The day following the battle is strange for Raven; waking up feeling rested in body, but mentally exhausted. With a small sense of dread she tries levitating the chair in her room, while she can see the magic is there, the chair remains on the ground. She then tries transforming herself, but only succeeds getting a slight change in pigmentation. Trying to cast a small spell reveals the same, the magic is still there, but it's too weak to be of any good.
"Well, this was what I trained for in the Tower." She sighs to herself before getting dressed while wondering if it is a permanent condition or not.
After breakfast, she heads up to the palace, knowing there would be tasks that needed doing and that it was the place to go for them. Arriving there, she finds the square having been emptied of the wounded, who would now be mending in the comforts of their own dwellings. The healers would be making rounds to them during the day to make sure the wounds were healing properly. Instead of the wounded, Raven finds a large group of Amazons being briefed on the tasks of the day by Heista standing a few stair-steps over the others. Spotting Raven, Heista waves her over.
"Her Highness wishes to see you, but your help will be needed when you are released." She says.
"I can only add my physical strength to this, yesterday seems to have exhausted my other abilities." Raven mentions.
"Then you will add that." Heista shrugs, Raven nods before heading inside.
Inside the palace, everything seems to be covered in a thick layer of dust, the guards having enough sense to wrap a scarf around their lower faces. Curiously, the guards seem to pretend half of the roof is not missing, only having moved slightly to accommodate the uneven parts of the floor. Without another word Raven is ushered into the mostly empty throne room. Finding Hippolyta waiting on her throne, as if nothing unusual had happened yesterday, with the dead, covered by sheets, lying at the foot of Athena's statue behind her.
"You wished to see me?" Raven asks after bowing to her.
"I did. I wish for you to see this." Hippolyta replies before rising, leading Raven to where the dead lie, 16 in total appearing as if merely asleep. "Yesterday was a dark day for our people, but I wonder how many could have been spared Thanatos' touch?"
"Your Highness?" Raven asks, wondering what Hippolyta was aiming at before a thought strikes her. "Are you displeased at my efforts?"
"Not at all, you deserve praise for your actions. Kent notified me that you exhausted your magical abilities to such a degree that you will be without them for a period of time; Heracles may never have been stopped if not for your efforts. But look closer at them, who are they?" Hippolyta says motioning at the dead whose faces are all uncovered. Raven takes them all in, some faces are foreign to her, some spark brief memories. It is when Raven takes notice of the size of the majority of the dead, that she realizes what Hippolyta means.
"The majority are of your personal guard."
"They are. When I ordered them into the city yesterday, I was expecting them to fight as a unit, be a single rallying point. But some of them, with Mala's blessing, separated from the unit to fight individual battles, attempt to lead other units and so forth. Philipus expressed her frustration yesterday when she read me the reports she got from the battle, several times during the battle; an already well organized unit was approached by one or two of my Guard who would attempt to commandeer them, that superior officers were there did not faze them. I even have one report of blows being struck after the foe was vanquished. Perhaps fortune was on our side, that only one such unit was successfully commandeered this way, one without a ranking officer; and this is why Sofia, Melia and Mnenosyne is now lost to us." Hippolyta sighs, Raven nods, recognizing Sofia, the fruit vendor that Raven had talked to after being schooled in Themyscria's politics two years ago. "Time's has changed in the outside world, yet we have remained the same, but now I wonder if some things in our society should change, Philipus has mentioned it, so has Diana. But do you think that the institute of the Royal Guard has outlived itself?" Raven looks at Hippolyta in surprise at first before thinking over the matter.
"No, it has not; the Guard is still needed to protect you. But as I understand, the current guard is composed of members who have been there since you left the World of Man behind?" Hippolyta nods at this.
"They have never failed me, why do you ask?"
