The music and laughter from the park carried easily through the night as John guided Hippolyta away from the crowd. He paused only once, lifting into the air and projecting his voice gently across the celebration.
"Everything is fine. Keep enjoying the night. I will be back later."
There was no panic or fear. People waved. Someone raised a drink in salute. Harley shouted something about ice cream seconds.
They reached his house moments later.
Hippolyta stepped inside. She looked around with a soldier's awareness and a queen's restraint, taking in exits, space, and atmosphere all at once. When John gestured toward the couch, she sat, resting her hands in her lap, posture straight despite exhaustion that still lingered in her eyes.
"This place is peaceful," she said. "Just how much godly magic did you use?" She could sense the magic woven around the place... and it was too much.
John gave a side nod. "Enough to endure a couple of nukes."
Before they could continue the conversation about the marriage thing, Harley grabbed John by the wrist and dragged him toward the side room with theatrical urgency. "I'll be taking my man for a moment. Have a little patience, Milady."
Maureen followed, already sensing trouble.
The door shut behind them.
Harley planted her hands on her hips, then promptly dropped the act and pointed at John.
"Okay. First of all. I was joking when I said divine milf," she said quickly. "Mostly. Because if you actually get her to agree to marry you, you are not even getting out of the bedroom for gods know how long. And that brings me to my second point."
She jabbed a finger into his chest.
"What about me?"
Maureen's eye twitched.
"That is your biggest worry," she said flatly. "Sex?"
Harley cleared her throat and straightened as if someone had called her to attention.
"Ahem. I mean. Obviously not just sex," she said with forced seriousness. "I am talking about structure and hierarchy. Oh, and emotional logistics."
She waved her hands vaguely, then grinned.
"If anyone is getting married, it's gonna be me. Your bundle of chaos. Then Bluebell. Maybe we can get married together. You are the ruler and king and whatnots now. You can make the rules, right?"
Maureen's eyes widened at Harley's proposal. "This is so sudden." She looked at John with a little light blue blush on her cheeks. "You can't just make up rules like that, can you?"
John squinted his eyes, saying, "Yeah, I can. But I doubt I need such rules to marry you two at the same time. Like, who's gonna stop me?"
Maureen froze where she stood, color flooding her face all at once.
"Wow, okay," she said, words tumbling over each other as she lifted both hands like she was trying to slow reality itself. "Me getting married. I mean. I dreamed about it. Obviously. Who doesn't? But I never imagined it would be this fast. What about the guest list?" She laughed nervously, then immediately panicked again. "I do not even have a plan. Or a venue. Or a wedding dress."
She looked between them, eyes wide, then slowly turned toward Harley as something clicked in her mind.
Harley's head snapped up a little too quickly on the mention of a wedding dress.
Maureen's eyes narrowed with sudden realization. "Wait."
Harley took a step back. "Nope."
"…You," Maureen said carefully. "You bought like ten wedding dresses back in Dakota."
Harley froze.
She whistled loudly, spinning on her heel and inspecting the wall as if it had just become deeply fascinating. "I do not know what you are talking about," she muttered. "Dakota is a very large place with lots of shops and dresses. Could be anyone. Sometimes you just browse casually... With credit cards."
Maureen crossed her arms. "I have seen your secret stash."
Harley flinched. "Okay, first of all, rude. Second of all, that was private chaos. Third of all, those were on sale."
John leaned against the wall, arms crossed, watching this unfold with the calm of a man who had already accepted that this was his life now.
Maureen stared at her for exactly two seconds before rushing forward and grabbing Harley's hands.
"Give me one."
Harley blinked. "One what?"
"One dress," Maureen said quickly, fingers tightening. "Please. You said you had ten. That is nine more than you need."
Harley gasped, clutching her chest with one free hand. "Oh no. Nope. Absolutely not how this works."
She leaned in, nose nearly touching Maureen's. "Those dresses are emotionally curated artifacts. Each one represents a different vibe. Classic princess, unhinged fairy queen, shotgun Vegas ceremony, mildly threatening royal consort. What if I feel lacey one day and murder-chic the next? What if there is a dramatic entrance wind situation? You cannot just ask for one like it is a sweater."
Maureen squeezed her hands tighter. "Harley."
Harley looked between Maureen and John, then sighed deeply in exaggerated suffering. "Fine. One. But I pick which one."
