Chapter 12 – Hephaestion
348 BC
The temple of Dionysus was the most lively and popular of Pella. Offerings abounding at the feet of the joyous god, brought by the numerous believers that came to thank him each day.
Everyday, except this one.
On the other side of the city, fallen soldiers were being mourned. The streets of Pella were dead quiet. Only a few merchants, servants, and a casual orphan roamed silently the alley by the temple.
The silence was suddenly disrupted by a little boy who came rushing down the street, followed by royal guards, holding onto the small bag he was carrying. The boy went into the temple to hide from the soldiers. He passed by the statue of the god and sat in the garden, finding a safe spot to admire the goods he had just looted.
"Finally!" he said to himself, opening the bag to admire the tasty looking bun he had stolen. But just before he could take a bite, his attention was drawn to somewhere else.
Another boy sat in front of the statue of Dionysus. Thoughtful, in silence.
Is he one of the orphans? The boy wondered.
He stared at his bread with guilt for a moment. Then put it back in the bag and walked towards the boy.
"Hello", he said, but the boy did not seem to hear him. He walked a little closer, and as he did, he recognized his golden locks of hair from somewhere.
Isn't that the kid who almost broke my nose the other day? He noticed, slightly surprised. I'll teach him a lesson!
He walked towards him with determination.
"Hey!" He called again, standing in front of him.
The blonde did not reply.
"I said…Hello"
They boy bent over to take a better look at the blonde's face. His eyes looked dull and his face absent-minded.
"Are you deaf or something?" He asked, genuinely curious.
"Just go away…", the blonde finally spoke, turning his back at him.
The boy was speechless for a moment, wondering what he had done wrong to deserve such impolite treatment. He resisted the urge to insult him, and figured it must have been something else that was troubling the young boy. He noticed his face was dirty and his clothes, although of high quality, were reduced to rags. He carried no belongings, expect for a thick, old book.
The boy stood there and observed the blonde in silence as he turned the pages of the book.
"Woah!" The boy pointed at the book, suddenly excited.
"What?" Asked the blonde, without looking away from his book.
"T-that is… Are you a fan of the Iliad too?"
The blonde looked up, his eyes recovering their color for a brief second.
"H-Have you read it?" The blonde asked, shy
"Have I read it?" Repeated the other one, scoffing. "I don't know anyone in Macedon who has not!"
The blonde looked at him with disapproval.
"That's only because you don't know anybody who can't read, you highborn jerk"
The boy gasped, offended.
"L-look who is talking! You know how to read too!" He pointed out.
"My father taught me". He fixed his eyes on the book again. "He also taught me to interact with all kinds of people. Unlike other nobles… No human life is worth more than another. We are all mortal in the end, only the gods are above us all."
"A wise man he must be", he nodded, fascinated by his wise words.
"Was…", corrected him the blonde.
The boy gulped, speechless.
"His body is being incinerated right now… among all the other soldiers", he continued.
"I am sorry…"
"It doesn't matter now", he said, bitterly. His hands shaking on his book. "He decided to fight. It's his fault…"
"Hey," said the boy in a sweet voice, "it's OK to be upset…he was your father after all".
"I'm not sad!" The blonde's voice suddenly raised. "I am angry because all my friends have been left alone, and I will be forced to live in the palace. Why do I get to live there while they starve in the streets? Why can't the other orphans have a home too?!"
The boy looked at him, eyes wide opened. He sighed, feeling deeply sorry for him and all the other orphans.
He sat next to him and offered him a piece of bread.
The blonde snatched it out of his hands and shoved it into his mouth.
The boy gave him a warm smile.
"It's alright", he said, "You don't have to feel guilty because you have a better fortune than the rest. That is not up to us but only to the gods. You are just another boy who has lost his father, no different than any other child out there. You are allowed to feel sad. You can-"
He turned to him. The blonde suddenly started sobbing.
The boy, surprised, handed him over his own share of bread he had left.
The blonde took it, chewing and sheading tears in silence at the same time, in some sort of catharsis. As he swallowed, he realized he hadn't eaten anything the whole day, noticing also his dirty clothes and hands, feeling suddenly miserable.
When he finished eating, he suddenly broke into tears, screaming, covering his face with his hands in shame.
