Steve found himself standing, recognizing the importance of this moment and understanding that his words could determine not just Diana's fate, but potentially the course of the war itself. "Your Majesty," he called out, his voice carrying clearly throughout the amphitheater. "If I may speak to you and all assembled here?"
Hippolyta's gaze shifted to him, her expression showing curiosity despite her emotional state. The entire crowd of Amazons turned their attention to the man who had brought war to their shores, yet had somehow earned the right to witness their most sacred trials.
"You may speak, Captain Trevor," Hippolyta replied, though her tone suggested wariness about what this outsider might say at such a crucial moment.
Steve took a deep breath, gathering his thoughts. He was addressing women who had lived for centuries, who had seen the rise and fall of empires, who had witnessed the worst that humanity could offer. Yet somehow, he needed to convince them that their princess should venture into a world they viewed as irredeemably corrupt.
"Your Majesty, honored Amazons," he began, his voice carrying the conviction of a man who had found something worth believing in. He paused, feeling the weight of what he was about to admit. This was something he'd never said aloud to another living soul. "I'm going to tell you something I've never told anyone. I don't believe in gods. Not your gods, not the Christian God my mother tried so hard to teach me about, not any divine beings at all."
A ripple of murmurs passed through the crowd at this admission. Several Amazons exchanged glances, clearly questioning why they should listen to the words of someone who denied the very foundations of their existence.
Steve's voice grew quieter, more personal. "I lost that faith when my father never came home from France. When my mother spent years coughing blood into handkerchiefs she tried to hide from me. When good people died while cruel ones prospered." He straightened, meeting their eyes directly. "But I've learned something in my thirty two years. It doesn't matter what you believe in. What matters is how deeply you believe it, and whether that belief makes you better than you were."
His expression softened, and for a moment he was eight years old again, sitting in a cramped Brooklyn apartment while his mother's gentle voice filled the room. "My mother used to read to me from her Bible every night before bed. Even when she was so sick she could barely speak, she'd find the strength for those words. There was one passage she loved especially. From Paul's letter to the Corinthians."
Steve's voice took on the rhythm of memory, the cadence of a lesson learned at his mother's knee. "'Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.'"
He looked directly at Diana, his voice growing stronger. "I may not believe in her God anymore, but those words... that definition of love... they kept me alive when I thought I was going to die alone in enemy territory. When the plane was going down and I thought no one would ever know what happened to me, I held onto that teaching."
Steve's gaze found Diana among the assembled warriors, and his expression filled with genuine wonder. "And then I met your princess. In just two days, I have had the privilege of knowing the most remarkable person I have ever encountered. When I washed up on your shores, a stranger carrying news about weapons that had just killed her sisters, she could have seen me as an enemy. Instead, she saw me as a human being worthy of compassion."
The amphitheater had fallen completely silent, every Amazon hanging on his words. Even Hippolyta leaned forward slightly, her concern overwhelmed by curiosity about this man's perspective on her daughter.
"You've taught her that men are violent, corrupt, unworthy of trust," Steve continued, his voice carrying no accusation, only understanding. "And you're not wrong about many of us. I've seen the worst humanity has to offer. The greed, the hatred, the willingness to destroy rather than create. But I've also seen the best. I've seen soldiers sacrifice themselves for strangers. I've seen mothers give their last piece of bread to hungry children who weren't their own. I've seen people choose hope when despair would be easier."
He turned to address the crowd more directly. "Your princess is everything my mother tried to teach me about love. She is patient with those who doubt her. She is kind to those who have shown her no kindness. She doesn't boast about her abilities, though they clearly surpass any warrior I've ever seen. She doesn't seek glory or recognition. She seeks justice."
Diana felt tears prickling at her eyes as Steve's words washed over her. No one had ever spoken of her this way, with such simple yet profound appreciation for who she was rather than what she represented.
