CHAPTER 148

 

For several nights now, Hephaistion’s sleep had been a troubled one. Since the day they found Darius’ body he had kept dreaming every night, his mind tormented by nightmares, twisted memories of the worst moments of his life. Some times his dreams were nothing more than images passing quickly before him, scenarios, faces or sounds; other times he remembered fragments of conversations he had had during the day, living again the same situation in the dream world. This happened to him often, every time he was overloaded with work, it was as if his mind were so busy that couldn’t rest even when he was sleeping. 

 

And that night was no different. At some point his dreams changed abruptly, from a very silly conversation with Leonnatos about how many flying horses would Alexander want because they only had 10, to a scene with a 13 years old version of him. As it happened with all dreams, he couldn’t explain how he had got here, but he was lying naked on King Philip’s bed, with was the same bed of his nightmares but this one wasn’t in the royal palace at Pella but in the middle of the ghastly dungeon where Darius had tortured him; once not so long ago. He raised his head, the place was half lit with torches hanging from the moldy walls but he could see the shining eyes of the rats hiding inside the holes.  

 

He tried to stand up, but found himself incapable of doing it; his hands and feet were imprisoned with heavy and rusty shackles that hurt his skin. He heard a noise then and, when he turned, Hephaistion found Darius sitting on a magnificent golden throne, glowing almost supernaturally in that gloomy place. Hephaistion squinted but couldn’t distinguish the Great King’s face, hidden in the shadows as if he were part of the darkness. Again, he tried to stand up, but the shackles were extremely heavy and he stayed kneeled on the mattress.

 

- You are afraid –said the Great King, his voice as cold as the dungeon.

 

- I’m not afraid –answered the 13 years old Hephaistion, he wanted to sound defiant but his voice trembled betraying him.

 

Darius stood up and walked to where Hephaistion was, his cloak was so long that it dragged on the floor and the boy could see that the once magnificent golden fabric was old, dirty and torn. A rat crossed the path of the Great King, but Darius paid no attention to it. 

 

- You are so beautiful, Hephaistion…young and beautiful –said the Great King, watching the naked form in front of him. He stretched his arm to touch him, but the boy moved back.

 

- Get away from me!

 

- Why are you so afraid? –asked Darius, moving closer to the light—Can’t you see that I’m already dead.

 

The Great King’s face was the one of a corpse, a horrible sight of blind eyes, decomposing skin, lipless mouth and worms, the 13 years old boy opened his eyes round and big with horror…and Hephaistion woke up. His heart beat savagely and his body was covered in sweat making the soft fabric of his tunic attached to his body. 

 

The General sat, taking deep breaths. It was still dark and the palace of Zadracarta, the capital of Hyrcania, was silent and still, like a tomb. It was very early, even for the servants, and Hephaistion could easily imagine himself as the only person awake…besides of the guards, of course. His dream, as weird as it was, didn’t take him by surprise him, he had been thinking a lot about Darius since they found his body, remembering the first time he met him at his tent a few days before the battle of Issus; his fight against Kingu, the diner they had shared, the magnificent dagger the Great King had given to him, and of course that terrible night in the abandoned fortress with Melkar and his men.  

 

The last time he had seen Darius alive was at the battle of Gaugamela. The battle of Gaugamela… it looked so long ago, almost as if it had never happened, but in reality it had been only a little more than a year ago. So many things happened in one year, and Empire of more than 200 years had ended completely in one year. How long had taken Cyrus the Great to conquer everything? To create always took time but to destroy… That can be achieved in the blink of an eye.

 

Was that what they were doing? Destroying not creating? What did Alexander want? He had always knew that answer: Everlasting glory, he wanted the same as his ancestor Achilles, that his name would be remember from this day to the end of times. Was he going to achieve that as the destroyer of the Persian Empire? Hephaistion hoped this wasn’t going to be the case, but what did he know? What did mortals know about the future?

 

Did Darius imagine that day, at the battle of Gaugamela, that he had just one year left in this world? –thought Hephaistion—Would I have imagined it if I were him?

 

The General shook his head, it was pointless to be thinking in all of this now. The future was like a maze, once you step inside you want to find its secrets just to get yourself lost forever. He turned and found Alexander sleeping face up and snoring, but this time he wasn’t angry or envious, this time he smiled watching his lover resting like a baby, it was a very reassuring sight after a nightmare, to find that undisturbed rock that was his lover.

