Chapter7:
Disclaimer: All of these characters are property of Disney and are used without their official permission. Except for Cleopatra and Antony who are Egyptain, or my own personality creations.
Hercules lay on the bed unable to sleep. It had been two days since he had last seen Meg; he was starting to get worried. And the disturbing event at dinner wasn't helping any. Who does that princess think she is? Well…the princess, granted, but he should have done something. He was engaged for Zeus' sake!
Herc shook his head, " I should go look for Megara," He said out loud, putting his mind back to the matter at hand. He sighed and got up, walking through the darkness and stumbled over one of his sandals. Grabbing the nightstand to get up he shook it a bit and a small glass vase fell out of the open window. "Why am I such a clutz?" He thought angrily to himself.
Just then he heard a voice from below. "Hey!" Hercules jumped up and looked out of the window to see a man looking up at him. It was Mark Antony, and he had little bits of white glass and flower petals scattered in his jet-black hair. The rest of the vase was lying on the ground next to him in pieces.
"Hercules! I'm coming up!" and before Hercules could protest he had disappeared into the front lobby.
'Nice going, Herc!' he thought as he slammed the window shut, 'you almost killed the emperor of Rome!' But now there was a much more frightening thought. Antony had obviously seen Cleopatra come on to him at dinner! - If that's what you could call it. He'd never blame it on her…rich people are strange that way. He would just explain that he meant nothing by it, and that he was already engaged…but Antony would never believe that he had dropped a VASE on him by accident. 'I'm going to be crucified!' Herc thought, 'That's what they do to people in Rome!'…He knitted his eyebrows and considered Antony more carefully…"Yeah" he said (as if there were any doubt) "I can take him."
There was a knock at the door. "I-I'm coming," he looked frantically around the room for something, he didn't know what, and then, clearing his throat, he opened the door. Antony stood before him, still with bits of the vase in his hair, but he didn't seem to mind. He was about a head shorter than Hercules, well built, and he had an essence of extreme power about him although he couldn't have been much older than Herc.
"Hercules. I've got to talk to you," he said smoothly.
"Oh – I," he let Antony inside, "Look, I'm sorry about um-"
"Oh, don't worry about it, it's not your fault."
"Huh? No, it is my fault, but it was an accident. I really didn't know you were there."
Antony knitted his eyebrows, "Well it was obvious that I was, but the point is that it's no big deal."
Herc sighed, "Oh thanks. I don't think it'll be too much trouble. It wasn't very valuable."
"Wasn't very valuable!?" Antony sounded a bit offensive; "Of course she's valuable!"
"What?…Um, are we talking about the same thing?"
"What are you talking about?"
"The vase."
Antony laughed "I'm talking about Megara!"
"Megara! You haven't seen her have you? I – I really need to talk to her…" He paused and looked a bit confused, "Why would that be no big deal?"
"Well because of dinner."
"Oh- hehe- that's the other thing I wanted to apologize for. You see there's nothing...between Cleopatra and I." Antony was trying not to laugh, "Of course there isn't! Because that wasn't Cleo."
"What?…Now I'm really confused"
Antony put his hand on Hercules' shoulder; "You'd better sit down. There's something I need to explain."
The next morning was annoying as usual. Meg was awoke by three servants who insisted on dressing her and doing her make-up, and three more fixing her breakfast. The dish was something unspeakably green that looked like soup with bits of leaves in it, but Meg figured she'd better eat it, she'd need her strength. Then again, how could prison food be any worse? She waited a while after the servants had gone. She wasn't sure when Hercules would come for her, but it would have to be some time that night if they wanted to sneak away quietly. Meg sat down at the vanity and scribbled a note, which she slipped into her dress pocket. She put on the pair of gold-colored slippers at the end of the bed and went to the door. She cracked it open and peered out into the hall, and was about to leave when she heard someone coming. Quickly she pulled her foot back into the room and looked through the cracked door to see the king and his royal advisor walking past her room.
"Damn," Meg whispered as she closed the door. She would have to sneak out through the tapestry again. If she had listened a bit longer, she would have heard the royal advisor telling the king that it would be wise to publicly execute the look-alike prisoner as a warning to Rome.
Meg snuck out of her room and down the cold dungeon steps, realizing that this was the last time she would wear Cleopatra's soft slippers on her feet.
