Chapter Text
The next day, Captain Teela and Lieutenant Dian jogged briskly through the imposing archway that allowed entry to the Royal Palace of Eternos, the Guardsmen on duty saluting as they passed. The two officers were reaching the end of a five mile run through the countryside surrounding the city. Only upon reaching the main Palace courtyard did they finally come to a stop. Teela looked as if she was ready to run another five miles, but Dian was breathing hard, puffing and panting, drenched in sweat. Teela was concerned as her friend was bent double, hands on her knees
“You alright, Dian?”
“Yes…just need a moment…haven’t had a run like that…since advanced…infantry training.”
Teela nodded. “I guess life on the outpost doesn’t give you much chance to get your miles in.”
Dian got her breath back and straightened out. “Matter of fact, we were ordered never to go that far out on foot patrol, too dangerous. Don’t worry, Captain, I’ll get my stamina back up in no time.”
Teela patted her friend on the back. “Take your time, don’t blow yourself up on my account. Having that much open space to safely roam must seem like an extravagance.”
Dian absent-mindedly reached up to feel her left cheek, the battle scars that had adorned her face and arm now fully healed by magic. “More than one extravagance, I think. Now I best head back to my quarters and get a shower.”
Just the words Teela wanted to hear. “Actually, I have a suggestion: you know of the women’s baths beneath the Palace?”
Dian shrugged. “Your father briefly showed them to me during my orientation, yes.”
“Well, a shower does the job, certainly. But when I have time, I find those baths so good for relaxing the muscles. What do you say we both go down there and soak till we prune?”
“Sharing a bath together? Is there some kind of bathing suit I need to requisition?”
Teela was mystified by such a question. “You know, that’s the first time anyone has ever asked that. Other than a towel, we go in with only what the Goddess gave us.”
Dian suddenly felt rather awkward. She was glad the run had already left her red in the face, so the Captain wouldn’t notice her blush. “You mean, the two of us…in the same place…with no clothes on?”
Teela played it off as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. “Of course. You’re not shy, are you?”
“Well, no I…” Dian couldn’t finish. She certainly couldn’t admit the real reason why sharing something so personal with Teela left her flustered.
“What did you do for hygiene at Far Westland? I can’t imagine an Eternian Guard trooper is afforded much privacy.”
“Not really. We had a shower block and were expected to get in, get done and get out, regardless of who was in there.”
Teela beamed. “This is much more enjoyable, believe me. The women’s baths were often full during your mother’s service days, but now you can stay as long as you want and rarely see another visitor.” She had a flirtatious look. “Besides, a pair of fit warriors like us, who trust each other…what’s to worry about?”
Inwardly, Dian chided herself for being so hesitant. She said it herself, she trusts you with this. Don’t blow it. The junior officer tried to act casual and hide her nerves. “You’re right, Teela, nothing to worry about.”
Her Captain made no acknowledgement and instead was looking the Lieutenant up and down, a hand on her chin.
“Teela?”
“Hmm? Oh, sorry, all this talk about being undressed has got me thinking…about what you’re wearing.”
Dian looked down at her green jumpsuit. “You don’t think it’s up to standard?”
Teela shrugged. “No less so than what I wear. Truth is, there really isn’t a set standard to live up to. For a generation, there were no women in the Royal Guard, then for the last few years, only me. Now there’s you, me, Ileena in the future, hopefully others. Seems like the pendulum of history is swinging the other way. I think a new uniform should be created for women officers in the Guard.”
Dian ignored the mention of the blonde girl and stiffened to attention. “It will be my honour to wear such a uniform, Captain.”
Teela put an arm around her friend’s shoulder. “Wear it? Dian, I’m asking you to help me design it.”
The Lieutenant was taken aback. “Oh. Well, I don’t really know much about clothing design, but I’ll help any way I can. What did you have in mind?”
“Something that has enough of a ceremonial look that will not be out of place at Court, but also practical enough for fighting in.” She took a glance down at their respective outfits. “Sort of combine what you wear with what I wear and meet in the middle somewhere.”
Dian gave it some thought. “Perhaps we could vary the colours of the uniform for each officer? Makes it easier for the Guardsmen to identify their C.O. at a hundred paces.”
“That’s a good idea, I think we can work that in.”
