Title: Alexander Revisited
Disclaimer # 1: I am fully aware that the movie with the same title exists (on DVD); this story was born out of that movie but took a turn to AU where it would reside with no intention of coming into a conflict with the original creation.
Disclaimer # 2: This story is a pure fiction. I don't know the real people involved; anything they do and say in my story has nothing to do with the actual lives of those people.
A/N # 1 - Thank you, my wonderful friends, who read and commented on the chapters that I already posted. My special regards to those who commented for the first time and who added this story to their favorites and story alert. It would be also wonderful to hear the thoughts of those who read the story but didn't voice their opinion yet. Thank you all.
A/N #2 – My apologies for the historical inaccuracy I discovered in one of my previous chapters. There I mentioned Babylonian governor Mazaeus as if he was still alive at 324 BC. However, he died a few years before, in 328 BC.
O
Jared was completely unnerved by Perdicca's ultimatum; it was not how he thought his day would end. He went to bed sure that he'd have a sleepless night trying to solve the problem that didn't have any positive solution. But sleep took him right away into blessed oblivion and he was woken up next morning by impatient Alexander who came to his chambers to personally fetch him to go to the commemoration games together.
The whole day Alexander kept Jared nearby; he talked almost exclusively to him and became upset when their conversation was interrupted by other people. The king wanted opinion of his friend on the competitors, on how the games were organized, whether everything was grand enough for Hephaistion's memory. He asked Jared how the sport and music events were organized at his time, how many people usually attended, whether he ever saw in his life anything as grandiose as he was witnessing now. Till the very evening Jared didn't have a single moment to himself. Even when Alexander allowed others to interrupt the privacy of their discussion, Jared was fully involved and had to take the charge of the conversation because Alexander preferred to remain silent.
"If Alexander treated Hephaistion the same way, I wonder when the Chiliarch had any time to do anything," thought Jared though he realized that Alexander might wanted Jared's company for the different reasons than he wanted Hephaistion's. "He wants to share his life with me because he knows he doesn't have much time left. And I am dragging along helplessly without the slightest idea how to prevent his death."
Jared's thoughts were yet again interrupted by another question from Alexander who didn't let his friend to have more than a few thoughts at the same time. In this manner morning slipped into day and day into evening. When the events of the day were concluded, Alexander expressed his desire, in a rather commanding tone, that he wished to spend the rest of the day in Laertes' company and he took the actor to his suits not even asking Jared's opinion on the matter. They had a private dinner together and then Alexander continued with his questions about life in Jared's time, sharing in return his own memories. Jared spent night in Alexander's bedroom because the king was reluctant to let him go even when they both were too tired to talk.
The second day of the funeral games and Perdiccas' ultimatum was the exact repetition of the first and, falling asleep yet again in the king's quarters, Jared had a very little time to worry about his answer to the general before the sleep claimed him. The third day, just as the first two, Jared saw the glimpses of Perdiccas here and there and exchanged with him a few phrases in Alexander's presence. But the general was patient and in no way indicated that Jared's time was running out.
"I have to discuss with Nearchus the details of his voyage," Alexander told Jared when the games of the third day ended, "and I think you want to spend some time in your own bed, away of my incessant questioning and talking. "Sostratos," Alexander turned to one of the favorite Hephaistion's lieutenants who was suspiciously conveniently nearby, "Please accompany Laertes to his quarters and make sure he is neither lost nor unnecessary accosted by his well-wishers".
"This night I'd rather spend in Alexander's company," sourly thought Jared mindlessly following Sostratos through the maze of the palace. When they arrived, Jared was enthusiastically greeted by Bagoas who didn't see his master for a few days. The eunuch wasn't worried, he knew that Laertes spent time with the king, but he realized that he missed his company and was glad to have him back.
Jared started to pace mindlessly his rather spacious quarters. He tried to concentrate on the problem at hand but somehow his thoughts trailed to different snippets of conversation he had with Alexander in the last two days. Suddenly he realized that instead of dreading Perdiccas' visit he was actually looking forward to it. Not because he wanted to be done with it but because he realized that he was going to tell the general everything and Perdiccas' help, whatever form it might take, was the only chance to save Alexander. "I was stupid when I thought I could tackle the problem alone. The solution was right in front of me, of us when Damian was alive, and that solution was Perdiccas. The gods were throwing him my way but I was blind. He was the one who went to the market in Siwah with Hephaistion when the first set of bracelets showed up. He was the one who told me about the bracelets and pointed out the merchant when I was in Siwah. Even in our time, it was Neil, aka Perdiccas, who bought the last set of stones inspired by Hephaistion's suggestion. Maybe Hephaistion would be still alive if only I had enough brain to see clearly. But I won't miss this last chance, I…."
He heard the commotion in his antechamber and, being sure that Perdiccas arrived, loudly exhaled and with renewed strength and confidence, strode in the direction of the entrance. To his complete surprise, it was Alexander again.
"I have a few things to discuss before my conference with Nearchus, so I thought I'd drop by," announced Alexander as if answering the question that he read in Jared's puzzled eyes. It won't take long but we are to be left alone. Sostratos and Bagoas, please see to it," ordered the king sweeping Jared away into the innermost room of the suites.
"What is it, Alexander?" asked Jared when they were alone.
"I want to know your decision," answered the king.
"My decision about what?" Jared felt mystified.
"Your answer to Perdiccas."
"My answer to Perdiccas?" repeated Jared taken aback by Alexander's question and not yet fully processing it.
"Yes, my new Chiliarch gave you three days to come up with the answer and your time run out as of now. You must have the answer ready, I presume."
"My answer," shocked Jared dropped as a dead weight on cushioned divan behind him, "what do you mean?"
"I do have a meeting with Nearchus soon, so please don't waste my time," said Alexander and Jared could discern the cold notes in the king's voice that Alexander didn't use with him for quite some time. "After the funeral pyre Perdiccas came here accusing you of being a god, a Seer, somebody powerful enough to save my life. He gave you three days to come clean. You expect him to show up at your doorstep any moment now. I am even sure you thought it was him when you heard my arrival. So, what are you to say to him?"
Though Jared knew he had no time to think about the best answer possible, he still decided to drag time, hoping for a miracle, maybe Perdiccas will save him by appearing at this very moment.
"How do you know that Perdiccas was here?" the actor ask deliberately not mentioning the topic of his and general's conversation three days ago.
"I know. It doesn't matter how."
"Did Bagoas spy on me? Was it the real reason why you so generously gifted him to me?"
"Don't be stupid! And no, it wasn't Bagoas."
"Then who?"
"None of your business. So, what's your answer to Perdiccas?"
"I don't have one," Jared turned away from Alexander who was staring at the actor a burning intensity.
"Great, then, consider me your saviour."
"What do you mean?" Jared asked with apprehension.
"I forbade Perdiccas to come close to you. As a matter of fact, I forbade anybody to come close to you. From now on you are confined to your apartments until we leave for Arabia, or until I die, whatever comes first."
"It is not funny!" exclaimed Jared.
"It wasn't intended to be. Those are my orders. You are to stay here. Nobody is allowed to come and visit you. Don't worry, you're not disgraced. I let everybody know that there was an attempt on your life which you've narrowly escaped and for your own safety nobody can come in or out. I personally picked guards for this duty, they answer to Sostratos only and he answers to me. For your personal entertainment you'll have Bagoas, your page Theocles and Peridemos to chat with. Neither of you can leave these premises. If you need anything, you will let Sostratos know and he'll arrange for it. Am I clear?"
"Alexander, you can't do that!" exclaimed Jared.
"Watch me!" the king gave Jared dispassionate glance and turned around to leave.
"Alexander, I beg you," Jared ran after the king. "Why are you doing this? You can't remove me from your presence now, you simply can't."
"There is nothing to discuss," the king continued towards the door.
"But why, Alexander, why?" pleaded Jared trying to stop the king in his progress.
"Pull yourself together, Laertes," coldly stated Alexander when they both entered the antechamber full of guards to whom Sostratos was giving orders.
