A/N: There's a bit near the end that's adapted from Wonder Woman Volume 3, issue #18 (#573). In the same scene, you'll also find elements from William Marston's original conception of Wonder Woman and Amazon culture. I'm not going to go into detail about them here — you can find plenty if you read up on him — but those elements disappeared not long after he died and responsibility for writing the character was turned over to others. You won't see these elements appear very often in my story, but my intention is to make use of them in a way that makes sense.

As always, thanks to Bonnie for beta reading this and making it much better than it would have been had I simply been left to my own devices.

Recommendation: The Art of Self-Fashioning, by Lomonaaeren. Neville is the Boy Who Lived, but Harry is still taken in by the Dursleys after his parents are tortured into insanity. Harry is treated badly enough that he learns not to trust anyone, which means he doesn't share with anyone his ultimate goal: to heal his parents, no matter what the cost.

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, JK Rowling does. I don't own Wonder Woman, DC does.


Chapter 04 - Skin in the Game

Friday, August 16, 1996. Themyscira, Location: Hidden.

"Whaddya mean, I have to fight?" Rose asked, too shocked to resist the blonde Amazon who dragged her to the far side of the circle from where the leather-clad Amazon stood with her friends. And here I thought that only witches and wizards would force me into a fight I didn't want...

"You claimed Diana for your own, and now you're being challenged," the Amazon said. "My name is Mala, by the way. Nice to meet you."

"She can do that?" Rose asked.

"Io has long had feelings for Diana. She seems to have taken offense," Mala explained. "It's only because your marriage took place in Patriarch's World that she can do this, though. Such things are usually honored here on Themyscira, but they are open to a single challenge, if anyone believes that honoring them would be contrary to Amazon values or traditions."

"What if I refuse to fight? Can I just walk away?"

"That would be the worst thing you could do!" Mala hissed. "Such cowardice would cause both you and Diana to lose face!"

"And if I lose?"

"If you lose the fight, you lose the challenge, and no Amazon will honor your marriage as valid."

"Not even Diana? She'd walk away from me?" Rose asked, paling a little. As uncertain as she was about being married, being rejected again like that would hurt. A lot.

"If you're still alive, yes," Mala said, causing Rose to swallow hard. "Granted, there isn't a lot of precedent for this sort of thing, but I don't think Io will hold back."

Rose looked across the circle of women and caught her opponent's eye. She was angry. No, she was furious. There wasn't the slightest bit of mercy in those eyes. It didn't help that Io looked even larger and stronger than Diana and the other Amazons. Rose already felt tiny, only coming up to about chest high to most of them, but Io was yet a head taller still.

"How am I supposed to fight her?" Rose asked. This might not be so much of a problem if I could use magic, but if this is occurring because of Amazon traditions, then I have to fight their way, using what Diana's been teaching me. Right? Now I wish we'd spent more time sparring and less time doing... other things.

"You can use my weapons, for one thing," Mala said, shoving a helmet down on Rose's head before handing her a sword and shield. The sword looked almost as big as she was.

Rose staggered briefly and immediately yanked the helmet off again, ignoring the laughter coming from all around.

"I can't even breathe in that thing, never mind see!" she complained.

Mala rolled her eyes in exasperation. "More listening, less whining! Your biggest advantages will be that Io isn't used to handling a shield, and that a hammer is a pretty awkward weapon, so you can take advantage of that."

Rose stared at the massive hammer again. "That hammer looks pretty useful to me. Why does she have it if it's a bad weapon?"

"She's our blacksmith and makes our weapons — that's why she always has a hammer."

"So, she's not a warrior?" Rose asked. "That doesn't sound so bad."

Mala shook her head vehemently. "No, it's worse. Io spends several hours a day, every day, swinging that hammer through the air and beating metal into weapons and armor. Right now, she's looking at you like you're an especially annoying imperfection in a masterpiece she wants to create — an imperfection she intends to beat out of existence."