Dian suddenly looked a little worried. “Will I be required to start showing my legs too?”
Teela chuckled. “Don’t worry, it will be just the opposite. When I’m with you or other women that I trust, I’m quite happy to show my legs and a whole lot more. But at Court or in front of the Guard? I think it’s high time I started covering up. Definitely want to work some form of leggings into the design.”
Dian breathed a sigh of relief.
Teela leaned in. “So..about that bath?”
Dian still felt a little flustered, but did her best to play it cool. “Lead the way.”
Before they could make it indoors, Prince Adam came walking up. “Teela, I need your help with something. It’s important.”
The redhead let out a dramatic sigh and turned to her subordinate. “You go on ahead, Dian, get yourself comfortable. I’ll try and catch you up.”
“Uhh, sure thing.”
*
Dian sank deeper into the warm water, stretching out her legs. True enough, the permanently-heated bath was doing wonders to soothe her aching muscles. Just what she needed after a long run. The dark, cavern-like structure in which the pools sat were possessed of a welcome tranquility. The combination of heat, steam and quiet ambience conspired to almost make the junior officer fall asleep.
She was glad of the chance to get acclimated ahead of her Captain’s arrival. Despite her initial trepidation, Dian was looking forward to sharing this incredible luxury with her friend. The thought of getting to enjoy communal bathing with beautiful women on a regular basis put a smile on her face. A reward for enduring the trials and hardships of Guard service that was almost worth more than rank or medals.
Dian felt a shift in the air and realised she was no longer alone. Opening her eyes to see not Teela, but her . The one woman she didn’t particularly want to think about stood at the edge of the pool, dressed only in what the Goddess gave her, as Teela put it. Once she had Dian’s attention, she slowly and deliberately navigated the steps into the water. Despite her consternation, the Lieutenant couldn’t help but admire the lean, toned body. The long, blonde hair that almost reached down to her waist. If they had met in different circumstances, this was the kind of girl that Dian would ask out to dinner, or take to the local tavern for a pint of ale. That admission made it more painful that this up-jumped teacher’s pet was the one who got to share a bed with…
Dian chided herself. The Captain would be along any minute and the last thing that would help the Lieutenant’s standing was an argument with her student. She suppressed the scowl on her face, reminding herself to maintain discipline and keep it civil.
While her turbulent thoughts had been playing out, the other woman had fully entered the pool and had taken up position on the shelf seating opposite Dian, who gave a curt acknowledgement. “Ileena.”
The blonde aspirant nodded likewise. “Dian.”
The officer made an icy correction. “ Lieutenant Dian.”
Ileena shook her head. “Not down here. In these baths, no-one gets to throw their rank or titles around. The women here treat each other with respect…at least, I do.”
Dian’s eyes narrowed. “And just what are you insinuating?”
Ileena was not intimidated this time. “I am insinuating nothing. You clearly have a problem with me being at the Palace. Neither of us is going anywhere until you tell me what it is. We’re going to settle this right here and right now.”
Dian let out an exasperated sigh, this was the last thing she needed with Teela on the way. But the girl had the gumption to confront her, so she at least deserved an answer. “Just won’t quit, will you? Fine. But to answer your question, you answer mine: how days, weeks, months did you spend on drills, marches, patrols, kitchen duty?”
Ileena had to admit. “Well, none, that’s not what I’m training for and-”
Yet again, Dian steamrolled her. “How many summer days did you spend in trenches and dug-outs with your fellow Troopers, sweating and stinking on top of each other, waiting for an attack? How many winter nights did you spend huddled together in the base, trying to keep warm? Hoping that the generator lasted one more day and you didn’t freeze to death.”
“Well, none, I-”
Dian abandoned all semblance of civility. She sat up and leaned forward, pointing an accusing finger. “Then what gives you the right to be fast-tracked into the Royal Guard, when some of us have spent years giving our blood to defend the Realm!?”
Ileena became defensive. “So you think you’re the only one worthy of the honour, is that it?”
“That’s not for me to decide, but I’ll tell you this much: if it had been any of my fellow soldiers in the Eternian Guard who had been assigned here and given a commission, I would be happy for them. Because I would know they had put in the same hard work as me.”