"I don't care," shouted Jared, "I came here to save your life and not the other way around."
Alexander grabbed Jared and shoved him against the nearest wall. He brought his lips to Jared's ear and whispered, "Don't argue with me, do what you're told. One more word about why you are here or who you really are and I will give orders to execute everybody here. If it's not enough, I will add Perdiccas to the pile. So, shut up if you value any of those lives." With those words Alexander left Jared alone and hurriedly exited the room."
"Master," fearfully started Bagoas.
"Leave me alone," shouted Jared in distress and rushed to his bedroom. He entered there in a whirlwind and started to demolish everything around.
O
When Jared came back to reality, he found himself lying on the floor with blankets over him and a pillow under his head. His bedroom looked as if a bomb was dropped in a middle of it. The debris of the things past their recognizable image were strewn all over the room. Even his bed was in such sorry state of existence that it couldn't serve its purpose any more. The shutters on the windows were broken and the curtains striped from the beams. Through the naked windows Jared could see the beautiful morning sky, majestic in its divine blue illuminated by the golden rays of sun.
The memories from the previous evening swept too soon over him and instead of enjoying the beauty of nature he felt a heavy weight of reality confining him into its prison. The threat of Perdiccas' unpredictable reaction to his revelations seemed laughable now. Of course Perdiccas would believe him but now he was also out of reach and stubborn but all powerful Alexander ruined the last possible chance of his own salvation. Jared forced himself into a sitting position and moaned in pain. He felt like the legion of enemies beat him all over his body though he realized that his condition was a result of his own rage the previous evening. He looked around trying to determine what wall was closer to crawl to. Making the decision he clumsily started to drag himself to his new destination. Knocking some bits and pieces of the wreckage in his room, he created enough noise for the people in other rooms to realize that he was awake.
The next moment he saw the door of his room flung open and Bagoas, Theocles, Peridemos and Sostratos all rushed in to help him out.
"I don't need your help," predictably annoyed by their appearance, growled Jared.
"We're just helping ourselves," tried to joke Peridemos. "I don't want to be executed by Alexander for not being able to take care of you. How about you make yourself comfortable in another room while we'll try to make your bedroom habitable again?"
"Whatever," grumbled Jared but allowed Peridemos to help him navigate through the room.
"I hope you're hungry," Bagoas put his best innocently sweet smile on his face. "I ordered all your favorite things for you breakfast."
"Did you try them yourself to make sure the food is not poisoned?"
"It was prepared by Alexander's personal cooks and under supervision of one of my soldiers," informed Sostratos.
Jared wanted to comment that Alexander's personal cooks might be as guilty as anybody else, especially considering that they were the ones who prepared Hephaistion's meals as well, but what was the point? He already knew that Sostratos wouldn't let him out of his suit no matter the excuse and he definitely didn't have the strength to overcome all the people whom Alexander assigned to him. He absentmindedly ate the breakfast and asked Bagoas for a new change of clothes. The eunuch started to fuss all over him, forcing Jared into warm and relaxing bath, soothing massage and combing his hair. Jared agreed just to let the time pass.
He remained in Bagoas' care all the morning and afternoon and then shared lunch with Peridemos. The craftsman tried to entertain Jared telling him stories about Hephaistion and he succeeded. The afternoon stretched into evening and when Jared felt sleepy, Bagoas, appearing as if from a thin air, took him to improvised bed arranged in one of the rooms; his own bedroom was still in the rather inhabitable state.
A few days passed, one similar to another. Jared wasn't let alone even for a moment and every night he fell asleep either drifting away under Bagoas' relaxing massage or Peridemos' stories. It was a middle of May; Jared was still marking his days on the dual calendar and was sure he wasn't off significantly. At some point he tried to find means to escape remembering all the methods he ever saw in the movies or read in the books. Only Bagoas seemed somewhat sympathetic to his pleas but he couldn't come up with any worthy ideas either.
The most obvious one was to escape through one of the windows. To his dismay Jared discovered that not only he was too high from the ground but all his windows were in plain sight of the window in the room where his guards stood their watch. He tried to convince Bagoas to prepare a strong sleeping potion, this deus-ex-machina device in so many books and movies but they didn't have access to so much wine stock and poppy seeds pods. Bagoas, though listening sympathetically to all his master ideas, was too cautious to truly encourage him or suggest his own.
"You should listen to Alexander, he knows what he's doing," the eunuch tried to convince him. "He will find your enemies and execute them."
"I don't have any enemies, Bagoas, don't you see it? It's just a ploy. Alexander doesn't want me around. His own life is in danger but he refuses to see it or he doesn't care." Jared tried to find an appropriate excuse to explain the king's actions without raising any suspicions. He also tried to persuade Bagoas to secretly carry the message to Perdiccas but the eunuch couldn't get out. They looked for secret passages but couldn't discover any that weren't blocked by somebody beforehand.
Sostratos, though behaving as friendly as one could wish for, was adamant in following Alexander's orders and wouldn't let anybody, except the guards, to leave the premises. Jared tried his best cajoling skills but the lieutenant was unrelenting. Not even the vivid retelling of the prophetic dreams that foretold a mortal danger to Alexander could make Sostratos to change his mind.
"Alexander warned me that you would try these tricks on me," simply responded Sostratos after each fit of Jared's superb acting performance. Jared would go away in moody desperation either to crash more things or to shut himself out from interacting with anybody.
Though they weren't allowed out, the news of outside world were brought to them without any seeming restrictions. They got updates on how Hephaistion's funeral games went on, about the preparation of expedition to Arabia, about latest palace gossips including the bets on the sex of Roxana's child.
One day, Sostratos, personally bringing the breakfast into the room, told to Jared, "Nearchus sends his regards and regrets that you can't participate in his farewell party later tonight."
"I know," loudly whispered Jared in response, "it's June first today."
"It is what?" asked Sostratos, not understanding the meaning of the sentence."
"Doesn't matter," Jared turned away. He could have started again to besiege Sostratos with his pleas to get out but he knew there was no point. He didn't touch his breakfast and went away from the table to stare into the open window. He stood there for a very long time, thinking about nothing and everything at the same time. When Bagoas' pleas to eat became too annoying to disregard, he shouted something vulgar at the eunuch and shut himself in his study, a small room with huge window, shelves filled with papyrus scrolls, a small table with a chair and writing materials. He sat on the floor in the corner with his back to the window and stared blankly at the opposing wall.
From time to time his fellow prisoners of Alexander's will tried to persuade him to get out but he either ignored them completely or shouted profanities with suggestions to leave him alone. It became darker in the room and Jared knew that the evening was creeping on them. Time was passing in mute silence and soon it became so dark that Jared couldn't see anything in the room. Nobody bothered him any longer concluding that Jared will snap out of his current fit of moodiness on his own. The actor fell asleep on the floor, exhausted from doing nothing and just waiting for the disaster to happen.
He woke up from the loud repeating knocks on the door and Peridemos booming voice, "Laertes, wake up, Laertes!"
Jared, still too befuddled from the sleep, clumsily got on his feet and opened the door.
"What's the matter?" he asked and then the reality gripped him with horror, "Alexander?"
"Alexander is fine," responded Peridemos, "he just drank a little too much at Nearchus' party and then was corned by Medius and couldn't refuse another invitation. I am sure he'll sleep it over and will be back to his normal by afternoon."
Jared frowned. According to the sources, Alexander was smitten by sharp pain at Medius' party, cried out and fell unconscious. Was the incident also someone's invention just as chicken and wine that caused Hephaistion's demise?
"Are you sure that Alexander is fine and just had too much wine?"
"This is what Sostratos told me, why?"
"How Sostratos knows it?"
Peridemos shrugged his shoulders, "I didn't ask. Please come and have some breakfast and I'll fetch him here."
But Jared was too worried to eat. He paced the room impatiently until Peridemos came back in Sostratos' company.
"Laertes, everything is fine," the former Hephaistion's lieutenant tried to calm him. "I know you worried about Alexander but his life is not in danger. You should eat something or the king will send me to prison for not taking a good care of you."
