That Night, The Banquet Hall

At supper, Diana only picked at her meal. She was not hungry. She was too busy thinking about the earlier events of the day. She had been reminded of her home, and it did nothing but depress her. She thought bitterly that the King had a seeming knack for saying and doing the wrong thing, but that was unfair, especially when she was continuing to live a lie in front of the people she was growing to view as friends.

Speaking of the people she was coming to view as friends, there was no sign of Kal at the high table. She briefly wondered where he was, as he'd been present there every night since her arrival. It was nice to have him around, for (thanks mostly to his wife, and in part to senses far beyond the norm: superior even to her own) he knew everything about everyone. He was also very witty, and often amused her with whispered anecdotes during the times when toasts grew boring, or some nobles' speech became long-winded.

She didn't have to wonder for long, however. Just when she was giving a tiny smile of remembrance about one of his dry comments about the romantic life of Sir Oliver Queen, there was a blur and a rush of air, and he was standing in the middle of the hall, a look of sadness on his face.

"The Baron Treverus is dead," He announced. There were gasps from the hall, and Diana cringed inwardly. She'd already known that, but hearing it so publicly announced hurt.

"He was killed weeks ago, with his wife and child." I was shown their graves myself." He hung his head.

The King rose. "Who?" The word exploded from his mouth in a hiss.

"I don't know, my Lord." Kal said. "Nor did anyone seem to."

Diana rose. "I know." She began, sensing the perfect chance, but she was interrupted when her sensitive ears caught the whisper of one squire to another.

"It's a good thing that the damn ogre's dead, too…" He said, using the cruel nickname that simple-minded folk had given to her husband, simply because of his dark skin. Oh, Goddess, she was tired of this! Tired of pretending, tired of putting up with overheard taunts that weren't meant to offend, but cut her to the quick regardless. Tired of men's arrogance, tired of useless prejudices… And, as it had been threatening to do since she had first arrived, the tiredness gave way to anger.

Rage overtook her and she was at the end of the High table in seconds. She had the squire by his throat and raised him above the ground, her eyes filled with unspeakable anger.

"You…dare!" She snarled. The squire, obviously frightened out of his wits, clawed at her arm, and tried to speak, choking on the words.

"William!!" The King's voice snaked out into the air, cracking with the force of his order.

"Release him at once!!"

Diana turned to face the King, her eyes blazing, her teeth clenched. He met her gaze levelly, not backing down so much as an inch.

"I said release him, William."

Diana slowly lowered the gasping squire to the ground, her eyes never leaving the king's own.

His face was contorted with barely controlled anger. 'Outside. Now." He hissed, angrily.

She stared straight ahead as she exited the great hall, following the King out to the cavernous corridor.

"What in hell did you think you were doing!?" He shouted at her once they were out of earshot. "How dare you attack one of my officers so blatantly?! Even with such cause as he gave? I mourn his loss, and I know he was your Lord--"

"He was more than just my Lord!!!" She cried, angrily. "He was my…he was more like my brother! How dare you presume to deny me that vengeance--"

"I know what it means to defend family!" He yelled back at her. "But when you are in my palace, you will control yourself!"

For a moment she felt like hitting him, then stopped, visibly controlling herself. She took a deep breath and let the walls slam shut over her eyes, blocking all emotion from her face.

"Very well, your Majesty." She said tensely, then turned immediately and began stalking off, but he stopped her.

"Damn it, William, wait a minute!" He said, exasperated. She turned back to him, her jaw tense.

"Yes, sire?" She ground out.

"What were you going to say?" He questioned. This caught her off guard. What did he mean?

"I know not what you mean." She said. He sighed, and the exasperated tone annoyed her even further.

"Before you were…interrupted, you said 'I know...' What did you mean?" He asked. She tilted her head. Goddess, the man missed absolutely nothing, did he?

"I know who killed them," She said slowly. His eyes widened, then narrowed.

"Who?" He demanded. "Why did you not say in the Hall? Who!?"

"You act as if you truly care, my Lord!" She snapped, viscously, anger overcoming her once more. She didn't even try to stop the words as they spilled from her mouth. "And why should you? He was only, as that obscene squire said, an ogre…!"

"How DARE you!" He said, raising his arm as if to strike her. She stood fast, making no move to defend herself, but neither was she backing down. The King took a deep breath, then slowly lowered his arm and took a step back from her. "The Baron was my fiend," He growled.

"I gave him all the respect due to one of his station, and more besides for his intelligence and bravery. I hold no stock by the color of a man's skin. I warn you; insult me not that like that once more. I have killed men for less."

Diana sighed and lowered her head. "Forgive me, your Majesty. I…I did not think." She looked up at him. "I was angry at the words of that young bastard in the hall. I meant not to take it out on you."

The King slowly nodded, recognizing the apology. "Who killed him?" he asked. "I must know. He was my friend."

Diana met the eyes of her King. "Did you know his wife?" She asked, and was surprised how easily the words slipped from her mouth. Once more, she was sure how events would progress. Reminder of her plans for revenge gave her the strength to lie.

"No." Bruce replied. "I never met her. He spoke of her often, though. As I understand, she was very beautiful. She was an Amazon, was she not?"

Diana nodded, secretly pleased at the complement. "Aye. I…spoke to her a few times. She left The…the island home of the Amazons when she could no longer stand their isolationist and extreme ways. She ran away, she met Treverus…" Diana took a breath. "…And the Amazons found her. They killed her husband, and her son…along with her."

"And where were you when all of this transpired?" He asked, an ever so slightly suspicious tone in his voice. Diana was prepared for this. She had painstakingly gone over every detail of her story in her mind. She was prepared for any possible question that he could ask.

Still, the utter ease with which she told him the falsehoods left a guilty, bitter taste in her mouth.

"When the Amazons attacked, the entire household was unprepared. I tried to attack them, to protect the Baron and his family, but they overpowered me. One of them knocked me unconscious. I suppose they took me for dead. When I awoke, my Lord and his wife and son were dead. I learned the story from palace servants, and from what I myself could gather." She stared up at the King, unflinchingly. "Then I came here. You know the rest.

The King gave her a steady stare for a few moments. "Damn it, why did you not tell me sooner?" He asked, but there was no venom to his voice.

"And how would you react, Majesty, if a knight you had never seen before suddenly rode to your gates and told you that Amazons had killed one of his Barons?" She asked. The king gave her a small smile.

"You're right, I suppose." He said. They stood for a moment in the hall, and the silence seemed suffocating.

"Come." The King said, at last. "Let's return to supper. They will, I suppose, be wondering what has become of us."

"Wait!" Cried Diana, dismayed. "Will you not avenge your Baron? Are you simply going to ignore his death?" The king gave her a frustrated look.

"What would you have me do, William? No man knows where the island of the Amazons lies. If I did, I would go there and avenge my friend in seconds. But what would you have me do? I cannot avenge someone if I know not where their enemies are."

Diana heard the anger and frustration in his voice and slowly nodded, cursing herself. Every detail, hmm? Damn it, she hadn't thought of everything. She could tell him where the island was. But not without giving herself away. Dear Goddess, what next? Would she never be able to avenge her husband? Damn her overconfidence…