CHAPTER 32

 

Berenike had been sitting for a very long time in front of Achilles, watching him in silence and thinking the same thing over and over again: what the hell? She heard Agape’s story with increasing interest and by the end she was staring at the little boy with her mouth open.

 

It was an incredible story, and if little Achilles hadn’t look so much like his brother and the King, Berenike would have thrown Agape out of her house. But Agape was an honest person, Berenike could tell with one look at her pale green eyes, and the child’s appearance spoke by itself. 

 

- I can’t believe it –Berenike said at last, after a very long silence—I mean, he looks just like my brother and Alex, but…Phai, never said anything about a son…besides, I can’t imagine Phai cheating on Alex.

 

- Maybe Aki is the King’s son –said Agape, sitting on a couch in the garden. She had thought a lot about the boy’s possible origins but there were many explanations and she didn’t know what to think anymore. 

 

- I truly don’t know –said Berenike, thinking as hard as she could, watching Achilles explored her garden with great curiosity. He had never before seen a house as big as this, and he was fascinated with the fountain and the little fishes there.   

 

- Ma’am –said Netikerty, arriving at the garden—Lady Antigone and Cadie are here.

 

- At last! –exclaimed Berenike, standing up—Take them here, please.

 

- Excuse me my lady, but who are they? –asked Agape, a little nervous.

 

- My mother and her trustful maiden. When I heard your story I sent for them, if anybody could help us here, that one is my mother –said Berenike. When she saw the fear in her guest’s eyes, she smiled kindly—Don’t worry, my mom is a very understanding and intelligent woman. 

 

Agape nodded.

 

- Eni, sweetheart; what happen? Nety said you have something important to tell me –Antigone kissed her daughter’s cheeks, before noticing Agape—And who is this lovely lady? 

 

Agape stood up.

 

- I’m Agape, ma’am, I’m form Corinth but I live in Illyria –it had been so long since the last time Agape had been with ladies like Antigone and Berenike, that she didn’t know how to conduct herself.

 

- She is a friend of Alex and Phai, mom –Berenike explained while the servants put 2 more couches in the garden.

 

- So nice to meet you, I’m Antigone wife of Amyntor, you came to see Hephaistion? –Antigone took a seat at the side of her daughter.

 

- Yes, ma’am; I have something important to tell him.

 

- I imagine that Eni told you that he is with the King in Asia –Antigone smoothed out her dress.

 

- Yes ma’am –Agape sat again, her long black hair sliding through her shoulders.

 

- That’s why I called you, mom –said Berenike—You see, Agape told me an incredible story and maybe you… and Cadie could help us.

 

Cadie frowned.

 

- What is it?

 

- E…it would be better if you saw for yourselves –said Berenike.

 

- I’ll go for him –said Agape, going to look for Achilles.

 

- What’s going on, Eni? Why all the mystery? –asked her mother.

 

- You’ll see.

 

- Really it was a snail this big –said Achilles, illustrating his words with his hands, talking excited to Agape.

 

Cadie opened her mouth and Antigone took her hands to her face when they saw the little boy. Achilles blinked watching the strangers in the garden.

 

- Who are they? –he asked to Agape, and she carried Achilles to sit him on the couch at her side.

 

- The family of lady Berenike –she explained.   

 

- Good Hera, Athena and Artemis! –exclaimed Antigone without voice.

 

- Who is this boy? –asked Cadie and Berenike explained quickly all that Agape had told her. By the end of the story another long silence fell upon them.

 

- He is Phai’s son –said Antigone, after what seems to be an eternity.

 

- How can you be so sure? –asked Berenike—I mean, the resemblance with my brother is remarkable, but look at his eyes, and…

 

- Eni, have you ever slept with King Alexander? –her mother asked in a calm voice and Berenike blushed.

 

- NO!

 

- Then it’s Phai’s son.

 

- I don’t understand –said her daughter.   

 

- Me neither, ma’am –said Agape, as confused as her hostess.

 

- Well, it’s quite simple –said Antigone, her hands on her lap—Since it’s impossible that Phai and King Alexander have a son together, the only explanation is that one of them slept with the sister of the other. And, since he is not Eni’s son, Phai must have slept with one of the King’s sisters.  