"You fear that the world of men will corrupt her," Steve said, his gaze returning to Hippolyta. "But I believe the opposite is true. Diana will change our world, not the other way around. She will remind us of what we can be when we choose love over fear, justice over revenge, hope over despair."
He paused, letting his words settle before delivering his final point. "She cannot spend the rest of her life hidden away on this island, no matter how beautiful it may be. The world needs her. Not as a weapon, not as a symbol, but as a reminder that there is something worth fighting for. Love is worth fighting for. Compassion is worth fighting for. The belief that people can be better than their worst impulses... that is worth fighting for."
Steve's voice rose with passion as he concluded. "I've seen Princess Diana risk her life for someone she had known for mere hours. I've watched her show mercy to enemies who would have shown her none. She is the living embodiment of every virtue my mother tried to teach me. If that isn't divine, if that isn't what your gods intended when they created the Amazons, then I don't understand the purpose of divinity at all."
The silence that followed was profound. Many Amazons wiped away tears, moved by this outsider's recognition of virtues they had tried to instill in their princess for centuries. Hippolyta's composure finally cracked slightly, a single tear rolling down her cheek as she saw her daughter through the eyes of someone who understood her true nature.
Diana stepped forward, her own voice thick with emotion. "Captain Trevor, I... no one has ever..." She paused, struggling to find words for what his speech had meant to her. "Thank you. For seeing me not as others have told you to see me, but as I truly am."
Hippolyta rose slowly from her throne, her decision clear in her bearing. "Very well," she said, her voice carrying the weight of absolute authority tempered by unmistakable maternal love. "Diana, daughter of my heart and..." She paused, her mouth opening slightly as if to speak words that had been held back for centuries, then closed it again. "You have proven yourself worthy not only through combat, but through the recognition of those who understand virtue when they see it. If this man speaks truly about your nature, and I believe he does, then perhaps the world is ready for what you represent."
She looked directly at Steve. "Captain Trevor, your words carry weight because they come from experience, not merely hope. If you truly believe my daughter can change your world, then I will trust that judgment. But know this. If any harm comes to her through negligence or betrayal, I will hold you personally responsible. I will hunt you to the ends of the earth and beyond if necessary."
"I understand, Your Majesty," Steve replied solemnly. "And I accept that responsibility gladly."
Diana's relief was visible to everyone present, though exhaustion from channeling divine energy was beginning to show. "Thank you, Mother. I will not disappoint you or Captain Trevor's faith in me."
"See that you do not," Hippolyta replied, though her tone held more love than reproach. "Menalippe, prepare the Great Ceremony. Our champion must be properly equipped for her sacred mission."
The formal investiture began at sunset with a procession through the city's ancient streets. Every Amazon on the island lined the marble pathways, holding flickering torches that cast dancing shadows on the walls. Diana walked at the center of the procession, dressed in simple white robes that would soon be replaced with the armor of a champion.
Twelve priestesses led the way, their voices rising in harmonies that echoed off the buildings. Behind them came the royal guard carrying sacred relics, followed by artisans bearing the newly crafted armor on silver platters. Steve found himself walking alongside Mala, both of them swept up in a ceremony older than recorded history.
The procession wound its way to the Temple of All Gods, where artifacts from every pantheon the Amazons had encountered over the millennia were housed under divine protection. The temple itself blended Greek columns with Egyptian hieroglyphs, Norse runes carved alongside Hindu symbols, creating something that spoke to every culture that had ever touched these shores.
Inside, the temple's vast central chamber was lit by hundreds of candles, their flames reflecting off polished marble and precious metals. At the chamber's heart stood an altar older than Athens itself, carved from a single piece of white stone that seemed to glow with inner light.
Hippolyta awaited at the altar's center, no longer merely a queen but serving as high priestess of the island. Her ceremonial robes bore symbols of her divine mandate to protect and guide the Amazon people. In her hands, she held a sword unlike any Steve had ever seen. The blade seemed to absorb light rather than reflect it, its dark metal inscribed with symbols that shifted and moved when viewed directly.