“Oh, so I don’t work hard? I am being personally instructed by the Captain of the Royal Guard, you don’t think she has high standards?”
Dian sniffed dismissively. “Of course she does. But I’m not stupid, I’ve seen the two of you around the Palace. Every time I sent you packing, my Sergeants felt the need to warn me about who I was talking to. Teela has the highest standards, I don’t doubt. But even the best of us can have a blind spot for someone they are…especially close with.”
Ileena’s voice took on a hard edge. “Now what are you insinuating?”
Dian held her hands up. “Nothing, nothing. Only where I come from, you earn merit on your feet..” She sneered derisively. “Not on your back.”
Ileena had had enough. “Hold it right there, Dian! First off, you can stop beating around the bush. Yes, Teela is my girlfriend and yes, we sleep together. Second, If you think disparaging our relationship puts you on some kind of moral high ground, then forget it. I love that woman, and I would walk through fire if it would keep her from being burned!”
Dian retorted immediately. “Easy to make that claim when you have never been under fire to begin with!”
“Now that’s where you’re wrong, I-”
Dian waved a dismissive hand. “Save it, pretty girl. What you’re doing is not soldering, it’s play-acting. You haven’t the first clue about what it really means to be a warrior.”
Ileena indignantly folded her arms. “Why don’t you enlighten me.”
“Alright, but you only have yourself to blame for the nightmares.” Dian leaned back on the shelf seating. “There are many Eternian Guard outposts across the planet. From Fort Dekker to the Photanium Foundries to Station Zeta to Far Westland. For us, there is no He-Man and Battlecat riding to the rescue. Someone who will keep everyone safe, who will take dying - and killing - out of the equation. Would be nice, I’m sure, but all any of us have is each other. The men and women who wear the same uniform, who swear the same oaths.” She pointed to the part of her forehead where the scar once resided. “You saw my face. Bet you’re wondering what happened to me.”
“King Randor said you were a hero, that you bravely fought off an attack and defended wounded comrades.”
“A nice speech, certainly. All that talk of gallantry and heroism.” Dian shook her head. “The King is aware of how things have to sound for civilians like you, but he knows better. His Majesty, like every other real soldier, knows what it was like…that bloody day when the Space Pirates attacked Far Westland.”
Ileena afforded the veteran a respectful silence, while Dian closed her eyes, recalling painful memories.
“For so long they had been opportunists, cowards. They made hit and run raids on the mining encampment, hoping to steal what they could before the garrison could mobilize. We always chased them off, but one day, something changed. I don’t know if they had become brave or desperate, or were just too afraid of their new Captain. Whatever it was, they decided to attack the garrison itself, in force.”
Dian paused and took a deep breath, before plunging into the rest of her story. “They softened us up with an artillery barrage from their sky ship. The Lieutenant was killed when they hit the main guard tower, along with several others. All around me there was screaming and yelling and explosions…dead bodies…blood and burning metal” Ileena watched silently as the officer’s face contorted with pain. The terrible sounds of that day reverberated in Dian’s eardrums, while the horrific smells once again assailed her nostrils. “The barrage had blown the main gate wide open…and their main assault force stormed into the courtyard. The Sergeants did their best to rally the defense, but mine was caught in the open and badly wounded, so I stayed with him. I grabbed my blaster and opened fire…must have dropped a dozen of them before I ran out of charges. Let me tell you, pretty girl, surrender was not an option. From what I’ve heard, a woman does not want to be taken alive by the Space Pirates. They’ll have you every which way until they find some fresher meat, then they’ll slit your throat and throw your carcass overboard. It wasn’t a question of being brave, there simply was no choice. Knowing that, I took the Sergeant’s Photanium sword, stood my ground and prepared to die fighting. Then something strange happened. I don’t know if he was their Captain or just the toughest amongst them. This frog man with an eyepatch…all muscle, as wide as he was tall, barged his way through the rabble and they all backed off. He wanted single combat against this scared girl with the sword. Maybe he thought I would be good for some sport. The battle just stopped as both sides watched us fight. He slashed my face with his cutlass…narrowly missed my eye…at that moment, I was running on adrenaline, rage and instinct. The Troopers who witnessed the duel said I attacked like a savage beast. By the time the red haze lifted, I had sliced the top half of his head open…I was covered in his blood and mine. That took the fight out of the pirate scum. My stand had given the Guard time to regroup and launch a counterattack. The surviving pirates retreated to their ship and took off. I barely noticed as I was down to one knee, exhausted and trying not to pass out before the medic could stem the bleeding. We were left to gather our dead, tend the wounded and wait for a response to our distress call. The Sarge would live, but his soldiering days were over. We lost some good people that day. I could easily have been one of them, I just got lucky.”
