3 months ago, they'd conquered Persia and discovered the beauty of Babylon. Alexander was still searching for Darius and missed his best friend Hephaistion who had been gone for two and a half months on a mission to supervise the creation of a new Alexandria.
Bagoas watched his king who was standing near the window. He felt loved and lucky that Alexander had taken him under his wing. The Macedonian people were not very fond of the new king's lover but Bagoas didn't mind very much. He was in love with his new king and happy to be with him. He finally fell asleep content.
The next morning when Bagoas awoke, the king wasn't beside him. He was sitting on a comfortable chair reading a letter with a huge smile on his face. Bagoas stood up from the bed and crossed the room.
" Good morning." The still groggy Persian said.
Alexander waved at him, but still remained focused on his letter. Bagoas left the room. He needed to take his own bath, before bathing the king. He returned soon after and bathed his king. Alexander did not speak; he seemed to be lost in his dreams so Bagoas hesitated to ask him what was on his mind. Alexander had told him he could talk to him freely but he still wasn't comfortable with this. Such freedom was unheard of in Darius' court. He preferred to stay silent, sooner or later he would know. Alexander would speak.
Later as Bagoas was walking in the palace. He over heard two soldiers in discussion. The eunuch was a quick study and his Greek had improved greatly. He'd decided though that the fewer people who knew this fact the better.
" General Hephaistion, our king's favorite, is coming back in few days." The first one said with derision in his tone.
" I know, Crateros and Cassander were speaking about it."
The two were laughing, saying they couldn't wait to see Hephaistion's face when he discovered the king with the eunuch. His new devoted lover. Bagoas was stunned at there crass comments about their ranking officer and king.
" I can't wait to see it either, my friend!"
" I don't know, at least the general is a Macedonian! This eunuch! Gods… who knows just what he is!" The other soldier said with an squeamish look on his face.
Bagoas who had hidden from them, turned and went back to his chamber. He thought about what he had just heard. Just how powerful was this General Hephaistion and how, exactly did he fit into his new kings life? He only knew a little bit about the man. He worried that he'd be displaced so soon. If indeed Hephaistion was now coming back he told himself he needed to learn more.
Bagoas knew who Hephaistion was. He'd met him. He also remembered what Alexander had said to the Princess Stateira. That he, Hephaistion, was Alexander too. He'd also learned that the young, handsome general was Alexander's childhood friend and lover. But Bagoas hadn't seen him a lot. The young king had sent him away on a mission just after their first meeting and quickly after took Bagoas as a lover. Alexander never spoke to him about his closest friend. It was as if Hephaistion had been forgotten since then. Alexander now focused his love on Bagoas. At least that is what Bagoas loved to tell himself.
What little he had learned about Hephaistion he'd gleaned from listening to generals' and soldiers' discussions, just the way he just learned the general was coming back. Hephaistion wasn't loved, he wasn't smart, he was not even considered a good warrior. At best he was hated and envied. The victim of rife jealousy. He'd simply had enough luck to have found his way into Alexander's bed. Then, since their childhood, he had used the king's weakness to bring favor upon himself.
Bagoas didn't like Hephaistion very much. Not only because of what he'd heard, but also because he was coming back. Bagoas being wise in the ways of courts felt much more secure with the general away. At the same time, a conflicted Bagoas thought that surely if the king had 'sent' his old lover away for two and a half months, it must be proof that Alexander had discovered the pleasures of Persia and may have gotten over Hephaistion. It was sheer nonsense to part from the one you supposedly loved so much for that long. Bagoas calmed himself with these reassuring thoughts. The king loved him, there was no reason to worry about it.
Hephaistion was at his desk. He was rereading his reports about the work he had done in building Alexandria. The elaboration of the building from A to Z. The report was almost two hundred pages and he wanted it to be perfect.
"You'd better to take a rest, Hephaistion. You leave tomorrow, early." Said Narssasse, the Persian son of the nobleman Hephaistion had put in charge of the new city.
"I need to finish it." Replied Hephaistion absently.
"You have already finished it." Narssasse looked at the Greek general. "You have done amazing work here and your king 'will' be impressed. Now rest."
Hephaistion remained silent. Staring dully at the papers before him. Indeed good work, and for what?
"You don't seem very happy to leave Alexandria, Hephaistion; since you sent your letter announcing your mission was done, you have seemed….upset"
Still no answer from the handsome man.
"It is the rumors. The rumors about the eunuch? They disturb you my friend. I've heard the rumors about him too. So I m sure that you must have."
" Would you mind your own business and let me work?" Scolded Hephaistion. A little more harshly than he had intended.
" I loved your speech at the 'farewell dinner', about how all of this was possible because of King Alexander and how he wants to unify Greeks and Persians." The young man's tone held a hint of anger.
" You seem bitter?"
