Superman, Son of Hippolyta - A T-Rexcellent Reviews Fanfiction
I of course own no DC Comics properties or characters and make no money off of this, I am merely a giant DC Fan who wants to share my stories with all of you.
Chapter 4: The Queen's Son
The Island of Themyscira, in the Market Place of Hermes…
The Amazonians marvellous marketplace named after the God of Trade and Commerce himself, was pulsating with female activity as the sisterhood of warrior women went about their day to day lives as per usual, talking and mingling with each other in the old Grecian style streets and vendors.
But the talk today was by no means the typical conversations usually discussed by the Amazonians, not today, no, only one topic was on all the mouths of the islander women this particular day.
That talk, of course, was concerning the supposed mysterious babe that had suddenly appeared on their island a few days ago and was currently stashed away in the confines of the Royal Palace of Hera, which of course had already started several rumours spreading amongst the female populace.
Although new children were uncommon on the island, they weren't unheard of and every Amazon knew that the Greek Gods never gave warning when they were just going to stop by and drop of a blessing or gift to their worshippers.
No, what was causing this much gossip was the apparent gender of the child, and the rumour that it was of no ordinary origin.
"Sisters! have you heard? There is a man on Themyscira!" Calyce, a brunette haired and brown eyed Amazon as well as being the islands resident carpenter said as she ran over to a pair of her sisters before stopping as she was out of breath.
The marketplace was packed for the morning rush as usual, everyone passing through it on their way to work and wanting to grab some food for midday break, and in its centre a group of three Amazons that always gather around the same store every morning, were beginning to gossip about the event that occurred over the previous days.
"Calm yourself Calyce." Aella, a black haired and blue-eyed Amazon of Asian descent as well as being the islands chief falconer said as she calmly stroked her beloved bird of prey, an Karos Falcon who had become agitated by the sudden, loud arrival of her fellow Amazon. "It's not a man at all, but a boy, still just a babe in fact, nothing to get yourself worked up about sister."
"Well, it's still not right if you ask me." Egeria, a red haired and red-eyed armoured Amazon of Caucasian descent as well as being the lieutenant of the island's army said crossly. "Men are forbidden from stepping on our island for a reason and boys become MEN, why is he here on Themyscira anyway?"
"Yes, I agree with Egeria." Calyce said after she had finally caught her breath. "Where did this boy even come from, I've heard no word of any shipwrecks from Man's World happening anywhere near our island."
"That's because there was no shipwreck, my sisters." Aella said as she fed her pet bird of prey a piece of dried meat. "The boy did not wash up upon our shores, rumour has it that the child was crafted by our queen herself with the Goddess Hera's help, they say she made him from a strange star that fell from the heavens during the meteor shower from a few nights ago."
"A star fell from the sky and was crafted by our queen and the Goddess Hera into a male child?" Egeria said before giving a disbelieving snort. "What utter nonsense, are you claiming that one of our softer sisters just wished very hard for a child?"
Aella opened her mouth to respond to her Amazonian sisters' dismissive comment, but a more authoritative voice beat her to the punch. "The rumours are all true sisters."
All three Amazons of different orders jumped as the stern voice of Phillippus reached their ears as the dark-skinned Amazon walked out of the throng of female traffic to approach them.
"General Phillippus!" The trio of women said in unison as they snapped to attention at once.
"I was there when the star fell from the sky, my sisters; I was the one who brought it to the palace after it landed, I saw the Goddess Hera herself craft the boy from the star with my own eyes, he is very real and very different." Phillippus stated in her usual no nonsense tone, although there was a noticeable edge to her voice that was uncommon to hear from the usually unflappable women.
"But Philippus, why would Queen Hera do such a thing?" Calyce said, asking what Aella and Egeria were both thinking as well. "She knows the laws of our island; I mean, SHE made most of them."
"You'll find out soon enough Calyce, but for now, know that the Goddess Hera has declared that he is to live amongst us, and our Queen Hippolyta has been tasked with raising him as her son." Philippus explained calmly to the trio's obvious shock and in Egeria's case, dismay. "You three are all expected to attend a special ceremony this evening at the Amphitheatre of Apollo to recognise and honour our new prince".
"This is wrong, I am telling you this right now general, this is wrong." Egeria said shaking her head while Aella and Calyce got over their respective shocks of the information. "Men being on this island never ends well! Never! And now one is going to be living here! And why a boy? Why not another daughter?"
"It's not our place to question the Goddess or our queen, Egeria." Phillippus answered firmly. "But I assure you sister, there is a perfectly good reason for the boy's presence on Themyscira, he is very important to the future of our tribe."
"Really? Because to me it sounds like someone is hiding something?" Egeria said while casting a suspicious look towards her superior. "A falling star and the Goddess Hera intervening in Amazonian law, crafting a small MALE babe, it all sounds a little too perfect to me?"
"What are you suggesting, sister?" Calyce asked with a raised brow.
"Me, oh nothing." Egeria said innocently enough under Phillippus hard gaze. "All I am saying is that this sounds like one of the stories we tell the girls until their old enough to know the truth or one of the rumours Hermes spread about where Demigods came from, remember that one he told everyone about Helen coming from an egg?"
"Be careful sister, you are dangerously close to saying something against our queen and an Olympian Goddess." Aella said with narrowed eyes that made her resemble her Falcon in that moment.
"Oh, come on, you're all thinking it too, everyone did last time as well, what with the whole princess being sculpted from clay story?" Egeria said in an annoyed tone of voice. "All I am saying is that our queen is very friendly towards certain Olympians and she always did prefer men over other women."
"Now, all of a sudden, a new baby shows up and our queen is just forced to keep it, I think there is more to this than our queen wishes for us to know, and perhaps this babe's origins are a bit more, should we say, natural than divine as our dear general is claiming?" Egeria asked with folded arms.
"I cannot and will not listen to anymore of this malicious slander against our queen." Aella declared as her Falcon squawked in apparent agreement with her. "I am going hunting until this evening, good day sisters."
