The Alyta Trilogy: Handmaids, Heroes, and Hierarchy

Strife looks in the mirror at Jason�s reflection and adjusts his vest.  He jumps up and nearly screams when a figure in black leather appears beside him and slaps him on the shoulder. 

�Ares!  You really scared me that time.  But listen � hey!  I�m really doing well this time, you see.  I told you I would.  The coronation is going on right on schedule, and nobody suspects a thing.  And I�m starting to like this new look,� he says, returning his gaze to the mirror, �What do you think?  The New Strife: kingly, muscular and single.�

Without bothering to retort, the god of war rolls his eyes and leaves, pleased enough with the progress report.

                                                                     *~*~*

Herc and Iolaus are back at the sundial, where they always meet Jason at this time.  �I don�t understand it, Iolaus.  Okay, so it was acceptable when he was with Alyta and she was injured, but we know he�s at the castle.  Today especially I would have thought he needed some unwinding.� 

�Yeah, but Herc: haven�t you noticed something weird with Jason lately?  Like how he totally ignored Alyta, and how we were arguing.  He�s never been like this, even when his dad died.  Something�s going on.  And I�m going to find out what it is.�

He walks off into the crowd.  Hercules thinks back to all the times recently when Jase has been acting weird.  He wasn�t at dinner; he was when he was organizing the coronation.  What could have happened between then?  As he thinks, he hears a slight murmur in the crowd, and he looks up.  The crowd parts and the soaking royals walk up to him.  Hercules stares at them in silence, and Jason practically collapses on the sundial.  Herc helps him up, but Jase just slouches in his arms.  Hercules looks up with worried eyes at Alyta.  She explains, �Long story.  This is the real one.  He was being held prisoner in a dark cave somewhere and we swam a long way to get here.  He was starved, almost to death.�  She motions for a vendor who has taken interest to give her a piece of cheese and apple, and she force-feeds him.  He tries to protest, but she tells him that it�s the best thing to do to get up his strength and to save Corinth tonight.  He finally gives in.

He rests for almost an hour, needing every minute of it to get up his strength.  Then the three forge on to the castle.  Before they reach it, they hear the bells ring out signaling the commencement of the coronation.  The run the rest of the way to the gate.  The guards are holding back a group of foreigners who came many leagues to see the coronation and want to actually see it.  Hercules pushes his way to the front, followed closely by Jason and Alyta.  She gives Jason her cloak to cover his face.  When one guard sees Hercules and Alyta, he elbows his comrade, and both of them look at the pair.  �Jason�s depending on us to be in there, Sales,� Herc explains to a guard who knows him well.  He lets them by, letting a few stray commoners in as well. 

                                                                       *~*~*

Leaning against the stone wall that is the outside of the castle, Ares sees his little brother come in with two companions.  Seeing through the cloak, he knows one of them is Jason.  He swears to himself, and then disappears.  He reappears on a windowsill, where the ever-cloaked girl is still staring at Alyta�s room.  A dark laughter fills the air.  He crouches down beside her ear and whispers, �She�s at the gate.�

Kirya feels a shiver run through her body.  She somehow knows that she must go to the gate to complete her task.  With renewed confidence, she leaps down to ground level and sneaks her way to the gate.  She stops when she sees Hercules, Jason, and� Alyta.  �Yes, Alyta.  She�s the one that must die.  She�s the one that must pay for my misery.  That puny princess is trying to take my birthright?  She will pay,� a hoarse voice spits out.