 

Hephaistion dropped again on the bed and curled up against the King, his back against the blond’s side, and closed his eyes, enjoying his warmth. Alexander felt someone next to him and turned automatically to embrace his beloved without waking up, surrounding his waist and hiding his face in Hephaistion’s neck.

 

The Macedonians had arrived a week ago to Zadracarta. After his success in convincing the men to continue the journey at Hecatompylos, Alexander didn’t lose time and a couple of days later, they were heading to the satrapy of Hyrcania. This time, the march took them only 2 days and for everybody’s delight, it was a peaceful and easy march: the ground was almost flat, which almost made them cry of joy; the region was situated between the Caspian Sea in the north and the Alborz mountains in the south and west and even the weather was an improvement after the merciless heat, they could feel a soft refreshing breeze every now and then.

 

Hephaistion remembered being on the top of a hill watching at the distance to where the guides said was the Caspian sea, thinking of how far away they were from the Aegean, very far away from home, and farther than any Greek army had ever been. How would his mother be? Would have Antigone arrived well to Macedonia? She and Cadie left the day after the burning of Persepolis’ palace complex after a lot of hugs, kisses and many tears. Both women had been really scared after the fire and also very grateful with Seleucus for taking them to a safe place. 

 

Seleucus…He hadn’t seen the officer since that day when they talked about Achilles, well, when he threatened him that is. It was curious but the General never thought in the possibility of asking his son about Seleucus, maybe he should do it and find out if the office had kept his word and had stayed away from him.

 

- Phai, you have to read this –said the King when the army had stopped to rest.

 

- What is this? –asked the General, taking a letter written in Greek.

 

- It’s from Nabarzanes –Alexander’s words caught Hephaistion’s attention—He is asking for protection to come to see me and he assures me that he had nothing to do with Darius’ death.

 

- That’s new, I thought he was Bessus’ accomplice –the General read the letter, trying his best to read between the lines, looking for any possible secret meaning…

 

“I never was Darius’ enemy. I made to him what I had believed were useful recommendations and I had almost been killed by the Great King himself because of the loyal advice I had given to my King. Darius had transferred the complete custody of his own person to the foreign troops, a contravention of all that is lawful and right […] I was on a slippery path and I was guided by the pressures of the situation […] To us, poor mortals, nothing is dearer than life, and it was love of life that drove me to extreme measures, but I was only a follower, not the one who desired the actual outcome.

 

If you, your majesty, asks me to come, I will come without anxiety, unafraid that so great a King would break an assurance he has given, for a God does not usually cheat fellow Gods. If, on the other hand, I’m undeserving of your assurance of protection, then I will take flight to many places of exile, for a brave man’s home is where he chooses to settle” (1)…

 

- How curious –Hephaistion gave him back the letter—Now he is blaming Bessus for everything. Reading this letter anyone would think he is just another victim of the satrap.

 

- What do you think? –asked the King, leaning his weight against the desk behind him.

 

- You spoke to Oxyathres –said his General— He said Nabarzanes was working with Bessus against his brother.

 

- Yes, but we don’t know if Bessus was threatening Nabarzanes –said Alexander making his beloved laugh.

 

- Do you believe Nabarzanes? –asked Hephaistion, holding his gaze—Alex, what I think is that he had some sort of fight with Bessus and now he is scared. He doesn’t know what to do, surrounded by enemies with nowhere to hide, and thinks you’ll show him mercy. It’s like he says, he wants to safe his life at all costs.

 

- I know that he may be lying, or most probably that he is minimizing his own participation in the plot to overthrown and kill Darius –said the King, aware that the Chiliarch couldn’t be trusted—But this is very useful for me. If I agree to see him, he will come saving me the trouble of chasing him to the end of the empire. 

 

- Yes, but that will also mean to forgive him –Hephaistion pointed out.

 

- Maybe I should forgive him –his beloved frowned.

 

- I don’t understand, first you say you want to appear as Darius’ avenger and now you are willing to forgive one of his captors –said the General.

 

- My enemy is Bessus, Phai –said Alexander, straightening himself and pacing around—If I don’t forgive Nabarzanes he will become a desperate man, and desperate men are capable of anything.