Dian finally opened her eyes, coming back to the present day to find Ileena watching her with concern, empathy in her expression. Dian realised that while she had intended to scare and horrify the girl with the realities of war, she had instead allowed herself to be vulnerable in front of this spoiled little waif. Trying to compensate, the officer went on the attack again. “So… Ileena …that is what it means to be a warrior, to put your body and life on the line to protect others. That is why I have a problem with you sleeping your way into an officer’s commission. You may make it into the Royal Guard, that’s not my call, but Zoar help anyone who has to rely on you when the shooting starts. You would probably run, and you would be right to do so. The Guard is no place for a pretty princess like you. Out there, we eat together, we starve together, we fight together and we try not to die together. We are a family, in a way that you would never understand.”
The blonde aspirant held the officer’s gaze, unwilling to back down in the face of this attempt at intimidation…until her attention was drawn to something behind Dian. Ileena smiled before bowing her head respectfully. “Good afternoon, Your Majesty.”
Dian’s eyes went wide and she turned her head so fast she almost gave herself whiplash. There standing at the edge of the pool, dressed in nothing but a green bathrobe and holding a towel over her arm, was Queen Marlena. “Good afternoon Ileena, Dian.”
“Your Majesty!” Dian leapt to her feet and spun around, sending water everywhere and splashing Ileena in the face. Standing at attention with a rigid salute. It took a second for Dian to realise her bare body was on full display before her sovereign and she flushed with embarrassment.
Marlena gave a quick glance up and down before dryly commenting “You shouldn’t move so fast in the pool, Lieutenant. That is a really good way to slip and injure yourself.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.” Dian responded on reflex, her mind whirling over how badly she had messed up.
Marlena walked around to the other side of the pool where Ileena was sitting, thrilled to see her mentor and equally thrilled to see Dian’s reaction.
The Queen asked a modest question. “Mind if I join the both of you?”
Ileena looked up with reverence. “We would be honoured, Your Majesty.”
Marlena wagged a finger in mild reproach. “Now Ileena, what did we discuss about using my titles in the bath house?”
The blonde sheepishly replied. “Sorry, force of habit.”
She was met with a warm smile. “That’s alright, better to be overcautious down here than to overreach upstairs.”
It was then they realised that Dian was still standing to attention with her back to both of them, not moving a muscle. She heard her Queen’s voice from behind. “As you were, Lieutenant. Please…sit.”
Dian complied, turning and sitting back down on the shelf as fast as she had stood, sending another wave rolling through the pool.
Marlena couldn’t hide her bemusement. “Relax, Dian. You’re making me nervous.”
“As you wish, Your Majesty.” Dian rapidly blurted out.
Trying not to enjoy the officer’s discomfort too much, Ileena looked up once more. “I, uh, don’t think the Lieutenant knows how this works.”
“Clearly not. Be a good dear and fill her in while I get undressed, would you?”
“Of course.” As Marlena walked over to the clothes pegs on the far wall, Ileena turned back to her erstwhile verbal antagonist. “You see, Dian, our Queen was not always part of the Royal Family. Before either of us were born, she was known as Captain Marlena Glenn, pilot of the starship Rainbow Explorer, one of the greatest astronauts of the planet Earth.”
If all these accolades were meant to put Dian at ease, they were not working.
Ileena continued. “The Rainbow Explorer was pulled through a dimensional portal and crash-landed on Eternia. The Captain met the King and…well, the rest is history.”
Dian finally looked up at the blonde, realising that Ileena had turned the tables on her. There was no chance of walking away and leaving the bath house early, lest she risk offending the Queen. The officer began to suspect that perhaps their monarch’s timely arrival was not a coincidence.
