CHAPTER 7: The anniversary.
Hephaestion looked at the calendar in his room and realized that the anniversary of his family's massacre was in two days. He was used to spending that day in solitude but he thought he would do something different that year.
His days as a total slave were over; Alexander had released him of all his duties towards him so Hephaestion had found himself with a lot of free time in his hands and free time meant a lot of thinking and many of his thoughts had been too dark and sad lately.
Alexander treated him politely but so distant that Hephaestion felt unhappy. He was about to be 22 and his birthday was a week before Alexander's who would be 30.
Hephaestion spent the whole anniversary helping different people in the palace, honouring his Harmonian roots. He also spent the entire afternoon helping some farmers and with the horses in the royal stable too. He was tired, and his body smelled awful. He dragged his feet onto the marble floors and walked towards the kitchen. The royal cook saw him immediately and hugged him tightly. She had remembered what day was due to a previous conversation they had had while preparing some bread and biscuits.
- "I am too dirty, my sweet lady," he said but did not lose her arms from his waist.
- "I do not care, my boy. How are you feeling?" she asked.
Alexander was about to enter the kitchen; he had smelled the sweet bread and felt tempted to eat some before dinner. However, he stopped when he saw the image in front of his eyes. He listened carefully to their conversation.
- "As well as I can be. It has been five years and I missed them so much," he said while fat tears ran along his cheeks.
- "I know, my boy. I know. What did he say?" she asked.
- "Why would he tell me anything? He remembers neither the date nor my presence here. He ignores me and that hurts me," he confessed against her bosom.
- "I do not understand you, you were angry because he made you his lover and now that he had released you from that, you feel sad."
- "I know, I know. I am so confused some times," he said between sobs.
- "Go; take a bath because you smell like a pig. Then come back to have something to eat," she said while pushing Hephaestion gently towards the kitchen door.
Alexander hid behind a thick column and thought about what he had listened. He decided to ask the cook what the importunacy of the date was.
- "Can I have some of that sweet bread, my fine lady?" he asked while setting a kiss on the wrinkled cheek.
- "Another one who finds me beautiful but I know that is my cooking that attracts you the most," she said and laughed.
- "Who is the other man who is fighting for your heart?" Alexander asked and set a hand on his chest as if he were surprised.
- "That gorgeous slave of yours, my king," she said and turned around to cut some slices of the still warm sweet bread.
- "He is not my slave," he answered.
- "Well, I do not think he knows that. Today is the fifth anniversary of his family's massacre; the day he lost everything he knew and loved" she added.
- "I did not remember. Should I tell him something?" he asked.
- "He knows you do not care so I don't think it is necessary" she added and waited for the king's anger.
- "I care. I tried to give him everything but he rejected me every single time. Finally, I was tired of his rejection and constant challenge" he stated.
- "Rejection? Challenge? What did you expect, my king? Caresses, kisses and eternal love? You and your army entered his kingdom and burnt their hoses, killed their inhabitants. That monster General of yours killed his whole family and you wanted him to thank you for giving him crumbs when he used to have everything he wanted and loved" the cook said and then regretted the words she had just said aloud.
- "Forgive me, my king. This loose mouth of mine is my biggest curse. Punish me as you think I deserve," she said and was going to kneel when the king stopped her.
- "I would never punish someone for telling me the truth. Every single word you said is true and I have been quite blind to see what was happening. Thank you," he said and started to walk outside the kitchen.
- "Why don't you take a seat and have some milk and bread? Wasn't it what brought you to my kitchen?" she asked while caressing the clean-shaved manly cheek.
- "I think it is a very good idea," he said and sat down on a stool.
Minutes later, while the king and cook were finishing their snack, a very clean Hephaestion appeared in the kitchen. He was wearing a black chiton and his hair was loose. It was so long that it almost reached his waist.
He did not see who was inside so he was surprised to be in Alexander's presence.
- "King Alexander. I did not know you were here. I will come back later," he said.
- "Come in, my child, my sweet blonde is just having some of my bread," the cook said and blinked an eye at him.
- "Have a seat, Hephaestion," Alexander asked
- "Yes, my king," the brunette said and Alexander felt his heart jump inside his chest.