Rose gulped loud enough for Mala to hear her over the buzz of the excited Amazons. It seemed as though the already-large crowd had grown even bigger over just the past few minutes.

"But like I said, it's awkward as a weapon. She's likely to overextend herself, and her overconfidence will make that much worse. Watch for poor positioning on her shield, too. That will give you openings you can use. Also, if you survive, you're less likely to have scars as you would if she were using a blade."

"Wait, wait — scars? And what counts as 'poor positioning' for a shield?" Diana had shown her a few things about the Amazonian style of fighting over the previous weeks, but nothing like this!

Mala looked flabbergasted. "What do you mean? Don't you know how to fight with a sword and shield?"

"Not a clue!"

"Great Hera," Mala muttered as she turned Rose to face in Io's direction. "Just keep your shield up, don't let her get too close, and swing at any opening you see. Maybe you'll get lucky."

"Right — sounds easy," Rose said, trying to put a good face on it. Neither of them was convinced.

"Here, let me take this," Mala said next, starting to tug at her robe.

"What? Hey!" Rose exclaimed, turning back to face the blonde. "What do you think you're doing?"

"You can't fight in that!" Mala insisted. "Mala at least is wearing her leather apron, and that won't get in her way."

"Well, I'm not fighting stark naked! Give me armor or something."

"Io isn't wearing armor, so you can't," Mala retorted. "It would be unfair. Unfortunately, I don't have leather to offer you."

"Are you ready, girl?" Io called out above the din, "or will you admit you're unworthy and give up your claim to Diana now, before you get hurt? It's not as if you have any chance at winning."

Rose took a deep breath before finally turning around to face her opponent. Her eyes scanned the crowd of boisterous women. Diana's not here, she realized as her gut tightened even more. No surprise that I'm alone, but still... it would have been nice...

"Well?" Io called out again.

Rose closed her eyes and took another calming breath. If this is it, I'll at least make the best of it.

After adjusting her grip on her shield, she held out her sword and stepped forward to the center of the circle. "Let's do this."


"What in Hera's name is going on here?" Hippolyta demanded as she and Diana approached the throng of Amazons that had gathered in the center of the agora. "Move aside, let me through." The crowd was dense, but everyone moved quickly when they heard Hippolyta's voice. She and Diana reached the edge of the circle just in time to see Rose standing there in the center, saying, "Let's do this."

Neither had a chance to react before Io charged, missing Rose by mere inches when the much smaller girl rolled to the side, just as Diana had trained her to do over the previous weeks. It was a smart move, but it wasn't executed very gracefully because Rose had never had to do it while holding a sword and shield at the same time. As a result, she was slow and ungainly in returning to her feet, giving Io plenty of time to turn around and swing again.

Rose just barely had time to raise her shield, and the strength of the hammer's blow forced her to her knees. She moved in time to avoid a second strike, but it was clear to everyone watching that she now had difficulty lifting her shield.

"What's the matter? Are those weapons feeling heavy, little girl?" Io taunted.

By this point Mala, having seen Hippolyta and Diana arrive, had managed to work her way around to them. "What is this?" Diana asked, struggling to go to Rose even as her mother held her fast.

"Io challenged her right to claim you in marriage," Mala answered.

"What?!"

"Because it was enacted in Patriarch's World?" Hippolyta asked, and Mala nodded. "You can do nothing, my daughter," Hippolyta said in a commanding tone, squeezing Diana's arm even tighter now. "Every Amazon has the right to challenge a contract made in Patriarch's World. If you had married here, you'd have been safe, but now Rose must fight for you both."

"But she hasn't been trained!" Diana hissed as Rose barely dodged another blow from Io's hammer. "I've only just started showing her how we fight! Where did she even get those weapons?"

"I let her use mine," Mala said ruefully. "By the time I realized that she didn't know how to use them, it was too late to suggest something else."

