A few hours later, while most of the Villa was catching up on their Z's, Hercules was out in the training yard jogging through a light mist. He suppressed a yawn as he completed his 10th lap, a clouded wisp escaping from his lips. He shook his head violently, almost throwing himself off his path. Even if the arrival of the princess had been slightly...inconvenient, he tried to remain positive.

Admittedly, he knew nothing about politics, but he was willing to organize something that would benefit the community. Even if he had to sacrifice a bit of sleep. Something that he had to keep telling himself as he continued his repeated yawns.

By late morning, the weather was still pretty gloomy. Marlena was busy preparing breakfast for the household, trying to decide how best to include a dozen more mouths to her recipe equation.

She chose to make a porridge of sorts, with a mixture of fruits and grains. As she went about to gather the ingredients one of the princess's entourage, a short, balding man with a pompous walk, marched into the kitchen. Startled by the abrupt entrance Marlena's hands flew to her heart as she gasped.

"Goodness, sir, you scared me!"

The gentleman observed her progress with a scrutinizing eye. "Is there something I can help you with?" He regarded her passively. "What exactly are you preparing?"

"Oh, just some porridge for breakfast."

He approached the mixing bowl and lifted the spoon. He inspected the contents with distaste. He made a tutting sound with his tongue. "No. This is not a befitting meal for her highness."

Marlena blinked. "Excuse me?"

"Princess Erse has a strict menu guideline. Suited to her preferred taste and nutritional value. I'm sorry, madam, but this...meal just won't do."

Marlena felt helpless. "Then just what exactly is acceptable for the princess? Please understand that I am inexperienced when it comes to serving royalty."

'That much is obvious', thought the pompous guardian. "Oh dear, I knew the royal chef should have accompanied us." He pulled out a scroll from the folds of his robes. "Well, I suppose it can't be helped now." He sighed and rolled out the parchment, letting the latter end fall to the floor. "The princess is to have freshly prepared Tiganites (kind of like a Greek pancake) drizzled with honeybutter and a cup of yogurt, brought to her on a golden platter at 11:00 am, precisely."

Panic rose in Marlena's stomach, shooting straight to her heart. "I...I'm afraid I am ill prepared to fill these instructions. Please understand that my employer doesn't normally request the ingredients required for this breakfast."

The small man was baffled. His eyes widened as they returned to his seemingly endless list. "Looks as if her highness has arrived just in time", he mumbled to himself as he took mental notes.

Marlena licked her lips, ignoring the comment that he made little to no effort to hide. "I'm sorry sir...?"

"Grivious", he proclaimed with his nose in the air. "Official Royal Assistant to her highness, princess Erse. For your information, ma'am, her highness's happiness affects the entire kingdom of Athens."

"Really? I had no idea that her influence extended outside the palace."

"Yes. You see, when the princess experiences one of her 'bad days', this, in tow, affects the royal family, thus resulting in some rash decrees becoming law. For example; on the princess's 18th birthday all the neighboring kingdoms attending the celebration, bearing lavish gifts. The royal family of Egypt were in attendance, and...well, lets just say that their gift left quite the impression."

"What did they give her that was so offensive?" Marlena wondered.

Grivious swung his head in all directions, making sure no one was about. "I'm really not supposed to talk about it", turning to her again, lowering his voice. "But maybe it will help you understand our plight." He leaned closer to decrease the chances of them being overheard by any blabber mouths.

"As it is every year, a massive party was planned for the princess. And being the only child of noble birth currently in Athens, you could imagine the lengths the King and Queen would go through to please their little girl."

Marlena nodded. "I imagine the celebration was beautiful."

"Mmmhhm. Yes, it was. Until the princess of the Pyramids presented her gift on behalf of her parents. Lovely little thing she was. Poor girl was probably scarred for life after that night. As you know, the dessert kingdom is a very respectable region of great wealth and trade."

Marlena held onto every word. She hated to admit it, but she loved a good gossip.

"Anyway, when it came the young girl's turn to present her gift, nobody would have expected the disastrous outcome. She placed a small curtained package at princess Erse's feet, bowing in respect as she stepped away. Her highness, none so gently, snatched up the parcel, shaking up the contents. And then, came a hiss. Puzzled, she lifted the curtain unveiling a snarling black feline. The cat leaped from the box, clawed at her highness's fair neck and darted away. She fell back in shock, dabbed at the blood, and screamed out in horror and rage. Since that incident, she insisted that Egypt be banned from the trading bar and all cats were exiled from the kingdom."

Marlena shook her head.

"So you see", Grivious continued. "That is why it is imperative that we keep the princess happy. For the sake of the Athens and our sanity."

Marlena wrung her hands nervously. "Yes, I see."

Grivious nodded and pulled out his sundial. "Sweet Zeus! It's nearly 11:00 now!"

"Oh dear, what should we do?

Grivious began to pace, chewing what was left of his fingernails. "I suppose I will have to rush to the Agora and retrieve what I need."

"Oh, shall I go with you?"

"No." Grivious grabbed his cloak and paused at the door. "But maybe you could make up some little sweets to tide the princess over till my return."

"Of course."

The short man smiled. "Splendid! I'll return shortly."

…...

Marlena felt quite lost as she stared forlornly at the door. What type of treats could she make up? She knew there were a few things to consider when preparing any type of food; the guest's personal taste, what's in season, and the weather. When its cold outside most people naturally turn to foods that warm them from the inside out. In other words, comfort foods. Which was what she felt the princess needed at the moment. Comfort.

So, she set aside the porridge mixture and placed a kettle of water over the fire. Next, she took some ground up cocoa, a bit of cinnamon and placed it in a mug. When the water was done boiling she poured some into the mug and stirred the contents. Placing it on a serving tray, she made her way to the princess's room. She paused at the door, praying to the Gods that she wouldn't concur the wrath of the selfish princess. Taking a deep breath, Marlena knocked lightly at the door.

"Grivious? Is that you?" Came the answer with a yawn.

Marlena opened the door a wee bit. "No, your majesty. He is preparing your breakfast. I thought that perhaps you'd like something warm to drink in the meantime."

"What? Oh, fine. Come in. Let's see what you've got."

Cautiously, Marlena stepped inside to find the princess disheveled and tangled up in her bed sheets.

"Oh, its you." Erse combed back her hair with her fingers then motioned the serving lady closer. "Bring it here, and it better be good."

Swiftly, the housekeeper presented the offering.

Erse remained unimpressed. She sniffed and inhaled the sweet aroma. "What is it?"

"It is a special recipe passed down to me through my grandmother. It is Sir Hercules' favorite."

That sparked her interest. "Really?" Hesitantly, she accepted the cup and slowly raised it to her lips, giving a cautious blow to the hot vapors. As the liquid fell past her tongue her taste buds were called to attention. The warm, rich chocolate, flavor coated her throat, making her feel calm and at ease.

"Mmmm. This is absolutely divine. I must have more.'

Marlena gave a quick bow. "Absolutely! Right away, miss! Is there anything else I can get you?"

Princess Erse pursed her lips in thought. "I usually insist on the same platter each morning. But you've piqued my interest with this drink. So surprise me. Bring me something as equally, if not more superior to this. I expect no less."

"Yes, your highness."