The other boy patted him on the back. He had never heard anyone cry like that, a pain so deep it seemed like it burst out all at a time.
They sat there like that for some time.
"I wonder if he has met the great heroes from the past…". The boy said after a while, looking up at the clouds. "Do you think one day I will be able to join them?"
"Them?" Asked the blonde, wiping his last tears.
"Your father I mean… and Achilles, and all the great warriors up there"
The blonde looked up, taking a deep breath.
"We'll only know if we get there", he said. Then took a deep breath and got on his feet.
He offered the boy his hand.
"I'm Hephaestion", he said.
The other one took his hand.
"Alexandros", he said as he got up.
"Huh?!" Hephaestion looked at him, surprised, "Alexandros as in… prince Alexandros?"
"Yes, why are you so surprised?" He asked, amused.
"I don't know, I thought you were a warrior." He stared at the boy's slim body, disappointed.
"I am a warrior…" he said, annoyed.
"Wait…" Hephaestion examined him closely, noticing his ginger hair. "Aren't you that kid I beat up the other day during training?"
"I-I don't know what you are talking about", he lied.
"Yeah you are right, it can't be. That one was a warrior…" He said, slightly confused.
"I AM A WARRIOR!"
"You certainly don't look like one"
"Appearances can deceive you! You cannot judge only with your eyes", the prince stood tall, proud of his own words.
"Then how about I judge you with my fists?" Hephaestion said with a smirk.
Alexandros grinned at him, and Hephaestion knew his challenge was accepted.
They wrestled for a few minutes, both taking the advantage at different moments. They kept wrestling until they were both beaten by exhaustion. None of them able to win.
They lied on the floor, panting.
"You are not bad, for a nobleman", said Alexandros
"And you are not so awful, for a prince", joked Hephaestion
They both chuckled
"You'll see, tomorrow I'll beat you", said the prince with confidence
"We'll see…"
From the next day on, the two boys met at the temple everyday. Each day at the same time, for 3 weeks, before everything changed for them.
"Wake up prince, don't let your guard down!" Said Hephaestion that day when he found Alexandros relaxing under the shade of a tree, jumping over him.
Alexandros, smaller yet more agile, easily turned him over, pinning him down to the ground.
"Not today," he said, "I want to show you something"
He helped Hephaestion up and guided him into a small room.
"What are we doing?"
"Shh, this is my secret place" Alexandros said, walking out of the room and into a small corridor that lead to the garden.
"Secret place for what?" He asked as he followed him.
"Look", Alexandros pointed at a mosaic mural on the wall. The silhouette of two great warriors crossing their swords shone in gold under a bright sun. By their side, other warriors fought in the middle of an epic battle scene revived in the mural.
"Woah! Are those-!?"
"Achilles and Hektor. And look, there is Paris too… and Patroclus", he pointed at the hero standing next to Achilles.
"How did you find this place?"
"This is were I come read and eat whenever I steal something from the kitchen"
"You are a prince, why do you have to steal food?"
"My mom won't let me have any food until I finish my training" He said, pouting
"Oh, so that's why I barely ever saw you before in the training grounds…"
"So…" the prince changed the subject. "I wanted to let you know that you will be moving in with us tomorrow"
"W-what? You mean with your family?" he asked, his faced showed concern
"You don't want to live with us in the palace?"
"No-no, it's just… I was expecting to live with the servants, or… somewhere more fit for me, I don't know…"
"Well, I'm sorry that we don't meet your standards", he said sarcastically.
"Don't get me wrong. I am happy."
Alexandros sighed.
"My father, king Philip, he knew your father. He told me he was a great warrior. Naturally, as his son, you are welcome in the palace".
Hephaestion smiled, his eyes suddenly became glassy.
"Thank you"
"A-anyway…!" said Alexandros, hastily. He did not want to see him cry again. "Since tomorrow, we will also be training together in the palace everyday with general Attalus"
Alexandros paused and turned to him, seeking a reaction.
"Which means… we no longer have to come here to spar"
Hephaestion looked at him, puzzled.
"So…" he paused and coughed, "I, uh… I just wanted to show you this. As a parting gift"
"Parting?"