"Believe what you wish to believe lieutenant, but what I have told IS the truth and the boy is here to stay, I strongly recommend you get used to that, Egeria". Phillippus said before walking away like Aella, leaving only Calyce with the annoyed Egeria know.
"Well, I mean it could be true, that is, I mean to say that the queen, well I think…" Calyce said nervously before looking at the marketplace sundial that was nearby. "Oh, would you look at the time, I must be off as well, those old docks aren't going to fix themselves you know." The carpenter said before quickly rushing off as fast as she had arrived, leaving Egeria alone.
"Nothing good can come from this." The Lieutenant muttered to herself as she walked out of the marketplace. "Mark my words, nothing good can come from this new Son of Hippolyta's."
Later that day, in the Royal Palace of Hera, inside the Princess Private Quarters…
Since they would be officially revealing their new… prince's existence to all their sisters at the ceremony tonight anyway and with already so many rumours spreading throughout the island like wildfire, Hippolyta had finally allowed her daughter Diana to bring her four closet friends amongst the younger Amazons to the royal palace to show to show them her new little brother, under Epione's watchful eye, of course, as the brunette Amazon had volunteered to babysit the boy.
Themyscira's head healer was currently doing just that, watching over and looking after the boy while she waited for Diana came back with her friends from Young Amazonian Academy of Hebe as Hippolyta was currently busy discussing the preparations for the evening's event with Hera and the rest of council.
Epione watched as the boy and his pet Wolfdog puppy slept peacefully together in the crib, curled up around each other like twin brothers still in the womb.
The sight brought both a warm smile to her face and a painful ache to her heart, Epione was glad that the boy was going to be allowed to live, more specifically, allowed to live on the island with them, because after everything his parents had gone through to save his life, the hidden memory of their brave final act deserved better than their only child just being left out in the wild to die from either, starvation, predation or the elements.
She was honestly relieved and very grateful for it, she really was, but… why? Why did it have to be like this?
Why wasn't she chosen?
Epione was nothing but loyal to her queen, her sisters and her Goddess, but her queen already had a beautiful daughter, so many of her sisters had daughters of their own and partners as well, Epione had neither of those things and sometimes, she had to ask… why?
Why was Hippolyta chosen and not her?
Thankfully, the healer did not need to answer her own uncomfortable question, as the sound of fast footsteps reached her ears and she turned her head just in time to see Diana open the door to her room, with her four best friends at her back, the group of young Amazons that the older women had affectionately dubbed the Princess's Circle.
"Artemis, Nubia, Mala, Euboea." Epione said warmly, thankful for the distraction, welcoming the group of young Amazons into the princesses and now the new prince's quarters with a loving smile. "Come here, your princess and I have something we both want to show you."
The healer then bent down and gently removed the sleeping child from the crib, making sure not to wake up the sleeping pup beside him, lest the animal go into another one of his usual loud barking fits whenever the boy was removed from his presence.
Cradling the slowly awakening boy in her arms, Epione kneeled down onto the floor and gestured for the girls to come closer, which they did. All four young Amazons and their princess gathered around to see exactly what it was that Diana had so desired to show them for days now.
"Epione, Diana, what is… that?" It was Mala the little blonde Amazon, who first asked what the four other girls were all thinking with confused curiosity as the babe in Epione's arms yawned into wakefulness, she was always the boldest of younger Amazonians and first to ask questions.
"That is what I want to show you all this time, Mala, Diana spoke with obvious pride, and slight commanding authority, Epione couldn't help but smile, someone had been clearly been practising her 'queenly' voice as Epione affectionately called Diana's attempts to sound like her mother. "This is Kal, my new little brother."
"I've never seen a boy before." Said Artemis, the little redhead girl was critical as ever, always measuring the strength of something, her green eyes were not quiet glaring, but clearly assessing the babe blinking awake before her, and were not impressed. "It's so… small."
"Maybe, but he's also really cute." Euboea spoke affectionately, the little raven-haired Asian girl began wiggling her fingers tenderly in front of the now very awake Kal, who giggled and began a fruitless attempt at trying to catch the ever-elusive digits of his elders.
"I don't see what's so special about him, he's just a baby." The last was Nubia, the little dark-haired Nubian girl was the pragmatist of the group, her comment was not harsh, just true. For Nubia, things where either one way or another and to her, Kal's nature of being just a baby, which was ordinary, simply outweighed the curiosity of him being the first male she had ever seen before in her life.
"He's very special girls, he's your princess's brother, your queen's son." Epione said, making sure to watch each girl's reaction carefully, although neither had told Diana, Epione and Hippolyta had planned this little meeting to see what the girl's exact reactions would be. "He's our new prince."
It was their way to measure how far their sisters would accept this sudden change, adults could mask their reactions or mislead others time gave people that level of deceit, children however even the best liars were no match for Epione's gaze.
The Princess' Circle reaction was mixed and thankfully, not overly negative from Epione's trained eye, it was not grand, but it was not outright horror either, which was workable, and the honestly to Epione's mind, somewhat ideal given Amazonian beliefs regarding men in general.
Diana looked both happy and proud at the statement, she was grinning widely, smiling at her friends, but her bright eyes turned concerned when she saw her friends were not as enthused as she was, but ever the princess, she kept her grin fixed firmly on her face.
Mala's reaction was most physical by far, as the little blonde Amazon was bold, brave, skilled and a near match for Diana in most physical activities, however, one thing Mala certainly was not, was subtle, the blonde girl just blinked widely and just stared in disbelief down at Kal, her mouth opening to ask a question but just as quickly closing again.
Mala did not look angry, just very confused, which was understandable and was clearly just trying to figure out her feelings in her head before speaking. Epione expected this to be the most common reaction, shock and confusion, but they could work with that, time and a good story, would sell the Mala's of the island, eventually.