Diana looked outraged. "So she doesn't even know that she has alternatives?"

"Keep running, little girl!" Io shouted.

"I don't know what Io thinks she's doing," Hippolyta growled. "It's obvious that the girl knows nothing about our ways."

"I don't think Io cares," Mala observed. "She was extremely unhappy when you left, Diana, and seemed incensed when you returned with another. Hearing about the marriage sent her right over the edge."

"Mother, isn't there anything—"

"No, Diana, I am as bound to our laws as you or anyone else," Hippolyta responded as Rose took a wild swing with her sword, overbalancing herself enough for Io to trip her. Everyone laughed as the much smaller girl struggled to her feet, only for Io to kick her, forcing her back into the dirt. "As much as it pains me to see my new daughter-in-law like this, neither of us can interfere now that it's started."

Rose's once-pristine robe was ripped in so many places that it was barely staying on, but she didn't seem to notice as she got to her feet and turned to face her laughing opponent again.

"Had enough yet, girl?" Io asked mockingly. "Admit that you're unworthy and just stay down!" Rose didn't rise to the bait, though. Despite the obvious difficulty, she lifted her shield to her shoulder, turned sideways to present a smaller target, and held her sword in a ready position while slowly circling around the much larger warrior.

Io grunted in a tiny measure of approval. "It looks like you can learn, child. Unfortunately your education has come far too late!" She hadn't even finished her last word before she swung her hammer in a wide arc, leaving her open enough for Rose to step to the side and jab with her sword. It would have been a good hit had Io not been moving, or if Rose had followed through with a bit more aggression; as it was, it only nicked her exposed side.

It was enough, however, to make Io scream in rage as she swung again. Once more Rose tried to jab, but Io was expecting it this time and spun on one foot, putting her to Rose's side, where she was able to slam her shield into the back of the girl's head. Rose staggered once more and fell heavily to the ground in front of Diana and Hippolyta, tearing her robe even more as it slipped down and caught under her feet.

Diana keened softly as Io turned her back on Rose and lifted her arms in triumph, as if beating the smaller girl were a great victory. Despite the din of the shouting and cheering Amazons, Rose seemed to hear Diana. She blinked hard as she looked up at the faces above her, and after a moment she finally recognized Diana's desperate presence.

"I'm sorry," Rose tried to say, breathing hard as she pushed up to her hands and knees, but Diana shushed her as she knelt down in front of her.

"You can do this," Diana insisted. "You can. I have faith in you."

Rose shook her head wearily. "I can't. She's too... she's too much for me."

"You're wrong," Diana said. "The basilisk wasn't too much for you. The troll wasn't too much for you. A hundred dementors weren't too much for you. How can Io be a greater opponent than they?"

"But—"

"Will you yield?" Io called out. "Will you admit defeat and relinquish your claims?"

Rose looked down at the ground. Blood and tears dripped from her face and mixed with the earth.

Diana spoke again, more softly this time, but her voice still carried above the noise of the crowd. "I will stay with you, no matter what." Rose looked up again, surprised. "I won't abandon you. But you must remember that you have power, and no one else has power over you unless you allow it."

Rose blinked a few times, then took a deep breath as she pushed herself to her feet. She swayed unsteadily as she turned back around to face Io again. She ignored her many scrapes and bleeding cuts as she evaluated the smug, strutting Amazon.

The noise of the crowd dropped abruptly when Rose threw the shield to one side and the sword to the other, followed by pulling away the few scraps of cloth that still hung to her body.

"Is this your way of surrendering?" Io demanded.

"No," Rose said as her eyes started to glow slightly. She ejected her wand from the disillusioned holster on her wrist, a birthday gift from Moony that he'd picked up in Salem when they passed through. "I've just decided that I'm going to fight my way, not yours."

"And what do you think you can do with your little stick?"

"Expelliarmus!"

