Chapter 136

 

A/N:  this is an –M– chapter so beware. 

 

CHAPTER 136

 

It was very late at night by the time the General was finally back at the palace; Kyros had arranged everything for Hephaistion’s dinner, and the personal cook of the Great King had agreed to prepared everything for the beautiful Macedonian and his Roman friend, a meal worthy of the Persian royalty. They were lucky that the cook wasn’t Persian and didn’t give a damn about the city or they would have had to kill him before he tried to poison them.  

 

- You look so weird dressed like this –said the General, smiling when his friend arrived wearing what Hephaistion thought looked like a big blanket of wood with several folds over a white tunic with 2 red stripes. 

 

- How rude, this is called a toga –said the Roman with all dignity, followed by his personal slave—Only male Roman citizens can wear it. 

 

- It looks uncomfortable –said the General, cocking his head and raising an eyebrow. 

 

- It’s not –Scipio smiled.

 

Hephaistion guided him to the couches arranged in a beautiful hall near the General’s room. The Roman let his toga fall to the floor before taking a seat, and his slave ran to pick it up and folded it with care.

 

- You owe me an explanation –Hephaistion reminded him, reclining on his couch. These were most beautiful couches the Roman had ever seen, cushions embroidered in pearls and gold thread, exquisite carved wood and legs decorated with gold and silver.

 

- I do. You want to know what I am doing here –the Macedonian nodded—The Senate decided to send a delegation to your King seeking his assistance to end with the problem of piracy at the Adriatic.

 

- Why do you need Alexander’s help?

 

- We don’t have a fleet –answered the Roman, taking a cup of wine from one of the servants—Our ships have been constantly attacked and we lack the capacity to stop the pirates. The only one with a fleet powerful enough to make a significant change is your King. 

 

- You traveled a long way –Hephaistion nodded. 

 

- Tell me about it –Scipio smiled—More than one of my fellow Senators complained a lot rather insistently for the long and difficult trip.

 

- I noticed that you are the youngest of the group.

 

- I just entered the Senate a year ago –the Roman explained—Reason why I had to cut my hair –he brushed his short hair with his fingers, and the General smiled—But I volunteered to come and nobody argued because I’m the only one in the delegation who speaks Greek.

 

Hephaistion couldn’t believe it; he was touched. His friend had volunteered to come, undoubtedly to see him, and that made him very happy.

 

- What did Alexander say about your request? –he wanted to know.

 

- He is going to help us –answered Scipio—But he didn’t look happy to see me. 

 

- Sadly but I don’t find that hard to believe –he muttered.

 

- So, now it’s your turn to explain. Do you have problems with the King? –asked Scipio going to the point, while the Persian servants served dinner.

 

- Straightforward as always –said Hephaistion—Yes, I think you can say that. 

 

- What happened?

 

The General took a moment to arrange his thoughts, thinking how to explain all that had happened. He started with a detail account of Alexander’s decision to sack Persepolis, Achilles’ intervention in the meeting and his argument with the King on that same night.

 

- That was the beginning –Hephaistion continued—Alexander is still angry with me and has been treating me like you saw this morning the whole week: with sarcasm, barely repressed anger, insulting me in public…But the worst was today when he sent me to oversee the arrangements for the treasury transports, he did it on purpose –his voice trembled slightly, he was still angry—He knows you are my friend and still he sent me to carry a duty which is not mine. 

 

Scipio fell silent for a long moment, eating his food and thinking carefully what to answer.

 

- Both of you are behaving like children –he said at last—Your King is in all his right to reprehend his adopted son –he raised his hand when the General opened his mouth—Let me finish, no son has the right to question his father, least of all in public; I can assure you that, if I had done something like Achilles did to my own father, he would have left me to sleep naked in the garden during a winter night.

 

Hephaistion sighed.

 

- I know Aki was wrong –he said slowly—But Alexander didn’t have to humiliate him. 

 

The Roman laughed without noise.

 

- Hephaistion you are too soft.

