Part II
Millennia later, the species known as Homo sapiens sapiens has prospered. They have spread through out the world, straying far from their place of birth. Yet the most developed and prosperous of the species remained close to their birth, choosing to settle around the Mediterranean Sea. Their herds became large settlements, stretching far around the border of the Mediterranean. Each settlement developed into its own society with its own customs and beliefs. The society that touched furthest, however, was that of the settlement known as Greece. The Greeks, as they took to calling themselves, spread their culture through out their world by way of merchants and traveling scholars.
In a land controlled by war and blood, a beautiful garden was laid out. Its attendants were maidens and lads of low class, servants to a mighty and deadly ruler. Its regular patrons were fair maidens, lovely by far and worshipped by all. The garden had been a gift for them from their doting father. Though he was cruel to all, he favored these two daughters above any other. For in his eyes, they showed the most promise of all his offspring. His daughters had been blessed by his sisters in many ways. They were both the loveliest of young maidens in existence, with only the beautiful Aphrodite surpassing them. From another of his sisters they had been granted great knowledge and a thirst to continue it. Another sister granted them love and kindness, a warmth of the heart, the worst gift, in his opinion. From himself, he had taught them to be mighty and skilled warriors. They were his best warriors, in fact. Their armies had all willingly pledged their undying loyalty to them. He knew that each warrior would follow his daughters to their deaths if at all possible. His daughters did not even need to speak to their troops or any of his troops, to rally them, all they need do was to make an appearance and his men would die for them. What a disappointment it was then, when he discovered that they did not wish to fight. His daughters longed for peace and love above all else and fought only when they felt it necessary. Most of the time, they would talk their opponents into surrendering to them. How he hated those times, granted it showed the power that his daughters held over all, but oh, how he loved to see the blood flow! His daughters were his greatest pride, and though he would never admit it, they were his joy, his only happiness in the mad world he ruthlessly ruled over. Within the confines of the garden's walls, one of its patrons sat perched on a rock. Her raven hair flowed in the light breeze, as her gaze was transfixed on the water in the pond beneath her. She watched as dainty leaves danced and swirled across the surface of the cool water. She sat with her right leg pulled under and her left knee pulled close to her body for her chin to rest on. So lost in her own thoughts was she that she did not notice her sister enter the garden.
"Hippolyta! I have been looking everywhere for you, Sister!" exclaimed the golden hair beauty. Her golden locks fell in soft waves around her shoulders and down her back, accenting her features and adding to the blue of her eyes. "What troubles you sister? I know that look.what claims your thoughts so?" The young woman slid onto the rock along side her sister, concern tentatively turned towards her sister's silhouette.
"Have you ever wondered why we are here, Antiope?" was her sister's only reply.
"Whatever do you mean, Sister?" Antiope watched as her sister's gaze never left the floating leaf.
"Why are we here? In this world? What is our purpose? To fight a never ending war that will one day get us killed? Will we ever be allowed to know anything else? By the gods, how I long for peace and for my soul to feel less troubled than it is!" Hippolyta raised her head from her knee and waved her left hand to accentuate her words. Her gaze was troubled as she focused it down to the water's surface, ripples pushing away as a leaf falls onto the still surface.
"You are in love?" Antiope whispered.
Hippolyta gazed at her sister with saddened eyes. "Eros' arrow has been embedded into my heart, straight through to my very soul."
"Who is he? You know Father will never allow it. You know how he feels. Is this love of yours a warrior? Please, say he is, he might then stand a chance." Antiope faced her sister now, her eyes pleading.
"He is a warrior, and a good one, too! By the gods! He is perhaps the most handsome man I have ever met! He is a fine warrior! He has risen quickly within the ranks and I know he will rise ever higher!" Hippolyta's face filled with joy as she spoke of her love. Her smile was bright enough that, had it been night, Artemis's moon would not be needed to shine light onto the scene at hand.