For someone who had been insulted at every turn, Ileena was doing her best to be overly helpful. “Every now and again, our Queen likes to put the title and the crown aside for an hour or two and come down to the bath house. Have a nice soak and talk with whoever is here. You don’t need to worry, Dian. Just speak respectfully and look respectfully, and we’ll all have a good time.”
“Look…at Her Majesty…without raiment?” Dian kept her eyes fixed on Ileena, to ensure she did not do exactly that.
“Of course.” Came the Queen’s voice. She was standing naked and confident, with her hands on her hips, at the head of the steps leading down into the water. “A Royal Guard officer may one day be required to enter my private chambers and protect me if I come under threat. Said officer cannot be very effective if she is too afraid of seeing me in the altogether.”
“Your, uh, your point is well made, Your Majesty.” Dian slowly raised her eyes to look up at the woman she had sworn to protect, shorn of all finery. In awe of the regal, mature beauty that stood before her. The new officer quickly had to remind herself that she had been given permission to look, not stare.
If Marlena had picked up on Dian’s crush, she wasn’t fazed in the slightest. “On a personal level, I consider it a courtesy. The two of you trust me with being seen in your birthday suits, so I trust you to see me in mine.”
While Dian pondered just what a ‘birthday suit’ was, Marlena gracefully negotiated the steps down into the pool, taking up position on the shelf seating next to Ileena. As if she were well aware of the animus between the two young women and was firmly declaring whose side she was on, Dian thought.
Marlena stretched out and sighed, relaxing into the warmth. “Nice to properly meet you, Dian. How are you finding your new life at the Palace?”
Dian was nervous, picking her words carefully. “It uh, it has taken some getting used to, Your Majesty. But…I am ready for the challenge ahead.”
Ileena cheerfully informed her mentor. “Dian has been telling me all about her heroic deeds in the Eternian Guard.”
Marlena spoke with pride. “I would be interested to hear about them myself. You have brought great credit to the Realm through your bravery, Dian. Tell me, how long have you served?”
“I signed up three years ago now, Your Majesty.”
Marlena considered this. “Three years…” Then turned to her student. “As I recall, Ileena, you did a great deed for us all three years ago. Remind me again, what was that?”
Ileena tried to play it off as modestly as she could. “I helped capture a powerful sorcerer who nearly destroyed the Palace and everyone in it.”
Dian’s jaw dropped.
Marlena sat up, probing for more information. “A powerful sorcerer? Hmm, how powerful would you say he was?”
“Powerful enough to restrain He-Man temporarily. He would have escaped if I hadn’t gone after him and jumped on his back.”
“Thanks to your selfless actions, he is now back in the prison mines where he can no longer harm anyone else.”
Ileena blushed under the praise. “I was glad to be of service.”
“And because of your service to us, that is why we honoured Teela’s recent request to bring you here for warrior training.”
Sitting across from this conversation, Dian had been thrown for a loop. Her assumptions about the girl had just been thrown out the window.
Marlena pressed on. “You also distinguished yourself on a recent visit to the nation of Arcadia. Why don’t you tell Dian all about it?”
Ileena became uneasy. “Are you certain you wish me to recount this story in your presence? What happened there was very violent.”
Marlena leaned over and placed both hands on Ileena’s shoulders to provide reassurance, looking into her eyes with motherly concern. “I have read the Captain’s report, there is nothing you could say about the incident that would shock or offend me. Just take your time and tell us what happened in your own words.”
Ileena let out a deep breath and nodded, then turned to Dian. “The tale goes back to a couple of years ago. There is a city called Arcadia that was isolated from the rest of Eternia. The women had everything and the men had nothing, condemned to mine underground for the mineral that kept their city hidden. Teela and Prince Adam found the place and with some help from He-Man, not only saved the city from collapsing into the mines, but convinced their Queen Sumana to declare men and women equal in their nation.”
Dian nodded. “I believe I heard about this Arcadia when I was posted to the garrison near the Photanium Foundries.”
