Chapter 7
The Prince's Duty - Part I -
That morning Waver jumped on the bed, shook by the clanging sound of an armor thrown into his bed.
"What the…?!" he yelled, alarmed.
"Good morning, Waver." Alexander was standing right next to him.
"What is wrong with you? You nearly gave me a heart attack!"
Alexander smiled and looked out the window, admiring the morning sunlight.
"Apollo blesses the one who rises with the sun!", he said energetically, "It is a fine day to train outside."
"Train?" Waver muttered, rubbing his eyes, still half asleep, "What are you talking about, Alexander? When have I ever trained one day in my life?" He said, annoyed, lying back in bed.
"Since today!" Alexander dragged him out of bed by his leg.
"Ugh!" Waver cried, grumpy. "Fine, fine! I'm up already! Give me just five minutes to-"
"Breakfast is waiting for you! I'll see you there!"
Alexander left leaving Waver puzzled, staring at the armor on his bed with disapproval.
Out in the training grounds Waver observed from a corner. He could see Alexander sparring with another soldier. Some of the other soldiers watched and cheered, while others fought each other as well. Most of them stopped to look at Alexander when he knocked down his opponent, clapping and cheering for him. Waver wondered what could possible be so amusing about beating someone up, unable to understand how those soldiers rejoiced by exercising and sweating under the sun.
"They look like a bunch of barbarians…", he thought. Watching the soldiers beat each other, "why do I have the sudden feeling like I'm in a cheap circus?"
He looked at Alexander again, who now wrestled with another man, almost double of him in height and muscles, although his face was the one of a young, handsome man. Curious, Waver walked towards them to have a closer look.
In that moment Alexander's eyes deviated towards Waver for a second, and the tall man used that moment of distraction to tackle him.
Alexander recovered quickly, getting on his feet right away.
"There you are!" He turned to Waver, dodging his opponent's fists.
"Are you sure you should be talking when you are fighting me, Alexandros?", said the tall man, offended. He brought the prince down to the ground and held his arm.
"Ah! I Yield!" Alexander yelled.
The man let him go, and Alexander got on his feet.
"Sorry Ptolemy," he apologized, "I'll get more serious next time. But for now, we have another task". The prince turned to Waver.
"Huh?" Ptolemy looked at Waver, puzzled.
"Come here, Waver", Alexander called him, making a gesture with his hand.
The mage walked closer to them.
"Waver, this is Ptolemy. Ptolemy, Waver Velvet; my personal physician, mage and official soldier in training from this moment on"
Ptolemy nodded at Waver. Waver nodded back, with a short and polite smile, and then turned back to Alexander.
"But Alexander…why do I have to go through this training?" Waver argued, "I'm a mage, I'm supposed to be physically weak. That's why I have my magic to fight with. Magic is my weapon."
"Correct, but spells take long to conjure. You need to learn how to defend yourself, how to hide. You need to be quick and agile in order to survive here. We are at war." Alexander said, patting Waver's back, making him shake a little.
"How is wrestling like a savage going to help me at all?"
"Wrestling? Ha!", Alexander laughed, "My friend, you couldn't wrestle if I trained you for years. No, I am merely going to teach you how to hold a shield, perhaps improve your physical condition to run away from battle. And most importantly, you'll learn how to ride."
"Oh, thanks for having so much faith in me, Alexander, really appreciate it…" Waver said, sarcastically. Alexander ignored him but Ptolemy chuckled.
"Don't worry, you will improve. Nobody is born with fighting skills. You learn them." Another man joined the conversation. Waver recognized the face and the golden hair of the badly injured soldier he helped save a couple days ago.
"Hephaestion…" Alexander looked at the blonde young man, slightly concerned. "I told you, you shouldn't be out here yet. You're not fully recovered…"
"I'm fine", he said, smiling at Alexander. "And I do believe your friend is right, Alexandros. As a mage, he shouldn't need to go through this training. By the way, "He turned to Waver, offering him his hand. "Alexandros told me everything about you, and how you saved me. I am deeply, truly thankful for that."