A guard stopped her. "This is no place for you, Princess."
Meg held out her hand revealing the small piece of parchment. She had to come up with a different excuse to see Cleopatra this time. "My father wishes for me to deliver this message personally."
The guard seemed suspicious; "…What does it say?"
"Well if I told you then it wouldn't be personal, now would it?" The guard grumbled and let her pass. She walked through the long, dark row of cells, and prisoners crying out their innocence to her, till she came to Cleopatra. Another guard let her in to the cell and went back to deal with the noisy prisoners.
"Quick! We don't have much time," Meg ordered. She helped Cleo up off the dirt floor and pulled off her golden dress and slipping on Cleo's tattered one. She fluffed Cleo's hair a bit. "There. Now smile, you look more like yourself again smirk."
"That was the easy part," Cleo answered, sounding worried, "I hope Hercules comes for you soon."
"Everything is going according to plan. Gasp The guard is coming back!" She took Cleo's hand and whispered a good luck. Then, suddenly remembering the note, she grabbed it out of Cleo's dress pocket and slipped it into her own just in time. Cleopatra smiled and then left without a backward glance. The guard locked the prison door, and Megara pulled the cloak over her head and retreated into the shadows.
"Breakfast!!!" the guard called and shoved a try of bread at Meg's feet. She jerked herself awake and stared groggily at the tray of stale bread before pushing it to the side. She was wrong; prison food could be worse then the green stuff. Herc would be here soon wouldn't he? Then she could eat real food and sleep in a real bed, not this dirt floor. But what if Antony had not gotten him the message? What if he hadn't really believed her all along? "Oh, what's taking him so long?" Meg grumbled.
Just then she heard the two guards coming towards her cell. They stopped at the door to get her uneaten breakfast, laughing to one another.
"Yeah, she's another one," said the first guard, "A spy from Rome! She's the sexiest spy I've ever seen!"
The other guard laughed. It was the same one that had tried to stop her from getting in last night. "Of course she's sexy! You should try her!"
The first guard's eyes widened, "You mean you?"
"Yeah I did!"
"When?"
"Ha! Last night! When I had the midnight shift!" he lied, "It was like a fantasy with the princess!"
The two of them laughed. Meg could feel the anger rise up in her, they wouldn't dare say that if the King, or even Cleopatra were here! And even though she knew she should hold her tongue, she mumbled under her breath, "That's impossible!"
"What was that!?" the guard ordered.
Meg quickly surpressed her anger. "I said that's impossible," she said coolly.
"Oh yeah?" the first guard challenged, "And why is that so impossible?"
Meg stood up and walked confidently to the bars, "Well, first of all, I'm engaged. And second of all, I don't fuck losers."
The first guard burst out laughing at his friend, but the guard who had been boasting went red with anger and embarrassment. He jerked the door open and yanked Meg out by her wrist.
"Ow!"
"I'll teach you to hold your tongue around authority!" He shoved her at his friend. "Take her outside and whip her!"
"No!" Meg screamed and struggled against the muscle bound guard. He dragged her down the long corridor. The prisoners on both sides were yelling and banging mettle cups against the bars.
Meg was thrown out of a back door and fell to her knees on the dusty orange dirt. She squinted and shielded her eyed against the sudden burst of sunlight. The guard lifted her up again and pulled her roughly through the thick humid air to a wooden post, where he tied her hands.
For a long moment she heard nothing but silence, and then she heard the guards heavy footsteps as he returned and the crack of a whip as it came down hard on her back. Meg gasped and bit her lip. She wouldn't cry, she wouldn't! He whipped her again and again, ripping through her dress. She bit her lip so hard that she saw a drop of blood fall to the dirt and quickly released it, clenching her teeth. The whip came down again, and this time it broke the skin and she cried out. Finally it was over.
Meg was yanked up and lead back into the prison cell with tears streaming down through the dust on her cheeks. The other prisoners were silent except for anxious whispers; she could hardly walk. Why did she have to open her big mouth? They shoved her back into her cell and she scurried into the corner, pulling her knees to her chest and tried desperately to go to sleep, but her back was throbbing, and she heard a guard say, "No matter, she'll be executed in the morning."
Finally alone in the darkness, she swallowed hard, trying to surpress her tears. 'Herc would be here soon. Herc would be here soon."