"How do you know about what happened at Medius' party?" asked Jared ignoring Sostratos' plea.
"Iolas told me. He stopped by while you were still asleep."
"Iolas?"
"Yes. You know him. Alexander's cupbearer."
"Why would he come here?" Jared asked with suspicion.
"He was Hephaistion's page before he became Alexander's cupbearer. We are friends though he is rather younger than myself. He used to call me his older brother, he still does, sometimes. Cassander dragged him into another family quarrel; I hope Alexander doesn't intend to bring him along when we go to Arabia. Antipater is really out of luck with his oldest son, all others are very likable fellows. Iolas just came for some compassion. His dear lover, I mean Medius, of course, fell asleep after too much fun last night and Iolas needed a friendly shoulder to pour his frustration. I tried to calm him and sent away to sleep it over, the poor guy didn't sleep for more than a day."
"So, you sure Alexander is fine, he just drunk too much?" Jared tried to get more reassurance.
"Of course he is fine, why wouldn't he be? Did you have another bad dream?"
"Yes," admited Jared, "I hope it's nothing."
The actor closed his eyes, trying to persuade himself that some miracle would happened and Alexander wasn't going to fell ill and die.
His dreams were shuttered later that afternoon when concerned Sostratos came in and told everybody that Alexander was still in bed, apparently not feeling well, consumed by fever and pains in his stomach.
"Let me out," begged him Jared.
"I can't," now Sostratos was serious, "Alexander's instructions were to keep you inside, no matter what."
"I need to see him, take me to him. I won't talk to anybody, I promise. You can take everyone with you, in case you seriously consider that somebody is going to attack me. I need to see Alexander, I have to talk to him."
"I can't," Sostratos turned away. "I promised. Besides, it was an order. I have to follow it."
Though everybody was worried, the first day didn't seem out of the ordinary. Nobody could even think about what was going to happen. Jared alone was cursed with the knowledge. The next few days dragged excruciatingly slow and now Sostratos was sending his people to check after Alexander's condition several times a day. Unfortunately, every next piece of news was worse than the previous one.
Jared heard Peridemos whispering with Sostratos that maybe he should allow Laertes to see Alexander but the lieutenant was adamant. "Alexander's orders remain Alexander's orders, regardless of the king's condition."
"What if the king won't make it this time? He seems really bad."
"I know and I can't even think about what's going to happen but I have my orders, you can't convince me to ignore them."
"I understand," Peridemos sighed, "but Laertes deserves to see Alexander if our worse fears come true . He still can't forgive himself that he wasn't with Hephaistion when the general died."
"We all were away. Enough of that."
Jared drew back when he realized the pair was going to split. The worst thing was not being able to do anything. Even if he couldn't have prevent Alexander's death, at least being able to stay with the king till his last moment would have been better that anguishing in the unknown anticipating that each moment would bring the disastrous news.
And when that moment came Jared was as unprepared for it as if he had no foreknowledge at all. Bagoas screamed and started frantically to tore his clothes in shreds, Peridemos shook his head and started pointlessly walk through the rooms without any visible purpose, Theocles sat quietly in the corner, his eyes widely open and staring blankly at some place on the wall. Sostratos, not revealing the source of his news, talked quietly with the soldiers under his command, trying to reassure them of something.
When the first shock was over and everybody started to besiege Sostratos with questions, he admitted that he didn't know much. Alexander didn't name anybody explicitly as his successor but he gave his ring to Perdiccas.
"Did he say anything in the end?" asked Peridemos. "What were the king's last words?"
"I don't know," plainly answered Sostratos. "I wasn't there. That's not good for the kingdom that he didn't pass his power to anybody. There will be too many contestants. He should have named Perdiccas. I wonder why he didn't, he trusted the general and made him Chiliarch after Hephaistion."
"Maybe he couldn't believe that he was dying," suggested Peridemos, "he was declared a god after all. He cheated the death so many times before…."
"Before there was Hephaistion," Jared suddenly spoke. "And I shouldn't be the one telling you that. Don't let him to be forgotten so quickly, especially now, that Alexander is dead as well."
"We are not going to Arabia now," out of the blue said Bagoas.
"No, we are not," responded Jared and moved in the direction of the exit.
"Where are you going?" asked Sostratos.
"I don't know. Somewhere. Maybe I'll seek out Perdiccas. He'll need people he can rely upon now."
"Nothing changed with Alexander's death. You can't leave. King's orders."
"You must be kidding me!" exclaimed Jared. "What king's orders?"
"Alexander's. He gave me new orders a few days ago."
"You went to see him?" blustered Jared. "You didn't tell us anything!"
"I wasn't supposed to. Alexander insisted. As much as he could insist. I almost knew he wouldn't be able to make it. I just refused to believe it."
"What did he say?" Jared asked nervously. He was upset and somewhat offended that Alexander didn't ask to see him."
"Your life is still in danger and you can't leave these premises until somebody will come and pick you up."
"Who is that somebody?"
"I am not allowed to say."
"You are not allowed to say," angrily mimicked Jared, "and if you to die this night in your sleep? What's then? Am I free to go?"
"Don't be ridiculous. I hope you don't intend to kill me. I gave orders to my second-in-command what to do if something happens to me."
"I can't believe it!" Jared exploded. "Are you and Alexander for real?"
"Don't speak badly of the dead," warned Peridemos.
"Bite me," fumed Jared. "You and your sick games with people's lives. I am sick and tired of being everybody's pawn. Let me go," he tried to force himself past Sostratos.
"Don't be stupid," Sostratos caught him in midway. "You know very well that you won't be able to pass through. You just have to be patient."
"I was patient!" hollered Jared. "And what the result? Alexander is dead!"
"Are you saying that you really were able to prevent Alexander's death?" asked Sostratos.
"I might have," reproached them Jared; he wasn't much sure of the fact but nobody needed to know. "I told you many times but you preferred to listen to Alexander."
"I believe Alexander knew what he was doing," started Sostratos.
"Now you can shove your believe in your ass," lashed out Jared and angrily stomped away to one of the spare rooms.
They didn't talk much to each other during the following days. Somebody would come and bring the latest news but Jared wasn't interested. He stopped marking his days on the calendar, what was the point? He mostly shut himself in the study and mindlessly stared at the window or at the scrolls, not really trying to read, just to have something before his eyes. He would come out and eat, or succumb to Bagoas pleas to change into something new and comb his hair. He cut off all attempts to start a conversation with him and wasn't interested in listening to others talk and discuss the situation.
He wasn't sure exactly how many days passed since Alexander's death when he heard commotion in the antechamber. First, he wanted to go and investigate but then dully thought that if somebody really needed him, they could take a few extra steps and come to his room.
"It is Lycon, he wants to see you," Theocles popped his head in the door.
"Who in Hades is Lycon?" asked Jared, mildly wondering what happened to Sostratos' strict adhering to Alexander's order not to let anybody in.
"Commander of Roxana's bodyguards. She wants you to visit her. Maybe it's your ticket out of these rooms."
"Maybe it's my ticket out of this life," Jared thought grimly. "It must be about the time when she gave orders to kill Stateira and Drypetis. I wonder when Perdiccas found the time to deal with Darius' daughters if he is knee-deep embroidered in power struggle with Meleager and others. Maybe it was all prearranged, including Alexander's death."
Nevertheless, he got up and followed Theocles into antechamber. It was full with soldiers who constituted his guard and many others whom he didn't remember seeing before. Sostratos was arguing with a tall, broad shouldered man who was wildly gesticulating trying to prove his point.
"What's going on?" asked Jared loudly.
"You are to come with me!" announced the stranger whom Jared believed be Lycon.
"I am not taking orders from people I don't know," informed him Jared in a very peremptory tone, "Who are you?"
"I am Lycos, the head of Queen Roxana's bodyguards."
"She was never crowned a Queen," started Sostratos.
"How dare you?!" barked Lycos.
"Stop it!" Jared tried his most commanding voice. "I won't brook any quarrels here. Why did you come?"