" You have greatly minimized your part in this this….building of a new place. Besides why won't you stay until it's entirely done Hephaistion? You will be sorely missed."
"I am sure all will be fine. My work is done here, Narssasse."
" Who are you, Hephaistion? More than two months you are here and I don't know if you are a complete genius or the most stupid man I ever met."
Hephaistion frowned and glared at Narssasse. He was shocked that his aide would take such a tone and broach such a question. He had no answer so the bold fellow continued.
"Whoever you are Hephaistion, know that I am your friend now and for the last time, please read me more of the Iliad before we go. Leave this work. It is complete!" Said Narsasse with a soft but determined voice.
" Really?" Asked Hephaistion as his eyes lit up and Narsasses grinned at finally lightening Hephaistion's spirits. " I thought it bored you, our Illiad?"
"I was teasing you! You are so passionate when you read it. When you explain it to me it's like I am right there."
Hephaistion started to talk about the Iliad and also Homer and the time passed quickly. Much to Hephaistion's disappointment young Narssasse fell asleep in his chair, as he wove tale after tale for his guest.
Hephaistion was looking down at the city he'd built from his balcony. He was proud of himself, and proud of Alexander as well. He had missed his beloved so much. He'd been very busy though and the two months he'd been away seemed to pass quickly. He loved what he had done. Building the new city had taught so much, he had been thrilled and excited with the entire project. The young general had poured his soul into it. Sighing he tried to stave off his concerns. He didn't know what to think about the rumors he heard concerning his Alexander and the eunuch but still, despite his trust in Alexander he was bothered by them.
A few days later, Hephaistion arrived at Babylon. He was still impressed by the sumptuous city. He was very excited to be there again and could not wait to see Alexander. His excitement was quashed when Ptolemy told him that the king had learned in the morning that Darius might be just to the north and had left with a company to catch him.
Two days later, Hephaistion was bored. After so much activity in his new Alexandria, the palace at Babylon seemed like a golden prison to him. So with nothing to do he napped. Hephaistion was sleeping when a page told Hephaistion to join the king and the generals immediately, to issue a report. Hephaistion felt cold. He took his work with him. He had hoped that Alexander would call for him alone and before an official meeting, but no. The young man was hurt and upset.
Hephaistion explained his work in detail, and the always jealous and envious generals were bored to death. They didn't see the point in being there for such an unimportant thing as the construction of a city. Especially one that Hephaistion had built. Alexander was listening carefully and seemed very impressed and happy with Hephaistion's fine work.
As they left, Cleitos came closer to Hephaistion and whispered to him.
"You too will soon learn what it feels to have been a favorite. Yes, a friend and then lose it all..." He sneered at the younger man and stalked away.
Hephaistion stayed mute as Alexander looked at them. The generals had all left. Finally Alexander came closer to Hephaistion.
" What did Cleitos say to you?" He asked with concern.
Hephaistion, not in the mood for further delay, answered truthfully and bluntly. "That you've replaced me in your bed with a eunuch, Alexander."
Alexander laughed softly as he caressed Hephaistion's cheek tenderly. Hephaistion had missed the touch so badly, he felt shivers at the contact of Alexander's fingers despite his anger.
" Hephaistion," Alexander started, then was suddenly interrupted by Crateros who re-entered saying that a messenger had returned with news about Darius. Alexander nodded at Crateros.
"I'm coming." Then looked at Hephaistion. "I need to go Phai, take a rest, you did a fantastic job my friend. Come to me tonight, we will have time to talk then."
Alexander turned and quickly left with Craterus. Hephaistion was left wondering. When he'd gone away a little more than two months everything seemed so different. Yes, Alexander had been obsessed with Darius, and still was, so he was putting Hephaistion second to that challenge. Also just now when confronted, he didn't really answer when questioned about Bagoas. He couldn't wait to see Alexander that night. His hurt was turning to anger and it was not an emotion he liked to feel where Alexander was concerned.
Alexander was reading a letter when Bagoas saw Hephaistion enter the room. Bagoas looked at him discretely as he always did. Hephaistion was graceful and walked toward Alexander with ease and confidence. Taking a place behind the king he began to massage his shoulders while reading Alexander's letter.
The eunuch was truly shocked at his behavior and even more so when Alexander had nothing to say and let his old friend read over his shoulder. Bagoas felt betrayed, the king truly enjoyed Hephaistion's ministrations and the scene was displayed a great intimacy between them. Then Alexander stood up and asked Hephaistion to stay for the night. Bagoas' heart leerched in disappointment and when Hephaistion waved his hand absently toward where he stood without even a glance at him, the eunuch knew Hephaistion had noticed him but also noted that the general didn't take the effort to look at him, and he certainly did not give him very much concern. Alexander told Bagoas he would take his own bath, and dismissed him. Bagoas left the room quietly, but inside he felt insulted.
