Who wants apple slices?

Stepping outside into the open air and guided at their own speed to follow the odd guard who let them out, the family looked around the palace grounds where they could see several women in full armor on guard at certain spots of the palace or going through training drills. All of them were wearing hoods or scarves to cover their faces. Something that confused the two men, heading to the gate where two Amazons stamped their spears to the ground and eyed them with contempt.

“Dhala, what are you doing? We were told the males would be kept in their quarters until a determination could be made how to be rid of them.”

“Yes sister, their presence disgusts us.” Sneered the other guard, narrowing her eyes at the three.

“The boss lady said to keep an eye on’em, and that’s what I’m doin. Besides, the little tyke here is hungry, would you let a kid like that starve?” Dhala asked, nodding over to the four-year-old who looked up at the two scary looking women.

For a brief moment, the two seemed to soften, their eyes looking down at the child and back to their friend, who was acting VERY odd today. Trading looks, the two uncrossed their spears to let the four go through.

“So be it sister, but make it brief, I’d rather not hear a lecture from our generals about this.”

“Thanks toots, we’ll be just a little bit. Come on guys, get yer grub on.”

Watching the three being escorted by Dhala deeper into the city towards the market square, both guards traded looks again and shrugged. “Me thinks our sister has been doing dungeon guard duty for too long…”

The walk down the cobblestone road to the market square was a quick walk for the four, Boston had by then shouldered the shield in one arm over Dhala’s shoulder to haul the boy up in her arm. Both to ease his little legs in the walk, AND so that the two of them would be the first thing the amazons would see when they entered the marketplace.

Getting there, Phin and his son Gary became VERY wary of the crowd of elderly women who had gone about their business bringing in baskets of fruits, fish, and bread to offer their sisterhood. Bowls and pots were set aside either for sale or to preserve the excess crop. The market was a buzz with voices, calling out the latest catches and baked goods, trade and commerce between the mongers and orchard keepers and those eating at the square was a chorus of voices… That immediately fell silent at the sight of the four walking down the path to head to the marble tables and seating. Stopping to take it all in, Dhala continued to smile behind the veil covering her face, even when Gary leaned over her shoulder to whisper.

“I’m… I’m not sure about all this, can’t we go back to our cell?”

“And do what? Sit around playing rock paper scissors until someone remembers you're in there to toss a loaf of bread?! Believe me fella, this is better. How about we sit over….” Looking out to the tables available and the murderous looks they were getting as a result, Dhala’s grin became almost devilish. “Over THERE, right there in the middle.”

Swallowing a gulp, Phin looked to his son just as Dhala took the lead and marched forward, leaving the two men to quickly follow her to the center of the banquette tables. There, things seem to go from anxious to flat out dangerous when it became obvious which table she was leading them to.

Nubia, one of the four generals of the Amazonian militia, sat alone, silently while eating from her plate. A sullen look on her gnarled and aged face as she plucked a berry from her plate with spindly fingers and placed it into her mouth. After today’s events, she simply wanted to eat in peace, that was until a shadow cast over her food when she went to eat another forkful of lettuce to look up and find the ‘guests’ arrive at her table, escorted by one of Alkyone’s guards, who quickly sat a child across from the woman and gestured for the two men to sit.

“HERE we go! You just sit here while I getcha some grub.”

“Dhala!” Nubia said with some sternness. “What are… THEY doing here? Alkyone had made the decision to keep them detained.”

Standing straight and unsure which hand to salute with, Dhala gave up and pointing towards the market where food was being offered. “She said they’d be housed there, didn’t say nothing about NOT lettin’em out to get a bite to eat.”

Tightening her lip, Nubia was **** to agree with the reasoning, her sister in arms had pushed the limits to their Queen’s commands and have the men detained instead of housed. To test those limits further risked punishment for disobeying their queen’s rule. “Sigh… Very well, can you get me something to drink from the markets?”

“Sure thing, boss lady, just give ol Bost… I mean Dhala a minute.”

Seeing the woman move back into the crowd, who by now had gotten over the presence of the three males now that they were at the general’s table, Nubia looked to the three and bristled. The two men looked down or away from her eye contact, clearly aware of her distaste for the two men there. The older of the two looked like a human yam. His hair grey, his face peppered and etched from a life of fishing in salt water, his neck bulged slightly from excess weight as did his midrift and there was… Hair growing around his mouth and under his nose. The younger one was no better. Scrawnier than the older one, thinner by far, his clothing was starched and he looked more at home with a quill in hand than a sword.

“Are you a granny?”

Her judging eyes quickly turned to the small boy sitting across from her, her eyes narrowing into slits and her chin raised in guard as the boy quickly had his father’s arm wrap around him with a ‘shhhh’.