"The Queen sent for you."
"And you came here with half of the Army leaving her unprotected?"
"Don't be ridiculous. I didn't even take the quarter of my men. She wants to see you and to talk to you. She is very nervous and it's dangerous in her situation. I need her to calm down so she won't give a premature birth to Alexander's child. I don't want to be responsible for that."
"You sound like an expert."
"Yes, I have a few wives here and there and a lot of children… everywhere. Women like me and tend to cling to me when they about to give birth. A long time ago somebody spread a rumor that my mother was a midwife and everybody seems to believe that she passed the trade to me."
"Don't tell me that Alexander made you the head of Roxana's bodyguards because of it!" exclaimed Peridemos.
"It didn't hurt," scowled Lycos, "but I am far better with weapons, believe me. Now, Laertes, are you coming?"
"He can't go anywhere," Sostratos stood his ground.
"I can send for more troops," threatened Lycos.
"I have the king's orders!"
"But the king is dead and his queen wishes to see Laertes."
"Roxana is not a queen, and even if she were…."
"Stop it," Jared intervened again, "Lycos, give us a moment," with those words the actor guided Sostratos away.
"I guess he is not the person who was supposed to deliver my freedom?" asked Jared when he was alone with his guard.
"No. And I have no intention of allowing Lycos to disregard Alexander's last wishes."
"Maybe you don't but you might not have a choice. If Lycos calls for reinforcement, you'll be outnumbered."
"Don't worry, I can call for reinforcements myself."
"I suppose you can but why start a brawl? I believe many flexing their muscles now trying to establish themselves in the new reality. I will go with Lycos and see what Roxana wants. Then I come back, I promise."
"No, Laertes, I can't agree to it."
"Sostratos, please. I beg you to see the reason. I promise, on Hephaistion's memory, I have no intention of breaking my word. I will come back right away."
"No, Laertes, I can't." Sostratos was unmoved.
"If you don't let me go, I will side with Lycon and ask him to bring more men. I hate to do it but I will."
"No," Sostratos stood in Jared's way. "It is dangerous. Who knows what Roxana might have in mind? What if you get attacked on the way?"
"Don't be stupid, what can she do?" asked Jared burying the knowledge of what she did or was about to do to Stateira and Drypetis.
"It still might be a trap," insisted Sostratos.
"By Ares' balls, I am not that important. I was that to Hephaistion and Alexander but now they are dead and I am a nobody. Believe me when I say that people here have more important things on their minds than to plot my demise."
"They might want revenge."
"I don't have any enemies. Alexander was imagining things. But to honor his wishes and make you feel more comfortable, I promise to return. I swear."
"Lycos is getting more overbearing," Peridemos came to inform them. "If you don't show up now, he'll start attacking your people," he nodded in Sostratos' direction.
"Fine, let's go," Sostratos unwillingly agreed.
"I am going with you," Jared informed Lycos not waiting for Sostratos' approval.
"Fine, but you're returning today. And Lycos, you'd better make sure that he makes it safely both ways."
"Don't worry, I have no intention of displeasing the Queen."
"I will come with you," volunteered Peridemos.
"No," said Jared. If something was going to happen to him, he didn't want Peridemos' death on his hands. "Though," sadly thought the actor, "if oracle is right, Peridemos will die if there is no Hephaistion around."
"Then I will come," suggested Bagoas.
Lycos scoffed but Jared agreed. "I hope you don't mind," he said to Sostratos. "If I need to send you a message or ask for help, he'll for sure find his way around the palace better than anybody else."
Sostratos silently nodded. He didn't like the fact that he had to bow to reality and hoped that he didn't make a mistake by letting Laertes go.
O
Jared followed Lycos in silence. He tried to imaging Roxana as a scheming, murder thirsty queen but doesn't matter how much he tried, he couldn't believe the image. Perdiccas' involvement also started to seem to him highly unlikely. He was in the middle of power struggle with so many people, what did he care about the lives of Stateira and Drypetis? Unless one had to assume that the murder was premeditated a long time ago, when Alexander was still alive, then it was a possibility. But then it meant Perdiccas conspired to end king's life as well. How much real was such a possibility? True, Jared had to admit, his opinion of Perdiccas was clouded because he really liked the man and considered him a friend, even if it sounded ridiculous.
His uneasy musings were interrupted by Lycos who announced their arrival at destination.
"Be respectful to the Queen and don't upset her," lectured the bodyguard seriously.
Jared entered the inner room. Roxana was sitting in what appeared to be some sort of a rocking chair. Sophonisba was nearby, showing to Roxana different flower arrangements. The Queen was about eight months pregnant and looked very much like it. Her face complexion retained some of her previous tan and her dark smooth hairs were combed upward and hold in place by yellow silky ribbon. But the smiles and lovely dimples were gone. Roxana's black eyes were sad and apprehensive but they lit up when she saw Jared to enter.
"I am so glad you could come," the gratitude in the queen's voice broke Jared's heart. Despite her loveliness and desire to please, she was a lonely woman, not liked by anyone in particular, including her own husband.
"But of course. I would come earlier if I knew you wanted to see me," Jared lied. There was no reason to burden Roxana with details of his own imprisonment.
"Please sit here," Roxana pointed out to a low couch nearby. "Are you well looked after? You seem gaunt and slimmer than before. Do you forget to eat sometimes?"
"I am fine, milady, don't worry about me. But what about you, how do you hold up?"
"I don't know," sadly, almost in whisper, said Roxana. "I am still very confused and can't come to terms with Alexander's death. What is going to happen to me and my child?"
"You shouldn't worry," tried to reassure her Jared. "Everything will be fine. As much as it can be fine now. You'll give birth to a healthy boy who will be proclaimed the next king and the true heir to your husband's empire."
"I wish I can believe it," murmured Roxana and fell silent.
"Why did she want to see me?" wondered Jared to himself. "Of all the people, why would she want to see me? We weren't that close after all. I told her a fascinating story one time and after that we saw glimpses of each other on official occasions. Unless Perdiccas wanted her to lure me here, just as he made her to lure Stateira and Drypetis. Is Roxana that good of an actress or she just too simple to understand whatever game Perdiccas is playing?"
"Can you tell me another story?" timidly asked Alexander's widow. "Something sweet and with a good ending. I really need to hear something like that now."
Jared looked at Roxana with some surprise. Was he making too much of the situation? Was it really possible that Roxana indeed wanted him here just as a good storyteller? She remembered that once he told her an interesting story and wanted to hear another one to pass her time or distract herself from the unpleasant reality. Maybe the killing of Stateira and Drypetis happened later when Perdiccas temporally regained power and control in Babylon. Or maybe it never happened at all, maybe it was a story invented by Perdiccas' and Roxana's ill-wishers to blacken their reputation. After all Cyrus, Darius' son, disappeared mysteriously from the history and nobody knows what happened to him. Maybe Darius' daughters disappeared as well and neither Roxana nor Perdiccas had anything to do with their death.
"All right, I'll tell you a story," said Jared wishing to break the uncomfortable silence. But then he started to think and somehow none of the fairy tales seemed to fit the description of short and sweet. In the end, he decided on the "Puss in Boots" though he had to cut short the adventures and substitute French country side with rolling hills somewhere in Macedonia.
It was difficult to say whether Roxana liked the story or not but in the end she thanked him gratefully and asked if he could visit her from time to time and entertain with other stories.
Jared politely agreed and then asked, "You don't have a lot of visitors, do you?"
"No," said Roxana, "the Persian wives of the generals despise my company and never come for a visit."
"What about Stateira and Drypetis?"
Roxana shook her head in negative gesture and stared at her hands which she held on her stomach.
"They don't visit?" Jared repeated his question.
"They think me a nobody, some unimportant chieftain's daughter who stole Stateira's rightful place to be called the first wife of King Alexander. They never said a word to me and turned their heads away on a few public occasions here in Babylon. Our rooms are on the farthest sides of the palace."