Io's eyes widened at the oncoming bolt of magic. With a jerk, she moved her shield into the spell's path and it splashed against metal, pushing her backwards. Surprisingly, she managed to keep ahold of both it and her hammer.

"Reducto!" Rose incanted at the ground in front of Io, kicking up a cloud of dust and rock that both blinded and hurt the Amazon. "Avis!" she snapped. "Oppugno!"

Over a dozen small, yellow birds appeared out of nowhere to attack Io's face and head from all sides. Rose seemed to know that her only chance was to keep away from Io and defeat her at a distance. If the Amazon managed to get close enough to use her hammer again, Rose wouldn't survive, especially without a shield to block the blow.

By this point the crowd had fallen silent in shock at what they were seeing. They were all acquainted with magic, but they'd never witnessed anything like the spellcasting Rose was doing and never would have expected such magic after seeing her poor showing so far. Diana was the only one there who had seen Rose perform magic before, and even she was impressed enough to start feeling hopeful.

"Petrificus Totalus!" Rose cried. Despite being half-blinded by dust, rocks, and birds, Io managed to turn aside the spell with her shield, sending it into the onlookers where one of the Amazons toppled over, petrified. "Tarantallegra!" Rose tried next, aiming for the woman's legs, but she jumped sideways and the spell hit yet another Amazon in the crowd, causing her to start dancing around uncontrollably.

"Flipendo! Furnunculus! Rictusempra! Eat Slugs!"

Every spell was deflected by Io's shield into the crowd, no matter where Rose aimed, and by the time Rose had run through her most effective yet least harmful spells, Io had eliminated the birds and could see again.

"Time to end this!" the Amazon cried as she charged forward.

"Confringo!" Rose shouted almost instinctively.

Once again, Rose aimed her spell at the ground in frot of Io. When the blasting curse struck, it exploded with so much force that the Amazon was sent soaring backwards through the air, crashing heavily into the spectators as they scrambled to get out of the way.

"Healer!" someone called a moment later. "We need a healer here!"

Diana ignored the ensuing tumult and ran to the dangerously swaying Rose, catching her before she could drop to her knees. "Stay up," Diana said urgently. "Don't fall. You mustn't fall. It's not truly a victory until you walk out of the circle."

"Tired," Rose muttered as Diana pulled her bruised and bleeding body close. "Head hurts."

"I know you're tired, but I promise I'll take care of you once we finished here," Diana assured her. "First you need to prove that you can walk away."

"Can do that," Rose mumbled, then tried to turn and stumble in a random direction. Diana kept hold of her arm, guiding her and ensuring that she stayed upright.

"I'm sorry you had to go through that, but I'm very proud of you."

"Kicked 'er ass," Rose said, slurring her words through a grin, and Diana couldn't help but grin back. "I tried to do it your way, Diana, I really did," Rose went on, sounding exhausted. "I just... I just couldn't do it. I'm sorry. But I knew I had a chance if I did it my way. And I did it. I hope... I hope I didn't hurt her."

"I'm sure she'll be fine," said Hippolyta, who greeted them at the edge of the circle. After draping her own voluminous purple cloak over Rose's shoulders, she loudly announced, "Now you have shown that you are also strong enough to walk away after a fight you have won. Victory is truly yours."

"Oh... goody," Rose replied as she started to topple over. Diana eased her gently to the ground as Hippolyta ordered her guards to disperse the crowd.

"She's such a tiny little thing," Hippolyta commented softly, but not so softly that she wasn't heard.

"Great things come in small packages," Rose mumbled, causing Diana and Hippolyta to both smile.

"Yes, and she has a large heart," Mala observed.

"Thank you for lending her your weapons," Diana said. "I'm not sure anyone else would have done that."

"It was my pleasure," Mala responded, leaning over and kissing Diana near the corner of her mouth. "I'm happy for you," she added in a whisper. "Both of you."

"I didn't break the rules, did I?" Rose asked, swaying a bit as she sat.

