Chapter 21

The Temple of Circe, a self-erected structure created to emphasize the witch's feelings of demi God status, was located at the top of a remote mountain in the Greek Islands on an unpopulated speck of land no one ever found any worth in so never bothered developing. Of course, part of the reason they never found any worth there was because of the witch herself, carefully disguising her island as an unattractive waste land where no one would ever be interested in developing.

The reality was that the island was a lush paradise; atop the mountain was greenery and wild life as beautiful as the sorceress abounded, uninhibited by the destructiveness of man. Circe enjoyed solitude on the island now, but prior to the war between Atlantis and the Amazons things had not been nearly as good.

Hippolyta and Pentisilla had defeated Circe in battle, after the prior had humiliated her in front of the Cult of Ares, taking the God's favour from her and delivering not one heir to the God, but two: a boy, then, as a gift to the Queen, a daughter who would inherit the Amazonian throne. It sickened her to think of what a brute Hippolyta was, though she was certainly one upped by that twat of a sister, Circe thought to herself as she stood on the balcony of her temple, looking out over the beauty in front of her.

She could still remember when this was a prison; when her island was as ugly and barren as the island Diana inhabited, but rather than being granted the freedom to move around, Circe was chained and fully shackled, further humiliated. As if it wasn't enough to be dumped for that ogre of a so called woman warrior, she was imprisoned so as she wouldn't be any trouble to the happy couple.

And the cherry on top: Ares okayed the entire humiliation.

She had spent the first few centuries decrying her situation, lamenting the humiliation of her imprisonment, praying and begging Ares to end her suffering. As the centuries wore on, however, her sorrow and depression turned into anger, and a deep, seething hatred for the Amazons and the God of War.

She still remembered when the redheaded Atlantian queen had shown up, freeing her from her bondage, telling her that if she ensured a victory for Arthur that Circe would be granted a place in the Atlantian court, and dominion over any Amazons that survived the purge and turned over the Furies and the war criminal known as Wonder Woman.

At first Circe had been confused, wondering what could have driven Hippolyta to war with Atlantis, but then Mera filled her in on what she knew of what was going on, that Garth had been wrongly accused of killing Hippolyta, how the child never could commit such a crime, but Diana would not listen. Guided by her aunt, the newly crowned queen had started a war with Atlantis, and Arthur, quickly recovering from what little of his heart was broken, married his mistress Mera. Mera had learned from Orm, Arthur's brother, that Hippolyta had imprisoned Circe on this island, and had been given the coordinates to go fetch the witch.

Of course, later she would learn that Orm knew of the island because Pentisilla had told him during one of their late night trysts. She had never fulfilled her half of the deal. By the time Diana and Arthur had got to the point where Circe's intervention would turn the tide of the war it was too late, she had redeveloped her powers to the point where she couldn't be compelled to perform like some circus act.

And now, she had the King of Atlantis in her bedchamber, drunk on her love and sedated, ready to do whatever it is she asked of him, even kill the woman he had only recently begun to rekindle a relationship with. Turning her back to the thick marble banister that ran around the perimeter of her balcony she held her empty hand out and a slave, not Arthur but equally handsome, filled it with a goblet of wine.

Looking inside to her bedchamber she saw Arthur, reclining on the divan. She had exerted some control over him, but after a certain point, he would find himself wanting, desiring her approval and needing her love and affection. Just like all the rest.

He stirred and she smiled, signalling for another glass of wine to be brought. "And good morning, Orin," she cooed to him, calling for him to come to her. "You slept so soundly, I didn't want to wake you." Her words were sickly sweet, filled with feigned concern for his well being.

"You did wear me out..." he said with a grin, sliding the two glasses from her hands and setting them behind her, pressing his body into hers and her back to the sun warmed stone.

"You didn't complain," she giggled flirtatiously as a retort.

"Nor am I complaining now." His grin was charming; poor Diana, she had truly had a chance at an epic story book romance, and yet here they were... Circe had Arthur, and soon she was going to have the throne of the Amazons, and Diana would have nothing.

"My Queen," one of the other slaves came to Circe. "There's an intruder on the island. It appears to be Diana, the Amazon."

"Diana?" a flicker of memory fluttered through his mind, his voice reflecting the fond memories that still lingered in the back of his mind. "She's coming here?" he seemed confused, and a little panicked as Circe shoed the other slave away.

"Tell the Gorgon to be ready for her," she ordered, waving off the slave as he attempted to apologize. "Arthur, shush. No, Diana isn't coming."

"But he said..." there was a confused, almost child-like aspect to him as he spoke about the possibilities of his ex coming to his rescue. "She's coming for me? But why?" Arthur turned to look at Circe once more, his eyes hardening. "You told me she hated me. She killed Mera, the love of my life. You told me..."

Always quick on her feet, Circe didn't lose a beat. "She's coming to kill you, and me, my love," she said with a soft tone, allowing a look of concern to come across her face, her purple brows drawing together, furrowing in the centre. "She wants to ruin every chance you have at love, Arthur," Circe cooed, reaching out and touching the love drunk king's cheek. "She wants to hurt you, and make sure you're as miserable as she is in her lonely exile..."

"I was lonely as she before I found you," he smiled broadly as Circe became confident once more that he was onside with her, his cheek pressing into her hand as she led his face to hers. "I am so lucky you have set me free from that bitch's spell..." he whispered to her, stealing a kiss from the witch's purple lips. "But I cannot let my past bring danger on you. I cannot let Diana harm you." There was a sincerity to his words that made Circe believe he was serious; he was willing to die for her.

Interesting, she thought to herself, still charming the king who was blissfully unaware that while he engaged her lips, her mind was elsewhere, turning over the facts and options presented in front of her. The new information that Arthur would lay his life down in front of Diana was interesting. It would be heart breaking to force Diana to fight him; she had forgiven him long before Circe became involved, but now she was starting to redevelop her feelings for Arthur. It would be tragic to lose such a fun toy so soon, but there was always the chance that he could win, in which case Diana's suffering would be shortened, but she would die knowing Circe had claimed Arthur as one of her many play things. Decisions, decisions.

"Let me kill the Amazon, my Goddess," his voice was deep, showing a capacity for violence that even Circe was shocked to hear. "As a gift, for you. A tribute to you. The Amazons thrust you out; they cast you out because Diana's mother was jealous of your beauty..."

Circe was surprised; apparently Arthur was aware of part of the story as well. And here she thought that Mera had come simply under Orm's misguided advice. Circe wondered if Arthur knew Orm was the one who had encouraged Mera to take on Diana solo, if his beloved betrayer of a brother had sent his wife, the love of his life, to the slaughter at the hands of his most hated enemy to fuel the flames of war.

"You would do that for me?" Circe feigned shock and awe; she knew he would do anything she asked of him, even give up everything he needed to survive, but the act was required. She didn't have full control of him yet and in order to ensure compliance, Circe needed to let him feel like he was protecting her, that he was a saviour, a white knight ready to protect his damsel in distress from a vile villainess.

"I would go to the ends of the world for you," he spoke charmingly, coming in for a kiss.

"Oh, I don't need you to go that far," she said when their kiss finally broke leaving him breathless in her wake. "I just need you to kill Diana, and bring your trident back with you."

"Yes, my beloved," he said, planting another kiss on her lips.