Artemis' merely scoffed at the declaration, Epione gaze quickly glancing at the young huntress to determine the nature of her involuntary reaction. To her eyes, Artemis was not dismissing the idea out of hand or against it, she merely found it stupid, like it was a bad joke and whilst she would listen would make no pretention of enjoying it.
Epione filed that away for later, Artemis reaction was the one she expected to be the second most common, a disliking of the change to their hierarchy and introduction of a male into their society. Whilst Artemis was still young and did not have the history the other older Amazon's did with men, Epione knew the adult Artemis' of the island would not be so quiet in their dislike and expected a few heated arguments in the near future for a while.
But luckily, Artemis was also showing Amazon loyalty and deference to the royal family which Epione noted seemed much stronger than her dislike of the prince, good again, workable at least.
Euboea's reaction was one Epione knew would be the rarest on the island and likely held only by either the most forgiving of her sisters or the exceptionally young, which was just happiness, a little confusion as well, at the sudden and unexpected news, but mostly joy.
Euboea was all smiles and was grinning at Diana, whom she had rapped an arm around to give an affectionate squeeze of support to, before she returned to playing with Kal. Epione knew that reaction would be the rarest but was glad to see it nonetheless, it could only help, no matter how small the group, the support was invaluable asset to the future.
Nubia was the one Epione knew they had to watch the most, as her reaction would likely be the most dangerous of all, Nubia reflected the more reserved and tactful of the Amazonians, the ones who they needed to sway. The Nubia's of the island were the swing vote to put it simply, they were the Amazons that followed not the Queen herself, but her argument and cause, they were the independent ones.
Epione knew most the Amazons where like Nubia, they were pragmatic people and whilst loyal, could be swayed by a convincing enough argument, and were not blind sheep to be led to the slaughter. Nubia was just silent, her eyes had widened only slightly and her gaze had shifted fully to the boy staring at her curiously, she was gauging in her head the worth of this new information and the gears where clearly turning. After a few moments Epione had her answer, Nubia would need time and more information before making a decision for now, she still seemed neutral to the babe before her.
Its a good start, Epione thought, neutral they could work with, outright rejection is what had worried her, but uncertainty and indecision, were a good place to start at least, they could build on that, and given a good enough story, they could convince the Nubia's of the island that having here Kal was in all their best interest, the best one we could hope for the moment, at any rate.
Knock! Knock! Knock!
Then, the sound of a wooden staff knocking against the open door three times was heard and broke Epione out of her thoughts, she, along with the five girls and even the young babe in her arms all turned to see a hooded female figure in a sealskin cloak, standing in the doorway with a long wooden staff in her hands, whose top was crafted in the likeness of a snarling dog, a glowing crystal embedded in its jaws.
This female figure was unlike any other on the entire island, a woman who stood apart from the rest of the Amazons and someone Epione knew very well, or at least, she thought she did.
"Magala." Epione said in the sincerest of surprised tones.
"Gooday, my Empathetic Epione." The island's only resident elder women said warmly as she stepped into the princess's bedroom, the bottom of her staff thumping against the floor as she walked, the older women was often seen using her primary weapon as a makeshift walking stick, when she was seen at all, that is.
"Mother Magala!" Diana said happily, a greeting that was echoed by her four companions, though with Artemis and Nubia, it was more a case of elder respect than it was familiar affection.
"Greetings my Darling Diana, how is our queen's Little Sunlight and her Princess's Circle today?" Magala said eloquently as she began to fawn over the five young girls like she was their favourite grandmother, which in many ways, she was, as much as she was a surrogate mother to many of the older Amazons.
Mother Magala's voice, just like the women herself, was authoritative, refined and seemed to seep wisdom out of every single word, it echoed and always carried across to reach the ears of those she was speaking to, no matter how quietly or reservedly the older women spoke.
The elder women was without a doubt the oldest women amongst the Amazons of Themyscira and the most unique member of the warrior woman sisterhood, Epione had met her long ago when she and her younger sister Myrto were just little girls, back when Hippolyta's own mother Queen Otrera still ruled over their tribe, before the loss of their original home of Amazonia and the destruction of their empire.
Even way back before the Fall of Ancient Greece, Magala had been old and strange to Epione, but friendly and kind as well, especially to her, calling the healer a sweet, loving child with a lonely heart, but still unusual, though Epione had long since chalked that up to the older women's rather eccentric nature.
But such an unusual personality was to be expected of one who could best be described as a hermit, for Mother Magala did not reside in the island's city like many of the other Amazons, no, instead the older women lived seemingly alone in a long-abandoned temple to the Goddess Hecate on the other side of the island, through the mythical beast-filled Jungle named after the Greek God Pantherus.
Rarely was she ever seen walking amongst her sisters in the city and only attended council meetings when she was specifically called for by the queen, usually regarding matters of magic or when presiding over the ritualistic events that turned young girls and initiates into full Amazons.
Nobody on the island really knew of the women's origins, only that she had lost her own tribe and family a long, long time ago, brutally murdered at a wedding ceremony, her own in fact, before joining the Amazonian sisterhood under Queen Otrera rule as a royal advisor… and a Sorceress.
For Malaga's age was not the only great difference between her and the other Amazons on the island, whilst the rest where warriors, healers, artists and craftswomen, the aged woman was a master of magic.
Whilst Epione personally despised magic and knew that many of her sisters did as well, their queen included, as most Amazons found the practice unnerving and unnatural to say the least, no one in their tribe had ever questioned Malaga's place amongst them or questioned her practices of the mystic ways, as the elder women had been held in high regard by Queen Otrera and the Goddess Hera as well as having the eternal gratitude of Otrera oldest daughter Hippolyta.
It was only thanks to Mother Magala mastery over magic that the Amazons had been able to escape their enslavement at the hands of Hercules and his horde after he had conquered their empire, it was only thanks to her that they had been able to escape the Fall of Ancient Greece and find their way to the island paradise that was Themyscira. It was her spells and enchantments that helped conceal their home's location from the prying eyes of Man's World and protected their tribe from more magical threats
The older woman was also the only one capable of accessing the Cavern of Souls where the souls of new Amazon children came from, birthed from righteous women who deserved a second chance at a better life and it was only thanks to Mother Magala that the Amazons and their queen still had their princess today.