Diana looked at her quizzically. "What do you mean?"

"Using magic, instead of the sword. I just... there was no way I could compete otherwise."

"No, that didn't break any rules," Diana reassured her. "Armor or a weapon that Io didn't possess would have been unfair, but you can't be denied use of natural abilities that are always with you. In fact, it shows wisdom that you decided to change the nature of the fight instead of trying to beat her at her own game."

"It was Io's fault for challenging someone she didn't know anything about," Hippolyta added. "She underestimated you, and so paid the price for her rashness once you revealed the truth about yourself." The queen's expression and voice turned wistful as she continued, "It's been a long time since I've seen magic like that. It's said that there are no coincidences..."

"This wasn't your first time seeing such magic?" Diana asked, shocked, and Hippolyta shook her head. "Where did you encounter it before?"

The Amazon queen merely smiled and said, "It's a thrilling tale, to be sure, but I think it's best if we leave it for another time."

"Excuse me, my Queen," said a guard who had approached them. "We're not sure what to do with these women. They were all hit by the girl's magic." She gestured over towards where several Amazons were gathered together. None of them looked happy, though the one spitting out massive slugs seemed to be in the most distress. The fact that a friend was on the ground next to her, unable to control her laughter, surely wasn't helping.

"I'll take care of it," Rose said, looking toward Diana. "Just... help me get there?"

"As far as you need," Diana said warmly as she lifted the girl to her feet and put a steadying arm around her. "As far as you need."


"I can't believe you didn't tell me your mum is the Queen!" Rose whinged as a healer worked on her various cuts and scrapes. The slight concussion she'd received from Io's shield had already been taken care of.

"I wanted it to be a surprise," Diana said with a shrug, not seeing what the problem was. "Besides, I didn't want to appear to be putting on airs, strutting around and talking about how I'm a princess. As an Amazon, I'm a warrior first anyway, and while she is my queen, to me she's also always simply been my mother."

"But still, that's not the sort of thing you just spring on a person. Especially if they've just collapsed in front of said queen."

Diana laughed. "You say that as if you had something to be embarrassed about. I assure you, my mother was quite impressed."

"I keeled over, naked and bleeding, right in front of her!" Rose protested. "Oh, yes, very impressive. For my next great feat, I'll be slipping on banana peels in the throne room! We'll sell tickets! And t-shirts!"

"We were all impressed," the healer interrupted. "Io may not be one of our leading warriors, but she is one of the strongest of us."

"And that was after I told my mother about some of your deeds while at school, too," Diana added.

"You told her about all that?" Rose groaned, covering her face with her hands. "She must think I'm an idiot for getting mixed up in so much trouble."

The healer looked as though she hoped to hear more about Rose's exploits, but Diana didn't elaborate — she knew her mother would pass the stories along over time. The other Amazons would soon learn what her wife was really made of. "Not at all," she insisted. "My mother found all the stories quite interesting and looks forward to getting to know you better."

"Really?" Rose asked, peeking through her fingers.

Diana nodded. "Of course. You're family now, after all."

"Family?" Rose replied thoughtfully, letting her hands drop back into her lap. "That has a nice ring to it..."

"All done," the healer finally said. "The salve will take care of your cuts and bruises over the next couple of days. Just try to avoid any battles for a week or so."

"Thanks," Rose said a little dryly before letting Diana wrap her back up in the complicated robe. "One thing that has me curious," she asked as they walked back to Diana's private chambers. "No one seemed bothered by the fact that we're in a same-sex marriage. That would freak most people out, in my experience."

Diana chuckled. "Rose, you do remember that you're on an island made up entirely of women, don't you? What other sorts of relationships do you think Amazons have here?"

"Oh! I, uh, hadn't thought about it like that." Rose looked around again, paying closer attention to the many women they saw along the way. "I guess this means there aren't any ex-boyfriends I need to worry about, huh?" There was no response, and Rose turned to look at Diana, who wasn't looking at her. "Is there?"

