CHAPTER 181

 

— So, you were right and the eunuch was behind the plot to make you everybody’s bitch –said Nikandros when Hephaistion finished his story— And you are fine knowing that he will now serve your son as if nothing had happened?

 

The hipparch kept walking in silence trying to find the best way to explain, in simple words, a very complicated situation. He kept his dark gray eyes to the front, thinking for the first time how beautiful was Zariaspa and how was that he had never noticed before.

 

The days of leisure had served them all to regain their strength and prepare for what it promised to be a very dangerous campaign. Nobody knew a thing about India that weren’t fantastic tales about sorcerers and mythological creatures and, soldiers were starting to make up all kind of extravagant stories about what lay beyond the Hindu Kush.

 

The Greeks’ knowledge of the world beyond the borders of the Persian Empire was close to zero, and the only thing Alexander had heard for sure were Aristotle’s words about the Ocean being visible from the summit of the Hindu Kush, something that they had already proved was a mistake. But, despite everything, everybody appeared to agree in one thing, that this campaign was going to be everything but easy.

 

— No, I am not fine with it, in fact I don’t trust Bagoas and I don’t believe a word of what he said –answered Hephaistion. 

 

— Then, why don’t you say this to your lover? After all you said Alexander did not want to spare the eunuch, it was all thanks to Aki that he is now giving him another chance –said Nikandros, kicking a rock.

 

— You already answer your question –said the hipparch— I can’t tell Alex what I really think about Bagoas because of Aki.

 

— You lost me –his brother shook his head.

 

— Aki likes Bagoas, I think he sees the eunuch as one of the animals he likes to rescue –Hephaistion explained— And, in order to cheer him up, Alex gave Bagoas to him as a gift. The saddest part is that it worked and Aki looks slightly better. So, if I go now to Alex saying that the eunuch is lying and he is not trustworthy he will probably execute him and I don’t want to see my son sad again.

 

Nikandros laughed.

 

— Phai, I have always thought your problem is that you are too noble –he said— But tell me, why don’t you trust the eunuch? What is so terrible that made you change your mind?

 

— Bagoas tricked Aki –answered Hephaistion— Aki believed every word he said, thinking of him like a poor orphan child looking for a little attention, but the truth is more sinister than this. Bagoas truly hates me and I believe he was not looking only to cause a problem between Alex and I, he was ready to kill me.

 

The lochagos stopped, all trace of amusement completely gone from his face.

 

— Are you sure about this? –if someone was planning to kill his brother then this had also became his business.

 

— Positive –he nodded— And I think he was looking for Seleucus’ help to accomplish this.

 

Nikandros looked at him in a mix of surprise and disbelief.

 

— How can you possible know this?

 

— When Seleucus arrived at the royal tent that night, he was ready to confront me about something –said Hephaistion, remembering the moment with the same clarity as if he were again in the King’s room— A couple of days ago I asked him why he had gone that night to see me, and he said he wanted to talk about the content of the letters that Aki supposedly wrote to him. Nick, when Seleucus arrived he was furious; I am sure he was ready to fight with me if he found out I was not allowing Aki to see him.

 

— So, you think the eunuch was trying to make Seleucus kill you –said Nikandros, starting to understand this— It makes sense but there is only one thing I don’t get.

 

— What?

 

— If Bagoas hates you as much as you say, why didn’t he poison you? He could have done it in the same way he drugged you –said the lochagos and his brother shook his head.

 

— If he had poisoned me sooner or later he would have been discovered, after all, we all know that poison is the weapon of women and eunuchs –said Hephaistion repeating what, at his time, was common knowledge. It was believed that men settled disputes always in a more honorable way, meaning using the sword, but women and eunuchs were the quintessential poisoners— But, if Seleucus killed me, who would have bothered in looking for another culprit? 

 

This time his older brother had to agree with him.

 

— Cunning little bastard –said Nikandros, crossing his arms over his chest— And you trust a creature like that to be near your beloved son?

