Title : Nothing is ever finished
Pairing : Hephaistion/Alexander
Disclaimer : Characters don't own me. Only the ones, I have created.
Rating : T for the most with some M chapters
Warning : Historical and alternative universe
Summary : Myth and reality come across to complicate the love between Alexander and Hephaistion.
A/N : Comments are loved and appreciated.
CHAPITRE 3 : Myth (1)
When Hephaistion wakes up, he feels a warm and comforting body against his back. Alexander hug him as to protect he. Hephaistion moves to face his man. Alexander sleeping seems so innocent. This makes him smile. The great conqueror who sleeps like a baby. He stokes slowly the cheek before put a light kiss on. Doing that a lock of his hair falls and tickles his lover. Alexander waked up, smiles with closed eyes to the soft caresses of his beloved. Sudddenly taking Hephaision by surprise, Alexander tips him over on his back and gives him a burning kiss which let them both without breath.
- Good morning my love, smiles Alexander.
The Alexander's body pressed against him, Hephaistion becomes aware of the hard and hot sex rubbing against his thigh.
- Oh no ! Doesn't dare to think about this Alexander, says Hephaistion.
- I absolutely not see what do you mean ! says Alexander mocking.
- Yes, of course ! says Hephaistion with a sarcastic tone.
He tries to free himself from Alexander, but this one narrows his taking on his beloved.
- No, no, no ! You can't escape ! says Alexander
- Alexander ! Stop please ! tries again Hephaistion laughing, feeling hands drift away on his body. Have you no shame to take advantage of my weakness ?
Alexander lifts him and looking Hephaistion :
- How so ? Do you dare to refuse yourself to your king ? teases Alexander. I am oustraged ! He throws himself with a wild beast cry on his lips to devour them with a hardent kiss.
Taking by their loving game, the young men don't listen Cleitos, Perdiccas and Philippe to enter in the tent.
- Hum, hum ! clears one's throat Cleitos to draw attention of the two men tenderly enlaced.
The lovers jump listening him. Hephaistion blushs as if he will go to light, and feeling exposed he covers him with the sheet which slided. Alexander is upset to be cut off while Perdiccas and Cleitos give them a mocking look.
Alexander naked and without shame gets up and starts to dress himself.
- So, Misters ?
The three men go to sit on a couch in a corner of the tent while the doctor examines Hephaistion.
- Alexander, all is organised. We are ready to leave as soon as you will give the order, says to him Perdiccas.
- Good ! — Then looking Cleitos. — Did you find some answers or informations, Cleitos ?
- Yes, I found something interesting Alexander. As asked, I went to the river and took things the doctor wanted. After that, I went around to question people. I found an old man with a very strange story. I asked him to come with me. He is waiting outside. I thought you would prefer to listen him face to face and question him in person.
- Thanks Cleitos. You will send in as soon as the doctor gives his report about Hephaistion.
Meanwhile, the doctor joins them.
- So doctor ?
- The fever is gone and Hephaistion, leaving his physical changes aside, seems in great form so strange that it be. No pain, no tiredness.
Hephaistion, draped with the sheet around him which let show only his shoulders, approachs. His hair with an impressive lenght fall to waist while some locks more shorter surround his androgynous face. His beauty is absolutely breathtaking.
- What ? asks Hephaistion facing Perdiccas with open mouth and open one's eyes wide, Alexander with a loving look, Cleitos who seems to imagine what there is under the sheet, and an amused doctor looking the reaction of the three others.
Hephaistion feels himself stupidly to blush in front of their attitudes and under the intensity of their gazes.
Alexander disturbing their attention asks him :
- You would have to dress. Cleitos met someone who could give us some answers about your changes.
Hephaistion stays standing still with some disconfort.
- What ? is the turn of Alexander to ask.
- Would you turn over ?
- I beg you pardon !
- While I am dressing, would you turn over please ? insists Hephaistion.
- What is that whim ! — exclaims Cleitos — Until then, you have no problem to dress in front of us. We are between men, damn it !
- So well, now I have a problem with that. Turn over now ! orders Hephaistion.
- Me too ? asks Alexander his eyebrow raised
- You too !
The four men accomplish the application, Cleitos grousing about new caprices of the youth. But stop as he sees the reflect of Hephaistion in the forgotten shield on the ground. He smiles and whispers :
- You are a lucky man Alexander.
Alexander surprising, don't understand what he means until he follows the look of Cleitos and answers with a big smile :
- I know
Hephaistion, since his physical changes, has some difficulty to expose himself in front of other. The need to protect him. Once Hephaistion is dressed, Alexander asks to Cleitos to search the old man.
When this one enters, his eyes stop instantaneously on Hephaistion. He gets confused and his gaze fall in deep sadness. Hephaistion, crossing his look and seeing the emotion changed, questions what can be the cause.
