Hello everyone! Welcome back and thank you for reading! I once again do not own any DC characters. Please enjoy!
Though Bruce was still wary of the ladies Zatanna and Diana, he was able to admit they fit into the crew like missing pieces of a puzzle. Diana was eager to assist in training Lady Lois and Lady Zatanna could usually be found either in deep conversation with Lady Shayera regarding her time spent as a bird and performing experiments to free her from her condition or with Richard as he insisted on pestering her with requests for sleight of hand. Bruce wondered if she reminded him fondly of his childhood with the minstrels. That night they had joined the crew was spent in intense debate on the journey forward.
Zatanna sought admirably to remember the plans that Circe had laid out, but with the entrancement broken they had begun to slip away as easily as the morning mist. She directed them to the eastern continent, but could not remember where within and grew more and more frustrated as she forgot. Sir Stewart wished to sail directly to the land of the Amazons and confront Queen Hippolyta face to face, though Diana was adamant that men coming to the island with such numbers and force without any evidence to back up such wild accusations would be seen as an act of war, regardless of the fact that the Themysciran princess had joined their crew. Diana was worried, as was Bruce, that the remnant in Zatanna's mind may be a trap left by Circe.
It was finally Arthur who spoke up. "In the eastern continent, there is a city that roughly translates to "Things Lost Are Found". It is said that if you are searching for something and sojourn to its gates, you will find whatever it is that you seek. I have heard many a tavern tale of relatives being found, secrets revealed, or questions answered that only the gods should know. I believe that if we begin our journey there, we will quickly gather our bearings." The crew was quickly in agreement, and so the course was set. Bruce slipped away from his men and ladies and took quiet steps toward the deck to man the helm and get some fresh sea air. The blithsome crew had turned toward merrymaking and Bruce was far more comfortable with the solace the nightly solitude provided.
With an easy, dextrous twist of the wrist, he guided the ship portward and steadied the course, glad that he still had familiar constellations to light his way. Bruce closed his eyes, letting himself become lost in the peacefulness around him- the dull wash of the tide against the hull, the salty sea breeze that filled his nostrils and danced against his flesh, the creak of the timbers, the distant sound of his friends. Sometimes Bruce longed for the freedom the sea provided so intensely he worried he may never return to the stuffy, endless battle that was Gotham's courts. He loved his kingdom, more than anything, but these days at sea were bittersweet. He would ponder morosely what could have been if his father were still alive and on the throne. Would he be able to wander the hills and valleys of his kingdom as a knight errant? Righting wrongs and searching for a lady who found him worthy of her favor? Or would he have found himself as buried in his studies as he kept Richard? Bruce doubted he would have seen the full extent of the day to day struggles of his subjects in the same light. Though his parents did not raise him to be cruel, he was sheltered and doted on as the heir apparent. What did he know of going to bed with hunger pains so ferverous that you gnawed on grass and weeds just to keep them abay and the hopeless despair that whispered into your dreams at night, telling you that it would not be any better with the morning light? Would he have known about the tryannical serfs that worked those same starving families in their fields? Some were just children, trying to bring home even the smallest amount of coin to buy rags and crumbs.
As a boy he had went on a quest of sorts. After his parents were murderered so wickedly in front of him he could no longer hide in his castle away from the despair and brutality that had run rampant. Though the sage Penniworth who cared for him was adamantly against it, he had for many months traded his crown and robes for dust and threadbare garments. He slept under the stars when the weather allowed and in barns with the livestock when he found a peasant who would be so kind as to offer him shelter when it rained. He worked for pay when he could find it, but times were hard and most families could not afford food for themselves let alone to hire a hand. He would lie there, stomach rumbling and groaning, and remember fondly the great hall feasts where food abounded and drink was plentiful. In those days he quickly learned what he had had in life that he took for granted, as well as what desperate acts hunger could inspire.
He travelled from serfdom to serfdom in his kingdom, wheedling his way in as a servant boy in their halls, offering hastily to serve the lords and ladies so that he could learn firsthand how they treated both their servants and their guests. Here, too, he found the harshness of life. The lords were heavy with their hands, both to the young servant boys who did the heavier tasks and to the girls who often were employed as maids or cooks. More than once Bruce had felt the need to intervene in order to save a woman's virtue or even their life. His eyes hardened even now, years removed, as he recalled those men who made his stomach sick and had provided him with the fire to continue in his course.
Once he stood once in front of his kingdom, making known to all opposed him that he intended to take his rightful place as king, he called those same lords to kneel before him, issuing to each of them the punishment they were due. Some of them were chastened and placed under supervision, some were removed and stripped of their title and lands, yet others who had commited such heinous crimes and unspeakable atrocities were sentenced to death. Bruce did not make such decisions lightly, but some horrors could not be forgiven.
Those days had been some of the worst of his entire life, barring the day his parent died and the weeks that followed the numbness that had first taken hold. But, through his searching he had found a simple truth. There was always a glimmer of light, even in the darkest places if only you opened your eyes and looked. He had found allies...first the wizard Lucious with his sharp intelligence and uncanny foresight, then Sir Gordon followed by the rest of his knights. Sir Gordon had been a knight fighting tirelessly throughout the kingdom, trying to find a foothold in a kingdom that had crooked authorities from the sherriffs and constabulary all the way to the advisors and dignitaries. When Bruce had reclaimed his crown, his first order after clearing his serfdoms was to make him Grand Marshall overseeing all law enforcement and peace keeping. Those days now seemed so long ago.