"No, no problem." Waver shook his hand.
"I want to believe your words of encouragement, Hephaestion," Interrupted Ptolemy, "but I believe that some people are born for fighting and some just…aren't fit for it. look at Alexandros, for example! This guy was born fighting!" Ptolemy said, grabbing Alexander by his neck and rubbing his head harshly.
"Ouch!" Alexander complained, easily escaping from him and twisting his wrist.
"Ok, I yield! I yield!" Ptolemy surrendered. "Damn… see what I mean?"
"Pardon me, my prince. I forgot not all of us can fight like a god." Joked Hephaestion, dramatically vowing to Alexander, who now blushed, making Ptolemy and Waver laugh. Alexander elbowed Hephaestion.
"Alright, alright you lazy bums, enough chit-chat. Break time is over, back to work!", ordered Alexander.
The prince turned his back to them and whistled loudly. After a few seconds, a horse of monumental size came galloping towards Alexander. The majestic beast stopped right before his master, and Waver could appreciate its velvety black coat. He felt very compelled to touch it, but immediately regretted it when he considered its size.
Alexander received the beast with opened arms, and the horse cuddled him passionately while the prince giggled.
"This is Bucephalus, my best friend", he said as he stroked the horse's forehead, the only spot that was not black. "He has been by my side for many years."
Waver knew exactly what horse that was. He had ridden the legendary Bucephalus before, many times. He even remembered reading about it in school. Still, he asked the question.
"I assume… there is a story behind it?". Waver pretended to be interested. The prince looked so eager to tell his story that Waver did not dare to ignore him.
"You guess correctly!" Alexander said, his eyes glowing, wide opened
"Here we go…" Ptolemy rolled his eyes
"Come on, it's a good story", said Hephaestion, cheerful
"One that we've heard many times. He just brags about it every opportunity he has, just to impress"
"That's mean, Ptolemy." Alexander laughed. "Bucephalus was brought to my father by a horse merchant as a rare and valuable good, an untamable horse. The king turned it down right away, he was not interested in a horse that couldn't be mounted, but I was immediately stunned by its beauty."
"Alexander was concerned about the horse more than anything", interrupted Hephaestion. "He felt sorry for him because he noticed that the horse was scared."
"He is a softie, after all", added Ptolemy
"I was around 12 then, of course I felt bad for him", said Alexander, slightly embarrassed. "So, I told king Phillip that I would buy the horse, and I bet the merchant that I would be able to mount him. He said if I did, he would give it to me as a gift. And so, I did"
"But how?", asked Waver.
"The way the horse was moving around was as if he was scared of something. Not people, but something else. So then I noticed something. The sun was up, bright and warm, casting a huge shadow under the horse's feet. Such was the cause of his fear and misery."
"Then kindly, Prince Charming here," continued Hephaestion, wrapping his arm around Alexander's neck, "he walked slowly to Bucephalus and whispered to him... to a horse -we all thought he was losing his mind-"
"He whispered to him; 'don't be afraid, it is nothing but a trick of Apollo'. And made the horse turn towards the sun, so he was unable to see his own shadow anymore", added Ptolemy. "Well, at least that's the story he tells."
"I did say that," confirmed Alexander, slightly annoyed. "Anyway, since then, me and Bucephalus had a special bond. We've never been apart, not for one day." He smiled as he rested his forehead on the animal's.
A moment later, he climbed on the massive beast's back, and all of a sudden he grabbed Waver by his robe, lifting him in he air.
"W-what are you doing?!" Waver asked, surprised. His feet swinging slightly above the ground.
Alexander easily lifted him in a quick movement, forcing Waver to sit in front of him. Waver found his balance on the horse and sat up straight, trying to keep his cool, gently holding onto Bucephalus' hair.