Maureen laughed, relief spilling out of her as she hugged Harley impulsively. "Thank you."
Harley froze for half a second, then hugged her back just as tightly. "Yeah yeah. Do not make it weird. We are already planning a triple divine political wedding apparently."
John cleared his throat. "You two done negotiating fashion treaties."
Maureen stepped back, still smiling, then hesitated. "Wait. Are we really doing this? Like actually."
John walked closer, his voice steady and certain. "If you want to. But only after stabilizing Khandaq and taking care of the current mess of our queen."
She searched his face, then nodded slowly. "I do. I am just processing the speed."
Harley grinned. "Thank god. Now, you have enough time to buy your dress."
"So, you're really going to marry that queen?" Maureen asked.
"That's just a proposition for now. Thanks to these gods and demons, I'm going to make Diana the Queen of Paradise Island. So, her mom will have all the free time in the world and with her engaged to me, I can utilize Amazonian technology and labourers to amp up our restoration project and strengthen our defences and political standpoint. People like Waller and those politicians will think fifty times before messing with us. It's a win-win situation. And if we began to develop feelings for each other over time, then maybe..."
John finished speaking, and for a moment the room held its breath.
Maureen studied him quietly, not searching for weakness, but for sincerity. When she found it, she nodded, more slowly this time, her tone calmer.
"That makes sense," she said. "You are thinking five steps ahead like always. I just needed to hear it out loud."
Harley rolled her shoulders and grinned. "See. Big brain thunder husband strikes again. Politics, magic, hot queens. It's like chess, but with better outfits."
John smirked. "You are enjoying this far too much."
"Obviously," Harley replied. "I am living my best life. I get to punch battleships, plan weddings, and bully politicians by proximity. This is peak Harley."
Maureen exhaled and let the tension finally leave her shoulders. "Then we deal with Hypnota, free Themyscira, stop Ares, destroy Doom's Doorway, and after that we talk weddings."
Harley snapped her fingers. "I call shotgun on cake tasting."
John shook his head fondly. "You would."
They stepped back into the living room together.
Hippolyta was still seated on the couch, posture composed, hands folded neatly in her lap. To anyone without Amazonian senses, she looked calm and regal as ever. Only the faint tightening of her fingers betrayed her inner storm.
She had heard everything.
The jokes and panic attack Maureen had and Harley's ten dresses. Then the way John spoke about changing paths and power, as if they were chess pieces. However, she also sensed something else beneath that confidence. There was restraint, thoughtfulness, and a lack of greed. Even at that moment, instead of taking advantage of the situation like a greedy person, John was thinking about his people and nation.
That unsettled her more than arrogance ever could.
For centuries, men had looked at her as an icon, a symbol, a prize, or a myth. Gods had spoken of her purity as if it were a weapon. Mortals had feared her authority. None had ever simply said, 'I want you,' with that level of confidence.
Her heart had not raced like this since she was young enough to believe such things were possible.
John met her gaze without hesitation.
"I assume you heard," he said calmly.
Hippolyta inclined her head. "Amazons are rarely deaf to truth," she replied. Her voice was steady, but softer than before. "And I appreciate honesty more than ceremony."
Harley plopped down into a nearby chair, draping herself over the armrest. "Cool. Because the ceremony is gonna be chaos later anyway."
Maureen shot her a look. Harley grinned innocently.
Hippolyta rose to her feet, armor catching the light as she moved. She walked toward the window, gazing out at the distant glow of Khandaq's city lights. People moved freely below. Children ran. Fires burned not for war, but for warmth and food.
"If you help us reclaim Themyscira, if you stop Ares and destroy Doom's Doorway, then Diana will ascend as Queen. The Amazons will stand with Khandaq as allies, not subjects. And as for me…"
She hesitated.
Just briefly.
"I will remain," she said. "Not as a bargaining chip. But as myself. Whatever comes after will be decided freely."
Harley blinked. "Wow. That was actually kinda hot."
Maureen cleared her throat. "Harley."
"What?" Harley said. "I appreciate emotional growth."
John inclined his head. "Then we have an understanding."
Hippolyta felt the strange tension in her chest ease, replaced by something warmer, more dangerous. Hope.
"Thank you," she said.
John nodded. "Get some rest. Tomorrow, we plan how to take back an island."
Harley popped to her feet. "Ooo. Island invasion. I love islands."
Maureen smiled faintly. "Try not to sink it."
---
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