Antiope absorbed her sister's happiness and reverberated it a hundred fold on her own features. "Oh, Hippolyta! Sister, I am so happy for you! You must tell me all you know of him! Where did you meet him?" Antiope's shining face soon grew dark, as a dawning appeared to her. "Hippolyta! You say he will continue to rise swiftly in the ranks, but it will not be so if Father were to ever discover the love you hold for this one! No! If you love him, Hippolyta, you will abandon all thought of him! No one must ever know! You know the penalty for disobeying Father's rules!"
Hippolyta looked at her sister, her joy now gone. She turned her head slowly back to the pond below, and thought of her Father's rules. No man shall touch my daughters, for they are the greatest warriors to ever live! No.LOVE will never be, I forbid it! Love will only make them weak! Should EVER I discover they hold love for any man, he shall meet a painful end. I will not have love disrupt my plans! Love, huh, what a pathetic waste. She remembered how each time he said "love" the word was filled with such hate and malice. She thought back to the previous years of her life, she thought of each time that her sister and she had committed the smallest of sins in her Father's eyes. Though he loved his daughters and gave them anything they wanted, of all his warriors, he was the hardest on them. Everything they had was first earned in combat.
"You are right, Sister. I should end it."
"Great gods, Polly! Do not tell me you have met with him in secret!?" Antiope was shocked and aghast. She glanced around the garden to ensure that they were the only ones listening to this conversation. On the other side of the garden, across from where the Daughters of War sat perched on their rock, was a young maiden working diligently pruning the shrubs along the wall. She could not possibly hear what the two sisters spoke of.
Hippolyta did not raise her gaze from the base of the rock as she spoke to her sister, though she had turned towards her sister and away from the pond that had so occupied her sight. "Aye," she said in a low, weak voice. "I have met with him in secret for a week past."
"How did you meet him, Little One?" Antiope spoke in soft tones, her voice low.
Hippolyta raised her gaze to look into Antiope's eyes from underneath her brows. "We met a week past. He is from the northern provinces. He came to meet with Father, to give a report on the progress of his army. While he awaited audience with Father, he wandered into the garden, not knowing that it is forbidden to all but us. I was sitting here, on this very rock when he entered." Hippolyta turned her head away from her sister and to the direction from which her mystery lover had entered the garden. "I told him he was not allowed within the garden walls." She emitted a small laugh as she turned back to her sister. "He told me that he could not help his trespass, for he had heard a heavenly voice raised in song. A voice, he said, that could only belong to a goddess." Hippolyta's smile brightened at the memory.
Antiope listened attentively as her sister told of her first meeting. By the gods, how happy she was for her! The two sisters sat giggling and speaking in low tones as the day carried on. Hippolyta told Antiope of the various meetings she had had with her mystery love, always being careful not to speak his name or give too many details that would connect him to his true identity. As the conversation ended, the only course of actions was obvious to both sisters.
"Tonight," Hippolyta whispered, "tonight, I will tell him.I shall tell him that we shall never meet again. Aphrodite forgive me my betrayal of love!"
The two sisters left the garden that was their paradise within the dark world they lived in. Following the corridors, they ventured far from the garden, far from their conversation of love, to arrive at the throne room of their Father. They entered quietly, so as to not interrupt the audience already in session.
"Your will be done, Lord Ares," replied the general as he bowed stiffly, fist to heart in the customary form. As he straightened he motioned for his attendants to follow him as they quickly left the audience. They walked straight and proud as only warriors of Ares could.
On the throne, watching their quick retreat was the Master of War himself. He was seated comfortably, dark armor covered him, with a helmet even darker worn to cover his face. Few were allowed to look upon him in his true form. When the last of his general's men had left, he looked over to his daughters. They had walked to stand beside his thrown at a distance. They always stood at a distance so that, should ever he become angered and lash out, they would be well out of harm's way.
"Ah! My daughters! Come! Tell me what evil you have unleashed today!" He motioned for them to come closer to him. The daughters did as directed. Hippolyta moved to stand by his left side, while Antiope moved to his right.
"Father," they stated flatly as they acknowledged his status with slight bows of their heads.
