Theseus drew a deep breath and told himself to focus.He adjusted his grip on his sword, forced his muscles to ease, and faced Hippolyta.“More than ready.”
He didn’t yell or give any other signal.He simply lunged, swinging his sword and testing her reactions.
She parried without so much as a start or a blink to show she had been surprised.
He stepped in closer, trying to put his taller height and heavier frame to good use.He hammered his sword down at her.
She swayed back, flicking her sword to parry his weapon to the side, using his own momentum to send the tip of his sword into the sand.
Theseus stumbled, then threw himself to the side as she darted her sword toward his chest.A line of pain sliced along the top of his shoulder, and he nearly dropped his sword.
“Is that the best you can do?”She lightly hopped back a step, giving him room to collect himself instead of pressing her advantage.
Though, she didn’t have to press.She had clearly shown she could have ended him right then and there had she wanted.Giving him space was a power play, not mercy.
Theseus gathered himself, righted his stance, and forced his mind to calm.He had to do better than this if he had any hope of winning her hand.
Hippolyta waited, her stance balanced and light.
Theseus gritted his teeth.She was forcing him to take the offensive.
He swung low, aiming for her knees.She hopped over his swing, thrusting at his stomach.
As he dodged to the side, he turned his backswing to go high.She parried before twisting her move into another slice, this one burning pain along his ribs.
He sucked in a breath and went on the attack, trading blow after blow with her.As hard as he tried, all he managed to do was give her a slight scratch along the back of one wrist.
She didn’t slacken, her reflexes never faltering.Her light blue eyes glowed with a fierce light.Her face shone with her grin, as if this combat filled her with joy.
That joy was mesmerizing.If Theseus could, he would step back and simply watch her in this deadly dance.
She dropped, sweeping out a foot.Next thing he knew, he was flat on his back, staring up at blue sky and her golden hair.
Kicking his sword out of his hand, she pressed the tip of her own sword to his throat.“You have lost, King Theseus.”
His heart throbbed in his throat, his chest twisting.
He’d lost.All this time, all this effort, and yet, in the end, he had failed.
The joyful sparkle to Hippolyta’s eyes hardened into a cold glint more reminiscent of the swordmaiden who had been playing her role during his trials.She stepped back, lowering her sword.“You have failed to win my hand.It is time for you to leave.”
What was going on?That was it?
“Hippolyta, wait.”Theseus rolled to his feet.Surely she wasn’t just going to toss him off the island.He’d felt a spark between them.Hadn’t she felt it too?
Yet she spun on her heel, placing her back to him.“Throw him off our island.”
“Hippolyta…” He didn’t understand.After all the time they had spent together, it couldn’t just end like this.Could it?“Will you at least send swordmaidens to save my Court?Please.It’s all I ask.”
She kept marching away from him, giving no indication that she even heard him.
The real Ariadne and another swordmaiden stepped into the arena.They gripped Theseus’s arms and dragged him backwards.Another swordmaiden picked up Theseus’s sword and followed them, cutting off his view of Hippolyta.
Apparently, she had not felt the same things he had.For some reason, that hurt even more than failing his Court.
* * *
Theseus slumpedagainst the windowsill in his study, staring down at the evening light glinting off the Library’s dome.