 

- Even working for your enemies again.

 

- Exactly! –Hephaistion nodded.

 

- All right, I see you point –said his beloved—When are you planning to see him? 

 

- Once we arrive to Zadracarta.

 

Zadracarta was the capital of the satrapy of Hyrcarnia, a big city that did nothing to resist the arrival of its new master. For Hephaistion’s utterly displeasure Krateros was back with his troops along with Erigyius, but the bright side was that also Perdikkas, Xsayarsa and even Kyros were back. In theory they should have stayed with the baggage train and the camp followers but both had insisted to come. In Xsayarsa’s words they couldn’t leave Hephaistion alone or the Gods knew what a mess he could be, that hadn’t made the General very happy but to see them again had lifted his spirits. Hephaistion didn’t want to admit it but he missed Xsayarsa’s constant complains. The army was still divided but at least now Alexander had with him the biggest part of it.

 

If the beautiful General was expecting to have some relaxing time at Zadracarta he was proven wrong, again; by the time they arrived a large number of Persian nobles were waiting for Alexander, word had spread fast throughout the Empire that Darius was dead, Bessus had auto proclaimed himself Great King and that Alexander had behaved as the legitimate Great King honoring Darius’ body and chasing the treacherous satrap.

 

And this cause that a great number of Persians nobles ran to King’s encounter to pledge their alliance and swear loyalty to him. This was what Alexander had expected after the battle of Gaugamela, but it wasn’t until the demise of Darius that he achieved to be recognized as the Great King, there was still much to do but he was on the right track at last. Among the horde of Persians that came to see Alexander was the faithful Artabazus, at that moment with 95 years old on him, and the Greek mercenaries who had served Darius until the very end.

 

- What do you think about the mercs? –asked Alexander to Achilles that day in the audience chamber.

 

The now 8 years old boy had been present in every meeting the King had had, especially in his private encounters with the Persian nobles where he served as his interpreter rising the curiosity of more than one seeing such a young boy in such an important roll. But the King was no fool, he had chosen Achilles not only because he loved the boy, he did it because who could possibly blame the interpreter of being twisting the meaning of words when the interpreter was the King’s son and heir.

 

Artabazus, who knew about his grandson’s, Herakles, origins paid special attention to the young Prince but say nothing regarding to his daughter. He didn’t knew Alexander well enough, didn’t even knew who was Achilles’ mother, was she the Macedonian wife of the new Great King? A powerful woman? And he didn’t want to bother the Great King when he had just been accepted in the new regimen doubling the honor he had enjoyed with Darius; for the moment, he thought it wise to keep his mouth shut.

 

Patron, the leader of the Greek mercenaries, for his part kept staring at the boy during his audience as if asking ‘what the hell is a boy like this doing here?’ but he also chose wisely to say nothing. It was clear for everybody that the King adored the boy. 

 

- I think you were too hard on them –answered Achilles once they were alone—You said to Patron that they were ‘little better than criminals and all proper Greek feeling was against them’ (2) because they fought against you and you asked from them an absolute surrender. But you have accepted Greek mercenaries before, for example, Thais’ father, and he also fought against you. 

 

- Yes son, but things had changed –said the King, sitting at the throne with the boy standing at his side—I’m no longer an invader, now I’m the Great King and they have to understand that its them who need me, not the other way around.

 

- I don’t agree with you –said Achilles, he wasn’t angry and his tone wasn’t defiant, he was just stating his point of view—You shouldn’t be so hard with the Greeks while you receive the Persian nobles with all honors.

 

- Are you suggesting that I should treat the Persians as criminals? –asked the King amused. He liked these conversations.

 

- No, I’m suggesting that you should treat both, Persians and Greeks, in the same way –said the Prince very formally.

 

Alexander laughed and ruffled the boy’s hair.

 

- You are truly my son –he said, making Achilles smile—Aki.

 

- Mm?

 

- What do you want to do? –asked the King.

 

- What do you mean? –the Prince didn’t understand.

 

- I’m thinking that you spent all day with me hearing long speeches –said Alexander—You behaved splendidly and we both deserve a break, so, you choose, what should we do?

 

Achilles smiled as the boy he was and jumped excited.

 

- Can we ride outside the city?