 

- I’m not –he clenched his jaw, remembering Alexander words:

 

Krateros is right, you behave like a goose mother

 

- Yes you are –Scipio straightened to sit—Alexander is a King and legally is Achilles’ father, he has all the right to talk to him as he likes…Don’t look at me like that, I know how you think, you have a very beautiful though unconventional family and you are trying to raise your son in the same way your parents did with you. But you have to understand this: Achilles is going to be a King one day, you are not a King and therefore can’t raise him as you want.

 

- Funny that you say that –Hephaistion smiled without humor—Alexander told me something like that when we were at Mieza with Aristotle.

 

- Hephaistion you can’t blame your King for what he did to Achilles.

 

- I guess is too late for that –the General played with his dates, rolling one between his fingers.

 

 Scipio fell silent.

 

- I’m going to tell you a story.

 

- Now you are treating me like a child.

 

- Your fault for behaving like one –answered the Roman—But I was saying, years ago Rome was a kingdom, some Kings were good but some, like the last King, Tarquinius Superbus, and his family committed excesses. One day the King’s son raped a married woman, Lucretia, and Lucretia committed suicide unable to live in such disgraced. The people was outrage for this terrible crime and the King and his family were expelled from the city in a revolt led by a man named Lucius Junius Brutus; after that Rome became a Republic as we know it today. The first 2 Consuls were Brutus himself and Collatinus, Lucretia’s widower, and from this high position Brutus worked hard to finish with the monarchy, he even made the citizens to swear an oath that never again they would allow a King inside Rome. But then a group conspired to bring back the former royal family and among the conspirators were Brutus’ 2 sons.

 

- What a blow.

 

- Indeed. But you know what Brutus did?

 

- I have no idea –Hephaistion admitted.

 

- He put his own sons to death –said Scipio, taking his friend by surprised—Along with the rest of the conspirators –they fell silent for a moment. The General had an idea of where was his friend going—I know you love your son, but that is no pretext for not punishing him when he does something wrong. 

 

Silence again.

 

- So, you think I was wrong in defending Achilles –said Hephaistion, brushing his hair behind his ear.

 

- I do.

 

The General sighed.

 

- I don’t know…maybe you are right, but…I guess that I’m under a lot of stress –he made a pause. Yes, he could see now that Scipio was right, he shouldn’t have intervened when the King reprehended Achilles, it was wrong and he undermined Alexander’s authority, something he was very careful to avoid doing—But that was no excuse for Alexander to try to force me into having sex with him –the sole thought of that enraged him again. Maybe he was being childish, but that night when the King tried to kiss him…That had been too much.  

 

- There I agree with you –said the Roman, reclining again—He has no right to force a free man to do something against his will, that’s why I have always told you that monarchy is not a fitting way of ruling, even so, your King didn’t used to behave like this… Unless he is planning to become an Asian tyrant now that he has the Persian Empire at his feet.

 

An Asian tyrant? –thought Hephaistion, pondering on that for a moment. That day, watching the slaves and servants loading the treasury on the camels he had realized how powerful and rich his King had become, as time passed it would be more and more difficult to separate his Alexander from the one who was becoming a Great King.

 

- You know –said Scipio, watching the room, the tall walls carved with images of Kings, painted as if they were alive, showing tiaras of gold and bracelets with jewels—I don’t like this place. 

 

Those words caught the General’s attention.

 

- Why not?

 

- Too much luxury makes men weak, don’t you agree? –he cocked his head slightly—One just have to look at Darius to comprehend it.

 

- There you have a point.

 

They enjoyed the rest of the dinner talking about everything, and after midnight both were sharing the same couch, drinking and laughing of the most simple and foolish things they could think of, something the General truly needed. 

 

- You are still dating Gaius? –asked Hephaistion, lounging on the couch, his elbow in one cushion, his head cocked, and his silky head sliding like water through his shoulder,

a few thin locks covering his face blushed by the wine.

 

- Dating? We are not women, Hephaistion –said Scipio smiling; his leg was so close to the General’s that he could feel his creamy skin, like a caress, every time he moved—But yes, we are still seeing each other in a very intimate way…but that won’t last for long, I’m afraid –the Roman took a sip from his cup. For someone who complained about luxury he had no problems in enjoying the Great King’s wines.     