"My lord," interrupted a brave attendant with a stiff bow. "The representative of the Head General of the Wolf Troops has arrived for your audience."
"Rrr...Very well, send him in," Ares said with a wave of his hand. He motioned for his daughters to sit at the base of his throne. He often thought that by having his daughters at the foot of his throne, his enemies would underestimate their abilities and so be unsuspecting in battle. He also knew that his lovely daughters would have a better view of those he granted audience. He valued their opinions highly, for they were rarely wrong when informing him of men that would betray him or were lying in their reports. They were also very skilled at finding an opponent's weakness. Yes, he cherished them very much, indeed. He glanced down at his daughters, could a viewer have seen his face through his helmet they would have seen a proud and contented smirk on the war god's face.
His daughters sat on the step to either side of his throne as the Wolf representative was ushered into the hall. "Captain Daniel of the Wolf Troops, my lord." Hippolyta stole a glance at her sister and caught her sister's glance back. To a viewer, the glance would be taken as a casual look, to a warrior of Ares who knew the drill, they saw a knowing glance.
The Wolf Troops were the most powerful of Ares' warriors. They journeyed far and wide leaving only conquered, burning, and ravaged lands in their wake. They were noted for their cruelty and ruthlessness. Their representative was perhaps one of their best. He had risen swiftly in the ranks and was the deadliest of them all, after their Head General, of course. Yet, he was also known for his loyalty and love for his fellow warriors.
The captain entered the throne room of the god of war. He bowed stiffly at the waist, as was appropriate, putting his fist to heart. He rose, standing tall, and spoke in a clear, loud voice, "My lord, I am prepared to make my final report." He waited for approval before continuing. "My lord, I have just received word from a messenger that your general's army has taken the final rebel kingdom. You rule supreme in the North."
As the Captain finished his report and was making the final adjustments to Ares 'world map', the two sisters took their leave from the hall. "Come, Sister, let us go and spar. I could use a good workout." Antiope said, pulling gently on the arm of her sister.
"I agree, Sister, a workout would be very nice." The maidens exited the great villa into the training courtyard.
Night fell quickly that day, perhaps too quickly for some. Throughout the afternoon and evening, Hippolyta sought the words with which to tell her beloved that their love could be no more. When the sun set that night and she and her sister had finished their spar, Hippolyta was no closer in her quest. She felt her heart would burst, and prayed to the goddesses Athena, for wisdom, and Aphrodite, for help in her felled love. As she supped that evening with her father and his top warriors, she avoided her father as best she could. She merely prayed he had not noticed.
In the east wing of Ares' villa, Hippolyta sat at her harp. Idly, she strummed her fingers along the chords. Her eyes stared ahead of her, focusing on nothing as she lost herself in her thoughts. Slowly, idly, she strummed her fingers along the chords.
"If you played a tune, perhaps it would hold your attention more, my daughter." Ares entered the room noiselessly. Hippolyta jumped slightly, startled by her father's sudden, unexpected appearance. "Or do you perhaps have your thoughts entrapped elsewhere? Hm?" He took his daughter's chin in his hand. "Were you in a battle environment, Hippolyta, you would be dead now, and your startled jump would only have embedded the blade deeper in your chest!" Anger was evident in his voice.
"Were I in a battle environment, Sire, I would not sit idly, strumming a harp. I would be ensuring that your troops were ready for a swift and easy victory in your name. Mere daydreams would not cross my mind, I can assure you." The favored daughter of Ares spoke in a calm, natural voice as she assured her father of her warrior skills.
"You should be on your guard at any time! In a battle environment or not, girl! I could have been an enemy sent here to kill you!" Hippolyta bowed her head in concession to her father. His anger subsided only slightly. "You admit to daydreaming, aye? Great Zeus, girl! I did not conquer kingdoms simply so you could strum a pointless tune on that thing! I conquered them so that you and your sister would have only the finest of tutors!" Aside he said, And to quiet my own annoying sisters! "Now! Play a song!" Bellowed the god of war.