Hephaistion was back and Alexander had treated him like a simple Persian servant. Well he was a servant and he knew it, but he was a little more, too; yet in front of Hephaistion the king acted like he was nothing. One order of Hephaistion and he was reduced to a nobody. Bagoas wondered what Hephaistion's spell was? Yes, he was handsome, but Bagoas had a very unique beauty too. From what he had learned Hephaistion was not overly talented. Well, the eunuch chided himself, not talented except maybe in bed since the king kept him as his lover for so long. But Bagoas was a master of providing sexual pleasure, how could this lout of a Macadonian best him? He could give Alexander everything and anything the king desired.
Bagoas didn't recall ever feeling so jealous over someone, and understood that it was because he fallen in love with Alexander. He calmed down a bit and thought that after making love to the king for more than 2 months, Hephaistion would surely suffer from the comparison.
Alexander and Hephaistion moved out onto the large the balcony. Alexander had listened to Hephaistion's comments about his worries, and his mother. He wondered how his beloved could always read him like an open book and always be so accurate about his mind's ramblings and his doubts.
The king loved Hephaistion so much for that skill, he felt so at peace when he was with him. He had missed him so much. He put his hand on his lover's cheek and told him, he was the only one he loved, the only one he trusted, and that he had indeed missed him so much.
Hephaistion was so touched by Alexander's words, all his worries disappeared suddenly. Alexander told him exactly what he wanted to hear and what he needed to hear. He'd looked at him with such love that Hephaistion felt he couldn't breathe correctly. Alexander was speaking to him with simple and wonderful words that meant the world to him. He tried to distance himself from the powerful feeling by teasing Alexander about the way he had to have his head cocked, but soon he felt the need to tell Alexander what he was doing to him, how much he loved him and how much he feared to lose him. Even if he sounded stupid he didn't care, he needed to tell his beloved and have Alexander assure him he would never leave him.
Hephaistion broke the embrace and looked at him with a tender smile, soon replaced by a wicked grin. Alexander was wondering what Hephaistion had in his mind and he quickly found out when suddenly Hephaistion took him and threw him over his shoulder like a hunting trophy. Alexander was quite taken by surprise, his feet didn't touch the hard floor anymore.
"What are you doing Hephaistion? Put me down!" He yelled with a laugh.
Hephaistion didn't obey and began to laugh as he went back into the room with his prize.
"I am your king sir! Put me down!" Alexander said playfully, absolutely amused by the situation.
Finally, Hephaistion reached the royal bed, tossed his prize down and looked at him proudly, and with a naughty smile.
"I m going eat you, very slowly..." Said Hephaistion as he took off his green silky cloak and jumped on the bed near his lover who was watching him with lust.
Hephaistion kissed Alexander with passion, the night was still young and theirs alone.
Bagoas won back the bed of his king but only because Hephaistion had been sent on a new assignment for few days. He felt sad that when Hephaistion was there, he seemed to become invisible to his beloved king. He also noticed that when Hephaistion was away, Alexander was more tense and nervous.
"Is something wrong with you Bagoas?" Asked the king gently. One evening when the eunuch had seemed uncommonly quiet.
Bagoas didn't answer. He couldn't say to his king he felt lonely when Hephaistion was there.
"You can tell me everything." Insisted Alexander .
Bagoas looked at the man he'd fallen in love with. He decided to play the innocent one, and try to see what he could get from it. After all he'd survived until now because he was smart and a little manipulative and there was nothing wrong with it, because he used it for his safety.
"I wondered if I did something wrong, my King." He began. "You did not call me to please you for weeks, and if I did something wrong, I..."
Alexander interrupted him. "You did nothing wrong Bagoas. You are an angel." He said caressing his cheeks. " I really appreciate your company." He added.
Bagoas looked at his beloved. "So why?"
Alexander smiled. " Dear Bagoas, I deeply care about you, but you have to know and understand that when Hephaistion is here, I do not wish to be with anyone else. That does not mean that I do not care about you anymore or that you've done something wrong; it's just the way it is Bagoas. Hephaistion is my closest friend." stated Alexander.
"I understand." said Bagoas.
"Bagoas, I am going with the army, I will soon leave the palace to chase Darius, tomorrow, and I don't know when I'll return. Do you want to come with us? It won't be comfortable to live in a tent and travel but I will appreciate having you near by."
"I will follow you everywhere my king." He replied.
Alexander smiled at him and left the room.
Bagoas felt happy to have been asked to come but his joy was over-shadowed by the fact, that no matter what happened, by the his kings own admission, he would have to concede his place to Hephaistion whenever the young general was around.
Bagoas, from that forward, became obsessed with discovering Hephaistion's secret to keeping the king's love, and as the other Macedonian said. "Remaining at his beck and call."
He wanted to know, needed to know just who was this Hephaistion Amyntor.
TBC
