Hercules whistled at the impressive array of floats set up in his honor. It far outclassed the parade he and his friends put on at Prometheus Academy. "Wow. I can't believe you arranged all this."

"Thebes only gets a hero once in a millennium," Megara said. "We're all so grateful for you. Of course, we pulled out all the stops."

"This is... a lot of stops."

"All of Thebes is part of celebrating you in some way. It's an opportunity for everyone to celebrate the good things about our city." Megara pointed down at one float where attendants stood at the center of four large tubs of grapes. "That's the Vintner's League. They're going to pass out grapes and wine samples to the crowd. The dancers over there are using ceremonial swords provided by the League of Blacksmiths. They'll be for sale later as memorabilia. I had them stamp your name on it."

"Oh, Phil's going to love hearing you got the drop on him with a merchandising opportunity."

"Maybe he'll start to respect my talents."

"If he's smart, he will." Hercules dipped in for a kiss on Megara's cheek. "Where's our spot?"

"We're at the very end," she said, indicating the tallest float at the back.

It gleamed golden in the sunlight, with thunderbolts and a set of white wings adorned with swan feathers to symbolize Pegasus.

"You'll develop your own iconography over time," Megara told him. "For now, this is how you'll be most recognizable."

"What about you?"

"Oh, that's why there are purple streamers."

"We'll have to add more to your branding, too. You brought me here, and you've kept me here. Anyone who likes me needs to appreciate you, too."

"We're full of wishful thinking today, huh?" She smirked at him with mild amusement. "Let's not forget my father is still influential in the city. I'll never get a fair shake as long as he talks to the papers."

Hercules frowned. "I don't get it. He ought to have it trumpeted from every rooftop that his daughter brought Thebes a dedicated hero and singlehandedly ensured there were no casualties in the war that could've wiped out his people."

"Uh, Herc. I don't know what you think happened that day, but you and Athena did most of the work."

"Well, you're the one who came up with the strategy, and I only ever went to Thebes to look for you. So yeah, you're the most important element of the equation, and I'll argue that until everyone knows I'm right." Hercules circled Pegasus around the float until he could gracefully land on its platform. Hercules jumped down and hugged Megara, then set her down. "You made all of this happen, too. I don't think Phil could even imagine it."

"Oh, he probably could, but he'd also have a huge portion of it devoted to himself."

"Where's the part devoted to you?" Hercules asked. He kept an arm around her waist while he looked dramatically from side to side.

"I'm here, aren't I? That's more than I could reasonably ask for."

"Be less reasonable, then," he said, kissing her hair. "I want more of you everywhere, and now you'd be doing it for someone else, so you have to."

"Wow. You've figured out how to push an agenda. Should I be worried?"

"Not until we have to decide where we send our kids to school, but that won't be for a long time."

Megara smirked up at him and caressed his cheek. "We should keep them to ourselves for as long as possible. Other people are awful." She guided him under a canopy of blue and purple striped linen. "It'll be a while before we reach the main parade venue, so we've got time to sit in the shade." She patted the seat next to her.

"What about Phil?" Hercules frowned down the street.

"He'll get here when he gets here," she shrugged.

"We shouldn't let this start without him. He'll think you double-crossed him. It's going to sink the truce an hour after making it. We ought to do better than that."

Megara sighed and leaned against the couch arm. "Fine, but how are we going to get him out here? Do you want to go back for him on Pegasus?"

"I can send Pegasus back for him. I don't want to leave you." He smiled gently and patted her knee. A minute later, he'd given Pegasus directions to pick Phil back up from the villa, and then he rejoined her on the couch.

"I like it when you don't leave me behind." Megara crossed her legs over his and smirked. "What will we do with all this time to ourselves?"

"I dunno…" Hercules caressed a line from her knee down to her hip and gave her a squeeze. "We've got a lot to… talk about."

"Right," she said as her eyes lazily traced his arm up to his shoulders and then rested on his face. "Such as… What we'll do when you get your first mission as a hero. Is there a routine you have for getting ready quickly?"

"That's why I always wear my armor. I'm always ready." He rested his hand on her knee and drew circles with his thumb. "If you're not ready, you don't have to come along. I'd prefer it if you stayed home more often than not. My friends have gotten caught up in a lot of monster encounters, and it's always bothered me. They mattered a lot to me but I'll be honest: you matter way more. I don't know how I'd handle seeing you in danger." He drew his fingers through her hair and gazed fondly into her eyes. "Nothing is more important to me than knowing I've kept you safe."

"It's similar for me. We've got to find ways to compromise on that so neither of us lives in fear."

As Hercules nodded, the rumble of chariot wheels made both of them grow tense.

Hercules scooped Megara out of her lounging position and spun so quickly she could scarcely perceive the movement. He shielded her with his bulky frame as he peered out of their hiding place at the bottom of their float. He relaxed when he saw who'd approached them and turned his smile toward Megara. "Your family's here. Are they riding with us?"

Megara narrowed her eyes. "The royal family has its own portion of the procession. If they're here, they want to bother us."

"I won't let them bother us too much," Hercules promised. Then he turned back to her family. "Good to see you!" he called.

