Author's Note:This is a story inspired by Hercules the Legendary Journeys. Iolaus is happily married, and wishes he could treat his wife as a queen. Since he can't, he takes her to someone who can…

Warning: The warning is placed here for vinsmouse, who wanted a spew warning here, claiming it might be a bad idea to drink while reading the funnier parts. So please keep in mind that drinking any kind of beverage while reading this, might be hazzard'ous to the health of your screen.

Disclaimer: I do not own Hercules the Legendary Journey, I make no money and boy does that make it hard to keep the computer with power… No permanent harm will come to Iolaus but a bit of Alcmene's attention and a big bowl of chicken soup might not be amiss at the end of it…

A Lady for a King

Chapter 1

Alcmene smiled happily as she heard Iolaus whistling. It was not the tuneless whistle he used to annoy Hercules with. It was the cheerful and happy melody she loved to hear. She put down the bowl on the counter and wiped her hands on her apron.

She went over to the door, smiling as the blond approached. "Iolaus, you're impossible. Just how do you know when I'm baking?"

"You're baking?" he shone up. "What?"

"I'm making pastries, and you should've brought Anya with you," she chided him. "I really don't know how you do this, but you always show up when I'm making pastries."

"Are they ready yet?" he asked with an eager look on his face.

"No, but you're not supposed to eat them raw, can't you for once wait until they are ready?" she sighed.

"Eh, no," he giggled. Giving her a hug he lifted her up and spun her around so that he could slip inside.

"Iolaus, you keep away from them pastries," she called after him though she was laughing.

"Aw, just one, please?" he begged, his hand behind his back.

"You already got one," she folded her arms across her chest. "Now don't you dare try steal another one or you won't touch them once they're done."

"I promise, I won't," he hurried to assure her. He didn't think she'd carry the threat out, but he wasn't about to take any chances with her pastries.

"So, was the pastries all you wanted, or was there something else?"

"Oh yeah," he grinned. "You know, I thought I'd do something for Anya. I wanna do something really nice."

"An excellent idea," she nodded, smiling softly as he tried to eat the stolen pastry without her noticing. "So what do you have in mind, you know, if you had brought her I could have given you both a nice supper."

"I would've, but eh, she wanted to make a special dinner for us tonight," he winced slightly. "She's been cooking all day, I uh, can't wait."

"Oh, Iolaus, you're being mean," she chided. "Anya tries very hard to be a good wife for you, and the least you could do is to appreciate it."

"I do," he defended himself. "You know that Alcmene, but I've been in the kitchen and I saw what she was doing, and well, I'm almost scared to go home," he admitted with a shy smile.

"Oh don't be silly dear," she chided him. "Now, tell me more. What were you planning to do for Anya?"

"You know how her parents keep telling me that their daughter is a princess and should be treated like one?" he winked at her, grinning. "Well, I figured that since I can't do that, I might as well take her to someone who can."

"I'm not sure if I understand what you mean," she frowned a little confused.

"Jason," he grinned. "He's a king, he can treat anyone he wants like a princess. I take Anya there, and she's gonna have a great time."

"That's not a bad idea," Alcmene decided. "I'm sure she's going to have a lovely time there, Jason adores her."

"Yeah," he grinned. "So, I was wondering, could you feed the chickens for us?"

"Of course I will," she smiled. "You don't even have to ask."

"Thanks," he grinned. "We're gonna have to be away a couple of weeks, I talked to Andromas, he's gonna lend me his horse and wagon. Because I don't think Anya wants to walk there."

"Good thinking," she nodded. "When are you leaving?"

"Next week, I sent a message to Jason so he'll know we're coming," he grinned. "I haven't told Anya, I want to surprise her."

"Oh," she smiled, tapping her chin. "Sounds like a lovely idea. Now, why don't you bring her over here for supper before you go?"

"I'll do that," he nodded. "Is it okay if we come tomorrow? I'm gonna be starved."

"Iolaus, have you no shame," she slapped his arm again. "Anya's been slaving all day to make you a special meal."

"I know," he giggled. "But you know I'm always hungry, it won't matter."

"Oh yes, how could I forget?" she mused. "You're right, you're always hungry. You two come over here tomorrow and I'll make a special meal for you both. How would you like some baked chicken?"

"Please, please, that would be great," he beamed, almost bouncing on his toes. "I can't wait, are we having pastries for desert then too?"

"Yes you will," she nodded. "Now, the pastries aren't ready yet. Why don't you go chop me some more wood?"