 

— Bagoas won’t do a thing against Aki –answered the hipparch with calm, so sure of his words as if he were privy of information forbidden for the rest— On the contrary, in these moments my son is his savior, but…I am the one who is going to be very careful.

 

— Do you think he will try something after this? –asked the lochagos— He almost pissed himself when he saw you in his cell, I doubt he would risk his neck again attempting something against you.

 

— Maybe, but he is in love and, lets face it, you can’t never tell.

 

— Damn right –Nikandros patted his back— Want an advice? Get yourself a slave to taste your meals.

 

This was an idea the hipparch did not like but that he would need to apply very soon if things continue like this.  

 

When life became so complicated? –thought Hephaistion sighing— One thing is that I will not tell what I think to Alex but an other completely different is to leave Bagoas without supervision…I will keep an eye on him.

 

XXX

 

— How is everything going with the Queen? –asked Thais with curiosity, helping Berenike to fold Leonnatos’ cloths.

 

As somatophilax of the King Leonnatos was staying at a beautiful house in Zariaspa near Alexander’s residence. Berenike liked this, when Alexander stayed for long periods of time at a city, then she could have the illusion that she was back home having a resemblance of a normal family life. Persepolis had been the only exception for her, Berenike had not enjoyed much her stay there because of her problems with Leonnatos and Kleitos, but she had been able to see her mother again and, for brief months, they all had been together like a family.  

 

— Fine –answered Berenike without emotion, catching the hetaira’s attention.

 

— You don’t sound too excited –Thais stopped folding and watched her friend until Berenike sighed and shook her head— What’s wrong?

 

— Nothing…I mean –she took a cloak and embraced it, turning to face the hetaira— It may be that Roxanne doesn’t know Greek and I am misunderstanding her but… I don’t like her, she is....weird. 

 

Thais laughed musically.

 

— Weird how? –Berenike folded the cloak.

 

— When I agreed to help Roxanne I did it because I felt pity of her –she explained— She is 16 years old, surrounded by strangers who speak a language she doesn’t know, marry to a man she met a day before the wedding, who is in love with my brother and who is more interested in wars than women –for the tone of her voice it was clear she was still angry with the King— I thought about her like a poor scare girl trapped in a tower and guarded by a monster, and at first, when I met her, I really believed she was like this. I mean, she is kind and always smiling and treats me truly like a friend but, I don’t think she is sincere –Berenike made a pause trying to think how to explain this— Sometimes she gives me the impression that she pretends to be kind because Alexander sent me, besides, something peculiar happened the other day.

 

— What? –Thais asked with interest.

 

— I was helping her with her Greek lessons and, when she understood that I am Phai’s sister –Berenike took a moment to think— She did not look please, in fact, for a moment, she saw me with the coldest eyes I have ever seen, as if she had taken off her mask for a moment and I could see the real Roxanne…Does this makes any sense or I am just crazy? 

 

This time was the hetaira’s turn to fell silent. She could be younger than Berenike but she had much more experience than her and, at Athens, she had dealt with all sorts of people, especially women at the hetairai’s house, and she knew the type of the Queen. 

 

— No, it does make sense –said Thais, looking thoughtful—And it wouldn’t surprise me to know she hates your brother.

 

— Why not?! Phai is adorable, why wouldn’t she like him? –Berenike exclaimed as if it were ridiculous not to like Hephaistion.  

 

— Eni, you said it yourself. What would you do if tomorrow comes Leonnatos with a breathtaking young man as his lover and he stops sharing your bed because he only has eyes for this man? –her friend blushed.

 

— Oh…well, if you put this like that –Berenike felt stupid, why hadn’t she thought this before? Easy, because for her the King was the sole villain.

 

— Do you know if the King visits the Queen?

 

— Well, Alexander goes now and then to see if Roxanne is fine and if she needs anything –answered her friend brushing his hair back— But if you want to know if they have sex, the answer is no.

 

Thais sighed.

 

— This worries me –she said thinking of what could a woman like that do if the King continued to ignore her— The Queen is very young and, at this rate, she won’t even have the consolation of a child. 

