Part Four  

Five days later Iolaus, and Demetra, second in command of Corinth's
troops, and the small force they had gathered from veterans and
regular troops around Corinth were ready to leave. Iphicles persuaded
Jason to stay at the palace, for the time being and now Jael agreed.
Her reason, she insisted, was little Andreos' pleading for more time
with his grandfather and the 'willychair.' Once again, Jason left
Alcmene's and his home, closed the shutters and covered the plants,
wondering when he'd return.

"She's not in there, you know." Jael said, tapping the closed
door. "She's in here." tapping his broad chest.

"Are you reading my mind, Jael?" Jason tried to smile at her, but the
sadness did not leave his eyes.

"No, I wasn't. I was reading your face, Jason. You and my king have
that very much in common, you know, open, honest faces."

"Honest?" Jason laughed softly. "So I guess he never told you about
the time he tried to impress everyone in Rena's hometown, including
Rena, by claiming to be Hercules! He told them all how he killed the
Nemean lion and destroyed the Hydra. I hear he and Hercules had
quite a talk when his younger brother found out."

Jael laughed back, "No, Jason. You heard the story all wrong." she
shook her head, "He said Hercules was always trying to impress women
by claiming to be Iphicles, King of Corinth!"

"Did he?" Jason shook his head. "You know you're very good for my
stepson, Jael. "He continued.

"Am I? Why is that?" she demanded, smiling.

"Well, first of all, if you weren't so fond of Iphicles and I wasn't
so fond of you; I might have to take back my kingship for tales like
that!"

"Please, spare the father of my unborn babes, oh mighty Jason!" Jael
teased him, gesturing dramatically. "And while you're doing that, go
on flattering me with the reasons I'm so good for Iphicles."

"Well, you don't let him brood as much as he used to do. You get him
to laugh, even at himself, sometimes. You keep him from feeling
second best to anyone. You encourage him. But you don't take any
foolishness from him. When I see him looking at you, Jael; I see
myself looking at Alcmene. He just lights up inside. All you have to
do is come into a room and his mood lightens, no matter what is going
on. And with this pregnancy, honestly, I don't know which of you is
glowing more!"

"We are having a glowing contest." Jael agreed. "The winner gets
supper in bed for a month. But I told him, if I win, I don't want my
prize until a few months after these two are born. I'm going to be
stuck in bed enough, if he has his way!"

"Why should you be stuck in bed? You're as healthy now as any woman
in Corinth."

"And I'm wed to a king who lost his first queen when she miscarried
of their second child. My poor love, he wanted that little girl so
badly. He hopes so much for me to be carrying twin girls. If I didn't
know better I'd say he thinks one would make up for the other."

"Jael, do you know that you're having twins?" Jason asked quietly,
not wishing to pry. "The other day you said it was too early to tell.
Oh. . ."he said, remembering that the queen had certain gifts of the
mind that could reveal a great many things, when she sought the
knowledge.

"Yes, I do. But I didn't let myself look further. They are so very
tiny, so helpless. I'd rather be in that chair again than take any
risk with them. I know they're healthy, despite being twice as
vulnerable as a single babe in the womb. That's enough for now, don't
you think?"

"More than enough." Jason answered, and found himself echoed by
Iphicles as the king of Corinth walked up the path.

"We've both sworn to be as cautious as humanly possible with these
two tiny ones, and with the health of their mother." Iphicles hugged
his wife from behind her back and patted her not very pregnant
looking stomach. "If that means we won't know whether they're boys or
girls or griffins until they're born, well, so be it. Of course that
may drive me mad with curiosity." He grinned.

"Just as it has waiting parents for a very, very long time." Jason
smiled back. "Now, lets get the four of you back to that nice, comfy
palace of yours . You have done something about the drafts in the
main hall by now, haven't you?"

"No, I'm waiting for your leg to heal so I can set you to work
hanging more draperies and sealing the chinks in the walls. That way
we can feast there without feeling like fancy dressed icicles!"

"He hates feasts, you know." Jael commented. "He'll use any excuse to
put them off for another time, or ask another king to hold them. He's
really very shy, and dislikes most state occasions intensely."

"Yeah, he hated parties when we were younger, too." Jason smiled,
enjoying Jael's grin and Iphicles glower equally. "He didn't play
well with other children. Andreos has changed that, Jael, and so have
you."

"You keep flattering my queen, Jason. You're always laughing and
smiling when the two of you are together." Iphicles noted
facetiously. "Should I find out if she has a sister back in
Ephesus?" Jael laughed out loud and hugged her husband warmly.

"Oh don't look so alarmed, Jason! If I did have a sister in Ephesus,
which I don't, she'd be at least as shy among strangers as I was when
we first met. No offense meant."

"None taken, Jael. Iphicles has been lucky twice now. And so was I,
very lucky, twice. I have no need to challenge the Fates by trying
for three."