Hippolyta began to play an old Greek song, adding her own voice to the melody. Ares sighed and smiled an evil yet contented smile. He counted the beat to the song as he reclined on one of the couches that occupied the room. As Hippolyta finished that song and began another for her father's happiness, Ares spoke. "Tell me, daughter, what dream did Morpheus send you this day?" Hippolyta gave the back of her father's head a quizzical look. "Do you not wish to share your dream with your old father?"
"Nay, Father, Lord Morpheus has not sent me a dream."
"Are you sure, Polly?" he said, as he turned to face her. "I would not have these dreams affect your warrior skills. I could not help but notice your distance as we dined this eve."
"It will not affect my 'warrior skills,' Father. Forgive me, I meant no disrespect." Hippolyta focused more on her harp as she played the tune to another ancient song. She did not see as Ares raised a brow in doubt. True, he was not the most intelligent of the gods, his sister, Athena, far surpassed him there, but he was not the least intelligent of the gods either. He knew his daughters well.
As Ares feigned sleep, reclining on the couch, Hippolyta finished playing her medley on the ancient harp. Quietly and with the grace only befitting one of her stature, she slipped out of the chamber. She walked quietly along the corridor, her fingertips gently gliding along the stone wall. The sound of warriors drinking spirits and singing drunken songs could be heard in the distance. Her sandals gently tapped the stone floor. She rounded the final corner to her destination, never looking back, and entered the Garden Paradise.
Hippolyta hovered gracefully at the entrance to the garden. Glancing around, her eyes easily located a dark figure kneeling by the pond where her sister and she had sat earlier in the day. A small smile crept to her lips, but slowly faded as a saddened look took its place. Slowly, she entered the garden and made her way to the dark figure.
As she approached, the figure stood and faced her. "My love," he said, arms outstretched in greeting. On seeing her saddened features, great concern over took him. "Polly, my darling, what troubles you?" Hippolyta's love placed his hands on her upper arms as he closed the distance between them.
Turning her face away from the face of her love, Hippolyta said, "Daniel.forgive me."
"Forgive you? My love, you could never do anything that required my forgiveness."
"Please, my love." Hippolyta looked into the eyes of her beloved, sadness and grief overwhelming her. Tears glistened in her eyes and she could no longer bear the burden of her worry. Resting her head on the shoulder of her secret love, she sobbed softly.
Daniel gently ran his hands through her hair. "Shsh, there, there, my love. Oh, Polly, whatever it is, we will get through it together. My love.hush now..."
"Beloved, forgive me, but we must end this." Hippolyta whispered softly as she found the courage she must have. "We can no longer be together." She looked him directly in the eyes as she said her last statement. Now was not the time for the Daughter of War to show weakness, not if she wished her love to live through the night.
"Polly, what do you mean? I know your Father, but he does not have to know!"
"So we will what? Hide our love from him forever? What kind of life is that? What kind of love? No, my father is not stupid. He is the greatest warrior to ever exist and with that comes the knowledge of war! He will find out and he will not be forgiving, I know!"
So transfixed on each other were the two young lovers that they failed to notice a dark figure enter the garden and slip into the shadows. The figure watched from the shadow of the bushes as the lovers discussed their predicament.
"My father will never allow it. Should he ever find out, he will."
"He will have his fun listening to you scream in agony as you die a painful death!" The dark figure left the shadows of the garden and in the warmth of the angry light revealed himself to be Ares. Anger was evident in the war god's features. A red glow like that of fire glowed around his helmet. His hands glowed white hot. The two lovers looked on in fear as Ares raised his fist and pointed to them. "My daughter is for no man!" With that, a blast erupted from his fist and struck Hippolyta's love, causing him to vanish from sight.
"NO!" Hippolyta looked with anguish at the spot where her beloved once stood. Looking to her father, she begged, "Father, please!"
"Hippolyta, you have angered me!" Ares raised his fiery fist a second time, and sent a bolt towards his daughter.
"AAAHHH!!" Hippolyta screamed as she tried to avoid the blast. It was to no avail. The anger of Ares struck home and she vanished from the spot in which she stood.