- "Warm milk or cold, my boys?" the cook asked.
- "Warm" both men answered and then smiled.
- "Very well, two big bowls of warm milk for my boys" she added and looked at them with love.
- "Helena reminded me of the date," Alexander said but when he was about to add something else, the brunette stopped him.
- "It is a very sad date for me. However, I have accepted, long ago, that it was not completely your fault. My uncle also deceived you," he said and looked at the mismatched eyes he loved so much.
Hephaestion had finally accepted that he was still in love with Alexander and that he did not want to be away from him any longer. However, he did not know how to convince the Macedonian king that his feelings were true and not a mere tactic to obtain a more favourable position in the palace.
Alexander just nodded and did not say another thing. The young man was right but Alexander could have done something to make things better for him.
Helena feeling the embarrassing silence between them, decided to ask the king about his birthday party.
- "Anything special for the banquet, my boy?" she asked
- "Which banquet? Who is organizing it? Why wasn't I invited?" he asked one question after the other.
- "Your 30th birthday. All your men. You don't need one" she replied so calmly that both men laughed.
- "It is the first time I hear you laugh in a long time," Alexander said while looking at Hephaestion in the eyes.
- "I have not had many reasons to laugh, my king … I mean, King Alexander," he said and blushed.
- "It is also the first time I see your hair loose, it is very long," Alexander said while taking a lock of the mentioned hair in his hand.
- "Harmonian boys cut their hair when they get married. Do you want me to cut it? As I am no longer a Harmonian, I am not obliged to follow that tradition" Hephaestion was grabbing his hair to make a big bum on his nape.
- "No, unless it is what you want," Alexander said and curled the lock around his forefinger to let it fall seconds later and reunite with the rest of the bronze mane.
The cook suddenly abandoned the place leaving both young men behind. She wondered if those two would become lovers again if they had the chance. It seemed they could be but both of them were quite stubborn.
They did not realize the woman was gone until Hephaestion stood up to take the dirty dishes to the sink and so it was time to feel nervous being alone with Alexander.
From that short but friendly talk between them, both men started to share short conversations and enjoyed those moments together. However, Hephaestion felt that Alexander was no longer interested in him because he had not tried to take him to his bed again while Alexander thought that Hephaestion would reject him if he proposed him to become his lover again.
A week before Alexander's birthday, it was Hephaestion's and he woke up that morning feeling quite happy without not knowing exactly why. Maybe it was because he had been sharing more time with Alexander or that his treatment was not as distant as it was before.
That morning, he paid more attention to his appearance. His chiton was sky-blue and had let his hair loose in a low ponytail tied with a blue ribbon that matched his eyes. He entered the kitchen to have his morning meal but someone engulfed him in a tight but warm embrace.
- "Health to you, my boy. You are 22 today" Helena greeted the brunette happily
- "Thank you, my sweet lady. And still alone …" he said and pouted.
- "That is because you ruined your former relationship with a certain blonde who was infatuated with you," she said.
- "Was? Really?" he asked, trying to get information out of that loose mouth of hers.
- "I am sure he was and sometimes, I think he still is. Do not mind me, I am an old woman and my mind does not always work well," she said.
- "Can I have some bread and milk, please?" he asked. He needed to put something inside his stomach to calm his nerves.
- "Oh, I thought you wanted some cake and caramel figs but here you have your bread," she said, sounding a bit upset.
- "Really? Did you cook that for me?" he asked with surprise, it had been so long ago since he celebrated his birthday.
- "Of course, I did. Who else would cook for you these amazing and delicious sweet treats?" she said while smiling wide.
They spent the whole morning working in the kitchen and then Hephaestion realized that he had not seen Alexander.
He decided to take a stroll in the garden when he heard some maids chattering among them.
- "The king told me to prepare the balcony outside his chamber with a table and two chairs and to fill it with those small light blue flowers. He also told me to keep it a secret because it was a surprise"
- "A surprise? What kind of surprise?" another maid asked while Hephaestion was still, overhearing the conversation.
- "An evening meal for two," she explained.
- "Who is his guest? Do you know?"
