Disclaimers :: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any previously copyrighted material. No copyright infringement is intended.
A/N :: Still un-beta. ;A; I updated the rate of this story from T to M. Since this chapter contains materials of same-sex relationships. Due to Amazon Cultural traits. If you are put off by this I apologized. But It is necessary to the story line. You have been warned.
Now, Onward to the chapter!
Chapter 6 :: Trouble in Paradise
Not even the very wise can see all ends.
- J.R.R. Tolkien
"Why do you think the queen want to see Artemis in the middle of the day?" Lysandra asked as she popped another fresh strawberry in her mouth. Epione and she were sitting under the shade of the oak tree by the lake. They just finished their late lunch. And enjoy the causality of afternoon breeze. Usually Lysandra would be in Temple of Athena for her afternoon study with Artemis. And Epione would be somewhere on her guarding duty. Today she told Lysandra that her shift won't start until later.
"I don't know. She is the queen. She can talk to her trust guard whenever she pleases, I suppose?" Epione replied, didn't let her gaze dropped from the scrape on her right cheek.
"Stop" Lysandra said in a warning tone. She glanced back at the short hair amazon who raised an eyebrow in question. She continued "Stop looking at it. I told you it will heal…"
"I just hate to see your pretty face ruined"
Lysandra snorted as a replied.
"Coming from someone who has a long line of amazons waiting to bed with…." The young princess scowled at the remark. Epione just blinked at her.
It was true. She knew that for the Amazons, finding lovers in their own people was very common. But not everyone, Like Artemis. She was sure Artemis lived live of celibacy. Though she saw those wanting eyes from all her admirers. Amazons always have things for strong, dependable type. Though they didn't need to depend on anyone. Epione, on the other hands. Lysandra knew she had lovers before. And others who still wanted her to take them to bed. Couldn't blame them when you actually looked at Epione.
Lysandra glanced at her strong jaw and those pretty light brown eyes. She was beautiful thought different from her mother. She knew attractive when she saw one. And Epione was one. Especially when she smiled kindly. The way her thin lips curved up like a bow. The way her copper hair shone in sunlight and those freckles across her fac….
"Stop looking at me like that, I make me hard to concentrate…." Epione's voice called her back from the thoughts. That soothing voice…
Lysandra flushed and bit her lip.
"Sorry"
"My dear Lily….I know that you don't mean what you said" Epione's word made her flinched. She always called Lysandra that. It made her shuddered with the name. Only person who ever called her by other names beside 'Princess' or 'Your Highness' was her Mother. (not included Artemis who yell and shout names at her all the time in training sessions)
"Stop calling me lily, I'm no flower…" She frowned before popped another strawberry into her mouth. She quickly chewed it and continued "….Why do I got to be a flower? Couldn't I be a tree? Maybe an Oak or Olive tree…..?" Yeah, Oak sounded good. A big strong tree. Or an Olive Tree…old and strong.
"Oh?" The short hair amazon raised one of her copper eyebrow. "You want to be a tree?"
"Not just any tree, I want to be a big strong tree, the kind that not uproot in the storm" Lysandra noted as she spoke her mind.
"I rather have you as flower, Lysandra…fitting your beauty and all…."
Lysandra snorted at the remark. Before gave Epione a glare.
"I'm just speaking the truth" She said, her face flushed a little bit "….I don't know who in Hades taught you how to glare, Lysandra….I believe it works too well"
Lysandra just shrugged. She never really cared about compliments that Epione had been giving her for years. She knew she wasn't ugly or anything but there were plenty of beautiful people on this island. Besides, she never actually paid attention to how she would look. Since Training and studies always took away most of her time.
She rather be known as fearful warrior than a beautiful princess. In all her studies or stories she always remembered those princesses whose beauty brought dangers upon them. Like Helen of Troy, who got kidnapped by Paris and sparked the Trojan War. Or Persephone who also got kidnapped by Hades because he fell in love with her while she was innocently picking flowers. Or Andromeda, whose mother bragged about her beautiful face was greater than the Nereids and angered Poseidon and she was chain to a rock for a sacrifice.
