Chapter 10
Title: Outsmarting the General
Prompt: Smart
The banquet to entertain the ambassadors of Egypt was fabulous as usual. Uninterrupted flow of wine and abundance of various exotic foods brought a relaxing and luxurious mood. What's more, the music and the dancers added a cheerful note. The rich surroundings of the palace completed it with an exclamation mark. Yet, something was not quite right at tonight's feast.
It was Cassander who first noticed the difference when everybody in the room moved to the more comfortable couches and chairs to relax after dinner.
"Look, why is Hephaistion not sitting by Alexander?" He whispered to Cleitus.
Cleitus surveyed the room, Cassander was right; Hephaistion stood at the other end of the room, clear away from Alexander's couch. He was talking with one of the ambassadors who was obviously showing an interest in this beautiful foreign officer.
What surprised Cleitus most was that Hephaistion seemed to be enjoying the attention as well. His radiant smile did not fade even when the Egyptian brushed his fingers on his forearm. Cleitus snapped his head back to look at Alexander's face, and was more surprised to see that Alexander was not even looking in Hephaistion's direction. He was busy talking with the other ambassador along with Parmenion.
Alarmed, Cleitus started to pay full attention. He had noticed that the king and his friend had never exchanged an eye contact as if to purposely ignore each other's presence. Something must have happened between them; otherwise, they would be stealing each other's glance even from across the room and exchanging a warm smile and a nod with a meaning that only the two of them could understand.
From that night on, the atmosphere in the palace had completely changed. It was as if a dark cloud enveloped the whole palace of Babylon. Especially when Alexander and Hephaistion were present at the same place, the tension in the air was so intense that nobody dared to break the silence.
"We'd better find out what is wrong with them."
Nearchus stated as they came out of a meeting with Alexander as soon as Hephaistion hurried back to his own room.
"Well, since you are the one who spoke up, why don't you go ask Alexander, then."
Ptolemy suggested.
"I don't think it's possible. He looks as if he were ready to cut your head off with just one wrong move. I am not taking the risk. " Everybody nodded in agreement.
"Perdiccas, you are a good friend of Hephaistion, why don't you ask him?"
"You know how Hephaistion is, Cassander. Do you think he would tell us the truth?"
"I have an idea." Cleitus grinned when he saw Bagoas pass by.
"Bagoas! Come here." He waited impatiently for Bagoas to come closer.
"Do you know what happened to Alexander and Hephaistion? Did you hear anything?"
"Not exactly, all I know is that I heard an argument the other night, and Hephaistion stormed out of Alexander's room. Since then, he has not visited Alexander. I don't think they have even spoken to each other, either."
"Yes, we noticed that. But did you not hear what they were arguing about?"
"No, Ptolemy. What makes you think that I would be so close to them when they were spending their private time together?"
They all grinned at Bagoas meaningfully.
"All right, all right. But I did not hear it all though. Hephaistion said something like that he was not the land to be conquered, and if Alexander would not quit his possessiveness, then he would seek for a new lover. And Alexander replied to him to go ahead since he was tired of Hephaistion's obstinacy, and he would even be glad to help him find a new lover."
"No, they did not!" Perdiccas exclaimed.
"Well, it is rather believable knowing how stubborn they both are."
Ptolemy crossed his arms in front of him uneasily.
"And because of their stubbornness, this war between them could last for a long time." Nearchus sighed deeply.
Three days passed from the banquet, and the officers of Alexander coped with the uneasiness by avoiding being in the same room as Alexander and Hephaistion. It had worked well so far since there were no official gatherings.
However, Cleitus was bored. He visited Cassander and Nearchus to offer some early morning sword training, but they both declined it stating that they would rather like to sleep in. 'Lazy kids.' He muttered under his breath and walked up to the stable to go on a ride instead. Cleitus had been with the army for all his life, and he felt restless if he did not have enough physical activities. He felt that his body became numb and useless if he did not train daily; his body craved for action.
When he came closer to the stable, he noticed a figure sitting on the grass resting his back against the wall. As he realized who it was, Cleitus was puzzled. Bagoas had never managed to get up this early.
"What are you doing here up so early?"
Bagoas slowly lifted his face to look up at him, and Cleitus faltered. He looked as if he were in a different world; in the land of dream and fantasy. His eyes were unfocused and shone with moistness. His cheeks were flushed, and his long black hair was tangled just like after running in the field.
