*A.N: Y'all are lucky that the fixing department was closed and I missed it and I still have my computer so I can write this little chapter for you, guys! :D

An immense 'thank you' goes to all of the readers, the reviewers, the followers, those who favorited. I wanna squeeze all of you!

Anyway, if my beloved computer can be repaired (I will visit the fixing place tomorrow too), I will not be updating for some days. Just wanted to let you know, again. Hope you enjoy this and, as usual, please leave me a small review!*

CHAPTER TEN

Diana felt refreshed when she woke up that morning. The sun had just risen and the weather was perfect. She stretched and got up, drawing the curtains of her room to let the sun inside. Carefully, she removed the burn patches, applied some pigment on it and put on a new patch. After she checked the rest of her injuries as well, she grabbed a bluish Hellenic style tunic to wear, fastening a golden plated belt around her waist. She fixed her hair with some golden hair pins and put on her leather sandals. She had missed outfits like that, but living in the modern world now, she had to change the way she dressed. Humming a song, she exited her room and headed for the kitchen. Calliope, their cook, greeted her heartily and gave her a dish with bread, honey and some fruits and a cup of milk.

"I don't suppose you have anyone taking such good care of you out there, eh?" The stout dark-skinned woman said, grinning.

Diana grinned back. "Truth be told, I don't. Most of the days, my breakfast is just plain coffee."

Calliope squinted her eyes, wondering if she had heard that word before. "You need a proper breakfast, Princess. Now eat so that you can heal quickly. It pains me to see your pretty arms wrapped like that."

"It's nothing, my dear Calliope. I get battered like that often."

Calliope shook her head. "Of all the things in the world, you had to be a superhero."

Diana half-smiled, biting some of her honey-covered bread. "Someone's got to take care of this planet."

"It seems like the planet is in very good hands, then!" Calliope said, moving to her side and giving a gentle squeeze to her shoulders.

Diana ate her breakfast happily, leaving none of it on the plate. It had been such a long time since she last ate something from her homeland and, oh, how she had missed home. She dipped her spoon in the honey jar, grabbing a generous amount of it, and quickly put it in her mouth, getting some on her chin. She giggled to herself, remembering all the times she had gotten honey in her hair and Hippolyta had to untangle them afterwards. After washing herself up, she got to the main throne room and exited the palace to reach the central square. The benches of last night's hunting feast were still there, as another one was expected to be held tonight as well.

She descended the stairs and approached a nearby Amazon, sharpening her sword. "Good morning, Andronicke."

"Good morning, Princess." She replied, bowing slightly and going on with the sharpening.

Diana was tempted to ask her to join the day's battle training activities, but J'onn's orders were strict and she had made a promise not to take part in anything athletic or physically demanding. And so, she decided to simply initiate a casual conversation. Just when she was ready to open her mouth, the sounds of many people coming together and a horse clopping filled the square. Diana's and Andronicke's attention turned to the main western road leading to it. Hippolyta riding her horse was the first one to arrive, followed by several Amazons. As they turned to the Palace's side, Diana's eyes widened, as she recognized the figure of the man she wanted to avoid at all costs. He was walking with his hands lifted up, surrounded by Amazons. He wasn't in his superhero costume; he was wearing a pair of simple blue jeans and a white button-down shirt. Why had he come?

Diana jumped up, staring at him. She met his eyes when they were finally getting close to the Palace. His look was unusually gentle and he was…half-smiling? Diana frowned, not knowing what to think of that.

"What is going on, mother?" She asked.

"This outsider came to our island saying he had an important business with you."

Diana crossed her arms over her chest. "What kind of business?"

"Ask him." Hippolyta said, giving her daughter an intense look. This was definitely the man behind Diana's sorrow, she could tell, as she could also tell that he wasn't there with bad intentions. She couldn't interfere, though, so she hoped Diana knew what she wanted to do.

Diana turned her look to Bruce. He was grinning and he looked so rejuvenated. What was that now? "What business do you have with me? Is it about the League?"