 

— I agree that she is not going to be a happy wife, and maybe she is weird and a little creepy, but, who says Alexander doesn’t want children of his own? I know he is not very interesting in women but every King needs sons and daughters, don’t you think? –Berenike continued folding the cloths but the hetaira said nothing.

 

In Thais’ opinion things were more complicated than this, power struggles within royal families were always a nasty business that usually ended with the dead of one, or two or three, members of the family and Roxanne, for what she heard, remembered the hetaira of a woman she had met years ago, a woman capable of many things. Besides, maybe Berenike did not see things like the way she did but, for Thais, Hephaistion was also part of the royal family now, he could be considered the King’s consort and that made him a potential enemy of the Queen. But she did not want to worry her friend and decided it was better to keep her mouth shut…at least for now.

 

XXX

 

Alexander’s birthday was that week and, since a lavishing banquet was being prepared at the King’s residence in the city, the royal pages had a great many things to do, running errands and delivering their sovereign’s letters and messages around Zariaspa. As custom dictated Alexander was attended by 6 pages from ages from 13 to 15 years old, boys who came from noble families. Three of these boys were relatively new, they had only scarcely months with him, and the rest had been with the King a whole year by now, as was the case of Hermolaus.

 

That day, Sostratus son of Amyntas, another of the royal pages, was coming back after delivering a couple of letters at the Macedonian camp. The high-officers, Persian nobles and the King were staying at the city, in luxurious residents as hosts of important men, but the rest of the army had camped outside the walls with limited permissions to go inside Zariaspa. The last thing Alexander wanted were problems with the population having his men breaking public order with too much money and too much free time in their hands, so this was safer for everyone.

 

It was an unusual hot day and, for the fifth time since the page left the camp, he cleaned the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand. Sostratus was 13 years old, with dark hair and dark eyes, he had not served the King for a long time but, in his few months at his side, he had learned 2 things: to run when Alexander was angry and always be ready for the unexpected. The page had to admit that, life at the King’s court, was everything but what he had imagined it would be. He had expected great epic battles and had always imagined Alexander as a younger version of his own serious, conservative and stoic father, nothing farther from the truth.

 

These past months, in the page’s opinion, had been truly dull and if it hadn’t been for Hermolaus he was sure he would have died of boredom. Sostratus smiled like a fool, while coming inside the King’s residence. Hermolaus was everything he wanted to be, he was a good athlete, handsome, intelligent; he liked philosophy and spent hours talking to Kallisthenes about it. The page sighed, he admired the older boy and also liked him, but Hermolaus would never turn to look at him because he had eyes only for one person…  

 

Sostratus went to the pages’ quarters looking for a clean chiton, he did not have to report to anyone and his cloths were awfully soaked in sweat; nobody should be there at that hour and, so sure he was about this, so lost in his own thoughts, that he jumped scared when he heard someone sobbing. It was Hermolaus. For a moment Sostratus did not know what to do, should he leave him alone? Ask what had happened? But he forgot everything when he saw the older boy lying facedown on his bed, his cloths torn and his back covered in bruises. 

 

— What happened to you? –asked Sostratus worried, running at his side, wanting to do something but not knowing exactly what.

 

— The King –answered Hermolaus through clenched teeth.

 

— The King?

 

— He ordered to flog me –the news took the younger page by surprise and his eyes doubled their size.

 

— Why?

 

Hermolaus fell silent for so long that Sostratus was sure he wasn’t going to tell him a thing but, for his absolute astonishment, the other kept talking.

 

— The King found me in hipparch Hephaistion’s room and he went mad –he said— I don’t know if he thought I was going to poison him or something, but he…—the boy was panting like a wild bull— He treated me like a criminal and ordered to flog me.

 

— Dear Zeus…but that has no sense.

 

— I know! He is mad! I have always known it, he is a mad man –said Hermolaus with contained fury.

 

At first Sostratus had thought he was crying because of the pain but now he understood he was crying out of anger and, in that moment, watching a person he liked so much, watching that body that had made him daydream, he shared Hermolaus’ fury and indignation; and it never occurred to him to make the key question there: what was the older page doing in the hipparch’s room in the first place? 

