Wonder Woman: The Birth of a Legend

Chapter Five

"It's the only way Lyta, if she uses that power again you know that someone will put the pieces together. Phitha is never going to say anything about what happened with your guard, but it was only luck that nobody was around to see what happened yesterday."

Hippolyta hated when her sister was right. She placed the tiara which felt like it weighed more than Mount Olympus itself on the stand where it sat every night. Pulling her nightgown around her tighter she joined her sister curled up on her bed, like they had done since they were little.

"I know," her eyelashes came down casting long shadows over her high cheekbones. Antiope gently stroked one rosy cheek.

"If you bind her powers now, she won't know any different. Memories are easily lost at this age, easily overwritten by the mind. Her subconscious simply won't want to remember it," Hippolyta thought of the dead look in her daughters eyes, the way Diana had quietly asked to be excused from dinner, and how she had found her curled up on her bed on a pillow sodden with tears. She had asked one of the Enchanters on the island to give her something to ease the memories already: Lyta simply couldn't stand to see that look in her daughter's eyes any longer.

"But what can I do to bind the powers of a Demi-Goddess? The only artefacts I know that still exist of that power ensure that the First Born does not break out of his cage," Lyta frowned. "And it's not like her father is going to be able to have her on weekends to teach her how to use it."

Antiope scrunched up her nose at the very idea of Zeus having her niece alone in his care. She didn't think the King of Gods had a paternal bone in his body, unless they were talking about the 'paternal' urge to produce a child. Everyone knew those parts were functioning just fine. Instead of commenting on her train of thoughts she took off one of the rings on her fingers and placed it on the pillow beside her sister's head.

"The ring of Heracles's daughter, Ilea," Lyta's whole face contorted with horror.

"I could never take that from you, I know how much she meant-" Tio gently placed a finger to her sisters lips and gave her a small smile.

"I have had many lovers since Ilea, and I am at peace with her memory. She certainly would not wish for me to keep it when it could do so much good for Diana. Artemis gave the ring to her in a hope to protect the girl from Hera's wrath after she showed signs of having similar powers to that of Demeter. They completely bound them so Ilea couldn't use them unless she removed the ring. And as it had been a gift from the Gods, of course Ilea had never dared to remove it out of fear of upsetting Artemis," Hippolyta listened to the story as she played with the ring in her fingers.

"Thank you," Lyta touched her sister's cheek in a very similar fashion to how Tio had touched hers earlier. Despite knowing what she was doing was for Diana's own good, there was still a part of her that wondered if she was stunting her own child's growth.