 

- Of course we can –the King smiled, sometimes it was so easy to forget that his Prince was still a child.

 

XXX

 

- Say again, why do we have to hunt down the Mardians? –asked Ptolemy that morning, yawning until a tear appear at the corner of his eyes. What he would have given to spend 5 more minutes in his bed. He truly missed Persepolis, those 6 months had been the best of his life, living like a King surrounded by luxury and beautiful women, he could get use to that kind of life.

 

If I survive Alexander, I’ll use my spoils to buy me a kingdom –thought the commander.

 

Thais wasn’t with him, the same as Berenike and her children, they were all with the baggage train, but that hadn’t prevented him, or Kleitos for that matter, to take care of their basic needs and had a taste of the ‘local cuisine’. Being part of the Macedonian army lately had because a free ticket to get whatever they wanted and whomever they desire, and sometimes this had made Ptolemy wonder how good was Hephaistion in bed.

 

What had this to do with the General’s prowess in bed? It was very simple. Ptolemy had never seen Alexander sleeping with the first pretty girl or boy that crossed his path, and his King had been offered all kind of beautiful specimens that had more than one of them salivating; all the Persian nobles had given him lavish gifts, including servants and slaves coming from all over the empire, but some of them had gone as far as to offer the King a pleasure slave.     

 

Ptolemy had had a hard time trying not to laugh watching Alexander’s expression every time someone gave him a particularly striking boy or girl for his ‘personal use’, although he had to admit that these Persians had good taste. After Philoxenus offer to buy him 2 boys of outstanding beauty every Macedonian officer knew better than give his King this kind of gifts, but nobody passed the Persians that memo. 

 

And the whole situation, besides of making the commander laugh, had also made him think. Hephaistion was sinfully handsome, but should be a sex god also if Alexander never had the curiosity of sleeping with someone else. And immediately Ptolemy’s mind transported him to that night when he accepted Kleitos’ challenge and entered the King’s bedroom interrupting their lovemaking. He felt the heat running through his body remembering Hephaistion moaning under Alexander…

 

He shook his head. He needed to stop thinking in those things before something embarrassing happened there.

 

- We are fighting the Mardians because they kidnapped Alexander’s baby –answered Perdikkas, as sleepy as his friends.

 

- Achilles?! –asked Leonnatos, waking up immediately. He may be now divorced but he still thought of the Prince as his nephew thanks to his friendship with Hephaistion—How? When? What happened?

 

- No! Not Achilles, dumb-ass, Boukephalos –Perdikkas corrected him.

 

Ptolemy laughed.

 

- You are kidding, right? The Mardians kidnapped Boukephalos and we have to hunt them now? –the commander laughed again, but the taxiarch expression told him everything—Holy crap! It’s for real?

 

- Oh, yes it is –said Perdikkas.

 

- But…What happened? –asked Leonnatos confuse.

 

- Well –the taxiarch stretched his arms up—What have you heard of the Mardians?

 

- Not much –Leonnatos changed his weight from one foot to the other—Just that they are uncivilized people, and more than one Persian considered them no better than animals.

 

- You did your homework, Leon –Ptolemy teased him.

 

- Oh, bite me.

 

- As you should know our brave King decided to submit the Mardians after they fail to send ambassadors to recognize him as their sovereign –Perdikkas continued— But nobody counted with the fact that these people like to steal horses, and they thought it would be funny if they stole the King’s favorite horse. Of course, as you can imagine, Alexander didn’t find the fun in this and ordered that “they should see the country laid waste to its furthest limit and his inhabitants slaughter to a man”(3)

 

Ptolemy whistled and crossed his arms.

 

- I almost feel sorry for the poor devils –said the commander.

 

- I don’t –Perdikkas yawned—If it weren’t for them I’ll be still sleeping.

 

- You really think that Perdikkas? With Alexander as King we never have time to rest –said the commander.

 

- I would drink to that –said Leonnatos.

 

And so it was done as the King wished. He sent the light units to attack the Mardians’ villages, some of them chose to flight to the hills but others stay and fight, fortifying and barricade one particular village, setting hidden traps all around the place. But if they thought this would protect them from the King’s fury they soon find how wrong they were.   