 

- That… makes sense –said Agape, thinking.

 

- But, he could be Nick’s son, mom. That would make much more sense –said Berenike—What if Nick slept with Cynane like he always said he would?

 

- I don’t think so, honey; he looks just like Phai when he was 2 years old –said his mother, watching Achilles tenderly—Don’t you agree, Cadie? 

 

- Yes ma’am, you read my mind –Cadie smiled—It’s like seeing Phai again at that age.

 

- Call it maternal instinct, but I’m sure Phai is his father –said Antigone.

 

- What now? –asked Agape.

 

- First we must write to Phai and tell him everything –said Antigone, she was exited with the idea of having another grandson, but more than that, to have a grandson of her dear son made her immensely happy—Meanwhile little Aki is staying with me –she smiled—Oh your father and grandpa are going to be so happy when they hear the news… of course Agape, you are also welcome in my house.

 

- Thank you, ma’am –Agape smiled, everything was perfect and she couldn’t believe it. Achilles would have a wonderful family; she couldn’t wait to tell the old couple, they would be very happy.

 

XXX 

 

- What did you say? –asked Cleopatra, without believing her ears. She was pregnant again and everything was fine in her marriage. King Alexandros of Epirus had great plans, when he heard that his nephew and brother-in-law was going to Asia he planed to fight against Italian tribes at the request of help from a Greek colony called Taras. One Alexander was going east and the other to the west. It was a romantic dream and Alexandros had started to assemble troops and supplies.

 

This morning, the Queen was alone in her bedroom with Reah, and her trustful confidant was looking nervous and pale.

 

- The boy is in Pella –said Reah again.

 

- In Pella? Why? –since Reah had left Achilles in Illyria every now and then she went to the village to see how were things going, and this time she heard that the little boy had left with a Corinthian woman to Macedonia.

 

- I don’t know, I only know that a Greek woman is traveling with him.

 

Cleopatra walked around her bedroom with her hands on her mouth, thinking.

 

- My brother is in Asia; he is not going to see the boy but…what if Antipater discovers something? He hates my mother and he would lose no time in write to my brother and tell him everything. Pella is a small city and you said he looks just like his father –said the Queen, more to herself than to Reah.

 

Reah nodded.

 

- It’s the curse of the illegitimate children, ma’am; they always look exactly as their fathers –Cleopatra stopped abruptly.

 

- There is only one solution; I’m going to write to my mother. She must find this boy before somebody else and send him back to me. 

 

- Are you sure? What are you going to do then, when you have the boy here? –asked Reah.

 

- I don’t know yet –said the Queen in a low voice—But most probably, I will have to do what I must have done when he was born…kill him.

 

XXX

 

Completely oblivious of what was going on back at home, Hephaistion was sitting on a wooden chair in his tent. His elbows on his thighs and his head resting on his hands, the silky locks of his hair spreading through his fingers. The army had been marching for months now, they had crossed Thrace and the Hellespont, and luck had smiled at them, because they didn’t encounter any kind of resistance. Which was great because the Macedonian fleet was very small compared with the magnificent fleet of the Great King, had Darius be a little more enterprising he would have attacked them on the sea and that would be bye-bye to Alexander’s dreams of glory. 

 

Fortunately, the Gods had other plans for the young King and his army and they joined forces with Parmelio without major problems. Alexander had left the veteran General at Arisbe to supervise the landing of the rest of the troops and he kept going with a small part of the army.  

 

Now, they were at Ilium, the place people claimed was the ancestral home of the Trojans.

 

Anyone who had seen the History Channel knows that the true site of Homer’s Troy wasn’t at Ilium, but in Hisarlık, Anatolia in northwest Turkey. I wasn’t comfortable in Ilium, it was a small town with a small and cheap temple of Athena, full with so called “relics” of the Trojan war. I was sure that half the things they got there wasn’t authentic and I even had my doubts about the so called the tombs of the Trojan heroes…but I went to pay my respects not because I believe their mortals rest were there, but because of what those tombs represent.

 

That day at my tent, I have been sitting for hours thinking of what was going to happen next. Alexander had told me the day before that he wanted that we paid a small tribute to Achilles and Patroclus’ tombs in a ceremony in front of the army. 

