CHAPTER 165

 

The army arrived at Zariaspa without major incidents and the men welcomed with arms wide open the well-deserved months of rest before embarking on another campaign, this time, to end the siege of Maracanda. But, before the time came, nobody wanted to think about Spitamenes, and, that winter, Alexander’s soldiers prepared to make the most of it since many Macedonians had families with them now.

 

Nikandros’ situation was more common than one would have thought, more than one had two families: one back at Macedonia and another here among the camp followers; but the vast majority had only one wife, concubine or lover and many had children.

 

This was not necessarily bad for the King, on the contrary, if his men settled with local women it would be less probable that they would start demanding to go back home, and Alexander had no plans to go back to Macedonia any time soon.

 

Berenike was waiting the army here, at Zariaspa, and she was so happy to see her brothers again that she cooked a delicious banquet to celebrate Hephaistion’s 28th birthday. 28…he had 22 when they left Macedonia, starting this great adventure and never imagining they would get this far. Six years had passed in the blink of an eye, how many more years would have to pass before the campaign ended? 

 

—I’m not mom –said Berenike proudly with a big smile, standing at one side of the table displaying a delicious meal— But I did my best.

 

The whole family was there: Nikandros, Vashti, his twin daughters of 1 years old, Lysanias, cousin Demetrios, Achilles, uncle Althaimenes, Berenike and her children. Amyntas was now 11 years old, Sophia 9 years old, Demetrios almost 3 years old and Lanike1 year old. Kleitos had insisted to name his daughter after his sister.

 

It surprised Hephaistion how much his nephews and nieces had grown since the last time he saw them, but the one who caught his complete attention was Demetrios. He was Leonnatos’ living image, the same hair, the same eyes, the same face, the same everything! He was a mini-me version of his friend and made him a little sad. If only Leonnatos had recognized Demetrios… 

 

But the sadness was quickly forgotten. The hipparch was immensely happy to have his family there, even he had to admit it had been awkward first considering what had happened between him and his big brother. The worst part had been to greet his sister-in-law, Vasthi, whose Greek was excellent by now, and to see his brother’s daughters, 2 beautiful girls of red hair like their mother but emerald green eyes like their father. He felt like the wickedest, most horrible man on the world, but Nikandros was as if nothing had happened.

 

Definitely, people with no shame had a happier life.    

 

—Phai, I still can’t believe that you lost your memory –said Berenike—It is so unreal that I would have never believed it if you weren’t the one telling me.

 

—Tell me about it –whispered Hephaistion.

 

—You should have seen it, Eni –said Lysanias—It was kind of funny, especially when Alexander was around –he laughed—It was great to see how Phai have no idea of who he was.

 

—That was not funny –Hephaistion complained—Alexander had a very hard time.

 

—I wish I could have been there for you –said Berenike, pouting—At least, did Nick take care of you?

 

The hipparch started to cough, choking on his food and Nikandros gave them his wolfish smile.

 

—Of course I took good care of him –he said. 

 

Why me? –thought Hephaistion but no-one paid special attention to this comment. 

 

Maybe he was exaggerating after all and he should start acting like his big brother: as if nothing had happened. He truly wanted to write to Scipio and tell him everything, after Alexander the Roman was his best friend, and he always knew what to say to make him feel better but…was it right to tell him this?

 

After the initial awkwardness everything was back to normal and Hephaistion saw that he was indeed learning to live with the knowledge that he had made love to his big brother and, as time passed, watching the smiling faces of his family around him, he was convinced that he could treat Nikandros just as he did with Scipio.

 

—I have news to share with you –said uncle Althaimenes suddenly—I’m going back to Macedonia. 

 

—Why? –asked Lysanias. The only one who wasn’t surprise there was cousin Demetrios. Apparently, his father had spoken to him first about this.

 

—I’m getting old –said their uncle smiling—And our King still has many battles to fight. I think is best if I go back.

 

—But, but, but you are leaving us –said Berenike crestfallen. Althaimenes had become a father figure since Amyntor and grandfather Demetrios died, she would miss him greatly—We won’t see you again.

 

Uncle Althaimenes laughed.

 

—I’m not dying, Eni –he said, watching her fondly—Besides, this way I can keep an eye on your mother.

 

—When are you leaving? –asked Hephaistion.

 

—As soon as the winter is over –answered his uncle—So, I will be around for a while.

 

—It feels so weird –said Berenike suddenly, sighing—It had been so long since the last time we were together like this, but now…Dad and grandpa are gone, mom is back home, you are going back, and here –she turned to look at the children—Now here are several new faces.