"Diana, Princess of Themyscira, daughter of my heart," Hippolyta intoned, her voice carrying the weight of ritual practiced for millennia, "do you swear by all the gods who have blessed our people to carry their light into the darkness of the world?"
"I do so swear," Diana replied, her voice steady despite the magnitude of the moment.
"Do you promise to be a bridge between the divine and mortal realms, showing humanity what they can aspire to become?"
"I do so promise."
"And do you vow to return to us, no matter how far your journeys take you, carrying with you the wisdom you have gained and the love you have shared?"
Diana's voice caught slightly on this final vow. "I do so vow, though I cannot know what the future holds."
Hippolyta raised the sword above her head, and every priestess in the temple began to chant in unison. The very air seemed to thicken with power as divine attention focused on this moment.
"This is the Godkiller," Hippolyta said, her voice carrying to every corner of the temple. "Forged by Hephaestus at Zeus's command from metals fallen from the stars themselves. It has tasted the blood of titans and the tears of gods. It is the only weapon in existence capable of harming a true deity." She lowered the sword, placing it in Diana's hands with infinite care. "May you never have cause to use it for its intended purpose, but may you have the strength to do so if that burden falls upon you."
Diana accepted the weapon, feeling its weight not just physical, but the weight of destiny itself. The moment her fingers closed around the hilt, power coursed through her, as if the weapon recognized its rightful bearer. "I understand the trust you place in me, Mother."
The armor ceremony followed, equally sacred in its own way. Master craftswomen who had worked for months approached the altar, each carrying a piece of armor that had been forged specifically for this mission. The design was unlike anything in Amazon history, its colors chosen for reasons the smiths had not fully understood when the work began.
The breastplate was bronze, polished to a mirror shine and bearing the eagle with outstretched wings that had protected Amazon champions for three thousand years. But beneath it lay a bodice of deep red, made from materials unknown to the surface world, flexible as silk yet stronger than steel. The color was rich and vibrant, like the red of fresh blood or a warrior's courage.
The skirt was deep blue, the color of the Mediterranean depths around Themyscira, falling to just above her knees to allow for easy movement. But it was more than blue. It was the blue of a summer sky, of justice itself, of hope that transcends darkness.
Bronze greaves protected her legs, their surfaces inscribed with protective symbols that had guarded Amazon warriors for millennia. Golden bracers completed the ensemble, each one blessed by priestesses and inscribed with prayers for protection.
As each piece was fitted, the priestesses spoke their blessings. "May this armor protect you from harm. May it remind you of home when you are far from us. May it bring you safely back to those who love you."
When the armor was complete, Diana stood transformed. The red and blue caught the candlelight, bold and striking against the bronze. Steve found himself staring, though he couldn't say why the colors looked so right together. Something about them spoke to him of heroes, of people willing to stand up when others couldn't.
Mala received her own ceremony, simpler but just as heartfelt. The priestesses blessed her weapons and armor, acknowledging her role as Diana's protector and guide.
As the ceremonies ended and preparations for departure began, the entire procession made its way down to the harbor. The Amazon vessel waited at the dock, its crew making final preparations for the journey ahead. The moon hung full overhead, casting silver light across the water while torches flickered along the pier.
Steve found himself standing beside Queen Hippolyta on the stone dock, both of them watching the activity around the ship. The queen's gaze was fixed on the dark horizon, her expression unreadable in the torchlight.
"Your words today moved many hearts," Hippolyta said quietly. "Including mine."
"I spoke only the truth as I've seen it, Your Majesty," Steve replied. "Your daughter is extraordinary in ways that have nothing to do with her heritage."
Hippolyta turned to study his profile in the flickering light. "You care for her. Already. After only two days."