To be continued
Disclaimer: All of these characters are property of Disney and are used without their official permission. Except for Cleopatra and Antony who are Egyptain, or my own personality creations.
Hercules lay on the bed unable to sleep. It had been two days since he had last seen Meg; he was starting to get worried. And the disturbing event at dinner wasn't helping any. Who does that princess think she is? Well…the princess, granted, but he should have done something. He was engaged for Zeus' sake!
Herc shook his head, " I should go look for Megara," He said out loud, putting his mind back to the matter at hand. He sighed and got up, walking through the darkness and stumbled over one of his sandals. Grabbing the nightstand to get up he shook it a bit and a small glass vase fell out of the open window. "Why am I such a clutz?" He thought angrily to himself.
Just then he heard a voice from below. "Hey!" Hercules jumped up and looked out of the window to see a man looking up at him. It was Mark Antony, and he had little bits of white glass and flower petals scattered in his jet-black hair. The rest of the vase was lying on the ground next to him in pieces.
"Hercules! I'm coming up!" and before Hercules could protest he had disappeared into the front lobby.
'Nice going, Herc!' he thought as he slammed the window shut, 'you almost killed the emperor of Rome!' But now there was a much more frightening thought. Antony had obviously seen Cleopatra come on to him at dinner! - If that's what you could call it. He'd never blame it on her…rich people are strange that way. He would just explain that he meant nothing by it, and that he was already engaged…but Antony would never believe that he had dropped a VASE on him by accident. 'I'm going to be crucified!' Herc thought, 'That's what they do to people in Rome!'…He knitted his eyebrows and considered Antony more carefully…"Yeah" he said (as if there were any doubt) "I can take him."
There was a knock at the door. "I-I'm coming," he looked frantically around the room for something, he didn't know what, and then, clearing his throat, he opened the door. Antony stood before him, still with bits of the vase in his hair, but he didn't seem to mind. He was about a head shorter than Hercules, well built, and he had an essence of extreme power about him although he couldn't have been much older than Herc.
"Hercules. I've got to talk to you," he said smoothly.
"Oh – I," he let Antony inside, "Look, I'm sorry about um-"
"Oh, don't worry about it, it's not your fault."
"Huh? No, it is my fault, but it was an accident. I really didn't know you were there."
Antony knitted his eyebrows, "Well it was obvious that I was, but the point is that it's no big deal."
Herc sighed, "Oh thanks. I don't think it'll be too much trouble. It wasn't very valuable."
"Wasn't very valuable!?" Antony sounded a bit offensive; "Of course she's valuable!"
"What?…Um, are we talking about the same thing?"
"What are you talking about?"
"The vase."
Antony laughed "I'm talking about Megara!"
"Megara! You haven't seen her have you? I – I really need to talk to her…" He paused and looked a bit confused, "Why would that be no big deal?"
"Well because of dinner."
"Oh- hehe- that's the other thing I wanted to apologize for. You see there's nothing...between Cleopatra and I." Antony was trying not to laugh, "Of course there isn't! Because that wasn't Cleo."
"What?…Now I'm really confused"
Antony put his hand on Hercules' shoulder; "You'd better sit down. There's something I need to explain."
The next morning was annoying as usual. Meg was awoke by three servants who insisted on dressing her and doing her make-up, and three more fixing her breakfast. The dish was something unspeakably green that looked like soup with bits of leaves in it, but Meg figured she'd better eat it, she'd need her strength. Then again, how could prison food be any worse? She waited a while after the servants had gone. She wasn't sure when Hercules would come for her, but it would have to be some time that night if they wanted to sneak away quietly. Meg sat down at the vanity and scribbled a note, which she slipped into her dress pocket. She put on the pair of gold-colored slippers at the end of the bed and went to the door. She cracked it open and peered out into the hall, and was about to leave when she heard someone coming. Quickly she pulled her foot back into the room and looked through the cracked door to see the king and his royal advisor walking past her room.
"Damn," Meg whispered as she closed the door. She would have to sneak out through the tapestry again. If she had listened a bit longer, she would have heard the royal advisor telling the king that it would be wise to publicly execute the look-alike prisoner as a warning to Rome.
Meg snuck out of her room and down the cold dungeon steps, realizing that this was the last time she would wear Cleopatra's soft slippers on her feet.
