Broken Vows by Arcadia
Part Three
Diana was surrounded by world leaders, rich entrepreneurs and celebrities. All wanted a piece of the Princess. They donated heavily to Diana’s cause but most only did so to have a moment with the princess. Some were even as blunt to say they wanted a private dinner out of her for their donations. Diana was cordial and respectful as she turned their offers down and still charmed by the Princess allowed her to keep their donations.
She had arranged this dinner to raise money for women shelters before the affair but because of the affair, Diana couldn’t focus on the dinner as much as she’d liked. Her relationship with Clark was taking her away from her duties. Even when she wasn’t with him, when she was trying to focus on her other duties, her thoughts would drift to him and what they had done.
Despite all that, dinner so far was progressing well as Diana talked cordially to her guests, sharing her thoughts with events in their country while explaining her desire to help and even open more shelters for women and children. It was during dessert did Diana feel the evening turn sour.
“A minute of your time, Princess.”
Diana looked to her guest to her right. Sitting next to the Prime Minister of Britain was Keith Connery from the London Reporter. He was a suave looking man. Most women would find him attractive but Diana wasn’t drawn to him. Diana knew little of the reporter but he was a guest of the Prime Minister who Diana thought was a good person. So far, the reporter has been quiet throughout the evening, observing the dinner and discussions between Diana and her guests.
Diana addressed the reporter, “Yes, Mr. Connery?”
“Please, call me, Keith,“ he smiled charmingly before asking, “What is the story with you and Superman?”
Diana was not surprised by the question. She was often asked by her relationship with Superman and thought this would be no different. “What do you mean?”
“There’s talk in the papers about a romance with you two.”
“There’s always talk of romance between Superman and I,” Diana said and smoothly added. “What’s printed in the paper isn’t always true. Being a reporter, you should know that more than anyone.”
“That’s true, but there are seeds of truth in every print. Why aren‘t you with him?” Keith asked. “You’re both strong, attractive, honest people. You inspire others by your leadership. I‘m sure you have more in common than you let others know.”
“I understand it’s hard for others to believe but Superman and I are friends. He’s like…”
“A brother?” Keith guessed and laughed. “That would be a bit incestuous don’t you think? I’ve seen pictures of you two together. The looks and physical exchanges between you two are anything but friendly and nothing I would call brotherly or sisterly affection. I have a sister I am close to, Princess but she and I aren’t *that* close.”
Diana eyed her other guests who were watching the exchanged between them intently. She looked to the Prime Minister who invited Keith. He appeared uncomfortable but didn’t look as if he was going to interrupt this.
“It is not surprising you do not understand my relationship with Superman, Mr. Connery. Most people do not.”
“Is it because of his Lady Reporter friend?” Keith slyly asked. “Lois Lane?”
Diana raised a sharp eyebrow as a flash of annoyance crossed Diana‘s face. “Lois Lane is Lois Lane Kent now. Superman is good friends with Mrs. Kent and her husband, Clark Kent.”
“Superman and Mrs. Kent had an *interesting* relationship together before she married Clark Kent. A good reporter, I hear but quite a buffoon. Who’s to say Lois Lane’s marriage to Clark Kent isn’t a cover or if she is entirely faithful. A study was recently published that nearly half the married people in this country do have affairs.”
“It is very bold as well as insulting to accuse someone as noble as Superman to be having an affair with a married woman.” Diana’s voice touched of anger. “And your minute is up.”
Dessert was eaten in silence and afterwards Diana excused herself to the library. Keith’s words hit close to home. She was defending Clark for not having an affair when he was and with her.
The cruel irony of it all.
Diana sat in a chair to gather a moment to herself before seeing her guests again when the doors suddenly opened. She expect it was Ferdinand or another member of her staff but it wasn’t.
“Oops, I’m sorry. I thought this was the lavatory.”
Diana stood and turned as she saw Keith Connery in the doorway. Her suspicions were rising about him. “How can you mistake a room such as this for the lavatory?” Diana questioned.
