Returning a book.

After helping Epistome with the stables, cleaning the hay and feeding the roos and horses, Diana had waved the woman off, returning to her quarters where she hoped the island’s visitors would be there. During her time in the stables helping the royal stablemaster, Diana found the woman would pause occasionally, shivering as if a chill ran up her back. And yet each time, the woman only looked more and more beautiful, her hair growing more vibrant and fuller bodied, her skin smooth and perfect, her figure more generous and healthier. Not fat, far from it. But there was more than one occasion the smiling stable hand had to undo the top of her tunic so she could breathe more easily and loosen her belt. Hinting her hips and bust had grown after feeding apples to two of the horses who bumped their heads against her back to get her attention. Diana felt that sensation too one moment or another, but thought nothing of it, her mind focussed on other things as she sorted the horse feed and wiped her hands clean.

On her way back to her quarters, she had glimpsed over to her sisters who were busy with their own duties and tasks. Many of them restored to their previous glory from what they appeared as that fateful night with Boston. She had even spotted many of them finding someplace secluded to be more intimate, spotting a couple kissing behind the trees or behind closed doors but still in view from the window. Personal celebration? Relief from the trauma? Everywhere she looked, where her amazon sister had regained their beauty, she found them expressing the joy of being returned to their former selves. And some… Much to her surprise, more than what they were when this all began.

“Hola sister, good morning!” Called out Nubia, waving to the princess as she excused her staff and approached. Embracing the woman in a fierce hug, both sisters separated, giving Diana a chance to give her a better look. Epistome was not the only one to become ever more beautiful for her compassion.

Nubia had only grown more radiant since yesterday. Her green eyes glittered like emerald, glinting with the sunlight. Her white teeth were perfect as they were revealed from her plump lips parting into a smile. Her skin was smooth and healthy, without any sign of wrinkles or even scars. The woman just exuded joy and welcome now, something Diana admired as soon as they separated and held hands. It made her wonder if the small boy did not have a hand in having her sister open up and let a **** side out.

“Good morning my sister, what say you this morning?”

“I WAS having my troops march the fields, for now they will be given a reprieve to have their morning meal and we shall continue with archery and spear training.” Grinned the dark-skinned amazon general, joining the princess in her walk. “And you?”

“I was planning to return to my quarters where our visitors are, see how well they faired and hope to see if we can return them home.”

Instantly Nubia’s eyes lit up at the prospect. “Perhaps the boy will be there?”

Smiling back, Diana nodded. “You seemed quite smitten with the young one, the majority of our sisterhood were at the least when I found you all.”

Hugging herself as they walked, Nubia smiled more deeply, her eyes taking on a far away look. “I have never felt such joy, such unconditional love.”

Chuckling out loud, Diana caught her sister blushing. “Would it surprise you that they are almost everywhere in man’s world?”

Blinking at the information, Nubia looked deep in thought as if trying to think hard on that. “I scarcely remember… It’s been so long, I… I honestly can’t remember.”

Slowing down to a stop, Diana looked back to her sister with a pang of sadness. It was true. Their lives on the island had been for centuries, almost millennia without interacting with the outside world. They almost forgot what the world looked like. When Diana had escorted Steve back to his home, it overwhelmed the amazon princess. To think what her sisters had missed out simply by shunning the world away. Resting a hand on Nubia’s shoulder, Diana suggested she follow her.

“What is it like in man’s world? NOW I mean.”

“Well… You would have liked Washington Nubia; the city is beautiful to be in either in the day or night. They have sprawling towers and so many gardens. I once met a child there named Hannah who introduced me to iced cream.”

“Really?” Nubia replied, the two making their way up the steps of the palace to go to the princess’s quarters. “Cream that is… Frozen? Was it good?”

“Oh yes, and SO many flavours too. One time Steve had brought me to a little café that served so many flavours that…” Slowing down, Diana pressed up against the wall, hugging herself. Catching Nubia’s attention as she found her princess smiling wistfully. “When we had ordered our desserts, he introduced me to a Sunday… Something called ‘neopolitan’. It had three different flavours mixed together, It was delicious. Then somewhere around telling him about my home and his work, he ate a spoon full of his sundae and he ended up with a dollop of chocolate ice-cream on his nose. I wasn’t sure if it was intentional or not, but he acted oblivious to it all… Even by the time I wiped his nose clean with a paper towel.”

Stopping, Nubia smiled back to her sister, seeing that although on the surface she seemed happy, beneath the mask, Diana looked sad.

“I miss him sister.”

Nubia could only stand there, seeing her princess so distraught. After meeting the Thracys, Nubia had to admit that her views of the outside world had been skewed. “I would have liked to have come with you to Man’s world when you had invited us. Perhaps matters would have been different had I had gone and not the rest of the queen’s advisors.”

Shaking her head, Diana leaned away from the wall. “What happened… Was bound to happen, I see that now. Boston’s wish showed me that deep down, we all harbour scars we refuse to heal from our exodus of man’s world, secret hatreds we have buried deep down inside for so long they became a part of us, we could not recognise it until that terrible night when the veil was pulled away. He showed us how ugly that hatred was.”

Looking out into the palace grounds to the beach where the Thracy ship had washed up, Nubia turned back to Diana. “I do not hate them… Now.”

“Nor I sister, come, they are probably hungry, and I think they might like to eat.”

*

Finally making to Diana’s personal quarters, the two found the room unguarded and empty. Stepping inside, the bed was slightly unkempt but not much else looked different.

“Hmm, where are they?”

“The guards have likely escorted them to get their morning meal.” Explained Nubia, giving the spacious room a look over.

“You might be right…”

Looking around her bedroom, she spotted the scroll Alexa had given her before the storm, plucking it off the table and giving the item some thought, Diana nodded, just as she slung the scroll under arm and made her way outside of her quarters.

“Well then, we shall meet them, right after I return an item to the library.”

Leaving her quarters, Diana wished Nubia a farewell as she returned to her troops to resume their morning training. With the scroll in hand, Diana made her way down the steps to the palace and out into the grounds towards the city. Once again, she was greeted by her sisterhood, some waving, others bowing, many smiling now they could do so without shame of their appearance. Her amazon sisters’ bit by bit had regained their beauty. But it left a question in the back of Diana’s mind.

Where were the others? Where was Aello? Ocypete? Alkyone? The altercation at the obstacle course not only revealed their bitterness, but it manifested in a way that horrified her and the rest of her sisters.

Where were they?