"Permission to speak freely?" Raven asks, wondering how much Hippolyta knew about her own guard, Hippolyta nods again. "I was only with the escort for a short while, but I have the distinct impression that many of the Guard members worship you as a deity. This isn't a crime, but it is a little worrying to me, because it is how a cult starts. Superman has in the outside world been reminded a few times how much he resembles a god with his deeds and powers, and he has found groups that actually worship him as one. One of these once tried to kill his wife, because she married the man Superman is when he is trying to be just human instead of his alter-ego. Also it seems that much of the Guard looks down upon the rest of the army, with what you mentioned of yesterday's battle, I fear they do not have the same respect for the rest of the population as it gives to them." Hippolyta keeps her stare fixed on Raven the entire time, nodding as she finishes.
"I have heard the same rumors from Philipus, but I have always insisted it was not so. Perhaps it is true that I may have been blind to the truth of the matter?" She says. "Philipus has given me her recommendation on the matter, but I will ask you as well, what would you suggest to remedy the situation?"
"I can suggest two ways. The first suggestion would be to make the Guard a rotating duty or an annual competition, let everyone who wants to try to compete for the honor. My other, humble, suggestion would be to perhaps join in the more manual tasks, such as fruit picking. This I only suggest because it might dismantle the worshipping if the object of worship is seen joining the people." Hippolyta keeps staring at Raven, but the monarch's temper flares for a second before subsiding.
"A very bold proposal sister and a very dangerous one at that." Hippolyta says in an icy voice. "But your advice will be considered. You may leave us." Raven bows before retreating, wondering if she was too bold to suggest that last part. The rest of her day is spent adding her strength to that of Hestia's workers, having to prove that she really was out of magic at the first break.
Wayne Manor;
"Is it really worth it?" Richard wonders, having returned from walking Cerberus, again he's been drawn to the box under Raven's bed. Again the old detective instinct has awakened in him, like the Elongated Man's did when they met yesterday, Richards nose was poking out to solve it.
Yesterday Bruce had taken Richard to the League, where Richard was mildly surprised when most people just seemed happy to see him back. Bruce had mentioned that the only thing the League knew was that he had left, nothing more. Ralph 'Elongated Man' Dibny had actually wrapped himself around Dick to 'solve' where he had been and why he had left, even his nose was stretching which happens when Ralph 'senses' a mystery. Strangely when they later passed the Question, the faceless detective had just shrugged, probably having one of his theories shot down. Richard knows that even Bruce considers him too tightly wounded up, long ago having mentioned that things like the X-Files looked like a kids web search when compared to the Questions usual conspiracy theories and the degrees he would go to prove them.
What had surprised, and made Richard happy however, was the amount of old Titans he saw on the station, Jinx included. Who he hears have become quite an asset on her own. When fighting her back in Jump, Richard had often worried that Jinx could prove crucial for the H.I.V.E. in a tight fight, fortunately her team was appalling at actual team work. But as he heard it, Jinx excels in a support role. Red Star often finds himself paired with Captain Atom, which seems like a powder keg, considering the Captain is probably the most militaristic member of the League, while Red Star could be considered the communist version of the Captain. But in the field it makes sense, in case Leonid loses control, the Captain can draw off the excess radiation, but so far it seems not to have been needed and the two get along most of the time. Actually the pair shared common ground in being considered children of the atom.
Later that night Bruce had told him about the situation on Themyscira and that Raven would be without her magic for some time. Which again sparked the curiosity about the box under the bed, if her magic was out of the picture, perhaps she would never know he was there? Then again, if Raven had enchanted the box with some kind of magical booby trap, that would still be active. But it's almost calling to him in a strange way, making him wonder if Raven only said it was private because she wanted him to go looking for the contents? Baiting him with a carrot she knows he would be unable to resist.
"What do you think Cerb?" He asks the dog that has collapsed in its basket; the dog just looks at him as if he has more treats in his pockets, wagging its small stump of a tail, before a sound like wind passing through a small opening is heard. "You're a big help." Richard says as he gets up and opens the windows. "Guess that means you haven't been ordered to render me into tiny bits if I took a peek?" He asks before sitting down next to the bed and pulls out the white cardboard box.
Again he notes the black scribbling on the lid and the cat's eye drawn in the center. "Well here goes." Richard says to Cerberus before lifting the lid, expecting the thing to explode, dump him in the pool or send him to another dimension, but nothing happens. Letting out the breath he didn't know he was holding, he puts down the lid before studying the contents of the box.
