Warning:  —M— Chapter so beware.

 

CHAPTER 211

 

Fortunately my son got better soon, his newly made friends came to visit him while he was recovering, especially Demetrius who came everyday after his shift with Ptolemy was over. Achilles was grounded but he was allowed visitors, something Alex would have forbidden but I thought it was too cruel. Demetrius was becoming truly Achilles’ best friend and I had no intentions of meddling between their new friendship. 

 

— Demetrius is a good friend –said Hephaistion as soon as the page was gone, sitting on the bed at his son’s side with a box resting on his legs. 

 

— Yes, he is –answered the Prince, smiling happily. He still couldn’t believe he had a wonderful friend like Antigonus’ son— Isidoros came yesterday to apologize, he did not know I was allergic to bees and was feeling really bad. I felt bad too but at the same time glad. I mean, now I know they are good friends.

 

— I’m glad son but…Aki, you have to learn to say ‘no’ –said his father— You are not going to lose your friends just because sometimes you don’t agree with them –Achilles fell suspiciously silent, uncomfortable with that commentary and Hephaistion knew something was not right. Should he ask? No. He didn’t want to force his son to talk if he was not ready.

 

Was this how my dad felt when I didn’t tell him about my rape? Watching me day after day sad and depressed not knowing what was wrong with me? –and that day, 18 years later, the Chiliarch regretted not having talk to Amyntor— Forgive me dad, I should have gone to you. I’m sorry. 

 

 Hephaistion looked at Achilles concerned but, since his son didn’t look like talking about what was really bothering him, he changed the subject. He would let him be for now.

 

— I brought you a present.

 

The Prince lifted his head, watching him with curiosity. 

 

— I thought I was grounded –the Chiliarch laughed.

 

— You are but, I was planning to give you this a long time ago –said Hephaistion, handing him the box— Here, open it.

 

Achilles did as he was told and found a couple of beautiful bracelets of pure white gold, carefully place on a red cloth. The Prince took one, watching his own distorted reflection on the surface. They were a masterpiece.  

 

— Alexander gave me those bracelets as a present when I was 17 years old –his father explained, catching his complete attention. He liked to hear story of his fathers’ youth— I was thinking to wait until you were older but it’s a waste to have them hidden in a box.

 

— Are you sure you want to give me this? –asked the Prince, truly surprised and honored by this gift.

 

— Of course! –Hephaistion pinched his nose— You are my son and I can’t think of someone worthier than you to wear them.

 

Those words made Achilles immensely happy. He hurried to put the bracelets on and both, he and his father, laughed when they saw they were a little big for him.

 

— They well fit me one day, you’ll see –the Prince promised.

 

— I know they will.

 

February

 

Alexander did not want to lose time and immediately left for Susa. On their way to the city they spent the night at a nearby town and Hephaistion took this opportunity to finally write a letter to Olympia, something he had never done before because he hated to interfere between his lover and his mother but, this time, the Queen mother had crossed a line— Alex said he would deal with her. I believe him but I think I have to defend myself this time. I have shut my mouth too many times before –he sat there, in front of his letter, reading it again to make sure it was perfect…

 

“…stop quarreling with us and do not be angry or menacing. If you persist, we shall not be much disturbed. You know that Alexander means more to us than anything.” (1)

 

He read the end and mused it for a moment. It was not a very long letter but said what it had to say— And I do hope she stops pestering Alex with her unfounded suspicious —Hephaistion folded it and was stamping his seal ring, showing the profiles of two men: Achilles and Patroclus, over it when Alexander arrived.

 

— Perdikkas is driving me crazy –he complained, throwing his cloak and sword belt on a nearby chair.

 

— What did he do now? –asked his beloved, his eyes still on the letter.

 

— I went to talk to him about his bride, I chose for him a daughter of Atropates, the governor of Media –said the King— Do you remember him?

 

— I can’t say I do. What happened with Perdikkas? He refused to get marry? –knowing his friend if he heard his bride was fat or ugly, he may had.

 

Not before complaining and giving Alex a very colorful piece of his mind, which will explain his bad mood –he thought.