"Sure," he grinned.

"Good, I'll give you some pastries to take home to Anya," she told him. "Now get going."

"I'm going," he laughed as he snatched a pinch of sugar from the bowl on the table.

Anya was excited about going away, and very curious about it. She kept asking him about it, but Iolaus refused to tell. Alcmene helped him keep the secret and also packed them a basket of food to bring along for the journey. Iolaus had saved enough money to spend the night in an inn. He couldn't imagine asking his wife to sleep on the ground. She probably would try it if he asked her too, but he would at least make sure she had a roof over her head even if some of the inns could be rather shabby. He made sure to find one of the better ones that were nice and clean.

"Iolaus, where are we going?" Anya frowned as she turned to her husband.

"I told you, it's a surprise," he teased. "Now be patient, we're almost there."

"Iolaus, it looks like we're in Corinth," she frowned. "What could we do in Corinth? We can't afford to stay anywhere here."

"Don't worry," he grinned, he was having a great time teasing her. "I'll take care of it. I'm sure I'll find us somewhere to stay."

He grinned as they arrived at the palace and Anya looked around amazed. "What are we doing here?" she asked. "This is the palace, Iolaus what are we doing here?"

"I thought we'd have a look," he grinned. "It's a nice place, isn't it?"

"Yes, but it's the palace," she frowned as he helped her down from the wagon.

"Come on," he took her hand and pulled her inside. Anya chewed her lip, hesitating and pausing.

"Iolaus, are you sure about this?" she demanded. "Where are we going?"

"Come on," he tugged gently at her arm. "We're just going inside a little, to get out of this hot sun."

"Iolaus," she protested again as he pulled her inside.

Smiling mischievously to himself he led the way to the throne room. Anya knew that he knew Jason, but she had only seen him at their wedding and didn't know how well they knew each other. She was absolutely stunned when he simply strolled into the throne room and waved cheerfully.

"Iolaus, what are you doing?" she hissed. "Iolaus, stop this!" She nearly stomped her foot in frustration as he strolled over to the throne where Jason sat. "Iolaus!"

She raised her hand to her mouth in sheer fright as the king looked up with a frown, tapping his chin with a finger.

"Oh heavens," she whined as she watched her husband drop down on the armrest of the throne.

"Oh good, my royal clown is here," Jason smiled. "Finally I can be amused."

"Yeah, if that's what you want," he giggled.

"Yeah," Jason bit back a smile. "You know, your wife looks a bit uneasy…."

"That's probably because she thinks I'm going to get myself thrown into the dungeon for having the nerve to walk in here as if I owned the place and be this familiar with the king and just sitting down on the throne." He shrugged and gave Jason one of his most boyish grin, he loved to tease his friend and Jason knew it.

"Oh yeah, that might be it," Jason nodded. "So, you're just trying to scare her to death?"

"No, that wasn't quite the idea," he frowned. "I guess I should've told her that you won't have me beheaded for this?"

"You should," he nodded seriously, trying to keep his smile in check. Anya was still looking terrified and he didn't want to make it any harder for her.

"Yeah, I guess so," he decided. "I guess I'd better tell her." He got up and walked over to her. "Anya, it's okay, Jason and me are old friends," he wrapped his arms around her.

"Iolaus, he's still the king," she hissed. "He could have you arrested."

"He won't," he laughed. "I told you that we've been friends since the Academy, we're too old friends to bother about all that bowing and scraping."

"But Iolaus, it is the king," she whispered.

"Trust me," he smiled. "Come on, I know you two didn't have much time to talk when we were married. He put her arm across her shoulders and led her towards Jason.

"Hello Anya," Jason smiled as he greeted her, taking her hand and bowing. "It's great to see you again."

"Uh, hello, eh, my lord," she mumbled nervously as she made a slightly clumsy curtsey.

"Please Anya, don't call me that," he smiled gently. "I'm Jason, and I prefer if you call me that. I don't want my friends to stand at attention."

"Yes, but," she swallowed.

"But Iolaus is being his usual tactful self, huh?" he laughed. "Don't worry about it, he's a bit crazy but I kind of like him that way. If he started bowing and scraping I'd worry if he was okay."

"He is a little crazy, isn't he?" Anya smiled shyly, glancing at her husband.

"Yes," Jason chuckled. "Would you like to freshen up? I know how dusty it is out on those roads."