The top of the contents is a few pages of cut out newspapers, the first being an article by Lois Lane regarding the reformation of the Titans. The next piece an interview with Raven by Harold Turner, the one after the interview made by Lois, Clark and Linda in the back garden of Wayne Manor. Under those come other articles, the first one being a detailed article about the Tamaranian invasion of Jump City, the second is the first 'sighting' of a returned Batgirl, having been involved in a high speed car chase on the freeway, where she had jumped off the back of a truck to land feet first through the perpetrators windscreen, knowing the house, she would have been active for weeks before that. There are other such accounts, mostly made by spectators being adamant the spotted Bat was too small to be the Batman. Richard smiles at one where a returned lost child had told the police that a Bat-woman had found her and taken her home, she had even drawn a picture of the figure that had been added to the article. Also there are accounts of Titan and League missions where Raven had participated, usually not the figure of attention, but then again Richard figures Raven wouldn't stay around long enough for interviews.
Under the newspaper clippings, Richard finds a piece of paper that makes his stomach knot up, the letter he wrote before leaving. "Why did she keep this?" He wonders, reading his own words before putting the papers aside, finding a framed photo with the engraving The New Teen Titans written underneath it. It's Tim's Titan team, with the old in the background, minus Richard. Richard studies it and the expressions of the people on it, for once Garfield and Victor are not goofing off, actually they both look confident and proud, with the team arranged in a V shape, Victor is at the far left end, while Garfield is second from the right. Richard chuckles a little noting that Starfire is showing she is a few inches taller than her boyfriend as she has taken the far right position with a broad smile on her face. Raven is standing in front of Cyborg with Static in front of her; her hood is up but strangely there is a sly smile on her face. Ravager is standing in front of Garfield with one sword in her left hand, pointing it at the ground and what appears to be scowl on her face. In front of her stands Kid Flash, most amazingly standing still long enough for the picture of him to be clear, the only movement he is making is his right hand fingers obviously drumming on his arm as he has them crossed over his chest, making the digits blur on the photo. Static, standing in front of Raven, is smiling broadly while a little electricity can be seen coursing through his dreadlocks. An equally smiling Miss Martian is standing in front of him while Blue Beetle has planted his fists on his hips, looking confident as he can. In front of Kid Flash is Superboy, also smiling and almost taking up as much space as Cyborg does. At the tip of the group is Tim on the left and Cassandra at the right, both trying to look like the de-facto leader of the team. "Wonder what I would have done if I had one of those?" He wonders, all his old friends had almost automatically named him the leader, with only Cyborg to contest when he got angry, having later admitted it was because he was the oldest and largest of them and it was very 'schoolyard' of him. For some reason Richard hurts a little as he looks at the picture, he had always drawn pride from what he had helped create with the old Titans and when the idea of a new team emerged, he was excited to see if he could help another team get the same great experience out of it he had. But here he is looking at a photo of that team, and he has had absolutely no part in its creation. If anyone, Raven deserves the credit for coming up with the idea in the first place. Actually Richard is proud of all of his old friends for pulling it off. Tim had mentioned Gar and Kori had let on early, that they would eventually leave when they felt the team could handle it, to join the Doom Patrol. Mento, having gotten over Caulders betrayal, has embarked on a general crusade against evil in the world and had requested his adoptive son join them to keep himself grounded and bringing Starfire along adding a very versatile member to his team. Cyborg for actually always staying in a mentor capacity for the team, never getting into the power struggles between Tim and Cassandra, only using it as the threat when the two were almost coming to blows. And Raven for apparently doing what she always did behind the scenes, helped the members out when they felt they needed someone to talk to. Both she and Tim mentioned M'gann is a very good listener, but most are put off by her usual personality that doesn't lend itself for people to think she takes it seriously. Richard silently wonders if he is too much of an outsider now to get into the cycle with this team.
It is as he moves his fingers behind the frame, that he notices something stuck behind it, intrigued he turns it around, finding a photocopy of the picture there with a small modification; a circle has been drawn above Tim's and Cassandra's heads with an arrow going from it and into the paper border ending in a name; Nightwing. Richard smiles at the notion, at least Raven had wanted him there that day.