- "No, but I heard him telling one of his General that the person liked those flowers a lot," she said and then they continued with their tasks.
Hephaestion's heart jumped inside his chest. He had been cultivating those little blue flowers for the last two years, however, he did not remember telling Alexander they were his favourite ones. Maybe the king had imagined it due to the dedication and time he made in taking care of them.
He was all day long waiting for the invitation but when the evening arrived and had not seen him or received neither a present nor an invitation, he felt his heart turning to pieces.
He was not in the mood to take his evening meal and Helena was running inside the kitchen preparing some exotic dishes the king had asked her to prepare for that meal.
Hephaestion still had a little hope but it disappeared when he heard a burst of feminine laughter coming from inside the king's chamber. He was furious; he wanted to enter and demand him to toss that woman away but knew he did not have the right to do it.
He was going back to the kitchen when he saw one of the maids carrying a very loaded tray. He immediately offered his service and told her that he would take it to the king's room. The maid accepted gladly and left.
Hephaestion knocked on the bedroom door and then entered. Alexander was talking and the woman was laughing again.
Hephaestion cleared his throat to make his presence known when Alexander turned around to see who was there; he found a pair of blue eyes that were shining with something he could not explain.
- "Hephaestion, why are you carrying this?" Alexander asked.
- "The young maid was having problems with the weight of the tray so I offered her my service, my king," he said while trying to look at the woman sitting there.
- "You and your service vow," Alexander said while making space on the table to set the big tray.
- "It seems to me or, Helena thinks I am famished," the woman said and Hephaestion realized that the woman was well known in the palace.
He did not dare to lift his gaze but was dying to do it. Fortunately, Alexander put an end to his torture by saying,
- "Dear Mother, he is Hephaestion"
- "The name rings a bell to me. But I still do not know who you are," she said.
- "I'm King Alexander's personal slave, my Queen," he said with his head cast down.
- "Alexander? How is that possible? You told me that …" Queen Olympias was interrupted.
- "He isn't, Mother but it seems difficult for him to understand it," Alexander said and his tone of voice showed anger.
- "I will leave now," Hephaestion said not knowing how to behave after Alexander's statement.
- "The colour of your chiton matches your eyes and these flowers I love so much, dear," Olympias said while grabbing his chin to make him lift his face.
- "It is true, your eyes have the same colour of the Aegean Sea, like your mother's," she said in a whisper.
- "Did you know his mother?" Alexander asked quite surprised.
- "I did. I only visited Harmonia once when I was a teen and your mother was curing an old woman's feet which were full of crusts," she said while taking Hephaestion's hand in hers.
- "My mother embraced service as my sisters and I did years after her" Hephaestion replied with pride and a little bit of sadness.
- "Even being a princess, I was driven to her like bees to flowers. Her presence calmed my nerves and I could see peace in her blue eyes," she added.
- "She was a marvellous woman and mother," Hephaestion added while silent tears rolled down his cheeks.
- "Yes, she was and I will never forgive Alexander for attacking Harmonia those years ago. If that monster had not appeared in our lives, your history would be quite different. Your uncle Philoares did not only poison my husband's mind but also clouded Alexander's reasoning," she said.
- "I have apologized to Hephaestion, mother," Alexander said, feeling uncomfortable.
- "Have a seat with us, dear," Olympias suggested.
- "It is not my place, my Queen "he added.
- "By Zeus, you are so smartly dressed and ready to share this meal with us" Olympias insisted until Hephaestion accepted.
- "It is true, I have never seen you wearing that chiton," Alexander stated.
The Macedonian king was intrigued; Hephaestion was not a man who looked for attention but he had to accept that the brunette Harmonian was dressing quite smart and looking edible.
- "Is this night a special occasion I did not know about?" Alexander asked, trying to get more information from his brunette.
However, Hephaestion could not answer as the royal cook who was bringing some more food interrupted them.
- "There you are, my boy," she said.
- "Do you need my help, Helena?" Hephaestion asked while abandoning the chair he had just sat down.
- "Yes, to come to my kitchen and cut the cake. Many people are waiting for that," she said and smiled widely.