Bruce felt amazing with just being able to lay eyes on her. She looked stunning –as always, he thought- and, with nothing holding him back now, as he had finally made his mind up, he allowed himself to enjoy the sight as much as he liked. "No." He replied simply.

"Then why are you here?"

"I need to talk to you."

"Diana," Hippolyta intervened, "you are to decide whether we shall endure his presence on our island or whether he is to be sent away immediately. It will be your decision."

Diana's eyes shifted between her mother and Bruce, her emotions being conflicting. First of all, she was curious; what did he want to say to her, that didn't have to do with the League and was so urgent that he had to fly all the way to Themyscira? She was itching to know, but her pride stopped her from expressing such a desire and urged her to remember what she was there for; to manage her feelings of unrequited affection for the man standing just some meters away from her now. Yet she couldn't fight the strong and persistent urge to…cradle him, for some reason, and had to pull every fiber of self-control she had to say what she did, valuing herself and her wellbeing above anything. How many hits could her dignity and self-respect receive? "Men are not to be allowed on Themyscira." Saying that, she turned to leave.

Hippolyta was surprised at Diana's response, if she wanted to be honest to herself. Even more surprised was Bruce, whose eyebrows shot up and smile vanished. "Very well." The Amazonian Queen said. "Amazons, accompany him to his vessel."

As two Amazons went to tug on his arms, Bruce shouted "Diana!"

Diana, who had begun ascending the stairs, froze in her place. His cry wasn't a scolding one, or a judgmental one; it was needy. What was he so desperate about? Her feelings about him became dominant once again, and all she could feel was guilt for turning him away. Her pride battled fiercely with them, though, telling her to keep moving inside, and so Diana found herself in the worst dilemma she had ever had. She was totally torn, with absolutely no idea what to do. Bruce helped her decide, though.

"Perimene, se parakalo..." He told her in Greek, taking Hippolyta and the rest of the Amazons by surprise.

Diana slowly turned back around again. He only spoke in Greek when it was absolutely necessary. So he had deemed it essential to say 'Wait, please...' "Fine, then." Diana said, lifting her chin up and pointing at him. "He shall be allowed on Themyscira for the day, unless I decide otherwise. Amazons," she said, making it clear that it was an order, "show him to a guest house now."

Two Amazons grabbed him by the arms. "Come." One of them said, and Bruce frowned. He didn't want to be shown to a guest house, he wanted to run to her, right there, right now. He struggled but the Amazons' grip was too tight and he didn't want to use any violence, especially when his position was so precarious.

"I don't want a guest house!" He said loudly.

"Don't you want to experience the hospitality of my people?" Diana said and he sighed, turning his look to the ground. "Take him."

Diana didn't exactly know why she had ordered that to be done immediately, but she knew it was the only thing she could do to buy herself some time, for she wasn't ready to speak to him, and she didn't even know if she wanted to. Her mind was buzzing and she couldn't even hear her own thoughts clearly. When the Amazons and Bruce had left the square, she turned to Andronicke.

"Andronicke, spread the word; not one us is to help him find his way around and find me, okay?"

"Yes, but, Princess, if you don't want him to find you, why have you allowed him on the island?"

"It's…complicated! Just don't answer anything he asks. Let him do everything on his own."

Andronicke nodded and Diana flew hastily back inside. She knew she was being childish and immature, but she decided that if he wanted to talk to her so much, he would have to fight enough for it. Otherwise, he could just leave. Besides, his permission to stay was only for a day.

OOO-OOO-OOO-OOO-OOO-OOO-OOO

Diana had done everything in her power to engage in as many diverse activities as possible. She hadn't stayed in one place for more than half an hour, but that resulted in her having practically exhausted her pastime options by the afternoon. She thought about visiting some of the older Amazons around the nearby villages, but she was informed that she was summoned by her mother.

Hippolyta was stoically waiting for her at the throne room. Diana approached her mother with a smile. "You asked to see me, mother?"

"Yes."