If beauty was truly great then why beauty did not save them from their fates?
She thought of her mother. A beautiful and brave Amazon. Even with all the blessing from the gods. No one was there to save her from her fate. Not even the man she claimed to loved her.
It was not that she despite love either. She knew Epione was pining for her since she was fifteen, she had made it very obvious that she was ready to wait until Lysandra ready and old enough. And often went out of the way to show concerns or showing everyone that she was courting her(Though she would preferred the Amazonian courting way, as in sparring) Adding more hates from those Amazons who were with her or wished to have her.
She would be lying if she said she didn't feel anything for Epione. In fact she quite like the attentions Epione showered her. And she was very attractive. But Lysandra just wasn't sure she wanted anything more than just playful bantering. And sometimes overly concerns from Epione did put her off. That was why she never accepted Epione's feelings out loud and never denied it either. She just left it there and not wanting to think about it. And Epione never actually pressed the matters.
She just wished that it would stay this way for the time being, because she had other things to worry about. Her love life can wait a few years later.
The water was cool when Lysandra submerged. She loved cooler bath after a long day of training. Though Selia had told her warm one would help her better with her aching body but it wasn't like she ever listened.
She gritted her teeth as her skin tingled, her bruises ached and her scrapes prickled. She stayed under until her lung screamed before emerged. She gaped for air as she wiped water out of her face, ran her hands through her thoroughly wet hair. She then tried scrub off the dirt on her tan skin with wet cloth.
"Stop! Stop!...by the gods Princess….are you trying to peel your skin off?" The voiced shouted, Lysandra didn't have to turn around to know who it was.
"I can bath myself, Selia…." She huffed, still scrubbing her arm. Selia didn't wait and snatched wet cloth away from her, she ignored Lysandra's glower and started scrubbing her back. She avoided the scrapes and bruises as she went along.
"You know I am not made of glass…" Lysandra protested as she let Selia who sat by the edge of the square bath, gently clean her skin.
"Believe me, I do"
She let Selia worked her magic with the wet cloth, not long before she felt she was so clean and felt even more naked. Then she moved to combing the knots out of her wet hair, slowly worked her way from the bottom of her long locks.
Selia came to attend her from time to time. And Lysandra always told her that she was not a handmaiden, she was royal guard of the Queen. She shouldn't be doing these kinds of things. But The older woman shook he head and brushed it off, telling her not to worry about it.
"I can't believe you are turning Seventeen tomorrow….." Selia said in a strained voice.
"…Selia, Are you crying?" The young princess raised her brow as she turned around and saw Selia wiped away her face with the back of her hand.
"Hera….I felt like you were just this small when I tended to you after you mother was gone" The words made Lysandra's body stiffed. She didn't like the idea of other people, even Selia, mentioning about her mother. She let Artemis reminded her during the training just to motivate hers. But conversation about her mother was usually forbidden to anyone.
She should change the subject.
"Did you know the queen had someone collected Artemis today right in the middle of my training?" She asked, really didn't expected any answered from Selia but she could feel the moving hands stopped at her words.
"….oh Did she, now?" There was a pulse. It made Lysandra wanted to turn around but the hand in her hair started moving again so she sat still "….I supposed it was probably about the feather of Hermes…."
"Feather of Hermes? What in the god's name have anything to do with Artemis?"
Lysandra knew about The Feather of Hermes, she'd seen it in The Temple of Hermes when she was younger. As the name said, it was a single feather in a crystal orb. Given to the Amazons by Hermes himself. For the purpose she never cared to ask.
"…..I…I don't think I should tell you….actually we should forget that I mentioned it at all…" Selia's voiced was rushed it made Lysandra turned around and narrowed her eyes.
"Selia…what harm can this will possibly do to me? As you recall, I have thousands of angry Amazons to deal with on daily basis….what could have been worse?"
Or could it?
"Well….." Her voiced was uncertain.
"Please?...you made me very curious now!" Lysandra batted her eyelashes at her.
"alright, But you will not speak about this to anyone, you understood?" Lysandra nodded violently she splashed some water.