- "A cake? I don't understand," Alexander said aloud while his face showed his confusion.
- "Is it your birthday today, Hephaestion?" Olympias asked and the brunette, feeling completely embarrassed, just nodded.
- "May the gods bless you with happiness and health" the Mother Queen wished the brunette and then hugged him tightly.
Alexander felt awful; he had never thought about the man's birthday or any other special celebration for him. He cast down his head, sighed deeply and then said,
- "May the gods give you your most inner wishes"
- "Thank you so much for your greetings. Now if you let me, I will go and cut the cake for my friends," he said and then left.
Alexander felt a pang of pain inside his chest, Hephaestion did not either trust him enough to confide important things or consider him a friend, as he had not invited him to the small gathering in the kitchen.
Mother and son ate alone and very quietly. Olympias had seen the looks between both men and realized that they might have had something between them but it had finished at that moment. However, she could see wanton in both pairs of eyes. She decided to ask directly.
- "Do you like him, don't you?"
- "I don't. I love him, Mother but he does not love me back," Alexander confessed and pinched the bridge of his nose with his fingers.
- "Are you sure? How do you know?" she asked again.
- "We were lovers but every time I took him, he felt disgusted with his body and even though, he never rejected me, I could sense his pain and anger every single time after we were together" Alexander explained and for the first time, he had said that aloud.
- "Maybe he can change if you treat him better" she insisted because she had seen something in the brunette's cerulean eyes.
- "I did, I released him of all his duties to me. I told him quite clearly that he was no longer a slave to me but I also remember that his mother used to tell him that a man can change his fortune but he can't change his heart" he added while messing his blonde hair with his fingers.
- "Well, you will have to give him a new purpose to change his heart and accept you," she said.
Meanwhile, a quiet Hephaestion was trying to look cheerful and happy while spending some time with his friends. He would have preferred to spend the night with Alexander and his mother but his friends and Helena deserved his presence there. He decided that when the unplanned birthday party was over in the kitchen, he would take some cake to Queen Olympias and Alexander. Maybe the king might realize in that way that he considered him a friend too.
Alexander was too quiet for queen Olympias' liking so she suggested him going to bed. She also said that she would rest as she was feeling tired after the travel to the palace. Alexander mumbled his acceptance but first, he decided to take a walk in the garden. He knew it was late for that kind of stroll but his heart was feeling uneasy and his whole body and mind were on turmoil as if something bad was about to happen.
He rejected the idea immediately as it appeared in his mind. He did not tell anyone about his wandering, not even his guards had realized he had left the chamber as he used an inner door that connected his room with the outside.
The night was beautiful; the starry sky looked so beautiful as if millions of little diamonds were studded on a midnight blue silk scarf. Thinking about diamond and blue made Alexander think about Hephaestion. He had been so handsome today and the king wondered if the brunette had dressed like that for him. Alexander laughed lowly and asked himself why he was trying to look for an excuse where there was none.
While he was walking, he heard the sound of a twig breaking. He did not pay too much attention to that because the gardener had told him he had discovered some rabbits eating their vegetables. The king supposed that was what he had heard before.
If only he had been paying more attention, things would have resulted different that night.
He was walking back to his chamber when another sound made him stop and his blood freeze inside his veins. That was the sound of many feet running and metal crashing against metal.
For the first since forever, he was unarmed, not even a small dagger on him. He ran towards the secret door but someone intercepted him and immediately subdued him to the floor. He received a hard blow to his head and fell unconscious. With his last consciousness, he prayed to the gods to help his people, especially his mother and beloved.
Twenty men entered the palace forcefully, killing the guards standing outside and immediately surrounded the main chambers and got all the companions under their control.
The companions who were all sleeping did not have the time to fight back, however, after seeing the swift movements of those barbarians and how easily they moved inside the palace most of them realized that those men knew the distribution of the place as much as them.
Hephaestion had managed to escape and decided to go to Alexander's chamber. When he arrived there, he found it empty. Fear travelled alone his spine, the men had taken his king and he could do anything to save him. Then he realized that the room was in order so maybe the king had been able to escape, just like him. After checking on Olympias and making her hide behind a false door, he promised her that he would go and help Alexander. The woman did not want him to go and leave her alone. She also feared for his life but the brunette told her it was his service vow that demanded his actions. He also added, almost in a whisper, that it was mostly his love the strength that moved him to go to Alexander. Olympias just nodded, wished him the best, hid, and remained in silence.