 

— No! He was perfectly fine with the match but he is still pestering me about Aki –Alexander sat on the desk, almost in front of his beloved and Hephaistion frowned. He did not like this news.

 

— Now what? What does he want with Aki?

 

— He knows Seleucus is his lover and is terribly offended because I did not choose him to be Aki’s erastes –answered the King.

 

— But Seleucus is not his erastes –to be honest Hephaistion was not sure of how to call the relationship between the 2 of them. The archihypaspistes was madly in love with his son but Achilles…

 

Aki does a great effort to hide his feelings and, sometimes, even appear to be just playing with Seleucus –thought the Chiliarch— Funny how this sounds if one thinks that Seleucus is one year older than me and Aki is just a boy –he truly hoped his son would learn to love one day. And what about Demetrius? He was Achilles’ friend but Hephaistion suspected something more was going on there, something he couldn’t name.

 

— I know but try to make Perdikkas understand that –Alexander sighed— I have no idea of what is wrong with him and I don’t want to start thinking Roxanne is behind this.

 

That last remark confused and alarmed his beloved.

 

— Why would she?

 

— You don’t know? –the King seemed surprised— She is Perdikkas’ friend, and he never stopped visiting her.

 

— I have seen them together but I never thought…—no, surely his friend wasn’t that stupid— I hope you are wrong –said Hephaistion with all honesty. He believed that woman capable of poisoning his friend’s mind to cause them problems.

 

I have to talk to Perdikkas soon –he reminded himself. Alexander took his hand and kissed the back, smelling the delicious aroma of his skin.

 

— This is all your fault –said the King, making his beloved blink in utterly confusion.

 

— My fault? How is my fault that Perdikkas has a crush on my son?

 

— Because he inherited your looks, my love –said Alexander— And thanks to you I have my hipparch and my archihypaspistes fighting over my son.

 

Hephaistion sighed.

 

— Trust me, I am not happier than you knowing my son is attracting so many eyes –he said, resting his palm on his lover’s knee— Beauty it’s a curse. Just yesterday I have to reprimand my pages because they came to blows fighting over whom was going to polish my armor. The 3 have a crush on me but they are going too far! –he puffed his cheeks out— Do you remember what happened with Hermolaus? –Alexander laughed, making his beloved frowned— What’s so funny?

 

— You are sounding like a grandpa, do you remember when…? –the King feigned an old man’s voice and Hephaistion pinched him.

 

— Very funny –said the Chiliarch. 

 

— You have no sense of humor –Alexander complained— So? What are you doing with your pages?

 

— I don’t know. I’m afraid of even falling a sleep –the King laughed again— I caught them spying on me while taking a bath, how creepy is that?

 

— And are you afraid your pages will rape you while you sleep? –Hephaistion tried to punch him but Alexander moved faster, dodging him and laughing. The King found all this so amusing since they were talking about pages, mere boys…all right, Hermolaus was also a page but that had been different.

 

— You know? Maybe I should just bed the 3 of them –said his beloved, as if he were seriously considering this— Maybe this way they will stop spying on me.

 

— You wouldn’t dare!

 

— Want to bet? –Hephaistion challenged him— Maybe, I will sit them over my desk –he took the King by the thighs, his open palms, dragging them up the strong muscles that hours of riding had left him, holding his gaze— And kissed them…—his beloved’s slid his lips over his knee, all the way up, up, up; leaving a trail of wet kisses and silent promises, of caresses and dreams to come true. He sucked the skin and was rewarded by a soft moan, like the sigh of a flower. 

 

— And…do you think bedding your pages would be the…—Alexander suck his breath feeling his breath hitting his oversensitive skin— Proper behavior of… a man soon to be married…–whispered the King, caressing his beloved’s head, burying his fingers in that cascade of silk that were his hair.

 

— Does that…bother you? –Hephaistion asked against his skin, feeling the muscles of the King’s thighs tense under his caresses, taking his long fingers to trace the scars that countless battles had left over that body he worshiped with all his heart. He may not believe in Gods but he believed in Alexander and in that unbreakable bond between them— To know… I will be soon…married?

 

— It’s just…weird, I think –the red spots were burning his cheeks, while his beloved moved between his legs, his thumbs caressing him while spreading his legs. 