Keith smiled embarrassed. “When you’re looking for the lavatory, you’re bound to open every door in the house until you find it.”
“Make a right when you leave this room and go three doors down.”
Keith nodded. “Yes, of course.” But he didn’t leave. “I apologize if I offended you during dessert. It was very insulting to suggest Superman would have an affair with a married woman.”
“Apology accepted.”
“If you like, I still have a few questions.”
Diana was mildly outrage. “So, you don’t have to excuse yourself?”
“I can hold on if I can talk to a beautiful woman like you,” Keith flirted.
“No thank you, Mr. Connery. It would be in your best interests that you leave and do less snooping in my home as you return to the dining area.”
Diana‘s threat was very clear.
“Of course. Another time then.” Keith respected Diana’s brush off and left the room. Keith closed the library doors but continued to walk about the Embassy. No one noticed him sneak away from the dining area where most guests were. Before he was a reporter, he was a member of the British Secret Service so it wasn’t hard to blend in with guests and sneak in and out of places.
He was searching Diana’s home in hopes of finding a big scoop. He was a successful Secret Service agent and though the job was exciting, he knew as he got older, assignments got tougher and if he wanted a long life he would have to leave the job. So, he retired and found more lucrative job as a reporter. Now he was searching Diana’s home for something big.
He believed in the Princess’ cause but that didn’t mean a woman as pure and noble as Wonder Woman didn’t have secrets. Everyone had secrets. His work for the British government had proven that. His blackmailing the Prime Minister also attests to that. Many doors were locked but with his specialty in breaking in and studying sketches of Embassies, he was able to find Diana’s private chambers and break in. Keith didn’t have time to admire the accolades of the room as he quickly scanned for a place to put his tiny camera, in the guise of a diamond brooch.
“What are you doing in here?”
Keith subtly dropped the brooch as he turned and found himself being stared down by an angry Minotaur. “Oh, hello. Ferdinand, isn’t it?”
“You didn’t answer my question,” Ferdinand said and grabbed Keith by an arm and dragged him out of the room. “The Princess was suspicious of your presence. Apparently, she was right.” Keith tried to explain himself but Ferdinand didn’t hear of it as he kicked him out of the Embassy.
After Ferdinand kicked Keith out, he didn’t tell Diana about Keith being in her room only that he escorted him out after seeing him walking around parts of the Embassy closed off to the rest of the guests. Ferdinand knew Diana was preoccupied with something she had yet to share with everyone and he didn’t want to add to it by mentioning the reporter was in her room. Besides Ferdinand caught the reporter seconds after entering the room. He didn’t have a chance to do anything.
An hour later, the last of the guests left the Embassy and Diana returned to her room. She disappeared into her bathroom and took a soothing bath. Afterwards, she returned to her bedroom dressed in a robe. Diana froze when she saw she had company. “Kal, what are you doing here? How long have you been here?”
Clark stood by the doors leading to her balcony. “I just got here. I want to talk,” he said stepping in the room. “I wanted to see you.”
“Where’s Lois?” Diana asked.
“In Los Angeles. She’s interviewing the California Governor. She won’t be back until tomorrow.”
“And you thought to see me.” Diana surmised. “Kal, you know you shouldn’t be here.”
“I know,” he agreed. “But I need to talk to you. I think Lois suspects something is going on with us.”
Diana gasped. “How? Did you tell her?”
Clark shook his head. “No, but the other night we were having sex and I thought of you and….” he couldn’t finish his words.
But Diana knew what he was leading to. “Oh no. Is she all right?”
“She has some bruises but other than that, she’s fine. Just angry. She kicked me out of the bed for the night. I can’t blame her though.” He sighed and sat on Diana’s bed. “She asked me if I were thinking of you and I told her no.”
Diana rest a hand on his shoulder. “This is getting out of hand, Kal. Now you see why we can’t continue this.”
“I know. You’re right.” He looked at her, gazing in her sea blue eyes. “But the truth is I still want you.”