"I mean, to say goodbye to you as my rival. Since we are on the same team now", said the prince as he walked away, leaving Hephaestion confused. "I'll see you around"
"Wait, Alexandros. What's that supposed to mean?" He said as he followed him. "Alexandros!"
After that day Alexandros continued going to his secret place, as always. Book in hand, carrying a bag with his precious stolen buns, he sat in the garden by the mural and waited. Waited all morning, at the same time for the next couple of days, but Hephaestion never came as he expected.
"I knew it", Alexandros said, tossing the bread far away. "He's not my real friend!"
He crouched against the wall and hid his face into his knees.
Nobody would want to be friends with a prince…
Painful memories flashed through his mind. He recalled the time when he used to sneak out the palace to play with other children. Until the war changed everything.
"It is your fault that our fathers and brothers are dead!"
"It is your father's war they are fighting!"
"We don't want to see you anymore!"
"Go back to your palace, prince!"
A familiar feeling of loneliness hit him like a spear though his chest. He closed his eyes and cried to sleep.
"Alexandros"
A voice called him.
"Alexandros, wake up"
The prince opened his eyes, Hephaestion was kneeling in front of him.
"What are you doing here, you are missing training"
Alexandros yawned, stretching his arms and legs.
"Let's go, your mom is angry, she is looking for you"
"I don't care", the prince said, getting up with trouble. His legs had gone numbed.
Hephaestion helped him up.
"Go away", protested the prince.
Hephaestion grabbed him, regardless, and carried him over his shoulders.
"Hey put me down!" he said, helpless. "What I do or not is none of your business! Why do you care!?"
"I don't want you to get in trouble. You are my friend"
Hephaestion felt how Alexandros suddenly stopped struggling, and a tear drop landed on his cheek.
"You dumb prince", he said, putting him down.
Hephaestion wiped Alexandros' tears. He held his hand and they walked together back into the palace.
The next day, Alexandros skipped training again. This time Olympias spoke directly to Hepheastion.
"Boy", the queen called him over when he was training.
Hepheastion looked around, hesitant.
"Yes, you. Come, child"
Hephaestion slowly walked toward her, slightly embarrassed by all the eyes suddenly on him.
"I saw you walking with my son, the prince, into the place yesterday. Do you know where he hides?"
A drop of cold sweat ran down Hephaestion's spine.
"No, your highness", he lied.
The cunning woman saw through his lie.
"If you happen to see my son, could you pass him a message?"
The boy nodded hastily
"Tell him that if I find out he has been skipping his duties, or if he has taken food without my permission, there will be punishment"
"Yes, your highness"
The queen turned around.
"Oh, and also tell him I said that anyone who is found with him, or helping him escape from his duties, they will be punished with him".
The boy gulped. He waited for the queen to leave and excused himself to go to the bathroom, then headed to the temple of Dionysus.
When he walked into the garden, he found Alexandros relaxing on the grass, a leg crossed over his knee, hands behind his head.
Hephaestion sighed.
"Again with this, Alexandros"
He pretended to be asleep.
"Hey, you can trick your mom but not me. I know you are awake"
He came closer and attempted to poke him with his lance.
Alexandros reacted on time, grabbing his lance and throwing him in the air. Hephaestion grabbed onto the lance and pushed it into the ground between Alexandros legs.
"That's a good start!", he said, grinning and getting up and ready to fight.
"What are you doing! Your mom in angry! Now she is going to yell at me too! You are getting us both into trouble!"
"But it's no fun over there", he said, pouting, "Nobody can actually handle a fight. No one…except maybe you"
"I'll fight you in the palace, come on let's go". He said, pulling his arm.
"I'll go only if you beat me", he said, clinging onto an olive tree with his other arm.
"Fine!" He said, letting go of his arm and getting ready to fight.
"If I win, you will have to come here with me whenever I come, and do everything I say!"
"That will never happen!"
But it happened.
The temple became the boys' place hangout. At first, Hephaestion came to take Alexandros back to the training grounds, scared of getting scold by Olympias and Attalus. But Alexandros always found a different adventure to go on every time, and Hephaestion couldn't resist. Hephaestion managed to negotiate with the stubborn prince, agreeing he would go with him anywhere, but only after finishing their training. Every now and then, they would both sneak out to eat in secret, or read and share their passion for the Iliad.
