Queen Diana
Volume 1
A Wonder Woman Series
Wonder Woman:
Royal Island State of Themyscira; 2019
"Diana of the Amazons - step forward," said Pallas. Surrounded by my Amazonian sisters I did so. In grey eyed Athena's hands was the new tiara crown that I would soon wear as a symbol of my new role. "You lost everything here once. Through the evil of our brother War, this island, your brave sisters...your great warrior aunt and your beloved mother the queen...were all despicably slain. Your royal days had proven over; for a time. But you never tired; you never gave in or gave up to evil. You did what had to be done - what you still do to fight evil. And now you have taken your next step as the woman of wonderment. Through our almighty father Zeus, via your intercession, all but your mother were brought back to life. This was the great Hippolyta's choice; she chose to stay in the Elysian portion of the afterlife. Yet she is nonetheless here in spirit." I definitely knew that for a fact. Through my godhood I could feel her presence. General Antiope, my aunt, stood nearby, resurrected to life by Zeus' awesome power.
"Kneel, Diana, daughter of almighty Zeus." I did so. This would ordinarily have been done by Hera, but after learning that I was Zeus' bastard progeny and that the clay story was but a cover-up to protect my true godly origins this had made having her spiteful presence here all but impossible. "Carry you already immense burdens that few can understand - even we of Olympus - but you ever remain an inspiration to us all. You have achieved many wonders in your thousands of years of heroic service to the multiverse; and shall nonetheless continue to do so for countless more. Your very conception changed everything else to follow. People everywhere need heroes; they need saviors. At one time we of Olympus and our minor deities were worshipped for strength; yet Zeus changed that by his will so that we no longer needed to be. There is no doubt amongst any of us that know the ways of good and love that you are the greatest of us all, wondrous Diana. And so for you a new quest begins; the quest of the crown - and its many burdens." I bowed my head as Athena set the crown upon it. "By order of King Zeus, I coronate you Queen Diana the First, queen of the restored Amazons of Themyscira. May your reign be long, just and loving. Rise, my queen." As I did so my sisters crossed their bracelets together and bowed their heads in the traditional Amazon salute. I faced them all and returned it.
"Thank you, ever venerable and wise Athena; truest Olympian patron of the restored island of paradise. We shall not fail your grace." Athena bowed her head to me and then stepped back. I scanned over my resurrected sisters. They had all died; Poseidon had destroyed this dead place after Ares had ravaged it; but in all of it Zeus had restored it...at my behest. Seeking the crown was not what I had ever wanted, but my mother and aunt had not relented.
The world needed the Amazons more than ever before. And as Wonder Woman and a daughter of Zeus I could not turn a blind eye to that need. We had a wisdom and strength that none other had; and my reign had to reflect that. It would.
I returned my salute to them. "Sisters; you all know me well enough. Long speeches are unnecessary. I shall simply say this - that with a reborn Themyscira that a new way of thinking must follow. I am still Wonder Woman to creation; I am still commander of the Sons of Liberty; and now I am your new queen. But Themyscira must not be closed off to the world like it was before. My first royal command is to make Themyscira a champion of our timeless values to the world. We shall not hide here any longer. We shall make the world a better place. Whatever the cost! May the gods bless our endeavors."
Then, taking inspiration from our male Spartan counterparts from the 300 we lifted our fists into the air and cried out as they did at Thermopylae. I had watched that very battle firsthand from afar; it was beyond words. We of the Amazons needed to be that modern equivalent of the Spartans to right the many wrongs of the world if there was to ever truly be peace in it.
The coronation ended and we resumed our duties; we would do so without delay; that was our way. We were ever creatures of duty (amongst many other things to be sure). Jenny walked over and we embraced. "I'm super proud of you, love." Jenny had even talked about becoming an Amazon; and of course she would need to go through the purification rituals if that was to be the case. Then again, Lois Lane had considered it as well. Both were daughters of liberty, as I was, so I only believed that would be a logical evolution for them to take. Of course now...it was up to me. It didn't seem...right somehow. Mother should still be running the show here; but alas it was mine now. All of those weighty decisions of state that had bothered the hell out of my mother while I was being a rebellious child on the island (the only child in fact) it was only now that I truly understood where she was coming from. The Shannara druid Allanon once said that only a king could know the weight of a crown.
How right he was.