Steve considered denying it, then realized that honesty had served him well so far. "I do. Not in the way you might fear, but yes. She saved my life, but more than that, she restored my faith in what we're fighting for. Before I met Diana, this war felt like just another conflict between powerful men using ordinary people as pawns. Now I see it as something worth dying for because there are people like her worth protecting."
"And yet you would take her away from the only safety she has ever known," Hippolyta observed, though her tone held no accusation.
"I would give her the chance to become what she was meant to be," Steve corrected gently. "You've raised her to be a protector, a champion of justice. But you can't protect justice by hiding from injustice. She needs to see the world as it is, both its darkness and its light, before she can truly choose who she wants to be."
Hippolyta was silent for a long moment, watching the ship's crew secure the last of the supplies in the moonlight. "Do you truly believe she can change your world, Captain Trevor? Or is that simply what you tell yourself to justify endangering someone you care about?"
Steve considered the question carefully before answering. "I've seen what one good person can accomplish, Your Majesty. I've watched ordinary soldiers become heroes because someone they respected showed them what courage looked like. Diana isn't ordinary. She's extraordinary in every sense of the word. If anyone can remind humanity of its better nature, it's her."
Before Hippolyta could respond, Diana appeared on the dock, now dressed in her traveling armor and carrying the Godkiller at her side. The transformation was remarkable. Where the princess had stood, now there was something approaching a goddess of war, though her eyes remained gentle and compassionate even in the torchlight.
Mala followed, similarly equipped and bearing herself with the quiet confidence of a veteran warrior prepared for any challenge.
"We are ready, Mother," Diana announced, though Steve could hear the emotion underlying her composed words. "The ship is provisioned, and Captain Trevor's intelligence has been secured for transport."
Hippolyta moved to embrace her daughter, and for a moment, the queen's composure cracked entirely. She held Diana as if trying to memorize every detail of this moment, knowing it might be the last time she would see her daughter on Themyscira's shores. Her hands trembled as they traced Diana's face in the moonlight, as if trying to commit every feature to memory.
"My beautiful daughter," she whispered, her voice breaking completely. "My only child, my greatest love, the light of my very existence. Do you know what you mean to me? Do you understand that when the gods blessed me with you, they gave me everything I had ever dared to hope for?"
Diana felt tears streaming down her own cheeks as she witnessed her mother's raw emotion. "Mother, please don't make this harder than it already is."
"Will you remember us?" asked Hippolyta's personal guard captain, a warrior who had helped teach Diana her first sword forms. "Will you remember that you carry our love with you?"
Diana's voice broke as she replied, "How could I forget? You have all been my mothers, my sisters, my teachers. I carry each of your lessons with me."
Mala's farewell was just as emotional. Warriors who had served with her for centuries offered their own blessings, understanding that she was embarking on this journey out of love for their youngest sister.
"Bring our princess home safely," Artemis said to Mala.
As the final preparations were completed and the ship made ready to depart, Steve found himself standing before Queen Hippolyta one last time. The queen's eyes were red from weeping, but her gaze was steady as she looked at him.
"Captain Trevor," she said quietly, her voice hoarse from emotion. "I am entrusting you with the most precious thing in my world. My daughter's life is now in your hands."
Steve felt the weight of her words settle on his shoulders like a physical burden. "Your Majesty, I give you my word. I will protect her with my life."
"Your word," Hippolyta repeated, studying his face in the moonlight. "Three days ago, I had never heard your name. Now I must trust you with everything that matters to me." Her voice cracked slightly. "Do you understand what I am asking of you?"
"I do," Steve said solemnly. "You're asking me to keep safe someone who means more to you than your own life. Someone who is willing to risk everything to help strangers she's never met." He met her eyes directly. "Your Majesty, I've never made a promise I meant more than this one. I will bring her home to you."
Tears streamed down Hippolyta's face as she reached out and gripped his arm. "She is all I have, Captain Trevor. All I have ever had that truly mattered. If something happens to her..."