The days went by and the boys lived their days without big worries, until Alexander's sixteenth birthday came.
Hephaestion had been waiting for a long time in the garden. It was already dark when Alexandros came.
"What took you so long?" he asked when the prince walked in.
Alexander walked slowly toward him, looking confused and astonished.
"Everything alright?" asked Hephaestion, suddenly worried.
"Father just left for battle", he said, sitting by his side. "It has begun"
The blonde stared at him in silence. He knew exactly what he meant.
"He named me king regent…"
"What? That's-"
"We'll go into battle soon…Hephaestion"
Hephaestion's heartbeat rose, exited yet terrified.
Alexandros lied on the grass next to him in silence, gazing at the stars. Hephaestion lied by his side.
It was a bright, clear sky. Orion shone in all its might. Both boys dazzled by the lights.
"Hey, Hephaestion…?"
"Yeah?" Hephaestion turned to him.
"One day I will be King. A real king. And when I am king, I want to see the world"
"Why are you telling me this?"
"Because I like you. And because I trust you"
Hephaestion blushed, speechless.
"Hephaestion, will you follow me into my greatest adventure?"
Hephaestion stretched his hand and held Alexandros'.
"I will follow you until the end of the world"
Alexander turned to him and smiled.
"I have only one condition" Added Hephaestion, suddenly sitting up. "One day, when our lives come to an end. But we will become heroes, together, and our names will become immortal."
Alexander sat facing him, listening attentively.
"This means… we cannot die in this war with the Athenians. Your father will come back alive and unite this kingdom…and he will watch you as you become a greater king than he could ever be! A conqueror king, one like the world has never seen before!"
Hephaestion could swear he saw Zeus's thunder sparkling in the prince's eyes for a moment.
"I, Alexandros, prince of Macedonia, swear that you, Hephaestion, and l will become great heroes. And the people of Macedon… no, the people of the world will tell our legends and sing our songs for generations"
"Just like Achilles and Patroclus?"
"Exactly like them"
They both gazed up at the stars one more time.
"I would be Achilles, though" said Hephaestion, out of the blue.
"No, that would be me", argued Alexandros
"Why? I'm stronger"
"I'm prince. I win"
"Fine…", he agreed. "But…hey, wait a minute, nobody sings about Patroclus"
"Well then, we will make sure everyone sings about the great heroes Alexander and Hephaestion"
"Nice try. I'll show you I would be a better Achilles by beating you"
"You can try" Alexander grinned.
They wrestled roughly, but none of them able to beat the other. Alexander chuckled as he watched Hephaestion break free from him every time, pinning the prince down to the grass.
"I'm beginning to think you enjoy losing against me sometimes, Alexandros", said Hephaestion, smirking as he held on to Alexandros' wrists. The prince did not resist, not even one muscle of his body tried to move.
"Maybe I do…"
Alexandros stared at him, intense eyes, a shy yet hungry smile on his lips. His cheeks glowing slightly red.
Hephaestion was stunned by that view for a second. His eyes fixed on the prince's lips. He let go off his wrists and drew the contour of his mouth with one finger. Alexandros gently grabbed Hephaestion's face to bring him closer to his. Hephaestion closed his eyes and slightly opened his mouth, feeling the prince's breath on his lips.
"Hephaestion, wake up".
He opened his eyes.
He sat up and looked around, rubbing his eyes, disoriented.
"Time to go, Attalus is waiting for you". Ptolemy was standing by his side, waking him up from his nap at the temple's garden.
"Just two more minutes", he said as he lied down again, yawning.
"You sound like Alexandros. Come on", Ptolemy said, kicking his leg, "I won't be as gentle as him when he wakes you up, you know".
"Alright", Hephaestion got up in a second, energetically, giving himself a soft slap on his cheeks. "Let's do this".
General Attalus was waiting for them already in the training grounds. Around a hundred young men lined up facing him, ready to start their training.
"Is this how you set the example for your new soldiers, Hephaestion?", asked the old general
"Sorry, I overslept, I was training them all morning and-"
"Wasn't Alexandros supposed to lead the training this morning?" asked Attalus, surprised.
"Yeah, well, he didn't"
"Where is he?"
"I have no idea"
"Don't lie to me"
"I'm not. Why does everyone assume I know where Alexandros is all the time?"