Speaking of which, as soon as the older women was done fawning over the five girls, she immediately turned back Epione with a warm almost, motherly smile, though this time it was directed more towards the infant in her arms rather than the healer herself.
"Ahh, so I see that all the rumours going around the island were true after all." Magala said before she hobbled closer to the healer sitting on the floor, the steady tapping of her staff sounding against the floor as it supported her weight. "There is a boy amongst us."
"Yes, Mother Magala, there is." Epione said respectfully as she stood up with the boy in her arms to present him to the elder women. "This is Prince Kal, the new son of our Queen Hippolyta."
"A new child in the royal family, a prince no less?" The elder women said as she came over and peered down at the child with great interest who stared up at her with innocent curiosity, before the Sorceress set her staff against the crib and held out her hands. "May I, Epione?"
Feeling unsure, but still not being able to think of a good reason to deny Mother Magala's rather modest request, Epione slowly and quite carefully handed the babe over to the older women arms.
As she held her Queen's son and Princess new brother in her arms, an intrigued smile appeared upon Magala's aged face, one that Epione had never on the elder Sorceress's before, but had seen something similar to it on the Goddess Hera's the night Kal had arrived on their island.
"He's special, Mother Magala." Epione said suddenly, as if that vague statement was all the answer that she could give to the council resident elder about why this boy who had mysteriously turned up on their island was now their queen's son.
Because in truth, it really was… at least while they were in front of Diana and the other young girls anyway.
Mother Magala thankfully, seemed to understand though and merely nodded, before turning back to babe in her arms, her purple eyes sparked with magic as she gazed at the boy's shining blue ones, clearly sensing his power and unique nature, she reached out her hand and softly caressed the boy's small head of raven hair, the infant giggling at her touch.
"Yes Epione, he most certainly is." Was all Magala said as she finally handed the boy back to the healer, picked up her staff and turned to leave after nodding farewell to Epione and the five young girls, the sound of her staff thumping against the floor as she walked out of the room and down the hall, departing as quickly as she had arrived, but always leaving her mark wherever she went.
In more ways than one, this time…
How does she do that? Epione wondered to herself as she went back to caring for the babe in her arms, the babe she desperately wished could have been hers.
Later that evening, at the Amphitheatre of Apollo…
Dusk had long since gathered over Themyscira and so had the majority of the Amazons gathered around island's amphitheatre, the place where the sisterhood performed theatre acts, played music, held political debates and conducted their sisterhood's sacred ceremonies.
Like the one about to be held this very evening, the ritualistic recognising and Amazonian acknowledgement of a new child into their tribe, a ceremony that had sadly been held rather infrequently in their history on the paradise-like island and never one quite like the one being held this particular evening.
For not since the days of the Amazonia Empire back before the Fall of Ancient Greece, had a male been recognised or acknowledge as a part of the tribe, much less a prince, especially a… Demigod, which this child supposedly was, if the rumours were to be believed.
Outside, almost all of the Amazons of the island were seated and waiting patiently for the ceremony to begin, for better or worse, the only noise coming from the quiet murmuring of the crowd as they rather anxiously passed the time.
Inside of the amphitheatre though, which the Amazons had named after the Sun God Apollo, Hippolyta was pacing back and forth nervously as she and the Goddess Hera went over everything for the ceremony one last time.
"It will be fine Hippolyta." Hera reassured her fellow queen who was pacing back and forth across the stage in front of her. "When the ceremony begins, just allow me to do all the talking and I promise you, everything will go smoothly."
"I know Queen Hera." Hippolyta said sighing as she finally stopped pacing and faced her Goddess again. "I'm just worried about-."
"We are here, your majesties." Both Hippolyta and Hera turned to see Menalippe the island's priestess approaching them with both Philippus and Epione at her side, a fidgeting infant nestled in the healer's arms. "And we have brought our queen's new son with us; the ceremony can begin shortly."
At hearing these words, Hippolyta gave the blonde priestess a truly grateful smile, aside from being the chief religious figure on the island, Menalippe was also the one who presided over the Amazons most sacred of ceremonies, including the presentation of new children into the tribe, especially those of the royal family, she had presented the queens own daughter Diana at such a ceremony in the not so recent past, to the many cheers of their Amazonian sisters.
Hippolyta doubted she would hear such cheering tonight though, but she was still immensely thankful for Menalippe's unconditionally support at this most trying of times, the priestess giving absolutely no obstruction to this evening's event and proudly declaring she would preside over the presentation of their queen's newest child.
But sadly, certain Amazon's support was not so unconditionally given…
"Epione, where is your sister Myrto and the rest of the Queen's Circle?" Philippus asked with clear annoyance at the lack of any royal guards present at this ceremony. "They should be up here with us, standing beside our queen and Goddess."
Epione looked noticeably embarrassed as she handed the child over to Hippolyta whilst answering the question that was on everyone's minds. "My apologises Philippus, but I'm afraid my sister and her fellow royal guards have not been seen since this morning, I… do not think they will be attending the ceremony."
A look of disapproval was passed between Philippus, Hera and Hippolyta before the Amazonian queen sighed in disappointment. "It is something that we will just have to deal with later, it's too late now, the ceremony must start soon."
A curious noise caught Hippolyta's attention and she looked down at the wriggling infant in her arms, whilst the boy was not being overly difficult, he was now wide awake in contrast to how he was a few hours earlier and thus, was almost constantly turning around in the Amazon Queen's grasp, his shining blue eyes sweeping over the closed curtained stage.
A small smile graced the Queen of the Amazon's beautiful face at her new son's rather curious nature, the boy was always so excited to see every new place and thing around him whenever she had taken him into a new room in the royal palace, but this evening was the first time he had been taken outside since he had arrived and the child clearly couldn't get enough of it.