 

—That’s how life is, Eni –said her uncle—And before you notice this big man here –he patted Amyntas’ shoulder—Would be riding at the King’s side as a hetairoi. He is going to be a good soldier and would give you grandchildren.   

 

Amyntas smiled. He was indeed a big boy, very tall and strong; he looked a lot like Berenike but, despite this and the fact that his late father had been a very handsome man, Amyntas was not a handsome boy, in fact he was very common, nobody would turn to admire him in a crowd but, for what Hephaistion had heard, he was very good with a spear. It didn’t pass unnoticed for the hipparch that Achilles blushed hearing Althaimenes praising his cousin. But, why?

 

He would remember to ask.

 

XXX

 

—Peris! I have a birthday present for you –said a very excited Xsayarsa when the rest of the family was gone.

 

Hephaistion didn’t know if he should be happy or worried, knowing the eunuch he could expect pretty much everything.

 

—Thank you Yarsa…you shouldn’t have –he said unsure.

 

—Don’t thank me before seeing this –the eunuch smiled and gave him a wooden box—Open it.

 

The hipparch opened the box and found a cloth bag with…herbs?

 

—I feel a little stupid asking but, what is this? –he turned to look at Xsayarsa.

 

 —I’m glad you ask –said the eunuch excited—It was very difficult to find, not to mention expensive, but I can assure you this is worth all the troubles I went through to obtain it –now he had piqued his patron’s curiosity—These herbs come from India, and they are the most effective and powerful aphrodisiac I have ever…

 

—WHAT?! –exclaimed Hephaistion blushing—Why are you giving me this? 

 

Xsayarsa’s good mood disappeared and he pursed his lips.

 

—And they say you are smart –he shook his head—Why else? To use it with the King —the hipparch saw him as if he had spoken in Persian—Peris, now that the King has become the Great King you will have competition. Yes, yes ,yes, I know that crap that he loves you and yes you are very beautiful but you are not getting any younger here, and we don’t know if in the future the King would find someone else.

 

Hephastion puffed. His eunuch would never understand what kind of relationship he had with the King and he was by now tired of trying to explain it to him, so he gave up.

 

—Fine. Er…Thank you –Xsayarsa looked please.

 

—You will have to tell me how everything went –said the eunuch like a gossipy girl, smiling again.

 

No way in hell –thought the hipparch, closing the box and swearing never to use the herbs.

 

XXX

 

It was dark by the time Berenike went back to Kleitos’ house after stopping at Ptolemy’s place to see Thais. They were almost like sisters now, the best friend Berenike had ever had and they shared literally everything, they felt comfortable with each other and Hephaistion’s sister was sure that they would remain like this until they die. Amyntas and Sophia were running in front of her. Netikerty helped her to carry Lanike while she slowly walked with Demetrios, bending over to hold both his hands. 

 

—Honey, are you sure you don’t want me to carry you? –asked Berenike sweetly, but her son shook her head.

 

—I’m not a baby –answered Demetrios, making her laugh.

 

—Fine.

 

—Eni –Berenike lifted her head and saw through eyes wide open that Leonnatos was standing in front of her—I…I want to talk to you –she was tempted for a moment to turn her head and see if he was really talking to her, but that was silly—I was wondering if you received my letters.

 

Berenike sighed.

 

—Nety, could you please take the children back home? –her slave nodded and took Demetrios’s hand, but the boy refused to go.

 

—Mommy! –he cried.

 

—It’s all right, go with Nety –Berenike smiled at him, but Demetrios wasn’t very convinced. He saw Leonnatos with suspicious and then he went with Netikerty.

 

For a long moment neither talked, they just stayed there, in the middle of a dark street hearing the distant sounds of people inside their houses.

 

—He is my son? –asked Leonnatos talking about Demetrios, unable to think what else to say.

 

Berenike watched him silence, wanting to hit him with all her forces and yelled until the whole city new what a moron was her ex husband; but instead, she took a deep breath and crossed her arms.

 

—So, suddenly you believe me? –it was clear he was embarrassed and Berenike couldn’t avoid taking this as a small triumph for her.

 

—Eni, you have to understand I had no way to know if Demetrios was my son before…

 

—Before he was old enough so you could see if he looked like you? –she shook her head—Yes, I received your letters but I didn’t answer because I don’t understand what do you want. 

 

—I want to recognize my son –said Leonnatos—And make things right.