Diana removed her hand from his shoulder and stepped away. “I think you should go.”
“I shouldn’t be here.” The guilt in his voice was obvious. “I shouldn’t have done a lot of things like fall in love with you.”
“You shouldn’t love me,” Diana told him. “You should love only Lois.”
“I know but dammit I can’t help how I feel for you, Diana. I fell in love with you before I fell in love with Lois. I fell in love with you in spite of thinking I wasn’t good enough for you. I tried to move on with Lois. I *did* move on. I was happy but I wasn’t satisfied. I still thought of you. The things we could do was enough for me because it allowed me to touch you, to show my love for you and Bruce had to take that away and now that I finally had you, I just can’t give that up.”
His confession almost left Diana speechless. Clark was always in control of his feelings. He always had a strong resolve. They talked about things including things he never told Lois but Clark was never this open to Diana before, never this vulnerable not even with her. “Why are you telling me all this?”
“I thought you should know. I can lie to Lois, but I can’t lie to you.” He sighed heavily and the look in his eyes were that of a man who was on the verge of giving up. “I’m getting tired of keeping everything in. ”
Diana sat behind Clark and wrapped her arms around him in a comforting hug. Clark leaned against her, soaking in her strength. “I know. It’s hard, isn’t it? Everyone can lose their control except you. Everyone can have a bad day except you. Everyone can let loose of their emotions, tell how they feel except you. You have to keep control, keep the peace. You have to hide everything behind that farm boy smile of yours. It isn’t fair.”
Suddenly, Diana pulled away from Clark as if realizing touching him wasn’t the best thing to be doing. Diana sat besides Clark instead, her emotions still strong. “It’s not easy being you, Kal.”
“No, but being with you helps….a lot.” Clark grabbed Diana before she could react and kissed her hotly against her mouth.
Ribbons of heat, passion and raw need flowed through their bodies. Diana’s hands slid in Clark’s jet black hair, holding him captive, preventing his escape even if he tried. Her ragged breath fanned his nose and cheeks as their tongues dance in each other’s mouth. She felt his hands caressing down her back, going lower. She moaned in his mouth when a hand slipped in her robe and between her legs.
Diana felt herself being lifted with one arm and settled more comfortable on the bed with Clark’s body covering hers. They parted momentarily and Diana saw the need and desire in Clark’s eyes matching her own. Clothes became a bother so they got rid of them, tossing them carelessly across the room. Once free of the confining garments, they were free to explore their bodies with their hands and mouth.
“Wait. What are we doing?” Diana asked through a fleeting moment of sanity.
“Something we both want,” Clark pinned Diana’s arms behind her head and savagely kissed her. All thoughts of resolved left Diana at that moment.
Afterwards, they laid in each other’s arms. Clark was on his back with Diana tucked into his side. The sheets were kicked to the foot of the bed. Diana’s balcony doors were opened bringing in a cool breeze to the hot room. The bed itself was on the floor since the legs broke under Clark and Diana’s lovemaking. Two of the curled iron bars of the headboard were ripped off caused by Diana when Clark told her to grip the bed as he tried a new move on her.
“Sorry about the bed,” Clark apologize. “I thought it was made of tougher material like my bed at the Fortress. I’ll fix it.”
“Like your chair at the Fortress?” Diana asked with a sly look. “Or the crack in the shower wall?”
“I still have to fix that,” Clark said with a laugh.
Diana shook her head amused. “We weren’t too loud were we?”
“No. We were careful enough and no one is on this floor anyway.”
Diana‘s smile fade as she seriously asked, “Kal, how long are we going to do this? How long will this relationship of ours remain hidden? Things that are darkest will soon come to light.”
Clark stared at the ceiling thinking. He thought about the incident with Lois. He thought about Bruce and what he had over him. “If anyone should find out…”
Diana rolled on her stomach and gazed at Clark. “I want you and I enjoy our lovemaking immensely but when it’s over I feel guilty because of what we’re doing to Lois.”
