Elseworlds: Wonder Woman
Centuries ago, when the world of men was still intertwined with the realms of magic, a warrior queen was entranced by the king of the gods. In most universes, their consummation results in the birth of one of the mightiest heroes in all of creation… a woman of wonders, a paragon of hope, love and strength, and the mother is remembered as the queen who birthed her and raised her to be a honorable warrior and a kind human, but she stays behind in her sanctuary while her daughter ventures outside, having incredible adventures in the world beyond and even in other worlds, tales of valor recounted not just on Earth but across the stars.
However, destiny unfolded differently in this world.
Ancient Times
Hippolyta, Queen of the Amazons, Pride of Themyscira, stormed into her bedchambers, her heart racing, and her thoughts a jumbled frenzy.
"Damn them!" She spat, tears threatening to spill out of her eyes. She had held him in high regard, trusted him with everything, but she had forgotten that despite the fact he was an Olympian, Zeus was still a man. And like any man, he had wanted only one thing…
And now that he had got it, his promises held no value.
Promises of marrying her, of giving her sisters their rightful places in Olympus… of giving them power and prestige that transcended their mortality.
How could she have been so stupid?
She had endured this once before.
Hippolyta's hands grazed the golden girdle attached to her waist. If it were not for her sister's advice, she would have condemned herself as well as her sisters to a lifetime of slavery and indignity. Thank Athena, that Antiope had seen through the lies spawned by Hercules and his men…
And curse Hades, that she had not confided in her sister when Zeus had come to her.
She had trusted him… How could she have committed such a blunder?
After all, Hercules was a son of Zeus, and the tree was just as rotten as the apple.
She had committed treason against their patron goddess. Hera would be infuriated on her.
Hippolyta had thought Zeus would protect her, but she had been wrong. It had been foolish to expect a man who could betray his own wife to keep his promises…
And now, she paid the price.
She cursed herself for being so easily seduced by his beauty and glory.
Little did she know, this moment was just the beginning of her misery.
10 Months Later
As she held her daughter, the shame of being susceptible to Zeus' deceit was completely washed away by the love and adoration she felt for her infant child.
"She is going to be a strong one, my queen." Althea, the healer smiled at her.
"Have you decided a name yet, sister?" Antiope asked.
"Diana." She smiled, as her daughter slept peacefully. "She is going to be the best of us."
"And more…" Althea murmured. "She has the blood of the Olympians flowing through her."
Hippolyta glared at her. "No matter who her father is, she is an Amazon."
"I did not mean to…" Her words were cut off as a blinding golden light enveloped the room, forcing them all to look away.
The light subsided to reveal a gorgeous woman in golden robes wearing a crown on her head. Her brown curls cascaded down till her waist.
The three immediately bowed their heads.
"My goddess…" Hippolyta whispered. "We are honored to have you in your company."
"Spare me the theatrics, amazon." Hera scoffed. "I am here for the child."
Hippolyta paled.
"No…" She gulped. "She is innocent."
"You dare deny me, even after your high treason!" Hera's voice dropped an octave, and the amazons tensed.
"She is just a child, my lady." Antiope said meekly. "My sister made a heinous mistake but the child shares no blame. Please grant her your mercy."
"Silence." Hera said. "Give me the child, NOW."
"No." Hippolyta said, her voice trembling. "I slept with your husband. I made an error. My daughter did not. Punish me, not her. If you want vengeance, kill me not her."
At that, Hera laughed.
"Kill her?" She mocked. "Why on Olympus, would I kill a child?"
Hippolyta stayed silent, though she knew that despite her words, Hera was not above that. Hercules might be a despicable man now, but he was not such as an infant, and yet Hera had sent her pet snakes to kill him in his cradle.
"I intend to raise the child as my own." She said, and the amazon queen stiffened.
"She is my daughter." Hippolyta said. "My flesh and blood."
"Blood may be thicker than water, but ichor is thicker than blood, amazon. She will be raised on Olympus, by me and her father."
"No…" Hippolyta shook her head. "You can't take her away from me."
