Rules and Games

Diana brought a bag of books with her as she was making her way to the Bana Mighdall gates on the other side of the island. She wasn't looking forward to staying here for a week, but luckily her mother was lenient on her and decided not to put her in solitary confinement for a few days. Diana finally guessed that maybe her mother knew that she was being too strict with her only daughter. She had found out later that someone had been spying on her all day yesterday and that person must have seen Kal come into her room in the evening. Diana had a good idea who that someone was -Phillipus. Phillipus was her mother's best long time friend and also Diana's second mother in a strange sort of way.

Every time when Hippolyta couldn't be there for Diana, Phillipus would stay with Diana and entertain her. She also trained Diana in hand to hand combat many times and taught her how to read at a very young age. The more Diana thought about her mother, the more she started feel angry that she never was really there for her in her childhood.

As she approached closer to the gate she saw Penelope was at guard duty and looked a little bit aggravated to see Diana. She was tapping her foot and had her arms folded, not looking impressed at all.

"You're late, princess. I have been waiting for over an hour for you to arrive!" Penelope groaned.

Diana smiled and set down her bag of many books. "Sorry sister, I was in the library picking out a few books to read while I am on guard duty."

"Good luck reading that. This gate needs to be monitored very closely at all times. Someone will come relieve you for the evening shift as the Queen requested." Penelope gathered her sword and shield and started to walk off. "Oh won't you be needing a shield and sword, princess?"

Diana shook her head, "if anything happens I can handle myself. I am a far superior fighter compared to these Bana harpies," she smirked.

"of course you are, have a nice day, princess," Penelope rolled her eyes as she turned to walk away back to the palace square.

Diana sat down on a stool and opened a book and began munching an apple to make the time go by quickly. Perhaps this wouldn't be so bad, staying here and studying for awhile. Although she thought a week was a bit too much. She could guess that her mother would be handling all of her duties including Queen duties as well. She smiled at that thought. She will be very busy indeed.

Kal was in his suite studying on philosophy. He enjoyed this subject even though on his planet his people wouldn't be able to comprehend or understand why the Amazons were so enthralled with a subject such as this. He thought of it as a tool to enhance the mind and require a person to think critically about the world around them.

Closing the book he sighed and leaned against his headboard on the bed. He felt awful for getting Diana in trouble. In his mind he could've just sped out of the room, but that would definitely not go well as he figured Hippolyta would notice. She noticed everything it seemed and that reminded him of his own mother. Mothers know everything that went on even though they never make it seem like they do.

Smiling, he thought of being in bed with Diana. He really enjoyed this type of relationship with her. He never expected to have this sort of relationship with an Amazon, especially the Amazon Princess. Then it started to sink in that he wouldn't be around her for a whole week. Sure they hadn't been doing 'this' for a long time, but they'd been together for every night for the last week and the thought of not having her in bed with him was saddening to him. It was nice to have to not think about her as marriage material or even as a lover, just to have sex was enough for him. Neither of them have had sex with anyone before so he only supposed that the separation was going to be harder for him than for her.

Kal often thought of how many deep conversations he had with Diana and that was something else he liked about her. He could talk about his life on Krypton without judgment and she could do the same about her life on Themyscira as a princess. Both recognized that their lives weren't as different as it appeared and were able to talk freely about everything with no strings attached. Although they hadn't been doing much talking lately, but just the thought of sharing information freely was comforting to Kal. He hoped Diana felt the same way he did.

Sighing he sat up and thought about his idea about installing electricity on the island with Kryptonian technology. He would have to contact his parents and possibly go to Krypton to get the needed materials. He didn't really want to talk to his parents and he hadn't seen them in over a month since he came here. His parents knew that he was a responsible person, but they were worried, he was sure of it. Or maybe they aren't worried at all. Shaking his head he exited his room and left the building to make his way to the library that was not too far away. The day was just beginning and he had about two hours before his next class, which would be blacksmithing. He enjoyed that class too along with all the others. Being on Themyscira, Kal felt that he had become a more educated being and learned a new culture. This made him feel important and that he actually had a purpose in his life besides his life on Krypton.

He loved Krypton, but it tended to get boring if things did not go his way and they always stuck to the same routine. The Amazons had a schedule too but it was more free and their way of life would be considered archaic to his people, but that is what made it so interesting to him.

Finally in the library he went to the mythology section, which he came to find out that it wasn't mythology at all. He was still skeptical about the Olympians, but he didn't say anything especially when Diana talked about going to pray at a temple on the island. As he went to that section he noticed that three books were gone and he raised an eyebrow.

