Hands clasped and yawning, Amphitryon and his wife emerged from their room to investigate the commotion.
"What has you youngsters up at this hour? I wouldn't think you'd be used to getting up before the crow while on the farm." Asked the older gentleman.
"Long story", Meg mumbled with an eye roll to tie in with her mood. "But you're absolutely right. I definitely could use more sleep. Excuse me."
And with that, she headed toward her bedroom.
Meanwhile, Marlena sighed. With all the extra guests occupying the Villa, she was already feeling the stress.
"The rest of you may as well return to your beds as well. Its still pretty early."
"But what about you?" Zebra wondered, her voice peppered with concern.
The housekeeper shrugged. "This is my duty, Miss Zebra. I serve when I am needed, despite the inconvenience of the hour."
"Well...would you like some help?"
She was shaking her head before the girl had finished speaking. Then sent her a warm smile, wordlessly thanking her for her concern.
"I appreciate the offer, my young friend, but with her highness in our midst, I feel a greater need to prove my worth in her service, as much as to myself."
Then she went about her business, prepping the Villa to accommodate the extra mouths to feed. She had her work cut out for her.
With little else left to do, the older couple took Marlena's advice to heart and returned to their quarters. While Zebra went to catch up with Meg.
…...
'By Aphrodite's chiton, but you are breathtaking!'
The Athenian princess settling into her room, admiring her reflection from the widened, polished mirror set into an elegant, highly expensive vanity. Her servants had arranged her room exactly to her liking. Everything had been unloaded from the wagons and she was just settling in.
'Who could ever resist the closest creature to a Goddess on earth, like yourself?'
She grabbed a brush, with her soft, delicate hand, its bristles containing the hairs from an exotic animal called a Giraffe . (whatever that is) She pulled it gently through her midnight tresses, counting each stroke.
'Nobody', she purred, answering her own question.
She closed her eyes, embracing the gentle tug against her scalp, and pictured a perfectly sculpted male physic, with status to match, ruling beside her while worshiping her heavenly form. Of course, the royal parents would have to expire first. But such small details couldn't keep a girl from outlining her future life.
She touched her fingers to her full, red lips, and blew a kiss into the mirror, indicating where her passions belonged.
"I always get what I want."
Then her brow furrowed. Leaning forward she studied the reflection of her eyes with concern, pulling at light blue color forming beneath the lid, attempting to dislodge it.
She ventured with her escorts to Thebes the night before, only to arrive that morning. Of course she tried get some shut eye while traveling in the carriage, but it was rather difficult to do so with all the careless bumps and jolts of the road. By her estimates, she had yet to meet her required ten hours sleep regimen of undisturbed sleep. Concerned for her beauty rest she reached for a small silver bell, of which she always kept on her person to summon her servants, and gave the handle a little shake, letting the clapper strike the rim, and ring. Having well trained staff, her call was answered within the minute.
An out of breath servant stumbled through the door.
"You called *huff huff* ma' lady?"
"What kept you?" She complained, smothering anti-wrinkle cream to her face.
He bowed. "My humble apologies, highness."
"Nevermind," she dismissed, flicking her hand, without making eye contact. Time was of the essence. "Turn down my bedding so that I may grow more beautiful whilst I dream."
"Right away, mistress," he immediately complied.
To weak to complain about how slow he was she snuggled into the goose feather sheets and sighed contentedly. Soon, she was sawing logs with the best of them.
…...
On the opposite side of the Villa, Meg was staring blankly at the ceiling in the dim light. She just couldn't understand it. By her reckoning, she'd only managed a few hours sleep. And yet, since Prissy Princess arrived she couldn't seem to get beyond a few winks. She felt plenty tired, but her mind was on hyperactive overdrive.
'Who does this girl think she is, barging in like she did?' Her thoughts were on a rampage. 'She definitely has an alternative motive than the one she claims to have. But the big question is...'
"WHY...DO...I...CARE?!" She beat her head against the pillow, berating herself with each uttered syllable.
"Well I don't know," snapped a red-eyed Zebra. "But I know that I can be quite cranky if I don't get my full eight hours!"
Meg propped herself up onto her elbow. "I don't trust that floozy".
Zebra groaned, turning over. "Who, the Princess?"
"No. Queen Elizabeth," Meg replied with irritation. "Yes! Who else?"
Zebra seemed confused. "Why? She seems to have good intentions. You heard her, she's here to promote peace between the city-states."
Her friend's sheer innocence floored Meg. "Okay. Remember how you said before that 'we're not in high school anymore'? Well that's where you're wrong. That girl is every cheerleader's distant relative!" She pointed an accusing finger violently in the opposite direction. "Give her a wad of gum to chew on, a can of hair spray and she'd be a dead ringer." She started twirling her hair around her little finger to demonstrate, looking vacant.
Zebra nodded. "I admit, she does fit that stereotypical Princess role. And I didn't like the way she treated Marlena..."
Meg shot up, thinking she'd finally gotten through to her. "See! See!" She exclaimed. "Nothing good can come from her being here."
Zebra shook her head. "But there's nothing you can do, Meg. Royalty has a much broader influence on the populace during these times. If she wants to stay here, no one can stop her."
Meg paused, thinking as she tapped her chin with a single finger, trying to pull out a solution that would be effective on someone who was used to getting their own way. Suddenly, one hit her. And she licked her lips, as if tasting the delicious flavor of her cunning idea.
"Sooooo, you're saying that in order for us to get Miss Priss to vacate the area, she'd have to leave on her own volition?"
Zebra's eyes moved from side to side, mystified .To her knowledge, Meg had just answered her own question. All the while be cautious. By the look of things, Meg had a scheme brewing in that wonderfully, awful brain of hers.
"Yessss," she replied drawing out the the word.
Her friend's face twisted into a malicious self satisfying grin.
"Meg! What're you planning? Is it legal? You're not going to get us killed are you?" She was truly nervous about her intentions.
Meg turned back abruptly. " Give me a break, Zebra! I'm not that wrecklace."
Zebra wasn't so sure of that.
"No". Meg reassured her friend. "I believe I can get her to return home to her palace happily, with no hard feelings."
"Oh yeah, how?"
Meg shook her head, preferring to treasure this brilliant plan to herself, letting it blossom and thrive right where it was.
"Go back to sleep, Zebra," she said coolly. "Don't stress yourself over this one. You just keep your mind focused on more important things, like getting us home."
She obeyed, scrunching down into bed. Meg's tone disturbed her. She was dead serious about getting Princess Erse to leave the Villa. Could she be jealous of the raven-haired royal? It was almost too far fetched. There had to be another explanation. But the possibility that her friend was developing feelings for the hero of Thebes was very comforting in the least.
That is, if worst came to worst, if there hopes of returning home to the 21st century were somehow...dashed. Zebra was wondering if it was even possibly anymore. It was almost time to face reality, that this might inevitably become their reality.