 

- Why not?

 

- I’m getting married as soon as I get back –said Scipio—And I don’t want to risk having a scandal. Bedding a slave is one thing, but a fellow citizen is quite another.

 

For a moment both fell silent.

 

- I don’t know what to say to you –said Hephaistion, feeling that he should give his friend an advice, comfort him....Anything! 

 

- You don’t have to, I’m fine, really –the Roman assured him, moving his leg to feel the General’s skin again, the sole touch made him feel a stab of pleasure and soon he found himself lost in the Macedonian’s beauty. How many times had he dreamed about him? More than he dared to admit, he could still feel the kiss he had stole from his sweet lips 2 years ago, it was burned in his memory, igniting his senses every time he thought of it. The Gods had mercy on him when they allowed Hephaistion to go back with his King, because, if he were with him in Rome, as his slave, he would be lost, bewitched by this creature—Jupiter! –he sighed, lost in his thoughts, speaking almost without thinking—You are even more beautiful than I remembered. 

 

- Beauty –the Macedonian spat the word—It has always been a curse for me –he left his cup aside and saw his friend’s dark blue eyes shining with lust, and then he was struck by the memory of Scipio’s hands over his body that night while they were camping. 

 

He thought in Memnon, and the time when he had almost succumb to him in his house at Miletus, his expert kisses and his hands running through his body, knowing where to touch him. He twisted his lips when he remembered Philotas and his blackmailing plan, or Darius and his gifts wanting him as his lover. He even thought in Chrysaor and his insistence, wanting to be with him.

 

Hephaistion sighed. Yes, beauty was like a curse for him, but maybe because he had chosen it to be like this. 

 

Memnon, Scipio and Chrysaor were fine men, by far the better good looking was the Roman, the most seductive had been Memnon and the funniest Chrysaor. He could have slept with the 3 of them, he liked them, but, he didn’t do it because of Alexander, because he loved the King, because the blond had asked him never to give others what was only his.

 

Only his…—thought the General—I never slept with another man because of him, but he did, he slept with my brother…He is not only mine.  

 

Then Eumenes’ horrible smile appeared before him, and the memory of Alexander forcing his way between his legs, and his words…

 

Now you are giving me orders?

 

- Publius? 

 

- What?

 

- Do you still want to have sex with me? –asked Hephaistion so suddenly that for a moment the Roman thought he had imagined the question.

 

- What?!

 

- You heard me; do still want to sleep with me?

 

XXX

 

That same night Ptolemy had organized a party in the house he had claimed as his own; a magnificent place that once had belonged to a Persian noble, now on the run with Darius, only the Gods knew where. He was trying to help Alexander with his bad mood, and make everybody’s life easier because an angry King was something that no Macedonian wanted to have near, and Thais had helped him with the arrangements and details to make this a memorable night.

 

It was a good party, the Macedonian officers and Ptolemy’s friends had a great time, the entertainers where superb, including a mime that their host had found in Egypt and that made everybody laughed to tears…Well, almost everybody, because the guest of honor kept looking as if he had sucked a lemon, reclining on his couch just drinking and speaking in monosyllables.

 

- I’m telling you, is not as weird as we have always thought –said Ptolemy, at Alexander’s left.

 

- Ptolemy, I don’t know what kind of perversions you have, but incest is a little too much for me –answered Perdikkas, catching the King’s attention.

 

- According to the Egyptians it’s not a perversion –said the commander who lately had taken a taste for Egypt, it’s customs, history, art and more than one Egyptian slave—Pharaohs used to marry their sisters to keep their bloodlines pure. Their God Osiris married his sister Isis…Take Darius for example, his wife was also his sister –Perdikkas looked uncomfortable talking about Stateira, but luckily his companions thought he was just uncomfortable with the whole incest thing. 

 

- You know Ptolemy –said Krateros, with a very beautiful girl of 15 years old dressed with an almost transparent silk sitting at his side—If I were your sister, in these moments I would be very worried –that made Leonnatos, Meleager and Nikandros laughed.