 

Sostratus nodded.

 

— I always thought the King’s bad temper could not be normal –he said— No one sane can get that angry, do you remember how he almost killed commander Seleucus because he was alone with hipparch Hephaistion?

 

Hermolaus sat down and took Sostratus’s hands between his.

 

— Promise me –he said, holding his gaze and making the younger page’s heart beat faster— Promise me that you will help me so this would never happened again.

 

It did not matter if Sostratus understood what was Hermolaus truly asking, it did not matter if they were talking about the King, what it did matted in those moments was that, the boy for whom his heart beat, was asking for his help, perfect Hermolaus needed him. It was the happiest moment of his life and he accepted immediately without thinking in the consequences. 

 

XXX

 

Hephaistion had been thinking this for a very long time. Was it a good idea? Could he be truly considering doing it? It had taken him days before he gathered his courage to summon Nikandros to his room to ask him…what was he going to ask him? Only thinking this made him blush savagely, and was he ready to say it aloud? It took the hipparch almost a whole amphora of wine before he could finally get to say what he wanted and, after he finally pronounced the words, the lochagos looked at him for a long moment in silence.

 

— Nick please, could you stop doing that and say something? –asked his brother impatiently.

 

— And what do you want me to say? –said Nikandros, serious but not angry or offending after that unusual proposal.

 

— What do you think of…what I said? –Hephaistion brushed his hair behind his ear, sitting in front of his brother and looking adorably shy and nervous.

 

The lochagos left his cup aside and leaned to the front, resting his elbows on his thighs.

 

— Phai, you already know what I think –he said— What worries me is to know what do you think. Are you doing this just because your lover wants to sleep with the 2 of us?

 

Hephaistion looked at his hands for a moment.

 

— Yes…NO!…I don’t know –he said and Nikandros smiled.

 

— Did you like it when we kissed in front of your lover? –his brother asked in a husky voice that almost made him blush…almost.

 

— Yes.

 

— You were ready to bed us both that morning, weren’t you?

 

— Nick, why are you asking me all this? –Hephaistion wanted to know.

 

— Because I don’t want you to do this just because Alexander wants it –said Nikandros— Phai, you have never done this before and I don’t want you freaking out –this time the hipparch blushed— You have only shared Alexander’s bed, and the only time you slept with your friend Scipio you freaked out and came running to me. Then, you slept with me and you freaked out again.   

 

— I was feeling guilty when I slept with Publius because I was mad at Alex and, what happened between you and me…you are brother! What did you want me to do when I recovered my memory? –Hephaistion tried to defend himself.

 

— Fine –the lochagos threw his arms in the air and leaned back— And you have thought about this carefully? Phai, let me put this in words you will understand, are you willing to sleep with me and your lover in order to give Alexander the best birthday present of his life? Pure sex not that corny thing you do with your lover when nobody is watching. 

 

The hipparch watched him through narrowed eyes and was going to give him a very sharp reply when he heard noise outside his door.

 

— Who is there? –and for Hephaistion’s absolute astonishment no other than Hermolaus came in.

 

Please, don’t tell me you have been eavesdropping –thought the hipparch.

 

— My apologies for interrupting, sir –said the boy— But I have a message from the King –the page handed him a piece of parchment and Hephaistion read it. 

 

— Nick, I am afraid we’ll have to finish this later –said his brother, standing up— Hermolaus.

 

— Yes sir.

 

— How long have you been outside? –for a moment the page looked as if he did not understand the question.

 

— I was about to knock when you call, sir.

 

The hipparch nodded.

 

I hope that is true –he thought.

 

XXX

 

— Are you serious? –asked Epimenes son of Arseus, another one of the royal pages, that night. The 6 boys were in their quarters, sitting on the floor, all the lights gone except for one candle that gave the group a phantasmagoric appearance, making them looked like a bunch witches about to perform an unholy ritual— You are talking about killing the King –he said in whispers.