Diana sighed. "I have to confess, there was this one man, once upon a time. He was a pilot, with beautiful blue eyes and golden hair..."

"What — really? When? How?"

Diana held her tragic expression for a moment longer... then suddenly burst out laughing. "Just kidding!" she said cheerfully. "There have never been any men in my life — not like that. Men may be an amusing diversion — in the short term, at least — but when it comes to serious affairs of the heart or bed, they are more trouble than they're worth."

"If you say so," Rose said with a shrug. "Some blokes are alright — not that I'd want to date any of them." She paused for a moment, looking at Diana out of the corner of her eye. "What about ex-girlfriends?" she finally asked. "There won't be any more like Io, will there?"

Diana smiled lightly. "That's a different story. No, there won't be any more like Io, but at the same time..."

Before she could finish, they'd arrived at Diana's chambers, where Hippolyta was awaiting them, clad in her finest regal attire. Rose immediately started stuttering, unsure how to act in front of the woman she now knew was royalty. Finally she tried to curtsey (which didn't work so well with the robe), combined with a bow while saying, "Greetings, uh, your majesty, ma'am."

Diana shook her head and Hippolyta had to force down a smile as she took Rose by her shoulders and pulled her upright. "None of that, now — you're family. You'll need to learn proper etiquette for state affairs, of course, but in private there's no need for such formality."

"Yes, ma'am," Rose said, obviously still having difficulty looking the woman in the eye.

"And call me Hippolyta, at least when we're in private."

"Yes, uh, Hippolyta."

"Good," the queen said, returning to her seat. "Now, before we go any further, I owe you an apology."

"An apology, ma'am? I mean, Hippolyta?"

"Yes, for the way I treated you when you arrived," she clarified. "I was cold, dismissive, and even insulting. I have no real excuse for my behavior, except to say that I was upset over what had happened to my daughter. I also wasn't happy that she'd brought a stranger into our midst before I could talk to her about it all."

"That's OK, I understand. I'm not happy about what happened to her, either."

"Yes, I know," Hippolyta said, smiling. "She told me about that, and I saw for myself how protective you became the instant you saw my ire directed towards her. I'll admit that I can't approve of how the two of you got together — my daughter should have known better than to have gotten caught up in such a situation." She shot a quick scowl towards Diana before returning her gaze to Rose. "However, I must say that I'm impressed with you, the person she's caught up in it with. It seems she managed to choose well... even if she can't remember doing so."

"Uh, thank you, ma—, er, Hippolyta," Rose said, blushing.

"Speaking of which, don't you have something to do, Diana?" Hippolyta continued. "Something to ask, perhaps? I had the necessary arrangements made while you were with the healer." She nodded towards an adjoining room.

A moment later Diana returned with a coconut which she held out to Rose. When Rose accepted it with a puzzled frown, she shifted her hands to cover Rose's.

"We may already be married," Diana said, suddenly oddly nervous, "but I would like us to go through the traditional Amazon courtship ritual. It's my belief — and my mother agrees — that it will help our relationship, just as it serves to strengthen the relationship between two Amazons before they marry. It will also allow me to teach you things you need to know. Will this be acceptable to you?"

Rose met her eyes. "If it's important to you, sure."

Diana let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. Married or not, after the fight earlier, she'd have understood if Rose hadn't wanted anything more to do with Amazon customs. She moved her thumbs so she could separate the coconut into two pre-cut halves, one in each of Rose's hands, revealing its contents.

"There are two gifts here to seal our courtship. The first is a nectarine seed on a necklace. This represents the hoped-for bounty of our union. The second is a bracelet made from intertwined thorns and four colored ribbons: red, green, blue, and gold. The gold ribbon represents a prayer asking Athena to bless the relationship, while the rest represent the ways a person must be tested over the course of the courtship. This is to ensure not only that one is worthy, but also that those who would wed can build a relationship that will be strong enough to endure the trials they will face as a couple."