"It won't," Steve said firmly. "I swear to you, by everything I hold sacred, nothing will happen to Diana while I draw breath. She will come home to you."
Hippolyta nodded, releasing his arm. "Then may the gods watch over you both."
The ship was beautiful, its hull blessed by every priestess on the island, its sails bearing the symbols of Themyscira. Torches lined the harbor, casting dancing light across the water as final preparations were made. Diana stood at the rail looking back at her home, moonlight painting the marble buildings in silver.
Steve moved to the ship's wheel, his hands finding the familiar grip of command. Years of flying had taught him to read wind and weather, and he could feel the night breeze picking up, ready to carry them away from shore.
"Cast off the lines," he called quietly to Mala, who moved with practiced efficiency to release the ropes from the dock. The ship drifted away from the pier, carried by the gentle current as Steve adjusted the sails to catch the wind.
Diana gripped the rail as she watched the distance between the ship and the dock slowly grow. From the harbor, she could see the entire population of Themyscira gathered to see them off. Thousands of faces lit by torchlight, all watching their princess sail away into the unknown.
Hippolyta stood at the end of the pier, tears flowing freely. As the ship began to move, her voice rang out across the water.
"Diana! My beloved daughter! Remember that you carry my heart with you! Remember that every beat of it sings your name!"
"I love you, Mother!" Diana called back, her own voice breaking. "I will carry your love with me always!"
Steve and Mala flanked her at the rail, both understanding that this moment belonged to Diana and her people. Steve watched in awe as what seemed like the entire island gathered along the shoreline, torches held high like stars come down to earth.
The assembled Amazons began to sing then, Mnemosyne's ancient voice rising in the traditional farewell of warriors departing for distant battles. Her voice carried the weight of millennia, each note heavy with the sorrow of countless goodbyes.
"Thygatir kardiōn imōn, teknon theōn eulogiōn,Plei peraia tēs achlȳs met' andreias odigos.Kaitoi thalassai chōrizousin imas, agapē menei akatarrhaktos,Amazon Themȳskyras, to timē estō sou diabema."
Other voices joined in harmonies perfected over centuries. The melody was haunting and beautiful, each note carrying across the water with supernatural clarity. From every part of the island, voices rose to join the song, until it seemed the very stones of Themyscira were singing farewell.
Daughter of our hearts, child of divine blessing,Sail beyond the mists with courage as your guide.Though the seas may part us, love remains unbroken,Amazon of Themyscira, let honor be your stride.
The song swelled as more voices joined from across the island. Amazons who had fought in the Trojan War lent their ancient voices to the chorus. Young warriors who had learned their first sword forms from Diana added their clear tones. Even the temple priestesses, who rarely left their sacred duties, came to the harbor to sing their beloved princess on her way.
"Hopou to skotos syllegei, hopou ai thyellai kaloun,Mnēmoneuete adelphōn phōnōn aidousōn eis aktēn.En kardiais xenōn, ē sophia imōn se odigetō,Phereis pasēn tēn agapēn imōn kai polla alla."
Diana felt her heart breaking as the words washed over her. These were the women who had raised her, taught her, loved her. Now they were saying goodbye, perhaps forever.
Where the darkness gathers, where the storms are calling,Remember sister voices singing you to shore.In the hearts of strangers, let our wisdom guide you,You carry all our love and so much more.
The ship moved steadily away from shore, but the singing seemed to follow them across the water, growing stronger rather than weaker with distance. Steve watched from the wheel, overwhelmed by the raw emotion and beauty of the scene. He had witnessed military departures before, but this was different. This was a family saying goodbye to their daughter.
Mala stood beside Diana, her own eyes bright with unshed tears as she watched her home grow smaller. "Listen," she whispered, her voice thick with emotion. "They sing from every corner of the island. From the highest towers to the harbor steps. All of Themyscira sends you forth with love."