 

— So? He has proven to be an unworthy King –answered Hermolaus as if all the wisdom of the universe were invested in him— And everybody knows this, haven’t you heard how the high-officers talked about the King and his taste for Persian customs? He even asked to be treated like a god and people have to prostrate in front of him, he is arrogant and a drunken fool.

 

Sostratus, Antipater son of Asclepiodorus and Anticles son of Theocritus nodded in agreement, but Epimenes and Philotas, the son of a Thracian by the name Carsis, did not look convinced.

 

— You are talking about murder and treason –said Philotas.

 

— How old are you? –asked Hermolaus, taking the other aback.

 

— 15, why?

 

— I suppose you have killed a man before, don’t you?

 

— Yes, but this is not…

 

— Are you a coward Philotas? –the Thracian blushed— Because if you are afraid you can leave, nobody is forcing you to do anything you don’t want to –Hermolaus’ voice was full of mockery and that hurt Philotas’ pride.

 

— I am not afraid –he enunciated.

 

— Excellent! Because this is something only true men can do –said Hermolaus and again Sostratus nodded.

 

— I’m not sure about this –Epimenes shook his head— Wouldn’t we be traitors if we do this? He is the King after all. 

 

— Don’t worry, we are not alone in this –Hermolaus assured him— Kallisthenes is with us.

 

— The King’s historian? –asked Antipater.

 

— He told me I should remember I am a man now and never forget Harmodius and Aristogiton –this time everyone nodded, if someone else, an older and more important person, was supporting the idea, then, maybe it could work.

 

— How are we going to do this? –asked Anticles.

 

— Tomorrow, before the King’s birthday –answered Hermolaus. It had to be soon or Alexander would humiliate Hephaistion further making him sleep with his own brother for his amusement. Yes, he had heard the brothers’ conversation and now he was sure the King was not only a mad man, he was also a pervert and he would protect his god at all costs— We’ll wait for Antipater’s shift and do it while the King sleeps.

 

— That won’t do –said Philotas, shaking his head.

 

— Afraid again? –Hermolaus mocked him.

 

— Shut up! –Philotas exclaimed angry.

 

— Why do you think this won’t do? –asked Epimenes, still nervous about this.

 

— Because the King always shares his bed with hipparch Hephaistion –Philotas explained and Hermolaus cursed. That was true.

 

— What if we send a message to the hipparch saying that someone requires his presence at the camp? –Sostratus proposed— It would take him a while to go there and come back, enough time to do our thing.

 

— Excellent idea –said Hermolaus and Sostratus smiled pleased— Then everything is settled, we’ll do it tomorrow.

 

Unfortunately things did not go exactly as Hermolaus had planned them because, despite the fact that I fell into their trap going to the Macedonian camp in the middle of the night, Alexander did not fall a sleep. We had things to talk and he stayed up drinking until I came back…What? You want to know about the mysterious woman who supposedly warned the King about a terrible danger and advised him to stay up all night? Honestly, do you believe that stuff? There was no mysterious wise woman, it was just luck that my lover did not fall asleep.

 

— You are awfully quiet –whispered Alexander, lying at his beloved’s side on the bed. It was a hot night again but through the wind blew refreshingly cold— Did you find your cousin at the camp?

 

— Yes –Hephaistion turned to rest on his side amidst the rustle of the sheets— And Demetrios said he did not send for me, in fact he was really surprise to find me there. I am starting to think it was some sort of joke.

 

The King moved closer and embraced him, his whole body shuddering when he felt his beloved’s warmth and his soft, leisurely breathing hitting his wanting lips.

 

— You know? Sometimes the world around us changes very fast, we change very fast, but there are things that always remain the same –Alexander whispered against his beloved’s lips, caressing him with each word— I do not know what will happen tomorrow but I can assure you one thing, I will love you always.

 

Hephaistion smiled.

 

— Why are you so loving all of a sudden? –he asked, sliding his fingers over Alexander’s lips.

 

— Nick talked to me –said the King and the smiled abandoned his beloved’s face— Phai, you don’t have to do anything you don’t want for me.

 

— Who says I don’t want to?