"This is me offering you mercy, Hippolyta." Hera snarled. "Don't test me. If I don't have her, you won't either. We both know what happens to demigods on the mortal plane, don't we? They become heroes, and fate is unkind to all heroes, and that is without me cursing them."
"You would curse a child?" Althea stuttered in disbelief.
"She is no child." Hera rolled her eyes. "I am offering you a chance, Hippolyta. Your daughter will be raised as a God, given powers beyond mortal comprehension, an eternal existence free of sickness and misery. That is every mother's wish, isn't it?"
Hippolyta gulped. She didn't have a choice, did she? If she did give up her child, she would never see her again, and if she didn't, Diana would suffer her entire life because of her stubbornness. She was losing either way, but if she accepted Hera's offer, her daughter would have a blissful existence.
She turned to meet Antiope's eyes, who sighed.
"Swear it." Antiope tilted her head to look Hera straight in the eyes. "Swear it on the river Styx, that you will raise the child and love her as your own… That you will protect her and never put her in harm's way… That she will remain safe."
"You dare doubt me, mortal?" Hera hissed.
"Swear it." Antiope repeated, her eyes not budging.
"Very well, mortal." Hera sighed. "I, Queen Hera of Olympus swear on the waters of River Styx that no harm will come to the child of my husband and the Amazon Queen under my care."
Hippolyta sobbed, as Hera approached her and extended her hands.
The amazon queen pressed a chaste kiss on her daughter's temple.
"Know that I will always love you, my Diana. Wherever you are, you will always be my moon and stars." She said softly, tears rolling down her eyes and splashing on her daughter's face.
Hippolyta swallowed a sob, as she gently passed her to Hera, who smiled at her, though the moment she held the child, she awoke and started crying.
"Diana-" Hippolyta reached for her, but it was too late. Antiope pulled her back and forced her eyes away from the goddess and her ward, as they vanished in a burst of golden light… cosmic light that would have vaporized her if she had laid eyes on it.
"She took her!" Hippolyta burst into tears. "I didn't stop her."
"You had no choice, sister." Antiope said sadly, running circles on her sister's back and held her tightly, as she tried to hold back her own tears.
The Gods were vengeful and cruel beyond compare. What was a worse fate that being forced to willingly give up their own flesh and blood to someone else? Knowing that their child would not remember her… That they would never be able to see their child grow up…
Hippolyta cried and screamed till she could not anymore.
Centuries Later
"You are certain of this." Hippolyta asked the oracle again.
"The stars do not lie, and my visions… they show terrible futures. Monsters unlike anything we have ever seen before, razing villages to the ground, burning the seas, slaughtering thousands… They need to be stopped before they reach our shores." Melanippe sighed. "My visions… They might be messages from the Gods themselves."
"The Gods…" Antiope scoffed. "They care little what happens to us. And even now, the problems caused by men continue to pester us."
"In my visions, I see someone wearing our armour, fighting these creatures with others. I could not see who they were, but I did see her… One of us must leave the borders of Themyscira to help save humanity."
"Preposterous!" Antiope thundered.
"Sister." Hippolyta soothed, before clearing her throat and drawing the attention of everyone in her court.
"As a queen, I can't ask any of you to leave this sanctuary. I must do so myself." She said calmly.
"Do you understand what you are saying, sister?" Antiope snapped. "Or have you forgotten the enchantments the gods put on this island? Once you leave, you might never find your way back here."
"I know." Hippolyta smiled sadly, before taking the crown from her head and placing it on her sister's head. "That is why you are the next queen of Themyscira. Lead our people with justice and kindness."
"Sister, this is incredulous!" Antiope balked. "All because of some prophecy!"
"Melanippe was blessed by Apollo himself. It would be unwise to disregard her visions." She said crisply. "As queen, I expect you to keep an open mind before passing judgement."
"You are the queen, not me!" The general spluttered.
"Not anymore." Hippolyta stood up, took Antiope's arm, and raised it high. "All Hail Queen Antiope!"
Hope you liked the prologue and please review.