"Someone tried to steal it, the guards were gravely injured the other day"
"Who would want Feather of Hermes? What it actually do anyway?" Lysandra blinked at the news.
"I believed, it has power to open some kind of gate…." Selia's voiced trailed off…
"A gate? To what?"
"I'm not sure but nothing you need to worry about, Artemis was the one who was oversee the investigation, because it is unlikely for us Amazons to steal. It is against our codes"
Yeah, as well as ganging up try to beat a kid. Lysandra thought grimly and settled back in the bath. She closed her eyes for a while. Until Selia announced that she should get out before her skin began to peel off. But when Lysandra stepped out of the bath, trying to dry herself, she saw the clothing that was prepared for her. She almost glowered.
"….And please do tell why I have to wear fancy clothes?"
"The Queen require you for dinner tonight"
Lysandra scrunched her nose as she looked at the garments Selia had laid out for her. She turned to give Selia an unapproving look. "Can I just go in naked?..."
"Those are what she wanted you to wear" She said as if she was singing a song.
"Naked it is…"
Of course, Selia would never let Lysandra go to the Queen's chamber without clothes. So after an hour of dressing her in ivory color chiton that fell to her ankles, braiding her dark locks, putting unnecessary ornaments on her clothes. She let Lysandra marched out of the room, her new sandals dig into the skin of her ankles. Fibulae that fastened over her shoulder blades prickled on her. And the griddle around her waist was too tight it made her want to vomit. How did Selia expecting her to eat like this? Out of the accessories she wore, the only thing she liked were her silver bracelets, they shone under the light on her bare arms.
She was required to wear them as a tradition of an Amazon. They'd called it "Bracelets of Submission" to remind every Amazons of those torturous years under men's subjugation. She remembered her first day, when The Queen had given her the pair. She was ten years old, Telling her that she was never to take them off unless in bath. She knew the rule. If she was to count herself as an Amazon, she must abide this action. Lysandra learned fast that they were more than just decoration or reminder from ugly past. They were also her personal armor, for they were able to deflect sharp objects and with practice she was able to use it when she dodged arrows or other projectile weapons. The bracelets became part of her body as she trained.
Frustration rang in her mind a bit as she stomped down the corridor. She'd planned to catch some sleep before dinner. She wanted her body to rest a bit, wanting all the cuts and scrapes to heal themselves before she put food in her mouth but the queen seemed to have other plans for her.
Her thought returned back to her destination. A meal with Hippolyta meant they would sat in silence, ate their foods, the queen would asked her question and she would answer shortly, then they would parted for the evening. This occasionally happened few times a year since she was six years old. Those incredibly awkward moments. Selia pointed it to her that maybe it was a way of the queen to show that she still acknowledged her existent.
She snorted at the thought and ignored the look those Royal guards gave her before she enter The Queen's private quarter.
"You cannot possibly hidden her away forever, Your majesty!"
The familiar voice escaped in and filled an empty hallway before she reached the inner room. Made Lysandra stopped short on her feet. It was Artemis's.
"I am the queen of the Amazons, I shall do what I see fit" Hippolyta's voice was firm.
"Even this was something decided by the fates, you would defied them, Your Majesty?" Lysandra could tell that from Artemis's tone she was angry. She knew that firsthand from being trained by the redhead for years. Look like they were arguing about something. Lysandra walked on tiptoes closer to the door which was slightly ajar. She held her breath.
"Diana had asked me to protect her, And I shall"
"But that didn't mean you could locked her away on this Island! That child deserves to choose her own path, just like Diana did!"
"And end up like Diana? No Artemis. I will not let that happened again!"
Were they talking about her? They absolutely did. But Lysandra just couldn't make any senses of their conversation. Whatever it was clear Hippolyta and Artemis were at their crossroad of agreement. If she could listened in a little mo…
But silence was suddenly slipped in. And Lysandra knew her presence was known to them now, she couldn't possibly pretend that she didn't hear anything, or could she?
Before she could think further, the door swung opened and Artemis stormed out, startling her. The redhead glanced at her but said nothing before she stomped out of the Queen's chamber.