Putting the picture down he looks into the box again, finding something wrapped in cloth, just by lifting it, Richard can tell it is another framed photo. Wrapping it out of its protective cloth he comes face to face with his own portrait image Richard guesses Raven has lifted from an album somewhere. For some reason he has the idea to look at the back of the frame, finding the smooth white surface covered in a text he recognizes as Raven's neat handwriting.
"It's been a year now since you left and I am still torn with the many questions surrounding you. Why did you do it? What was the goal of the idea that went so horribly wrong? Should I forget about the time we shared as best friends? Should I hate you for doing what you did to me? Should I go and seek you out for an explanation? I wonder about all of this, but mostly I wonder why you choose to leave? And how you even after all this time are the only one that has been able to make me feel utterly lost and confused? In doubt of myself and my own feelings? Again and again I have wondered what would have happened the night Batgirl returned if Alfred had not appeared in the cave? I hope you one day return to answer me these things, because I think I really am in love with you." Richard has read enough and he quietly puts everything back into the box before heading back to his room to think, moving Malchior's prison into the bright beam of sunlight crossing the desk after the dragon says something rude before leaving.
After nightfall on Themyscira, Raven is exhausted and dozing off on her bed, lying face down on her pillow, the most of the day having been spent either carving stones, or moving them around. The evening had played host to a somber funeral for the fallen Amazons, with Hippolyta having lit each pyre personally. Stones would later be raised in the cemetery for them. It had been a strange day for Raven, she can't remember any other day where she had not cast at least one spell, flown or used her other magical abilities. And now she has gone through the day without feeling like any of them were getting back any time soon. But she was glad that no one thought of her useless because of their absence, actually she was certain that some of the others were actually enjoying having her down on their levels and somewhere it sort of felt nice just to blend in like that.
She is almost certain she is at the beginning of a dream when she suddenly has the feeling she is not alone. She startles awake for a second before being grabbed roughly from behind by strong hands, while a heavy bag is pulled tightly over her head. Her arms are roughly forced onto her back before being secured by rope. After this everything happens quickly, she is pulled to her feet while at least two hold onto her shoulders and forced out onto the street and run off into the darkness. They stop several times to spin her around so she loses her orientation and needs to be guided onwards due to the dizziness. At an unspoken point during the run, she is picked up and carried the last stretch before being thrown to the ground, feeling the sand under her.
"Get her up." Someone says, again Raven is forced to her feet by her shoulders before the bag is pulled off her head. Blinking a few times in the torch light, she finds herself in an enclosed courtyard somewhere, looking into the face of an angry looking bald and white-skinned woman in the Royal Guard's attire. Looking around her, Raven spots maybe ten or more standing in the shadows of doorways and under the sockets where the torches are placed.
"What?" Raven asks in an annoyed tone, guessing this is bad a second before getting a punch in her midsection that knocks the wind out of her.
"Silence outsider." The bald one says as she pulls her fist back again. "We hear rumors of blasphemy coming from you." Another blow to Raven's midsection. "Blasphemy will not be tolerated!" The bald one continues, landing a blow against Raven's head that has her see stars. "You will know your place." Raven is dropped on the ground before a kick is aimed at her body. "Your place is on the ground!" Another kick before Raven's head is pulled up by her hair, looking directly into the bald ones face. "Outsider!" She hisses before spitting Raven in the face, before dropping her. "Teach her a lesson." The bald one says before walking away.
The other guards close in; the one closest to Raven hauls her back onto her feet, presumably to hold her up for the others. Raven however has managed to pull her left hand free of the rope, as she is pulled up she turns around and promptly brings her head slamming into the other woman's nose with a crunch and cascade of blood erupting from it. Before turning again to face the others, who look slightly surprised at her.
"There's even less honor in you lot than I thought." Raven sneers at them, finishing by spitting the blood in her mouth out on the ground between her and them. Inside of herself, a part of her is mentioning that the sneer and spit was less than diplomatic, and the Guard responds in kind by charging her head on.