 

It was fine with me, in fact I was happy to have the opportunity of doing something like this with my beloved Alexander, then, why was I sitting alone in my tent? Because of the full implications of what we were about to do.

 

I was 22 years at the time, I had been with my dear King for 9 years and my family, my friends, the King’s family and friends…almost everybody knew we were together but only a few knew how much we loved each other. I told you before, in my time the idea of romance and having one true love for the rest of your life didn’t exist; the entire army thought that Alexander was with me because of my looks, but after this day every man would know that the King loved me in a way neither of them couldn’t understand. 

 

This was an extraordinary event, in my time was common to have a male lover but not give this male lover a lot of importance, and that was not all, neither Alexander or I weren’t married at that time which gave me even more importance at the eyes of the army. Everybody knew how much the King admired Achilles and giving me the roll of Patroclus was saying much more than you can imagine…

 

To put things to you in another way so you can understand me, that day I felt as if I was marrying Alexander…

 

- Hephaistion? –Kyros asked shyly from the entrance, holding the flap of the tent. His master lifted his head—Everything is ready.

 

- I’m coming.

 

For a moment he thought his legs wouldn’t hold him, he was so nervous, he couldn’t eat anything early in the morning and felt a knot in his stomach. Hephaistion checked again what he was supposed to do; he had to put a wreath on Patroclus’ tomb…wait, no, he had to wait for Alexander, and after the King put a wreath on Achilles’ tomb he put his. Yes, that was it, and then? Oh yes, he had to take off his white tunic in front of the whole army and let a servant to anointed him with oil.

 

Wait. Was Krateros going to be there? Of course he would, he was part of the army, unfortunately…Iuk! He was going to let Krateros to see him naked and covered in oil? Oh by the Spirits of the Abyss! he also had to run a race. He hadn’t thought about that until now.   

 

Hephaistion sighed, walking outside. The sun blinded him for a moment; he blinked twice and saw the impressive sight of the army standing in front of the tombs. He took a deep breath and walked to where Alexander was waiting. 

 

The King was also wearing a white tunic and smiled at him when he arrived. Hephaistion couldn’t return the smiled. He would always envy Alexander’s calm even in the most extreme situations, and this absolutely qualify as extreme situation.

 

Everything went according to the plan, they left the wreaths on the tombs and then the King took off his tunic to let one page to apply the oil on him. Hephaistion’s hands trembled when he took the soft fabric of his clothes; he tried hard not to think in all those pairs of eyes that were watching him. 

 

Think that you are alone with your beloved –Hephaistion told himself—And don’t think about Krateros…shit! Thinking about not thinking of Krateros is not working…New thought, new thought…Mm, Wow! Alexander looks great with oil…New thought, new thought! The last thing I need is to suffer an embarrassing “accident” in front of the army.  

 

Kyros arrived with the oil and let a gasp escape from his lips when he saw his master’s naked body. Only one word could describe Hephaistion: perfection. His skin was without a flaw, without sunburns or scars; it looked like something out of this world, almost divine. It was impossible to stop admiring him; his was the kind of beauty that threw women to his feet among praises for the woman that had brought him into this world, and that made men burned in jealous and desire.    

 

- Kyros –Hephaistion called him when the boy just stayed there doing nothing.

 

Kyros woke up and walked to him. He ran his trembling fingers through his creamy skin applying the oil, blushing savagely while doing so. He was sure he had died and arrived to heaven, because Hephaistion’s skin felt like glory. Kyros slid his fingers through his spine, and when he reached his butt, he thought that smoke would come out of his ears.  

 

The audience stood in complete silence. Philotas swallowed noisily when his blue eyes traveled through Hephaistion’s body; he had liked him since they were teenagers and the years had made the King’s lover even more beautiful. A rush of heat passed through his body, Philotas had never before seen Hephaistion naked and he was sure that Hephaistion could be one of the 7 wonders of the world. No living creature could say no to him and Parmelio’s son had to clear his throat several times in a poor attempt to distract himself. He would need a woman after this was over.  

