Chapter 10 – The Allied Kingdom

The prince and his men arrived in the city of Olynthus before noon. A small cloud of seagulls hovered over the city gates; a pleasant sea breeze blew even beyond the walls. It was a small yet rich city. Crowded, but not as loud and lively as Pella. No welcoming ceremony awaiting for the prince and his party.

At the palace entrance two guards stopped Alexander and his companions.

The prince showed the two rolls of papyrus his father had given him to deliver. One of the guards reached for them, but Alexander snatched it out of his hand right away. The guard frowned at him, going after the letter again. Alexander dodged him one more time.

"Hey! You think you are funny?" The guard yelled. Alexander didn't move.

"Not the slightest bit. This is no joke, my father entrusted me with this message. Me and no one else"

The other guard elbowed the first one.

"It has the king's seal", he whispered.

The angry guard looked at Alexander, taking some time to process that the young boy before him was the prince of Pella, heir to the throne.

"P-Pardon me, my prince". He finally said, lowering his lance and letting them through into the palace.

The others followed behind.

"You could have just spoken right away, you know?", said Waver.

"I know," said Alexander, "But I wanted to see how these people welcome strangers into their city. And I've learned a lot from it."

"That… and you just enjoy teasing people", observed Ptolemy.

Alexander's smile was wiped off as soon as another two men came to meet them. He recognized the lord of Olynthus followed by another man. He had a vague memory from his childhood meeting him. But he recalled two old men as lords of the city.

"It looks like it's not going to get any better from here…", he muttered.

Waver studied the two men. The oldest, a small, smart-looking old man. The other one, young and good-looking. Both dressed in extravagant, colorful robes and golden jewellery. Nothing like the warrior-like costumes of the people in Pella. It was with no doubt a city ran by merchants.

"Welcome, my lord". The old nobleman greeted them politely. He turned to the other man by his side. "This is lord Irus, I believe you met his father in the past. Unfortunately, he has passed away, leaving the young lord as the head of his family".

"I am sorry to hear that", said Alexander with honesty. "It is a pleasure to meet you".

"It is an honour to have you here with us, Prince Alexandros", the young man said, lacking as much enthusiasm as the first one.

"It is my honor to experience such a delightful view of the peninsula". Replied Alexander.

"I suppose you are not here only for the view, sir", inquired the old man, straight to the point.

Waver turned to Alexander. He thought it rude of him, but Alexander did not look offended. In fact, he was smiling.

"Correct", Alexander said. "I am here to make some adjustments".

"What kind of… adjustments?" The young lord crossed his arms, skeptical.

"Oh, don't get me wrong. I would never interfere with your political affairs. I'm here to merely instruct you in the new trading routes and taxes designed by my father to maximize our economy and make this commonwealth more beneficial for every kingdom in the empire. I expect to learn one or two things from your vast and prosperous system as well".

The two men looked at each other, slightly hesitant.

"Surely you must be tired, sir. Why don't we discuss this tomorrow after you get some rest from your journey?"

"I appreciate your kindness," thanked him Alexander, and the four men were taken to their respective rooms.

Waver and Ptolemy's rooms where on the east side of the palace, while Hephaestion's was all the way to the west. Alexander was placed in the central part of the palace, close to the noble families' rooms.

"They are trying to keep us separate", observed Ptolemy later that afternoon, once they all gathered at Hephaestion's room.

"Of course they would. They are too precautious," said Alexander, "which only makes them more suspicious. If they haven't done anything wrong, they shouldn't have anything to fear."

"Alright, if they want to separate us, they can have it their way", said Ptolemy. "Hephaestion, come with me. We'll skip the feast and we'll go investigate while everyone is eating."

"B-but…but the feast?" He begun to protest.

"Oh, forgive me, are my plans for saving the kingdom interfering with your dinner?", he replied sarcastically, which Hephaestion found nothing funny.

"I'll go", said Waver, standing between them, "I really don't mind skipping dinner. Besides, I do better at investigating than at social events, anyways."

The two of them turned their backs to each other.

"I don't care who comes with me, as long as we get work done", said Ptolemy. Hephaestion shrugged.

"Wait," joined in Alexander, thoughtful. "It may be too suspicious if two of us are missing. Waver can come with us, and we'll say Ptolemy is not feeling well and that he is staying in his room to rest. Then, after Waver has been seen at the feast, he can sneak out and join you".

Waver nodded in agreement.

So did Ptolemy.

