In the Company of Knights
Chapter 2
Author: Miss Lizz
Rating: R for violence, sickness, and other things.
Disclaimer: I own nothing for the nonce. I still wish I had J'onn though BG.
Author's Note: First of all, for everyone who thinks that J'onn is being treated a bit harshly by everyone, please remember that this is the Dark Ages and tolerance of anything even remotely different was unheard of. The men are really acting quite normal for their time, if anything they're being unusually charitable as any other people of the time would have killed the poor man and been done with it. Diana was raised in a more open-minded society. And I made a mistake last chapter: Arthur is the 'Boar of Cornwall' not Cromwell as I mistakenly wrote. I was getting my histories confused. One more thing for the history section, Christianity did not have a hold yet on Britain during this time. Yep, that's right, King Arthur (and no one in this story) was never really a Christian; he was one of the so-called pagans. I'm guessing they worshipped a nature goddess or possibly the Lord and Lady of Greenwood as in the Green Religion.
Also, there are some illustrations of characters at JLA monitor womb at Yahoo! Groups. One is the design for Wonder Woman's outfit that I'm rather proud of (it's more Greek originated than now). There's one for J'onn and a very rough sketch of a bust shot of Superman.
Once she returned the empty bowl to the kitchens, Diana went to her chambers and girded herself for war. It was time for training. She fastened the clasps on her gold and red Amazonian armour. It was a far cry from the dull, gray mail of her fellows but for her the plated armour was of a normal make. She saw no need for mail with its bulky, constricting confinement. In battle she stood like a beacon among the drabness of the others. She really had no fear of being singled out and targeted, as she was considered nigh unbeatable, armed or not.
Running a hand over her broadsword's hilt for a moment, she sheathed it with a slow, deliberate motion and proceeded to beyond the outer walls where the League met to train. Where no grass grew and the dirt was compacted into a hard layer.
In Themyscira, far from these cold, dreary forests, where it was a much warmer clime, where there were no men to belittle and enslave women, in her home, she was considered the greatest of champions. Here, in patriarch's world, her talents were largely, and often completely, ignored simply because she wasn't a man. She was forced to work a thousand times harder to receive even a fraction of the acknowledgements the men received. It was times like that she thought seriously of leaving and returning to Themyscira. She never would though; she would never give up in her cause. If she could make things even marginally better for the women in this world, it would all have been worth it.
Already, in this world, she was training some girls in the art of warfare despite what the others' thoughts on it were. By what right did they dare judge her when she worked naught but for the greater good. The girls should be free to choose their own destiny, not what the men say is appropriate.
On the training ground, as she routed one 'attacker' after another and sent many a man away grumbling darkly, she overheard Bruce and Clark discussing taking a possible severe breach of etiquette toward her guest.
"What course of action should be taken toward Diana's… pet?"
"Nothing for the nonce," Bruce said while overlooking the training all around him, "When it gains its feet, I'll throw the bloody demon out on its green arse. At present, it should be watched to--"
"You'll not just 'throw him out.'" The princess stormed up to them, "He's my guest," she stressed the word while glaring at Clark, "and I say he's welcome and you'll not lay so much as a hand on him or you will have me to deal with." She spun on her heel and stormed off back to the castle, sending the other knights fleeing before her rage. Leaving was appearing better with each passing moment…
"God's teeth," Clark cursed under his breath.
The dark prince grunted, "She's too trusting."
The larger man cursed again. He was positive it went farther than that… that thing in the tower was treated better than some animal she may have found. She never even thought of the dangers in bringing a strange being into the keep, she simply insisted they help it. She was too attached to it—attached… Bloody hell.
"She's infatuated!" He hissed, "She's infatuated with that thing! I cannot believe this. I refuse to believe it. It—it's…"
"Not possible," Bruce interjected calmly, "Diana carries herself like a queen, and a queen wouldst never lower herself to such levels as to rut with that thing as you seem convinced of. It's nothing more than a diversion to her, like some injured animal found on the roadside or a pup is to any other lady," he gave a tight, humourless smile. "She will tire of it eventually as women are wont to do, you'll see."
Clark doubted that, Diana was too stubborn to give up on anything. That woman would bring nothing but trouble upon them all and he had a feeling that demon was just the beginning.
Growling deeply, he went back to supervising the surrounding mock battles with Bruce but did not yet relinquish his disgruntled thoughts to the back of his mind and planned some actions of his own. The monster needs leave before the sennight was quit. If Bruce did nothing, he surely would.
"Keep your shield up! You're leaving yourself open!" He bellowed to his squire, Connell. The boy never saw the need to learn sword skills or any other arts of war, reminding Clark of himself at that age.
There still weighed the matter of the green demon upon his mind and he quickly reverted back to those thoughts once making sure Connell was at least making some effort.
End ch. 2
I know it's lacking in length but the next will hopefully make up for it. Next will also have more secondary characters and more of our primary stars, J'onn and Diana. There'll be more interaction, some drama and whatnot.
Should I continue? How bad is it? Be honest but polite, please.
Thank you,
Miss Lizz