"Where is my sister?" Menoikeus asked.

Hercules moved aside and presented her with a flourish of his cape. "Here she is! We're looking forward to the presentation today. What's your plan?"

"As king, I will lead the procession," Menoikeus said. "My brothers will travel alongside the parade and get face time with the people. They are still princes and must be recognized by our subjects."

"Wow, that's really fair of you!" Hercules said. "Meg and I are gonna have fun watching the whole thing from our spot up there. We'll see you all again later, right?"

"Possibly, but as I've been informed, you'll have plenty of hero duties once this is over. I heard there's a party waiting for you at the end of the procession."

"There is?" Megara finally got up to see her brothers. "I didn't say anything about a party."

"It's no big thing," Menoikeus said. "The people petitioned to celebrate their hero and meet him in person, so we judged it a beneficial gift to the people."

"It won't get out of control," Haemon said.

"No, we're only inviting Bacchus," Megarion quipped.

Megara sighed. "I suppose it's a small sacrifice."

"You can go home early if it's too much for you," Hercules promised her and gave her hand a squeeze. "I won't stay too late, I promise. I wouldn't want to be away from you for too long."

Several trumpet blasts rang out in the distance, all the way at the front of the procession.

"That's our cue," Menoikeus said. He gestured for his brothers to follow him. "See you at the end of our course, sister."

Haemon and Megarion followed their brother, waving over their shoulders as they rode ahead.

"Are you okay?" Hercules asked when they were gone.

"I'll be fine. I wasn't expecting to share you for so much of the day, but this can be our practice for when you're constantly on the job."

"It's also a chance for us to remind everyone we're together," Hercules pointed out. He took both of her hands and drew her alongside him to climb the stairs to the top platform of the float. "I don't want people to start thinking of me without you. We should always be together."

Pegasus and Phil touched down minutes later when Hercules and Megara had quieted to watch the beginning of the procession led by dancers in extravagant costumes.

Hercules waved down at his friends, but he then returned to clasping his arms firmly around Megara's waist.

"I gotta say, yer plans worked out perfectly," Phil told Megara when he joined her at the top of the float. "I thought you'd slip in something silly, but this thing is a real community effort."

"If you'd stop to notice once in a while, I'm a princess. I know how to pull off large-scale civic events."

Phil wrinkled up his face and folded his hairy arms. "Don't make me regret complimenting you…"

"Phil." Hercules didn't need to elaborate on that warning.

The satyr huffed and looked away. "I'm gonna go to the lower level. You two can have each other."

"Don't be like that," Hercules said. "We need to work together. Meg just wants you to appreciate her talents."

Phil glared over his shoulder. "What about my talents?"

"Nobody questioned them, not like you questioned mine." Megara closed her eyes and forced herself to stay calm. "Fine, if you want me to apologize, I'm sorry I snapped. Enjoy the parade, and I worked all summer."

Hercules kissed Megara's temple. "It's going to be okay, Phil. We're all learning how to communicate."

For a long, silent moment, Phil's narrowed eyes remained fixed on Megara as if he were still deciding whether or not he hated her. Then he kept walking, rejoining Pegasus on the lower platform.

"I'm going to have to make that up to him," Hercules said, rubbing Megara's arm to soften the blow of his words.

"Fine. i shouldn't have been so keen to rub it in when I was right. I just wanted him to remember how he underestimated me."

"I do that all the time, but he doesn't see you as necessary like I do. He's going to stay difficult until he decides not to be, but he'll never be especially warm and friendly."

"Good, if he won't be, then I don't have to pretend I am."

The procession moved slowly through the city, but it wasn't long before Hercules and Megara's float reached the spectators awaiting their arrival. They cheered for their hero and chanted his name.

Hercules waved, and each time he moved, there was a wave of screeches from the young women in the crowd.

One girl fainted outright.

"What's going on?" Hercules asked, his hand tightening around Megara's middle.

"You're their hero. Obviously, you have fans," Megara emphasized that last word with contempt. "Looks like I'm not the only one who appreciates your new physique."

"Well, the attention shouldn't all be on me," Hercules said, putting both hands on her hips and moving her to stand before him.

"What're you doing?" she gasped.

"I'm showing off my greatest treasure." He moved her onto his shoulder, which at first made her squeal at being even higher in the air.

Except she was in his arms. She knew she wouldn't fall.

Hercules flexed one arm while holding Megara aloft with the other. Each time he posed a new way to show himself off, he made sure to incorporate her.

With each wave of praise heaped on his name, Hercules responded with, "And Megara, your princess!"

A few of the women in the crowd seemed irritated, but the fact that their hero loved their princess seemed to go over well with the citizens overall.

"How would you feel if I started acting like that?" Megara asked when they had some space from his fans.

"Like what?" He still held her on his shoulder, so he tilted his head to ask her.

"One of those starstruck screamers down there."

Hercules rolled his eyes and kissed her hip, the closest part of her within reach. "If you ever scream like that, I'll be afraid something's wrong with you. I only want to hear you scream when I've followed Aphrodite's instructions to perfection. So, hold onto that. I'd like to hear it soon."