"It makes sense," thought Jared to himself. "In the hierarchy of the Persian Empire who is some chieftain's daughter compared to those of the King of Kings? Alexander maybe married to Roxana but her status would be always below Stateira's and Parisatis'. Drypetis and her sister will never answer Roxana's invitation to come to her quarters and grieve together as Arrian or one of the other original sources wrote. I bet it is all Ptolemy's fault, he invented all those stories to blacken the people who weren't his allies. The old fox outlived everybody and none of his opponents was still alive to say otherwise; or maybe nobody dared before.
"I understand," Jared said aloud. Suddenly, he was gripped by desire to find out what really happened to Stateira and Drypetis. He had no doubt by now that Roxana had nothing to do with it and probably Perdiccas neither. Who knows, maybe while Perdiccas struggled to outwit and eliminate Meleager, Ptolemy took care of Darius' daughters and later accused Perdiccas of it.
"If you have no visitors," he continued, "do you go outside yourself? Do you go outside of the palace to enjoy the city, do you go to the majestic Hanging Gardens, to Euphrates? I am sure inside the palace there are also many wonderful sights to behold."
"I do no such thing," said Roxana though there weren't enough sad tones in her voice to indicate that she had any desire to do so and was forbidden. "I don't like big cities and big palaces, here is everything too much, over the brim – too much people, too much colours, and too much noises. I preferred the company of my husband when he was still alive and could found time for me. Sophonisba does a wonderful job of providing me with everything I need, though I miss sometimes having friendly visitors to come over. This was why I asked for you company, I knew you were a friend of Alexander and you treated me with respect that many other of his friends lacked."
"I see," Jared nodded compassionately, "I am glad I could be of service. Call me again if you need. I will come if I can."
"Thank you," Roxana expressed her gratitude with sincerity that people rarely put into those two words, "I don't have any power here really, but if I can do something for you, I'll do it with great pleasure."
"Oh, no, I am fine," Jared smiled weakly knowing that there was nothing Roxana could do for him, "but if something comes to my mind, I'll ask when I come next time for a visit." Jared stood from his seat and was about to say his final good byes when the idea suddenly struck him. "Do you know about any wells nearby?"
"Wells?" Roxana repeated with surprise.
"Yes, wells, there must be wells in the palace."
"I don't know about any wells, as I said, I rarely go outside of my quarters, but maybe Sinsada knows?"
The plump eunuch whom Jared recognized from his first visit to Roxana made his appearance from one of the curtains.
"Yes, there are quite a few wells in the palace. They are all in the beautiful surroundings of inside gardens. I can take you there if you wish. Do you want to see any one in particular?"
"Does any of them is in a rarely visited corner of the palace?"
Jared noticed as Sinsada and Bagoas exchanged quick glances but neither of them said anything and Sinsada pretended to think over Jared's question.
"Now I know there is at least one," Jared didn't have time to play games. "Tell me about it."
Sinsada mumbled something unintelligible but Bagoas was braver. "There is a well in a very secluded area of the palace, it's called "Well of Sorrows" but it has a very bad reputation."
"Why, are its waters poisonous?" asked Jared though he guessed that the bad reputation of the well must be due to the completely different reason.
"Not a good reputation," Sinsada echoed Bagoas' explanation. "You can't go there."
"I want to go there; Bagoas, you'll show me the way."
"No, master, it's too dangerous. We have to return to your suits, you promised Sostratos we will come back tonight."
"And we will, right after we go to check out this well."
"Why do you want to visit it?" asked Roxana. "If Sinsada and Bagoas say it's dangerous, it must be. They know the palace better than anybody else present."
"Whatever the imagined danger is, I am sure it's not waiting for us there," insisted Jared. "Everybody is too busy with the aftermath of Alexander's death."
Sinsada and Bagoas started to convince Jared to abandon this dangerous idea but the actor's mind was made up.
"The more you argue the less time is left to go to the well and then return to my apartments," Jared interrupted them decisively. Bagoas, let's go."
"Maybe you can take some of my guards," suggested Roxana, "just in case."
"No," Jared was determined to have his own way, "those guards are here for your protection and not mine. Thought I am sure nothing is going to happen to you, I prefer to leave them out of it."
Jared already realized Roxana wasn't a person to insist much on anything. She just meekly nodded and, advising him to be careful, bid him sweet goodbye.
"I'll see you in a few days if you so wish," Jared said to Roxana and came after Bagoas who unwillingly followed his master's orders.
They exited Roxana's suits through some hidden door and for a long time went through dark corridors and abandoned rooms. Sometimes their route coincided with public places where they could see other people go around their business, sometimes they took some hidden and poorly lit passages that would have sent creeps down Jared's spine if he wasn't so much obsessed with the desire to see this well that might be, or might be not, the last resting place of Darius' daughters. He has no way of knowing whether the princesses were still alive or already dead, he just needed to be there. He didn't exchange any words with Bagoas, he was happy that the eunuch obeyed, though not very enthusiastically, his order and didn't try to talk him out of it any longer.
"Shhh," Bagoas almost inaudibly whispered, and then he took Jared's hand and guided him in the different direction. In the dimly lit corridor the actor saw a staircase leading up. He followed Bagoas there who, halfway up, whispered, "a few steps further that corridor is a turn that leads to the opening where the well is. If you take the turn, you can't hide if something is wrong but this staircase leads to a secret place above the opening. From there we can see if there is anybody near that well, just in case."
Jared nodded though he wasn't sure that Bagoas could see it. A few steps further and they stepped into completely dark enclosure that seemed to be a dead end.
"How can we see anything from here?" he whispered into the darkness. His eyes didn't adapt to the lack of light yet and though Bagoas' hand was still holding his he could discern only a vague silhouette of the eunuch.
Bagoas whispered, "Drop on your knees here and watch."
Jared followed the suggestion and heard some rustling and then he realised that Bagoas moved hanging branches of some plant because suddenly he could see the yard below.
"Don't do any sudden movements and don't move too many branches aside," Bagoas continued to whisper.
They could see nobody at first and Bagoas dropped the plants he was holding back and crawled a little further. He moved the hanging boughs again and gasped.
"What is it?" Jared impatiently moved eunuch aside and took a look down.
He could see a part of the well, a few people nearby, servants or slaves by the look of them and two immovable things on the floor. They were wrapped in some sort of curtains or drapery but there was no doubt that they were human bodies. Jared estimated that they were approximately one floor above the ground; from above, the bodies looked like belonging to women or slender men. While he was staring in disbelieve, the two of the servants lifted one of the bodies from the floor and moved in the direction of the well with clear intention to drop it inside.
Jared cursed and bolted from the enclosure down. He covered the staircase in a few leaps and rushed to the opening.
"No! What you are doing?!" he heard Bagoas' loud and rasp whisper full of horror. "Please stop! No-o-o-o-o!"
But Jared wasn't listening. He got to the entrance and pushed the man who was there aside. Despite the fact that the guard was placed there for the exact purpose of guarding it against any intruders, he either really didn't expect anybody to show up or was too inexperienced to reach quickly enough.
Jared sprinted past him but Bagoas wasn't so lucky. The actor heard the loud scream of pain but didn't have time to react when he realized that he himself was running into a blade that in a moment was going to cut him through. But it didn't happen. Wounded Bagoas still have enough life in him to push Jared with his own body aside and down and took the blade intended for his master. Another sword flickered over Jared's head but somebody's sharp order in Greek, "Don't!" saved actor's life at the nick of time.
Jared rolled out the way of blade that went down just a few inches from his body and crawled a few steps to where Bagoas was lying in a pool of blood, some seeping from his back from his first wound at the entrance and a more from the huge gushing wound in the stomach, together with intestines and other insides.
Jared stared in horror at the mangled body of the eunuch, the actor wasn't sure if he was still alive.
"Bagoas," he called weakly taking eunuch's hand in his own. There was no answer and because Bagoas' head was turned in other direction, Jared couldn't see if there was any reaction to his plea but Bagoas' fingers stayed unmoved in Jared's hand.