“A what?”

“Uhm… He’s asking if you’re a grandmother.” Explained Phin, scratching his cheek with a light cough.

Sitting properly with her hands folded in her lap, Nubia eyed the man and down at the child who continued to look up at her. “I… don’t understand the question.”

“You mean you don’t have grandkids? Dad says grandmas have grandkids.”

“Grand… You mean to say children? Like YOU?” Nubia asked, seeing the boy nod back.

“There have not been children on this island since the birth of Princess Diana.”

Looking around to see the group of elderly looking women glare back at him, Gary was rather perplexed by that. “You mean to say no one has kids here? You don’t have any… You know… Husbands?”

“Husb…?”

“GET’YER GRUB ON!” Interrupted Dhala, taking a seat next to General Nubia and placing two plates of food and four clay mugs of water down to share. Once everything had been set, she began to pull her hood back and unravel the veil she had around her face. At this point, the three didn’t know what Dhala looked like until she finally freed her face of the dark blue scarf and combed her bony fingers through her grey and matted hair. Her face was taut and leathered, riddled with grooves and scars along with wart growths at her nose and eyebrow. Seeing the two men look at her with a sense of shock, Dhala smiled.

“I know, right?” She said, swirling a finger to point at her appearance. “You should see me WITHOUT makeup.”

The three couldn’t help but chuckle at that as the elderly woman took a knife and began cutting slices of the local apples and celery, she cut small enough bites for the child sitting with them. In the middle of cutting food while Phin and Gary took their own plates, the boy had jumped out of his seat and jumped into the startled lap of Nubia, who had no idea what to do as the small boy sat and clapped his hands on the smooth marble surface of the table.

“HERE you go kiddo, Bon apeteatum.”

Gleefully taking the fruit, the child quickly snatched up a sliced apple and took a bite. Watching him eat, Dhala took care observing the reaction of the other amazons nearby watching. Many of them stared back coldly, almost angrily, but there were others who leaned out from their seats to see the child, probably the first one in what had to be centuries of their lives, sitting in the lap of one of their greatest military leaders.

“So… What’s yer name kid?”

“Harper!” He responded instantly, just as he took another bite.

“Heh, something tell’s me yer dad didn’t come up with that.” She said, leaning her chin on the palm of her hand as she watched the child eat and Nubia still paralysed in her chair, unsure what to do.

“His mother picked it.” Explained Gary. “She said it’d keep him from being picked on when he goes to school.”

Snorting at the answer, Dhala still kept an eye on Harper and Nubia, seeing the woman hesitate as she found the boy harmless but unsure how to act. Taking the lead, Dhala offered the small plate of fruit to Nubia. “You wanna give him a slice?”

Looking down at the plate and plucking an apple slice out of the bundle, Nubia slowly offered it to the young boy who giggled and took the offered fruit and ate it, smiling back at her with apple juices trickling down the side of his mouth. Something that immediately made the general smile despite herself and reach for a napkin to clean his cheek. The moment she did, a shiver coursed through her, making her gasp as she felt her flesh squirm. Looking down at her bare hands, she felt them regaining their vigor, the liver spots and discolouration faded, leaving her with strong hands and perfect caramel smooth skin. She felt her muscles across her body change, her arms and legs filling up and out with strength and vitality that made her clothing creak from the snugness. The previous grooves, and scars in her flesh evaporating as her appearance improved. Tightness in her hips and chest alerted the woman to her thighs regaining their firm build and her once empty chest plate now struggling to contain her now heavy chest, showing the hint of mocha brown cleavage just over the lip of her chest plate. Feeling discomfort from the hood over her head, Nubia pulled it free to reveal ebony black locks of thick hair that sprouted to life, giving her a luxurious afro of hair that framed her face.

Her face. Her eye once sunken, her cheeks wrinkled and sagging, her thin lips, and misshapen teeth. Everyone at the table were stunned to watch the woman change before their eyes. Regaining vibrant emerald, green eyes, a heart shaped face, hawkish nose, and plump, kissable lips. All belonging to a woman who grew younger and more beautiful by the second. When it had all finished, Nubia looked down to the bright-eyed stare of the child who had witnessed it all. Reaching up with her hand to feel her face, Nubia gasped in disbelief.

Wow…” Blinked back Phin, a plate falling to the ground and breaking had the man turn to find the amazons who had been staring at them had all witnessed the same thing, some even getting out of their seats, slowly making their way towards the table as if transfixed.

Nubia, however, could only laugh as she held the child closer, her beautiful smile infectious as she plucked another apple slice from the plate and gave it to Harper to eat, plucking another for herself, biting into the apple slice with perfect white teeth.

Still resting her head in the palm of her hand, Boston grinned.