Millennia later, the species known as Homo sapiens sapiens has prospered. They have spread through out the world, straying far from their place of birth. Yet the most developed and prosperous of the species remained close to their birth, choosing to settle around the Mediterranean Sea. Their herds became large settlements, stretching far around the border of the Mediterranean. Each settlement developed into its own society with its own customs and beliefs. The society that touched furthest, however, was that of the settlement known as Greece. The Greeks, as they took to calling themselves, spread their culture through out their world by way of merchants and traveling scholars.
In a land controlled by war and blood, a beautiful garden was laid out. Its attendants were maidens and lads of low class, servants to a mighty and deadly ruler. Its regular patrons were fair maidens, lovely by far and worshipped by all. The garden had been a gift for them from their doting father. Though he was cruel to all, he favored these two daughters above any other. For in his eyes, they showed the most promise of all his offspring. His daughters had been blessed by his sisters in many ways. They were both the loveliest of young maidens in existence, with only the beautiful Aphrodite surpassing them. From another of his sisters they had been granted great knowledge and a thirst to continue it. Another sister granted them love and kindness, a warmth of the heart, the worst gift, in his opinion. From himself, he had taught them to be mighty and skilled warriors. They were his best warriors, in fact. Their armies had all willingly pledged their undying loyalty to them. He knew that each warrior would follow his daughters to their deaths if at all possible. His daughters did not even need to speak to their troops or any of his troops, to rally them, all they need do was to make an appearance and his men would die for them. What a disappointment it was then, when he discovered that they did not wish to fight. His daughters longed for peace and love above all else and fought only when they felt it necessary. Most of the time, they would talk their opponents into surrendering to them. How he hated those times, granted it showed the power that his daughters held over all, but oh, how he loved to see the blood flow! His daughters were his greatest pride, and though he would never admit it, they were his joy, his only happiness in the mad world he ruthlessly ruled over. Within the confines of the garden's walls, one of its patrons sat perched on a rock. Her raven hair flowed in the light breeze, as her gaze was transfixed on the water in the pond beneath her. She watched as dainty leaves danced and swirled across the surface of the cool water. She sat with her right leg pulled under and her left knee pulled close to her body for her chin to rest on. So lost in her own thoughts was she that she did not notice her sister enter the garden.
"Hippolyta! I have been looking everywhere for you, Sister!" exclaimed the golden hair beauty. Her golden locks fell in soft waves around her shoulders and down her back, accenting her features and adding to the blue of her eyes. "What troubles you sister? I know that look.what claims your thoughts so?" The young woman slid onto the rock along side her sister, concern tentatively turned towards her sister's silhouette.
"Have you ever wondered why we are here, Antiope?" was her sister's only reply.
"Whatever do you mean, Sister?" Antiope watched as her sister's gaze never left the floating leaf.
"Why are we here? In this world? What is our purpose? To fight a never ending war that will one day get us killed? Will we ever be allowed to know anything else? By the gods, how I long for peace and for my soul to feel less troubled than it is!" Hippolyta raised her head from her knee and waved her left hand to accentuate her words. Her gaze was troubled as she focused it down to the water's surface, ripples pushing away as a leaf falls onto the still surface.
"You are in love?" Antiope whispered.
Hippolyta gazed at her sister with saddened eyes. "Eros' arrow has been embedded into my heart, straight through to my very soul."
"Who is he? You know Father will never allow it. You know how he feels. Is this love of yours a warrior? Please, say he is, he might then stand a chance." Antiope faced her sister now, her eyes pleading.
"He is a warrior, and a good one, too! By the gods! He is perhaps the most handsome man I have ever met! He is a fine warrior! He has risen quickly within the ranks and I know he will rise ever higher!" Hippolyta's face filled with joy as she spoke of her love. Her smile was bright enough that, had it been night, Artemis's moon would not be needed to shine light onto the scene at hand.
