Chapter 40: You Are Her Lord
On the beaches of Themyscira.
General Antiope and the Amazon warriors stood frozen, their faces filled with shock, confusion, or fury, yet all fell silent.
No further words were needed. The moment Princess Diana placed her sacred crown upon the head of a human man, her stance was clear for all to see.
"His name is Xi Nian," Diana said softly, as if declaring something of great weight.
"Uh, good afternoon. Lovely weather today… Well, it's a pleasure to meet you all." Wearing the crown, Xi Nian raised his hand and gave the Amazons an enthusiastic wave, trying to ease the tension.
No one responded. The silence grew even heavier.
Xi Nian's hand froze mid-wave. His scalp tingled, and he felt like embarrassment itself had kicked down the door.
This was beyond awkward!
"Even so, without the Queen's command, he cannot enter the main island of Themyscira," Antiope growled. Her chest rose and fell with restrained anger, her clenched fists trembling as her cold gaze locked onto Xi Nian.
That look… Xi Nian suddenly realized why it felt familiar. It was just like Officer George's glare when he was about to arrest him!
"I understand. I'll seek an audience with Mother immediately," Diana nodded. Then she turned to Antiope. "Please arrange a temporary residence for Xi Nian on the smaller islets near the main island. He will remain here for a few days."
"…Very well."
Though deeply unwilling, Antiope bit down her frustration and agreed.
"Xi Nian," Diana turned and said gently, "go with my aunt, Antiope, to the arranged residence. After I meet with Mother, I'll come see you later."
"Alright. Go ahead." Xi Nian nodded, consoling himself that it was just a tourist island with lousy service—nothing more.
"Follow me." Antiope gave him a blank look, mounted her black horse, and rode off, expecting him to keep up.
…
Far from the palace and Amazon settlements, on the cliffside facing the outer sea of Themyscira, stood a massive, ancient, circular structure.
Antiope brought Xi Nian to its front gates.
Looking at the well-preserved relic that resembled a temple of old, Xi Nian asked uncertainly, "This… is where I'll be staying? Really, you didn't need to give me such a nice place."
Antiope ignored him. She dismounted and addressed the two female guards in silver armor by the gate. "Give him one of the spare watch rooms."
"Yes, General!" The guards saluted. Their eyes widened when they saw the familiar crown on Xi Nian's head, just as the warriors on the beach had.
Why are they looking at me like that again? Xi Nian muttered inwardly, completely unaware of what the crown truly meant.
"Keep an eye on him. Don't let him wander." Antiope tossed the order over her shoulder, then rode off without another word, never once meeting Xi Nian's eyes.
After Antiope's abrupt departure, one of the guards stepped forward respectfully. "Your Highness, please follow me inside."
Your Highness?
Xi Nian blinked, then followed, thinking that maybe people here weren't so unfriendly after all.
But the deeper they went, the more wrong it felt. The walls were impossibly thick, there were no windows, and the only entrance was a cramped two-meter corridor.
It didn't feel like a residence at all. More like a prison… or a vault.
"This is it," the guard stopped by a side wall and pressed a stone. A hidden door creaked open, releasing a cloud of dust.
Coughing, they stepped inside. A faint blue lamp flickered to life, revealing a small square room less than twenty square meters. Two simple cots and a weapon rack stood inside, all buried under thick dust.
Xi Nian's mouth twitched. Not only was it tiny and gloomy, but clearly no one had stayed here in ages.
"Please wait, Your Highness. I'll clean it for you." The guard began sweeping away the dust, apologetic. "This room was originally built for sentries who kept watch at night. But most of them were withdrawn long ago, so it's been abandoned."
"Kept watch? Watching what?" Xi Nian muttered. Was this a guard post—or were they locking him up like a prisoner?
"Just an item," the guard replied while cleaning. "It's sealed deep within this building. I've been stationed here for ten years, and before me, our sisters have guarded it for over a thousand. But there's nothing much to see."
Xi Nian's nerves prickled. "And you're letting me stay here? In a place that needed a thousand years of guarding?!"
"It's fine. As long as the item never leaves this place, there's no danger. For a thousand years, it has never shown any change." She shrugged. "Besides, you are her Lord. With such status, staying here is already beneath you."
"Wait." Xi Nian raised a brow. "Lord? What do you mean?"
The guard looked puzzled. She pointed at the crown on his head. "Isn't that Princess Diana's?"
"…Yeah." Xi Nian nodded slowly.
"Then there is no mistake." The guard's tone turned solemn. "From the day we are born, every Amazon receives a crown. For royalty, it is a diadem. For warriors, a battle crown. It is our identity and honor for life."
Xi Nian's eyes widened as realization hit him. "So if this crown is on my head…"
"It means she has entrusted you with her honor, her identity, everything she values most. You are her Lord. Her fate is bound to yours—advance and retreat as one."
The guard sighed softly, watching him through the slit of her helm. "I don't know why she chose you, a human, as her other half. But it is not for me to judge. I can only respect her decision."
Xi Nian fell silent.
He didn't feel joy—only the heavy weight pressing down on him from the crown.
Diana couldn't possibly mean for him to be her partner.
It was probably just like earlier, when he jokingly called her his girlfriend in public—merely a way to give him a justifiable identity so he could remain on Themyscira.
But still.
For someone as independent, wise, beautiful, and strong as his aunt Diana… For a goddess so proud and noble to publicly declare that everything she was now rested upon him—
The price of such a gesture felt far too high. Even Xi Nian felt it was unfair to her.
[Please give powerstones if you're enjoying the story.
500 stones = 1 extra chapter
patreon com/GuessMyName33 for advanced chapters]