True to his word, George only started to get ready when it was fifteen
minutes to seven. Fred had won their game of chess. George kept insisting
that his victory was only because he was the charming one of them both. The
deities and goddesses who played the pawns were unbelievably snobbish and
self-centered. They wouldn't take any orders from the players and only
moved when one of the twins lavished praise and a sickening amount of
flattery on them. A catfight between an oriental spirit and the Genie God
even erupted half way through the game, much to the amusement of the
surprised brothers as haughty nods and exaggerated blinks from the genie
clashed with Mandarin incantations.
George had his way with ladies all right, but Fred was loaded with charm. George only bothered to impress the girls he fancied, unlike his twin, who would lure any passing girl who was remotely attractive or up to his standards, which did prove to be quite a problem for Angelina. Yet, she somehow managed to keep a strict eye on the mischievous charmer.
Fred laughed at his brother's persistent statements and merely shook his head when George became agitated with his lighthearted behavior. George playfully stalked off with a huff and grabbed a fluffy white towel. However, their brief disagreement was forgotten when they both emerged from the steamy bathrooms, fresh and cheerful after a soothing hot bath. They got dressed with five minutes to spare. A different servant appeared when the bell chimed again, ready to whisk them off to the ballroom.
~*~*~*~
The ballroom was filled with elegantly dressed guests that were no doubt either from immortal backgrounds or the elite royal circle. Polite murmurs arose when they made their appearance. George spotted his parents at the far end of the room, isolated from the sophisticated crowd and talking to Zeus in undertones. Slightly puzzled at their subtlety and dour looks, he kept watching them suspiciously. In doing so, he didn't notice Alicia and Angelina arriving until Fred nudged him hard.
George looked at the entranceway and gaped. That was Alicia? No way! She looked different. Sure, he'd seen her in dresses and other feminine gowns, but this was unusual. Her gown fitted her snugly and accentuated her petite frame. She looked fantastic in it, that much was expected, but it wasn't only the gown. Her lips were shaded a beautiful glossy pink and a rosy blush tinged her already flushed cheeks. Her hair was up in a complicated hairdo which held her shiny locks away from her shoulders, except for several loose tendrils that escaped the loose hold and tumbled down, gracefully framing her face.
George came to his senses and he quickly closed his mouth. Little did he know that the twins held the same effect over the two girls. It must be something to do with the magical air that shrouded the room.
Fred was smiling goofily at Angelina, who had a sparkling tiara in her hair, which unlike Alicia's, was loose and cascaded down her back in waves. She blushed when her eyes fell on his smitten look. Her long amethyst coloured gown brushed her legs as she walked over to them. Silver earrings with glittering rubies reflected the pale soft light that lit the room.
Alicia took George's hand in hers and squeezed it. She was smiling with barely suppressed excitement.
"This is amazing, George, I've never seen anything like this before!"
It was only then that he took notice of their surroundings. An orchestra with violin, viola, cello and all the string instruments players were sitting in a perfectly placed semicircle while the flutes and other percussion instrument players stood behind them. A soloist playing an Irish flute currently led the orchestra in playing a merry Celtic tune.
A grand diamond chandelier hung in the very middle of the ceiling with candles flickering like captured faeries. A long table with an emerald velvet sheet covering it held various dishes, so many that the table was extended to align with at least two of the walls in the large room. George felt his mouth start to water at the sight of the inviting dishes. Before he could even take a step closer to the table, his parents and Fred's cleared a path among the guests and headed towards them.
Strangely, George felt an uneasy feeling rise from the pit of his stomach. He nervously tried to swallow it away but it stubbornly stayed. Angelina's mother followed them, her back straight and elegantly decked in a flowing Egyptian gown complete with a crown that held two tall plumes, declaring her the supreme ruler of Egypt.
Zeus stared down at them imposingly and George tightened his hold on Alicia's hand. He was frowning at the four teenagers. Cleopatra, Angelina's mother, hurried forward gracefully and pulled her away from Fred to stand beside her. George could read his twin's physical language with ease and was able to tell that Fred was not at all pleased with the queen.
"Horus," he heard a voice say. It took several minutes before he realized that the Egyptian deity that was shadowed by Zeus was speaking to him.
"Huh?"
Three pairs of eyes glared at him, Alicia even added an imperceptible nudge. "Er....yes?" he quickly amended.