Ptolemy and Hephaestion followed them on their own horses.
"He seems pretty comfortable on a horse, I'd say", observed Hephaestion.
"Well, at least he doesn't look scared, if that's what you mean", noted Ptolemy.
"That's because I already know how to ride, you morons", protested Waver.
"Alright, let's see what you've got then"
Alexander moved back and pulled Waver by his waist, dragging him to sit on the saddle.
"Whenever you are ready." Alexander handed him the reins, and held on tight to Waver's waist.
"R-right…"
Waver took a moment to sit comfortably and adjust his feet to the stirrups. He closed his eyes and felt the animal's breath, its rib-cage puffing against his legs. He shook the reins and with a short, loud neigh Bucephalus rushed straight ahead at full speed.
Ptolemy and Hephaestion looked at each other, raising their eyebrows, and then followed them.
Waver rode across the training grounds, through the palace's gates and into the city. He avoided the crowds as much as he could. A shock of adrenaline hit him every time he had to jump over a barrel, or quickly dribble on a corner to avoid hitting somebody.
"This is fun!" Alexander laughed, taking over the reins to direct them into another route.
"Wait! Alexander what are you doing?!" Waver held Alexander's hands, too scared of not being in control anymore.
They hit the busy streets of the market. Waver took the reins back again and directed Bucephalus into an alley. He pulled from the reins trying to stop, but the horse was still galloping at full speed. At the end of the alley, they the rode right into a bridge rising over a canal. A wagon loaded with goods passed slowly and carefully through the bridge.
"Alexander, make him stop!" Waver cried, just a few meters away from the wagon.
"Why!? You are doing fine!" The prince said. "If you are scared, you can close your eyes."
Alexander covered Waver's eyes with his hands.
"Oi! ARE YOU CRAZY?! What are you…?!" Complained Waver, his hands still on the reins.
"Just keep riding!" encouraged him the prince.
Waver's heart rushed. He was terrified, yet at the same time inexplicably exited.
A second later, he felt how Bucephalus kicked the ground, launching them up in the air. Alexander uncovered Waver's eyes and held on to his waist again. Waver looked down for a second, dazzled, unable to believe they just flew above the wagon.
Then came the panic. He was certain they were going to hit the ground hard. The landing was as harsh on his lower body as Waver imagined, but Bucephalus did not stop there. Neither did he. Waver was now laughing hysterically, both out of fear and excitement. A sudden frenzy took over him, enjoying the feeling of the speed, and suddenly the wind against his face was the only feeling he could ever want in the world.
They kept riding out of the city and into the forest, followed by Ptolemy and Hephaestion.
"Here," said Alexander holding Waver's hands, "let's stop here for a bit." He pulled the reins and Bucephalus stopped abruptly. It was so sudden that Waver almost fell forward. Alexander jumped off.
"Would you mind giving a little warning next time you plan to do that?" Waver said, getting off the horse with difficulty. Alexander smiled and took his hand to help him.
Ptolemy and Hephaestion came just a few seconds later.
"Who would have guessed," said Ptolemy, "Waver Velvet, you are completely nuts."
"Thank you?... I guess?"
"But honestly, it seems you were telling the truth when you said you knew how to ride", observed Hephaestion.
"Yeah, seriously. Who taught him how to ride?" Wondered Alexander
"You did, you idiot…" muttered Waver, thinking out loud
"What?" The prince turned to him
"Uh- Nothing…" Waver looked away, changing subjects. "Anyway, shouldn't we head back to the palace?"
"The mage is right", said Ptolemy. His thick, brown eyebrows frowning at Alexander. "You don't happen to be doing this just to get away from your duties again, Alexandros, are you?" The tall young man stood even taller, threatening the prince with his fists.
"Huh? D-duties? What duties? Oh! no, of course not" Lied Alexander, turning his back to him.
Ptolemy pulled Alexander's braid. "Alexandros…?"
Hephaestion sighed.