 

—Wait, wait, wait –she closed her eyes for a moment and took a hand to her forehead—Leon, it has been almost 3 years since you divorced me, and now you want to make things right?…Let me finish –she raised her hand to stop him when Leonnatos opened his mouth—I know I did something terrible sleeping with Kleitos while we were still married and I am sorry. You are a good man Leon and I understand why you had to divorce me… –her voice trembled, it had taken years for Berenike to accept what had happened. She had cried endlessly until she finally accepted her situation and now Leonnatos was here, talking sweetly to her and wanting to recognize her son shaking her entire world again—You did what you have to do, I am married now and you can’t make things “right”, it’s too late…

 

—It’s not too late –Leonnatos insisted, closing the distance between them—I love you…

 

Berenike didn’t know if she should laugh or cry.

 

—And what do you want to do? I am married!

 

—But you don’t love Kleitos.

 

—And? What difference does that make? –asked Berenike. Why men were so stupid sometimes? Why could he leave her alone? This whole conversation hurt her and the only think Berenike wanted to do was run away.

 

—I made a mistake, I should have never divorced you and in 3 years I have done nothing more than to think about you –said Leonnatos with intensity—Answer me, do you still love me?

 

—That’s not important.

 

—It’s important for me.

 

—I should go home –Berenike started to walk but Leonnatos took her arm.

 

—Please, at least tell if you still love me –he pleaded and even if she wanted to hate him and ignored him, but the truth was that her defenses crumbled when she heard his loving voice. 

 

Berenike knew she shouldn’t, they had no future now and to encourage Leonnatos would only cause more problems, but still…

 

—Yes –the words escape from her lips before she could stop them.

 

He loosed his grip and Berenike ran back to her house.

 

XXX

 

Hephaistion parked Alexander’s Porsche Cayman in front of Achilles’ school and waited for his son. He used to go for him at his classroom, but he stopped doing that when he noticed the lusty and needy expressions of complete adoration on the faces of Achilles’ classmates’ mothers. Hephaistion had seriously feared they were going to rape him at the first chance they had, especially after they had spanked him, then he had had a pretty good idea of how helpless sheep felt entering into the wolves’ domains. And, on his way back from the classroom, he always found a ridiculous number of notes with the mothers’, or the older students’, phone numbers attached to the car’s windshield.

 

So, after a long consideration of the matter, Hephaistion decided to wait for his son inside the safety of the car.

 

They had moved to the USA after Parmelio, Hephaistion’s boss, committed suicide when he was discovered in a complot to assassinate an important person. Alexander had always wanted to move here but after that, his beloved decided to quit his job and had started to write a sci-fi/fantasy novel called Chaos. The first book had just come out and it had been a huge success. The critic said he could become more famous than J.K. Rowling.   

 

Many things had happened to him the previous year: his boss had died, he had lost his memory and recovered it when he hit his head again by accident, and, as if that hadn’t been enough, he had had a threesome with his brother and Alexander. How that had happened? Hephaistion blamed his lover’s secret fantasy and his brother’s hidden desire of bedding him since he was 13 years old, everything combined with his lack of memory and very needy hormones. He would like to think the 3 of them had been drunk, but that wasn’t the case.

 

For months he hadn’t known what to make of this, not that he had not enjoyed it, he could feel his face burning just remembering that night. Who would have imagined that to see his lover and his brother kissing could be so hot?…Ok, he had to stop thinking about that before he suffered an embarrassing accident. And precisely because he had enjoyed so much that wild night it had been so difficult for Hephaistion to overcome the situation. At the end he had decided that, what happened happened, they had experimented doing something crazy and that was the end of it. But one thing was certain, he would never forget 2011 and truly hoped that 2012 would be a better year.

 

Come my lady

Come come my lady

You're my butterfly

Sugar baby

 

Hephaistion was taken aback when he heard Crazy Town’s song Butterfly, and when he started to look around he found it was the ring-tone of a blackberry he had never seen before. He frowned, feeling his jealous burning inside him, when he saw the message of a woman, a very beautiful and horny woman, judging by the very indecent and explicit picture she sent attached to the equally indecent and explicit message.

 

He started to check the messages, photos, videos, voice messages and Hephaistion’s face changed from confused, to surprise to utterly furious when he found an alarming number of messages, photos, videos and voice message from an also alarming number of different gorgeous women. He was at one step of calling Alexander to demand the divorce when he noticed the messages were for Julius. It was the cell phone of the blond’s manager. 

 

This man could be Nick’s idol –he thought, now checking the blackberry with morbid curiosity. He found the photo of a topless girl and up went his eyebrows.

 

—Now, THOSE can’t be real.

 

—Hi daddy! –Hephaistion jumped scared when Achilles got in the car, almost dropping the phone. The boy frowned—What are you doing?

 

—Nothing –he answer like a child caught in the middle of a prank, hiding the blackberry.