"That would be lovely," she lowered her eyes a little and glanced to Iolaus again.

"Please come this way then," he took her arm and led the way. "I've had Iolaus' usual chamber prepared for the two of you. I hope it's gonna be satisfactory, and if you need anything, please don't hesitate to ask."

"Thank you," once more she blushed shyly.

Jason opened the door for her and showed into the chamber. Normally when Hercules and Iolaus came he only told the servants to make sure the sheets were clean, but now that his friend was bringing his wife he had taken more care about it. He had made sure the servants aired it out and had asked one of the maids to bring in some nice flowers. He had also asked them to do something with drapes and such things. He really wasn't an expert on such things so he had given the maids free reins. He was a little worried when she stopped just inside the door and gasped.

"Is something wrong?" he asked worriedly.

"It's absolutely adorable," she raised her hands to her face. "I love it."

"Didn't look like this last time," Iolaus mused. "I like what you've done to the place Jason." There were soft rugs on the floor and soft drapes on the walls. There were a new table and a few more stuffed armchairs. Someone had lit a fire in the hearth and there were vases with flowers everywhere.

"Do you like it?" Jason asked turned to Anya. He was a little worried she wouldn't like it. He knew Iolaus loved her, and he had found her a very sweet girl who he genuinely wanted to please.

"Oh, I love it, I've never seen anything like it," she stepped away from them and turned in a slow circle. "It's like a palace," she breathed.

Iolaus tried to bite back a snicker and Jason slapped him over the back of the head to shut him up.

"I'll leave you two alone," he mused. "You can freshen up, and then just let me know and I'll have something for us to eat."

"Sounds great Jason," Iolaus beamed.

"I thought you'd like that," he laughed. "It's very good to see you Anya," he smiled at her before he left them alone.

"So, what do you think?" he asked wrapping his arms around her.

"Iolaus, why didn't you tell me we were going here?" she frowned.

"I wanted it to be a surprise," he shrugged. "And look, I know he's the king and all that, but Jason's a good friend. He really don't want us to be all that formal with him so I didn't think it was a big deal."

"But he's the king," she frowned.

"I know, but he's not that kind of king," he giggled lightly. "And I thought you'd really enjoy staying here for a short time. Living in a palace, good food and all that kind of stuff. It was the best vacation I could think of."

"It's very sweet," she decided. "It's just so strange Iolaus, I've never been in a palace before. And you stroll in here like you're at home."

"Yeah, uh," he bit his lips. "Maybe I didn't think that part through."

"No you didn't," she confirmed. "And it's not nice to just take me by surprise like that. I was terrified."

"Sorry," he gave her a sheepish smile. "Can you forgive me?"

"Luckily for you I can," she decided. "Because even when you do something thoughtless like this I know you mean well. You just get so excited you never think it through."

"I can't deny that," he giggled kissing her.

"And I'd really appreciate it, but right now I'd really like to freshen up," she decided.

"Alright, come on, there's a bath through here," he grabbed her hand and led her through the sleeping chamber to the bath chamber. "Great, Jason's had the bath filled, I thought he would," he grinned. "And look, I'm pretty sure one of these has something that smells nice in them," he picked up one of the tiny bottles of oil from a shelf.

"Don't play around with those, they must be terribly expensive," she frowned. "Should we really take a bath now?"

"Sure," he nodded eagerly, stepping over to her he tugged playfully at the lacing of her dress. "Anya, just relax, I sent Jason a message before so he'd know we were coming. The guards told him we were on the way as soon as they saw us, so he's had this prepared to make you more comfortable."

"But he's the king," she frowned a little confused. "Why would he go to such trouble, we're nothing more than peasants."

"Not today," he grinned taking her into his arms again. "Today you're a queen. You're gonna have a nice bath, and some good food. You're gonna have a great time I promise."

"This is just so very strange," she mused. "But I feel all hot and dirty and I really want that bath right now." She started plucking at his tunic.

"Great," he beamed, picking up one of the bottles and sniffing at it. "This smells kinda good, I don't really know what it is, but it smells good. Are you supposed to put it in the water?"

"Oh give me that," she snatched the bottle from him. "You're supposed to put just a few drops into the water."

"Okay," taking the bottle back he allowed a few drops to fall into the bathwater. "It really smells pretty good," he mused. "For once I actually want a bath."

"Then I'm going to make the most of it," she decided as she pulled his tunic off. He giggled as he unlaced her dressed and helped her slip out of it. She slipped into the water while Iolaus sat down to pull off his boots. He slipped into the water with her and grinned as he grabbed a sponge to wash her back.

