The Times Have Changed

Inside the Amazon royal palace.

Diana's beautiful eyes shone brightly, meeting the gaze of the Amazon Queen naturally. She was like a knightess, radiating proud brilliance, rather than the princess who was once protected and doted on by all the Amazonians:

"Mother, when I was little, didn't you say that humans were the most miraculous, powerful beings created by the gods, with infinite potential?"

She paused and said sincerely, "When I went out into the human world, I was once full of anticipation, but quickly became thoroughly disappointed with humans. So, I actually exiled myself, choosing to stay in that world to find an answer for my heart."

"Did you find it?" Hippolyta's furrowed brow softened, and she looked at her only daughter with a growing sense of calm.

"Yes, I understand what you said back then." Diana smiled faintly. "Xi Nian, he is the miracle I chose, and the answer I wanted to find."

Hippolyta was silent for a moment, then asked softly, "Are you so confident in him?"

Diana's heroic brows unfurled like sword edges, and she said seriously, "I am confident in myself, which is why I made this decision."

She gently held her mother's hand and whispered, "Mother, you won't blame me, will you?"

"How could I," Hippolyta shook her head, looking at her. "You are my daughter. No matter what decision you make, I will support you."

At this moment.

From outside the entrance of the royal palace, the female general Antiope stormed in, her voice heavy as soon as she stepped across the threshold: "I don't agree!"

"Antiope." Hippolyta looked up at her.

"Greetings, Your Majesty!" Antiope knelt on one knee in the palace hall to pay her respects, then reiterated her stance: "I do not agree with Princess Diana's choice! She is the princess of our Amazon tribe, how can she bet everything she has on a weak and young human!"

She couldn't understand, couldn't accept it!

"Antiope." Diana was about to speak, but Hippolyta patted her hand and said to Antiope, "You, you still have such a fiery temper. Do you remember when Diana was little?"

Antiope's brow was tightly knit, unsure of what the Queen meant.

Hippolyta recounted softly, "When Diana was young, she loved to sneak glances at your and the Amazon warriors' daily training. Out of love for her, I didn't want her to become a warrior, so I reprimanded her many times and publicly forbade Diana from touching weapons."

"But in the end, didn't she still sneak off to train with you?"

"This!" Antiope opened her mouth, wanting to speak but stopping herself.

"I think you know very well in your heart," Hippolyta said with emotion, "Neither you nor I could control Diana when she was a child, so how can we control her choices when she's grown up? You say she's excellent and outstanding, and now this is the decision she's made, so how can you question her?"

Antiope fell completely silent.

She clenched her fists tightly, then slowly loosened them, saying with a hint of helplessness, "I, I, respect Princess Diana's decision."

And from the moment Queen Hippolyta and General Antiope no longer objected, no one on Themyscira could question Diana's choice.

This also indicated that Xi Nian's status and position on Themyscira would rise to the same level as Princess Diana.

Diana suddenly said, "Antiope, I have one more thing I'd like to ask of you, it's about Xi Nian."

Queen Hippolyta was slightly stunned. Entrusting matters concerning Xi Nian to Antiope, was that really reliable?

Antiope, however, raised an eyebrow and said, "Princess Diana, please speak."

Diana whispered, "I want Xi Nian to..."

Inside the ancient building.

Xi Nian, lying on the bed in the small dark room, was starving. Suddenly, clear footsteps echoed from the corridor outside.

Someone's finally here!

Xi Nian sat up abruptly and saw the female guard from before hurrying in, holding a set of clothes. "Your Highness, hurry and change into this, General Antiope wants to see you!"

"Is it time to eat?" Taking the clothes from the female guard, Xi Nian, without a second thought, took off his shirt, startling the female guard into fleeing in a panic.

"What, you haven't seen a man before?" Xi Nian muttered, changing into the provided clothes and walking out of the ancient building.

Emerging from the long, dark corridor of the ancient building.

Stepping outside, Xi Nian felt like he was seeing the light of day again. He looked down at the clothes he had just changed into. Well, at least this time it was proper men's wear – a short-sleeved brown linen top and a pair of fitted trousers for easy movement, also in the style of ancient Greek attire.

However, these fitted trousers looked like they had been newly altered and sewn! The threads were all new!

Before Xi Nian could think further, the sound of hooves and roars erupted ahead. A troop of female cavalry quickly appeared before the ancient building by the cliff edge.

Leading them on a black horse was, naturally, General Antiope.

Antiope glanced at Xi Nian by the entrance, quietly gave a few instructions to the female guard, and then said to the troop behind her, "Get a horse for him."

A horse?

Xi Nian watched as a female rider led a fierce and handsome white horse to him, his mouth twitching slightly.

Man, times have changed!

Can't we get some modern transportation?

Seeing Antiope and the female knights staring at him, Xi Nian could only stare back at the white horse nearby.

The female guard seemed to sense his awkwardness and stepped forward, asking, "Your Highness, shall I help you mount?"

"Then I'll trouble you." Xi Nian was deeply moved, and then, he flew—

He was directly tossed two or three meters by the female guard, landing on the back of the white horse.

The white horse, startled, galloped wildly with Xi Nian on its back, shooting forward like an arrow released from a bow.

"Go!" Antiope urged, pushing off with her feet and leading the female cavalry in pursuit of the white horse.

Under the escort of the female cavalry, the white horse began to slow its pace. Xi Nian, still shaken on the saddle, was relieved he had grabbed the reins in time; otherwise, he would have been thrown off long ago.

Catching his breath atop the white horse, Xi Nian realized the female cavalry hadn't slowed down for his sake. They had entered the town area of Themyscira!

Smooth, wide white stone paths wound through the mountain trails, lined with countless white buildings.

As the female cavalry led Xi Nian through the town, hundreds, even thousands, of local residents dressed in white gowns, as well as armed warriors on guard duty, lined the road. They all stared at Xi Nian in the center of the procession with peculiar expressions in their eyes.

Xi Nian suddenly felt like he was visiting his significant other's home for the first time and being scrutinized by a crowd of aunts, uncles, and other relatives.

This was no longer just a group of relatives; it was an entire tribe, a race!

And that wasn't the main point.

The main point was that everyone appearing was female! Not a single man in sight! And there wasn't a single elderly person past their prime!

Xi Nian finally understood why his male attire was newly made. It was because men weren't needed on this island.

Themyscira?

It might as well be renamed the Kingdom of Daughters!