Even though Hephaestion had never trained as a soldier, he had read a lot about warfare. He had also been living in Macedon for the last five years and had watched Alexander's men train. Secretly, he copied most of their movements. He was not an expert but could be quiet and subtle in his movements.
Hephaestion reached the outside of the palace where a loud voice was shouting orders left and right Many men were around something and laughing at it. The brunette realized that it was not a something but a someone, a person who was dear to him. The Macedonian king was lying, his arms were tied behind his back and one of the men was kicking his ribs quite furiously. However, that torture did not last long; the very same man who was shouting orders beheaded the soldier with a single strike of his blade. Hephaestion gasped in astonishment, moreover when he discovered who that man was. It was his uncle Philoares, the same man who had betrayed his Harmonian roots and then the Macedonian empire.
The man cleaned the sword with the hem of his cloak and then ordered his men not to touch the poor king again. However, Hephaestion could see that Alexander's breathing was quite laborious as if he had a rib or two broken during the beating. He could also see blood on the king's face and the brunette supposed it was coming out of the deep wound he had on his forehead, near the hairline. The blood was running over his blue eye giving a more dramatic aspect.
Hephaestion shuddered; he did not know how to help him so he remained silent and watched his uncle's actions.
Philoares ordered two of his men to make Alexander kneel. The blonde king refused to do that because he was neither a god nor his defeater. The old General laughed loudly, he had always liked that brat, even in his teen years when he used to follow him everywhere.
- "Alexander, Alexander, this is not the way to talk to an old friend," he said.
- "Philoares, you were a friend, you were a friend of my whole family, except my mother who was the one who could read you better" Alexander replied.
- "Oh yes, that green-eyed snake knew my inner intentions and despite that, she could do nothing to stop my manipulations over your father and you. By the way, where did you hide her? I have not found her yet, but I will. I will take her body in front of you as I did with my beloved sister-in-law" he stated and then laughed like a mad man.
- "How could you kill your own blood?" Alexander asked.
- "Well, they were a problem. My beloved brother always had what he wanted while I had to be satisfied with his crumbs. But I had my revenge when I passed them through my sword and enjoyed every single second they suffered until life disappeared from their bodies" he said and looked at the anger settle in the king's eyes.
- "Where is the boy? Hephaestion, if I recalled his name well," he asked, feeling curious.
- "He died in a fire. The roof of the house where he was hiding collapsed over him and killed him" Alexander replied, retelling the truth but with a different ending.
- "What a pity! They had told me that he was a gorgeous man and was willing to bury my cock in his sweet arse. Then I would make him my personal slave so I could enjoy and feast on his body until I got tired" he said.
Alexander shuddered; that monster had not found Hephaestion but his life had ended similarly and the blonde regretted that so much.
If only he could go back those five years and make things different. If only he could court him and make Hephaestion fall in love with him.
If only …
His thinking was interrupted by a hard slap to his face.
- "Pay attention to me while I am speaking, little king" Philoares demanded.
- "What do you want? Why are you here?" Alexander asked after he spitted some blood to the General's feet.
- "I came to finish what I could not five years ago and after this day I will be known as "Philoares, the destroyer of kingdoms," " he said and Alexander could see the madness in his eyes.
- "My men will not allow you to do that, even if you kill me, you cannot kill them all," Alexander said, feeling ready to fight back.
- "Are you sure? Like Ares, I would turn this palace into a battlefield and then you will tell me if I could do it or not" he assured him while a second slap made his head hit the floor.
- "Set it on fire!" Philoares commanded and the palace started to burn.
Long and big tongues of fire started to lick the walls, to consume it all, and Alexander saw, with despair in his mismatched eyes, how the fire reached the upper part of the place. Loud cries and shouts for help came from inside the palace and the king could do nothing to stop that massacre.