 

— It was your idea, my love –Alexander gasped and opened his mouth, closing his eyes when that hot wet mouth engulfed him.

 

— Oh…dear…Mmm…

 

The King leaned his weight back, resting on his hands and completely spreading his legs; fire was running through his veins and he felt like touching the sky when he was confined in his beloved’s mouth— Oh dear Zeus, this is better than the Elysian Fields— Hephaistion suck his tip, making him moan with force and, just when the King though nothing could be better, he felt his beloved’s fingers inside him.

 

— Phai…Nn…—he panted, throwing his head back. Alexander felt overwhelmed, Hephaistion fingers moving in and out and his mouth, oh Gods! His glorious mouth was stealing his reason.

 

And to think that when we were young Phai didn’t let me bed him until I won my first battle –that memory made the King smile, well, taking into considerations how many battle he had won by now, he was in all his right to sleep with his beloved every single day if he wanted.

 

— Phai…I…Mmm…won’t…

 

And, in one moment, everything was over. His beloved released him, confusing his lover, until he took the King by the thighs pulling him closer to bury himself deep inside him. Alexander arched completely, surrounding Hephaistion waist with his legs, feeling how he thrust savagely until both of them were happily tired and panting in each other’s arms.

 

XXX

 

Once again, Hephaistion was standing in the dark room. Someone was with him. Near him. He could feel it even if he could not hear a sound, not even breathing. He looked around but everything was darkness, nothing, a cold void with promises of doom…He felt so lonely, he tried to speak but was unable, no words left his mouth. And then, a light, coming from a place he couldn’t see, began to wash everything with its orange glow, with its warmth.

 

I am not who you think I am,

Soon I'll be letting you down.

I am not who you think I am,

I'm everywhere.

(Stream of Passion, Deceiver)

 

A man was sitting there, in the middle, but…

 

A scream woke the Chiliarch, a high-pitched scream he knew all too well. Alexander, sleeping at his side, stood up in a jump, taking his sword and running outside the room where he found a screaming Xsayarsa running around the place in circles while covering his head with a pillow.

 

— Kill it! Kiiiiiill iiiiit! –he was shouting in both Persian and Greek while his half sleep servant Atash was chasing a… flying cockroach!

 

— What the hell? –asked Alexander utterly confused, half sleep with his hair standing in all directions. Kyros appeared rubbing his eyes and yawning with one of his sandals in hand ready to join the inglorious hunt of the cockroach.

 

— Let me guess –said Achilles, yawning— Flying cockroach? –they all knew all too well Xsayarsa’s screams, his scream for spider, fire, something hideous that had appeared in front of him and, of course, cockroach and flying cockroach (because they were not the same). It was like a code.

 

— What is going on here? –asked the King again.

 

— Welcome to my madhouse –said Hephaistion yawning— Yarsa is afraid of cockroaches.

 

— And?

 

— And no one is sleeping here until I am shown the cadaver of the vile creature –threatened the eunuch and, the most powerful man of the known world, King of Kings and Master of all Asia, had to join not all honorable hunt of the cockroach.

 

XXX

 

Drypetis had always known she would not choose her husband, she had been raised knowing one day her father would take the decision for her, but the Princess did not mind, on the contrary, Drypetis was confident her father, older and wiser, would find a suitable man, a good honorable man who would treat her with respect. She, after all, was just a girl who knew little about the world and could made a mistake giving her heart to an unworthy man. Yes, her father knew better but, her father had died and now it was the Conqueror, the Usurper, the Invader, who had chosen a husband for her.

 

Drypetis at her 20 years old, soon 21, knew no man, was a pure, innocent and sweet girl who like nothing more than sing in the garden, enjoy rainy days and take care of her myriad of kittens. She was perfectly conscious of her status as the daughter of the late Great King, as a Princess of the Achaemenid family but had always known, since little, that her big sister, Stateira, would be Queen one day, as the wife of their little brother Cyrus Ochus.