Jared more felt than heard somebody kneeling nearby and he watched as somebody's fingers went to Bagoas' throat checking the pulse.
"He is dead," said vaguely familiar voice. "Curse of the Ormuzd, what are you doing here?"
Jared slowly turned his head away from the pitiful view of Bagoas and looked up at the stranger.
"Frada!" was all Jared could say in a shock.
"Yes, it's me, otherwise you'd be already dead, just as him. You still might have been killed if I didn't see you in time. Why are you here? How do you know about this place?"
"Bagoas brought me here," answered Jared automatically.
"Why?"
"I asked him to. Now he is dead because of me…."
"Why did you ask him? How did you manage to get past Sostratos? He was supposed to guard you with his life and I thought I could rely on him!"
"Sostratos?" Jared asked confused. "I don't understand. What he is to do with anything?" But just as he was finishing his question, it dawned on him.
"It was you! It was you who eavesdropped of my conversation with Perdiccas and reported it to Alexander. I should have guessed."
"You should have stayed where you were told!" angrily said Frada. "How did you get out?"
"None of your business!" rudely responded Jared. "Bagoas is dead because of you!"
"No, Bagoas is dead because of you! If you just had a common sense of staying where you were ordered and waiting patiently…"
"Don't lecture me!" Jared angrily interrupted and jumped to his feet. And then he remembered that Bagoas' wasn't the only one dead body here but the princesses too. One of them was already thrown into the well while Jared run down from the hiding place above and disposition of the other body was most probably interrupted by his own appearance.
"How could you?!" Jared shouted back at Frada. "How could you kill them when Drypetis was Hephaistion's wife? You professed you respect and devotion to Hephaistion and you killed his widow and sister-in-law!"
Frada frowned, "How do you know it's them?"
Jared paled. He realized he hoped to hear from Frada that he was mistaken and those are the bodies of some miserable wrenches that were killed because… whatever the reason was. But Frada's question eliminated any doubt.
"It is them, isn't it? How could you? Unless….," Jared was struck by the sudden idea, "Did they poison their husbands?"
"No, they didn't. Let's go," and with those words Frada gestured in the direction of some dark passage nearby.
"I am not going anywhere," Jared took a few steps away from the eunuch, "if you want to kill me you can do it now. Otherwise I am staying here."
"What for?" asked Frada. Then he said some words in Persian to the servants and two men approached Bagoas' body, one from the head and another from the feet and started to lift him from the ground.
"No," Jared tried to stop them but Frada interfered and the obedient servants threw Bagoas' body down the well.
"He is buried together with the princesses, it's a big honor for a slave."
"He wasn't a slave, he was…"
"What?" Frada asked, the tone of his voice absolutely indifferent.
"He was a friend," Jared said surprised at himself at such a definition of Bagoas, but at that moment he realized he was telling the truth.
"He saved your life but this is what slaves supposed to do, to save their master's lives but you insult Hephaistion's memory by declaring Bagoas your friend."
"How dare you bring Hephaistion's name up when you just killed his widow!" Jared was infuriated.
"I know that you hated Darius and all his family for what they did to your uncle, but to do this, to kill two innocent women!"
"Enough of these pointless rhetoric, we need to be some place else."
"Maybe you do but I am not going with you anywhere. You threw Bagoas and Darius' daughters in this well as if they were rabid dogs."
"I am not going to threaten you with your life, you clearly don't hold it dear," said Frada, "but if you won't go with me voluntarily, I will kill other people that you hold dear. I'll start with Sostratos, then Peridemos, then Theocles. I can manage others too. Now, let's go."
"I have to say goodbye to Bagoas first," Jared said, defeated. Frada, just like Alexander before, was clever enough to threaten him with the lives of other people, he would ignore eunuch's threats to his own.
"Do it quickly," ordered Frada and took a few steps aside.
Jared went to the well and put his hands on the roughly hewn stones of the structure.
"I am so sorry, Bagoas," he said and feeling the tears on his cheeks he angrily wiped them away. "It's my entire fault. I should have listened to you when you said it was a dangerous place. I am sorry for all the grief I brought you and insults, I really didn't mean them. I just wanted to avenge the grief you brought to Hephaistion, you know. But it was silly to blame you, I should have blamed Alexander. But now you all dead, and Darius' daughters too. I thought I was going to save lives but instead I just go from one funeral to another. Please forgive me, I will hold your memory dear as long as I continue to draw a breath. Rest in peace, and take care of the princesses, their souls must be frightened and lonely in this dark and god forgotten place."
Jared took a few steps away and watched in a grim silence as the body of the second princess went down the well. He collected three pebbles from the ground, one for each departed soul and threw them one by one down, mentally calling the name of the each dead person when the pebble went down. The well was very deep, he didn't hear either the stones hitting the ground or the bodies. He cast the last glance to the grim structure and went to where Frada was waiting for him. Following the eunuch, Jared stepped into yet another poorly lit corridor but Frada pulled him aside and stood there in the opening, watching. Jared also could still see the place and to his horror he saw how the soldiers killed all four servants and started to dispose of their bodies the same way as those poor souls just disposed of princesses and Bagoas.
Jared turned aghast to Frada but the eunuch coldly said, "They knew too much and besides, the princesses need more than just one servant in the afterlife."
"You are a monster!" exclaimed Jared but Frada shrugged his shoulders and said, "I wonder if you said the same to Alexander when he was slaughtering Cosseans and I can bring other innumerable examples. Let's move on."
Jared said nothing and doddered after the eunuch. After some time the soldiers caught up with them. One, probably the commander of this small unit, went ahead and whispered a few words to Frada and then fell behind joining the rest of the crew. Again they crisscrossed the palace but this time Jared noticed that they didn't take any public routs. At some moment Jared felt mildly surprised that Frada knew the palace so well. After all, what he knew about him from Damian, didn't support this knowledge but he pushed the thought aside. Those surprises hold no more attraction to Jared.
Jared lost all track of time and space. He suspected that it was late evening and Sostratos must be mad by now that Jared broke his promise. "He probably sent somebody to Roxana to check my whereabouts. I hope her eunuch will keep his mouth shut. But even if Sinsada would take them to that cursed well, the place is empty by now, all they'll find there is the Bagoas' fresh blood and probably that of the poor servants, I doubt the solders cared to wash it off. The well is too deep to see anything down, poor Sostratos will think the worst, I fear. Whatever they were in the past, who knows what Frada's plans is for me now…"
More time was spent meandering through the palace and then Jared noticed that Frada was making some signs with his torch in the air. After the moment he saw the flickering of the torches further the corridor and Frada, after stopping for a moment when he was waiting for response, resumed his walk. After a few metres Jared saw other soldiers on guard before some unimposing door. He thought that he recognized one of them but he couldn't place the face. Before opening the door, Frada turned to the captain of the guards who followed them and said, "Take a few people with you and go to Sostratos. Tell him that Laertes is fine and is with me. He can take everybody and come here. Just make sure you're not followed."
The captain saluted his acknowledgement and went away taking a few men with him. Frada pushed the door open and invited Jared inside. All the soldiers remained outside. They didn't stay in the first room but followed further. They went through the second, more spacious room where there were few more soldiers; they were alert and it seemed like Frada was the one to whom they reported. They entered yet another room. It looked like a spacious bedroom and there were a few side tables and low couches. There were no open windows and the room was lit entirely by torches. The curtains were smoothly moving indicating the draft from somewhere. "It is done," Frada announced to the emptiness of the room. "Everything went well and according to the plan, almost." He sat on one of the couches and indicated to Jared to take another.
For a wild moment there Jared imagined that either Hephaistion or Alexander, or even they both will appear from behind the curtains. It was neither of them but Jared was no less shocked to see who it really was.
"Drypetis!" he exclaimed in disbelieve.
The princess was still wearing her dark mourning clothes but Jared watched as the paleness of her skin became tinged with pink as she nodded with satisfaction in her eyes to Frada.
"All of them?" she asked disregarding Jared's presence.
"Yes," responded Frada and smiled. "It couldn't have turned better. Ahuramazda was with us."
