The sun had already dipped below the horizon by the time we returned. The palace torches cast long, dancing shadows across the marble columns. Diana headed to her quarters with a new glint in her eyes, but before I could follow her, a firm hand rested on my shoulder.
It was Hippolyta. The Queen of the Amazons needed no crown to emanate power; her presence alone was enough to silence any thunder I might conjure.
— Eron. Walk with me — she commanded, not as a foster mother, but as a sovereign.
We walked through the Garden of Statues, where the silence was broken only by the rustling of leaves. Hippolyta stopped before the effigy of Zeus and turned to me. Her eyes were sharp, reading every bit of tension in my body.
— I know what happened on the plains. I know my daughter, and I know the blood that runs through you — she began, her voice devoid of judgment. — I have made a deal with Diana. She pleaded that you both be allowed to see the world beyond these waters before assuming the weight of the throne. I have granted it. You will depart soon.
I felt immediate relief, but she raised her hand, cutting off my thanks.
— But make no mistake, Eron. There is a price. Diana will be your first wife, your queen by right and by heart. But your duty to this island goes beyond love. The Amazons need continuity. They need the strength of a demigod so that our daughters are never subjugated.
She stepped closer, and for the first time, I saw a cunning smile on her lips.
— You will have Diana by your side on every journey. But when you return, this palace will be your sacred harem. The blood of Zeus was not meant to be contained in a single vessel, and I see how you look at my warriors. The desire is there, Heron. Lust is your divine inheritance.
I looked toward the palace, where dozens of Amazons trained under the torchlight. Women with the strength of lionesses, skin bronzed by the sun, and eyes that promised battles both on the field and between the sheets. The idea of having Diana as my queen while simultaneously being the center of a lineage of powerful warriors made my blood boil.
The conflict I had felt before—the guilt for desiring the forbidden—evaporated. If this was my burden as a son of Zeus, it was a burden I would carry with pleasure.
— I accept the terms, Queen — I replied, my voice now heavy with a dark confidence. — Diana shall have my heart, and the island shall have my blood.
Hippolyta nodded, satisfied.
— Prepare yourself, Eron. The world out there is vast, but what awaits your return here... is something no man in history has ever dared to dream of.