- Alexander, this is the man with informations. — says Cleitos — Let's go old man, relate to the King your story.
- Your Majesty, when your General asked me to come here to tell my story, I didn't understand why. But now seeing this young person — showing Hephaistion — I understand.
Then, he starts to relate.
- I wasn't always the old, sad and lonely man in front of you. Young man, I met a pretty girl in a village beyond the mountains. I fell mad in love. I asked to court her and our parents reached an agreement for the wedding. Soon my wife give me a son and we chose to install our home here in a little village near the river. Some people narated this village was damned. Other ones said that it was the river. But at this time, I hadn't confidence in gossip and I thought stories about that was without foundation. I was wrong. My family was not rich but confortable and happy. My son dreamed to become a soldier. I sended him to learn his future duty. He was enlisted in Great King's army. His dream became true. One day, as he visited us, he went to hunting alone with the hope to bring game back for the dinner. But we waited and he never arrived. So I went to search him. The night was fallen, the moon are full exactly like two days ago. I found him not far from our house, unconscious with fever and pain in his lower belly. With the help of his horse, I can take him to our home. I send a servant to the village to bring a doctor. After two days, the fever was gone. After this two days my son never be the same. Like under a spell, his body was different. His face embellished with feature more thin and feminin, his skin was more paler. Exited hairiness and scars. But it wasn't the single changes. — The old man make a pause as bothered by the next — My son… my son, from now on, had two sexes : one male and one female.
Cleitos and Perdiccas look at each other and turn over to Hephaistion who blushs and looks away disturbed.
- Has you an idea about the way this arrived ? Asks Hephaistion.
- Yes, I finished to understand the reasons of this. in front of the despair of my son, I searched to find a way to help him. I remenbered the gossip and went to the village to consult the seniors. They related me a strange story , a legend : In the kingdom of Gods, Hermes and Aphrodite was in love. They had a son named Hermaphrodite who grew up on the mount Ida of Troade. This child had to the beauty of his two parents. A day who was swimming in the source of the naiad Salmacis in Cary not so far away from Halicarnass (2) near my village, he met her. Salmacis fell mad in love with the beautiful adolescent. But this one refused his love. Totally despaired, the naiad huged tightly with force and supplied his father Poseidon to unite them together for eternity. Her vow was granted and their body merged to become one only besexual person, in the same time male and female under the name of the young man. The story could stop there, but the new Hermaphrodite made a vow too, and asked to his parents Hermes and Aphrodite, that each man bathing in the source, after that, will have to feminin attributes.
- I know this story. But as such it's just a legend, isn't it ? asks Perdiccas.
Hephaistion lowers his head and says :
- How did your son react to that ?
- Not very well as you can imagine. At the time of my visit to the seniors, I asked if the changes was reversible. But They said ther was no possible return.
At this words, Hephaistion turns pale.
- All men touched by this spell, never lived enough long to have certitude about that. You know.
- What do you mean ? threatens Alexander looking Hephaistion.
- A good number of them commited suicide. They couldn't accept their changes.
- Do you mean you son… asks Hephaistion.
- My son… is dead at the age of twenty four. My wife didn't bear this and let her die in desperation. This damned river kill my son, my wife and thereby my joy. Since then my only reason for living is to prevent that. But it seems I failed again, says he looking Hephaistion.
Then carrying on :
- You have to know physical changes are only the visible part. This spell affects the body but also the mind. So don't let this destroy you — says he in the direction of Hephaistion. — Fight with all your force.
Turning over to Alexander :
- This my story Your Majesty. If you permit it, I go away. I have a long way to my house.
- Thank you old man.
The old man goes to Hephaistion.
- My house in on the road to Halicarnass. Come to see me when you go. I have something for you.
Hephaistion nods in agreement.
The old man salutes and leaves.
TBC…
NOTES
(1) It exist two versions of this Myth, the first is the one I chose. In the second version, the second vow instead of give feminine attributes to men, take away their virility and men become effeminate.
To be honest, in the first version, I erase the fact Hermaphrodite after his fusion with Salmacis, has breasts. It's my choice, my Hermaphrodite hasn't breasts. It's my fantasy.
You can find the story of the Myth in Ovide "Metamorphoses" Book IV.
(2) During Siege of Hallicarnass, The Queen Ada prevented Alexander to take care of the lake's water near Hallicarnass (to not drink water or to not bath in) because it seems men become effeminate after that.
Sorry, I lost the reference of this text. But Ciceron (in "Duties" Book I, 61), Strabon (in Geography Book XIV 2, 16) and Vitruve (in "About architecture" Book II 8, 11-12) wrote about this fact.