CHAPTER 142

 

The first thing Scipio thought was that Alexander knew about that afternoon kiss and prepared himself for another fight and to hear him shouting at the top of his voice for at least an hour.   

 

- I’m sure you are aware that I have an appointment with Hephaistion –said Scipio, calmed as always—And I’ll be late.

 

- Don’t try to be smart with me –Alexander pointed at him with his finger—I don’t want you near Hephaistion.

 

- I’m leaving tomorrow, you have nothing to worry about, I can assure you –he answered.

 

The King watched him in silence for a moment. Sometimes Alexander wasn’t aware how uncomfortable he made people feel when he looked at them so intensely…or maybe he was aware of that and it was precisely because of this that he was doing it. 

 

- Do you think I’m a fool? I know you are planning to do something funny before leaving –it was hard for the Roman to suppress a smile after kissing the General that same afternoon, but he managed to remain impassive.

 

- And what do you want me to do then? –said Scipio—As I said earlier, if you want I can bring a chaperon, or even better, you can join us.

 

- Don’t be ridiculous! Hephaistion would be furious if I do something like that –said the King and, again, the Roman had to make an effort to suppress a smile. The King behaved as if he and the General were married and it was funny to see such a powerful man afraid to what his beloved may say—I have another solution –he continued.

 

- And what is that?

 

- Stay away from Hephaistion –Alexander enunciated, while a servant appeared from nowhere and left a jar of wine on the nearest table.

 

- In other words you want me to miss tonight’s dinner –said Scipio.

 

- I’m glad to see that you capable of reaching such a conclusion all by yourself –said the King as if the Roman were retarded.

 

- Do you realize that if I do as you ask Hephaistion will want an explanation? And what am I suppose to say? –Scipio questioned him—‘I’m sorry Hephaistion but I can’t attend because your lover is a jealous freak’.

 

Alexander clenched his jaw.

 

- That’s your problem Roman, not mine.

 

For a moment Scipio was tempted to go straight to the General and tell him what was happening here…but then he thought about all the problems these two had had in the past days and to him came the sweet memory of that afternoon’s kiss. He knew why Hephaistion had let him kiss him and wasn’t going to betray his friend causing him problems. He sighed.

 

- You win, I’ll send him a note that I can’t go.

 

- Good! –the King served 2 cups of wine and gave one to Scipio—Lets drink to that –he raised his cup—And to your safe journey home and the hope of not seeing you ever again.

 

Scipio clenched his jaw but said nothing and drank with him. Alexander emptied the cup and looked at it puzzled.

 

This wine tastes funny –he thought.

 

XXX

 

Seleucus arrived that night at the palace. The now 27 years old officer had been sent to the surrounding mountains to survey the situation after the King heard that the people there were planning a revolt. Seleucus had just come back and even if it was late, and he was still covered in dust and sweat from the trip, he considered it would be better to give his report right away. Eumenes wasn’t at the palace but Dismas informed him that the King was indisposed and had left orders to not being disturb. 

 

- But I have a report to give –Seleucus insisted, holding his gaze and making Dismas uncomfortable; everybody agreed that his deep blue eyes were unnerving.

 

- Sorry son, but the King was adamant, and you know how he is –said the second-in-command of the Agema—Unless you have urgent news about Darius I suggest you come back tomorrow.

 

Seleucus sighed. He had wasted his time after all but even he knew it was pointless and useless to insist, even if Alexander agreed to see him he would be in a terrible mood and his news weren’t that important.

 

I came this far I should at least enjoy the gardens –thought the officer.

 

Every man in that powerful army liked luxury but Seleucus also liked the Persians art and sense of aesthetics, he enjoyed to walk around Persepolis, to visit their shrines, to looks at their walls and gates, and he took this opportunity to explore the gardens. It was a full moon night, warm and calm, the gardens were deserted and this suited his mood perfectly, just enjoying the sweet perfume of the flowers and the silence. He walked until he found a small lake, looking like liquid silver, where the pale moon’s reflection floated over the surface. Everything was so still.

 

Seleucus sat down on the grass, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath, his whole body ached after hours riding from the mountains, through rough ground and feeling the cold wind hitting his face, it was a nice change, even if he couldn’t see the King this was worth the trip. But then, the quite and peace where interrupted when he heard footsteps approaching him, his soldier reflexes made him stand up in one jump ready to face an enemy or an assassin. Greeks liked to tell fantastic stories about the Persians, and one of their favorite were the ones about assassination complots and poisonings; in that moment Seleucus was ready to face everything, everything except this… 

 

- I didn’t mean to scare you –said Achilles, dressed in his night tunic, barefoot and without a cloak.

