The Alyta Trilogy: Handmaids, Heroes, and Hierarchy

Staring into her bowl of soup, Alyta tries to forget what all the bustling going on around her entails for her own � not to mention Jason�s � political obligations.  She hears a familiar voice saying, �Yes, so I�ll be crowned over here� what�s happening over there?  Oh, right, the princesses� and over here�ll be the royal banquet� oh, this is going to be just perfect!�  She looks up to see Jason conferring, rather haughtily, with a servant.  She goes over to give him a piece of her mind, but he stops her in mid-stride. 
�Oh, you,� he says, pointing right at her nose.
She smirks at him, wondering what he�s doing now. 
�You, servant: wash these windows.  They�re filthy.  I want everybody to see me when I am crowned King of Corinth.�
Um� he was obviously having some sort of bizarre role playing game.  Sure. I can play a servant, she thinks.  She curtsies and, bowing her head low, leaves the room.  Yah right I�m going to wash those windows.  Come down from your cloudy lair sometime before the actual coronation, Jason.  You�re only delaying the lecture you so greatly deserve. 
Alyta walks up the stone steps and puzzles about Jason.  She�s never seen him like this.  Of course, she hasn�t seen him except for three days, and that�s normally not a long enough time to judge someone by.  But she thought she knew him.  They had shared a lot together.  But today was different.  First not meeting her this morning, then treating her like a servant without an ounce of recognition in his eyes or voice.  Maybe this was just how he reacted with stress.  After all, he is about to be crowned king.  That�s certainly enough to make anyone stress out.

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Jason stared vacantly at the stream of light that was getting dimmer and dimmer as the day passed.  But Jason hardly noticed.  His stomach was grumbling beyond control, and his mind was filled with questions.  Hasn�t anybody wondered where I am?  This is different than being with Alyta, this time I really am in trouble.  This time I do want a royal search party looking for me.  Hercules, Loua, Iolaus� Alyta?  Don�t you guys realize I�m gone.  I�m here� not that I know where �here� is� somebody has to find me.  I do have real duties to uphold, and people to keep safe� oh, by the gods!  The coronation! 

                                                                   *~*~*
Hercules and Iolaus walk into Jason�s chambers, where he is buttoning up his vest for the coronation.  Strife looks in the mirror; Jason�s reflection looks back and notices the boys walking in the door. 
�Hey, guys!�  Jason says enthusiastically, �I can�t believe it�s time for me to be crowned already!  I�m so excited!�
�Jase, you were never this excited before.  I thought that you didn�t want all that responsibility,� Hercules says, finding his friend�s behavior a little strange.
�Ah� well, yeah� I guess it�s just the hype now that the day�s really here,� Jason ad-libs, giving the two a punch on the shoulder each.  Herc and Iolaus stare at each other skeptically.  They had never seen Jason act like this.  Maybe it was just the way he handled serious stress.
Alyta walks in on the three boys, still wanting to give Jason a piece of her mind.  And the piece was getting bigger and bigger.  As she walked in, Jason asks in an exasperated tone, �What is it now?  Are you finished with the windows yet?�
Hercules and Iolaus look at Alyta in surprise, expecting her to be able to explain his strange change in behavior.  That�s it: the piece of mind was leaving her, right now. 
�No, your highness,� she hisses, �I have not done your windows.  In fact, I have never and will never �do� windows for you, you promise breaker!�  That was a little harsh, but she really had had enough of his lip.
�How dare you speak to me in that manner.  I have never promised anything to nor had any dealing whatsoever with a servant such as yourself.  Now get out of my sight, you filthy worthless piece of garbage!� Jason says with fervor and slaps her so that she falls on the ground.  Alyta lays there for a moment, stunned at what happened.  Was this the same man she loved slapping her and calling her filth?  She couldn�t understand it.  She needed to get away from here � as far away as she could.