"Hippolyta." Philippus said, standing next to her Amazonian sister, queen and friend at this most trying of times in her rule, Epione and Menalippe doing the same. "No matter what, we stand beside you as always, my queen."
At this show of loyalty and support, Hippolyta's smile broadened ever so slightly in spite of her own nervousness of what was about to happen this evening. "Thank you, sisters."
"Have you decided upon a name for our new prince yet, your majesty?" Menalippe said as she leaned in closer to gaze at the babe in her queen's arms, who in turn, gazed up curiously at the priestess.
"He already has a name Menalippe." Hippolyta said, smiling down at the babe in her arms who had turned his head and smiled at her, clearly believing that his new mother wanted his attention, which he was more than happy to give. "His name is Kal."
"Hmm, it is not a typical Grecian name for a prince though, is it?" Hera said as she adjusted her royal crown and regal robes in the mirror she was looking into, readying herself to stand before her adoring worshippers, her tone clearly showing her slight unhappiness with the child's name.
At hearing Hera's obvious disapproval, Hippolyta couldn't help but frown slightly as she briefly recalled their early conversation that day, the Queen of the Heavens had wanted Hippolyta to rename the child, to give the boy a name that was more fitting into Ancient Greek culture, to help him assimilate better into their culture as he grew up.
But Hippolyta had defended her choice to keep the boy's name unchanged, as she argued to the Greek Goddess that although he would now be hers, she would not take away the last thing his birth parents had given him, his name and eventually Hera had conceded, but still, anyone who had met the Amazons lead Goddess knew she was not one to admit defeat…
"But then again, he is not a typical Demigod, isn't he Queen Hera?" Epione asked as a means of intervention, hoping to prevent a potential argument between the two queens right before the ceremony began.
At the healer's sincere question, Hera just smiled wryly. "No, he isn't Epione and one day, he'll prove himself to be my brother's bastard's better, I'm sure of it." The Goddess said as she finished adjusting her crown and grabbed her Celestial Sceptre leaning against the mirror before coming over to the quartet of Amazons currently gathered around the babe in their queen's arms, who became quiet as he seemingly felt Hera's eyes on him.
"Isn't that right, Kal? You'll become a great champion for your mother and all her sisters one day." Hera asked, looking down at the infant before her with a loving smile. "You'll kill Hercules and everyone single one of his Barbarian followers for your new godmother, won't you, dear?"
Kal's only response was to look up at the Greek Goddess gazing down at him and smile, which Hera seemingly took as a yes, before turning back around and without bothering to ask if Hippolyta and the others were ready, used her telekinetic powers to begin pulling back the stage curtains and revealing themselves to the huge audience of Amazons waiting just outside.
Though to be fair, it was not like any of the four Amazons could think of a good reason to delay their proceedings any further anyway, it was time for the ceremony to begin, whether they were ready for it or not.
Menalippe moved to stand beside the Greek Goddess who began to glow with Olympian energy, Hera obviously wanted to put on an air of both power and authority as she addressed her worshippers this evening.
Whilst Philippus and Epione remained beside their queen as she stuck to the shadows for the moment as Hera took charge of the ceremony, with the general on Hippolyta's right and healer on her left, both putting their hands on their leaders' shoulders for support.
Hippolyta meanwhile stood straight and adjusted Kal in her arms so that he would be facing forward when it came time for her to reveal him to the crowd, thankful, he had stopped wriggling and was now silently staring out at the huge crowd Hera was currently addressing in a voice that echoed like thunder.
"Amazons of Themyscira!" Hera called out as she stepped forward, making sure to halt the last straggling threads of conversation amongst the crowd of women before continuing. "No doubt you are all wondering why your queen and I have summoned you here this evening, tonight is a critical time in Amazonian history, for you see my loyal worshippers, I'm afraid my ex-husband Zeus, the Thundering Fool that he is, means to have his favourite son and his foul followers escape from the Underworld, to conquer and pillage in his name once more…"
Noise immediately filled the air as the crowd of Amazons gave loud cries of either anger or dismay. Frowning, Hippolyta stepped further back into the shadows and pulled Kal even closer to her heart. Hera however, just raised her voice further, her purple eyes glinting in the amphitheatre's firelight.
"Already my brother's bastard and his barbaric brutes believe they have won the coming war!" The cacophony of the Amazons cries grew louder, but still Hera's booming voice overpowered them all. "I say they are fools!"
Cries of fearful anger morphed into shouts of righteous approval and Hera allowed it to wash over the stage for a long moment before once again, demanding silence from her worshippers with a single tap of her sceptre, an eerie stillness fell over the amphitheatre and Amazons shifted nervously in their seats as Hera stared intensely into the crowd for any signs of dissent for what they all knew she was about to say next.
"I know you've all heard the rumours about what this ceremony is really about my worshippers." Hera said slowly, but firmly, as if daring any Amazon in the crowd to speak out against what she was saying. "But let me tell you right now, the real reason you've been summoned here tonight is so that you may witness to the seed of your sisterhoods salvation—so that you may see for yourselves the great gift I have given you!" Hera's voice rose with triumph. "Behold—my brave warrior women of Themyscira, the key towards our final victory over Hercules and his Barbarian horde!"
Realising that was her cue, Hippolyta put on a brave face and finally stepped out of the shadows and into the centre of the well-lit stage, with both Hera and Menalippe standing before her, with both Philippus and Epione standing behind her, and with an audience of almost every Amazon on the entire island staring in disbelief at her, or rather at what she held in her arms.
Hippolyta felt the eyes of every woman in the crowd, women who were her sisters first and her subjects second, staring at the small male babe in her arms with expressions that ranged from awe to wonder, from confused to dismay and even unfortunately enough… anger.
Kal for his part though, had long since stopped wriggling and was now silently staring out at the gathered audience with quiet curiosity, showing absolutely no fear or shyness whatsoever.
