You Are Her Monarch

On the beach of Themyscira.

General Antiope and the Amazonian warriors were all silent, their faces a mixture of shock, confusion, and anger.

Without needing many explanations, Diana, the Amazonian princess, had already made her stance clear by placing her divine artifact, the Star-Spangled Tiara, on the head of a human male.

"His name is Xi Nian, Xi Nian Prince," Diana said softly, as if announcing something.

"Uh, good noon, the weather is really nice today… Um, it's a pleasure to meet you all." To break the awkward silence, Xi Nian, wearing the tiara, waved his hand and enthusiastically greeted the female warriors.

However, no one responded to his greeting, and the atmosphere became even more somber.

Xi Nian's waving hand stopped, and a tingling sensation ran down his scalp. He felt like this was a situation where awkwardness itself had opened a door for awkwardness—

It was supremely awkward!

"Even so, without the Queen's decree, he cannot enter the main island of Themyscira," Antiope said, her chest heaving and her fists clenched, her gaze incredibly cold as she looked at Xi Nian.

Xi Nian suddenly found that gaze familiar! Yes, it was very much like how Officer George often looked at him!

"I know, I will prepare to meet Mother now," Diana nodded and said, "Antiope, could you please arrange accommodation for Xi Nian in the buildings on the island cluster next to the main island? He will be staying here for a few days."

"No problem."

Facing Diana's request, Antiope, no matter how unwilling, gritted her teeth and agreed.

"Xi Nian," Diana turned back and said softly to him, "Please follow my aunt, Antiope, to the arranged residence first. I will come to see you later after I meet Mother."

"Okay, go ahead," Xi Nian replied, thinking to himself that it was just like visiting a tourist island with poor service, nothing much.

"Follow me," Antiope glanced at him expressionlessly, then turned and mounted her black horse.

Away from the palace and the residences of the Amazonian people, on the side of a cliff facing the outer sea of Themyscira.

There stood a large and peculiar ancient circular building.

Antiope led Xi Nian to the main entrance of the ancient structure.

Gazing at the intact building that resembled the ruins of an ancient sacred temple, Xi Nian said with uncertainty, "This is where I'm supposed to live? Actually, it doesn't need to be this nice."

Antiope, riding her black horse ahead, did not respond. She went straight to the entrance of the ancient building and said to the female guards in silver armor standing on either side of the entrance, "Arrange a spare guard room for him."

"Yes, General!" The two female guards at the entrance quickly acknowledged the order. They curiously looked at the first human youth to arrive here, and when they saw the familiar tiara on his head, their expressions immediately turned to shock, just like the warriors earlier.

Why are they looking at me like that again?

Xi Nian muttered inwardly, completely unaware of the significance of the tiara he was wearing.

"Keep an eye on him, don't let him wander around," Antiope threw this instruction to the female guards and left Xi Nian alone at the entrance of the ancient building, riding her black horse away without once meeting his gaze or speaking to him.

After Antiope's decisive departure, kicking up dust.

One of the female guards respectfully said to Xi Nian, "Your Highness, please come in with me."

Your Highness?

Xi Nian was taken aback. Looking at the female guard entering the ancient building, he suddenly felt that the people here were quite polite.

Xi Nian followed the female guard through the entrance. The further he went into the building, the more he felt something was amiss!

The inner walls of this ancient structure were unimaginably thick, with no doors or windows. The only main entrance was a cramped corridor about two meters high.

Rather than a residence, it seemed more like a secret place for imprisoning criminals or storing items.

"This is it," the female guard stopped with Xi Nian not in the center of the building, but by the side of the corridor. With a push on a brick, a hidden door in the wall slowly opened, and a cascade of loose dust fell.

"Achoo."

The female guard and Xi Nian both coughed. After the dust settled, a dim blue hanging lamp automatically lit up on the high wall of the inner room behind the hidden door.

Following the light, they could see a small, square room of less than twenty square meters inside. The room was furnished with a weapon rack and two very simple beds, and nothing else!

Xi Nian's lips twitched slightly. A small dark room was one thing, but the weapon rack and beds were covered in thick dust, suggesting they hadn't been used in a long time.

"Your Highness, please wait a moment, I'll clean it for you," the female guard said, dusting off the room with an apologetic tone. "This room was prepared for the guards who kept watch here late at night when this building was designed. However, later, most of the stationed guards were withdrawn, so it has remained vacant and uncleaned."

"Guards? Guarding what?" Xi Nian was a bit bewildered. Wouldn't it be strange if they gave me a place to stay in a guardhouse? Or are they treating me like a criminal and locking me up?

"Just an item," the female guard said as she tidied up. "That thing is located in the deepest part of this building, but there's nothing much to see. I've guarded it for about ten years, and before me, our Amazonian people had been guarding it for over a thousand years."

"Is it okay for me to live in such an important place?" Xi Nian became increasingly uneasy. A place that required vigilant guarding for a thousand years must have some issues, he thought, no ghost would believe otherwise!

"It's nothing. As long as it doesn't leave here. For a thousand years, it hasn't shown any abnormalities, so don't worry," the female guard shrugged. "Besides, you are the sovereign of that one, so living here is already a condescension given your noble status."

"Wait," Xi Nian's eyebrows shot up. "Sovereign? What do you mean?"

The female guard also looked puzzled, pointing to the tiara he was wearing. "Isn't that Princess Diana's?"

"Yes, it is," Xi Nian nodded.

"Then that's it," the female guard confirmed, her voice deepening. "From the moment we Amazonians are born, we are given a crown. The royal family wears a ceremonial crown, and warriors wear an armor crown. This is a symbol of our identity and honor for life."

"And this crown is on my head right now..." Xi Nian's eyes widened in belated realization.

"It signifies that she has bestowed her honor, status, and her most valuable possessions upon you. You are her sovereign. You share glory and disgrace, advancing and retreating on the same path!"

The female guard sighed, her eyes peering through the gaps in her helmet at Xi Nian. "I don't know why that Highness chose you, a mere human, as her other half. Of course, this isn't something I can judge; I can only respect her choice."

Xi Nian fell silent.

He didn't feel surprised; instead, the crown on his head felt heavy, pressing down on him, making it hard to breathe.

Diana's aunt, it was naturally impossible for her to choose him as her other half.

This was most likely just like before, when he had deliberately called his aunt his "little girlfriend" to fend off a suitor. It was only meant to give him a more legitimate identity to stay on Themyscira.

But.

A woman as independent, intelligent, beautiful, and perfect as Diana's aunt. For a goddess as proud and noble as she was, to declare that she was placing everything she represented onto him, as if he were some accessory.

Xi Nian felt that the price for this was too much, even for his aunt!