"And once again, he drags us into trouble. Now Olympias is going to scold us. All of us. Even you Waver"
Waver winced at the thought of it, while Alexander somehow managed to get away from Ptolemy.
"No, no! Listen, I told my mother that I would use the morning to train new soldiers. Which is…what we are doing right now... Kinda…" Alexander rubbed his neck, not fully convinced of his own words. "Well, one soldier is still a soldier, so…"
The three young men gave him a deadly glare.
"The sooner we start the earlier we will be back!… Ptolemy, did you bring it?"
Ptolemy threw Alexander a bow and arrow quiver.
"What is that for?" Asked Waver, impatient.
"Hunting", replied Alexander, naturally.
"No. No, I'm not doing that", Waver scoffed, "Absolutely no way…"
Ptolemy handed Hephaestion another bow and quiver, and then equipped one himself.
"Oh, don't worry. We will do the hunting. You will be the one being hunted."
"Right, I... wait, I will WHAT?!" Yelled Waver, suddenly alarmed.
"You" said Alexander with a smile as he pulled from his bow, pointing an arrow at Waver, "will have to run fast, and learn how to hide in the woods."
"Are you insane?! How…how can…why would…but you…"
Alexander let his arrow loose. Waver quickly ducked, and the arrow slightly touched his head. A lock of his silky, black hair fell off.
"Nice dodging!" Alexander clapped, genuinely entertained.
"Are you stupid or what?!" Cried Waver.
Now Ptolemy and Hephaestion pointed an arrow at him
"Sorry Waver," said Ptolemy, shrugging, "Prince's orders"
"We'll be gentle", added Hephaestion, "well…we'll try"
"You fools! You have no idea you are facing! I am Waver Velvet, student council member of the Clock Tower...! you will pay for this!" Waver screamed as he ran away into the forest, followed by the three soldiers.
Two hours later, Waver and the rest rode back into the palace.
"Come on Waver, you are not mad at him still, are you?" Ptolemy asked. "You know he is just doing this to help you, to make you stronger."
He looked over his shoulder to see the mage's reaction. He had been riding with Ptolemy in silence all the way back to the palace, far away from Alexander. He had refused to ride with the prince, and the prince was too afraid to insist him.
"I'm not mad. I just don't want to talk to him…"
He was trying his best not to look in the prince's direction, but a sudden noise made him look his way. The two other horses dashed down the mountain, their riders raced to get first into the city. Waver watched in silence how Alexander and Hephaestion rode away.
"They've always been like this" Ptolemy said. "Always competing against each other. Ever since we were kids. One time they argued over who could hold going to the bathroom for longer. They both ended up peeing their pants. That's how stupid they can be"
He rolled his eyes, Waver chuckled.
"They are always arguing and fighting, but in the end, they always make up." Ptolemy paused for a moment to look at Waver "…because they are friends".
He turned and smiled, then he whistled to his horse, and it sped up the pace.
Waver took a few seconds to process Ptolemy's words, and wondered what he was trying to imply. He continued the rest of the way in silence, thoughtful.
When they arrived at the city gates, there was a small crowd gathered around the entrance. They got off the horse, and when they came closer, they could see Alexander and Hephaestion fighting.
"That was cheating!" Yelled Alexander from on top of Hephaestion, punching his face.
"No, it wasn't. I told you, it's called strategy…" Hephaestion blocked Alexander fists with his hands "…just because you can't understand it doesn't mean it's cheating"
Hephaestion lifted his legs under Alexander, throwing him in the air and making him land on his back. Then Hephaestion let all his weight fall onto Alexander -much smaller in size-. The prince now groaned in pain.
Their audience gasped.
"Alright, show is over" Ptolemy jumped in from the crowd. "I can't leave you alone for five minutes without getting into a fight."
"Ptolemy, I… I forbid you to intervene! That…is an order!" shouted Alexander, panting, while trying to get Hephaestion off him.