 

- Who are you? –asked the officer, still tense with his hand near his dagger hanging from his belt. He wasn’t part of the King’s inner circle and the light was too poor to recognize the boy.

 

- I’m Achilles, the crown Prince, and you? –he asked quite naturally.

 

The crown Prince? –thought Seleucus, it had been a while since the last time he saw Achilles so close, perhaps the last time was when the King announced that he was adopting him, and that was more than 2 years ago.

 

- I’m Seleucus son of Antiochus –he answered, relax now, leaving his dagger in his place. The boy nodded and got closer.

 

- What are you doing here, Seleucus? –the officer held his breath, maybe it was the moon, the spell of the night or the scarce of light but in that moment the boy in front of him didn’t look like a boy at all, he looked like a god. 

 

- I came to see the King.

 

- At this hour? –asked Achilles, taking a seat on the grass.

 

- Yes, well, I thought the King would want to hear my report as soon as possible but –he sat at the Prince’s side—I was told he is indispose –he made a pause—And what are you doing here at this hour?

 

- I can’t sleep –answered the boy with simplicity—I thought it would be a good idea to take a walk.

 

- Barefoot? –asked Seleucus and Achilles hid his feet under his tunic, his knees against his chest.

 

- Please, don’t say a word to my father, he will be furious if he knows –asked the Prince, with that light his hair looked almost silver his skin impossibly soft, and the officer had to clear his throat before speaking again.

 

What’s wrong with me? –thought Seleucus—He is just a boy.

 

- I won’t say a word.

 

- Thank you –Achilles smiled—You said you came to give a report.

 

- That’s correct.

 

- Were you on a special mission? –the boy wanted to know.

 

- Not exactly –said Seleucus—I was sent to see the situation on the mountains, the Persians aren’t happy and it’s possible that they could start a revolt.

 

Why am I talking to him? –the officer asked himself.

 

- Do you think it’s likely that they will start a revolt?

 

He doesn’t speak like a boy –thought Seleucus.

 

- Yes.

 

- What would you do then, if you were the King? –Achilles wanted to know.

 

- I would take the army and crush them before they could muster a considerable force –answered the officer and the Prince nodded.

 

- I think that’s what my father is going to do –they heard a voice at the distance, everything was so still that they could distinguish the words clearly. Chrysaor was looking for Achilles around the garden, calling his name and, most probably, terribly worried—I have to go –the boy stood up—It was nice to meet you Seleucus son of Antiochus. 

 

- The pleasure was mine.

 

All mine…—thought the officer, spellbound.

 

Seleucus stood there until he couldn’t distinguish Achilles feeling something he couldn’t describe. That night he never imagined how his life would change after this encounter.

 

XXX

 

When time passed and Scipio didn’t appear Hephaistion sent Kyros to look for him at the house where he was staying at the city. It was not like his friend to arrive late and for a moment he feared that something had happened to him. 

 

Or maybe he had an important matter to attend, but, why didn’t he send me a message? –thought the General, he had decided to go back to his room and wait for the Theban to come back with news when he found a very concerned Perdikkas in the hallway.

 

- Joy to you! –said Hephaistion.

 

The taxiarch looked at him a little confused, as if asking himself why was the General talking to him?.

 

- Joy to you, Phai –he answered without energy.

 

- Did something happen?

 

- Something like that –Hephaistion kept looking at him until his friend sighed and continued—I lost an amphorae of wine that Ptolemy asked me to bring to his house.

 

- So? I’m sure you can get another one, I can give you one if you like –but Perdikkas shook his head.

 

- No, that won’t do, this amphorae is…especial –there was something in the taxiarch’s voice that made the General frowned.

 

- Especial how? –asked Hephaistion. He could see how his friend debated, not knowing if he should tell him or not.

 

- Well…—Perdikkas’ scratched his head—Well…But you have to give me your word that you won’t tell Alexander.

 

- Fine.

 

- No, no, no, say it –the taxiarch insisted. 

 

- Say what?

 

- Say that you give me your word –said Perdikkas dead serious.

 

This is crazy –thought Hephaistion.