He cried, the people dearest to his heart were all inside and at that moment, he could understand Hephaestion better than ever, he was about to lose everything he had and was unable to save them.
He cast down his head; he did not want to see the fire consuming his palace but he could not help hearing the laments and screams from the people inside.
The flames got bigger and bigger, the cries louder and louder and Philoares's laughter invaded his ears with his sardonic sound.
- "Do not be a coward! Look at your palace reduced to ashes, that same thing will occur to your empire as soon as I leave today. However, I would not leave without killing you," he stated.
However, Alexander was no longer listening to his words because that mad man had already destroyed his family and life.
He could only watch that scene in silence, without having the strength to curse him or say something. He had been defeated and deserved to die.
Philoares's last words brought some peace to his tortured mind and soul. What the king did not know was the end was not near at all.
Hephaestion had been able to sneak back inside the palace and rescued the companions. Fortunately, for him, Philoares's soldiers had imprisoned them all together in one room. One by one, they had helped the rest of the inhabitants to leave the palace and run towards the backyard through the hidden and secret door no one had remembered of its existence except Hephaestion.
Hephaestion decided to go back and see how the situation was going with Alexander while the rest of the companions and guards took the invader's men under control.
When Hephaestion heard what Philoares wanted to do, he could not resist and made himself present. With his strong baritone voice and without fear in his heart, he decided to face the man who wanted to kill his beloved Alexander.
- "Uncle! The destroyer of kingdoms … tell me that it is a joke," he said.
- "Hephaestion, you are alive," he said and then turned around to look at Alexander who seemed to be lost inside his mind.
- "You looked into my eyes and lied to me, little king. You told me he was dead!" he said and punched Alexander's head with his hand turned into a tight fist.
- "Do not touch him!" Hephaestion shouted and could not hide his worries.
- "Oh … the little lamb loves the little king. How romantic!" he said and hit the king once again.
- "Leave him and take me with you," Hephaestion pleaded.
- "Are you offering yourself to me? Will you be my lover?" he asked and then laughed loudly.
- "I will if you leave him in peace," Hephaestion said while walking closer to both men.
Even in his semi-unconscious state, Alexander could hear Hephaestion's voice. At first, he thought he was hallucinating, his beloved brunette had perished inside the palace with the rest of his family but he opened his eyes anyway and tried to focus them onto the approaching figure.
From the distance, and despite the darkness surrounding them, Hephaestion had been able to see some of Alexander's men ready to attack. He decided to distract the man in front of him so they could get a better position. Philoares was not alone. Five strong men were around and two of them were too close to Alexander.
The old former General looked at the gorgeous young man in front of him and licked his lips. That man would become his pet and after realizing how important Alexander and Hephaestion were to each other, he would torture the little king with his nephew before taking Alexander's life with his hands.
Hephaestion was not naïve; he knew that his uncle would not do any of the things he had promised but the Harmonian was ready to die to save Alexander. He stood near him; one of his hands was on his waist, where he had hidden a short sword beneath his chiton. Alexander's men took the three men who were far away from them and killed them silently. The man in charge made a clear sign to Hephaestion to show him that they were ready when he was.
- "Come closer, Hephaestion. Don't you want to say goodbye to your lover first?" Philoares asked and then laughed.
- "Don't come nearer, Hephaestion. It is a trap" Alexander tried to shout but his voice was low. Anyway, Hephaestion heard him.
- "Don't worry, my Alexander. I have everything under control" he assured him.
Alexander felt his heart shrink; Hephaestion had called him "My Alexander" and had looked at him with love in his cerulean eyes. Hephaestion had finally changed his heart and that gave Alexander the strength to fight back.
Hephaestion saw the change in the king's attitude so decided to put an end to the situation. He approached his uncle and in the last moment, he took the sword and made a long cut along his uncle's leg.
What anyone had expected was to see Philoares piercing his nephew, Hephaestion. The well-trained soldier had seen the brightness of the blade and had his own sword ready.
Alexander's men moved quickly and caught Philoares while Alexander crawled towards Hephaestion. He took the cooling body in his arms and bared his heart.
- "Do not leave me alone, Hephaestion. I love you," he shouted but the man in his arms could no longer hear him.