 

When the Mardians saw that Alexander meant what he said about laying the country to waste and slaying them all, they returned Boukephalos immediately with several gifts of apology, but my King didn’t stop until he received the unconditional surrender of the Mardians and hostages to assure their good behavior in the future. You may think this was too much, to punish these people just because of a horse, but this was the way Alexander was and, in this matter, Achilles was a lot him, ready to punish those who hurt his dear ones.

 

XXX

 

- Nabarzanes is here –announced Ptolemy, standing at the threshold of Alexander’s study. Since they came back after the whole Boukephalos affair, a couple of weeks ago, Eumenes had sit the King down to check some numbers and to do what he hated the most: paperwork.

 

- About time –the King stood up and a page ran to fetch his cloak.

 

- Are you sure about this? –asked the commander—Nabarzanes was with Bessus when Darius died, we don’t know if he was behind this and now is just trying to…

 

- Enough Ptolemy –Alexander interrupted him, he didn’t raise his voice but it wasn’t necessary. The commander understood the message: the King didn’t like having people questioning his orders and, if he had taken a decision, why was he questioning him?

 

Ptolemy sighed and said nothing more, sometimes he forgot that Hephaistion was the only one who could question him like this. He truly didn’t understand why Alexander wanted Nabarzanes near him, but he trusted the blond knew what he was doing.

 

The King received Darius’ Chiliarch of the cavalry in the same room he had held all the audiences the previous days after making him wait for 4 hours to show him that he wasn’t an important guest, just a supplicant. The Great King’s palace at Zadracarta wasn’t as big or spectacular as the ones at Persepolis or Susa, but it was a luxurious and very comfortable place, as Perdikkas had mentioned once, even the most humble of the Persian palaces was better than the royal palace at Pella.

 

Achilles was with him, again, to act as his interpreter, and Eumenes followed them with his notes under his arm and his personal clerk behind holding even more notes. Two guards, members of the Agema, where standing at each side of the throne and Nabarzanes stood in front, three steps below the new Great King. The Chiliarch wasn’t alone, Hephaistion, observing everything from the threshold, saw the Persian accompanied by several servants with all kind of magnificent and lavish gifts. 

 

He is desperate to gain Alexander’s favor –thought the General. Every Persian noble had brought magnificent gifts but one look at the Chiliarch’s told him these were by far the more spectacular. One could almost measure a man’s neediness by the size and cost of the gifts. 

 

Hephaistion could be inside the chamber if he wished so, standing at the side of his King to take part in the audience but he thought it better if he didn’t. Once again the General didn’t want people talking that he, as the King’s lover, influenced his decisions. He preferred to stay where he was.

 

The same he had done with the Persian nobles, Alexander dressed himself in Persian fashion, but it didn’t pass unnoticed for the General that Achilles chose a beautiful dark blue chiton of long sleeves, as Greek children used to wear, and embroidered on the edges. His son could be 8 years old but he chose his own cloths, and if the Prince had chosen this chiton it had been deliberately to wear the opposite of the King. Why? The answer escaped him, but Hephaistion would remember to ask.

 

Nabarzanes treated Alexander as the Great King, in the same moment he appeared, the Chiliarch prostrated in front of him, as servants did, because he came as a supplicant, not as one of the Great King’s nobles.

 

- You may rise –said Alexander in Persian, sitting on the throne with his young Prince standing at his side—What brings you here today, Nabarzanes? –Achilles translated the question. 

 

- Your majesty, I come to put my life in your hands, I come with no fear to serve you, if you see fitting to receive me –said the Chiliarch, keeping his eyes low, talking to the man he was acknowledging as his new master—As I explained in my letter, I had nothing to do with the satrap’s, Bessus, decision of ending with the late Great King’s life, I was in no position to take a decision like that and, as a proof, I’m here to obey any order you give me –he bowed his head.

 

Achilles translated quickly, not missing one word, and at the end, the King took a moment before speaking, increasing the tension in the room. He already knew what to do with Nabarzanes, besides several other nobles had spoken in his favor, but he was playing with the man’s nerves. That made Hephaistion smile; it wasn’t bad to tease the Chiliarch a little.

 

When Alexander finally pronounced the words forgiving him, Nabarzanes fell on his knees again, thanking Ahura Mazda and the new Great King for his mercy.