Antiope absorbed her sister's happiness and reverberated it a hundred fold on her own features. "Oh, Hippolyta! Sister, I am so happy for you! You must tell me all you know of him! Where did you meet him?" Antiope's shining face soon grew dark, as a dawning appeared to her. "Hippolyta! You say he will continue to rise swiftly in the ranks, but it will not be so if Father were to ever discover the love you hold for this one! No! If you love him, Hippolyta, you will abandon all thought of him! No one must ever know! You know the penalty for disobeying Father's rules!"
Hippolyta looked at her sister, her joy now gone. She turned her head slowly back to the pond below, and thought of her Father's rules. No man shall touch my daughters, for they are the greatest warriors to ever live! No.LOVE will never be, I forbid it! Love will only make them weak! Should EVER I discover they hold love for any man, he shall meet a painful end. I will not have love disrupt my plans! Love, huh, what a pathetic waste. She remembered how each time he said "love" the word was filled with such hate and malice. She thought back to the previous years of her life, she thought of each time that her sister and she had committed the smallest of sins in her Father's eyes. Though he loved his daughters and gave them anything they wanted, of all his warriors, he was the hardest on them. Everything they had was first earned in combat.
"You are right, Sister. I should end it."
"Great gods, Polly! Do not tell me you have met with him in secret!?" Antiope was shocked and aghast. She glanced around the garden to ensure that they were the only ones listening to this conversation. On the other side of the garden, across from where the Daughters of War sat perched on their rock, was a young maiden working diligently pruning the shrubs along the wall. She could not possibly hear what the two sisters spoke of.
Hippolyta did not raise her gaze from the base of the rock as she spoke to her sister, though she had turned towards her sister and away from the pond that had so occupied her sight. "Aye," she said in a low, weak voice. "I have met with him in secret for a week past."
"How did you meet him, Little One?" Antiope spoke in soft tones, her voice low.
Hippolyta raised her gaze to look into Antiope's eyes from underneath her brows. "We met a week past. He is from the northern provinces. He came to meet with Father, to give a report on the progress of his army. While he awaited audience with Father, he wandered into the garden, not knowing that it is forbidden to all but us. I was sitting here, on this very rock when he entered." Hippolyta turned her head away from her sister and to the direction from which her mystery lover had entered the garden. "I told him he was not allowed within the garden walls." She emitted a small laugh as she turned back to her sister. "He told me that he could not help his trespass, for he had heard a heavenly voice raised in song. A voice, he said, that could only belong to a goddess." Hippolyta's smile brightened at the memory.
Antiope listened attentively as her sister told of her first meeting. By the gods, how happy she was for her! The two sisters sat giggling and speaking in low tones as the day carried on. Hippolyta told Antiope of the various meetings she had had with her mystery love, always being careful not to speak his name or give too many details that would connect him to his true identity. As the conversation ended, the only course of actions was obvious to both sisters.
"Tonight," Hippolyta whispered, "tonight, I will tell him.I shall tell him that we shall never meet again. Aphrodite forgive me my betrayal of love!"
The two sisters left the garden that was their paradise within the dark world they lived in. Following the corridors, they ventured far from the garden, far from their conversation of love, to arrive at the throne room of their Father. They entered quietly, so as to not interrupt the audience already in session.
"Your will be done, Lord Ares," replied the general as he bowed stiffly, fist to heart in the customary form. As he straightened he motioned for his attendants to follow him as they quickly left the audience. They walked straight and proud as only warriors of Ares could.
On the throne, watching their quick retreat was the Master of War himself. He was seated comfortably, dark armor covered him, with a helmet even darker worn to cover his face. Few were allowed to look upon him in his true form. When the last of his general's men had left, he looked over to his daughters. They had walked to stand beside his thrown at a distance. They always stood at a distance so that, should ever he become angered and lash out, they would be well out of harm's way.
"Ah! My daughters! Come! Tell me what evil you have unleashed today!" He motioned for them to come closer to him. The daughters did as directed. Hippolyta moved to stand by his left side, while Antiope moved to his right.
"Father," they stated flatly as they acknowledged his status with slight bows of their heads.