 

All Kings have a little perversion –thought the hipparch— Alex, for that matter, doesn’t have any, he doesn’t sleep with a different concubine every night, he doesn’t bed his pages, he wants just this…it’s his little caprice… 

 

— All I am saying is that you don’t have to do anything like that –said the King, moving Hephaistion who knew how difficult was for the blond to say those words; after all there were very few things he wanted as badly as this one. They both fell silent until…— But the wine with the aphrodisiac herbs, on the other hand, is a very different matter.

 

Hephaistion laughed amused and kissed him, surrounding his neck, clinging to his body. The night was strangely quiet but the hipparch did not feel especially relax, many things worried him those days and there was one he had wanted to tell his lover but he had been unable to, maybe he should do it now. 

 

— Alex, there is something I want to tell you –whispered his beloved against his lips.

 

— What is it?

 

— I talked to Seleucus some time ago and, he told me something that left me preoccupied –now Hephaistion had the whole attention of his King— He said Perdikkas is obsessed with Aki and that he is not taking very well his refusal to become his eromenos.

 

Alexander ran his fingers up and down the length of his beloved’s arm.

 

— Do you think Seleucus is right? –Hephaistion moved lazily in his arms and came to rest his leg over his side. The King felt the heat increasing having his beloved so close to his own body.

 

— At first I found this hard to believe but –the hipparch’s fingers played with his lover’s blond hair— Perdikkas hasn’t given up, and he is still looking to gain Aki’s favor. The part I don’t know is if he is really obsessed or just too infatuated.  

 

Alexander kissed him, savoring his lips and enjoying that sweet mouth that could drive him crazy.

 

— You worry too much –he said between kisses— I don’t think Perdikkas would be capable of hurting Aki, maybe right now he just has a lot of free time but, I promise, as soon as the new campaign starts he won’t have time to idle.

 

Hephaistion kissed him again, relaxing in his embrace. He was right, once they were at India neither won’t have time for anything except the campaign, maybe he was overreacting after all.

 

The pages’ plan did not work because we stayed awake for a long time and, even after we fell asleep, they did not dare to enter knowing I was there. But this was not the end of the story...

 

Alexander remained seated in silence for a long time after hearing Ptolemy’s words. It was hard to determine his mood, was the King angry? Sad? Surprised? The commander started to feel uncomfortable in that unnatural silence that only Hephaistion knew to interpret as cold fury preceding a storm, and he moved uncomfortable not knowing what to expect.

 

— How did you come to know this? –asked Alexander at long last.

 

— Eurylochus son of Arseus, the older brother of one the implicates, told me –said Ptolemy perfectly aware that this situation was alarming similar to the conspiracy where Philotas was found guilty; and, if he had learned something out of that situation, it was to not make the same mistake of the late hipparch, reason why he had ran to tell Alexander everything— All your pages are implicated in this plot to kill you –he explained— But when their plan did not work, Epimenes told everything to his beloved, a boy named Charicles son of Menander. Charicles was alarmed and he went to his lover’s older brother and Eurylochus came to me this morning.  

 

The King ordered immediately to put his pages under arrest but the situation became even more complicated when Kallisthenes’ name was mentioned by all the boys as the mastermind behind the plan.

 

— What did Kallisthenes said about this? –asked Hephaistion that afternoon after hearing the latest news from Alexander’s mouth. 

 

— He denies everything –the King answered, walking with his beloved around the garden— Kallisthenes confessed he knows Hermolaus because the boy likes to discuss philosophy with him but denies to have encouraged him to kill me.

 

— And what do you think?

 

— I think Kallisthenes is lying –said Alexander, sure of every word— We all know he was unhappy with my resent behavior and after what happened at the banquet, when he refused to prostrate, it doesn’t surprise me to know he was planning to kill me using my own pages. And Hermolaus was behaving really awkwardly lately, I even had to order his flogging.

 

— Why? What did he do? –the hipparch wanted to know.

 

— The boy was found in your room –answered the King— After what happened with Bagoas I ordered the guards to keep an eye on you. They found Hermolaus inside lying on your bed with no reasons to be there and they called me; he refused to explain what was he doing and I had him flogged. 