"Come here," she commanded softly. He did so, regretfully letting Alicia go.
She immediately drew closer to Fred, extremely daunted.
Alcmene cast a fearful look at the haughty Hera, who was looking at Fred with disdain clearly reflected in her eyes, and stepped forward to set a placating hand on Fred's shoulder as she stood protectively behind him, returning Hera's glare with a matching one.
Alicia's gaze alternated between her mother and Zeus, her forehead creased in puzzlement.
Zeus cleared his throat.
"We are aware that the four of you have been associating in a nefarious manner. Needless to say, we are not pleased. Especially since we have not approved of your chosen partners."
He fixed a stern glare on Alicia. "And because your future marriages have already been decided before you were born. You cannot choose."
"What do you mean?" Fred spoke up, eyeing Angelina who stood rigidly, eyes cast to the ground.
Zeus frowned at his impertinence but continued, "The Egyptian rulers have decided that the time has come for the unification of the two most influential empires in the world, Egypt and Rome. Princess Cleopatra Selene will rightfully wed the future Caesar of Rome."
The mentioned girl lifted her head and mouthed a silent 'no', her brown eyes dark with horror.
Fred clenched his fists and visibly tensed up, "Isn't this festivity thrown to celebrate the declared truce between our two nations? What better way than to proclaim true alliance by marriage? Why keep within your own preference?"
Alicia was astounded at his boldness but agreed, "He's right. If we get together, then Egypt and Greece will be completely at peace!"
Hera smiled a cold, calculating smile. "Why, why, Alcmene and Mnemosyne," she began in a teasing voice that had a dangerous edge to it.
Her eyes shot daggers at her two rivals as she hissed, "Is this how you bring up your children? Such insolence! I'm surprise they have not been punished...accordingly."
The two women kept their heads down, not wanting to cause a scene.
Osiris did not look too pleased with their argument. "Enough. Seth has been causing turbulence at the outer parts of Egypt, especially Nubia. Rebels have been ganging up to attack the caravans carrying precious resources. There are rumors that he has been at large and will return to corrupt the government. With this marriage, he will be stopped," his tone was firm and challenging.
"You shall form the strongest pole of the country's administration between yourselves. Let the Gods and Pharoahs be our most precious allies, for if Seth destroys Egypt, Greece will be affected as well. They will be married by the next inundation of the Nile, and you shall have no say in it."
George had his way with ladies all right, but Fred was loaded with charm. George only bothered to impress the girls he fancied, unlike his twin, who would lure any passing girl who was remotely attractive or up to his standards, which did prove to be quite a problem for Angelina. Yet, she somehow managed to keep a strict eye on the mischievous charmer.
Fred laughed at his brother's persistent statements and merely shook his head when George became agitated with his lighthearted behavior. George playfully stalked off with a huff and grabbed a fluffy white towel. However, their brief disagreement was forgotten when they both emerged from the steamy bathrooms, fresh and cheerful after a soothing hot bath. They got dressed with five minutes to spare. A different servant appeared when the bell chimed again, ready to whisk them off to the ballroom.
~*~*~*~
The ballroom was filled with elegantly dressed guests that were no doubt either from immortal backgrounds or the elite royal circle. Polite murmurs arose when they made their appearance. George spotted his parents at the far end of the room, isolated from the sophisticated crowd and talking to Zeus in undertones. Slightly puzzled at their subtlety and dour looks, he kept watching them suspiciously. In doing so, he didn't notice Alicia and Angelina arriving until Fred nudged him hard.
George looked at the entranceway and gaped. That was Alicia? No way! She looked different. Sure, he'd seen her in dresses and other feminine gowns, but this was unusual. Her gown fitted her snugly and accentuated her petite frame. She looked fantastic in it, that much was expected, but it wasn't only the gown. Her lips were shaded a beautiful glossy pink and a rosy blush tinged her already flushed cheeks. Her hair was up in a complicated hairdo which held her shiny locks away from her shoulders, except for several loose tendrils that escaped the loose hold and tumbled down, gracefully framing her face.
George came to his senses and he quickly closed his mouth. Little did he know that the twins held the same effect over the two girls. It must be something to do with the magical air that shrouded the room.