 

The commander narrowed his eyes.

 

- I’m just saying that it’s interesting to see this whole thing from another perspective –he defended himself.

 

- Right, tell that to Oedipus –said Nikandros, while Vashti filled his cup again.

 

- Oedipus has nothing to do with this, he slept with his mother, I’m talking about siblings –said the commander. 

 

- I think Nick has a point –said Leonnatos—The Gods wouldn’t approve, and Oedipus’s story is a good example.

 

- It’s not. Think, why is that we are so repulse by incest? –Ptolemy insisted—Zeus and Hera are brother and sister, the same as the Egyptian Gods. 

 

- Ptolemy, it’s simple, we don’t sleep with our sisters because of the offspring –said Meleager at once—A child of brother and sister would be deformed. 

 

- Really? Darius was the son of a brother and sister –said the commander.

 

- Ptolemy, do you really think that Darius, the coward who lost his empire running away 2 times from the battlefield, is a good example to sustain your argument? –asked Nikandros and the group laugh again.

 

- And what about Stateira? –said Ptolemy—Wasn’t she the most beautiful woman of Asia? And she was the daughter of siblings.

 

- Ptolemy has a point –said Alexander catching their attention; until that moment he hadn’t said a word—We have always thought that incest is a taboo, but in Asia seems like a very useful tool to keep away pretenders to the throne. Besides here we have to make a distinction, the fact that Egyptians and Persians married their sisters doesn’t necessarily mean they desire them; they are just political tools.  

 

- I still don’t like it –said Leonnatos, frowning—The sole idea of marrying one of my sisters –he shuddered.

 

- Would you do it for political reasons? –Krateros asked Alexander.

 

- In my particular case I gain more marrying my sisters to other Kings than marrying them myself –the King didn’t answer his taxiarch’s question but nobody insisted.

 

- But again the Gods did this: Zeus and Hera, and their parents Cronus and Rhea who were also siblings –said the commander.

 

- During the time of Pericles it was established that it was fine for half brothers or sisters to marry each other if they had different mothers –explained Alexander.

 

- Yes, but Ptolemy insist that, according to the Egyptians and Persians, it’s fine to marry your full sister, not only your half one –Leonnatos insisted.

 

- I bet you that if Leon’s sisters looked like the late Stateira he wouldn’t be so repulse by the idea of marrying them –said Nikandros, and they roared in laughter. Leonnatos blushed and gave the lochagos the finger.

 

- What about a brother? –asked Meleager suddenly.

 

Krateros frowned.

 

- What the hell are you talking about?

 

- I mean, we all agree, with the exception of Alexander and Ptolemy, that sleeping with your full sister is a out of question, especially because of a possible offspring –said Meleager and many heads nodded—Does anyone ever wonder how wrong would it be to bed your own brother?

 

- Now, who is the perv? –asked Ptolemy, laughing.

 

- Full brother or half brother? –asked Perdikkas.

 

- I bet that Nick has thought about that –said Krateros, remembering the show that the 2 brothers had put after the fall of Tyre, and they all laugh, including Alexander.

 

- Shut up! –exclaimed Nikandros, he was no longer smiling.

 

- No, really, have you ever thought about bedding Hephaistion? –asked Meleager, and the group, including the King, saw him with all their attention—I mean I would if he were my brother…sorry Alexander. 

 

- You are all sick –said Nikandros, very serious—He is my full brother.

 

- Yes, but I don’t think the distinction applies here –said the King.

 

- Why not? –asked Meleager with curiosity.

 

- The distinction between half siblings and full siblings it’s because of the possible children they could have, just as you said –Alexander explained, watching Meleager—This is not the case.

 

- This is insane –muttered Nikandros—Krateros, would you sleep with Amphoteros?

 

- I’m sorry Nick, but my brother doesn’t look like yours –the taxiarch chuckled—But if he did, I would have stayed home more often, especially during winter nights.  

 

In other circumstance the King would be jealous, but this time his morbid curiosity won over his jealousy.