"Oh, that feels great," she sighed. "That's so nice."

"Yeah?" he kissed her neck. "And you smell wonderful, we're gonna have a long bath right?"

"No, Iolaus, you can't keep a king waiting," she slapped his arm.

"It's Jason, he won't mind," he beamed. "And I don't think he'll be really surprised either. Now let me wash your feet."

Anya was a little nervous that they had kept the king waiting but Iolaus assured her it was fine. He smiled a little amused as he sent word with a servant that they were ready. He and Hercules never really used the servants for anything when they stayed there before. He found it strange to be so formal but he figured it would be easier for Anya. Taking her hand he led the way to Jason's chambers. The King had laid out a nice table with plenty of cold cuts and finger food.

"You look really wonderful," Jason smiled as he pulled out a chair for Anya.

"Yeah," Iolaus tilted his head to the side as he gazed at her. He giggled as she blushed and then led her to the table and pulled out the chair for her. Jason served her personally as the two men sat down, and then started telling her stories from their Academy days to put her at ease. He thought that if she found out what they had been up to she would have an easier time seeing him as just a friend and not a king. Soon all three of them were laughing as Iolaus too started telling stories.

"I used to love bringing them back here with me," Jason grinned. "My advisor was too stiff, too serious and Iolaus loved to play the clown. He'd drive the man out of his mind and so he left me alone to focus on the really important stuff. It would have been a lot harder if I hadn't had him and Hercules to rely on."

"Isn't your advisor supposed to help you?" she frowned a little confused.

"He is," Jason nodded. "But the man was more worried about me looking a proper king than the situation along our borders. He was a great diplomat, but forgot about the people. A king can't do that."

"No he can not," Anya agreed. She took another bite of a mince pie, delighting in the slightly spicy taste of it.

Jason picked up a plate of sweet meats and held out to her, "please try one of those," he smiled. "They are really quite good, but once Iolaus starts on them they'll be gone in a second.

"Hey, that's not fair," Iolaus objected.

"It's true though," Jason laughed.

"Yeah, maybe," he giggled. "So, can I have a couple?"

"Once your wife is done," Jason informed him. "I don't trust you when it comes to these."

"Probably a good idea," he giggled again.

"Oh, you can have one," Anya held it out to him and he took it with a smiled.

"Oh, they're great Jason, even better than last time I was here." Grinning he licked every last trace of it from his fingers.

"That's why I said you couldn't have any yet," Jason mused. "Never mind, I'm sure by now the cooks have been informed that you're here, and I'm pretty sure that they remember you too."

"That's not really fair Jason," he giggled. "But I guess you've got a point. Okay, I'll wait."

"Great," Jason grinned. "He knew that there were plenty but it wasn't much fun telling Iolaus that right away. Besides it wasn't as if he was likely to starve, there were still plenty of food and he pushed a plate of cold cuts his way.

There was still some matters he had to attend to, so he urged Iolaus to take Anya to the palace garden. It was a beautiful day and the garden was well tended. There was a fountain, a pool and several rose bushes. There were some fruit trees as well and he had a feeling that Iolaus would be drawn to these.

When he entered the garden after he was finished with the affairs of state he wasn't surprised to see the blond stretched out on the ground with a small pile of fruit beside him. He was leaning against a tree and had pulled his wife down to rest her head on his lap while he was also feeding her bits of fruit.

"There, and aside from a few matters I should be able to get a few days free of these kingly business," he dropped down beside them.

"That'd be nice," Iolaus nodded, handing him a plum.

Anya blushed a little again but Iolaus smoothed down her hair to sooth her. Apparently lying around in the palace garden was another thing she wasn't used to doing.

"So, any plans?" Jason asked Iolaus. He knew him well enough to know he had been planning on something.

"Kinda," he nodded. "I thought we'd intrude on your hospitality a little while. That's about all I got so far. Feel free to come with any suggestions."

"I think I could come up with something," Jason mused. "And I thought we'd have dinner privately in my chambers tonight."

"Glad to escape the formal stuff eh?" Iolaus chuckled and he nodded.

"Yeah, I am," he admitted with a wry laugh.

"Just like back in the Academy," Iolaus mock punched him in the shoulder.

"Close enough," Jason nodded. "Speaking off, we should try to spar some. I could use a good work out."

"Yeah?" he smiled hopefully. "When?"