Attalus gave Ptolemy a look, surprised by Hephaestion unusual harsh tone.
"Instead of lecturing me, you should worry more about him…", said Hephaestion.
"That is no excuse for you to come this late…", pointed out Attalus.
Hephaestion scoffed, turned around and begun stretching, ready to ignore the old man's speech that would surely come.
Attalus sighed.
"Listen Hephaestion, you are going to be a general one day. You need to stop joking around and be serious. You cannot fail. You cannot oversleep, you cannot lack sleep either. You cannot afford being tired, or angry, or scared. You cannot afford to make a mistake. We do not make mistakes. A mistake for us can cost lives. You already failed once, Hephaestion…"
Hephaestion's scar suddenly burnt on his abdomen, stinging at the memory of the infamous battle. He looked down, fixing his eyes on the ground, still pretending he couldn't hear him.
"…Don't let us down again. Don't let Alexandros down. You made the prince risk his life to save you once. Don't ever let that happen again. I am counting on you. Macedon is counting on you…"
Hephaestion finished his stretching routine as soon as Attalus left, and with it, the training begun.
The sun hit merciless the scrawny bodies of the young soldiers. The men were exhausted after only a few minutes of training.
Hephaestion observed the sad scene with disappointment.
"I feel bad for the crows, there won't be even enough meat for them", he joked
"What a thing to say, Hephaestion" Ptolemy gave him a glare, "this is no time to be joking".
"Take a break, boys! Get some water!" Ordered Hephaestion.
"These are no soldiers. They are too old to start their straining. They are farmers, blacksmiths... I don't know how the king intends to invade Persia with this army", said Ptolemy, pulling a bucket of water up a well.
"I don't know what his intentions are…", said Hephaestion.
"Your highness!" Suddenly yelled a soldier.
"It's her!" Whispered a young boy, and everyone else around them stood in line, exited.
Olympias walked across the training grounds toward Hephaestion and Ptolemy.
"Enjoying the morning breeze under the sun, your Highness?" Asked Hephaestion with a playful smile. "or perhaps you have come to amuse yourself with the arts of wrestling?"
"Very funny," she said. "Have you seen my son?"
Hephaestion slightly tilted his head and forced a smile.
"No, your Highness, I have not seen your son. In fact, it has been a while since I've known what your son is doing, where he is, or who he is with. It would be a better to ask Waver, perhaps. He seems more informed than us…", he said, bitterly.
Olympias looked at him, thoughtful.
"I guess he returned to that bad habit of his…", she observed. "He probably found a new toy to play with, something more interesting than his duties".
Hephaestion chuckled, unamused at her comment.
"I am sorry to interrupt, please continue. At least one of you is doing what you are supposed to. Thank you, Hephaestion", the queen said, and walked away back into the palace.
"But seriously, where the heck is he?" Wondered Ptolemy
"I swear to Zeus, if someone asks me one more time…!"
Out in the mountains, prince Alexandros and Waver made their way to the temple of Ares.
"Remind me why are we hear again?" Asked Waver, panting his way up the mountain.
"I told you," said Alexander, wiping a drop of sweat from his forehead with his wrist, "we are here for the offering to the god".
"Right, and we had to go all the way up this hill for that…"
"It is part of it. You cannot ask for something and give nothing in return".
"Because carrying a basket full of animals' guts isn't sacrifice enough…", he mumbled to himself
"I heard that"
"How much longer?" Waver ignored him.
"If I could hear that, Ares certainly could…"
"Good, because if he is listening, I have a couple of things to say to him. For example, TO END THIS STUPID WAR!"
"Careful" Alexander turned to him, alarmed, "Do not tease the gods, Waver Velvet, or they will unleash their wrath upon you, and you will doom us all".
The seriousness of his look was intimidating, even if Waver didn't believe in any gods.
"I-I was just joking… anyway, the faster we finish, the better", he said.
They reached the temple after an hour. The priests and priestesses welcomed them with a cup of water and lead them to the place where they performed the ritual.
After they finished their prayers, Alexander sat under the shade of an olive tree, gathering strength for their journey back to the palace.
"What a long morning!" Alexander said, relaxing on the ground.
Waver followed him.