“I know,” Clark agreed. He didn’t want to hurt Lois but he wanted Diana and that *was* hurting Lois. Lois was a wonderful woman and didn’t deserve this.
“Do you want to be with me, Kal?” Diana asked.
Clark rolled on his side and played with Diana’s hair. “Of course I do.”
“But you want to be with Lois, too.” Diana looked down sadly writing nonsensical words in the sheets.
Clark knew what Diana was hinting at. “I don’t want to hurt Lois, Diana.”
“But you are by being unfaithful to her,” Diana said. “Lois and I will never be friends, but she is my sister and I shouldn’t be doing this to her. We have to do what is right, regardless of how we feel for each other. Kal, you must make a choice: end our relationship and go back to Lois forever or divorce Lois and we start a relationship.”
Clark pushed a lock of hair behind her ear. “I know. And you’re right. We can’t keep doing this.” Clark thought about Bruce and his subtle threat. Lois and her suspicions flashed in his mind again. “Someone could find us out and I will rather Lois find out by me than someone else. If I divorce Lois, I will have to tell her everything. She deserves to know the truth.”
Diana gripped his hand. “Whatever you decide, I will always be there for you.”
Clark smiled tenderly as he kissed her hand. “Until I decide, could I have one more moment?” He caressed her face. “I just want to remember tonight. I want to remember what it feels like to hold you in my arms.” He cupped her face in his hands and kissed her tenderly.
There was no need for fast, hard loving, just loving at a slower, gentle pace. Tears spilled from Diana’s eyes as she felt this would be the last time she touched Clark this way at least for a very long time.
The next morning Clark awakened to the morning sun in his eyes. He sat up and yawned. He looked at the clock by Diana’s bed. He had to be in Metropolis in an hour. He looked down at Diana’s sleeping form. He had to go home but he didn’t want to leave her.
Still, duty called. Clark Kent had to show up for work and pick up Lois from the airport in six hours. Clark slipped out of bed and went to pick up his clothes that were tossed about the room. When he stepped over his cape, he felt a crunch underfoot. Clark picked up his cape and saw broken pieces of a brooch.
“Great,” Clark grimaced. Oh, well, he’ll buy another one for Diana. “Wait a second.” He picked up the brooch and saw pieces of a broken camera was inside. It was broken now but how long was it recording? It was under his cape so it didn’t see the lovemaking but who could’ve done this. Clark gripped the brooch tightly, crushing it to even smaller pieces and placed it in the trash. “Bruce. Damn you.”
Looks like Bruce lied about watching him. It had to be him. He was the only one to know about him and Diana. Clark thought of seeing Bruce after he leave here but decided that wouldn’t be best. He wouldn’t be the most rational with Bruce now. No, Clark decided it would be best he keep his distance as he always had been.
“Kal?”
Clark turned around to see Diana smiling at him. She only wore the bed sheets to her waist. The rest of her body was covered in her tousled black hair. The morning sun bathe her in such light that she literally glowed. She was ethereally beautiful. He almost forgot to speak. “Good morning.”
“Good morning.” She looked him over. “I guess you have to go.”
“Unfortunately.”
“You can take a shower before you leave, can’t you?” Diana asked. “I could have Ferdinand whip up an extra large breakfast and make him think it’s for me.”
Clark smiled as he put on his suit. “Thank you, but I think I should get going.”
“You’re right.” Diana slipped out of bed, slipped on her robe and joined him. “I guess this is really it.”
Clark nodded. “At least until I make a decision. I won’t be long with it.”
“Take your time.”
Clark and Diana embraced each other one last time. Holding hands, they walked onto Diana’s balcony. Clark placed a kiss on Diana’s forehead and flew away. Diana looked in the sky hopeful but there was a resonance of finality in her voice as she said, “Until then, Kal.”