Rose frowned. "Shouldn't I be giving something to you as well?"

"Two Amazons would exchange these symbols," Diana explained, "but since you are not one of us, it would be inappropriate for you to give one to me." She thought Rose looked a bit unhappy at that, but she didn't object further.

"Traditionally," Hippolyta added, "you would wear them at all times, never taking them off under any circumstances, until the two of you agree that you are ready to progress to the next stage and establish a lifelong union with each other. These are symbols of your commitment to developing your relationship."

Diana looked questioningly at Rose, who straightened a bit and said, "I'm ready."

Her mouth gone dry, Diana swallowed and removed the bracelet from the coconut, setting the shell aside. Placing her hand under Rose's, she laid the bracelet across the girl's open palm and intoned:

I give thee Blue for character
And courage clear to see.
I give thee Red for bonds of love
That tie thy heart to me.

I give thee Green for strength of mind,
Its wisdom shall not dim.
I give thee Thorns for dangers great
And threats to life and limb.

Our union thus is forged anew,
Athena, be our guide.
Submitting to our love with trust,
Together, side by side.

Diana lifted the bracelet and kissed it before reciting the ancient words, "That thou shalt know the heart of another," as she attached it around Rose's left wrist. Next she removed the necklace and said, "That thou art full of promise," as she placed it around Rose's neck.

She was about to say something else when Rose's ring started to glow, followed quickly by her bracelet and finally Diana's own ring. The glowing lights grew strong enough that all three women had to look away briefly. Once they'd blinked away the spots in their eyes, they were amazed to discover that not only had Rose's bracelet been transformed into a tattoo, but that the exact same tattoo now appeared on Diana's left wrist as well.

"What? How?" Diana asked, shocked.

"I know not whose magic wrought this: ours, Rose's, or perhaps the gods'," Hippolyta said as she gently caressed Diana's new tattoo. "I've never seen or even heard of such a thing happening among our people, but then again the ways of the gods are mysterious. As to the why..." She looked up into Diana's eyes. "I suspect that the magic — hers, ours, the gods', or perhaps all combined — wish that you be tested, too, not just her. It makes me wonder what sorts of trials the two of you will face."

"Are the tattoos permanent?" Rose asked.

"We traditionally remove parts as we pass tests," Diana said. "So maybe they will fade?"

Hippolyta pulled them both into an embrace. "Whatever happens, I will pray to the godesses that you both make it through your trials safely."

Rose frowned. "Speaking of trials... what was all that before about bondage and submission?"

"That's bonds," Diana corrected. "Not bondage. Well... not usually, at least." Rose quirked an eyebrow, and Diana sighed. "In Patriarch's World, people submit to one another through fear and violence, empowering a few while weakening the masses. Amazons believe in submitting to love, primarily to love of one another. In this we find strength — the strength of love, common purpose, and civilization."

"It's somewhat paradoxical," Hippolyta conceded, "because submitting requires the courage to make yourself vulnerable. Unless you are willing to lay bare who you truly are and put yourself in the hands of another, a true union isn't possible. Through mutual submission to one another we achieve a complete union of hearts, minds, and bodies, and through such unions we find strength and power."

"So to be strong, you have to be vulnerable, huh?" Rose said dubiously. "I have to say, it hasn't seemed that way to me. I've been vulnerable plenty of times, and 'strong' isn't the word that leaps to mind — more like 'helpless and isolated.'"

"Not anymore," Diana said, smiling gently.

After a moment, Hippolyta leaned back and said, "Enough of that for now. Let us move on to more joyful topics. Rose, how much do you know about my daughter's life?"

"Excuse me?"

"Her childhood. How she grew up. I have so many stories to tell, and you're the first person I've met who doesn't already know them all."

"Mother!" Diana exclaimed, and the queen's laughter rang throughout the chamber.