"As he should have been," said the princess. Then she turned her glance to Jared, "I thought the agreement was that you first bring me the news and then we ask Sostratos to bring Laertes here."
"This is why I said "almost". He and Bagoas appeared out the blue near the well. Laertes almost got killed by the guards but Bagoas wasn't so lucky."
Drypetis thought for a moment and then said, "Even better, I always disliked that eunuch even back in my father's days when I was still a girl. He always was a nuisance and father was obsessed with him, just as Alexander later, I was told. But enough of him; Laertes, why you were there?"
Jared remained silent. He was still too shocked by Drypetis' presence whom he considered dead just moments ago. He sent prayers for her but she was well and very much alive. All that was happening too quickly for Jared. Instead of answering the question he turned to Frada and said in accusatory voice.
"You made me to believe that those two dead bodies were Drypetis and Stateira. Why?"
"You didn't answer Princess' question," Frada said instead, "and I asked you the same question before. So?"
As much as Jared wanted to leave Roxana out of it, he knew that if not him, then Sostratos will tell the truth. There was no point to hide.
"Roxana sent for me Lycos, the head of her bodyguard. He brought a lot of soldiers with him and though Sostratos wasn't outnumbered, Lycos threatened to bring more. I just wanted to avoid bloodshed and convinced Sostratos to let me go."
"Roxana, that bitch!" exclaimed Drypetis.
"She did nothing wrong to you," said Jared. He suddenly realized that he liked all those people whom he was supposed to hate because of Hephaistion and unfortunately didn't hold any warm feelings towards those whom he was supposed to like. "In any way, the Queen felt lonely and simply asked for my company," Jared used the Queen title on purpose, he knew that officially Roxana never really was called that, only Stateira. To his surprise, Drypetis didn't object. "I told her a nice story, just as she asked me, and then when we were about to leave, I remembered…." Jared stopped because he had no idea how to explain his impulse to Drypetis and Frada. Thankfully, Perdiccas' wrong assumption of who he really was popped up in his mind and he continued, "I can see the future sometimes. I didn't want it to be widely known; only a few people were into this secret. Some time ago, even before I joined Alexander at Susa, I saw in my mind the bodies of two women wrapped in the dark drapery lying on the floor of some courtyard, and then they were thrown into the well. Like with the rest of my visions I don't know how but I knew that they were you and Stateira. This is why I asked Bagoas if he knew about any well within the palace with not so good reputation. Unfortunately, he did and I forced him to take me there. I wish I didn't."
"Did you see the death of my husband and Alexander's too?" asked Drypetis.
"Yes."
"This is why you came to Susa?" the princess asked again.
"Yes," confirmed Jared and decided to continue with his explanation. "But I didn't know how they were supposed to die. I saw Hephaistion sitting on the bed, eating chicken and drinking wine and then he was dead. It made no sense. Same about Alexander, I saw him drinking with Nearchus and Medius and then I saw him dead too."
"Did you warn them about it?" asked Frada.
"No, but they suspected that something was wrong, that the weddings in Susa weren't the real reason why I and Gavalos came. In the end, Hephaistion didn't die because he ate chicken and drank wine, or at least I was told so but he did died in his bed. With Alexander too. We were told the king went to Nearchus farewell party and then he joined Medius for some other sort of celebration, but he died some ten days after those parties, not right away. Same with you, princess. I am happy to see you well and alive. What about your sister?"
"She is on the bottom of that well, your vision was right about her."
Jared was shocked. "Does it mean that you ordered the death of your own sister, princess? Who was another woman? Her servant?"
"No, it was Parisatis," informed him Drypetis with a glee; the tone of her voice sent even more shivers down Jared's spine.
"Why?" was all he could manage at the moment.
"Because if not for them and my precious grandmother, I would be holding Hephaistion's child right now in my hands."
"What do you mean?" Jared stared at Drypetis.
"I mean that I was pregnant and they made sure I wasn't!" shouted Hephaistion's widow, trembling. "Happy now or you still want to mourn those bodies in the well?"
"Why, why would they do such a thing?" asked Jared, aghast.
"Because they couldn't swallow the fact of me having a child before them! But how those two ever wanted to get pregnant when they spent more time in each other's beds then in Alexander's?!"
"You mean that your sister and Parisatis were lovers?"
"On and off for a long time now. Parisatis introduced Stateira to this and then my sister couldn't get enough. Remember Sridevi?"
"Who is that?"
"The mistress of your girl Phaspalla who got killed. Remember her?"
"Yes, of course. Did her death have anything to do with…. eh, your sister's preferences in bed?"
"Yes. All was right while Phaspalla was serving Sridevi. The Indian wench was as insatiable in bed as my sister. They couldn't get enough of each other. My grandmother wasn't happy and she became even less happy when the marriages in Susa took place. While Stateira was spending nights with Sridevi giving Alexander one excuse after another, Parisatis enjoyed occasional visit from the king and she tried to make the best of it, especially because she resented the fact that my sister abandoned her in favor of some Indian girl. Phaspalla knew about her mistress preferences and with whom she was spending most of her time, when she wasn't beating her servants, that is.
My grandmother did her best not to allow this secret to leave the rooms of her granddaughter's apartments but when Roxana invited Phaspalla back to serve her, my grandmother got scared that the secret will be out. This is why she ordered to kill Phaspalla and then used her death as an excuse to get rid of Sridevi too. My sister wasn't too much upset about the loss of her lover, she went back to Parisatis teaching her all the tricks she learnt from Sridevi. My sister's lust was back in the family circle."
"But you are also Sisigambis' granddaughter. Why would SHE want your child dead?" asked Jared.
"Because my grandmother never liked me. I was my mother's darling and she always hated my mother. Grandmother said that she had too much influence over my father, she made him weak. This is why my grandmother found Bagoas and brought him into my father's bed. "I took one Bagoas from you and I give you another," she said. It was my grandmother who poisoned my father's mind against Frada's uncle, Bagoas. She was afraid of the all-powerful Chiliarch though she plotted with him to get rid of the previous line of Great Kings in the beginning."
"And your sister was your father's darling?" asked Jared.
"No, my sister was always my grandmother's darling. It is said that she looked like her when grandma was young. My brother Cyros was my father's favorite. I think it's what got him killed."
"What do you mean?" inquired Jared though he wasn't sure he wanted to know. While he and Damian tried to grasp the intrigues of Alexander's court, it seems that the Royal Harem was even more vicious nest of vipers.
"Well, you see," continued her explanations Drypetis whom Jared suddenly started to see in a more favorable light, "my grandmother always wanted power; she was the daughter of our king Ahasuerus whom you Greeks call Artaxerxes Mnemon and despised the fact that she was married off to a mere satrap, not that much important, by the way, she wanted to become another Atossa."
"Who is Atossa?" Jared regretted his ignorance of the Persian royal family tree.
"Atossa was the daughter of king Cyros the Great and wife of king Darius who invaded the Greece. She had a huge influence on her husband and her sons because of her parentage. She shed a lot of blood too, if the rumours are true. Back to my grandmother. She was also a daughter of the king but her husband was not. I doubt he wanted to be one but it didn't hold her. If she couldn't get a crown for her husband she was determined to get one for her son, my father. I don't know how but she managed to convince Bagoas, I mean Frada's uncle of course, to join forces with her. The rumor has it that once they were lovers but Ahasuerus found out and castrated him. It's difficult to believe though, Bagoas would be tortured and killed for seducing the king's daughter.
In any case, they plotted well together and achieved the goal, my father became a King and my grandmother could have considered herself happy but she wasn't satisfied that easily. First, she got rid of Bagoas. Then she started to look for the ways to make her son as great as Cyros or Xerxes. But my father just wanted a quiet life and didn't have any grand aspirations. Then Alexander came. My grandmother realized that there was still a chance to have a son who would become the greatest Persian' king. After the defeat at Issus she happily adopted Alexander as her son though my father was still alive. My brother Cyros was an obstacle because she thought he would prove as weak as his father and could be used by other as counterweight to Alexander's claim to power over Persia. Even then she had plans to marry Stateira to Alexander. Their offspring would be still her flesh and blood. So Cyros was eliminated, I don't even know how his life ended but my husband did."