 

But Cyrus Ochus was now dead and the Conqueror, the Usurper, the Invader, had chosen her sister as his bride, along with the daughter of the late Great King Artaxerxes Ochus, Parysatis. The conqueror already had a wife, a woman named Roxanne who Drypetis had never seen in her life, but, among the conqueror’s wives the one who would become Queen would be the one who gave birth first to a male son. Nothing was certain yet— At least, I will not have to compete with anyone in my house, my husband to be has no other wife…I wonder if he likes cats?

 

Literally thousands of people had come to Susa to take part in what was now commonly known as the Mass Weddings. Drypetis had seen the other girls, the ones chosen to marry Macedonian officers, some were really beautiful, others were chosen just because of their families or their fathers’ connections; some were happy, most not. Two thirds of the girls were terrified, having heard truly horrible things about the invaders, considering them barbarians and savages, and the last third did not know what to expect.

 

Drypetis did not know what to think too, so she decided not to think anything until she met her husband to be— And he said he will be coming today, he said he wants to meet me before the wedding –this, far from pleasing or exciting her had made Drypetis apprehensive. What if he doesn’t like her? That would be humiliating. The entire Persian nobility would know she did not please the Chiliarch. Yes, at least she knew she was marrying the second most powerful man of the Empire.

 

Her maids had helped her to look her best but still, she felt nervous and insecure, twisting her hands continuously while sitting on her favorite chair next to the window. Her nurse was with her, she was not allow to meet a man alone, not even her husband to be, but it was all right, her old nurse did not know a word of Greek. Drypetis heard noise outside and, when she lifted her head, she held her breath— A vision from heaven! –it had to be, what else could explain this? The most handsome man she had ever seen in her life was standing there and she blushed intently.

 

Hephaistion waited at the threshold for a moment watching her until a sweet smile curved his lips. Drypetis thought she was going to faint, he was smiling at her!

 

— You must be Princess Drypetis –said the Chiliarch walking to her and his bride clumsily stood up.

 

— I am, my Lord –she answered, her head down, not daring to face him. Her Greek was very good, better than Roxanne’s, and that made Hephaistion immensely happy, he would go crazy if he couldn’t talk to her.

 

— I am Hephaistion son of Amyntor, your…future husband –it was so strange to say that. Nikandros and Berenike had married for love, but he?

 

I am marrying for love, for the love I have to Alexander –he thought.

 

— This is for you –the Chiliarch, not knowing what else to do, gave her a beautiful box and inside she found a breathtaking necklace in the shape of flowers, emeralds, pearls and rubies, all together with a chain of the purest gold.

 

— Thank you –Drypetis blushed and smiled bashfully, still with her head down. She reminded him of his sister, and that broke his heart.

 

If Berenike had been forced to marry a man she didn’t love she would have been miserable– Even if she hasn’t been properly in love with Kleitos she had liked him, but Drypetis? –they sat near the window and Hephaistion decided to go straight to the point. If the Princess were his sister he would have liked to know her future husband had been honest with her. And this convinced him that, what he was planning to do was for the best. 

 

— Listen, I want to be very honest with you –the Chiliarch said— Do you want to marry me? Because if you don’t want to I can talk to the King and…

 

— No! –Drypetis exclaimed, truly scared, letting the box with the necklace fall— My Lord, I…I do not please you?

 

— I never said that Princess –Hephaistion treated her with utmost respect— What I don’t want is you to marry me against your wishes –that successfully confused and surprised Drypetis. Nobody had ever asked for her opinion before.

 

— But I want to marry you! –she answered quickly. Why wouldn’t she? Hephaistion was young, sinfully handsome, all women’s fantasized in flesh and bone, and powerful. He smiled.

 

— Princess, I won’t lie to you and I want you to know now what can you expect of a life with me –said the Chiliarch slowly, looking for his words to be understood— I don’t mean to be rude just honest –he made a pause, it was cruel what he was going to say but it was necessary— I can’t promise to love you one day because my heart already belongs to another person but, what I can promise, is that you will always be treated with respect.

 

Drypetis did not know what to do so she said nothing.

 

— I have a son by another woman, the King’s sister, my son was adopted by the King and he is his heir and Crown Prince –he knew Drypetis must have heard rumors about Achilles but he wanted her to hear this from him. His past experience with Roxanne had taught him it was best to be honest and talk about these things— If we have children I will take care of them and you, but that is all I can promise. So, let me ask you again, do you still want to marry me?