 

It did not take long for Hephaistion to understand the page’s behavior, even if he found it a little creepy.

 

— I may know what was he doing in my room –he said, catching Alexander’s attention.

 

— What?

 

— Hermolaus confessed me he is in love with me –said the hipparch— I did not pay special attention to this incident because pages are always promising me eternal love and asking me to be their erastes –the King said nothing, he already knew this— But Hermolaus…He truly hated you because he thought you mistreated me.

 

— And do you think this has something to do with his plan to kill me?

 

— I don’t think is a coincidence –said Hephaistion.

 

— Then Kallisthenes used the boy’s feelings to manipulate him –said Alexander angry but, somehow, his theory did not make sense to his beloved.

 

— Do you have proofs of Kallisthenes’ participation in the plot? –asked the hipparch.

 

— All the boys named him –answered the blond.

 

— Yes, but besides the boys’ testimony –the King stopped and turned to look at him.

 

— What are you suggesting?

 

— Alex, if Kallisthenes were trying to kill you I don’t think he would deny it later, even if the plan failed –said Hephaistion, trying to reason with him— He is Greek and he would have been proud to die trying to slain a tyrant.

 

— You give him too much credit –the King kept walking and his beloved followed him— He is guilty and he will die for it.

 

— He is guilty of what exactly? –the hipparch challenged him— Of not doing what you want? Of contradicting you in public?

 

Alexander stopped again and turned to face him angry.

 

— Kallisthenes tried to kill me and, you are defending him?

 

— I am not defending him –answered Hephaistion, holding his gaze— But I don’t want you to kill the man based on hearsay.

 

— The pages confessed! –the King rose his voice— What else do you want?

 

— I want you to find proofs –his beloved insisted. He knew Alexander was becoming paranoid, he knew he was starting to see plots everywhere and this situation with his pages would do nothing more than to increase his fears that someone out there was planning his murder.

 

Hephaistion never liked Kallisthenes, the historian was arrogant and thought that, only because he was in change of writing down all of Alexander’s adventures, he had some sort of power over the public opinion. Kallisthenes thought it would be thanks to him that people would remember the Macedonian conqueror and, precisely because of this, he believed he was allowed to say everything he wanted without suffering consequences.

 

Yes, the hipparch did not like him but that was no reason to execute the historian without proofs because that would transform Alexander in a tyrant.

 

— If I don’t recall wrong you did not need proofs when Philotas was convicted –said the King.

 

— That was different.

 

— Why? Because you did not like Philotas and wanted to take revenge for all the things he did to you? –the hipparch punched him so hard on the jaw that Alexander almost fell and was stunned for a moment.

 

— If you think for a moment that you can talk to me like that after everything we have been through, you are truly losing your mind –said Hephaistion angry— You, better than anyone else, know what happened with Philotas so don’t give me that bullshit. 

 

The King needed a moment to recover but after that punch he seem to feel better, he seemed to wake up.

 

— I am sorry.

 

— You are apologizing too often these days –said his beloved— It would be better if you think a little before opening your mouth.

 

Alexander closed his eyes and threw his head back, taking a deep breath until the world stopped spinning around. They fell silent for a long moment until the King found the words again. 

 

— Phai, I understand why you want me to have proofs against Kallisthenes –he said slowly— But I don’t have time to waste in him and it is clear that he is guilty…let me finish –he raised his hand when Hephaistion was going to open his mouth— If I let him go now he would cause even more damage.

 

— I don’t agree with you –said the hipparch— But if you think this is the right thing to do, if you are sure, then do it.

 

Alexander nodded.

 

XXX

 

Alexander, King of the Macedonians to Antipater, regent. Hail!

 

The Pages’ Conspiracy were put to an end and the 6 boys were found guilty and executed on the spot, stoned to death; but I will take personal responsibility for punishing “the sophist together with those who sent him to me and those who now harbor in their cities men who conspire against my life”(1)

 

XXX

 

(1) Peter Green. Alexander of Macedon, p 378-379.