"Okay, off to the science section then," he made his way over to the next aisle.

Finding a few books that looked interesting to him wasn't that hard, but he wanted to read a select few. He had his eye on two books since he came into the library a few weeks ago. He noticed that both of those books were gone.

He groaned, "what the hell. Who would pick those specific books?" He grumbled to himself and other Amazons stared at him very confused.

Making his way over to the book keeper he sighed. "Excuse me do you have the Art of Medicine and Astronomy. I've had my eye on those books for awhile and they're gone now."

Yasmine opened a large book that had all the people who checked out books for the past year. Her finger scrolled down to today and she shook her head.

"I'm sorry sir, the books were checked out early this morning by someone else."

"May I ask by who?" He only wanted to see if he could ask this person how long they'd be with those two books.

"Princess Diana."

Of course she would check out those same books on the day he wanted to read them. Trying not to hide his facial expression he nodded. "Thank you very much. I'll check back in for them at a later date."

Yasmine called out, "Princess Diana does not take long to read, I am sure she'll be done with them by tomorrow," she smiled.

Kal nodded and half smiled as he left the library. He wondered if anyone else on the island knew about him and Diana. He was starting to feel paranoid about everybody now, especially the Queen. He knew that she didn't really like him for being around Diana, but maybe she didn't know they were sharing a bed together or maybe she did. Whatever she knew, he didn't want to know or even come face to face with her any time soon.

As he made his way to the palace square he nodded and said hello to everyone passing by. He often thought of that Siren Den that Diana took him to a week ago. Although it did creep him out, it was quite beautiful and Diana was able to get some information about Hippolyta's younger sister. Kal thought about that night for several reasons. One for the place it was, and how intimate it was with them in the room together and Antiope. He knew that Diana often thought about Antiope and why she was such a massive secret to everyone except a select few. He was thinking to himself that he should go back there by himself to try and get more information about her.

Dick Grayson caught Kal walking ahead of him and he smiled running to catch up to him. He put a hand on his shoulder, "hey, remember me?"

Kal was taken aback and stopped to greet the young man. "Hello, yes I do remember you. Dick, right?"

He nodded, "Right! You never got back to me about studying together. I understand though, it gets very busy around here. Almost chaotic."

Kal nodded his head. This man was very persistent and he admired him for that. "Yes I'm sorry about that. Things got a little busy for me yesterday."

Dick understood that. He didn't want to pester the prince, but he really wanted to spend some time with him. "So did you hear what Queen Hippolyta might do?"

Kal hadn't heard any news as his thoughts were elsewhere. Diana was in his thoughts of course. "No I haven't."

"She is thinking about allowing females to come to Themyscira to study. Kind of like the program for men that is going on currently."

Kal wondered why Hippolyta didn't do this sooner. It could really help some spoiled brats out there. Perhaps some women from Krypton would be able to come here and experience some culture in their dull lives.

"That sounds like a very good idea. I hope that she decides to let women come to the island. It would be very beneficial to them and the Amazons to meet other women. They are all about helping people, especially women."

"Indeed. I definitely agree! I would enjoy some more women on this island besides the Amazons if you know what I mean," Dick had a sly smile on his face saying this.

Kal almost started to laugh, but hid it well with a grin. "The Amazon women are very beautiful here."

Dick nodded, "yes they are! What man wouldn't want to come here?!" He cleared his throat, "anyway, so about studying. Are you free tonight? I don't want to keep bothering you."

"You are not bothering me and yes I am free tonight," of course he is. He doesn't have Diana in bed with him tonight. "We can study after dinner, is that alright with you?"

"Yes! Thank you so much, I'll meet you at your suite and we can study there. I need to get going. I have combat practice with a new instructor. Have you seen the princess? She's usually teaching in the afternoons."

Yes I know where she is, but I'm definitely not going to reveal that to anybody as it is her punishment, Kal thought. He shook his head, "sorry I don't know. Perhaps she's busy with her mother."

Dick shrugged, "royal duties, what are ya gonna do?" He smiled and ran off to the training grounds.

Diana closed her book as she was finished and sighed. It had not even reached lunch time and she was beginning to grow bored of this job. She didn't know how Penelope and the others did this job. Standing up to stretch her legs she walked around in front of the gate pacing back and forth to relieve her boredom. How could she do this for an entire week? Diana groaned and sat back down on the stool with her fist beneath her chin staring off into the forest. There was nothing but forest around this part of the island.