 

And now the gifts’ part, I wonder, what did he bring? –thought Hephaistion, leaning his weight against the door frame with his arms crossed over his chest.

 

Nabarzanes brought with him several splendid gifts, from daggers with golden blades to magnificent fabrics of colors that the General had never seen, but at the end the Chiliarch presented what Hephaistion had been expecting from the very beginning. The first thing Alexander, Hephaistion, Achilles, and even Eumenes, his clerk and the guards thought when they saw the person standing there, was that Nabarzanes was giving the King a slave girl.

 

Another slave girl –thought the General almost laughing. This was starting to be a joke among the King’s friends even if Alexander failed to see the funny side.

 

They saw a very beautiful young girl of 14 or maybe 15 years old, dressed with expensive and colorful cloths. She had long black hair perfectly combed, soft hazel skin, black eyes with long eyelashes, and a slender and delicate figure hidden with modesty under her dress. She wasn’t tall, maybe just a little taller than Achilles and kept her hands over her lap and her eyes down.

 

The Prince cocked his head and saw her with curiosity. In his opinion the girl was cute, maybe if the King didn’t want her she could serve him.  

 

- Your majesty –said Nabarzanes—I present you with the late Great King’s favorite eunuch, Bagoas.

 

Eunuch?! –the question was formed in the minds of all the present at the same time like a gigantic dialogue balloon. Even Hephaistion looked at him with curiosity. 

 

Don’t laugh; it’s the true, I swear the wretched eunuch looked like a girl, in fact, many times more than one was tempted to undress him in public just to verify that he didn’t have boobs. It was remarkable how feminine he was, and his manners and movements were delicate and soft which didn’t help with the confusion. 

 

- The late Great King loved Bagoas, and Bagoas always pleased his master –Nabarzanes continued and it took a moment for Achilles to come out of his shock and start translating again—I hope he would please you too, your divinity.

 

Loved? Loved how? –thought Alexander, but watching the eunuch’s looks he got a good idea of what the Chiliarch meant—Not again, why does everybody want to give a sex slave? It wasn’t enough with Philoxenus when he asked me if I wanted to buy 2 beautiful boys? No, almost every Persian had come here with a slave girl or boy.

 

Of course he didn’t say a word betraying his thoughts.

 

Nabarzanes was well aware that he wasn’t the first one to offer the King a pleasure slave, reason why he had chosen to bring Bagoas. The eunuch’s beauty wasn’t only famous, he had been Darius’ favorite, which made him a perfect gift for another King, and had several skills that the Chiliarch was sure would please his new master and therefore help him in the new regime. He wasn’t a common eunuch, Bagoas never took care of the harem or took part of the administrative work, he always served the Great King and attended his bedroom, he was more like a courtesan than anything else which served the Chiliarch’s purposes perfectly. 

 

If Alexander took Bagoas into his bed then Nabarzanes status would improve drastically.

 

But not only Nabarzanes bet everything in this encounter with Alexander, Bagoas was also well aware that his future depended on this audience. As Xsayarsa had once said to Hephaistion a eunuch was nothing without a patron and Bagoas’ patron was found dead inside a wagon a month ago. His situation was as bad as was desperate, he had no one to look after him, no family, no powerful friends still alive, and the only one who had taken care of him so far was Nabarzanes, but the Chiliarch was also a desperate man. Bagoas knew that if he wanted to survive and to maintain the life style he had enjoyed with Darius, he had to win the Macedonian King’s favor. 

 

Unfortunately the eunuch didn’t know much about Alexander, just what Darius had said to him, what he had overheard at the court and what Nabarzanes had mentioned on their way here. But he was a good observer, Bagoas knew how please people and so far, for what he saw, Alexander wasn’t very enthusiastic about him. A bad start.

 

- How old are you? –asked the King to the eunuch, and Achilles translated.

 

- 15, your majesty –answered Bagoas, his dark eyes always on the carpet. 

 

- Are you Persian?

 

- No, your majesty. I’m from Caria –answered the eunuch—I was born in Halicarnassus, sire.

 

- Caria, your majesty, is famous for it’s eunuchs –Nabarzanes explained—Besides it’s a Persian custom to have eunuchs from subjugated countries.

 

Really? –thought Hephaistion, who until that moment, had always thought that Xsayarsa was Persian—Well, he always says he is Persian but now that I think about it, maybe he is Babylonian, he had a lot of acquaintances there.