"Anytime you want," Jason gave Anya a teasing smile. "He always says he wants to spar, but then he tries to avoid it anytime there's a witness."

"Oh?" Anya mused. She knew what they were doing. She had seen Hercules and Iolaus do it several times. They would bait each other, trying to get the other to start the mock fight. She had watched them a couple of times and though she had found it a bit disconcerting the first time she was getting used to it. "So, when you two fight, who usually wins?" she asked curiously.

"I do," they answered simultaneously. Frowning they turned to look at each other, then laughed. Jason punched him in the shoulder and Iolaus laughed as he threw a punch back.

"Do you want to do it now?" Anya asked teasingly. She was really beginning to see that they were friends above anything else and she was allowed to tease him like she would have teased Hercules.

"Nah, maybe not right now," Iolaus decided kissing her on the cheek. "But later would be fun."

"Later then," Jason nodded.

After the meal they started teasing each other again and Anya urged them on. She thought it could be fun to watch. The two of them headed out into the garden again, Anya following them to watch. Iolaus threw off his vest and took up a defensive stand. Jason grinned as he circled him, then moved forward with a quick punch that Iolaus easily dodged even if it took Anya by surprise. It was a little different than watching her husband and Hercules. Iolaus was no match for the demigods strength and would use speed and agility instead. With Jason he still used those abilities but also more brute force. He threw a hard punch, then spun around to kick and Anya bit her lip as she watched. Jason dodged and blocked, but it looked as if they were both using enough strength that any blow that connected would really hurt. She didn't want either one of them to get hurt.

"Are you two sure you know what you're doing?" she asked worriedly.

"Yeah, it's fine," Iolaus grinned. Jason managed to grab him by the waist and throw him to the ground, but Iolaus squirmed free and leapt to his feet, only to find himself flat on his back again as Jason swept his legs out from under him.

"Please be careful," Anya didn't want to spoil their fun, but it did rather look like it was getting a little rough. Iolaus elbowed Jason in the ribs, and then grunted as the older man landed a hard punch to his midsection. Doubled over he couldn't defend himself and Jason hooked a leg behind his knees, driving him to the ground once more and this time pinned him down with his own weight.

"Next time, don't go easy on me," he grinned as he reached out a hand and pulled Iolaus to his feet.

"Next time I won't," he laughed. "Just figured you might be a little out of practice."

"I am," he admitted regretfully. "So I'm gonna enjoy the challenge."

"Tomorrow then," Iolaus grinned. "Right now, I'm gonna pay some attention to my lovely wife."

"You do that," he nodded. "I'll expect you to join me for breakfast though."

"I'll be there," he grinned.

Jason laughed and left them alone in the garden, smiling to himself as he heard Anya giggle behind him. Iolaus was certainly paying attention to her.

Once they were alone Iolaus sat down and pulled Anya closer to him, easing her down to rest her head in his lap. "It is nice here," she smiled lightly.

"Yeah, it is, isn't it?" he giggled. "You're gonna have a great time Anya, I promise you."

They stayed where they were until the sun went down and it grew slightly more chilly, then Iolaus eased her to her feet and led her inside.

"This is amazing," she sighed as she sat down on the bed, feeling how soft it was. "All the better after you've been out on the road for a couple of weeks," he giggled. "Herc and I used to come here every once in a while when we were out wandering. There was nothing like it, hot bath, plenty of good food and a soft bed."

"Jason is very nice," she smiled softly. "It's so generous of him."

"Yeah, he's generous," he nodded, kissing her gently. "I thought tomorrow we'd go to the market. It's pretty big here, a lot of stuff. And I've got enough money saved to buy you a nice pretty dress."

"We shouldn't waste money on something like that," she shook her head.

"Yes we should," he smiled. "I've put it away for a dress for you. Took some game to the tavern. You'll pick out some fabric that you really like, and we'll have you a nice new dress."

"It's very sweet of you, but what about the new cow, and the forge?" she frowned.

"We're on vacation Anya, you're supposed to have a treat," he told her teasingly.

"If that is so, then what is your treat?" she wanted to know.

"My treat is to have you here, all to myself and the food Jason serves us," he decided.

"You are terrible," she giggled lightly as she changed into her night clothes. Iolaus wouldn't ware any. As usual he just removed his boots, tunic and pants. "But it would be nice, even if we shouldn't."

"Of course we should," stretching out beside her he kissed her deeply…

TBC

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