"My lord," interrupted a brave attendant with a stiff bow. "The representative of the Head General of the Wolf Troops has arrived for your audience."
"Rrr...Very well, send him in," Ares said with a wave of his hand. He motioned for his daughters to sit at the base of his throne. He often thought that by having his daughters at the foot of his throne, his enemies would underestimate their abilities and so be unsuspecting in battle. He also knew that his lovely daughters would have a better view of those he granted audience. He valued their opinions highly, for they were rarely wrong when informing him of men that would betray him or were lying in their reports. They were also very skilled at finding an opponent's weakness. Yes, he cherished them very much, indeed. He glanced down at his daughters, could a viewer have seen his face through his helmet they would have seen a proud and contented smirk on the war god's face.
His daughters sat on the step to either side of his throne as the Wolf representative was ushered into the hall. "Captain Daniel of the Wolf Troops, my lord." Hippolyta stole a glance at her sister and caught her sister's glance back. To a viewer, the glance would be taken as a casual look, to a warrior of Ares who knew the drill, they saw a knowing glance.
The Wolf Troops were the most powerful of Ares' warriors. They journeyed far and wide leaving only conquered, burning, and ravaged lands in their wake. They were noted for their cruelty and ruthlessness. Their representative was perhaps one of their best. He had risen swiftly in the ranks and was the deadliest of them all, after their Head General, of course. Yet, he was also known for his loyalty and love for his fellow warriors.
The captain entered the throne room of the god of war. He bowed stiffly at the waist, as was appropriate, putting his fist to heart. He rose, standing tall, and spoke in a clear, loud voice, "My lord, I am prepared to make my final report." He waited for approval before continuing. "My lord, I have just received word from a messenger that your general's army has taken the final rebel kingdom. You rule supreme in the North."
As the Captain finished his report and was making the final adjustments to Ares 'world map', the two sisters took their leave from the hall. "Come, Sister, let us go and spar. I could use a good workout." Antiope said, pulling gently on the arm of her sister.
"I agree, Sister, a workout would be very nice." The maidens exited the great villa into the training courtyard.
Night fell quickly that day, perhaps too quickly for some. Throughout the afternoon and evening, Hippolyta sought the words with which to tell her beloved that their love could be no more. When the sun set that night and she and her sister had finished their spar, Hippolyta was no closer in her quest. She felt her heart would burst, and prayed to the goddesses Athena, for wisdom, and Aphrodite, for help in her felled love. As she supped that evening with her father and his top warriors, she avoided her father as best she could. She merely prayed he had not noticed.
In the east wing of Ares' villa, Hippolyta sat at her harp. Idly, she strummed her fingers along the chords. Her eyes stared ahead of her, focusing on nothing as she lost herself in her thoughts. Slowly, idly, she strummed her fingers along the chords.
"If you played a tune, perhaps it would hold your attention more, my daughter." Ares entered the room noiselessly. Hippolyta jumped slightly, startled by her father's sudden, unexpected appearance. "Or do you perhaps have your thoughts entrapped elsewhere? Hm?" He took his daughter's chin in his hand. "Were you in a battle environment, Hippolyta, you would be dead now, and your startled jump would only have embedded the blade deeper in your chest!" Anger was evident in his voice.
"Were I in a battle environment, Sire, I would not sit idly, strumming a harp. I would be ensuring that your troops were ready for a swift and easy victory in your name. Mere daydreams would not cross my mind, I can assure you." The favored daughter of Ares spoke in a calm, natural voice as she assured her father of her warrior skills.
"You should be on your guard at any time! In a battle environment or not, girl! I could have been an enemy sent here to kill you!" Hippolyta bowed her head in concession to her father. His anger subsided only slightly. "You admit to daydreaming, aye? Great Zeus, girl! I did not conquer kingdoms simply so you could strum a pointless tune on that thing! I conquered them so that you and your sister would have only the finest of tutors!" Aside he said, And to quiet my own annoying sisters! "Now! Play a song!" Bellowed the god of war.