Fred was smiling goofily at Angelina, who had a sparkling tiara in her hair, which unlike Alicia's, was loose and cascaded down her back in waves. She blushed when her eyes fell on his smitten look. Her long amethyst coloured gown brushed her legs as she walked over to them. Silver earrings with glittering rubies reflected the pale soft light that lit the room.
Alicia took George's hand in hers and squeezed it. She was smiling with barely suppressed excitement.
"This is amazing, George, I've never seen anything like this before!"
It was only then that he took notice of their surroundings. An orchestra with violin, viola, cello and all the string instruments players were sitting in a perfectly placed semicircle while the flutes and other percussion instrument players stood behind them. A soloist playing an Irish flute currently led the orchestra in playing a merry Celtic tune.
A grand diamond chandelier hung in the very middle of the ceiling with candles flickering like captured faeries. A long table with an emerald velvet sheet covering it held various dishes, so many that the table was extended to align with at least two of the walls in the large room. George felt his mouth start to water at the sight of the inviting dishes. Before he could even take a step closer to the table, his parents and Fred's cleared a path among the guests and headed towards them.
Strangely, George felt an uneasy feeling rise from the pit of his stomach. He nervously tried to swallow it away but it stubbornly stayed. Angelina's mother followed them, her back straight and elegantly decked in a flowing Egyptian gown complete with a crown that held two tall plumes, declaring her the supreme ruler of Egypt.
Zeus stared down at them imposingly and George tightened his hold on Alicia's hand. He was frowning at the four teenagers. Cleopatra, Angelina's mother, hurried forward gracefully and pulled her away from Fred to stand beside her. George could read his twin's physical language with ease and was able to tell that Fred was not at all pleased with the queen.
"Horus," he heard a voice say. It took several minutes before he realized that the Egyptian deity that was shadowed by Zeus was speaking to him.
"Huh?"
Three pairs of eyes glared at him, Alicia even added an imperceptible nudge. "Er....yes?" he quickly amended.
"Come here," she commanded softly. He did so, regretfully letting Alicia go.
She immediately drew closer to Fred, extremely daunted.
Alcmene cast a fearful look at the haughty Hera, who was looking at Fred with disdain clearly reflected in her eyes, and stepped forward to set a placating hand on Fred's shoulder as she stood protectively behind him, returning Hera's glare with a matching one.
Alicia's gaze alternated between her mother and Zeus, her forehead creased in puzzlement.
Zeus cleared his throat.
"We are aware that the four of you have been associating in a nefarious manner. Needless to say, we are not pleased. Especially since we have not approved of your chosen partners."
He fixed a stern glare on Alicia. "And because your future marriages have already been decided before you were born. You cannot choose."
"What do you mean?" Fred spoke up, eyeing Angelina who stood rigidly, eyes cast to the ground.
Zeus frowned at his impertinence but continued, "The Egyptian rulers have decided that the time has come for the unification of the two most influential empires in the world, Egypt and Rome. Princess Cleopatra Selene will rightfully wed the future Caesar of Rome."
The mentioned girl lifted her head and mouthed a silent 'no', her brown eyes dark with horror.
Fred clenched his fists and visibly tensed up, "Isn't this festivity thrown to celebrate the declared truce between our two nations? What better way than to proclaim true alliance by marriage? Why keep within your own preference?"
Alicia was astounded at his boldness but agreed, "He's right. If we get together, then Egypt and Greece will be completely at peace!"
Hera smiled a cold, calculating smile. "Why, why, Alcmene and Mnemosyne," she began in a teasing voice that had a dangerous edge to it.
Her eyes shot daggers at her two rivals as she hissed, "Is this how you bring up your children? Such insolence! I'm surprise they have not been punished...accordingly."
The two women kept their heads down, not wanting to cause a scene.
Osiris did not look too pleased with their argument. "Enough. Seth has been causing turbulence at the outer parts of Egypt, especially Nubia. Rebels have been ganging up to attack the caravans carrying precious resources. There are rumors that he has been at large and will return to corrupt the government. With this marriage, he will be stopped," his tone was firm and challenging.
"You shall form the strongest pole of the country's administration between yourselves. Let the Gods and Pharoahs be our most precious allies, for if Seth destroys Egypt, Greece will be affected as well. They will be married by the next inundation of the Nile, and you shall have no say in it."