 

The race took place after the 2 of them were ready, but the part of the day that Hephaistion always remembered with a smile on his face, was when Alexander said…

 

- “How fortunate Achilles was to have so faithful a friend all his life, and no less than  Homer to herald his fame when he was dead!”(1)

 

XXX

 

It was a torment to wait all day to be alone. Alexander was very tempted to send his closest friends and officers all the way back with Parmelio to see the safe crossing of the rest of the army to Abydos. The King was eager to spend some quality time with his beloved but that day everyone had something to ask him, it was virtually impossible for him to be alone with Hephaistion until nightfall and he left explicit instructions with his pages and guards that no-one could disturb him; his exactly words were that he didn’t care if Darius himself came knocking at his door. 

 

- I thought Eumenes would never go –said Alexander between kisses. He had Hephaistion trapped between the back of the bed and his very aroused body—Oh Gods! I’ve wanted to do this since I saw you covered in oil. 

 

Hephaistion smiled against his lips and helped him to take off his clothes.

 

- And you were the one who said –a deep kiss interrupted his words—That… one always has to control, Mm… –the King nip and suck his neck—Carnal needs…

 

- Yes, but I also said that I can’t control myself around you –whispered Alexander against his skin. He still smelled like the oil.

 

- If you hadn’t waste so much time at the Athena’s Temple –Hephaistion moaned again when the King’s lips slid over his chest – We could have been doing this hours ago.

 

Alexander lifted his head.

 

- I wasn’t wasting time, I made a sacrifice at the Temple –said the King—I dedicated my armor at the goddess’ altar and in exchange the priest gave me a shield and panoply dated from the Trojan war.

 

- In other words you exchange a new armor for a rusty one –the words escape his lips before Hephaistion could stop them. 

 

- Phai, don’t be cynic –said the King—We are talking about the Gods.     

 

Hephaistion sighed. Alexander was very scrupulous is religious matters, his first act after landing was to built an altar to Athena, Herakles and Zeus of Safe Landings; another example was the ceremony at the tombs of Achilles and Patroclus and now this at the Temple of Athena.

 

- Alex, I told you once and I’m telling you again, the Gods don’t exist, and even if they were real I doubt that they would use human rituals and ceremonies to express their power and will –said Hephaistion.

 

The King ran his hand through his face.

 

- That means you think that the ceremony at the tombs of Achilles and Patroclus were a charade.

 

- I didn’t say that –said Hephaistion, softening his voice.

 

- But you don’t believe in the Gods.

 

- No, but I love you –said Hephaistion holding his gaze—And I took part of today’s ceremony because it was important to me too. When I was a boy I always dreamed of meeting a man like Achilles, I wanted to be someone’s Patroclus, to be the one and only for a man like him… and today, today my dream came true. You made my dream come true.

 

Alexander saw him surprised. He had no idea that Hephaistion had a dream like that and knowing this made him feel happiness difficult to explain in words. He wasn’t only the man that Hephaistion had dreamed, for his best friend he was also Achilles, and that meant more than anything for him.

 

- I had no idea that you… —the King took his hand and kissed it with the same devotion he showed in the God’s Temples—You are my Patroclus, never doubt that.

 

Hephaistion kissed his King’s hands too.

 

- And you are my Achilles.

 

- Will you stay with me until the end? 

 

- No –said Hephaistion—Not until the end, I will stay with you always.

 

XXX

 

From Ilium, Alexander went back to Abydos to rejoined the main army and from there he moved to the town of Percote, a friendly town to the Macedonians, but for there they went to hostile territory, like Priapus a city that refused to let the Macedonians in.

 

- This is the most boring campaign I’ve ever been –said Nikandros, tired of waiting outside Priapus—Where are the Persians? All we have done until now is go from town to town doing nothing.    

 

- Nick, if you haven’t notice we came to Asia to liberate the Greek cities from the Persians –said Hephaistion, standing at the side of his horse. It was a hot day to be in armor and he wished the negotiations with the citizens of Priapus ended soon.

 

Until now there had been no fighting or major problems with the other towns and cities, Lampsacus gave a massive bribe to the King, who accepted because One: he didn’t want to waste his resources in a fight and Second: He needed money…desperately. 

 

- And you believe that shit? Please Phai, you sleep with Alexander; you know better than anyone else that he is here to take the Persian Empire –said Nikandros—Oh Gods! I’ll kill for a bath right now.