 

—That’s not your phone –Achilles pointed out.

 

—No –Hephaistion answered bluntly.

 

—Whose phone is that?

 

—Julius’.

 

—Why do you have it?

 

—It was in your dad’s car.

 

—Why?

 

—I don’t know –Hephaistion started the car. He thought in the possibility of driving to Julius’ house and give him his blackberry back, knowing the Roman he would be at the edge of a panic attack without his phone. But then, he changed his mind and smiled.

 

Well, he can suffer for a while –thought Hephaistion,

 

—How was your day? –he asked, eager to change the subject of the phone.

 

—Fine. We had a surprise exam and I got the highest note –the boy answered, looking through the window. 

 

—Congratulations, Aki.

 

—Thank you, but my classmates weren’t very happy –said Achilles—I guess they don’t like the idea of a younger boy having better notes than them. 

 

Hephaistion frowned. He had never liked the idea that his almost 10 years old son were taking classes with older boys, teen boys and girls of 12 and 13 years old, but he didn’t want to take the boy to a especial school. He consoled himself thinking that, so far Achilles looked fine. He had even made 2 new friends. 

 

—Daddy, I was thinking –said Achilles—Can I take an extra curricular class?

 

—Of course you can, what do you want to take?

 

—Ballet –Hephaistion almost stopped the car to look at him, but that was to overreact and he didn’t want to make his son feel as if he were asking for something wrong.

 

—Why? –he asked as calm as he could be, thinking what would Alexander say of this.

 

—Because ballet classes are full with beautiful girls and no boys –Hephaistion laughed.

 

—Let me think about this, ok?

 

XXX

 

They arrived home and found a very gloomy Alexander talking on the phone with his manager. Achilles went to his room and Hephaistion waited until the blond was done to ask what had happened.

 

—I’m planning to replace Kleitos –said the blond, sitting at his beloved’s side in the loving room.

 

—Why? I thought he was a great bass player –this was new, Hephaistion did not know the band was having problems.

 

— He is a great bass player but he is giving lots of problems lately, and he even started his own band –said Alexander angry.

 

—Alex, don’t get mad –he said slowly—I have heard of several musicians that play with 2 bands at the same time.

 

—Yes, but I don’t like it –the blond raised his voice angry—I don’t want Kleitos playing in other band. I want him HERE giving his 100%.

 

His beloved sighed. What a problem.

 

—What does Julius say? –he could hate the man but even he admitted Julius was a genius and usually he always knew what to do.

 

—That if I want to replace him then I have to do it now, before we start the new album –Alexander puffed out—I know he is your brother-in-law but…I can’t stand his attitude, as if the band were nothing without him –the blond nodded—I’ll tell him tonight, we have a party to celebrate our nomination to the Oscar for the soundtrack I wrote. I will tell him after that.

 

Hephaistion embraced his lover and gave him a smacking kiss on his cheek.

 

—Just do me a favor –his beloved whispered, resting his head on his shoulder—Don’t get angry. Talk with Kleitos with calm.

 

Alexander snorted.

 

—I will try. 

 

XXX

 

—Aki you are very quiet, did something happen to you? –asked Hephaistion during the meal.

 

The boy didn’t answer immediately; he played with his food and took a sip of water before speaking again.

 

—I was thinking about something –his son answered, his eyes on his meat.

 

—About what? –asked Alexander, but Achilles shook his head.

 

—You are going to be angry.

 

—Why do you say that? –asked Hephaistion now truly intrigued, and the boy lifted his head.

 

—Because you always get angry when I ask this kind of question.

 

—What kind of questions? –the blond wanted to know, fearing the answer.

 

—I have a class about sexual education today –said Achilles and both, Alexander and Hephaistion felt as if bucket of freezing water had fallen over them. This is what happened when the boy took classes with teen boys—But I have doubts.

 

—Aki, first of all we won’t get angry –said his father—It’s just that sometimes we don’t know how to explain these…things to you.

 

The boy nodded.

 

—So, does that mean I can ask you my doubts?

 

—Can’t you ask your teacher? –said Alexander but his beloved kicked him under the table.

 

—Alexander –Hephaistion scolded him.

 

—What? We should let a professional to deal with this –said Alexander, he truly did not want to talk about this with their son.

 

—Coward –his beloved muttered and turned to face the boy—Ask Aki, what do you want to know?

 

—I want to know if you 2 can have sex –that was so blunt that both stared at him as if he were some alien thing that suddenly appeared in their house.

 

—What kind of question is that?! –exclaimed the blond and his beloved kicked him again.

 

—See? You are angry –said the boy with calm.