Ptolemy ignored him and walked towards them, pulling Hephaestion away and giving him a smack on the head. He immediately fell unconscious in the tall man's arms.
A second later, Ptolemy felt a kick on his shoulder, making him drop the man he was carrying. Alexander had aimed to kick his head, but forgetting the big height difference between them.
Ptolemy turned to him, his face red in anger.
"Was that supposed to hurt?" he mocked him, still trying to control his temper
Alexander could tell he was containing his anger by the veins popping from his forehead. Even so, he was so pissed he didn't care to provoke him.
"I told you to stay out of this, you imbecilic baboon!"
Ptolemy smirked, opening his huge hands, and with a long swipe he knocked Alexander down. When he was going for the second strike, this time Hephaestion came from behind him and climbed onto his back, chocking him with his arms.
"He told you to stay out of this, you imbecilic baboon!"
The fight went on between the three, and Waver stood there between the crowd watching them beat each other, hoping nobody figured he was with them. "What a bunch of clowns…" he thought as he brought a palm to his face, shaking his head.
A sudden sound of a blowing horn made the three of them stop all at once. A herd of nearly 20 mounted armed guards rode towards the crowd, forcing the people to spread around. The prince and his friends were surrounded.
"Prince Alexandros", spoke the head of the guards, a thin, anxious-looking little man. Waver recalled seeing him before, during the feast, joining his conversation with Parmenion.
"Orestys" Alexander got on his feet to greet him.
"You have been requested to attend a small council meeting with the King."
The other two soldiers got on their feet at the same time.
"You two as well, lord Ptolemy, lord Hephaestion."
The blonde and the tall men looked at each other and shrugged. They all begun to slowly advance towards the palace, still surrounded by the horses. All except Alexander.
"Waver!", he shouted, looking for him among the riders.
Waver appeared behind a horse, and made his way through the guards, getting stuck between two of them.
"You are coming with us." Alexander smiled, reaching for his had. Waver took it, and Alexander pulled him close to his side. All of them now marched at a slow pace into the palace.
"Are you sure it's a good idea to bring me with you?" Whispered Waver to his ear.
"It's fine" Alexander whispered back. "Besides, it's about time I officially introduce you as our new physician apprentice."
Waver gulped and kept walking in silence.
When they arrived at the council meeting, there was no sign of any council meeting. It was just King Phillip sitting on the throne. His personal guard, Orestys, followed them into the meeting, standing right by the King's side.
"My King", saluted Alexander, solemnly, as he stood before him
Waver was shocked by such a formal interaction between father and son. It was the first time he saw them interact, after all.
"King Phillip" Ptolemy and Hephaestion greeted in unison.
"Y-your grace!" Said Waver, vowing with clumsiness.
The King chuckled.
"Stand up boy, you are not a horse." The harshness of his words was slightly soothed by the softness of his face and the warmth of this tone.
Hephaestion and Ptolemy giggled, and Waver stood tall, embarrassed. As still as a statue.
"Who is this?" The King turned to Alexander, scowling in confusion. "I thought I requested you three to come here for a private meeting?"
"Father, this is Waver Velvet, from the kingdom of…London"
"England…" Corrected Waver
"Waver Velvet, from the kingdom of England. He is my new physician"
"Physician?" The king wondered, "He looks quite… young to be a physician. What's wrong with my old physician."
"He is old…"
"Well, yes. Old means wise…"
"But this one…" Alexander pointed at Waver, grinning, "…is a powerful mage."
"Oh" The King's eyebrows raised. "Mage, you say. Is that true, boy?"
"Y-yes, your grace." Waver replied.
The king studied Waver's anxious expression. He thought he looked week and insecure. He did not like his son, the future king, to be surrounded by that type of people. He hesitated for a moment, but then decided to pay no attention to it. His son would get bored of him eventually anyway, like the prince did with many other distractions he'd had in the past.