Five minutes passed by and Diana groaned. Time was going to go by very slow and she didn't feel like reading another book right now as she had read them all at least twice already.

Just as her boredom was getting the best of her she heard talking on the other side of the gate and she furrowed her eyebrows. The gate doors were made of stone and couldn't nobody could peek through them whatsoever. Diana lifted off the ground slowly and peeked her head over the gate and saw two Bana Amazons standing about a yard away from the gate. She didn't really think that the Bana would get so close to this gate and it was hardly opened unless for specific reasons and those reasons would be requests by her mother.

Diana's ears perked up as she was cluing into the women's conversation. They were whispering as they knew that guards would be on the other side of the gate. Although they didn't know that the princess of the Amazons was standing guard there.

"We should go to the Siren Den tonight."

The other woman scoffed, "really? I don't really like those Sirens that much. They're a bunch of harlots and talk shit about us. Malakah."

"They have good wine though and who cares? They won't say anything as long as we're in the room."

She nodded, "You're right, but I still don't like those scaly bitches. Maybe we should ask Artemis to go with us. She would set those wannabe mermaids in their place."

The other laughed, "That is for sure, sister! We don't need her though, we can take care of ourselves."

"this is true. There is some gossip going around that the princess is bedding the Kryptonian."

The blonde woman scoffed, "I am not surprised. That princess is a horrible representation of the Amazons and her mother. Although her mother is no better than she."

"It is as if her mother thinks that the poor princess will die of a disease if she beds a man."

Both women snickered.

Diana frowned at the two women as they both carried on their conversation. They had no idea that she was standing right there. She wondered how many horrible things that the Bana said about her and her mother. She figured that the guards heard a lot and just didn't say anything about it as they'd probably dismiss the chatter.

She set her feet back on the ground and sighed. She didn't wish to listen anymore, not that she cared or anything, but they don't have the right to talk badly about her and the Queen of the Amazons. Diana folded her arms and leaned against the stone gate doors. So many hours ahead of her and yet this job was getting more boring the more she stood there.

As the sun was starting to set Diana had drifted off into a light sleep and was woken up by rustling bushes behind the gate. She opened her eyes and stood up instantly. Her ears heard more rustling and she looked around to see if anyone was there, but nobody was present.

Looking over the gate again she saw those two women that were chatting earlier and three others following them. Diana narrowed her eyes as she watched the five of them make their way down a dark alley way that was a few feet away from the gates.

she was wondering how they were going to get to the Siren Den since their entire side of the island was blocked off by a very tall stone wall. Diana set back down and began on foot silently. She clung close to the stone wall and was listening to the sound of the women's footsteps on the other side of the wall. Suddenly the noise stopped and she heard nothing. She slid down the side of the wall and then saw a sandal on top of the wall and one woman was trying to climb over the wall.

Diana backed away into the trees and watched a few feet away. One of the women jumped over and looked side to side and saw no one near. She gestured to the others with a whistle and others followed, climbing over the wall. Diana's mouth gaped. She couldn't believe that the guards wouldn't be able to notice that these Bana could easily get over the wall. Diana was beginning to wonder how often they did this and how stupid the guards must be to let this go unnoticed.

Once all five made it over the wall they crept silently against the wall and away from any light nearby. Diana came out of the trees and followed them behind like an assassin.

Diana was a foot away from the last woman in their little escapee line. She put her hand over the woman's mouth and pressed on her neck at a sensitive pressure point. Instantly she knocked out and her body became limp. She dragged off the woman and set her in the trees trying to be as silent as possible.

The leader of the women halted and her ears perked up and she listened intently.

"We are not alone, sisters."

Diana sped towards them and knocked out two more women and drug them off into the dark forest. There were now two women left and they stood back to back now. Both looked around and saw nobody in sight.

"I thought you said that you do this all the time?" The dark skinned Bana said quietly.

"I do. Those guards are too stupid to catch us," the blonde woman stated.

Diana came out of the darkness and smiled, "are you calling me stupid, sister?"

Both women scowled, "you! what are you doing here?"

"Luckily for you I am guarding the Bana gate for awhile. You may be able to get passed the others, but you won't get passed me." Diana knocked both down with a swift kick and uppercut punch to the jaw of the blonde. Both lay on the ground semi conscious.

Layla came to relieve Diana of her duties and she saw the princess was tying two women up with a rope.

"Princess, what has happened?"

Diana picked up the two women with ease and lifted in the air, "ah you have come for the evening shift. I suggest you keep a better eye on this gate. These women tried to escape and I am taking them to my mother right now. Also there are three women passed out back in the forest down that way." she pointed to the right of her, "Happy guarding, sister," she smiled and flew off to the palace leaving Layla very confused.