A guard stopped her. "This is no place for you, Princess."
Meg held out her hand revealing the small piece of parchment. She had to come up with a different excuse to see Cleopatra this time. "My father wishes for me to deliver this message personally."
The guard seemed suspicious; "…What does it say?"
"Well if I told you then it wouldn't be personal, now would it?" The guard grumbled and let her pass. She walked through the long, dark row of cells, and prisoners crying out their innocence to her, till she came to Cleopatra. Another guard let her in to the cell and went back to deal with the noisy prisoners.
"Quick! We don't have much time," Meg ordered. She helped Cleo up off the dirt floor and pulled off her golden dress and slipping on Cleo's tattered one. She fluffed Cleo's hair a bit. "There. Now smile, you look more like yourself again smirk."
"That was the easy part," Cleo answered, sounding worried, "I hope Hercules comes for you soon."
"Everything is going according to plan. Gasp The guard is coming back!" She took Cleo's hand and whispered a good luck. Then, suddenly remembering the note, she grabbed it out of Cleo's dress pocket and slipped it into her own just in time. Cleopatra smiled and then left without a backward glance. The guard locked the prison door, and Megara pulled the cloak over her head and retreated into the shadows.
"Breakfast!!!" the guard called and shoved a try of bread at Meg's feet. She jerked herself awake and stared groggily at the tray of stale bread before pushing it to the side. She was wrong; prison food could be worse then the green stuff. Herc would be here soon wouldn't he? Then she could eat real food and sleep in a real bed, not this dirt floor. But what if Antony had not gotten him the message? What if he hadn't really believed her all along? "Oh, what's taking him so long?" Meg grumbled.
Just then she heard the two guards coming towards her cell. They stopped at the door to get her uneaten breakfast, laughing to one another.
"Yeah, she's another one," said the first guard, "A spy from Rome! She's the sexiest spy I've ever seen!"
The other guard laughed. It was the same one that had tried to stop her from getting in last night. "Of course she's sexy! You should try her!"
The first guard's eyes widened, "You mean you?"
"Yeah I did!"
"When?"
"Ha! Last night! When I had the midnight shift!" he lied, "It was like a fantasy with the princess!"
The two of them laughed. Meg could feel the anger rise up in her, they wouldn't dare say that if the King, or even Cleopatra were here! And even though she knew she should hold her tongue, she mumbled under her breath, "That's impossible!"
"What was that!?" the guard ordered.
Meg quickly surpressed her anger. "I said that's impossible," she said coolly.
"Oh yeah?" the first guard challenged, "And why is that so impossible?"
Meg stood up and walked confidently to the bars, "Well, first of all, I'm engaged. And second of all, I don't fuck losers."
The first guard burst out laughing at his friend, but the guard who had been boasting went red with anger and embarrassment. He jerked the door open and yanked Meg out by her wrist.
"Ow!"
"I'll teach you to hold your tongue around authority!" He shoved her at his friend. "Take her outside and whip her!"
"No!" Meg screamed and struggled against the muscle bound guard. He dragged her down the long corridor. The prisoners on both sides were yelling and banging mettle cups against the bars.
Meg was thrown out of a back door and fell to her knees on the dusty orange dirt. She squinted and shielded her eyed against the sudden burst of sunlight. The guard lifted her up again and pulled her roughly through the thick humid air to a wooden post, where he tied her hands.
For a long moment she heard nothing but silence, and then she heard the guards heavy footsteps as he returned and the crack of a whip as it came down hard on her back. Meg gasped and bit her lip. She wouldn't cry, she wouldn't! He whipped her again and again, ripping through her dress. She bit her lip so hard that she saw a drop of blood fall to the dirt and quickly released it, clenching her teeth. The whip came down again, and this time it broke the skin and she cried out. Finally it was over.
Meg was yanked up and lead back into the prison cell with tears streaming down through the dust on her cheeks. The other prisoners were silent except for anxious whispers; she could hardly walk. Why did she have to open her big mouth? They shoved her back into her cell and she scurried into the corner, pulling her knees to her chest and tried desperately to go to sleep, but her back was throbbing, and she heard a guard say, "No matter, she'll be executed in the morning."
Finally alone in the darkness, she swallowed hard, trying to surpress her tears. 'Herc would be here soon. Herc would be here soon."
To be continued