"How long are you going to make me wait, girl?" Hippolyta's voice was demanding. Lysandra winced slightly before she marched into the room, chin held high as her body was still aching all over.
It was just like those usual awkward times they always shared during the meals. Hippolyta and Lysandra sat at each very ends of the table. The distant between was very a nice touch. But then The queen broke the silence, just like usual, except this time she asked something Lysandra didn't expected.
"I heard you take quite a liking in that tall guard, What's her name? Epthime?"
"Epione" Lysandra corrected "Yes, she is a friend"
What did the queen want by asking her this? Lysandra didn't want to know where this going to lead.
"Yes, that. Very good choice. She was quite a strong one if she was one of the royal guards, Do you like her, girl?"
"Of course, I do" She is a friend! Lysandra screamed mentally. She didn't want to talk to the queen, Her maternal grandmother about her non-existent love life. "She is a very nice person and a good friend. Nothing more…." She pulsed, an idea came through her mind "…Thought, I would love to see what Man's world has to offer…."
She could see the queen stopped halfway as her mouth gaped. Horror flushed her face as Lysandra tried hard not to laugh. But it was so funny! Suddenly The queen composed herself and rose to her feet, expression hardened.
"You will not leave this island, child…" Her tone was warning.
"Why, My Queen? It's not like anyone want me to be here" Suddenly Lysandra understood something. Her eyes narrowed as she also rose to her feet, her chin held high. She narrowed her blue eyes.
"Are you trying to coax me into finding a lover here? Do you believe it would help me stay locked away here? I am not a child!"
"You will always be a child, Lysandra….you must know that I…..Your mother wanted you to be safe…."
"My mother is a statue!" Lysandra jeered "And nobody cared to protect her! To save her! I am the only one who trying to do something! And even if it meant I am to leave this place then I shall!"
"You do not know what are you talking about, child! Do you know what is outside this island?! Do you know what kind of monster lies beyond the horizon?!" Hippolyta pounded the table. Lysandra tried not to wince, she never seen the queen looked so angry before, she never seen the queen show this much emotion at all in fact.
"I am not afraid"
"You should be! Look what the Man's world did to your mother…"
"It was her choice, My Queen. She chose to be selfless and disobeyed you to save the world" Lysandra didn't want to state the more obvious fact but it still popping in her mind. She chose to have me.
Hippolyta scowled at her. "You will not disobey me, child"
"…Watch me…." She hissed. And didn't care to look back when the queen called out for her.
She was long gone into the darkness.
Lysandra ran. Ignoring the looks anyone gave her as she pulled up her dress and rushed off into the night. She was furious and all she could think about was to hit something. So she went straight to only place she could do that.
Her training ground.
The darkness was not completely consumed the place when she got there. It was dark enough except for the moonlight that graced down upon roofless dome. Stars shone and flickered in sight as she lifted her head to see. Lysandra went straight to throwing range. She didn't bother to lit the torch nearby. Her hand travel to the throwing knives set. Grabbed them by the pouch and pulled off the shelf. Lysandra stood far from the target. After a deep inhale and long exhale, she started letting the knives fly. One by one they hit the dull target board furiously.
She could go to Archery range which was also nearby but there always guarded. Here no one cared much about this place, solely because it was her training area. She took comfort of it from time to time when the air at the high cliff wasn't enough to calm her down. Throwing let her steam off quite alright but she did better when there was someone to spar with, which of course, not often available option so she took what she could get.
She held three knives in her left and let her right doing the throwing. Shifting her weight on her legs to lessen stress from her arm. Her body was still aching from the practice today, so she decided to go slow. Or to be correct, as slow as her anger would let her.
But when she was at her last throw of the set, something made her stop. The noise to be exact, giggling and laughing and conversation in hush voice. Lysandra narrowed her eyes and stopped midair before she let her last knife fly, before she saw two bodies stumbling in through the door. Chests crushed to one another, hands entwined and lips locked. They apparently too occupied with each other to notice Lysandra's presence in the training ground, as she saw the taller one with short hair, swung the other against the wall, lifting her up with ease. And continued grinding their bodies and lips together.