Diana wakes up in the middle of the night, there's something that is not right, something she is sure she can hear it just at the edge of her hearing. She is about to dismiss it as a figment of her imagination before she is sure she hears a far off cry of pain. Quickly she gets dressed before heading out of her chambers to investigate the noise, finding the rest of the palace oddly quiet before it hits her. "Where are the Guards?"
"I see I am not the only one who noticed it." Diana spins around, finding her mother approaching her, still dressed as she was at the funeral, in white, smelling slightly of smoke. Diana was aware that her mother had spent much of the night praying for the dead. "Foul deeds are aloof."
"I heard someone cry out in pain." Diana says.
"As did I, I suspect we will find the answers to both of these riddles in the Guard's quarters." Hippolyta replies, passing Diana in a brisk walk down the halls towards the guard quarters, leaving her daughter to follow her. Diana can easily tell her mother was angry at the absence of her protectors from the stride alone.
The Guard has their chambers in a separate building next to the palace's southern walls, close to where Hippolyta's and Diana's own bed chambers are. The quarters are easily distinguishable from the rest of the marble palace, as the enclosed compound is constructed in roughly carved white stone, like most of the city, unlike the smooth surfaces of the palace. Hippolyta and Diana arrive at the entrance, finding the door unguarded but closed. Hippolyta strides inside, after finding the door unlocked, the noise of struggle is the only greeting.
"By Zeus' teeth, hold her!" Someone shouts before someone grunts in pain. Both Diana and Hippolyta start running down the corridor, before a scream of pain races down the other way.
The two emerge into a small courtyard, usually meant for the guards own recreation time. Finding six guards lying on the ground, some moving, and others not so much, and one standing clutching her wrist. While six others seem to struggle against a single opponent, who is dodging, jumping and weaving under the barrage of attacks while countering, striking vulnerable pressure points, elbows and knees mostly.
"Seize this madness!" Hippolyta cries, getting the Guards to freeze for a second, one getting an uppercut a split second later, getting her to topple backwards onto the ground. The other Guards, cast one quick look at the new arrivals, before scrambling quickly to form a line, the last one who got hit follow with a split lip. Leaving a huffing and irate looking Raven standing in the corner with torn clothes and lots of bruises and some blood covering her body. "What is the meaning of this?!" Hippolyta asks angrily, looking from the six guards to Raven.
"The outsider conspires against you!" The bald one says from the ground through clenched teeth, it is here they notice her lower left tight is bent at an odd angle.
"And you know this how? Alkyone?" Hippolyta asks in a cold voice.
"She wished to cast you out and work the fields with the peasants. And she wishes to put you at risk by casting us out, letting the riff-raff guard your life." Hippolyta fixes Alkyone with an icy stare, while Diana stares at her with raised eyebrows.
"Diana, fetch Philipus will you? And tell her to bring a few soldiers with her." Diana snaps to attention before running off. "And how do you know of this information Alkyone?" She continues, getting nothing at first from Alkyone. "Answer me!" The Guards all jump at the shout.
"I… I stayed, hidden behind the columns. I feared for your safety." Alkyone admits, hoping to appease Hippolyta who retains her icy exterior.
"I had reasons for asking the questions I asked, and I wanted honest answers and none of those I have asked and will ask in the future shall be pressured by the mere presence of others!" Hippolyta snaps. "We are all Amazons and I trusted everyone on this island with my life, but now I have to doubt if my orders will be followed by my own guards?!" Hippolyta roars at Alkyone, as Diana, Philipus and a handful of regular soldiers appear in the doorway behind her. Hippolyta turns away from Alkyone to regard them for a second.
"Your Highness?" General Philipus asks bleary eyed and only dressed in a toga, obviously having just been woken from her own slumber.
"General." Hippolyta nods a greeting before turning to Raven. "Sister, why are you here?"
"I was sleeping when several people attacked me in my room and carried me here." Raven replies, having regained control of her breathing, Hippolyta nods again.