The look on her face was peculiar; it had something motherly in it, and something austere too. Diana couldn't really read it. "How can I help you?"

"How can you help yourself, is the question, Diana. What are you doing with our guest?"

"What am I doing with him?"

"Playing hide-and-seek? He has been searching for you all over the city. If you didn't wish to hear him out, you shouldn't have let him reside on the island."

"It's not that I don't want to hear him out, it's just that…" Diana sighed deeply. "It hurts, mother."

Hippolyta drew Diana closer to her, laying her hands on Diana's shoulder. "What if he's here to make the pain go away? Have you thought about that?"

"He is not. He has caused nothing but pain to me during these weeks."

"We might not be the world's most accustomed-to-men race, Diana, but I do know this; men's minds are weird and they do change. They are also usually afraid to express their true sentiments, but when they decide to do so, I know that there aren't many things that they consider obstacles. The man flew to Themyscira, where no men are allowed, just to speak with you. Don't you think that's saying something?"

Diana looked straight into her mother's wise eyes. Could she be right? But what if she was terribly wrong? "I don't know, mother. I really don't. But, aren't you, as the Queen of the Amazons, supposed to keep me away from men?" Diana asked, trying to smile.

Hippolyta grinned back. "Before the Queen of the Amazons, I am your mother, and a mother wants nothing but her child to be happy, no matter what is that which makes them happy."

Diana nodded. "I have to think, mother. If you need me, you know where to find me."

"Very well, my child. Go."

With that, Diana flew outside and headed for her favorite spot on the island.

OOO-OOO-OOO-OOO-OOO-OOO

Seriously annoyed with the Amazons' conduct, Bruce had decided that it had gotten ridiculous. Diana was to be found nowhere and the Amazons played ignorant, pretending to not have seen her at all. Night was going to fall in an hour or so, and he still hadn't managed to find his Princess. He only had a day, he remembered that, but was hoping to make Diana prolong his visit, and so he took matters into his own hands. He pushed the doors to the throne room open and entered. Hippolyta was seated on the marble throne, holding a book in her hands. Her guards looked at him with hostility.

"What brings you here, ksene?" (A.N.: Ksenos-with ksene being the form in which someone calls another person that- means stranger, foreigner, outsider) Hippolyta asked.

"I require your help." Hippolyta arched an eyebrow and he went on. "You need to tell me where Diana is."

"If you give me a good reason, I will help you."

"I made a mistake with Diana. I lied to her. I thought it was to protect her, but I was wrong and for the sake of both of us, I need to speak with her now."

"How do I know that you aren't going to hurt my daughter more than you already have?"

Bruce exhaled deeply and looked the Queen straight into her eyes. "Because this all hurts me just as much as her. I never want to see her sad again, not any more than you do, and I promise to try with my everything to never let her be sad again. Is that good enough for you?"

Hippolyta got up and approached him with a few, proud strides. "Don't ever think that I'm doing this for you, Bruce Wayne. I'm only doing this for my daughter." Bruce nodded and Hippolyta turned to the western window of the throne room. "See that hill over there in the distance?"

"Yes."

"Just after that, there's a small cape. It's Diana's favorite spot, she always goes there when she wants to think or relax. You'll find her there."

"Thank you, Hippolyta."

Hippolyta nodded coldly at him and turned to her guards. "Cassiope, find him a horse."

OOO-OOO-OOO-OOO-OOO-OOO

Diana couldn't get enough of that view. The sun was ready to touch the waterline far into the horizon, as the sky was painted in a plethora of blue, purple, pink, yellow, orange and red colors. She sighed absentmindedly and cradled her knees close to her chest, wrapping her hands around them. Everything felt so tranquil.

She listened to the sound of the waves gently caressing the sides of the cape and the wind breezing through the dense trees. And there, between the sounds of nature, she heard…a song.

*A/N: Duuun duuun duuuun big talk coming up! Don't know when exactly, but definitely coming up! How did you find the chapter? Leave a small comment in the review section! Thanks for reading!:D*