She remembered that short, vividly bronze hair. There was the only one who had that kind of hair.
It was Epione.
She stood frozen still, as she felt the rush of emotion rose from the pit of her stomach. She didn't want to know what kind of emotion it was. Maybe anger? Or is it jealous? She didn't care then. Her mind fogged and before she could think straight, her body let her last knife flew through the air.
It hit the wall inches away from their heads. They both gasped and turned around. Lysandra felt a little bit of satisfaction in her chest when she saw Epione's eyes widen at the sight of her in darkness. She almost shoved the other woman away immediately.
"Princess!"
They both flushed red but Lysandra held herself to stay impassive as possible. Epione whispered something into the woman's ear before letting her rushing out of the door.
"What? No goodbye kiss? Epione, you are such a bad lover" She controlled her voice to stay calm, not showing that unexplained anger inside her.
"My dear lily, it is not what you think…" Epione rushed to her side but before she had a chance to touch Lysandra's shoulder, the young princess moved away.
"Don't touch me." Lysandra swayed back out of her reach, her voice was almost like a dangerous hiss of a snake. The taller Amazon stopped midair at her word before retreat her arm back to her own side. Lysandra glared dagger at her. "And Don't call me a goddamn lily!…..How dare you…." She felt her throat trying to close itself, preventing words from her mouth to come out but she wasn't going to stop. "…How dare you bring some woman in here. In my training ground. In my sanctuary….I do not care who you bed with but please be discrete and do it in your private chamber… "
Something flickered in Epione's amber eyes as she narrowed them. "….oh? So you do not care if I bed with other women?"
Lysandra held her chin high, her blue eyes meeting Epione's honey ones. "…..it is your life, it is your choice who do you love…"
"I've loved you!" She shouted. Her expression darkened. "For years. I know that you knew! And you pretend that you do not care! How cruel can you be, Princess?"
"It is better this way" Lysandra told herself and realized she had said it out loud.
Suddenly Epione grabbed her arm and clashed her lips on to Lysandra's. She tasted like roasted lamp and honey and lemon. Her hand clutched at Lysandra's waist, making the griddle digged into her skin. She still smelled like strawberry just the same as the first time they met in the woods. But the ferocity that assaulted her lips wasn't the same as that gentle Epione she ever knew. So she bit hard on the other's tongue and shoved her away.
She could taste Epione's blood in her mouth as she gaped for air. The pang in her chest hit her hard and she had to hold herself from crumbling.
Their eyes met again, She could see all the emotions pouring out from Epione. Anger, guilt, pain, love. All those that Lysandra could not reciprocate. She was not in a position to, she could not possibly accepted and returned Epione's feelings. She had a destiny of her own, and she would not be bound to anything until she achieved her goal. Why couldn't Epione understand? And all these time Lysandra thought that she did.
"You know I could die for you" Epione's voice was dark. As she wiped blood away from her lips.
"Then go to Tartarus!" Lysandra screamed and her legs carried her off once more. She ran past Epione who shout her name out and just like with the Queen, Lysandra did not look back
She ran up the hill without stopping. Lysandra's heart throbbing fast, she felt like she couldn't breathe. She needed to get away, she needed some solace. She needed her mother.
She panted when she reached the Village of temples. The light from torches were lit from all the temples. But there was nobody out there. And she was glad that The Queen didn't send the guard to drag her back. And Epione didn't come after her. Lysandra took a deep breath and changed her pace from running to walking instead.
It was rather quiet tonight. The night breeze was warm as it should for summer. Tomorrow was Midsummer's eve, her birthday. She was turning seventeen. Another year would pass and Her mother was still cursed.
Frustration washed her body again. First was the Queen, who Lysandra was sure, never did care about her, Telling her that she should be protected from Man's World. And then Epione, who declared her love after she got caught kissing with some random woman. She didn't know which one upset her more.
Lysandra didn't want to think that she was actually disappointed in Epione, She knew too well about her past lovers and she knew she could not give anything back to Epione but still, she was furious. May it be jealousy she felt? or disappointment? She didn't know anymore.