 

- Fine, you are right, liberating the Greek cities is an excuse but never the less these are Greek cities, it would look bad if we take them by force –said Hephaistion, patting the back of his horse.

 

- Phai.

 

- Mm?

 

- I heard something but I imagined that you would be the best person to clarify this something for me –said his brother.

 

- What is it?

 

- I heard that your lover only has money to maintain the army for 2 months on the field –said Nikandros.

 

Hephaistion brushed his hair back.

 

- Not quite. He only has supplies for one month and enough money to pay only for 2 weeks –his brother saw him as if they didn’t speak the same language.

 

- You are kidding me!

 

- I wish I was. It’s true –said Hephaistion—So, if you think you are the only one concern with the lack of action in this campaign, think twice. If Alexander doesn’t win a battle against the Persians soon, we will be in serious troubles.

 

- But… if he doesn’t have money, why did he forbid looting or ravaging during the advance?

 

- Because he said that “this land is now ours and one should not depreciate one’s own property”(2) –Hephaistion explained.

 

- Hephaistion! –Kyros shouted, running to where he was—The King is looking for you, he is at the front. 

 

XXX

 

When Hephaistion arrived, Parmelio, Kleitos, Krateros, Philotas, Perdikkas, Leonnatos, Ptolemy, Nearchos and Koinos were waiting. Something bad must had happened at Priapus. 

 

- I have the answer of the city –said the King in a clear strong voice—They refused to surrender.

 

- Bastards! What now? –asked Kleitos—Do you want to take it by force?

 

- No, that would be a waste of time –said the King—The citizens of Priapus gave us another option. They said that if my best man fights and wins against their best man, they would surrender.

 

- What the…? Why are they proposing that? –asked Philotas, tired of that campaign and tired of the heat. In Philotas’ opinion Alexander was doing everything wrong and he complained constantly with whoever stayed with him long enough, and usually the ones who always heard him were his poor brothers or his new brother-in-law, Koinos. After all the tantrum, and seeing that Hephaistion had no intentions of getting married soon, Daphne agreed to marry him. 

 

- Easy, to humiliate us –said the King—They know I can’t lose time here and put a siege at their city, and now they are playing with us. If their champion defeats the man I chose to fight, then they can say that they defeated Macedonian with one man.

 

- We can’t refuse now –said Parmelio—We would look like cowards, and not only that, the other cities we just passed may revolt, seeing that Priapus has defied us.

 

Alexander nodded.

 

- I agree. I asked you to come here because we need to decide who is going to fight –said the King.

 

- I’ll do it –said Krateros without thinking it twice—I can beat anything they throw at us. 

 

He surely looked deadly enough and capable of breaking a man’s skeleton with his arms. Nobody question that, but…

 

- You? I’m not sure –said Perdikkas, wrinkling his nose—What about Phai?

 

- What about oily boy? –asked Krateros.

 

- I’m right here, you moron –Hephaistion complained—What makes you think I can’t fight?

 

- Oh, for Ares’ balls! You can break a nail if you try –Krateros mocked him.

 

- Phai had been rewarded after every battle he had fought –said Leonnatos in his friend’s defense—Why can’t he fight now?

 

- Because this is not the battlefield, we are talking about a one-on-one fight –said Philotas, drawling in an annoying tone. Since the day of the ceremony at Achilles and Patroclus’ tombs Philotas had been especially nasty to Hephaistion—And Krateros is right, Hephaistion can’t win.

 

- And what do you know of what I’m capable of? –asked Hephaistion angry—I can fight and I can win.  

 

An that started a very long discussion filled with bad words and insults. As things were, Kleitos, Philotas, Koinos and Parmelio were in favor of Krateros (now that poor Koinos had married Parmelio’s daughter he had no choice but to stand with his new father-in-law) and Leonnatos, Perdikkas, Ptolemy and Nearchos voted for Hephaistion, so it was in the King’s hands to end that argument.

 

Ten pairs of eyes settled on Alexander waiting for his decision.

 

- Krateros will fight tomorrow –said the King for Hephaistion utterly astonishment—The army will assemble outside the city’s walls at dawn, that’s all. 

 

XXX

(1) Peter Green. Alexander of Macedon, p 167

(2) Peter Green. Alexander of Macedon, p 168