 

- Bagoas is a very skilful dancer –Nabarzanes continued—He can also play the lyre and has many other…skills.

 

- I’m sure he has –muttered Alexander and only Achilles heard him.

 

XXX

 

- I can’t believe this! –Alexander exclaimed, once he and Hephaistion were alone that night—Why this always happens to me? First Philoxenus with his pair of beautiful boys, then the Persians and their ‘gifts’ and now Nabarzanes with his eunuch –he paced around his room for his beloved’s amusement.

 

- You have to admit this is rich –said the General, trying not to laugh, lounging among the cushions of the King’s bed—He didn’t bring you any eunuch, but Darius’ favorite. 

 

- Phai, really? Do I look like a pervert? –the King asked, stopping to face him.

 

- Are you sure you want to ask me that? –Hephaistion teased him.

 

- Hephaistion!

 

- No, you don’t look like a pervert –his beloved sat, crossing his legs in meditation position—But usually men in you position have a lot of lovers and one or more sex slaves or beautiful girlish eunuchs.

 

- I don’t want a sex slave –said Alexander, enunciating.

 

- I know, I’m not saying that you should have one, I’m just saying that I don’t find so far-fetched that Nabarzanes thought in giving you Darius’ favorite eunuch, that’s all –his General explained—But… 

 

- But what? –asked Alexander, sighing and dropping on his back at his beloved’s side.

 

- But I don’t think it would be wise to reject his gifts –said Hephaistion, caressing his King’s blond hair—You just forgave him and it won’t look good if you don’t accept the eunuch.

 

Alexander sighed.

 

- I know. But what do I do with him? 

 

- I don’t know –Hephaistion shrugged—But Yarsa told me that eunuchs usually served the King, you know, something like a page.

 

- A page, right.

 

The General bent over to kiss his forehead.

 

- Tell me something –he asked– Do you like him?

 

- Who? 

 

- Bagoas –Hephaistion chuckled—What are we talking about, love?

 

Alexander moved to look at him.

 

- Love? You never call me that.

 

- Well, today I want to call you love, can’t I?

 

The King smiled.

 

- You know you can call me whatever you want –he said.

 

- Are you sure? Even sweetheart or Alexy-poo? –Hephaistion laughed when he saw Alexander’s expression—I’m teasing you.

 

- You are not funny.

 

- And you are a very bitter person –his beloved kissed his lips this time, brushing the rebel locks of his hair aside—But you never answered me, do you like the eunuch?

 

- Like how? I mean he is very beautiful I’m sure than more than one artist would love to have him for a model or write a poem about him, but –the King made a pause— I think his beauty is like the one you find in a painting or in a sunset –he said, proud with his choice of words—But if you mean if I like him for a lover, then the answer is no.

 

- Why not?

 

- Too girlish. I mean, you saw him –said Alexander—If Nabarzanes never mentions that he was a eunuch, I would have believed he was a girl.

 

- Yes, well, there you have a point –Hephaistion admitted. 

 

- If I wanted to sleep with a girl I have the Great King’s concubines for that –said the King.

 

- You don’t even feel curious? –his beloved insisted.

 

- About what?

 

- What is like to have a eunuch? –asked Hephaistion, lying at Alexander’s side.

 

- Not really.

 

- Why not? Aristotle had a eunuch for a lover –his beloved insisted, running his fingers over the blond’s abdomen. 

 

- Why do you want to know? –the King rolled to rest on his side.

 

- Curiosity –the General admitted—I mean, I am curious. Do you think they get arouse like normal people?

 

- You…? Do you want to sleep with a eunuch? –now Alexander was intrigued.

 

- Maybe, maybe not.

 

- You are teasing me –the King chuckled and Hephaistion pinched his nose– All right. For the sake of curiosity then –Alexander straightened himself, resting his weight on his elbow—You know, as well as I, that you can only find true love with another man, and a eunuch is no longer a man. 

 

- Yes, but we are talking about lust here –Hephaistion reminded him.

 

- Right, well, I don’t find them attractive, too feminine for my taste, and… –the King slid his hand between his General’s legs making his beloved blushed—My tastes have always been a little more…different —Hephaistion gasped when he felt Alexander’s fingers on his length—Lets say, long legs, strong thighs…an athletic body –his beloved bit his lower lip feeling the heat concentrated bellow his waist.