She needed solace from her mother's presence and she needed it now, even it was just her as a statue. But something caught her eyes when she was about to pass Temple of Apollo, or rather someone.
Oh! What is it now?!
She scowled at the thought and realized it was just Pythia, the priestess of Apollo temple. She'd never seen her outside her oracle chamber. People said that she was blind but from the look of it as she was walking about outside now, Lysandra bet all her gold that she was just fine. So she ignored her, minding her own business and started stalking off to her desired direction.
"Heed my words, Princess of Amazons…" The voice called, it was rasp and cold, it Lysandra stopped and turned around, she almost stunned when she met Pythia's blank white eyes. She swore less than a minute ago the priestess was yards away from her.
"…What?..." She startled when the priestess grabbed her shoulder hard, she was slightly shorter than Lysandra and much skinnier, her boney hand clutched hard on her shoulder as she opened her mouth and spoke again. There seemed to be some kind of smoke coming out of her mouth.
"…The Fates are unkind As the oldest king releases his rage.
Blood of Mortal and blood of god in your veins shall lead to path of great misery,
you shall shed, bleed and scream in agony before ascend.
Betrayal is to come and cut you to the bone.
Thicker than Water, Thicker than blood shall break the curse.
Fear not the little one for future. Your loves shall be your salvations.
The king must fall, the king must fall, the king must fall….
The Fates are unkind As the oldest king releases his rage…..
Blood of Mortal and blood of god in your veins shall lead to path of great misery…"
And Pythia repeated the passage over and over as she clutched to Lysandra's shoulder. She yelped and shoved the skinny body of the priestess away as she felt to the ground. Unmoving. But Lysandra wasn't in any mind to care. She kept her pace fast again. As she determined to get to her mother's temple before any weird things happened again.
Did she just witness the prophecy? What in Hades was that?! Her mind screamed for answers she knew could not handle. She needed her mother now, And Not even Hera could stop her again!
And she did reached the temple without any more distraction. Lysandra was glad. She took a deep breath and tried to stay calm, she wanted to throw all her worry outside, and went to meet her mother with a smile.
But as soon as she stepped inside, her nose picked up the thick smell of iron, the smell of blood. Her body instinctively became cautious, her eyes searched around the inside of the temple as best as she could under the only guidance of moonlight.
The torches were laid abandon the marble ground. The heart that always stoked fire was knocked over and she saw a large pool of blood, familiar figure laid sprawled on the ground, face down, the brow hair spill over marble floor….Selia…
Another figure hovered over her, stood with back to Lysandra. An illuminated object in hand, A bright vivid light of a single feather in a crystal orb. The Feather of Hermes…
"Oh good. I have been waiting for you, Princess…."
Familiar voice said as the figure turned to face her, those piercing green eyes she knew better than anyone. And that commanding voice she remembered in her heart.
Lysandra tried not to let her voice broke, when that body walked into the moonlight, confirming her suspicious.
"….Artemis..."
PS; Whoops gotta cut the end here! Sorry guys! LOL I know it's not as long as the last chapter, but hope you enjoy it nonetheless!
I have many reviews, PMs telling me they couldn't wait for Lysandra to meet The Batman, yes, guys she will but not in a few chapter as I said before. Though I believe next chapter she will be in Gotham. But hey….As anyone remember the prologue that Lysandra was in Gotham for two months without seeing Bruce, how she goes under detection of the Batman… well, gotta keep reading, right? (Now I'm teasing too much ehh?)
Some guest review saying Lysandra should have a love interest(or more than one?), ehehe, she will. But as stubborn as she is….I wonder how it will end at all?
Next chapter will be post around Monday/Tuesday as usual, unless anything happened and I was too busy, I will try to get it done as fast as I can. Or if you want to follow how far I am with the story you can also follow me on my twitter, link at my profile.
Thank you all the reviews, you know I love review so please, please? And also thank you for anyone who favorite and follow the story! You have all my love!
So…who is it that will betray Lysandra, Isn't it Artemis? or is it? Until the next chapter!