Once she arrived into the palace with two women in her arms still a bit dazed. The guards looked at her with concern. Diana paid no attention to them and went immediately into the throne room.

She found her mother sitting on her throne talking with Phillipus and reading over a few changes she was planning to make within the next month. Hippolyta glanced up to see her daughter carrying two women who appeared to be Bana and she set aside her scroll and stood up.

"Diana, what is the meaning of this?"

Diana threw the two women on the marble floor. "These two were trying to escape from the Bana walls. I caught them. The others are knocked out in the forest near the gate as well. I told Layla about those three and hopefully she'll deal with them, but I suggest backup." she folded her arms and frowned.

Hippolyta told Phillipus to send a few Amazons out that way to help contain the women.

"Well, that is very unfortunate to my ears. Thank you for bringing them here, daughter."

"I can see you will handle it from here so I will retire to my room now, goodnight mother," with that Diana left swiftly to her bedroom.

Once there she closed the door and flopped onto her bed. Even though today was not very eventful she felt very tired for no reason. It seems her days training and teaching were less trying than guarding a damn gate all day. As she began to take off her clothes and run a bath for herself she couldn't help but think that Kal wouldn't be showing up at her window now.

Diana was going to miss that for awhile and they definitely had to be more careful about how they saw each other from now on.

An hour later Diana was towel drying her hair and she wore a short white gown. That was the best excitement she had all day and now she was pumped to do more, but for now she'll just have to relax. She figured that maybe taking a walk would relax her body so she flew out the window and touched the ground with bare feet.

It wasn't late at all and she wanted to skip dinner with her mother tonight. She didn't want to converse with her at all especially if her mother might ask about Kal. She walked into the royal gardens and sat down on the same bench that Kal and her sat on awhile back. She smiled thinking of him and wished he were there with her in that moment.

Kal had finished talking with Dick half an hour ago and he really liked talking to him, but he was beginning to get annoyed by the guy. He talked a lot, but he admired his spirit. He seemed very passionate about history and expressed that back home he did a lot of detective work on the side with the police department. Kal noticed that Dick was very intelligent, but perhaps he needed to channel it elsewhere instead of being here on Themyscira. He didn't get the chance to ask him why he wanted to come to this island in the first place. He was sure that he would find out later from Dick.

He took a walk in the royal gardens just get his mind off everything from today. Working with the blacksmith wasn't difficult and he was able to pick up the skill quicker than anyone there, but it wasn't so easy as the woman made it look. As he walked further into the gardens he smelled something pleasant. It smelled like vanilla and he knew that smell.

Speeding up he saw that Diana was sitting by herself on the bench they sat on together. A smile came to his face. He looked around to make sure nobody was watching and nobody was in sight.

"Are you spending the evening by yourself, princess?" he announced.

Diana turned around recognizing that voice anywhere. She stood up and looked around cautiously. "Kal, what are you doing here?" she whispered.

"I was trying to clear my mind that's all. What are you doing here?" he smiled.

"you are going to get me in trouble again!" Diana whispered again.

He shrugged his shoulders, "well, I won't tell if you won't."

Diana came closer to him and slapped him on the chest playfully. "That isn't funny Kal. Seriously though I am already in enough trouble with my mother as it is. Today I heard from two Bana women that they know about us being together."

Wow news travels fast here, Kal thought. He wasn't really surprised though. "do you have to make it sound like such a bad thing?" He joked.

She folded her arms, "Kal! I am probably known as the island's whore right now."

He scoffed, "oh right. Like the other Amazons don't have sex with the other male students. I know what I saw back in Bengal village, Diana. They aren't innocent."

Diana knew that, but it was different for her. "It isn't the same. I am supposed to be the pure princess. A representation of my people and now everyone knows."

"Does it matter though?"

She pursed her lips, "I don't know. It was my idea after all. I pressured you."

"You can't deny that you don't miss being around me." He smirked proudly.

"I am not a good liar, so you know I can't lie about that," Diana took a hold of his hand and squeezed it tightly.

"So we can't just disappear somewhere and you know...?" Kal asked hopeful.

Diana smiled, "perhaps, but not for a long time. If I know my mother, she'll send a search party out for me."

He laughed, "that's a good one." They began walking deeper into the gardens together.

"I was being serious." she said as they continued on.

AN: Kryptonian stuff next! Enjoy everyone :)
malakah = harlot