Chapter 3
Diana's body broke the surface, her head thrust back as she shot out of the water like a dart, gasping for precious, live giving air. Her chest heaved, her lungs burnt, and she gave thanks and prayers to the Blessed Gods for allowing her to keep the gifts they had bestowed on her, including strength, stamina and flight. Her ability to fly allowed her to completely remove her body from the water, no longer wishing her scent to linger on the current, or be in the realm of Triton.
The challenge had been laid by the son of the Sea God, and yet Diana's mind and heart were unfocussed. He would sink Themyscira again, then slaughter the survivors and Arthur. Regardless of the ill between them, her heart ached for the companionship, the sameness, he provided, and the idea he would survive the battle was worth the sacrifice of herself.
The scent of rotten fish followed her to the surface, but within her mind she could still smell the flowers of her dream, the scent of her long lost love, the youth and innocence of their stolen, testing kisses. Oh Hera, what was she to do.
Triton was not strong enough on his own to kill Arthur; Diana knew that, He was a valiant fighter, strong, skilled and with a capacity for violence and aggression surpassed only by her own. Arthur would take any measure needed to win. She was not necessarily worried for Arthur, not until he demanded Arthur's trident.
On his own, Triton was no match for his Father's Champion, but blessed with the gift of the champion, the Trident of Poseidon, he would be able to match Arthur, at the very least, if not destroy the other man. This made Diana worry.
Her Amazons, on the other hand. Fighters, yes, but his threat to sink the recently re raised Themyscira, which had been lost in the opening volleys of the Atlantian/Amazonian War and then re raised as a gift from the Gods, the last of the favours Diana could expect to receive for a very long time… It was a very real, visceral threat.
Since the end of the war, Diana had returned her Amazons from Great Britain, which they had invaded and conquered, claiming it as "New Themyscira," taking in refugees as they went. Women who were persecuted, who were under the threat of violence, who were not considered people in their own homes, were welcomed to come take refuge on the Island of the Amazons. Donna, her sister, had done such a good job of leading the island's political structure, setting up the programs; she would make a great Queen one day…
She would abdicate; Triton would not reign as King of the Amazons. Donna was more than able to take the role. Knowing that plan was settled, Diana was less concerned, though still unaware of what move, physically, she should take next.
Her lasso had finally broke the surface, and gingerly she floated down to grab the golden filament, her fingers gripping tightly, winding it back to her hip before taking a deep breath.
The witch watched from a distance, her portal providing her clear vision to the goings on in the ruins of Poseidonis. She let out a bark of cruel laughter as Arthur shot at his former loves. "Oh, poor pitiful sea king," her voice, sickly sweet and melodic echoed to the nothingness of her chambers. "I have nothing against you, handsome handsome Champion of the Oceans, but you see, your darling bride to be and I have a bit of … history…"
Circe's purple lips pulled back into a sneer as she turned, thinking about the exile Hippolyta, mother of Diana, former Queen of the Amazons, had forced her to undergo. Since the betrayal of Penthesileia and the Atlantian Orm saw the Queen perish, the violet haired sorceress decided that her revenge would fall to the next in line: Diana, Queen of the Amazons.
"Maybe Triton will allow you to come stay with me, pretty boy…" she laughed, closing her view on his face. A nasty scar from Diana's sword crossed his face, but never the less, it would add even more insult to the injury. Her spells had worked; Diana still loved Arthur, deeply, and to see him under Circe's control, to see him made her consort. Oh the witch twittered with glee at the mere thought of it!
He, on the other hand… Arthur, King of Atlantis, was more stubborn. Circe had to assume that sending back the headless body of his Queen, his true love, Mera, had turned him off the beautiful Amazon, gifts of Aphrodite be damned.
That, in and of itself, was cruel, but not if Diana couldn't see it. Circe would have to plot a way for the broody king and the heart broken queen to reunite, as Diana's plan, which did see the pair meet face to face for the first time in over two years, was unfruitful.
"What on earth could that silly girl have expected," she shook her head thinking back to the meeting. Circe had planted the idea in Diana's brain even before she had talked Hades into letting Triton out of his underworld prison; she was hoping that the Atlantian would slaughter the Amazonian, or at least sufficiently destroy her spirit.
Never mind that now, though, she had a much better plan, one that was much more humiliating than her original one.