A Soldiers' Duty, 14

Alexander visits with his mother and discovers something disturbing about Hephaistion.

Rating: None

FOURTEEN

Alexander shut his eyes as soon as the door to his mother' rooms closed behind him. His hands were still clenched he opened them slowly and took a deep breath.

It continued to stupefy him, this cruelty, and baseness of Phillip's. How could his father be so uncontrolled in himself? He recalled his mother's face, her voice as she told him what she'd discovered. It had been soft and a little sad. He'd thought she would be glad to see this brutality toward a rival, but she had surprised him again, reminding him, she was a mother and knew what it was to see a beloved child suffer.

As she lay back on her couch, arranging her light blue robes about her, she assessed her son. He was no longer her little boy, but a man, but her heart cried for the pain of the little boy hidden in his eyes.

"You are wearing your new chiton, it looks well on you." She'd embroidered the red cloth herself in his favorite colors of yellow and blue. "Come now; tell me what is in your mind."

"You know well enough, I came at your call." Alexander answered her as he stood at her dressing table fingering the alabaster bottles there sniffing the fragrant contents.

"Yes", she sighed, her mind back to the problem at hand, Hephaistion. "He must be got away from Phillip, at all costs." Olympias said as she patted the cushion next to her, hoping he would sit and refresh himself.

Her large room was quiet Olympias had ordered her house cleaners away as soon as Alexander had come. She had been waiting, knowing he would. He would not be able to ignore her summons. She knew what Hephaistion was to him, and if unbending a bit to help him would later on aid her in her greater goal, against Phillip, then she would humble herself. More than that though she loved her son and would do anything to make him happy, anything ….In truth she did not really see Hephaistion as a rival, not the way one woman would another. She did not mind her son's affection for the boy either. Hephaistion was certainly likeable and she had taken to him when he had come to live in the place years ago. If only Alexander would do his duty, if only he would realize the peril he placed them all in.

The excessive affection between them was the problem. In truth, she thought to herself her son was beginning to show more interest in Hephaistion than getting an heir and that was something she had to stop, at least until he saw to his duty. Then he could be, well, she hoped he would not take after his father. She offered a silent prayer to Dionysius. She doubted it. Alexander was so different than Philip, much more aware of people's reactions to certain things. She closed her eyes and mused, Hephaistion would be with Alexandros on campaign that was as certain as the gods in Olympus, nothing could separate them, any fool could see that. However, Alexander must produce an heir, for who knew what the gods might ordain. She shivered then and made the sign for the evil eye. Nothing, no nothing would take her beloved boy from her. Yet, she was a practical woman and knew this was Macedon, not Athens, men died quickly and mysteriously here, especially kings and their heirs.

"Alexander, eat something, you need to strengthen yourself. You look tired," She urged him lifting the golden plate filled with tempting little tidbits she knew he loved and had prepared with her own hand. She chose a miniature stuffed grape leaf and put it in his mouth. Watching him as he swallowed it and took another, she smiled remembering him as a small boy toddling by her side through the vines searching for perfect grape leaves for the cooks to prepare and stroked his cheek lovingly.

"I can see what this is doing to both of you. Hephaistion has great strength in him, but he is young and his spirit can still be wounded." She smiled and met his curious glance, "Oh, I see things when no one thinks I'm watching." Her eyes were gentle. The day prior, she and her ladies had been out walking in the garden, near her shrine to Dionysius, when they'd heard the sobbing. Dismissing them, going closer toward the thick screen of pines and larches she recognized the auburn head of Hephaistion. He'd been lying in the grass, head on his arms and sobbing brokenly.

When she'd spoken to him, he'd been startled and jumped up. She'd had to run to catch him. In those minutes she was remained of a corner deer she had once shot at when she was a girl. The deer had succumbed to her bow. She had studied the young man who had stood before her noting a fine trembling of his hands. She decided then she could be generous. After all, it was for Alexander. Also, she knew in spite of her other feelings regarding Hephaistion, if he was near Alexander her son would always be safe. She had seen that in his eyes and in his very stance. If she had the gift the gods possessed she would have been able to look into his heart and know that her son meant more to this beautiful youth than anything else.

Olympias knew how to show affection and consideration when it mattered to her, and in a matter of moments she'd gotten the story from him. Perhaps because she had been for one long summer as a mother to him herself she felt her anger and rage rise through her veins. The pornos! Her husband was nothing but a rutting pig! Well, some things would not be tolerated!

Perhaps it was because they were both victims of Phillip, or because of her love for her son, but she decided as she lifted her slender, jeweled hand to the tear-stained face that she would help him. She'd studied Hephaistion closely and realized with a slight jolt that they could have been brother and sister. She had not seen it when he was but a boy, but now, his hair had the same burnished color, same white skin and delicate features only on Hephaistion they were exquisitely male. Only the eyes were different, his were almost violet blue but hooded and brooding.

She turned to her son and looked at him smiling thinking of the two handsome young men together.

"Come," she pulled him down beside her on the couch. "I know what Hephaistion means to you."

"But I thought you were against us."

She tapped him on the tip of his nose, an old habit he'd lately grown irritated with, "Do you think me so cruel I would wish this fate on him?"