 

- Curse you all! –exclaimed the lochagos, one step to be really angry.

 

- Nick –said Alexander—What would it take to make you sleep with Hephaistion? –the question left them all silent because they didn’t know if the King was joking or was serious. 

 

- You are just messing with me –said Nikandros, smiling to hide his nervousness.

 

- Maybe, but for the sake of argument, what would you say? –the King insisted, it was clear he wasn’t going to drop this and had his beloved’s brother trapped.

 

- I would never sleep with Phai –answered the lochagos immediately, without even thinking the answer, and that intrigued Alexander. He had that particularly look that Hephaistion gave him when he was hiding something.

 

Gods! They looked so alike, especially when they are angry –thought the blond.

 

- Interesting, I thought you were the kind that always goes against the rules and likes to mock taboos –the King watched him with intensity, as if trying to see beyond him and that made Nikandros uncomfortable—Besides you almost kissed him once.

 

- I was drunk and just playing…I guess even I have my boundaries, don’t you think? –said the lochagos, cocking his head just like his brother.

 

Alexander said nothing but he had now several questions buzzing in his mind. Why was Nikandros so angry? Why was he so sure of his answer? Maybe if the lochagos had laughed and joked about wanting a bag of gold or a satrapy to rule in exchange of sleeping with his own brother the King would have believed his words, but this? This was not like Nikandros.

 

Unless I’m wrong and only seeing what I want to see –thought the King, shaking his head—I have problems. 

 

XXX

 

Hephaistion let Scipio guided him to the bed, kissing him, moaning softly until his back rested on the soft waterbed. It had been so long since the last time he kissed someone besides Alexander, it felt weird although not unpleasant, to taste unfamiliar lips; but he to admit that, since the last time they met, the Roman had learned a thing or two about kissing, the General was sure that he must have been experiencing more often than his friend would admit.

 

He shuddered slightly when Scipio kissed his neck, leaving a wet path of open-mouth kisses all the way, up and down, he cocked his head to give him more room and moaned again when the Roman’s hands slid through his thighs. Hephaistion closed his eyes, his cheeks were burning and his muscles were tensed. His friend’s caresses were desperate, as if he wanted to cover him all at once, fearing this was a dream and he would wake up at any moment.

 

The General was surprised to feel the urgency and need of the Roman. Was this so important to him? Had Scipio wanted him so badly? He would have never thought that someone could desire him like this and he didn’t know what to feel, flatter? Scared? Guilty for betraying Alexander? He shook his head, he didn’t want to think in the King, he wasn’t betraying Alexander…or at least that was what he wanted to believe, after all he wasn’t doing anything that the blond hadn’t done before, right?  

 

Scipio’s hands trembled with desire, dragging his fingers over his creamy skin, burying them between his legs. The General jumped when he felt his hands moving up and down his length, no one, besides Alexander had touched him so intimately with his permission and for a moment he was tempted to stand up and say this was a mistake, but then, he remembered Alexander’s harsh words and he dismissed the idea. He was horny, he liked Scipio and he wanted to know what did it feel to be with another man, after all he had only slept with 2 women: the courtesan Messalina and Cleopatra, but never another adult man…King Philip could hardly count.   

 

But, when Scipio slid his fingers inside him, stretching him with the same urgency he had shown in his caresses, Hephaistion bit his lips and opened his eyes. 

 

- Wait a…Nn…moment –panted the General.

 

- What? –whispered the Roman against his collar bone, looking for his chest.

 

Hephaistion pushed him slightly by the shoulder, his eyes heavily lidded, he could feel the fabric of his cloths clinging to his over sensitive body, his skin burning to be touched but here was something wrong.

 

- Where did you get the idea that…you are having me? –he held his gaze and Scipio felt silent, taking his fingers out of him and leaving him with a strange feeling of emptiness. 

 

Not now –thought the General.

 

- We are not doing this the other way –Scipio was so serious that made Hephaistion laughed, his friend looked so out of place with that expression. The General straightened himself, resting his weight languidly on his elbows.

 

- Why not?

