The Alyta Trilogy: Handmaids, Heroes, and Hierarchy.

Iolaus leans his elbow on the main square sundial and tosses an apple up and down.  Hercules glances over at the different vendors in Corinth that have multiplied rapidly. 
�Ouch!� they hear someone protest in the distance.
�Oh, sorry, ma�am,� a sheepish and familiar voice answers.
Herc and Iolaus exchange a knowing grin, and start laughing as their friend comes through the crowd towards them, his face red as a tomato. 
�Jason, my friend, you have got to stop running into vendors.  It�s bad for your own economy!� Iolaus manages to get out between laughs.
�Very funny,� Jason says, stealing the apple Iolaus is about the bite into.
�Hey, Jase!  That�s my lunch!� 
Jason takes a huge bite. �Consider it your taxes.  You�re helping the economy.�
�We sure have missed your humor.  Maybe his stomach hasn�t, but we have.  You can never come out anymore.�  Hercules says.
�Yeah, there have been all these things to do with the coronation.  I just wish I could leave it all behind sometimes.�
�Well, you came to the right place today, my friend,� Hercules says as he puts his arm over Jason�s sho
ulders and leads him through the town.  �Today, for some inexplicable reason, we have a lot of new people� some competitions in the arena� demonstrations� anything your royal heart desires.�
�Good.  I really need to think about something other than royalty right now.� Jason answers, and lets himself be lead toward the arena.

                                                                   *~*~*

Alyta emerges from the stream and replaces her sleeping garments with a simple light blue dress.  She grabs her staff, takes hold of it, and pulls both hands outward.  Immediately, a spearhead comes out of each end of the staff, and she sharpens them.  She gets a good grip on the staff, and practises mock fighting on the beach. 
Sytifa looks over, past the joking guards and the grilling fish, and sees Alyta practising her training.  She hands the frying utensil to one of the guards and tells him to finish breakfast.  He looks at the unfamiliar utensil in his hand and starts to protest, but Sytifa is already nearing the stream. 
�Alyta.  I see your jabs are getting much swifter, I am proud of you my dear.�
�Thank you, Sytifa.  I really can�t see how some princesses can survive without a former Amazon as their handmaid.� Alyta says breathlessly with a smile as she stops for air.
�Former or not, you�re making me proud with your advancements.�
The close friends share a hug, something that would normally be forbidden with a princess and handmaid.  They are more like rebellious teenager and a friend in the madness.  Sytifa gives Alyta an outlet to her rebellious needs.  By all accounts of her personality, you can�t tell that she�s a princess.  She hates
needlepoint and would rather be exploring the streets of a foreign city than at a royal convention.
The hug breaks off as the sounds of breakfast being called are heard.  Arm in arm, the strange duo reaches the campsite and accepts the seats offered them.  At first, these guards, who have not been with the princess on her travels let her eat first out of respect.
When Alyta notices no one is eating, she looks wide-eyed at all of them and bursts out with, �you can�t all be full?� and a smile.  After that, they all feel at ease with each other and share a wonderful breakfast.  They
pack up the campsite, Alyta taking her own share of baggage, and head for the city.  By her request, the guards are not in uniform, so that they can enter the city virtually unnoticed.  As they enter the city, Alyta�s sense of adventure kicks in.  She whispers her plan to Sytifa, who, seeing the pleading in the girl�s eyes, agrees.  Her whole caravan makes its way over to the first vendor�s booth, which is offering all sorts of dresses.  She picks out a short blue one, with waves as borders.  She slips in the small closet-like area made of curtains to try it.  Putting it on, she yells out to Sytifa that she should pay for it and that she will be out momentarily.  Minutes pass.  A guard yells to ask if she needs help.  No answer is heard.  Cautiously, he pulls aside the front curtain, and emits an alarmed phrase: �She�s gone!