"I'll meet you behind the stables in an hour", he said, and the other three headed out.

Waver, Alexander and Hephaestion entered the great hall in silence. The small crowd chatted discretely, some older men occasionally taking a sip of their wine, but nobody seemed to touch their food yet. Alexander wondered if they were waiting for them.

They joined the two lords at the noblemen's table. Alexander sat across the two lords, and between two young ladies. Hephaestion and Waver found a place at the end of the table.

"What a wonderful feast", lied Alexander, just to be polite.

"I am glad you are enjoying it, my lord", replied the old man.

"Surely you are missing the feasts from Pella. Not as quiet as here, I suppose"

"Not nearly as sophisticated either!" Said the prince, rising his cup.

The old man smiled, rising his cup and cheering.

"I would love to start working right away," continued Alexander, "I should head back home soon. But this is such a great city… I wish I could enjoy the view a little longer. It's been so long since I've been here".

"Do you recall the last time you where here, sir?", asked the younger lord.

"I was just a boy, I believe I was around 10 years old. You daughter was just a little girl". Alexander turned to the girl sitting to his left. "It seems like everything in this city has grown prettier since my last time here".

"I'm not a girl anymore", said the girl, giggling.

"And I'm not a boy", said Alexander.

"Prince Alexandros, I would suggest you take the morning off for a quick tour around the city before you start working", suggested the girl's father.

"I could wish for nothing more". Alexander paused to wipe his mouth, then sighed. "But I am afraid I'll get lost. If only I had the company of a local to show me the wonders that this city has to offer…"

The two men exchanged looks for a moment.

"Well, if it is ok with you, my daughter can walk you through the gardens, and take you around the city," said the older lord.

"I would be delighted!" said the prince, smiling enthusiastically.

He turned to the woman his right, evidently older than him, who looked nothing like her father, but far more beautiful.

"…only if it is the lady's wish to do so…", se smiled gently, begging with his eyes.

"Please, my lord, it will be my pleasure". She smiled back, flattered.

"What is he saying?" Waver watched the prince carefully from the other side of the table, able to listen to only half of the conversation.

"This is good stuff…" Hephaestion mumbled, stuffing his mouth with roasted fish, "really good…"

Waver kicked him under the table.

"What?" Hephaestion shrugged.

"How can you think about food right now?" he whispered.

"Waver, relax. Act normal. That's the best thing to do right now". He said, patting Waver on the shoulder.

"What do you think they are talking about?" Waver asked, his eyes still on Alexander.

Hephaestion gave the prince a quick glance, then looked away, staring at his empty plate in silence. He refilled his plate, ignoring Waver's question.

"You should try this, you don't see seafood this fresh often in Pella, trust me…"

Waver observed Alexander handing over a roll of papyrus to each lord. That was the cue for him to leave the room.

"Shit!" The mage thought out loud. "Has it been an hour already?"

"Go, go, go", whispered Hephaestion, hastily.

"But what should I say?"

Hephaestion put his food down and waited in silence for a second, thinking.

"OH NO!" He suddenly yelled, so loud that it made Waver jump from his seat.

"W-what?"

"Oh, poor Waver! Your stomach, again!?"

"My…what?" Waver looked at him, puzzled.

Hephaestion waved his hands in the air dramatically, pretending to fan away some bad smell.

"It must be the same thing Ptolemy had, poor thing. You should go to bed and rest!"

Everyone at the table turned to Waver. He could feel the blood coming up to his cheeks, turning them a bright shade of red.

"R-right", he played along, getting up from his seat. "Sorry…I- I should go…"

"You'll pay for this", he whispered at Hephaestion's ear as he was leaving.

He left the room in haste, trying to remember the way to the stables. He took the wrong turn and ended up at one of the palace's temples. A statue of Bellerophon riding Pegasus rose in front of him. It was so massive and detailed that he couldn't help to stop to appreciate it from closer.

A second later, he heard some footsteps approaching.

"Shit!" he whispered to himself, hiding behind one of the massive marvel pillars that served as a leg of the winged horse statue.

Waver watched the person walk away in silence. All he could see was a cloak. He panicked for a brief second, thinking of Zurvan. He gasped, and had to bring a hand to his mouth to hold his breath. The person stopped and turned towards statue. Waver could not recognize the man's face in the dark. He could only see the moonlight reflecting the man's long, silver hair. Waver sighed, somehow relieved. He was certainly not the creature the mage feared. He could not feel that threatening aura coming from him.