 

Drypetis fell silent for a very long moment. Never in her life she had been treated with this honesty, never before someone had cared for what she wanted, for what she thought. It hurt her to hear that her husband to be was in love with someone else, yes; but, the simple fact that he was here, explaining this to her meant he was a good man— That’s all I ask, I good man.

 

— Yes, my Lord. I still want to marry you –she said, this time, facing him— To be treated respectfully and honorably is enough for me.

 

— You are good girl –Hephaistion made her blush again— I am sorry, you deserved better than me but, I will give my best to make you happy.

 

XXX

 

The purge of the satraps was far from over, Alexander was determined to set his affairs in order before beginning with plans for a new campaign, this time, to the distant lands of Arabia; but it was not that simple. Never before the King had face so many problems inside his own dominions: satraps plotting, revolts and malcontent among his own men. At Carmania he began to re organize his Empire and, at Susa, he questioned the satrap Abulites, the same Abulites who had tried to gain the King’s favor bringing him one of the royal concubines and the father of that boy who had beat Achilles.

 

The satrap was charged for maladministration, extortion and for failing to deliver supplies to the army at Gedrosia. Abulites, the same as other satraps, had came out with a long list of pretexts but, he went even farther trying to give Alexander 3,000 talents as a substitute for the provisions he had failed to deliver. The King was furious and threw the coins to his horses.

 

— “What kind of provisions do you call these when they refused to touch it?”(2) –and Alexander’s words had sealed his destiny. Abulites and his older son were executed.  

 

While preparations were made for Mass Weddings celebrations, people running and hurrying to have everything ready in a matter weeks something that normally would have taken months, or even a year, to organize; the King re organized his troops to assimilate the Persians into their ranks but not only as rank soldiers, but also, as Generals and commanders.

 

He reduced the hetairoi cavalry from 8 to 4 ilai and added a fifth, based on the Ile Basilike. Also, the 30, 000 youths Alexander had recruited long ago to received Macedonian military training, the Successors, came to Susa to report, bursting energy and armed with a magnificent equipment making more than one Macedonian frowned and grumbled under his breath.

 

— The lads are not happy with these Asians –said Chrysaor to Hephaistion— I mean, it’s clear for everyone the King is looking to replace us with his War Dancers.

 

The Chiliarch looked at him as if the guard had spoken in another language.

 

— The what?

 

— War Dancers, that’s how the lads are calling them –Chrysaor explained, his extremely pale gray eyes looking around too see they were alone in the corridor— They are saying the King had replaced Pella with Babylon and that they no longer can approached the King as before with all the Persian protocol and that shit.

 

This is no good –thought Hephaistion— And this plan of the Mass Weddings would only worsen the situation with the ranks –the weddings were planned to strengthen the ties between the Macedonian and the Persian nobility, but the common soldiers were a completely different matter.  

 

— That’s all they are saying? –the Chiliarch hated conspiracies and hated to do this, spy the men from the dark and hiding while whispering other people’s secrets, but he had to know if the men were just complaining or if there was more. Chrysaor scratched his chin with the back of his hand, looking nervous and uncomfortable— You did not come today just to tell me about the War Dancers, did you? 

 

— No –the guard confessed. He looked around and, despite of finding the corridor deserted, he dropped his voice and moved closer— There is more but…I don’t think it wise to talk here.

 

Hephaistion nodded, understanding perfectly well.

 

— Come.

 

The safest place the Chiliarch could think of was his room. He could very well imagine the gossip when word started to circulate that he had locked himself in his room with his son’s guard, especially after seeing how Kittos, his page, looked at them through big round eyes, when they came in— The boy must think I am going to spend the morning bouncing over Chrysaor’s lap but, I prefer to have people saying I am bedding him than talking about what he has to say. 

 

— Wow! If a couple of rumors was all I needed to be invited into your bedroom I would have done this ages ago –said the guard smiling and sitting on the Chiliarch’s bed, jumping like a boy on the water mattress. He had never seen a mattress like this before.