"Fine, then", he said, indifferent. "I have summoned you here to instruct you in your first official royal mission…"
Alexander's eyes shone with excitement
"…your first mission as a diplomat."
His smile was wiped away in an instant.
"Huh?"
"Can't you make a smarter face?" The king joked, and Ptolemy and Hephaestion had to tighten their lips not lo laugh. The King then spoke seriously.
"Listen, Alexandros, this is some serious business. I am trusting you, my son, the first Prince, with it."
Alexander now stood tall and listened carefully.
"There are some lords that are not happy with the kingdom. Ambitious, selfish lords who wish to obtain more lands and riches, putting their greed before the kingdom's needs. I've received news about rumors of plotting against me, against the kingdom."
The four young men gasped.
"But father, the lords have always been loyal to you. I cannot imagine this to be true. Perhaps…perhaps is the war that is making them deviate from their duties to the kingdom. The war troubles everyone, it changes people. If you could consider maybe…maybe stopping this war… a truce. Surely, if you talk to them, they will…"
"This war", interrupted Phillip "is necessary. We have no other option but to keep fighting until we win. It is their duty as lords to send soldiers and food to protect their kingdom and their people from the Persians. And it is my duty to ensure they do so. So is yours, as their Prince. Do not forget your place, Alexandros. It is not I who decided to go start this war, remember that. And I will never fight a war that is not necessary nor fair."
Alexandros swallowed his words, clenching his fists and looking at his feet.
"Whoever is plotting to kill your father, must have an informant within the council", continued Orestys
"What?"
"The rumors have spread fast among the council members. There is information that some of the lords could not have possibly obtain without having an ally within the council"
"A spy", observed Hephaestion.
"Is that why you called us privately, your grace?" Asked Ptolemy
"Correct. I need both of your skills and strength for this. Alexandros, you have shown to be an avid philosophy enthusiastic, with the charisma to win over your adversary's sympathy. I need you to use your best debating skills to negotiate with these lords"
He turned to Ptolemy
"As for you, Ptolemy, I trust your observation skills to be able to investigate the matter deeply, and find out who is plotting against us and how to stop them"
"Yes, your grace." Both nodded
"Hephaestion, once again I'm relying on your strength and fighting skills to protect them."
"Always, your grace." The blonde warrior smiled.
"And… I guess you can take the boy, uh…"
"Waver, your grace", added Waver
"Yes, you can take Waver with you too." The King did not try to hide the hesitation in his voice. "A mage could come quite handy in these situations… I suppose."
"Yes!" Waver said, bringing his hand to his forehead in an army style salutation.
The King gave him a polite smile he could not hold longer than a second. "What's with him?" He thought, looking at Waver with suspicious eyes "I hope I'm not making a mistake here…".
"So, what is our mission exactly?" Asked Ptolemy
"Orestys…" The king extended his hand, his palm facing the ceiling, and the guard handed him over two rolls of papyrus.
"Each one of these contain a message that will be the clue to discover who the traitor is. For your mission to succeed you must not, by any means or circumstances, open them."
Alexander slightly frowned at his father's words.
"Alexandros, as the future King, I am trusting you with these. It is extremely important that you do not open them, and deliver them as they are. Without this seal it will lose its value, and the mission will no longer can be fulfilled. You must do whatever it takes."
"I will, your grace", replied the prince in a sharp tone. He turned around and left the room in haste. The other three quickly excused themselves with the king and ran after him.
The king and his guard watched them as they exited the room.
"That was slightly cruel, your grace." Orestys opened his eyes wide and raised his eyebrows, smiling.
"He will get over it. It'll be good for him. He will be king one day."
"Alexander, wait" Waver said, trying to catch him.
"We leave in an hour" The prince replied, stopping. Hephaestion and Ptolemy catching up. "Waver, ask the servants to get the horses ready"
"Oh!" Ptolemy's jaw suddenly dropped. "I forgot I have something important to do! I…I'll be right back!" He said, leaving in haste.