Hippolyta suddenly found herself feeling both immensely proud and envious of her newest child at that most tense of moments.
"Stand up my sisters, and come forth." Menalippe suddenly commanded aloud, speaking for the first time this evening, as her voice cut through the silence like a sacrificial blade as she gestured to the newest member of their tribe and the royal family. "Come forth and pay your respects to Queen Hera's chosen champion, your new Prince of the Amazons… Kal, the Son of Hippolyta."
An uncomfortable—or was it awed? —silence fell upon the Amazons following this declaration by their priestess, Hippolyta felt her body filling with fearful tension as each second passed by, as the crowd of staring Amazons continued to gawk unabashedly at their queen and their new supposed prince nestled in her arms.
They stared, but they did not move and they did not stand…
"Your Priestess said… COME FORTH!" Hera voice cracked like her ex-husband thunder, followed by a bang of her Celestial Sceptre on the stage that echoed throughout the night and sent a cold telekinetic wind through the crowd, shivering the souls of every Amazon in the audience and reminding all of them why their island's Goddess was also known as the Queen of the Heavens.
Hippolyta felt it to and quickly glanced down at the babe in her arms, worried that such a fearsome display of Olympian power would upset Kal, which was very the last thing they needed at that moment.
But amazingly, the infant in her arms did not cry or cower at Hera's thunderous voice, only briefly turning to look with curiosity at the Goddesses commanding presence, radiating divine power in front of her worshippers before resuming to stare fearlessly back out at the crowd that was staring right back at him.
Hippolyta felt her already great pride in her newest child double in an instant, it seems like her Little Fallingstar had taken their private talk about being a brave boy to heart.
Then they came, almost as one, Hippolyta saw her sisters quickly get up from their seats and begin to make their way down the isles towards the stage to show respect to their new prince, as both their islands priestess and their sisterhood's Goddess had commanded of them.
One by one, each of the Amazons of Themyscira approached the stage, Hera position in front of Hippolyta at the steps meant that her women worshippers were forced to pass under their Goddess watchful gaze before approaching their queen.
They first knelt before their Goddess, then rose, stepped forth and finally recognised the boy that was to be their new prince in their queens' arms, some of more traditionalists or devout then bowed their head to Menalippe to receive her blessing a moment before, but most simply nodded to their religious official before passing her by and approaching Hippolyta.
Hippolyta made sure to look each and everyone of them in the eye as the stood before her and her new son who remained surprisingly silent throughout the rest of the ceremony, she observed some came more reluctantly than others, but still they came, none wishing to defy either their Goddess or queen, especially as both seemed united in this most sacred of rituals.
The acknowledgement and presentation where sacred rites to the Amazons, it had been done with Diana and Hippolyta's own mother Otrera had done it for both her and Antiope.
Antiope, her younger half-sister, Hippolyta had not though of her in such a long time, she shook her head to dislodge those thoughts before they could manifest themselves, but the memories had already caused her to grip the babe in her arms even more tightly.
That night, almost every single Amazon on Themyscira recognised their new prince, but not all…
… and none of the Amazons, not their queen, or even their Goddess saw the large white and golden Caucasian Eagle, perched atop the Statue of the Sun God Apollo overlooking the amphitheatre, glaring down at the child in Hippolyta's arms throughout the entire event with narrowed, predatory eyes and a hateful sneer across its cruel beak.
As soon as the last member of the formerly all-female tribe had stepped up and paid her respects to this new child champion of Hera's, in this case, the old witch women the Amazons called Mother Magala and the ceremony was officially over, the great bird of prey, spread its mighty wings and took off silently into the night sky, towards a gathering of dark, thunderous, storm clouds…
For Aetos knew that his master needed to know about this latest… development.
The very next morning, at the Queen's Circle's Private Training Grounds…
As soon as the Apollo's Sun had risen high in sky over Themyscira, Hippolyta sent both Philippus and Egeria out to find her four missing royal guards, so they could explain themselves to their general and her lieutenant about their absence at last night's ceremony.
Philippus had brought both Epione and Menalippe along with them, as Myrto was Epione's younger sister, she had shamed them both before their entire sisterhood with her lack of attendance and as Menalippe was the official overseer of all the Amazons sacred ceremonies, all four members of the Queen's Circle had undermined their priestess authority in front of the entire island by failing to show up.
They had also pissed Philippus right the hell off, Egeria knew that much for sure as she walked behind the seething general whilst the four of them searched.
Eventually, they found the Queen's Circle with the exception of their captain Alkyone, at their private training grounds, far away from the rest of the Amazons usual athletic areas, sharpening their battle skills as was per usual for the circle sisters when they weren't guarding their tribe's queen… like the previous night.
Myrto, Charis and Philomela ceased their three-combat battling when they saw the quartet of high-ranking Amazons walking towards them with stern expressions on their furious faces, though their body language remained combative.
"Well, sisters, it appears our brave general and her fellow council members have found time to finally check on us lowly guardswomen." Charis stated dryly, being the tallest of the trio, the giant Amazon had seen the four-women group coming before her either of her circle sisters had.
"Charis, Myrto, Philomela." Philippus said each women's name in the barest form of a greeting, whilst her three companions merely nodded, except for…
"Hello… sister." Epione said as she turned to address Myrto, the Queen's Circle second in command and her younger sibling directly, the healers usually warm voice was cold and despite not being as gifted a warrior as her blonde sister, her tone clearly conveyed her anger.
"Epione, to what do I and my fellow circle sisters owe the unexpected pleasure of visitation you and your friends?" Myrto asked warmly enough to her older sterner sibling, but with a carefree tone and an insincere smile that quickly began trying on Epione's already thin patience.
"Myrto, your sister, Menalippe, Egeria and I have all come to talk to you three as well as your captain concerning your absence yesterday." Philippus voice was calm and controlled, but her folded arms and stern expression conveyed her inner anger clear enough.
