Lightning flashed and made her look up. The doors to the inn, a mere second later, swung inwards simultaneously and the room was instantly filled with a strong-odoured wind.
“By the gods!” the woman muttered, but stayed where she was, propped.
Zeus walked into the inn, followed by his consort Hera.
“Wench!” He bellowed, “A tankard of your finest mead!”
The woman stayed where she was, elbows on the bar with her chin resting upon her ample and severely uplifted bosom.
“Zeus!” Hera admonished. “You must not speak like that, in such a derogatory way, towards women. How dare you. Apologise. Now!” She glared at Zeus with such strength he felt a hole beginning to bore into his head.
“It’s…” The woman tried to speak, but Zeus held aloft his hand and interrupted her.
“Woman!” He bellowed once again, toward Hera this time. “How dare YOU! Do you not know to whom you speak? I am Zeus, knower of everything!” His voice echoed around the room. Hera sheepishly looked away for a second.
“I’m…” The woman tried to speak again, but Hera stopped her this time.
“Patience, child. I have a matter with this ‘gentleman’ which must be settled first. He thinks he’s the ruler of the gods! The fool”.
“…” The woman tried to speak for a third time, and both stopped her by holding aloft their hands.
“I AM the ruler of the gods, Hera. And the waves. And the fire. And the nymphs. AND the wenches.” Zeus looked at the woman at the bar, who was propped but agog.
“ZEUS! Remember your place. You are upon the Earth now, and it is these mortals who think they rule the domain. You must respect that, and their ways, whilst you are here. Now, I shall get the drinks.”
Hera looked over at the woman who was literally on the bar. She noticed the woman hadn’t changed position since they’d walked in, which was a strange thing for a mortal to do in the presence of any god. Zeus tried to speak, but Hera simply held up her hand and stopped him. “Are you alright, child?” Hera asked with compassion. “Tell me, what is your name.”
“It’s Wenshetta. Wench for short.”
Hera glanced over to Zeus who was silently whistling into the air. He said nothing.
“Ah. Erm, your stance, child. Are you hurt?”
“No,” Wench replied, “but the mead cupboard toppled over behind the bar and has me trapped here. I’ve been waiting all day for someone to walk in. I’m bursting for the loo, and all this mead everywhere isn’t helping.”
“So you have NO mead?” Zeus boomed.
“ZEUS!” Hera was livid.
It didn’t take them long to help Wench out of her predicament and as a thank you, after a lengthy wait whilst Wench saw to her natural needs, they all sat at the inn’s only table by the roaring log fire, with a tankard of the inn’s finest mead each.
“Nectar to the gods!” Zeus beamed, once finished.
“And no charge” Wench said. “as a thank you”
“CHARGE!!!” Zeus returned to booming once again.
“ZEUS!” Hera now boomed. She looked towards Wench. “Thank you child, we shall now depart for we have a long journey ahead. Or one of us does, should the other not make it.” She glared at Zeus once again.
Wench watched them walk out of the door.
“She was going to charge us. ME! Ruler of the gods. Does she know not to whom she served?”
“Zeus!”
The doors closed behind them, and they were gone.
“By the gods!” Wench muttered, once again. “Some people!”