The man turned again to continue his way.

Waver waited another moment for him to get far enough and decided to follow the man from a distance.

"He is definitely up to something", he thought as he watched the man hide his hair under his hood.

He followed him out of the palace, across a field of fig trees. Waver hid from one to another, until he suddenly realized he had no idea where he was going to.

The man took a left turn at one corner behind the palace, looking around from time to time to check if someone was coming. Waver decided to wait a few seconds before he continued, just to be safe. He stayed against the stone wall.

"…I need more time…", Waver could the man whispering.

"We have a deal…" A second voice whispered. It sounded so far away that Waver hardly could understand what they were saying.

"I can't do it…" The man sobbed, and the next thing Waver could hear was a muffled scream.

He peeked with one eye, his body still hiding behind the wall. He could see the man lying on the ground, with a spear though his leg.

He immediately turned away, his back tight against the wall. "This is dangerous", he thought, alarmingly aware that he didn't know his way back into the palace.

The whispers stopped all of a sudden.

Waver rushed back in silence, trying to remember the way. He could hear footsteps far away, so he increased the pace, trying his best not run, scared to make too much noise. He turned right in another corner, and suddenly hit something, falling on his back.

"Damn it, Waver, you scared me", Ptolemy came out of the blue.

"Fuck…" Waver whispered, somehow relieved.

"Where were you? I've been waiting for you"

"I… I got lost…"

"You got lost…", repeated Ptolemy, skeptical. Then pointed at the wooden shack right behind them. "The stables are right here... But you got lost you say…"

"Yes, OK… I can't see well at night".

"Anyway, let's go back inside. We've got work to do."

Waver and Ptolemy went back into the palace in silence. They passed by the great hall, where everyone still enjoyed the feast. Ptolemy signaled Waver with his hand to go in the opposite way. The mage, misunderstanding this, followed him behind, tripping with Ptolemy when he suddenly stopped.

"What are you doing, Waver?" Complained Ptolemy, trying his best to keep his voice down.

"Sorry, I thought you said to come this way", he whispered loudly.

Ptolemy took a deep breath and tried again. "You…this way," he pointed at the room in the right, "Me…. This way", he headed towards the room in the left.

"Right…" Waver nodded and continued into the room, unsure of what he was supposed to look for.

He searched under the bed and found nothing but dust. He looked around. Some sort of desk and a nightstand, but nothing on them. He wondered whose room was this. Maybe one of the Lord's daughters?

He searched under the desk. Nothing.

"This is pointless…", he told himself. "What am I even doing here? I should be working in the lab instead… trying to find a way back home…"

A sudden subtle whistle came though the doorway.

"Let's go" Ptolemy called. Waver followed him right away.

"Did you find anything?" Waver asked as they entered the next room.

"No. You?"

"Nothing"

Waver looked around the room. This was a bigger, fancier room. Golden ornaments and lion fur decorating the room.

"What exactly are we looking for?"

"Anything. Maps, blueprints, letters, any sign…" he said, searching between a bunch of rolls of papyrus, dropping most of them on the floor.

"Careful Ptolemy, we have to leave everything as we found it or they will know someone went through their stuff", Waver said, picking up the rolls. He stopped to look at one that caught his attention.

"What's that?" He asked, carefully studying a document that looked like a map, but with strange signs on it.

Ptolemy titled his head to look at it carefully.

"That, my friend, is evidence" He said, smirking.

"Evidence?"

"This is a blueprint of Pella's palace"

"The palace? But why would they have it here in a bedroom? And what are those marks?"

"I am not sure". Ptolemy brought a hand to his chin, thoughtful. "I guess we can't take it with us, it won't prove anything unless we know what it means… But at least now know we know for sure they are up to something; we just have to figure out what".

They both stared at the map from different angles for a minute in silence, until they were interrupted by the cracking sound of something hitting the floor.

They both turned immediately.

A servant girl was staring at them, eyes wide open, speechless, her hands opened in the air. A ceramic jar crashed into pieces in front of her.

Waver's eyes went from the girl to Ptolemy several times. He turned to the girl and opened his mouth to speak, but before he could, he felt a smack on the head.

"You stubborn drunk…" Yelled Ptolemy, catching Waver in his arms before he collapsed on the floor.

"W-what the…" Waver mumbled, half conscient.

"Shh, shh, you are alright, everything is fine".

Ptolemy threw Waver on his shoulder and carried his dead weight, like a sack of potatoes. He then turned to the girl, who was still staring in silence.