Ileena nodded in return, then continued. “A few weeks ago, Queen Sumana put in a request to King Randor. To send an envoy for an initial visit ahead of full diplomatic talks. She specifically requested Teela, who allowed me to come along as her second. When we got there, we found that equality under the law doesn’t mean equality of the purse. Some men who are courting women or who have a trade are doing well. But for the rest, they live in the slums that now ring the old city. Teela and I went to check out the slums and we were tipped off about what was happening.” She paused to collect herself before recalling the most harrowing parts of the experience. “Any women who ventured into those areas were being attacked, robbed and…worse, before being killed, by gangs of men who resented being left out of Arcadia’s prosperity. We were on our way back when we saw such a gang chasing a woman down the street. We were outnumbered and unarmed, but we ran after them. The woman - who we later found out was an artist named Adrianna - ran into a mage that Teela knows very well, who protected her with powerful spells. We caught up…and there was a fight.”
Marlena put a hand on Ileena’s shoulder for support, who gave a weak smile in return. “These men, were they unarmed as well?”
“No. I took the first one down easy, but the next one had a big wooden club and was going to smash my brains to a pulp.”
“You poor thing. What did you do?”
Ileena grimaced, trying to spare her Queen the more grisly details. “Let’s put it this way: if he had plans to start a family, I put them on hold for a long time.”
“I see. What happened then?”
“The next one slashed at me with a big knife. The mage took care of him. Teela had put down two of them, but the last one got the drop on her. He…” She screwed her eyes up in pain, remembering how close she came to losing her love.
Marlena once again came in close for support. “Courage, Ileena. Courage.”
“He had a laser pistol and was going to kill her. I had picked up that big club earlier, and now I threw it at him. Hit his arm, knocked off his aim and then the mage blasted him with magic. After that, they were too scared of her and ran off. She took us all back to the old city with one of her portals. Once we made sure Adrianna was alright to be left with the mage, we reported back to Queen Sumana, then cut our stay short and flew straight back to the Palace.”
Silence for a moment as Dian sat stony-faced, finally realising the trap she had blundered into.
Marlena prompted her student again. “That was a great thing you did, Ileena, you saved lives. I believe that soon afterwards, your King recognised your bravery, didn’t he?”
The young warrior nodded. “He awarded me with the Eternian Medal of Gallantry.”
“Strange though, that you were not offered a position in the Royal Guard.”
“Teela wanted to make me an officer then and there, but I begged her not to decide anything until my training was complete…which I know is a long way away.”
Marlena feigned confusion. “But to be like Teela and join the Royal Guard has been your dream for a long time. Why would you turn down such an honour?”
Ileena turned to the woman who was teaching her how to soar through the air on great flying machines. “Something you told us about your experience at NASA, something I will never forget. About how if someone is given rank and allowed on the shuttle without knowing precisely what to do in any situation, the entire crew could be lost in space. That is basically how I view the Royal Guard…I don’t want to be the one who gets the crew lost.”
Captain Marlena Glenn beamed with pride to hear her lesson being taken to heart. Meanwhile, Dian looked down at the water, red-faced with shame. How could she have been so arrogant, so rude, so short-sighted?
Suddenly, Marlena made a big show of reacting to the red LED display that was high up on the far wall, which helped to keep bathers punctual. “Goodness me, is that the time? Ladies, I am afraid I’ll have to cut my visit short, duty calls. Ileena, could you give me a hand, please? I always worry I’m going to slip on these stairs.”
“My pleasure.” Both the sovereign and student stood up. Ileena held on to Marlena’s hand for support as she carefully ascended the steps out of the pool, idly noting. “I really must speak to Duncan about getting some handrails installed.”
Her audience watched as Marlena toweled herself down before slipping on her robe and tying it off once more. She turned to address the two young women, adopting the more formal tone required by her status. “Time for me to once more become Queen of Eternia. Ileena, Dian, I have valued your company today, as brief as it was. Enjoy the rest of your bath and I will see the both of you upstairs.”
The two women bowed their heads respectfully, Ileena responding. “Thank you, Your Majesty. It was a privilege.”
Queen Marlena gave a slight smile and nod, before walking out of the pool area, headed for the changing rooms. Once she was out of sight, Ileena sat down again and relaxed.
Without a word, Dian rose up and waded through thigh-deep water to stand directly in front of Ileena. Her dripping, muscular frame looming over the slender student, who met her gaze without fear.
“Ileena, I have one thing to say to you…” Dian’s stoic lips curled into an impressed smirk. “Well played.”
All tension in the room was deflated as Ileena grinned back. “Figured it out, huh?”