"I'll go talk to the servants", said Hephaestion, tapping Waver on the shoulder and leaving.
Alexander kept walking, Waver followed him.
"Alexander, are you alright? You seem a little…tense"
Alexander's fists tighten against the letters he was still holding, trying his best not to crush them in his hands.
"I'll show him…" He thought out loud "I'll succeed, and when I do, he will have to trust me then…"
Waver said nothing, but he understood how the prince must have felt.
"He thinks the king, no, his father, doesn't trust him enough to tell him what's in that letter", he assumed. "But he will not complain to him or to anybody, he will just confront it and do something about it. That is the kind of person he is." Waver believed it somehow admirable of him, although he was not eager to deal with the Prince's mood for the rest of the journey.
An hour after, Hephaestion and Alexander showed up at Waver's room, ready to leave.
"Where's Ptolemy?" The mage asked
"He was supposed to meet us here" Hephaestion said
"That idiot… he is probably gambling again. We'll have to go fetch him", Alexander said, grumpy.
They crossed through the gardens towards the palace entrance. Just before they got the gate, Waver noticed there were two people talking by the fountain, almost whispering. They were far away, but he recognized Ptolemy's long, dark hair and his tanned skin contrasting with the glow of his silver armor. He could not see the girl's face from that angle, for it was covered behind her long, red curls.
Waver opened his arms violently to stop Alexander, making Hephaestion trip with him and stop too.
"What?"
"Shh!" Waver shushed them, and dragged Alexander behind a bush. Hephaestion followed them.
"What are we doing?" Hephaestion whispered
"Look, it's Ptolemy" Waver pointed
"Is that Cleo?!" Hephaestion asked
Waver turned to Alexander, waiting to see his reaction.
Alexander did not look surprised. Instead, he grinned and then crawled towards the next bush.
"Let's get closer", the price said, curious to hear what was going on.
The other two followed him.
They three got as close as they could, but still they couldn't hear Ptolemy and Cleo. Their words were swallowed by the murmur of the water. They chatted lively, although they barely looked into each others' eyes.
"Damn it, I can't hear a thing", complained Alexander from behind the closest bush.
"Shh, keep still, you are shaking the bush too much, he is going to find us", said Hephaestion, lying on his stomach by his side.
"Stop moving Alexander, your knee is burying into my ribs", said Waver from in between the two of them.
"Sorry, that would be my knee", admitted Hephaestion, although he didn't move an inch.
Ptolemy now came closer to the girl, and she extended her hand to give him something. He held her hand for a long minute, and their eyes found each other.
The three men observed impatiently from behind the bush. Waver turned to Alexander, who had just elbowed him in the face. Waver observed Alexander's intrigued expression. He could swear he saw a rosy glow on his cheeks. Alexander could feel Waver's eyes on him. He turn to Waver for a brief second, then quickly looked back at his sister and Ptolemy.
"What?" Alexander asked, the red from his cheeks now growing brighter.
"Nothing" Waver fixed his eyes on Ptolemy again, and noticed he was now standing there by himself.
"We missed it!" Said Alexander, shaking Waver's head
"Ouch, stop it, you are squishing me again"
Ptolemy, who could now hear them clearly, was standing with his arms crossed against his chest, irritated.
"Are you done already?" The tall man finally said
Alexander, Waver and Hephaestion got on their feet immediately. A shameful smile was their only reaction.
"We…we were looking for you", said Hephaestion, who was not used to sneaking around, smiling nervously
"Well, you found me"
"Did you take care of that important thing you had to do?" Asked Alexander with a wide smile.
Ptolemy looked away, his bronzed cheeks slightly letting some red show.
Alexander tilted his head to see Ptolemy's face, his hands behind his back, bouncing back and forth in a childish way.
"Ahem", Ptolemy coughed, "isn't it time for us to go already?"
Alexander giggled. "Alright then, all set, let's go!"