"Where is Alkyone anyway?" Egeria asked suddenly, speaking up suddenly, which earned her a sharp look from Philippus, the lieutenant was not cowed by her superiors glaring however.
"Alkyone is currently with her partner Phinea at the moment Egeria, I'm sure she would be pleased to hear you asking after her." Myrto explained pleasantly to one of the few women she and her fellow circle members regarded as a true Amazon. "She will be here soon sisters, I assure you."
"As to regarding our absence yesterday." Philomela said taking off where Myrto began, the archer looking at four council members with a look of false confusion on her face whilst her two friends simply shrugged. "Why, whatever do you mean Philippus?"
"You know exactly what I am referring to Philomela." Philippus said curtly with narrowed eyes. "We did not see you or your fellow queens' guards at the presentation of Prince Kal." Somehow the general's voice had grown sterner with each and every word she spoke.
"Wait, you mean that was LAST night?" Myrto exclaimed in fake surprise, an expression she shared with her fellow Queens Circle members, before turning back to face Epione. "Oh, dear me, sister I feel simply awful". The blonde warrior said in an overly dramatic tone whilst portraying deep dismay by tilting her head and covering her eyes with her hand.
"You should Myrto." Epione growled at her younger sister and her two friends who were clearly not grasping the gravity of this morning meeting at all. "You all should, not standing beside us as our queen welcomed a new child into our tribe, you brought shame upon yourselves and us all by your lack of attendance last night sisters."
"Yes indeed." Menalippe said, speaking up for the first in this impromptu meeting before Myrto's sudden murderous expression as well as that of Charis and Philomela's could evolve into furious words. "Failure to attend one of our island sacred ceremonies for almost any reason, especially when the Queen of the Heavens herself is presiding over it, is nothing short of blasphemous."
"Yes, and we wouldn't want to do anything blasphemous at one of your precious ceremonies, now would we, Menalippe?" A new colder voice stated, and all seven Amazons turned to see the Captain of the Queen's Circle approaching them, a frown firmly across her scarred face.
"Captain Alkyone." Philippus said, addressing her fellow leader with a curt nod, still hoping to be diplomatic this morning.
"General Philippus, sisters, please pardon my being late to this little meeting of ours." Alkyone said as she came to stand beside her three circle sisters, as in opposition to Philippus and her quartet. "I did not realise we were having one this morning."
"But as for the why myself and my sisters were not present for the ceremony last night, I'm afraid that we were simply too preoccupied making sure the ritual was protected and that Themyscira was secure."
"Perhaps if you three hadn't all been so busy fawning over the little Demigodling last night, you would have noticed you left our home vastly undefended, general." Myrto chimed in, her anger and that of her sisters had seemingly cooled upon the arrival of their leader, but their expressions remained furious to fault.
"That little Demigodling." Epione told her younger sister tensely. "Is our queen's son and your new prince, Myrto."
"Yes, he is, but as I'm sure our dear friend Egeria will attest, with almost all of the islands' guards had to be absent from their posts to attend the presentation of our new… prince, someone had to stand guard." While Alkyone spoke calmly and respectfully, no one failed to notice how the circle captain had to seemingly force herself to spit out the final word, as if saying it was like having to gargle Chimera venom in her mouth.
However, luckily for the bald warrior women, no one chose to comment on it. "Very well Alkyone, but that still, does not explain why did not inform either me or our queen that you four would be performing such a task or why any of you did not show up near the end of the evening?" Philippus asked with a raised brow and disbelieving tone.
"Again, our sincerest apologises general and to all of our sisters here with you today." Alkyone stated with an even tone. "It would seem with everything going over the past few days, that it simply… must have slipped our minds."
Whilst the circle captain's response was given with what appeared like sincerity that Phillippus was happy to accept or at least appear to accept for the sake of ending this unfortunate incident, Epione merely scoffed, showing her disbelief of Alkyone's words.
This naturally earned her a cool gaze from all four members of the Queen's Circle who merely breathed in heavily, visibly trying not to take the bait, except Myrto who opened her mouth to respond only to be interrupted by a new voice.
"Well, that is very understandable and I'm sure our queen is thankful for her circles guard's constant vigilance!" Mother Malaga's voice was as warm and as friendly as usual, however her sudden, surprise appearance amongst the group, had startled all of them into drawing their weapons in alarm before finally realising just who it really was standing amongst them.
How does she do that? All eight Amazon thought privately to themselves at once as they re-sheathed their weapons and looked at the hooded magical women in their presence who was clearly trying to refrain from laughing at their expense.
"Mother Malaga! To what do we owe the privilege of the Rebirther of Souls in our presence?" Despite her usual disregard for anyone who was not their queen or a member of her personal circle, Alkyone head was bowed, and her voice was subdued, whilst in the presence of the islands sole Sorceress.
Magala simply gazed at Alkyone, a small smile gracing her aged features that was not visible beneath Magala's hooded dress that obscured most of her features adding to her mystique amongst the Amazons.
Mother Magala knew exactly why Alkyone was acting this way, she knew what lust-confused for love lingered in her shrivelled heart and the darks deeds Alkyone had committed in her past, but those things mattered very little to her, Magala's concerns where only with the future and her position on the island was not to judge anyone, especially considering her own dark feelings and need for vengeance…
The elder Sorceress did however need to ensure that Alkyone understood, that despite her own personal feelings towards their Queen's new Little Fallingstar, she could not be allowed to ignore sacred ceremonies or the Amazons rituals, even if she and her sisters clearly didn't agree with them.
"I am here Alkyone, because you and your sisters have committed a sacrilege on our island as of last night." Magala explained, her voice now cold and stern, as if she was truly a mother chastising a group of young misbehaving girls instead of a team of fearless female warriors. "The acknowledgement and presentation of new children into our tribe are sacred events even more so as the Queen of the Heavens herself was in attendance."