 

He spread his legs and took the King’s wrist, stopping him.  

 

- Now…you are… teasing me –he panted and Alexander smiled. He was going to kiss his beloved when they heard a sound inside the room. 

 

Both jumped on their feet, their previous arousal replaced by alertness, but Hephaistion was faster, he took his sword and listen carefully. He moved around the room holding his breath and when he came closer to the window, he heard someone breathing behind the curtain. The General pointed at the window and Alexander nodded; his beloved used the tip of the sword and moved the curtain away.

 

- What the…? —exclaimed the General and Alexander came running, dagger in hand, to see what was happening.

 

Sitting on the floor with his knees against his chest was Bagoas. Hephaistion thought many things of why was he there, starting with a conspiracy of Nabarzanes to use the eunuch to kill Alexander, but the eunuch didn’t look like a trained killer.

 

- What are you doing here? –asked the King but Bagoas didn’t understand him, he prostrated, like servants did with the forehead against the floor, and shook his head.

 

And we were just talking about him –thought Hephaistion.

 

- Do you want me to bring the interpreter? –asked the General, looking at the eunuch with caution but his instincts told him he wasn’t a threat.

 

- No, bring Aki, I don’t want other people to know that anybody can come inside my room undetected –said Alexander.

 

XXX

 

- He says he asked the guards for permission to be here –Achilles translated and yawned. It was late at night and he had been sleeping when Hephaistion came looking for him, he was still dressed in his long sleeping tunic. 

 

- Why? –Alexander wanted to know.

 

- Nabarzanes told him he has to serve you as he served Darius and Bagoas was in charge of preparing the Great King’s bedchamber –the Prince explained, rubbing his eyes—He came early in the evening to prepare the room and your bed.

 

Now that Achilles mentioned it the King had noticed his room different, more… comfortable? It had fresh flowers, a different decoration and a delicious sweet smell was floating around, but he had been so interested in his conversation with Hephaistion that didn’t pay much attention to these details.

 

- All right –the King rested his hands on his hips. Bagoas was standing before him with his head down, Achilles was between them and Hephaistion was sitting close to him—He came to prepare my room, why was he hiding behind a curtain? 

 

The Prince asked again and the eunuch answered, he had a sweet melodic voice and even if Alexander or Hephaistion didn’t understand Persian they could appreciate that someone had bothered in educating him.

 

- He says he was waiting for your orders –said Achilles.

 

- My orders? –now the King was confused.

 

- Dad, these people are used to obey the Great King in everything –explained the Prince—Bagoas stayed here because he was ready to serve you and couldn’t leave until you say otherwise.

 

- Tell him he can leave.

 

- That’s all? –asked Achilles and Hephaistion almost laughed watching his lover’s puzzle expression.

 

- What do you mean that’s all? Do I have to tell him on what side of the bed he is going to sleep? –said Alexander, the Prince smiled.

 

- I mean, do you want him to keep preparing your room every night? –Achilles explained.

 

- Aki is right Alexander –said the General, his leg crossed, and his head resting on the back of his hand—I think you should decide now what to do with him.

 

They had a point.

 

- Fine. Then tell him that he will have the same duties as a page –said the King at last, remembering what his beloved had said.

 

This time Achilles talked more with Bagoas explaining him what a page was. The eunuch seemed pleased with the King’s decision of keeping him near; he bowed again and left the room.

 

- He was terrified –said Hephaistion, once the 3 of them were alone.

 

- He should be, people have died for more trivial things than this –said Achilles, sitting on the bed—The Great King’s bedchamber is a sacred place –he yawned.

 

Alexander smiled.

 

- Go back to sleep, Aki –he said but the boy didn’t answer immediately.

 

- Can I sleep here?

 

- You are too big for that Aki –said Hephaistion, hoping that the King and he could end what they had started. His son pouted.

 

- Fine, but just for tonight –said Alexander and his beloved turned to look at him through narrow eyes. So much for his plans for that night.

 

XXX

(1) Quintus Curtius book 6 # 4 1 to 25 and # 5 1 to 32

(2) and (3) Peter Green. Alexander of Macedon, p 332