"You mean Hephaistion knew that Sisigambis killed Cyros?"
"Yes, I don't know how he found out. My grandmother hated him because of it and because she mistook him for Alexander. How couldn't she recognize a true king or what right Hephaistion had to look as majestic and noble as the best of the kings? So now you understand why she didn't hesitate to kill our unborn child?"
"Yes, but….," Jared was too shaken by all those news and revelations. For some time he didn't know how to continue; then at last he managed, "Did Hephaistion know that you were pregnant?"
"No. I wanted to surprise him when he returned to Babylon, I couldn't imagine that I would be meeting his embalmed body instead of a living person."
"So, you didn't tell him that you miscarried either?"
"No, what was the point and what could I say, that my own sister, her cousin and my grandmother did it? I didn't want to burden him with it. He wouldn't want to say it to Alexander and he hated to keep any secrets from him. I thought he would come back to Babylon and we'll have another baby. I would insist he'll take me to Arabia, or maybe I would tell him what happened to his first child later. But it didn't come to pass…."
"You loved Hephaistion, didn't you?" asked Jared with compassion. Suddenly the murder of Stateira and Parisatis didn't seem such a big crime.
"I think I did, I still do," whispered Drypetis, "loving one's husband is a luxury; being loved back is even a bigger one. Hephaistion treated me well but he loved only Alexander."
"You knew?"
"Of course, it was an open secret or no secret at all. I can't say I didn't mind but I could live with it. All husbands have lovers, numerous lovers. Hephaistion had just one and that one was the King himself. It would be stupid to complain. I would be a good wife to him, I truly would…"
"I believe you," Jared sighed. "What happened to your grandmother?"
"I walled her up alive," said hitherto silent Frada. "And rest assured, I let her know why I was doing it."
"Oh…." was only Jared's reaction and he thought, "After all, the sources were right, she did die from starvation, only it wasn't of her own choosing."
"How did you manage to organize it all so quickly?" he asked after some time passed in heavy silence.
"So quickly?" asked Frada, "It took us months."
"What do you mean, months? Alexander is dead for only a week or so."
"Eight days, actually," said Frada. "Alexander's untimely death simply speeded the events. We were going to do it after the king's departure for Arabia."
"And then what? How would you explain the disappearance of the king's two wives and Sisigambis?"
"We wouldn't be around to give the explanation and somebody would have to answer for disappearance of all of us. We were going to leave. Drypetis, I and some of Hephaistion's people who didn't want to continue to serve the king."
"How would you leave and where?"
"It's not that difficult," assured him Frada, "I have a lot of means at my disposure, and Drypetis too. We wouldn't starve. We would go to some of the farthest Greek colonies and live there our lives unrecognized. It's all prearranged already, we just have to drop Peridemos at Athens and you at Siwah."
"How do you know about Siwah?"
"When I left Ecbatana, I got instructions from Hephaistion that if anything happens to him to make sure that you two got to those places. I couldn't imagine that I was going to act on those instructions."
"Why did you leave Ecbatana?" suddenly remembered Jared.
"Hephaistion got a letter from Ashara, Mazaeus' widow. She sent it with one of her sons. When Hephaistion left Susa and all the royal women were about to leave for Babylon, Hephaistion asked her to keep an eye on Drypetis. I doubt that anybody knew anything about it. Hephaistion was very close with Mazaeus and was a frequent guest in his house when Alexander's army came first to Babylon. Ashara often visited Drypetis in Babylon, I guess Sisigambis didn't suspect anything despite that she obviously knew how close Hephaistion and Mazaeus were. Drypetis miscarried because she was given a drink by Stateira. The drink was laced with herbs that caused miscarriage, it's a common knowledge inside the women's quarters. The drink was given in public and Drypetis didn't suspect anything. She felt sick and had to leave the gathering. None of the guests even knew that she was pregnant. She miscarried a few hours later in her bedroom. Stateira and Sisigambis were there, they didn't even bother to pretend and told her the truth as is.
Ashara visited a few days later, she was concerned about Drypetis' health. The princess couldn't tell her anything because her sister was present but Ashara wasn't a fool, she saw that something was wrong and sent a message to Hephaistion, this is why I was dispatched to Babylon to check what was going on. I returned to the city but couldn't at first get access to Drypetis and then the disaster struck – we got news about Hephaistion's death. Drypetis was so broken with grief that Sisigambis decided it was wise to allow me to visit her. I could have complained to Alexander and Sisigambis knew it wouldn't go well. I can only guess why she didn't dispose of her youngest granddaughter right away. Maybe some higher powers interfered."
Jared noticed how Drypetis paled while Frada was telling the story. "Poor thing," he thought compassionately, how many times she had to relive those awful days. No wonder she hates her sister, grandmother and Parisatis so much. Hephaistion could have had a child! I wonder if he would survive or also perish in the dynastic wars; such a child, especially a boy, would have more rights to the Persian throne than Alexander's child by Roxana and who knows, maybe Persian nobility would rally behind him as they didn't behind Alexander IV, let alone Heracles. But these speculations are mute now, the child wasn't given a chance to be even born."
"Do you think your grandmother and sister have anything to do with Hephaistion's and Alexander's death?" he asked instead.
"I thought about it," quietly said Drypetis. "I don't know, my husband – maybe, but my grandmother was too obsessed with Alexander to have him killed. I thought of going to Alexander with it but even if he would believe me, what could he do? I doubt he would kill them, so I decided to kill them myself. I knew that Frada would support me and I wasn't mistaken."
"What about Sostratos and others?"
"You were always in company of Alexander or Perdiccas and though we knew of no reason why my grandmother or sister would want you dead, Frada insisted on taking additional precautions. At the time Theocles, your page, was already a part of the plan to eliminate my sister and others. I thought he was ready to kill them with his bare hands when he learnt what they did. He was very dedicated to Hephaistion and after his death stayed with the Alexander's army only because he knew Hephaistion would want him to continue to be your page. Frada showed him a few hidden spots that surrounded your apartment and gave him a few of other men who joined our group. This is how he learned about your conversation with Perdiccas. He couldn't hear a lot of details and those that he heard didn't make much sense to him but he heard that Perdiccas gave you three days to come up with some answer and threatened you that otherwise he would kill you."
"Perdiccas never threatened to kill me," interjected Jared.
"Maybe so, but Theocles felt it was prudent to warn Frada and they both went to Alexander. It seems that the king made more sense of your conversation and he ordered what he ordered. Frada suggested Sostratos as a head of your bodyguards because he was already involved with us, and Alexander said that he was thinking about Sostratos himself. Though my husband and Perdiccas were close, Sostratos never liked the general so Alexander was sure that he won't let him through. A few days before his death, Alexander called Sostratos and extolled an oath from him that he would make sure that you were safe and him and Frada would take you to Siwah."
Jared leaned back to the cushions. It was so much information to absorb in one day and suddenly he realized that his visit to Roxana and Bagoas' death felt like it happened many days ago whereas just hours passed.
"So, now what?" he asked tiredly.
"We leave tomorrow night, we can't wait for Alexander's funeral. Everything is arranged already."
"I have to say my goodbyes to Perdiccas and Leonnatus at least."
"You can't," very firmly informed him Frada. "I am sure I don't have to explain you why."
Jared sighed. He knew that Frada was right, but it wasn't fair.
"I don't know where you're going from Siwah," Frada said, "and Hephaistion said not to ask you this question but if you wish, in a few years or so, when we settled and make sure that nobody is looking for us, I can send an anonymous message to them saying that you were safe and fine, at least at the time you left Babylon."
"No need," Jared said and thought to himself, "by that time they both will be dead."
O
PS – dear friends, this is the end of the second book of my story, the book of Tripolis. One more book left but I don't think I will have time to write the next chapter before January. I wish you all a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. I hope you're interested enough to follow this story till the end.