"Oh, just ignore him", Ptolemy said, chuckling. "Forgive him, my friend had too much wine at the feast!"

He smiled at the girl, but her face did not move one inch.

Ptolemy turned to Waver

"This is not your room, silly, I told you. Don't worry I'll get you to your bed"

"Wha…?" Waver tried to talk, but Ptolemy hit him once more time.

"Shhh, it's ok, I got you", Ptolemy said. "Sorry for the trouble, miss. The prince would really appreciate if you saved his friend the embarrassment", he begged her with his deep green eyes.

The girl nodded several times in haste.

"Have a good evening". He said, walking out of the room with Waver still passed out over his shoulders. He carried him all the way back into his room and tucked him in bed.

Waver woke up in his bed, still confused. He rubbed his head in pain, a huge bump growing in the back of his head. "First Hephaestion, then Ptolemy…" He thought, frustrated. He tried to sit up on the bed, but something was pulling the covers.

"You are awake", a familiar voice came from right beside him.

"Alexander?" He turned to the person lying by his side.

"Shh". The prince brought a finger to his lips.

"Now you…What are you doing here?" Waver raised his voice, slightly annoyed. He'd had enough for the day and all he wanted was to rest.

"Shh!" Alexander covered Waver's mouth with one hand. "Lower your voice, she'll hear you". He whispered.

They remained silent for a few seconds, listening to some footsteps walking away.

Waver removed Alexander's hand. "She? Who?"

"Lord Irus' daughter. She's been following me around all night. She even sneaked into my room!".

"Congratulations", said Waver, turning his back at the prince and getting ready to sleep, "…let me know when the wedding is. Now go back to your room, I need to sleep."

"She is like 12 years old!"

"That didn't seem to bother you during dinner", he said, closing his eyes.

"No, Waver, you don't understand. She is acting crazy!"

"Must be so hard for you…", Waver said sarcastically, rolling his eyes, "…being so popular with women".

Alexander smacked him on the head, right where Ptolemy had left a bump a moment ago.

"Hey! It hurts!" Waver turned to him.

"It's not funny…" Alexander was sitting on the bed with a serious look. "Can you just listen to me? Why are you being so selfish?

"Oh, forgive me, prince, for not empathizing with your royal problem. I was too busy getting smacked on the head, twice; risking my life, sneaking in and out of the palace, just to almost get caught and killed by some psychopaths. But I guess you have bigger problems."

Alexander pushed him violently out of the bed. Waver fell on the cold, rock hard floor.

"You can be a real asshole sometimes, Waver"

The fall hurt, but not nearly as much as Alexander's words. It was the first time the prince had insulted him like that. Waver regretted his words right away.

"Clearly my problems are none of your concern", the prince got up and walked towards the door.

"No…No, of course they are", Waver said, still on the floor, resting his hand on his face. "Listen, I didn't mean to be rude…. I just had a long day…"

Alexander stopped right away, as Waver expected. Only he didn't think of what to say next.

The prince stood there for another moment, then sat on a corner of the room.

"Ok, so what happened?" asked Waver.

"Nevermind. I don't feel like talking now", he said, lying down on the floor.

"Hey…" said Waver, lowering his voice, "you… you are not planning to sleep there, are you?"

"What does it look like I'm doing?"

"…you can't sleep there, Alexander, you are prince…" Waver said, feeling suddenly guilty.

"Yes, you see…first of all, I am human, not any different than you…", he said as he turned his back to him, "…except maybe smarter and less of a jerk...", he mumbled, loud enough for Waver to hear.

"Alexander, come on…"

"It's not the first or the last time I'll sleep on the floor, Waver", he said, closing his eyes, using his own arm as a pillow.

"Can you please sleep on the bed like a normal person? I'll find somewhere else to-"

"Good night, Waver…"

The mage got on his feet, annoyed. He walked towards the prince and lied on the floor a few meters away from him.

Alexander turned to him, surprised.

"What are you doing?"

Waver closed his eyes and remained in silence.

"Now you are just being ridiculous…". The prince scoffed, turning his back again.

"So are you…"

They both remained in silence for a moment.

"Let's hope the lord's daughter won't find you lying on the floor here, defenseless. Or god knows what she'll do to you…", said Waver.

They could hear some footsteps out in the corridor, getting closer.

Alexander gulped.

"Fine…", he finally agreed, going into bed and hiding under the sheets.