Lessons

Stay Awake, Diana.

"Again!" Antiope calls out, her voice booming over the teenage girl, shaking the very leaves from the branches hanging high above the two as they trained. She was always so different when training with Diana, making her do exercises that all the full grown warriors were doing, training her more hours during the night than those older than her train during the day which often causes her to fall asleep during her lessons with Clio or, worse, her mother. Still, Diana could not find it within herself to regret her decision of joining her beloved Aunt, especially not when this is something that she truly felt like something she is meant to be doing. With a huff that displaces both a stray lock of hair and the ground beneath her, Diana reaches out for the wooden sword before pushing herself back up; dusting the brown rags she wore over her robes. Then Diana takes her stance, her eyes locked in on Antiope, anticipating every move, calculating how much force from her younger, weaker, body she needed to block another onslaught; she had already bruised her palms from trying to block it with her hands, how else was she to defend herself quick enough to parry and land a hit?

"Fighting isn't always about having the better weapon or the stronger swing, Diana. You must learn to defend yourself without giving up the opportunity for counter blow."

"How am I to block without a shield or another sword? I don't—"

"It will come to you. Now, take your stance." She orders, nudging the girl's feet into proper position before standing a few feet away. "If you manage to land a counter, I will have Oeone harvest one of those flowers that your friend likes."

That catches Diana's attention and she drops her stance for only a moment, Antiope had never offered a reward before, especially not a gift, so the teenager had to make sure she won; if not for the gift then at least for the mere fact that she could land a blow on the General. "Alright." Diana smiles, energy suddenly flooding her system, "One sunflower for every counter-blow I land?"

=/=/=/=/=/=/=

A pair of feet padded softly along the long halls of the royal home as Diana tries her best to get past her mother's room without being detected, the dirtied ragged cloth hanging from one bruised arm and two sunflowers clutched in the other, a triumphant grin on the girl's lips despite the pain she felt on her back and stomach. Diana stifle the groans that threaten to spill from her lips with every movement and ripple of muscle and just as she approaches the final hallway leading to her room, Cydippe, her handmaiden, suddenly appears just behind a pillar, crimson hair and pale skin standing out even in the dimly lit surroundings.

Diana starts to speak but is stopped by Cydippe holding out her hand, gesturing for her to get back. Confused for a moment before hearing the approaching footsteps of her mother's entourage, Diana dives behind a large vase.

"... is hidden by the grace of Zeus, there is no way Ares can ever find us."

Ares? Why were they talking about Ares? Was he near? Were the senators worried that war coming to Themyscira?

"Yes, I agree, but he is still out there and there is no telling what could have—""Hellene..." Hippolyta interrupted as they passed Diana's hiding space, "... there is no threat, and therefore there is no need to change how things are. Keep training our warriors; push them to their limits so that we will have no need of The God Killer."

Even without seeing the senator's expression, Diana knew Hellene wasn't completely convinced but as the word of the Queen, she simply agrees and remains quiet as they walked by. Diana tries to hear more of their conversations but aside from their muted footsteps, no words are spoken between them until they're out of earshot. Her brows furrow with both worry and confusion at what she had just overheard, her mother would never bring up Ares unless absolutely necessary and to see her talking about him with a Senator causes a worry and anticipation in Diana for what was to come. Was Ares getting closer to finding Themyscira? Or was it approaching the time where we, the Amazonians, finally hunt him d—