 

- You have my word that I won’t tell Alexander about this…especial wine –he said and the taxiarch looked satisfy now.

 

- Thais found a guy who said he had a wine mixed with herbs that could make you…em, experience things, you know, like sharpen your senses, free your mind and stuff like that –said Perdikkas in a whisper—But he had only one amphorae and he refused to sell it to us, so, well…Thais said it was for the King and then he was happy to sell it.

 

- And then? –Hephaistion had an idea of where was this heading but he had to ask.

 

- The guy said he will deliver the wine to the palace, I was suppose to receive it but I got things to do at the city and when I arrived the guy had left and I have no idea who has the wine –said Perdikkas, taking his hands to his head—Ptolemy will kill me! This stuff wasn’t precisely cheep.

 

- I can send Yarsa to ask who received the wine, if you want –said Hephaistion and the taxiarch almost kissed his feet.  

 

- Phai, you are my savior.

 

- Yes, whatever.

 

XXX

 

Next morning when Alexander opened his eyes he found himself in his bedroom, in his impossible soft and magnificent bed. He loved this moment every morning, when, even if he was awake, he could spend a few more minutes lying among the silky sheets, enjoying the sensation against his skin, hearing nothing but silence, the first shy rays of light coming through the curtains…it was so peaceful. The King tried to move his arm but he couldn’t, a weight over it didn’t let him. He smiled, feeling a presence next to him, happy to wake up with Hephaistion at his side.

 

It had been so many mornings waking up alone since they arrived, it was curious but he hadn’t realized how lonely he was without his beloved; he was the Great King, yes, but only Hephaistion could understand him and make him feel complete. Alexander turned and slid his hand through his beloved’s back, under the several blankets covering him, he looked for the edge of his tunic, longing to feel his skin. He couldn’t get enough of him.

 

Alexander smiled like a predator when he felt him, his hand reached his butt and he bit his lower lip, his body trembling with expectation. The King looked for his General’s lips under the blankets and…He started to scream hysterically.

 

His guards entered so quickly that it appeared as if they had been expecting their King to scream at any moment, their swords ready and looking around for an intruder, but they only found an extremely paled King with a very sleepy and confused Scipio sitting in front of him, his chestnut hair was disheveled and he kept rubbing his eye and yawning.  

 

- What the hell are YOU doing here? –shouted Alexander pointing at him in the same way a woman would do with a mouse.

 

- Stop yelling –said Scipio half asleep—Why are you at my room?

 

- Your room? Open your eyes idiot you are in my freaking room, in my freaking bed –that woke the Roman up immediately. He opened his eyes big and round watching the room, somehow expecting that this were nothing more than a joke. 

 

- Jupiter Optimus Maximus…What am I doing here? –he asked with a ghost of voice.

 

He turned to see Alexander and read the same fear in his uneven eyes…Had they…? The guards at the entrance didn’t know what to do, they had come believing that their King was in danger, but this? They exchanged gazes of utterly confusion and one of them shrugged. 

 

XXX

 

- Let start again from the beginning –said Alexander pacing in front of his 2 guards and a sitting Scipio with his eyes closed and a hand covering them. His head hurt terrible and he only wanted to go back to his house, take a bath and prepare for the journey back home—I came back last night…drunk.

 

- Yes, sire –said one of the guards.

 

- Alone?

 

- No, Sire. You were with him –the guard pointed at the Roman.

 

- Why? –it was a stupid question made more rhetorically than actually looking for an answer, but his guards looked at Alexander hopelessly.

 

- I don’t know, sire –said one of them—But you two were laughing and you had your arm around his shoulders.

 

- I’m going to puke –Scipio muttered, the sole idea that he and the King could have…No, he couldn’t even think about it. The worst thing was that he didn’t remember drinking as much as to get absolutely drunk, at the point of don’t remembering what had happened. 

 

- And then what? –asked the King to his extremely confused guards.

 

- You got inside your room and that’s all we know –said the other guard.

 

- You didn’t hear anything after that?

 

- Like…what, sire? –asked one guard, he had and idea of what the King meant but he wanted to be sure before talking about his sovereign’s sex-life.

 

- Finally! You two woke up –said Hephaistion, coming inside the King’s bedroom calmly as if finding a Roman sleeping with Alexander were something so common that didn’t need his attention.

 

Both, Alexander and Scipio turned to look at the General with the same surprised and puzzled expression.

 

- You KNEW he was here? –asked the King, pointing at the Roman.