"Tachypous thygatir tōn oinopōn hydatōn,Aspidophoros badizō hopou oi thnētoi katoikoun.Theoi se phylaxeian, ē odos sou dikaia estō,Ē epistrophē sou pherētō mythous ous lēxomen."
The harmonies grew more complex, voices weaving together in patterns that spoke of love that transcended distance and time. Artemis's voice soared above the rest, while the deeper tones of the elder warriors provided a foundation of strength and courage.
Swift-footed daughter of the wine-dark waters,Shield-bearer walking where the mortals dwell.May the gods protect you, may your path be righteous,May your return bring tales that we shall tell.
"Theoktonos, thygatir, bastaktēs megalou skopou,Ē dikaiosȳnē estō sou saia, agapē to xiphos sou.Hotan machai ragōsin perī se, akouete phōnas imōn,Aidousai se asphalōs eis aktēn Ēlysiou."
Diana's heart swelled with pride and grief as she heard the sacred title. Godkiller. They knew what she carried, what she might be called to do. And still they sang her on her way with love.
Godkiller, daughter, bearer of great purpose,Let justice be your banner, love your sword.When battles rage around you, hear our voices,Singing you safely to Elysium's shore.
Hippolyta's voice cut through the chorus, raw with desperate love. "Captain Trevor! Remember what I told you! If anything happens to my daughter, I will hold you personally responsible!"
Steve left the wheel for a moment to step to the rail. "I understand, Your Majesty! And I accept that responsibility!"
The singing continued as the ship moved further from shore, the final verses rising like a prayer to the heavens themselves. Every voice on the island seemed to join now, creating a sound that was more than music, more than farewell. It was love made audible.
"Kaitoi ē odos kinḍynōdēs, kaitoi ē nyx anastros,Amazonikai kardiai krououn meta sou dia pantos agōnos.Mechri epistrepēs asphalōs eis tas aktas sas technousas,Ē agapē imōn estō sou ischys dia pantos miliou."
Diana gripped the rail harder, fighting back sobs as the meaning of the words hit her fully. They were promising to wait for her, no matter how long it took. They were promising that their love would sustain her across any distance.
Though the road be perilous, though the night be starless,Amazon hearts beat with you through every trial.Till you come home safely to the shores that bore you,Our love shall be your strength across each mile.
As they approached the magical barrier that protected Themyscira, Diana called out across the water, her voice breaking with emotion. "I will make you proud, Mother! I will honor everything you've taught me!"
"You already make me proud!" Hippolyta called back, her own voice cracking. "You have always made me proud! Go now, my daughter, and show them what an Amazon can be!"
The song reached its crescendo as mist began to close around the ship, hundreds of voices joining in a final, soaring harmony that seemed to pierce the very fabric of reality:
"Chairete, agapētē thygatir, teknon tēs eusebeias imōn,Ē anemos tachȳnētō tēn poreian sou, ta astra phōtizētō tēn odon sou.En kardiais imōn meneis aei, Amazon aiōnios,Mechri epistrepēs en thriambō eis kolpon Themȳskyras."
The final verse wrapped around Diana like an embrace, a promise and a blessing combined into something that transcended mere words.
Farewell, beloved daughter, child of our devotion,May the wind speed your journey, may the stars light your way.In our hearts you remain always, Amazon eternal,Till you return in triumph to Themyscira's bay.
Diana remained at the rail, her hand raised in farewell as Themyscira slowly faded from view. The singing continued even as the island disappeared into the protective mist, the voices of her sisters following her across the barrier between worlds. She stood transfixed, tears flowing freely as the most beautiful sound she had ever heard carried her love and blessings into the unknown.
The last thing she heard before the mist swallowed all sound was her mother's voice, calling across the water with the desperate love of a heart breaking: "Come home to me, my daughter! Come home!"
Slowly, reluctantly, she turned from the rail to face the open sea ahead. The singing had faded to an echo in her memory, but its beauty remained in her heart. She had left Paradise behind, but she carried its love with her as she sailed toward her destiny.