The Alyta Trilogy: Handmaids, Heroes, and Hierarchy.

Loua walks up the spiraling stone steps to Jason�s chambers.  She knocks on the door before calling for Jason and opening it.  She looks at the empty room.
�Where can that boy be?  He�s usually back by now.�
Carrying Alyta�s clothes for her presentation the day after next, Sytifa overhears the worried voice of a woman in the prince�s chambers.  She peeks in to see what the matter is.  She sees Loua, a woman in similar dress to her, obviously fulfilling the same duty, with one hand on her forehead and the other on her waist, wearing a look of total exasperation.
�He�s going to kill me with worry!  Yes, that�s his plan.  He�ll just kill me, and then no one will have to look after him.  Great plan, Jason.� 
Sytifa senses that her help is needed more with someone she can relate to than Alyta�s clothes, ones that she would never be caught dead in otherwise, and goes to take the woman by the arm.  She leads her downstairs where they can talk.
With white light, two figures appear in their places, lounging on the prince�s couches.
�Two mortal royals that don�t wanna be.  Two days before a mortal coronation.  Oh, this is going to be fun.�  Says the goddess of love with a smile.
�Don�t do anything too dumb, Aphrodite.�  Artemis says, knowing how she�ll make people act when they�re under her love spells.  �I admire her fighting skills, they�re good for a mortal, and she�s a harbor child.  I won�t let you do anything that endangers her.  I have the power to throw even you against a tree mighty hard.�
�Ah, chill out, sis.  People still appreciate you.  Or do I have to remind you of the Hippolytus incident?  With all this prince marries princess stuff, it�s hard to find a good-ol� �I love you, I love you too� kiss, kiss, kiss� story around here.  What this town needs is a goddess of luuuuv.�

                                                                      *~*~*

Jason leads Alyta through a path in the woods. 
�You�ll love this place.  Somebody long ago planted some flowers here.  They�ve grown every since, but wild.�
They stop in front of a dark grove of ancient oaks.
�In there?� Alyta asks, skeptically. 
�Come on.� Jason says, and offers his hand.  Alyta looks into the dark forest, and at Jason�s outstretched hand. 
Be rebellious for once, she tells herself.  Is it the sort of thing a princess would do?  No.  Good.  I�ll do it.
She takes Jason�s hand and runs with him down the animal path.
�Halt!�  they hear, and obey.
Surrounding them is a group of thugs, wearing tattered clothing that could have been white in another age.  They carry either staff of sword.  Jason and Alyta look at each other.  This is not what they were thinking of.  �Run.  I�ll take care of these guys.�  Jason says, very macho.
�Um� would you mind terribly if I took these five right over here?� Alyta says, smiling sweetly.  Jason watches as her staff transforms into a double-sided spear. 
His eyes open wide. �Sure.  Yeah.  You could do that.�
She nods gratefully, then knocks two of them off their feet with one stroke of her staff, and starts fighting one sword against spearhead with amazing technique.  Jason takes one moment to raise his eyebrows: this girl is truly suprising.  Then he grabs an attacker�s staff and uses it to hit him out cold.  He twirls the staff, smiles, and asks, �Next please?�  Two grunt at him and come forward.  �Single line, ladies, single line!� he yells as he drops the staff and smashes their heads together.  Meanwhile, Alyta is battling with the leader.  �Oh, this�ll be too easy,� he says, right before he goes unconscious from a blow to the head.