"Though I certainly understand why you four wouldn't want to set foot in the Amphitheatre honouring that Nymph chasing fool Apollo." The Sorceress said rather venomously, no one knew why, but whenever Mother Magala had to speak of the Sun God of the Greek Pantheon, her voice always took on a noticeable edge of anger to it, some kind of restrained fury, not that anyone dared to question the elder women as to why though, especially when she was in a mood like this...
While everyone knew that Mother Magala was a kind and caring woman, when she did get angry, she could be terrifying... Circe the Wicked had learned that lesson the hard way...
"Nevertheless, you and your sisters have all made a grave error in judgement." When Magala spoke in that moment, it was clear it was not just as another member of their tribe, but as Mother Magala, the Head Magical Advisor to their queen, the Rebirther of Souls and High Sorceress of Themyscira. "As such recompense on your part is required."
"Mother Magala, please, I am sure a simple apology on the Queen's Circle's part would suffice-" Philippus began to say, whilst she too was angry about Alkyone and her friend's disrespectful actions, she also wanted to end this whole awkward issue as quickly as possible, not escalate it, but one look from Magala was enough to silence even her.
Despite her position as one of the highest members of the Themysciran council as the island's general, this was a not a military matter and thus Phillippus or Egeria could not override Mother Magala decision in this issue as she and the Sorceress were both of similar rank otherwise. Epione and Menalippe on the other hand both merely grinned, each women loving the looks of restraint on each member of the Queen's Circle's faces, whilst Egeria for her part, remained fairly neutral.
"Of COURSE, Mother Magala, we Sisters of the Circle would be more than… happy to correct our slight and gladly attend an acknowledgement of our new prince in private in order to make up for our error." Alkyone voice was strained and her face was fixed into a forced smile that looked close to breaking. "Please forgive us High Sorceress, as we merely wanted to keep our home safe"
At this, Malaga narrowed her eyes and for a moment it was like Alkyone could feel them piercing into her very skull, although she was bolder and far more prideful than the average Amazonian due to her prized position as Captain of the Queen's Circle, Alkyone was still a member of their sisterhood and Mother Malaga's unique place in it, forced even the belligerent warrior to tow a fine line with her.
Magala also knew that Alkyone did not want to risk alienating the Sorceress as her position as the Rebirther of Souls, meant that Malaga was the only one on the island who could give Alkyone something she had always secretly wanted, something that many of the women on the island wanted, a daughter of her own.
The elder woman was the one who bestowed the blessings of daughters onto Amazons and it was her that initiated the sacred rites and trials that turned the youth of the island from mere girls into full grown Amazonians.
No one knew that Alkyone had secretly petitioned her for centuries, wanting her partner Phinea to bear her a daughter that Alkyone could raise to be just like her, to currently no avail.
"Unfortunately, that will not be possible Alkyone, the Acknowledgement of Children is a sacred rite that cannot be simply repeated but due to your devotion to the protection of the island I am sure a suitable recompense can be made." Malaga's voice went quiet, as she began thinking whilst stroking her chin in thought until she snapped her fingers "Hmmm, ah yes, that will do nicely?"
"What will our recompense be Mother Magala?" Alkyone tone of voice was anxious and uncertain, two things that were not typically heard from the circle captain.
"Well, seeing as it was your desire to protect this island which interfered with a sacred ritual, I degree that you four shall serve for exactly twelve months, one for each of the main members of the Greek Pantheon, being on personal guard duty to the new Prince Kal, and when not on duty you shall spend your time in the Omphalos Temple serving Priestess Menalippe as she requires, in restitution for slighting the Goddess Hera with your unattendance." Mother Malaga decreed, striking her staff on the ground causing a ripple of magical energy to be produced that signalled her creating of the conditions by which the Queen's Circle could be redeemed.
"Twelve months! You expect us to guard that Demigodling for twelve month-" Myrto began to protest just before Alkyone's cool gaze silenced her, just like it did Charis and Philomela's.
"Of course, Mother Magala, we will gladly… guard our new prince to make up for our mistakes." Alkyone voice was again, strained to breaking.
"Very good, come along sisters, let us leave the Queen's Circle to rest as I'm sure they have many late nights and hard days ahead of them" Malaga said, turning away with a smile, whilst Philippus and Egeria both just nodded at the Sorceress declaration, Menalippe and Epione meanwhile shared pleased expressions, the healer in particular smirking at her younger sister as she walked away.
The Queen's Circle, especially their now thoroughly infuriated captain, watched them all go with seething anger in their eyes, making sure that the other group of Amazons was really gone before speaking their minds aloud once more.
"You will regret giving me that smug look one day, Epione." Myrto snarled quietly to herself as she watched her sister and her friends walk away.
"Curse that old witch hag…" Charis's angry growl was like the rumble of an earthquake.
"I can't believe we have to spend twelve months in the presence of that… Demigodling." Philomela spat hatefully.
"Calm yourselves, sisters." Alkyone said, turning to her three subordinates. "This 'punishment' is merely a unique opportunity to gain a tactical advantage, it is after all, far easier to slay a wolf turned dog when it has become accustomed to your presence, they tend not to notice the blades until it is far too late."
Greetings to all my fellow fanfic readers and writers, I hope you all enjoyed Superman, Son of Hippolyta Chapter 4: The Queen's Son, a chapter that has been a long time coming and even longer in the making, major thanks to my friend Luke5921 for helping me write this one, now that we've gotten this missing chapter finally finished and out of the way, I can once again focus on the future of the story.
As always, a shout out to my amazingly supportive friend and fantastic fellow fanfic writer Ricardo753 for supporting my work, go check out his own stories, their T-Rexcellent.
Now please allow me to thank all of you who have followed, favourited and especially reviewed this story.
SuperWonderStan, ManOfSteel, Luke5921, cabrera1234, Joel, HeartOfChaos13, GR8ER3241, Kalel4444, JustAnotherIntern14, please keep the reviews coming guys, their what fuels these chapters and to all my other readers, if you write me some reviews in the future then you can be seeing your name here to, until next time this is T-Rexcellent Reviews signing off.