He didn't meet her eye, and she lifted his head with her fingers. "Alexander, I will not lie, I do not like your relationship, what it keeps you from, but we will speak of that another time. I hate to see you so unhappy, if helping Hephaistion will make you happy then I will do whatever I can."

Alexander sighed, not knowing what to think, and laid his head in his mother's lap. Gently stroking the silky, pale hair Olympias outlined her plan. She would brook no harm toward her son or his beloved.

"How? Mother, he is in his service as am I. I cannot pull him away from his duty. It can't be done."

"We shall find a way. I will cast the stones for guidance." So saying she rose and went to her altar, to invoke the goddess and perform the incantation. The room was soon filled with the acrid smoke of burned herbs and yeasty scent from the libation. "We must make sacrifice tonight at Hecate's shrine."

He watched as Olympias dipped a bundle of herbs in the sacred fire and washed both them with its pungent smoke. Her voice chanted a prayer for vengeance to the dark goddess.

Alexander shivered remembering as a small child clinging to his mother's cloak, wide eyed and terrified, as she sought the crossroads to offer her blood sacrifices in the dead of night to Hekate. He did not like the dark goddess or the other one his mother worshiped, the Egyptian Bastet, usually gentle and loving, but who when enraged became the lion headed goddess Sekhmet, and demanded human blood for her sacrifices.

"Give this charm to Hephaistion he must wear it at all times. See that he does." She pressed a small onyx amulet into his hands it was the head of a lioness. "He is under the goddess' protection."

"I will need a black male dog, no more than six months old, no imperfections. Alexander you must perform the sacrifice yourself. I will assist you."

Alexander felt himself shrink inside, hearing the price of the offering. He dreaded the day, knowing it may come when Olympias would turn to Sekhmet, and knowing worse that she would placate the goddess' demands.

"Mother," he began carefully remembering her slender, but strong hands around his throat last time he'd visited her. "This offering," he hesitated, searching her face, "It is not a blood curse toward father is it?"

He watched his mother's blue-grey eyes flash and then slide into calm reassurance. She said nothing at first, then spoke so softly he almost missed the words.

"He means to displace me."

"Mother?" He stood closer breathing in the honey sweet scent she used on her skin to keep it soft and glowing. He laid his head against her shoulder wrapped a lock of her hair around his fingers and for a moment closed his eyes and wished himself back to when he was a small child and his world was hers and under her protection. However, that was long ago, and he was a man now, and must fight his own battles.

Her hair glowed in the candlelight capturing both the sun and moon in its burnished tresses. Her eyes, so like his own, deep-set, thoughtful and wary stared into his, seeking - capturing his thoughts, holding him hostage to her desires and his questions.

"It will not stand. I know your future. I will not have him keep you from it."

"Mother do not harm him, he is my father."

She turned to him her grey eyes glittering hotly in the fire and candle light, "Is he?" She pulled him close toward the polished mirror on her neatly ordered pear wood dressing table, "Look, where is Philip?" She pointed toward the two similar faces staring back. "Where is his thick nose and heavy brow? I see only refinement, elegance the grace of Apollo before me!" She touched his face with a long finger. "You are the son of the god, he has crowned you with the sun, the sea is in your eyes, not the earthy coarseness of Philip's brown gaze. There is sensitivity and beauty in this face and it is not of Philip!"

Alexander spoke warily, his mother frightened him a bit when she was like this, "I see what you see, but he is my father, for if he is not who then?"

"Ha, that man, your father, no, do not confuse yourself with such thoughts, Alexander, only the son of the god will rise to the heights you will."

"Mother do you seek to harm him with this sacrifice? I will not allow it!"

She turned on him angered her long golden leaf shaped earrings tinkling as her head moved, "Do not tell me my business! Do not keep from the gods that which is their will, either. Do you wish to call their wrath down upon us all?"

He shook his head quickly alarmed, "No, I would not offend the gods."

"Then listen to me, Alexander, they ask for their price to be paid, and they shall have it."

He'd said nothing more, but took his leave of her soon after. Speaking with his mother was a cryptic endeavor at the best of times. These days since Philip had announced his new marriage, Olympias' rage and anger had gotten worse. It seemed more and more Alexander found himself caught in between his parent's demands, desires, and petty rages and wondered if he would ever break free. His fears for Hephaistion just now overrode his concerns about his father's upcoming marriage. However, he knew he would have to deal with that as well, and soon.

All the way back to his rooms Alexander kept his mind on the one person that mattered most to him, Hephaistion. He wanted to run, to abandon all dignity and streak down the stairs.

He felt like screaming, yelling, shrieking, until the very air was colored with the rage he felt. He wanted that rage to expand until everyone in Pella felt it too. He wanted to cry, to break down, right now, right here, beside this column that he was now falling against that he was sure would never be able to hold him up, support him, if he gave way to the anger, and pain he felt welling inside of him.

He wanted to…. he couldn't even name the chaos rising up inside him, it was like the howling madness in battle, but it wasn't clear and radiant, no this madness was taking over, consuming him, eating him alive. All he could think was he was going to kill his father.

To be continued….