 

— Very funny –Hephaistion approached him.

 

— Have you ever had sex on this bed? –asked Chrysaor, smiling like a wolf, thinking in all the possible things one could do on a water mattress like this.

 

— I am not going to answer that –said the Chiliarch, watching him through narrowed eyes.

 

The guard stopped bouncing and looked at him. He sighed.

 

— I have no idea of how you do this but, you look even more beautiful than when he met –said Chrysaor— After all the hardships and everything and you are still a preciousness.

 

— And you still have no manners –the guard laughed— But you were saying, what’s the word out there about the King?

 

Chrysaor’s smile abandoned his lips and he looked serious again— Oh, crap! This can’t be good –thought the Chiliarch.

 

— Oh, it’s bad, Heph and you are not going to like it –said the guard— I was at a tavern the other day and I heard some of the lads talking about…—he hesitated.

 

— About what? –Hephaistion was feeling anxious.

 

— About a mutiny –said Chrysaor said at last— Heph, the lads are tired and the King’s behavior is not helping. They are calling his next wives Babylonian Harlots, they no longer trust him and, judging for what I saw at the tavern, is not just the pezhetairoi, some minor officers, the dekadarcha and dekasteros, are conspiring too.

 

— The what? –asked the Chiliarch as if he had spoken in Egyptian, making Chrysaor laugh. 

 

— Sometimes I forget you are a cavalry snob –said the pezhetairos, happy to see that, for the first time, he knew something Hephaistion didn’t. He cleared his throat to speak in a professional tone— A phalanx, my dear Heph, has 64 lochoi of 256 men each and 16 rows, and 6 lochoi make a taxis of, more or less 1, 500 men.

 

— Now I remember –said the Chiliarch. Long time ago Alexander had explained this to him, when he was 16 and about to march for the first time to a battlefield under the command of King Philip but, since his primary duties were with the cavalry, he forgot.

 

— Now you, who has friends among the rich and powerful, only hear about the taxiarch, the commander of a taxis –the guard continued— But each lochos is divided in 16 dekades of 16 men each, and each dekades is commanded by a dekadarcha and 2 dekades are under the command of a veteran ass-kicking man called dekastateros.

 

— And these officials are the ones conspiring along with the pezhetairoi –Hephaistion felt a cold shiver running down his spine, this was really bad— Do you know these men?

 

— A couple of them were my superior officers while I was in Meleager’s taxis, why do you ask?

 

— I need your help.

 

— With what? –asked Chrysaor confused.

 

— I want you to join these meetings and pretend you are also in favor of the mutiny –his words made the guard laugh.

 

— Oh, no, no, no –Chrysaor shook his head— I don’t like playing the spy, find someone else.

 

— I can’t, and you are perfect for this –Hephaistion sat down at his side— Chrys listen to me, I don’t like this better than you do but please, help me, I need to know what are the men planning, please.

 

The guard held his gaze and sighed, he could not refuse something to that face, especially having him so close on that bed that moved like jelly.

 

— I will do it –he agreed.

 

— Thank you…

 

— But –Chrysaor interrupted him— I want a reward –that took the Chiliarch aback, he was not expecting this.

 

— Fine, what do you want?

 

— I want to sleep with you.

 

— No –Hephaistion did not even think about it, his answer was immediate and the guard sighed, defeated. He had been sure the Chiliarch was going to accept. 

 

— Well, at least can I have a kiss?

 

— One kiss?

 

— Can I ask for more? –Chrysaor smiled like a boy in a candy store and Hephaistion couldn’t avoid laughing— I am going to risk my life there, you know? And you are asking me to betray my friends spying on them. 

 

The Chiliarch fell silent for a moment.

 

— How many kisses do you want? –he asked with the same seriousness as if they discussing about money.

 

— 50.

 

— 5.

 

— 25.

 

— 5.

 

— Oh, come on! At least 10 –Chrysaor protested.

 

— 5 and that it’s my final offer –said Hephaistion— As soon as you give me more information, you’ll have your kisses.

 

— Done –and both shook hands.

 

XXX

(1) Peter Green. Alexander of Macedon, p 465

(2) Peter Green. Alexander of Macedon, p 444