 

- Because that’s not Roman –Hephaistion laughed again. This was so funny but judging by his friend’s expression he couldn’t find the fun at all.

 

- So…—the General closed the distance between them and kissed him again, slowly, taking his time to taste his lips and successfully relaxing his friend—You have never let anyone to…have you? –he whispered among kisses—Not even Gaius?  

 

- No… —Scipio closed his eyes, enjoying the sensation of having his lips against his own.

 

- What do you do then if both are Romans?

 

- He is…—the Roman cupped his face between his hands—Younger than me…—he said as if that explained everything, and made Hephaistion lied back again— And…I’m a patrician…he is not…

 

- We have a problem here…Mm…don’t you agree? –the General arched when Scipio lifted his clothes, caressing his sides with his palms opened, he tried to rock his hips against his friend but the Roman moved away, uncomfortable.

 

- No…you too are younger than me –Scipio whispered against his shoulder.

 

- You know…for a Roman you have very Greek ideas –Hephaistion laughed without noise. 

 

Now what? –thought the General. A part of him wanted to tease his friend and not let him have his way, but, other part, the part that was angry at Alexander wanted to know what did it feel to be like that with someone else, to feel someone else inside him—So be it.  

 

Hephaistion opened his legs, bending his knees up and Scipio felt a twinge of desire, watching that beautiful creature at his mercy, it was his dream come true. The Roman didn’t lose time; he lifted the General by the hips and thrust inside him with force. The sudden movement took Hephaistion by surprise; apparently his friend didn’t care much for foreplay or delicacy, for that matter. 

 

To tell you that I had the best sex of my life would be a horrible lie, even if I wanted to do something crazy, to have what I wanted for once without thinking in Alexander, I have to admit that, that night with Scipio, was very close to be a disaster. Why? Very simple, we didn’t know each other so intimately, he didn’t know what I liked and I didn’t know what he liked, so half of the time both were trying to figure out what to do instead of enjoy what we were doing. Besides, neither had a lot of experience in this matters…Awkward, isn’t it?

 

- So, what do you think of last night? –asked Scipio next morning while they ate their breakfast on one the terraces of the palace.

 

Hephaistion took his time before answering that, looking at the bread in his hands as if it were the most fascinating thing on the planet. What could he say now?

 

- It was fine –he tried to conceal his thoughts but, for his utterly surprise, Scipio laughed.

 

- Fine? It was a disaster –his friend laughed harder and that made the General smiled with relief.

 

- All right, fine, it wasn’t what I expected but it wasn’t that bad –said Hephaistion, his cheeks pink.

 

- I guess you are right…—Scipio had made his dream true, but he had to admit that it hadn’t been as he imagined.

 

- Besides you talk too much –said the General, remembering his friend’s monologue while thrusting inside him like a beast. The Roman frowned.

 

- I don’t talk much –he answered with all dignity. 

 

- Yes you do, although I have no idea of what you were saying –Hephaistion took a piece of fruit—You speak in Latin when you are horny.

 

- And you called me “Alexander” before coming –they laughed again. Oh that was so embarrassing, maybe that was why the Macedonian couldn’t stop laughing, he didn’t recall calling his friend “Alexander”. That morning Hephaistion was sure that people could of embarrassment—I guess next time this will be better. 

 

- Next time? Who told you there would be a next time? –the General teased him. He truly didn’t think it would be a next time, was he willing to do this again?

 

XXX

 

- That’s Hephaistion’s Roman friend? –asked Kleitos, not far from where the 2 were taking their breakfast.

 

At his side Ptolemy narrowed his eyes.

 

- Yes, but don’t ask me his name because I can’t remember –he said—These Romans have truly weird names. 

 

- Mm, I’m sure they slept together –the King, who was passing behind them at that moment, heard the hipparch words and stopped.

 

- Do you think? –Ptolemy watched both friends with more attention—Why?

 

- I don’t know, maybe the way they act around the other –Kleitos smiled, an evil smile—Want to bet?

 

The commander swallowed hard, remembering the last time he bet against the hipparch.

 

- No thanks.

 

XXX