The Alyta Trilogy: Handmaids, Heroes, and Hierarchy.

The guards look at each other, and then form a plan to sweep the area for her.  While they are in this commotion, Sytifa quietly takes the discarded travel dress on the floor, places it in her pack, and thanks the owner of the stall for the dress with a smile.

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Jason, Hercules, and Iolaus watch in amazement as eight chariots make their way around the stadium, leaving only dust in their wake.  Two jet-black horses, forced by a relentless whip, pass the leader in the final stretch to win the race.  The crowd erupts in a cheer.  The winner is Jareus, the underdog.  Many men walk around mumbling, obviously having lost a few dinars.  Iolaus looks over at someone trying to make her way through the crowd.  A slim, long-haired girl with two metal spiral arm-bands going up her arms in a short blue dress in making her way over.  She is wearing shin-high traveler�s boots and carries a staff; she must not be from here.  He lets her by when she comes, but not without giving her an up and down look, ending with a raising of the eyebrows.  The nearest space is beside Jason.  She sits down and stares out at the crowd and event. 
�Do you realize that Corinth is the town closest to where I�m from that has decent chariot racing?� Alyta says to the man sitting next to her, who looks about her age, trying to make conversation with the locals.
Jason looks at the traveler, who he hasn�t noticed until now because of the last chariot race.  �Is that so?� he says, finding it amusing that someone is trying to lecture him on the town he is going to be crowned king of in two days. �And where�s that exactly?�
�Oh, that�s Atlantis.  You know, the big island.� Alyta replies, trying to look above a tall Corinthian in front of her to see the chariots turn a corner.
�Really?  You�re far from home.�
�Oh, yeah, well, my dad thought it would be good for me to see this coronation thing.  If you ask me, though, this whole �royal family gets the throne� thing is a bit old fashioned.�
Now she has Jason�s interest. �Really?�
�Uh-hunh,� she said, trying to focus on who was winning behind that cloud of dust. �Who says that this son that they happen to have first will be the best ruler of the country?  He could be a heartless jerk who would tax the poor for more than they can afford.  He could be some guy who has never been out of the castle in his life and has no idea that not everybody in this world has the choice to sit around all day and not work at all.� She takes a breath to swallow a peanut she took from her food bag.  �Want one?� she asks Jason.  With a smile he accepts.  This really is a strange girl.  He wants to hear more about her ideas about government. �I even think that one day the people will vote for one of their own to become king.  If this royal family king system was so good, they wouldn�t need to do that.�  �You really think there will be a vote?� Jason asks, ever more intrigued with this strange traveler who knows so much about ruling a kingdom.  All he gets in response is �Would make my life a whole lot easier.� Before he can asks what she means, a painful punch on the shoulder knocks him out of the conversation. 
�Wasn�t that just the greatest chariot race you�ve ever seen, Jase?!� Hercules asks excitedly. 
�It was great, wasn�t it?  Hi, my name�s Alyta.�  Alyta says, stretching her arm over Jason and clasping Hercules� lower arm.  Hercules acknowledges the introduction by naming himself, Jason, and Iolaus.  Hercules releases her arm and stares at her gold armbands. 
�Those are pretty unusual armbands,� he says, recognizing the workmanship from a meeting with an Amazon tribe.
�Yeah, they�re pretty neat, aren�t they?  I got them from my hand-�� she trails off, thinking that she should be more careful and not give herself away to be royalty after the speech she just gave this Jason guy. �� My hand washing friend.  Yes, we go to the well and wash our clothes together.  She was an Amazon, and had these.  She gave them to me as a sign of our friendship.�  That was true.  She often helped Sytifa with the washing, and it was a sign of friendship between them. 
Jason realizes that he had not really been paying attention to the chariot race, but to this definitely opinionated girl, Alyta as she now introduces herself. 

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