 

- Yes –Hephaistion made an effort and not start laughing, they both looked so funny not knowing if they should kill him, puke, hanged themselves imagining what could have happened inside this room, or keep asking.

 

After Perdikkas had told Hephaistion the story of the mysterious especial wine he had sent Xsayarsa to ask the servants; he heard that they had served Alexander the wine after the merchant said it was highly expected by the new Great King, the General didn’t know the details but somehow Scipio had drank it too and the 2 of them had gone to the King’s bedroom. He knew what had really happened between them but he wasn’t going to say it…it was funnier this way.

 

- And why you didn’t do anything? –Alexander wanted to know, feeling a cold sweat running down his spine remembering what Hephaistion had said about his fantasy of he and the Roman.

 

- You seemed like having fun –said the General and now was his friend the one who looked about to strangle him.

 

XXX

 

Scipio left next day, and before you asked I never told them what really happened that night between them, it still makes me smile every time I think of it. By the time my friend left we had 2 months at Persepolis but Alexander wasn’t planning to go anytime soon, not until the Persian New Year. He was determined to be recognized as the legitimate Great King. We went to Pasargadae the resting place of Cyrus the Great, and a few weeks later Alexander took an expeditionary force up in the mountains to pacify the province; it took us a month to achieve it, and as soon as we came back, Chrysaor ran to look for me…

 

- I wanted to talk to you since…well, since that day at the garden with the King and your friend, but the King left almost immediately and I have to stay with Achilles –said the pezetairos. It was late and soon it would be dark, Hephaistion was going back to the palace when Chrysaor appeared at the middle of the street, eagerly wanting to speak to him.

 

The General understood his urgency but he was extremely tired and the only thing in his mind was to take a bath, a massage and sleep. 

 

- Chrysaor I really have to go, maybe we can…

 

- It won’t take long, I promise –said the pezetairos, and one look at his pale gray eyes told the General that he wasn’t going to give up, he would end with this faster if he just agreed to talk to him. He sighed.

 

- Fine, what is it?

 

- But not here, come I’ll buy you a drink –Hephaistion was going to complain but Chrysaor took his arm and pulled him.

 

XXX

 

- What do you want to talk about? –asked the General as soon as they were sitting at one of the few taverns that received the Macedonians willingly and gladly. The owner was not Persian and he was more than happy to seize this opportunity to fatten his purse. Two kind of establishments were handsomely profiting with the Macedonian army: the taverns and the brothels, and anyone looking to make a fortune had made sure to follow the invaders as far as Persepolis to provide everything they would need. 

 

- I…have been thinking a lot in what happened –said Chrysaor, sitting at the farthest corner in the most hidden place with the General—I heard a lot of things about you at the camp, about the King’s lover –Hephaistion smiled without humor, he had an idea of what the men said about him—I imagined you quite different and then, well, Achilles speaks a lot about you and the King and I realized that I have no idea of what kind of person you really are…but I want to know.

 

- What are you trying to say?

 

- I don’t know very well –the pezetairos shrugged, his arms resting on the table—I’m not very good with words, but I was wondering, are you…happy with the King?

 

Now Hephaistion smiled amused.

 

- Why do you ask?

 

- I saw you kissing your friend at the garden –that erased the General’s smile—And Achilles said the King is a very jealous man so I thought that maybe you weren’t too happy with him and that you…you know.

 

- That I occasionally take a lover behind Alexander’s back? –Hephaistion completed him. He wasn’t angry, just surprised that Chrysaor had reached such conclusion with such little information.

 

- Well, yes –the pezetairos smiled and leaned closer to him—You know I like you, a lot actually, I can stop thinking about you and being so close to your son doesn’t help; he is a very beautiful boy and looks a lot like you –now Hephaistion feared for Achilles not because he didn’t trust Chrysaor, but because of the meaning of his words. This was new, something he had never thought about because the boy was very small, but now his son was 7 soon 8, looking more like a 10 years old. What would happen when he turn 13? Would he have to suffer the same as he?

 

The General shuddered just thinking that Achilles could have a similar fate, he had always thought that his beauty was his curse and he didn’t want his son to live anything like that, to have a lecherous old King drooling after him, a powerful and obsessed Persian Great King as his admirer, or a treacherous snake like the hipparch of the hetairoi cavalry blackmailing him.