"Are you sure you won't be in trouble for not training the new soldiers?" he asked
"It's fine! This is more important to win the war"
"I'm not so sure about that…" said Waver, skeptical, then placed his cloak on the rough ground to seat by his side. When he did, he felt he had sat on something. He checked in between his cloak and found a bracelet. He had forgotten he brought it to give it to Alexander earlier.
"On a second thought, maybe it's better if we head back soon", said Alexander, suddenly remembering he had to train the new army that morning.
Waver put the bracelet back into his pocket.
"We better hurry, we have one more errand to run before we go to the palace after all!" Alexander said energetically.
"What?! Another one?!"
Alexander and Waver entered the temple of Dionysus that afternoon, carrying offerings for the god.
"How many more gods do you plan on worshipping today?" Complained Waver.
"This is the last one", said Alexander, "At least for today"
Alexander stared at the statue of the god, and a sudden feeling of joy and nostalgia invaded him.
"It's been a while since I've been here…" he said, "I used to come here everyday"
He remembered the mosaic mural he used to admire as a kid.
"Oh! Since we are already here, I would like to see something. Wait here, I will be right back!"
He said, walking away.
"Wait! Don't leave me here by myself! I'm only here because you dragged me with you. Let's go back already!" Waver said, following him.
"Hey wait!"
Waver followed him into a small room.
Alexander stopped there to admire the windows and mosaic art that had recently been placed there.
"This used to be almost empty", he observed, "We used to come here to play"
"We?" Asked Waver, curious.
"The last time I was here I was still a boy…" Alexander said, almost to himself. "A teenager, yet still a boy. That was almost three years ago…"
He walked around the room, sliding his fingers through everything he could see, as if his hands would remember what his eyes could not.
His hands suddenly stopped on some sort of chest, his fingers finding their way into a secret drawer.
"Ah!", gasped Alexander, fascinated by what his hands found. "It's still here!"
"What?" Asked Waver, "What is it?"
"This was Hephaestion's" He said as he took out an old copy of the Iliad. He blew away the dust, and gently stroke the leather cover. A smile appeared on his lips, "He had it that day we met…"
Alexander remained like that for a while, lost in his memories.
Waver stood there in silence, feeling suddenly awkward.
"Ahem", coughed Waver after a while. "I have something for you"
He took out the bracelet and handed it over to Alexander.
"Put it on and don't ever remove it".
Alexander stared at the silver chain with a blue rock in the middle.
"A gift for me?" he said, gently putting the book back into the drawer. "Why are you being so kind? What did I do?"
He accepted the bracelet, extending his arm to Waver, who helped him put it on.
"I-I'm not being kind!", said Waver, blushing. "It is an amulet. I have enchanted it to protect you from magic. The rock will glow to alert you whenever an extraordinarily powerful magical circuit is around. I made one for myself and thought it would be good for you to have one as well".
Waver took a second bracelet out of his cloak and tried to put it on himself, without success. Alexander helped him.
"Thank you, I appreciate your concern", he said, smiling at Waver.
"It's nothing…" said Waver, blushing.
"I am so lucky to have you…" Alexandros though out loud.
Waver was not sure what to say to him.
"…and Hephaestion, and Ptolemy", continued Alexander
"Oh…" said Waver, slightly disappointed. "Yes, I guess you have very good friends"
"Hey, Waver?"
"Yes?"
Waver turned to him, Alexander's eyes sparkled intensely, reflecting the golden gleam of the mural.
"Will you follow me to eternity?", he said, placing a hand on Waver's shoulder.
Waver was speechless, surprised by the unexpected words. He wanted to say "yes", he really wanted to. But something inside him wouldn't let him. The memory of Iskandar, the heroic spirit, haunted him, reminding him the person in front of him was someone else. He had sworn loyalty to one king, and one only.
"Alexander, I-" Waver took his hand, gently moving it away from his shoulder.
"Alexandros!" Parmenion suddenly came in, panting
"Parmenion?" The prince turned to him, "How did you know I was here?"
"Hephaestion… he knew you would be here" he said, catching his breath, "He is waiting for you, we need to go, now!"
"Why? What happened?"
"The Persians!" Yelled Parmenion "They have reached our walls…!"
"What?!" Alexander and Waver yelled at the same time.
"We are under attack!"