 

—He is not angry…You are not angry, right? –said Hephaistion in a menacing tone, watching Alexander in that particular way that said ‘you better shut up, smile and nod’. The blond gulped and nodded.

 

—So? –Achilles insisted.

 

—So? –asked his father distracted.

 

—Can you 2 have sex? –the boy asked again—Because my teacher explained to us how is that a man and a woman have sex, but then, I was wondering if you 2 can have sex.

 

In those moments, Hephaistion wished with all his might that his son stopped saying the word “sex”.

 

—Aki –said the blond with gravity.

 

—Dad –and then all coherent thoughts abandoned Alexander.

 

—Aki, the… “normal” thing is for a man and a woman to em- be together –said Hephaistion, feeling like an idiot—But that doesn’t mean that 2 men, or 2 women, can’t be er- together. But we don’t have…we don’t do things in the same way your teacher explained to you.  

 

Please God, don’t let him ask how do we have sex and I promise I would stop drinking –prayed the blond.

 

—So, how do you have sex? –asked Achilles and his father opened and closed his mouth stupidly.

 

Now what? –thought Hephaistion.

 

Both adults remained silent for so long that the boy started to think they weren’t going to answer.

 

—Fine, don’t tell me –said Achilles, frowning—I will google it. 

 

The threat worked because Alexander answered immediately.

 

—Do you remember what did your teacher say? –the blond was so nervous and so embarrassed that it was cute, and Hephaistion would have laughed if he weren’t in the same problem.

 

— Yes –answer the boy.

 

—Well, it is the same but the other way around –said Alexander.

 

— Uh?! –Achilles had not been this confused in his entire life—How? If you 2 are men that means you don’t have a va…

 

—Achilles –the blond interrupted him—From behind.

 

—Behind? –the boy tried to understand what was Alexander talking about but, he had no clue and that only served to increase the embarrassment of his fathers.

 

—Behind –the blond made an especial emphasis on the word.

 

—You mean the ass?

 

—Achilles, don’t talk like that –Hephaistion scolded him.

 

—Fine, the an…

 

—Achilles! –exclaimed Alexander.

 

They were starting to regret the day they said to the boy that he had to call things by its proper name. Achilles fell silent for a moment thinking about the new piece of information.

 

—Ok, but, how can you have sex from…behind? –he corrected himself when he saw his fathers’ expressions—I mean, doesn’t that hurt or something? –he asked sincerely intrigued, crossing his arms over his chest. 

 

Why me? –thought Hephaistion.

 

—It only hurts if…if you are not careful –Hephaistion could feel his face burning. This was the most embarrassing thing that had ever happened to him.

 

—But, can you put there your pe…?

 

—YES! –exclaimed Alexander, talking louder than he had intended—Yes you can.

 

—And how do you decide you is going to put it and how is going to…?

 

—It depends Aki –said Hephaistion. Why couldn’t the earth just swallow him in that moment?

 

—Depends on what?

 

—On…—his father forgot how to talk. He was sure he was paying for something he had done on his previews life—On what do you…er…like.

 

—O-k, and how is that 2 girls have sex?

 

Just when the 2 of them were seriously considering the possibility of killing Achilles the phone rang and they had an excuse to leave.

 

Of course things were never the same after that talk, and every time Achilles knew his fathers were alone in their bedroom he knocked and asked if he could come in or if they were having sex. Now, Hephaistion was sure he was paying for something he had done in his previous life.  

 

XXX

 

Hephaistion didn’t accompany Alexander to the party that night. He wasn’t in the mood, that talk with Achilles had truly shaken him and he wanted to hide his head like an ostrich and die. But since that wasn’t an option he preferred to stay at home and watch Game of Thrones on HBO, of course that wasn’t such a great idea either, because when Queen Cersei told Lord Stark that she had slept with her twin brother and that her twin brother was the father of her 3 children, and not the King; he turned off the TV.

 

Now I understand. God is punishing me for sleeping with Nick that is why Aki asks so many questions –he thought, fuming.

 

It was 2 a.m. when the phone rang and, to his utterly surprise, he discovered it was Julius. Could he know about his blackberry? Unless the Roman had superpowers he doubted it.

 

—Hephaistion?

 

—Did something happen? –he asked, fearing the worst when he heard the gravity in the Roman’s voice.

 

—Hephaistion, Alexander killed Kleitos –answered Julius and, in that moment, he felt as if he were going to faint.

 

—How…what happened?

 

—Both were very drunk and started to argue when Alexander told him he was kicking him out of the band –the Roman explained—At some point things got out of control and now Kleitos is dead.

 

Hephaistion could hardly believe that. It was a nightmare.

 

XXX