Queen Hippolyta glanced down at her stomach and then at Artemis in shock. "I'm, I'm pregnant?" It was only through sheer strength of will that Hippolyta hadn't fainted.
Artemis sighed and then nodded her head. "Correct, you're currently two weeks along and can expect to give birth to your son in a little over eight months. Before I leave I'll give your doctors some advice for prenatal care." While this situation was bizarre in the extreme, Artemis was still the goddess of childbirth in addition to being the goddess of the hunt. There was absolutely no way that she was going to risk the child being harmed because Amazon healers didn't know how to take care of a pregnant woman.
Diana was kneeling with her jaw inches from the floor. "Begging your pardon Lady Artemis, but how can my mother be pregnant? I'm the only child born on Themyscira and that was because of a blessing from Hera. Isn't it impossible for an Amazon to be pregnant?"
The goddess refrained from rolling her eyes only because she knew Diana would have no information on that topic. "Child, any Amazon could carry a child if they wanted to and had the help of a man. However, your brother is a special case. From what I have been informed, his soul was set to reincarnate after his fiancee killed him using a wish he gave her."
Without warning, Diana fell to the palace floor in shock. The idea of men attacking, hurting, and killing women was not a foreign idea to Diana. The princess had heard many tales of the cruelty that man could inflict. However, the idea of a woman killing a man using a gift given by the man in question simply did not make any sense.
Hippolyta placed her hand on a column for balance. The revelations that Artemis had delivered were threatening to overwhelm the queen. Seeing Hippolyta's situation, Artemis turned her head slightly and motioned towards a couch. "A woman in your condition should rest until her system gets used to growing life inside you. Sit down Hippolyta and then we will continue."
Not daring to disobey the goddess, Hippolyta quickly walked over to the couch and sat down. It was rather disconcerting for the queen to be sitting while the goddess stood in front of her. The news of her pregnancy and that she carried a son was extremely distressing for Hippolyta. Unbidden and unwanted, memories of Hercules and the torments he inflicted on her came to the forefront. In addition, memories of Hades also bubbled up. Why was she carrying a boy after all that men had done to her?
Artemis summoned a small vial out of thin air and handed it to Hippolyta. "Just mix this with a cup of wine to drink and your morning sickness problems will be gone forever." The Amazonian queen silently accepted the vial from the goddess.
A tiny smile appeared on Artemis's face. "Good, that should take care of your current problems. You'll need to adjust your diet slightly to insure proper nutrition, but I'll work that out with the cooks as well before I leave. I'll be back at least once a month to make sure that you don't have any problems with your pregnancy." The goddess smiled and then started to walk away.
"Why?" Artemis turned around to see Hippolyta staring blankly into space. "Why by the fates is this happening to me?"
The goddess shrugged her shoulders. "Don't ask me, Apollo's got that stupid prophecy and seeing the future gig; I just hunt and make sure that kids are born. Also, I wouldn't bother trying to ask the fates; once they said that your son would be vital for the future they quit. Apparently, their HMO doesn't cover mortal induced insanity."
"Look on the bright side Hippolyta, your son's got a good soul. From the records we recovered, Ranma had a good heart and was a very good warrior. The flaws he did have were because he was raised by a rather pathetic father when it came to life lessons. I'm sure you and the rest of the Amazons can raise your son to be the kid of heroic man a man should be."
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(Posted Sun, 03 Apr 2011 05:18)
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