****
Hours earlier, Keith Connery was pissed when he returned to his hotel room. Ferdinand interrupted him before he had a chance to turn on the audio and place the brooch in a spot where he would get a good view. He had no choice but to drop it lest Ferdinand discover it.
Keith sat before his laptop to see what his camera was picking up in Diana’s room. So far, he could see the floor and part of Diana’s bed. He sat there bored for an hour until someone entered the room. From the dress in the background, it was clear Diana returned. She walked out of shot. Another thirty minutes passed and he saw Diana return to her bedroom and stop for a moment.
From Diana’s body language, he could see Diana was talking to someone and the conversation was serious. Keith inwardly cursed again for not getting a good angle for the camera. Diana sat on the bed still talking to the mysterious guest. Suddenly, Diana was kissed and the mysterious person came into the camera’s view. Keith smiled when he saw it was Superman.
Jackpot!
Keith eagerly watched as Diana was lift off her feet by the Man of Steel and lowered back on the bed. Her long Amazon legs wrapped around Superman’s waist. Superman’s cape and shirt came off and was flung over the room, on the camera, blinding Keith from seeing anymore.
Damn! The story of the century and he wasn’t going to have any detailed pictures for it except for the shot on the bed.
Keith could do nothing else but wait until he could see again. He waited for several hours to get a shot until something happened and the camera’s vision red from Superman’s cape suddenly turned black. Keith cursed again. His camera was destroyed and there was no way he could recover it now.
He didn’t get any graphic shots of Diana and Superman intimate but he did get a good shot of Diana with her legs around Superman and he on top of her. That was enough to set fire on this hot story.
Still, he couldn’t rush into the story. Suppose it was Wonder Woman or Superman who found it? They may be after him. Keith decided it would be best to remain low and wait. If they didn’t come after him in a specific amount of time, then that would mean he was in the clear and could print the story and this was a story he was looking forward to printing.
****
A month passed since his night with Diana and Clark finally came to a decision. He thought a lot over the pass month about Lois, Diana and who he wanted. Clark never thought he would ever consider a divorce. It meant breaking a promise to a great woman and he was never one to break promises. He always followed through.
Still, if he kept his promise to Lois, he would be missing out on a great love with Diana. He would be sacrificing true happiness. Over the weeks since the affair first started, Clark was subtly coming to a decision but before announcing his decision, Clark knew he would have to come clean with both women. No matter which woman he chose, he would have to tell Lois about the affair and he would have to tell Diana about Bruce watching them.
Clark decided to see Diana first. He found her coming out of her room at the Watchtower. Her shift was ending and since it was also Clark’s night off, she was surprised to see him. “Hello, Kal.” Ever since they agreed to keep their hands off each other until Clark made a decision, Diana was in a better mood to see him. The guilt of sleeping with him was still there but knowing this matter was coming to an end soon, made the burden lighter.
“I made my decision.”
The smile fell from Diana’s face and she looked nervous. “So soon?”
“I knew since we first slept together, it would eventually come to this, Diana. I guess I was avoiding all this time. I’m now ready to make my decision.”
“I see.”
“Could we talk in your room?” Clark asked.
“Yes,” Diana opened her door and allowed him in first before closing it. Diana kept her distance from him. “So, what have you decided?”
“Before I tell you who I choose, there’s something you should know,” Clark stated seriously.
Diana regarded him with concern. “What is it?”
“Bruce knows. He saw us”
Diana opened her mouth to speak but words wouldn’t come out. It took her a moment before she could gather herself. “When? How? We were so careful. We were only together at the Fortress and the Embassy. Did he see us kissing here?”
“No. It was the Fortress.” Clark took a stepped forward and gripped Diana‘s shoulders gently. “Diana, he saw us and I knew…the whole time.”
Diana pulled away from Clark, eyeing him in disbelief. “Oh, Gods. What does he want? Is he blackmailing us?”
“No.”
“And you knew all this time? Why didn’t you tell me?”