“Eventually. You sure pulled a fast one on me, but I deserved it.” She gestured to the space next to Ileena, opposite of where the Queen once sat. “You mind if I, uh…?”
“I thought you’d never ask!”
Dian gladly took her place next to her fellow warrior. “I have to know: how did you pull this off?”
Ileena shrugged. “You said the Guard is a family, well…Teela, Prince Adam, Her Majesty: they’re my family. I came up with the idea yesterday and they all helped me to execute it.”
The officer shook her head ruefully. “They sure succeeded in making me realise what a fool I’ve been.”
Ileena turned to look sincerely at her new ally. “Dian, my goal in coming up with this ruse was never about embarrassing you, but about proving myself to you. Whether I make it as a Guardswoman, or perhaps you join the Sisterhood, or both. There’s a good chance that one day, it will be you and me huddled together in that dug-out. I just want you to know that you can count on me when it matters the most.”
Dian turned with equal sincerity. “I know that now, just as I know that even though I’ve seen some action, I have plenty more to learn. Ileena, I underestimated you and I insulted you when I should have been helping you. If you can forgive me…”
“There’s nothing to forgive, Dian. If I couldn’t handle a few insults, then I really would be in the wrong profession. So…” She raised her hand out of the water. “Friends?”
Dian looked at the offered hand briefly, flashed a big grin and put an arm around Ileena, pulling her in for a side-hug and reaching up to ruffle her blonde locks. “Buddies.”
The aspiring warrior was elated that she had won the veteran’s respect, smiling as she was released from the hug. There was one more unanswered question on her mind, though “Just one thing before we put this whole issue behind us: you had a lot to say about my relationship with Teela.”
Dian bowed her head in contrition. “I know, I was way out of line for bringing your love life into it, and I’m sorry.”
“Apology accepted. But I do wonder why it bothered you so much.” Ileena had a mischievous gleam in her eye. “Perhaps you came to the Palace hoping that you would be the one to share Teela’s bed.”
Dian stammered with embarrassment. “Well I, uh…I mean, I’ve always looked up to her and…I had been hoping…if I made enough of a positive impression…”
Ileena put a hand on her friend’s shoulder. “You’ve just described how I felt for years, so you’re in good company.”
“Ileena, I swear to you: what you and Teela have…I won’t do anything to come between you.”
“Well, we wouldn’t want you to come between us in a bad way.” Ileena shot her a lascivious look. “But maybe you could come between us in a good way.”
“I, uh, I don’t follow.”
“Well, I’ll give you an example of what I mean. The day after Teela and I got together, we formed the Sisterhood of Eternia with two very dear friends. Then we all went skinny-dipping in the Evergreen Forest.”
“Sounds like a fun time.”
“Oh, you better believe it. Our two friends are very…affectionate, and they were dropping hints like anvils. Teela and I talked it over and soon, two became four for an afternoon.”
Dian’s eyebrows raised in surprise. “Wow, that is…a very open-minded approach.”
Ileena gave a nonchalant shrug. “One way or another, the two of us have spent time with members of Etheria’s Great Rebellion, who are very loving and open people when they’re not fighting the Horde, and they’ve certainly inspired us. As a matter of fact, you and your comrades in the Eternian Guard could probably relate to them.”
“How so?”
“You’re a tight-knit group in the middle of the wilderness, spending prolonged periods under threat of attack.” Ileena gave Dian a sardonic look. “You’re not going to tell me that all of you just played cards during your downtime, are you?”
Dian chuckled. “I don’t want to make it sound as if we’re going at it like a bunch of chibbits, but you’re right. On a long and dangerous posting like that, soldiers will do a lot of things to take the edge off, and I was no exception.”
Ileena tried to get into the salacious details. ”Oh yeah? Like what?”
Dian blushed. “I don’t want to get any serving Troopers in trouble…but let’s just say that I have drunk from the cup, same as you. I was something of an innocent when I signed up, but once I had my first taste, I knew…that’s what I want, that’s my idea of a good time.”
“See? We do have plenty in common, after all.” The two friends cracked up laughing.
Dian sobered up as she realised what Ileena was inferring. “So you’re saying there’s still hope…?”