"Diana, we will need your lasso, the events tonight have… shaken my faith in the honesty of those around me." Hippolyta sighs. "Philipus, send for the healers and have them all jailed for now." She continues. Philipus nods and waves in the armed guards. Raven just holds up her hands at the two who approach her before being led away without another word as the first followed by the mostly uninjured Royal Guards who look close to despairing after they are stripped of arms and armor. After them, the injured are carried out, leaving Hippolyta, Philipus and Diana behind. "Am I blind to the world around me?" Hippolyta asks quietly after the last leave.
"Mother?" Diana asks.
"Raven mentioned that part of the Royal Guard may have taken to worshipping me, in place of the Gods." Hippolyta sighs.
"I have heard the same rumors, for many years, but I thought it harmless idolization." Philipus adds, getting a nod from Hippolyta. "As I have mentioned."
"Raven claims to have seen it during her practice for the escort; I will need to have it confirmed by Donna when she comes to." Hippolyta says. "I fear our sleep will be elusive tonight, have Alkyone brought to the throne room when she has been treated and we will begin." Hippolyta instructs and is about to exit when a one of the regular guard appear in the doorway and bows at her. "Yes sister?"
"Your Highness, I wish only to inform you that Sister Donna has awoken in the palace infirmary." The guard replies.
"Very well, we will begin with her." Hippolyta says before making her way to the stricken Amazon.
"Welcome back sister." Hippolyta greets Donna, who looks up in surprise at the voice.
"Your Highness?" Donna asks as she turns her head, her back protests too much if she tries to move it, spotting the monarch, Diana, dressed in her armor, and General Philipus enter the small infirmary. "At this hour, it must have been bad." She guesses at her wounds. "How long was I out?"
"A day, only, and it is not every day you find yourself employed as a club on Diana." Philipus says.
"Donna, while I rejoice that you have awoken, I need to trouble you with urgent questions." Hippolyta says, sounding less than rejoice full, but they know it's usually a rare thing when Hippolyta does not mean what she says.
"Ok, what about?" Donna asks a little confused.
"I need to know your observations are of the Royal Guard during your time with them." Hippolyta says as she takes a seat while Diana and Philipus remain standing.
"They are a strange group." Donna starts. "Like a society within a society, I felt they barely tolerated neither me nor Raven's presence when we were there for the escort. Mala seemed to make it a point of using us, Raven in particular, as a test dummy for how she didn't want things to go. When we had breaks, we didn't socialize; at least they did not want to, preferring their own company, usually making rude remarks at us both when they thought we wouldn't hear. If I may, if you listened into their conversations, you would hear, they do not think much of any outside of the Guard."
"And what of their Queen?" Hippolyta asks.
"They praise your name alongside that of great Athena." Donna replies. "Raven remarked that it seemed almost like the cults of the outside world." Hippolyta sights at this. "What is this about?"
"Nothing you need to trouble yourself with Donna, get some rest." Hippolyta says softly before leaving, with Diana following after a nod to her and a smile.
"Philipus, any chance of enlightenment?" Donna asks as she noticed the General still present.
"Most of the casualties of the battle where Royal Guard, when they were ordered into the city, some of them attempted to outrank some who led the groups they came across, in one case with fatal consequences. Hippolyta has questioned several sisters if there was a way to avoid this, myself included. I know not what replies she has received, but someone had disobeyed the Queens order of privacy when she asked them. Sister Raven was also asked, her reply must have been perceived as a threat of some kind to the Guard, because I was called to the Guards quarters tonight where Raven had been brought against her will."
"Raven can send them flying over the mountain." Donna interrupts.
"The battle with Heracles and later Ares' appearance and the amount of healing she was called on to perform has drained her completely." Philipus counters, getting Donna to widen her eyes. "But you need not to worry for her, while she was outnumbered, she looked to prevail against her adversaries."
"How many?"
"Thirteen, seven had to be carried to the cells, Raven only has bruises to show." Philipus says with a smirk.
"Where is she now?" Donna asks.
"In a cell, waiting for the Queen to question her. You know the law." Philipus says, cutting off Donna's complaint. "But if it makes you feel better, I hope her Highness will finally reform the Guard."
Donna sighs. "So how did the battle end?"