Diana’s voice was laced with anger. Clark expected it and tried to explain himself. “I thought it was best you didn’t know but I couldn’t keep it from you. I can’t keep anything from you. You know that.”
“‘I can lie to Lois but I can’t lie to you.’” Diana mocked the words angrily. “Those were your words, was it not? It seems you can lie to me.”
“Not a lie. I just didn’t tell you. Those are two different things.” Clark winced as the words didn’t sound right coming from his mouth.
Diana punched him so hard he slammed into her wall and the room rocked. “You let him watch us and you did nothing!” Diana was furious. “What, did you get some thrill out of him watching or were flaunting to him that you had me and Bruce never would?”
Clark rubbed his momentarily loose jaw, “Diana, no! That’s not why.”
“If that wasn’t the reason, then you would’ve kicked Bruce out before he saw us!”
“Diana, I’m sorry!”
“Get out, Kal.”
“Diana, I’m not leaving until we talk this out.”
“Get out!” Diana screamed. “I don’t want to look at you!”
Clark grabbed her arm. Diana tried to break his hold but with his strength it was near impossible. “Damn you. Let me go!”
“Not until we talk this out!” Clark said defiantly.
A knock at Diana’s door put a halt to the fighting. “Clark? Diana?” It was Wally.
“Not now, Wally,” Clark said.
“Um, this is really important.”
Clark released Diana and opened the door. He looked irate at Wally. “What is it?”
Wally looked from Clark to Diana noticing they were not in the mood to talk to him or anyone. He didn’t want to give them this news that would make their moods even worse but he drew the unlucky straw. “Um, the latest London Reporter hit the stands thirty minutes ago.”
Diana rolled her eyes and Clark sighed. “Why is that important?”
“Um, it is for you two. You’re on the cover.” He held up the cover of the paper to them.
The newspaper article was titled, “SECRET LOVERS!” There was a picture of Clark and Diana in bed. Diana’s legs were around Clark’s waist as the two were engaged in a hot, passionate kiss.
Clark snatched the paper out of Wally’s hands. “Where did you get this?”
“The news just broke out on the TV ten minutes ago. I raced to London to pick up a paper. They’re selling like hotcakes. It’s breaking news all over the globe about you two. It’s on every channel.”
“Merciful Minerva,” Diana gasped.
“J’onn is calling an emergency meeting in thirty minutes,” Wally said. “I told him with it being almost midnight over here, not many people will show up but he thinks it’s best we deal with this now and have a statement for the press when they talk to us.”
“Right,” Clark said but he wasn’t paying attention as his thoughts were on the paper.
Diana and Clark didn’t say anything else and it was enough for Wally to get the hint and leave. Once he was gone, Diana spoke. “First Bruce and now this. How? We were so careful.”
“We were but someone had a camera in your room. It was the night of your charity dinner. I found the camera the next day but I destroyed it.”
“And when were you going to tell me this?” Diana asked heated.
“I thought it was Bruce but I never asked him about it. I’ve been avoiding him lately. If I saw him, I thought I would hit him.”
“I’ve been avoiding him, too.” Diana admitted. “This situation has gotten so bad that J’onn is assigning us different missions.” Diana looked at the paper and read it was written by Keith Connery. “Oh, Hera, I know who placed the camera. Keith Connery. Ferdinand saw him snooping around but kicked him out of the Embassy. He never told me he was in my room.”
Clark opened the newspaper to the page where the story continued. “The pictures aren’t too graphic but it’s effective. There’s nothing in the paper about our conversation, just speculation about how long we’ve been sleeping around.”
“Just to be sure, I’m going to London and find out how much he knows and what other pictures he has,” Diana said angrily. “Anyone who reads this is just as guilty for snooping in on private affairs.”
“Lois,” Clark said suddenly. “She’s gonna find out about us from the paper than from me.” He closed his eyes briefly. “And my parents. What will they think?”
“The truth is out, Kal,” Diana said with the calmness that only one blessed by Athena could have. “We can only face it and deal with the consequences…and there will be consequences.”
