather coat that fell to her knees. A strange hat rested on her head, the likes of which he had never seen before. The brim almost covered her peculiarly black-ringed eyes, probably to protect them from the sun and elements out on the open seas, Odysseus contemplated. The woman's features were sharp, with high cheekbones, hollowed cheeks, and a chiseled jawline, but rather than the combined effect being masculine, one couldn’t mistake her for being anything other than a woman.
But it was her eyes that truly revealed what he was dealing with. Standing out all the more from the black smears around them, her cat-like green eyes shone with uncontainable divinity, almost glowing in the dark of the night. She looked like a nymph, or perhaps a sorceress.
Or, in this case, like a goddess.
Odysseus shook himself out of his stupor. He lowered his head respectfully. “You have my thanks for taking the time to meet with me, Your Grace.”
The woman’s full, red lips pursed in displeasure. “Don’t call me that.”
Odysseus frowned. “I beg your pardon, then. Would you perhaps prefer that I address you by your title, My Queen?”
She scowled as she uncrossed her legs and stood. He was right- she really was unfashionably tall, perhaps even as tall as Eurylochus was. Fascinating.
Well, Odysseus mused, not that it made her any less intimidating. And intimidatingly beautiful.
“No. Call me Cordelia.”
Odysseus analyzed her. “Very well then. Cordelia.”
She began to pace. “And you can stop with the formal bullshit. I’m not a boot-licking politician you need to schmooze. Just get to the point. I got shit to do.”
Odysseus’ eyes widened at the informality, but he caught himself. “Alright then. I have a request.”
Cordelia continued pacing, barely sparing him a glance. Her fingers drummed a beat only she could hear on her thigh. “Yeah, no shit. That’s the only reason a king like you would make the trip all the way out here to visit me. So tell me, favored hero of the Wise One, what do you want from me?”
“I want you to lead us to Troy.”
Cordelia froze, all movement coming to a complete halt. She slowly turned to him. “What did you just say?”
Odysseus exhaled. “I’m sure you’ve heard by now, but there has been a major incident. Melanus’ wife, Helen, has been abducted, and now they both reside in Troy. As was the agreement, every one of Helen’s former suitors will set sail to reclaim her and return her to her lawful husband and kill the one who took her from him.”
Cordelia stared at him. “Yes. I understood that much. But I don’t see what this has to do with me. Are you under the impression that I was one of her suitors or something?”
Ha. “Of course not. To be honest, this does have nothing to do with you, at first glance.” Odysseus branded her with his penetrating eyes, so similar to his patron goddess’s. “This does not affect you directly, but this mortal war will soon be the parallel to a godly war, won’t it, Pirate Queen?”
Odysseus smirked bitterly. “After all, wouldn’t you know, with your connection to the gods?”
Cordelia’s pretty features morphed into a snarl, and her sea-green eyes glowed even more brightly. Odysseus felt the sharp tang of godly power fill the cabin.
“What do you think you know about me, you son of a bitch?”
Odysseus maintained his composure. “It is quite obvious that you are the daughter of the Brine Lord.”
Her eyes flashed. “So?”
Did she think that was all? Who did she think he was? “And, of course, there is the matter of your lover.”
Cordelia’s eyes narrowed menacingly. “Again, I repeat, so?”
That was enough for now. Even if he was a king, he was in a foreign land, on a powerful being’s territory. Best not to antagonize her too much lest he fall into the brine himself. Odysseus lifted his arms placatingly. “Peace, my Queen. Again, I am only answering your question. Please lead us to Troy. We desperately need your help.”
Cordelia stared at him for a few more moments before the weight of her power receded. She sighed, gracelessly flopped back onto her seat, and kicked a chair across from her. “Sit. Let’s talk.
Odysseus smiled and sat.