Hippolyta began to play an old Greek song, adding her own voice to the melody. Ares sighed and smiled an evil yet contented smile. He counted the beat to the song as he reclined on one of the couches that occupied the room. As Hippolyta finished that song and began another for her father's happiness, Ares spoke. "Tell me, daughter, what dream did Morpheus send you this day?" Hippolyta gave the back of her father's head a quizzical look. "Do you not wish to share your dream with your old father?"
"Nay, Father, Lord Morpheus has not sent me a dream."
"Are you sure, Polly?" he said, as he turned to face her. "I would not have these dreams affect your warrior skills. I could not help but notice your distance as we dined this eve."
"It will not affect my 'warrior skills,' Father. Forgive me, I meant no disrespect." Hippolyta focused more on her harp as she played the tune to another ancient song. She did not see as Ares raised a brow in doubt. True, he was not the most intelligent of the gods, his sister, Athena, far surpassed him there, but he was not the least intelligent of the gods either. He knew his daughters well.
As Ares feigned sleep, reclining on the couch, Hippolyta finished playing her medley on the ancient harp. Quietly and with the grace only befitting one of her stature, she slipped out of the chamber. She walked quietly along the corridor, her fingertips gently gliding along the stone wall. The sound of warriors drinking spirits and singing drunken songs could be heard in the distance. Her sandals gently tapped the stone floor. She rounded the final corner to her destination, never looking back, and entered the Garden Paradise.
Hippolyta hovered gracefully at the entrance to the garden. Glancing around, her eyes easily located a dark figure kneeling by the pond where her sister and she had sat earlier in the day. A small smile crept to her lips, but slowly faded as a saddened look took its place. Slowly, she entered the garden and made her way to the dark figure.
As she approached, the figure stood and faced her. "My love," he said, arms outstretched in greeting. On seeing her saddened features, great concern over took him. "Polly, my darling, what troubles you?" Hippolyta's love placed his hands on her upper arms as he closed the distance between them.
Turning her face away from the face of her love, Hippolyta said, "Daniel.forgive me."
"Forgive you? My love, you could never do anything that required my forgiveness."
"Please, my love." Hippolyta looked into the eyes of her beloved, sadness and grief overwhelming her. Tears glistened in her eyes and she could no longer bear the burden of her worry. Resting her head on the shoulder of her secret love, she sobbed softly.
Daniel gently ran his hands through her hair. "Shsh, there, there, my love. Oh, Polly, whatever it is, we will get through it together. My love.hush now..."
"Beloved, forgive me, but we must end this." Hippolyta whispered softly as she found the courage she must have. "We can no longer be together." She looked him directly in the eyes as she said her last statement. Now was not the time for the Daughter of War to show weakness, not if she wished her love to live through the night.
"Polly, what do you mean? I know your Father, but he does not have to know!"
"So we will what? Hide our love from him forever? What kind of life is that? What kind of love? No, my father is not stupid. He is the greatest warrior to ever exist and with that comes the knowledge of war! He will find out and he will not be forgiving, I know!"
So transfixed on each other were the two young lovers that they failed to notice a dark figure enter the garden and slip into the shadows. The figure watched from the shadow of the bushes as the lovers discussed their predicament.
"My father will never allow it. Should he ever find out, he will."
"He will have his fun listening to you scream in agony as you die a painful death!" The dark figure left the shadows of the garden and in the warmth of the angry light revealed himself to be Ares. Anger was evident in the war god's features. A red glow like that of fire glowed around his helmet. His hands glowed white hot. The two lovers looked on in fear as Ares raised his fist and pointed to them. "My daughter is for no man!" With that, a blast erupted from his fist and struck Hippolyta's love, causing him to vanish from sight.
"NO!" Hippolyta looked with anguish at the spot where her beloved once stood. Looking to her father, she begged, "Father, please!"
"Hippolyta, you have angered me!" Ares raised his fiery fist a second time, and sent a bolt towards his daughter.
"AAAHHH!!" Hippolyta screamed as she tried to avoid the blast. It was to no avail. The anger of Ares struck home and she vanished from the spot in which she stood.