The Famous Flower of Serving Man Part Six

((Back at the palace…))

Diana leaned against the wall of the palace, arms crossed over her bound chest, smiling. She was watching many of the palace women as they played at some kind of sport with a leather ball. The sounds of laughter drifted from the frost-covered field. Her smile grew a little sad. In a way this reminded her of her sisters, back home on Themiscira… Oddly, she missed the camaraderie of other women. Having male friends was all god and well, and she hated her sisters for what they had done to her, and yet… And yet she missed their companionship.

Her sensitive hearing picked up the faint sound of frantic hoof-beats, snapping her out of her reverie. She turned in the direction of the noise, squinting and shading her eyes. She vaguely recognized the form of the King's favorite horse, Batwing. So he was returning. Hmm. It was sooner than she had expected, but it was just as well. Kal had been ranting about his disappearance since this morning, and it was beginning to be irksome.

She lounged against the stone wall, watching him. It wasn't until he was seconds away from her that she realized that he wasn't slowing down. Without waning, he wheeled Batwing around when he was but inches from her, reaching down in a fluid movement and grabbing her waist, pulling her up to his saddle brim. She was too shocked to resist as he pressed her body against his and lowered his lips to hers in a kiss that was so fiercely passionate that it bordered on ravishment.

The courtyard around them grew deathly silent, but if Diana even noticed, she did not have the slightest care.

After a long moment, the King pulled away from her, breathing hard.

"You," He whispered, "have much to explain."

Slowly, Diana lowered herself shakily to the earth. Dimly, she heard Kal let out a startled cry and demand an explanation.

She sighed and turned to the by-now-comprehensive gathering.

"It…I suppose I had to tell you some time," she said awkwardly into the silence of the winter air, abandoning all pretense of keeping her voice sufficiently low.

"Though I had…I had hoped it would be under different circumstances." She sighed, then went on. "I am a woman."

The statement was greeted by dead silence for a moment. Someone gave a halfhearted chuckle. It did nothing to lessen to lessen the air of dumbfounded shock that radiated from the group.

"My name is Diana." She continued then paused for a moment, mentally forming what to say. "I was the wife of Baron Treverus. My mother, the Amazonian queen, was the one who killed him." She looked around, meeting the eyes of every nobleman in the courtyard, unashamed. "I am truly sorry for having to deceive all of you. It was the only way I saw to avenge my husband." Without a word, she turned and walked into the palace, leaving a stunned and shocked silence behind her.

***

The king stood on the balcony that connected to his chambers, gripping the railing, his face stony. He was brooding on Wi--Diana. Good Lord, he didn't even know what to call her.

He was still stinging from the knowledge of her betrayal, still angry at her secrecy, and, in a strange way, angry with himself for not figuring it out sooner. How had she looked him in the eye and called him 'friend' while keeping the secret of her very identity from him.

He heard someone walk behind him on the balcony, and he knew who it was without even looking.

"Kal," He acknowledged. He knew that Kal had been talking to W…Diana for the last few hours. Out of all of them, he was the closest to her. He didn't even seem particularly fazed by her announcement, which made the King wonder if he hadn't known all along.

"Bruce," Kal replied, standing next to his king, silent for a long moment, before commenting, "She never meant to hurt you."

Bruce let out a barely perceptible growl. "I'm not…hurt. I'm angry."

The Lord of Kent snorted. The king could shield his emotions from most people, but Kal had known him too long.

"As you say, Your Highness," he replied, facetiously. Then, after another moment of silence, "She did what she believed to be the right thing."

The king snorted. "And that entailed hiding her identity from the ones who trusted her?" He sneered, angrily.

"Yes," Kal replied. His friend sighed, frustrated.

"She deceived us!" He snapped.

"Do you think she enjoyed lying to us," He asked. "Do you think she was not tormented by her own secrecy?" The king was silent for a long moment.

"I don't know what to think." He said at last, quietly.

"Than perhaps you should speak to her," Kal snapped. "I'm certainly not getting through to you."

The King turned to his longtime friend, a spark of curiosity in his gaze.

"What do you mean?" He asked.

Kal regarded him with a level gaze. "You don't realize it do you?" He asked, softly. Bruce's temper snapped.

"I don't realize WHAT, Kal!? What aren't you saying? Stop dancing around it and just tell me!"

His friend looked at him for a moment then shook his head sadly. "You truly don't see it do you? Even after you kissed her." The king bristled.

"I wanted to be sure she was female." He growled. Kal snorted.

"Indeed. But did she react to you in any way?"

Bruce thought a moment. "Yes. She returned the kiss. Why is that of any importance?"

Kal shook his head and spoke slowly, "She cares for you, Bruce. She may be falling in love."

With that, he turned and strode away from the balcony, leaving the king standing in the cold air, alone once more, with a fresh battery of thoughts to brood over. He sighed, defeated. Maybe…maybe speaking to Diana would be the best thing to do. Slowly, he turned and began to make his way to her chambers.

***

Authors notes: I'm finally done! Yay! Many thnks to Noah for helping me out. This chapter was brought to you by the rather questionsble musical tastes of Cat Price (The October Project, High Tea, Steeleye Span, R.E.M, Avalon, Emerald Rose and Dagda), two Mocha Brownie Frappaccinos, a Writer's Chai, and several hours of random brainstorming. BTW: Prepare for Brice and Diana to get a little….closer in the next chapter….hint hint…..^_^