The scent of peonies pulled him from his thoughts, a strange scent to be sure as they were in the vast openness of sea, far from any habitable lands. His eyes opened and settled on Lady Diana who had come to lean on the railing just before him, her keen eyes searching for dangers just as he. She must have the reflexes of a jaguar in order to sneak this close. Only her scent gave her away. They were both silent for a time, a silence that should have beem awkward but was companionable, almost natural. Finally, it was Lady Diana that spoke. "Does your kingdom miss their king while you are at sea?" Her words, softly spoken into the night, sent peals of alarm through him. His first thought was that one of his men made a slip, be it to Diana directly or to one of the other ladies on board who had infiltrated their lives. Then he noticed how she watched him. To an untrained eye, she appeared to still be watching the rippling waves, but no, she seemed to catch his every muscle movement, no matter how slight...which meant she caught his surprise.
"When we met, your eyes gave you away. They remind me of my mother in a way. You have seen the world's tragedies, been through the refiner's fire, and have stood from the ashes forged into a weapon stronger than tempered steel. They are eyes that whisper of wisdom beyond your years and silent, lonely pain that no one has been able to assuage. Though captains fight for their ship and their crew with their life, the burden I sense in your eyes speaks of Atlas holding the sky on his back. Since then I have watched how you have commanded yourself, with a kind authority. You give orders to your subordinates, expecting them to be followed, but you also would give your life to them if needed. I have found myself honored to be considered among them, even for only this short journey." She let loose a low chuckle. "Oh, the words would probably cause an uproar on Themsycira. Yet, I find myself having to shed many preconceived notions on this voyage."
Bruce stepped from the helm and took the few short paces that allowed him to join her at the upper deck railing. "It is a gift bestowed on but a few to admit such a thing, let alone to have the wisdom to know when to do so. It is something I struggle with myself. It is hard for people to rebel against the teachings of their childhoods, especially those they initially believe are correct. Many times we rebel for inane disagreements, childhood phases that go into our adulthoods that we refuse to put aside, but rarely for important truths. I hope my men and I have shown you that not all are the animals Circe believes us to be."
Diana turned to him, the moon reflecting in the pools of her sapphire eyes. "Yes, I believe you have. Tell me, what is it like in your kingdom, in Gotham." Bruce leaned his weight against the railing, returning his gaze to the stars to prevent himself from staring at her foolishly. "It is a bustling place, one recovering from years of one disaster after another. It is warm in the summers but cold enough for heavy snows and ice in the winters." Diana gasped. "Snow! My mother has told me of a faraway land she visited as child that had such a thing, but I have never seen it for myself! Themyscira, being blessed by the goddesses, stays a tropical paradise without end. There are not seasons there per se, though we can tell the passage of time through the phases of the moon and stars and the life cycles of the animals. Tell me, what is it like?"
"Our summer turns into a cooler temperature season called autumn. The leaves on our trees turn from greens to fiery oranges and reds and yellows and finally it turns so cold you think you'll never be warm again and white specks of water fall from a sky that has become gray and bleak. The ground hardens and nothing grows until spring." Diana frowned. "Is the season truly sad?"
Bruce mused for a moment. "It can be, but there is also wonder. The water freezes on the barren trees and the snow collects on the ground and when the sun hits it, it sparkles like diamonds. The lakes and ponds harden and the kids dance and slide on the water like a ship on the water. Families gather in front of the fireplace and spend time together until it grows too dark to see and they find their beds. It's a season of feasts and gift-giving and love."
Diana smiled. "I think that I would love to see your kingdom one day." Bruce abruptly realized that he wouldn't mind that himself. Usually the thought of visitors in his halls made him wary as he had been forced to remove many over the years who visited his courts under the guise of friendship but intending nothing but ill intent. "I would have no objection to you visiting as an ambassador to Gotham after our journey has reached it's end." Yes, that idea appealed to him more than he would have ever imagined. Suddenly, as they spoke long into the night, he was excited to return home.
Four days later Bruce and Richard guided the weary crew into port. Things Lost Are Found was a busy mecca with visitors of all races and kinds. Various languages were shouted about the docks and ships of every design were moored to the piers. Colors drew the eye in every direction and the smell of delicious food, farm animals, and too many bodies intertwined and wafted through the air. After heated debate, as everyone wished to go ashore, Sir Oliver volunteered to stay aboard. Bruce made everyone promise to not disembark until daybreak even though they were all chomping at the bit to put their feet back on dry land for a bit of respite. They all went to bed with starry eyes and none could admit to a full night's sleep. As dawn finally broached the horizon, they gathered together in the seemingly natural pairs they developed-Sir Clark and Lady Lois, Lady Zatanna and Master Richard, King Bruce and Lady Diana- with only Arthur requesting to wander off alone. He explained that he may find his answers regarding the Dread Pirate Manta and where his journey might lead him after their quest ended. With final calls to meet back at the ship at nightfall, they each broke off to find what they were desperately searching for.
Hey all! Yet another chapter that went everywhere but where I intended. I had a little more in mind, but with all the crew having their own stories to tell in the city, I knew it would make it an extremely long read. I will try to get the next chapter typed up in a week or two and posted for you!
