Political Distraction

"Though I live a million years, I will never understand this women's mystery business," Ibycus said to Arion over his tankard of wine. The bard hadn't budged from the table, preferring to spout his ideas at the attentive and conversant Iphisiad king. "Why can I not be with out with them now? This is nonsense. Do your women do this, too? Are they as crazy?"

Arion looked down at his own tankard, which he had not touched. "Iphisia is a different nation, my friend, and we do different things. Surely if the Amazon women have their mysteries, they must have a reason."

"Or so I tell myself. This one, I think, has no reason. I have energy. I am a child of Artemis. Should I not be able to help Merope bear her child?"

Arion refused to speak ill of the ways of the Amazon women. These were customs and practices thousands of years old. In his country, men most certainly participated in the birth of their children, offering their love and their support to their laboring women. Arion himself had been born while his father held his mother. "Merope did not seem adverse to her birthing arrangements, though," Arion said. "Perhaps she prefers the mysteries."

Ibycus nodded, pouring himself more wine. "Well, it will all come to right," he said. "Dordei's an excellent midwife."

Against his will, Arion shivered at this mention of Dordei. The events of that evening still had his entire being wracked with excitement. His hands and his lips still tingled where they had touched her flesh, the touch of her kiss on his hand still sweet. Although they had not had nearly enough time together, Arion was greatly encouraged by his romantic encounter with Dordei.

"Dordei is a remarkable woman," Arion commented, his eyes twinkling.

"Indeed so. Never has any royal in this nation been so loved as she, Arion. You will never get out of her all of the things she has done for Amazonia, because she is too humble, and it is her humility which has made her so popular." Ibycus drank some wine. "Much to Hippolyta's dismay, I can assure you."

"I get no feelings of humility from Hippolyta whatsoever."

"Exactly. She has none. Once she was called the Queen of Justice, a woman who operated for the good and the fair." Ibycus smirked. "No one has called her that in years."

Arion rubbed his chin. "If I might ask--and it concerns me, as ruler of Amazonia's sister nation--what is going on between Dordei and Hippolyta? I would not expect Dordei to be treated so badly by the queen, when Dordei is the heir."

Ibycus gazed into his tankard. "You have chosen your topic for distracting me well, Arion, for there is little else I seem to discuss these days." He smiled caustically. "Ask Elpenora the truth of that, my friend. This rift between the two of them goes back to the end of the Great War. Before then, neither of them knew the other well enough to have an opinion. Hippolyta returned with the golden girdle. The queen claims she received the golden girdle from Ares himself. She also claims Ares is her true father. What do you know of the golden girdle?"

Arion shrugged. "The golden girdle is legendary, of course. I have heard it brings power to those who hold it, but it corrupts the mind of those who wear it." Arion paused. "By holding it, one might well be lured into wearing it."

"Precisely. For Hippolyta, nothing would do but that she wear the girdle, her war prize. The girdle is a token of her power and how she liberated this land, even if in truth the victory was won by the blood of thousands of women, and especially by her daughter. Oh, we all advised her against wearing the wretched girdle, but she would listen to none of us. That was when the problems began."

"Problems?"

Ibycus shrugged, taking a drink. "Hippolyta is no longer as sharp as she used to be. Her focus has shifted from her nation to herself, to her beauty, her physical lusts, and her power. Her judgment has fallen by the wayside." The bard sighed. "Now Dordei, as you know, went to Ephesus after the Great War to become a priestess. While she was gone, the Amazon people began to clamor for Hippolyta's heir. This alone was enough to annoy Hippolyta and damage her silly pride. When the princess finally did return to Themiscyra, she was welcomed as if she were queen herself. All anyone knew of her then were her exploits in the Great War. We knew she had killed the enemy king by her own hand. At Ephesus, she had been fully initiated by Artemis herself. That was enough to make her wildly popular. But Dordei did not rest on her achievements. She has worked hard for and with the people, trying to change the ways of this nation and our government."

"Someone at the feast told me of a saying in Amazonia now," Arion said. "The light that illuminates Amazonia shines forth from Gelasia."

Ibycus nodded. "So it is said. Hippolyta hates this, of course."

"I am surprised there has been no uprising."

"Ah, my friend, you have hit upon another debate of mine. The sage Agenora agrees with me. There has been no uprising because Dordei does not want an uprising. She is determined that her reign not begin with a rebellion. Indeed, she listens to Elpenora rather than us on this point."

"And I suppose Hippolyta cannot be convinced to abdicate."

"Not a chance. In fact, the more popular Dordei becomes, the more Hippolyta will fight for the throne because it will antagonize the same people who support Dordei."

"Iphis has not seen such complex politics in all my years as king," Arion mused.

Ibycus raised his tankard to Arion. "Welcome to Amazonia, my friend."

"I cannot imagine how Hippolyta can treat her only heir with such disdain." Arion sighed. "I have no children, Ibycus. I am the king of Aphrodite's own nation, yet I have never managed to produce an heir of my own blood. Though I keep silent, I am always bothered. If I were blessed with a daughter or a son, you could be sure they would receive nothing but my love and cooperation. I would not let their existence intimidate me, as I believe Hippolyta is intimidated by the princess, nor would I resent their presence. A ruler's prerogative is to give their nation lasting benefits. There is no better way to see to the nation's future than by protecting the heir. So I believe, anyway."

"I agree with you. Hippolyta has no accurate conception of Dordei at all. In Hippolyta's thinking, Dordei should stop her nonsense and simply concentrate on being a princess. Hippolyta rarely speaks to Dordei, and many times Dordei is forbidden from the grand palace altogether. Lately Hippolyta has tried to marry Dordei off, just to get the princess away from Amazonia so she will stop detracting from Hippolyta's reign and power." The bard looked at Arion. "I assume you received one of Hippolyta's invitations, yes?"

"I did," Arion said. "I thought it was abhorrent."

"May Artemis bless you. This shows just how crazy Hippolyta has become. The queen is desperate to get Dordei out of her way, one way or another. I fear for the princess. I fear what Hippolyta may try next."

Arion sat back, mulling this over in his mind. "I have already pledged my support to Dordei," he said. "Iphis stands between Hippolyta and Dordei, and will not let Dordei come to harm."

The bard's eyes widened in delight. "Have you pledged to the princess? That's rather significant, indeed."

"What else would I do? Dordei supports Iphis." Arion's black lips turned in a slight smile. "It is a pleasure for me to help Dordei, and my people will be delighted to know I do so. Never has the coming of a queen been so anticipated in these lands, my friend, and I look forward to the day when I will see Dordei on the Amazon throne."

"I hope that day comes soon," Ibycus said. "I do not know how much more of Hippolyta Amazonia can take."

Their discussion was interrupted by the sudden appearance of Berdine, glowing in exuberance. "My lords, a daughter!"

Ibycus gaped for just a second before he whooped in his joy. "A daughter!" he exclaimed. "Oh, the goddess blesses Merope! She deserves nothing less."

"Artemis was with her tonight, for certain," Berdine said. "She had an easy birth. She and her daughter have retired to Gelasia and are already greeting visitors."

Without a word, Ibycus was away from the room. "Men, bless them. They are always like that when a child is born," she remarked. "A combination of fear and bliss."

Emilie J. Conroy

ejconroy778@gmail.com