"Heracles fell victim to Raven's magic and now stands sentinel on the outer beach. We lost 16 in total, Captain Mala included. The invaders have been returned to the outside world, taking their dead with them. Ares turned up on the aftermath, hoping to goad us into killing the invaders, but Raven took him and Hippolyta away to somewhere. We don't know where exactly, but Ares has not returned, yet."
"And Cassandra?" Donna asks.
"Still unconscious, but we remain confident that Zeus' daughter will pull through her injuries. Now I am afraid I must leave you for now, her Highness will want me at the questioning." Donna nods as Philipus makes to leave. "Rest well sister."
Besides Donna, very few actually get to sleep in the palace tonight, with many lasso enforced truths being brought out. Raven however is one such sleeper, sleeping before she has to answer the questions and returning to it when she had been heard. Not that she has anything better to do in her damp and foul smelling cell, since she is tired and meditation is pointless now with her powers gone and that she has no desire to listen to her assailants ramblings.
She is awakened in the morning by someone banging on some metal plate of some kind. "Arise sisters, her Highness desire your company." Someone calls, before some guards march to the wooden doors before letting the occupants out, arranging them on a line. "There is to be no talking." The commander says before leading them out of the stockade and to the square before the palace, where they are met by the rest of the Royal Guard assembled there and a great many other Amazons forming a crowd around them. The group is lead to the front of the other Guards, while those who have trouble standing on their own has a regular to assist them if not a crutch. Shortly after they are standing and the guards have withdrawn, Hippolyta emerges from the palace, while flanked by Philipus and Diana.
"It has been a long night and one with many unpleasant truths having emerged." Hippolyta says, loud enough for all to hear. "Truths I may not have wanted to know before last night, but I have heard them now and after consultation I have reached a verdict." Hippolyta pauses for dramatic effect, letting the murmuring die down before continuing. "For well over three thousand years, the Royal Guard has served me with honor. But it has come to my attention during the battle, that the closed circles of the Guard have had a negative effect on its members. While we know the accusations of elitism is not a new one, the Guard proved during the battle that some of it's members consider them above all but myself and some even holding contempt for the rest of Themyscira. Also, it has come to my attention that some of the Guards have strayed in their faith, instead of worshipping mighty Olympus, some worship me in their stead. This I will not accept." Hippolyta says as the murmuring begins again, while the guard shifts uneasily. "I am no deity; I am a mere Queen who has made many mistakes that have cost many sisters their lives. But it is as this Queen that I announce this; the structure of the Royal Guard will be changed. From this day forth, there will be an annual competition held for those who wish to join the ranks of the Guard, those who join will be the best of us. But there are rules to be followed; no one may remain in the Guard for more than two years in succession, the Captain of the Guard will be chosen amongst the Guard itself." Hippolyta instructs, as Raven hears a hiss behind her, interrupting her focus on Hippolyta.
"This is all your fault!" Raven instinctively dodges to the side, avoiding the large arm of the woman behind her that was reaching for her neck. As a response, Raven grabs hold of the wrist and twists it around, getting the woman to topple face first onto the ground while Raven still holds onto the wrist, making it point into the sky behind the woman. Raven is reminded of her first meeting with Etrigan as she grabs the thumb and twist her arm around and hold the pose, the woman tries like Etrigan to get free but she stops as she realizes that Raven could easily break her arm.
"I will tolerate no more dishonest behaviour from any of you!" Hippolyta snaps as she walks down to the group. "The decision is mine, if you don't like it, I will meet you in the arena." She says as she begins to walk between them, eying all of them, the Guards quickly lower their eyes. When it becomes Raven's, turn, she calmly bows to Hippolyta, in show of accepting her verdict. "I will have words with you, in private." Hippolyta says to Raven, casting an icy stare at Alkyone who ducks her head at the last part. "And let her up."
"As you wish." Raven replies as Hippolyta walks to the stairs again to face them, while she lets the guard go.
"Guards, you have served me with great honor, but you all need to remember that you serve Themyscira first and foremost. Now I pray you are up to the task, dismissed." Hippolyta says before heading back into the palace. Raven stands still till Philipus nods her inside as well.