 

You are too beautiful for your own good, and men don't like handsome men, we distrust handsome men, don't ask me why, we just do it. And you have all ready attract so many eyes on you…

 

…Phai, you have a difficult path to follow. And I'm afraid you will suffer greatly in the future…

 

Once, long long ago grandfather Demetrios had said this to him, now it seemed as he had been able to look through the mist of the future. Yes, he had suffered greatly because of his beauty but that won’t happen to his son, he would die before letting someone to hurt Achilles.

 

- What I’m trying to say –Chrysaor continued, completely oblivious of what was the General thinking— Is that I wouldn’t mind to be with you, I can keep my mouth shut and no one would know. 

 

The General blinked a couple of times absolutely stunned, he needed a moment to arrange his thoughts.

 

- Chrysaor, I have never had a lover behind Alexander’s back –said Hephaistion slowly—Scipio is just my friend with whom I made the mistake of sleeping just once, but that never happened again.

 

- So, why do you kiss him?

 

Why does he have to ask such difficult question? –thought the helpless General.

 

- I like Scipio –he admitted.

 

- He is handsome but I’m not bad either –said Chrysaor, making him smile.

 

- The point is that Scipio lives very very far from here and probably I would never see him again –Hephaistion explained—I don’t know, but I wanted to kiss him one last time, that was all.

 

The pezetairos nodded.

 

- And why can’t you kiss me? You don’t like me?

 

- Not as you want. Besides, I won’t do this again.

 

- Do what again?

 

- Betray Alexander –that made Chrysaor laugh really hard. 

 

- You sound like his wife.

 

Hephaistion gave him a nasty look through narrowed eyes, his always sweet and understanding brother had said the same thing.

 

- Maybe you can’t understand me but I love him, and I don’t want to do this again –said the General with intensity.

 

- Fine. But if someday you change your mind let me know –said Chrysaor, emptying his cup in one gulp.

 

- Trust me you’ll be the first one to know –joke the General, and the pezetairos whistled to call for more wine.

 

- You know something? You are too beautiful to be with just one man.

 

- So? What would you have me to do? Sleep with the entire camp? –Chrysaor’s laughed again.

 

- I’ll drink to that –he raised his cup.

 

- General! –it was Hero, and as soon as Hephaistion saw him he felt a knot in his stomach. Something had happened.

 

XXX

 

- Are you sure it was a man limping in a fur cloak you saw yesterday? –asked Hephaistion when Hero finished his story.

 

- General I’m sure, it happened again and this time I was with Doros at the infirmary –the General didn’t have to ask what were the 2 of them doing alone at night, it was very obvious—I clearly saw him, a man with a limp covered in a gray fur cloak.

 

- And this guy is eating corpses? –asked Chrysaor fascinated with the story.

 

Hero looked at Hephaistion, wanting to know if they could trust the pezetairos, and his General nodded.

 

- Yes, it’s been happening for months now –said Hero.

 

Chrysaor looked at his empty cup.

 

- Funny, I know a guy that fits that description –Hero and Hephaistion looked at him with big round eyes. 

 

- Are you serious? –asked the General.

 

- Yes, he was in my taxei –the pezetairos answered—If you want my opinion he is really weird.

 

- What’s his name? –Hephaistion wanted to know.

 

- I don’t know, but I know someone who can tell us.

 

After months without knowing who or what was eating corpses I could hardly believe we were going to find the culprit so easily. One of Chrysaor’s friend told us that the man we were looking for was named Aster, he was reaching his 40 birthday soon and just as Chrysaor said, everybody in Meleager’s taxei seemed to think he was…weird, to say the least.

 

But probably I’m not fair when I say this was ‘simple’, after all nothing about Aster was simple, as I could see when we reached the house where he was staying.

 

It was a small house shared by 4 pezetairos, Aster’s room was the last in a long and dark hallway. It was night now, and the faint light of the only oil lamp illuminating the place made the shadows look almost alive; as they approached Hephaistion perceived a foul smell and since that moment his heart started to beat faster. He had no idea of what they were going to find inside but he had a very vivid imagination.

 

- What the hell is that smell? –asked Chrysaor, who had insisted in accompanied them and, after all his help, either Hephaistion or Hero found any good excuse to refuse.

    

- Do you…do you think he…he has…? —Hero swallowed hard.

 

The General knew what was he thinking because he was thinking the same thing. They opened the door and the cracking sound it made appeared to be amplified several times.

 

XXX