“Nothing is guaranteed. Remember that Teela and I are a team in all things, especially this. But given time and enough of those positive impressions, I think she might be receptive to the idea.”
Dian took the hint. “I’ll keep that in mind. Speaking of positive impressions, I was truthful when I said that I’m very busy training Item Company. But when I get the chance, I’m quite happy to do some sparring with you. Test out what we both know, what we could learn from each other.”
“I would like that.” Ileena chewed on her bottom lip briefly as she prepared to make another proposition. “Perhaps you might be interested in the…’special’ type of training that Teela and I tried for the first time recently. We both found it very useful.”
Dian was intrigued. “What would this special training entail?”
“You know the Indoor P.T area?”
“Windowless hall, nothing but a bunch of mats and a couple of changing rooms off to the side?”
“That’s the one. Doesn’t see much use outside of winter. If you agree to join us, then we would reserve that room for a couple of hours’ private session. When we come out of the changing rooms, we wear no clothes whatsoever, not even something to put our hair back. We bring no possessions with us either, just our bodies and the mats, as we go through our normal hand-to-hand training.”
Dian was once again flustered. “And you would invite me to participate? That sounds…very intimate.”
Ileena looked down at the blurred outlines of their bodies below the water line. “Is it that much more intimate than sharing a bath together?”
Dian looked down as well. “Hmm, you’ve got me there. But wait a minute, I thought you said to take it slow and not get my hopes up.”
Ileena grinned. “I think you may be getting the wrong idea, my friend. I won’t lie, getting physical in our birthday suits is a lot more thrilling than the usual, and you’re welcome to enjoy it for that reason. We certainly do. But if you sign up for this, there will be no funny business. We treat it as seriously as any other kind of training.”
That just left the officer confused. “Then what is the purpose, if not that?”
“To Queen Marlena’s point, that one day you might need to disregard her lack of attire in order to protect her. You might also need to do that to protect yourself. Not long ago, Teela had a lady before me. This big, tough warrior who could go from lover to fighter and back with no concern for getting dressed. Just grabbed her weapons and was ready to go. Teela was inspired by her example and she shared the idea with me. The point of such training is to get rid of any fear or embarrassment you might have. So if you find yourself in a situation where you have no armour, no weapons, no clothes, no nothing and you need to fight? You know that you are no less a warrior.”
As Dian chewed over this idea, a new visitor to the baths left her towel on the hooks and made her way into the pool.
Teela was glad to see her friend and her girl sitting together. “Dian, ‘Lee, are you alright?”
“Oh, just fine, Tee’.”
The redhead responded with a wry grin. “Everything, uh…peaceful?”
The two friends shared a look, before Dian responded. “More than peaceful, Teela. I think a new alliance just formed.” She patted Ileena on the back.
“Good to know.” Teela sat down on the shelf and met Ileena for a slow, sweet kiss, before the blonde leaned in to rest her head in the crook of Teela's neck, who reached round to gently caress her wet hair.
“Hope you’ll forgive the subterfuge, Dian. When I heard Ileena’s plan, I gave her the green light to test you.”
“That’s quite alright, Captain. Have to admit, as tests go, this was rather fun.”
Ileena looked up at her love. “I was telling Dian all about our special training.”
“Oh, you did?” She looked over at her subordinate. “How about it, Dian? Does that sound like something you’d be interested in?”
“I would, Teela. If you’re willing to do that for me, then just name the time.”
“Excellent. I’ll see when we can find an opening in the duty roster. Just be aware that if you come and have a session with us, you may be required to pay it forward in the near future.”
“With whom?”
“Sibyline and Celice, a couple of brave friends who have fought the forces of Snake Mountain before. We will soon be making formal offers for them to join the Sisterhood. They both rely on magic, but we want to teach them some fundamentals of melee combat as a backup. That will include offering them this special training. If one or both of them accepts, we will be looking for you to help us.”
“I would be honoured to help in any way I can.”
Teela smiled, then relaxed against her girlfriend. A few moments passed before Dian spoke up once more.
“Ileena, I'm going to be helping Teela design a new uniform for women officers in the Royal Guard. We were thinking about personalising the colours for each officer. When the time comes, what would you say to red and silver?”
The blonde aspirant’s face lit up at such a simple statement of acceptance. “I think red and silver would do just fine.”