"What happened?" Cleitus continued.
"Oh, Cleitus. I am so happy! My dream finally came true."
"You mean …"
"Yes! Hephaistion asked me last night to go for a ride with him. We went up to the lake near the mountain. He made his horse gallop at full speed. I clung onto him tightly and felt every single muscle of him move against my body. "
Bagoas sighed contently, and then continued.
"It was a beautiful night with the moon and the stars. He was ever so gentle yet powerful at the same time. I still can feel his soft lips, wet tongue and feather light caress all over my body. Oh, Cleitus, it was wonderful."
Bagoas hugged himself, and Cleitus felt his blood boil in his body. He cleared his throat.
"Congratulations Bagoas, now you can brag about it."
Bagoas' face paled.
"No, Cleitus! Please do not say a word to anybody. You know how people can be so cruel when they are jealous of you? I don't want to be the target of envy. If you could keep it secret, then I would arrange a chance for you to get together with Hephaistion."
"Is such a thing possible?"
"Yes, I think so. Since Hephaistion is now open, I believe that I can talk him into sampling different tastes if you give me time. Deal?"
"Deal!" Cleitus' heartbeat quickened with anticipation.
Cleitus waited impatiently, he asked Bagoas everyday about the progress. Five days later, the chance he had been waiting for had finally come to Cleitus. Bagoas informed him that he had succeeded in convincing Hephaistion at last to show some interest in his older colleague, and agreeing to spend some time together.
"Hephaistion said to wait for him this evening right before the banquet starts, being naked and ready on his bed."
"Really? Did he really say that?" Cleitus screamed not being to able to hide his excitement.
"Yes, he did." Bagoas chuckled. "Now hurry, you do not have much time. I will make sure that the door to Hephaistion's bed chamber is unlocked."
"Thank you Bagoas!"
With this, Cleitus hurried back to his room to clean up and get ready for the big evening.
As Bagoas promised, the door to Hephaistion's chamber was unlocked. Cleitus silently slipped in closing the heavy door behind him. He quickly discarded his sandals and chiton and climbed up onto Hephaistion's large bed. Cleitus had desired Hephaistion for a long time. He had watched the delicate beauty of a boy grow into a blooming beauty of young adult, to a radiating and powerful beauty of a warrior.
However, he had never proceeded with his desire, because he knew that Hephaistion belonged to Alexander, only to Alexander. Now the gods smiled upon him, and he could finally taste the myth. Just thinking of himself holding the long yearned-for beauty in his arms made Cleitus fully aroused.
The light footsteps brought him back from the reverie, and Cleitus saw the object of his desire walking toward him wearing an almost transparent thin linen robe looking down, and drying his hair with a towel that was wrapped around his head. Cleitus yanked the younger man by the waist to him. With a startled gasp, Hephaistion dropped his towel and lifted his gaze.
It was Cleitus' turn to gasp this time. The man was ever more beautiful. His cheeks were slightly flushed from the hot bath with his dark wet hair cascading over his shoulders. Cleitus could see every curve on his body through the thin materials. A slight fear flickered in Hephaistion's translucent blue orbs, and Cleitus took his hands into his.
"Cleitus! What are you doing here? You'd better leave right away. Alexander will be here at any moment!"
"What?..." The words did not register in Cleitus' clouded mind.
Before he had a chance to process the meaning, the door opened and Alexander entered the room. He looked at Hephaistion with his hands being held by another man, and then to the owner of the hands, Cleitus on the bed who was completely naked and aroused. It did not take a moment for Alexander's expression to change from astonishment to anger.
"Alexander!" Cleitus and Hephaistion screamed in unison.
"You! Cleitus!" Alexander ran to the bed with his hand on the heel of the sword.
Cleitus got off the bed to the other side of charging Alexander, and dashed through the door. He threaded through the crowded corridor with the people who were on the way to the dining hall as fast as he could and as naked as the day he was born. If he had had the nerve to look back behind the amazed crowds, he could have seen Bagoas doubled up with laughter joined by Alexander and Hephaistion.
"Are you satisfied now, Bagoas?" Alexander asked him when the first wave of the hysterical laughter subsided.
"Yes, thank you Alexander and Hephaistion."
'Yes! One down, many more to go!' Bagoas was very happy and satisfied indeed.
End