Story Title: Teach Me the Meaning…
Chapter Title: Teach Me the Meaning of Resilience
Summary: Bagoas hates serving Darius as a courtesan but fears what new duties Alexander's reign might force him into performing.
A/N: So yeah, I had planned to introduce Alexander into this story by the end of this chapter, but you're going to have to wait until the next one. I'm not too disappointed about it, though. I think it'll make things more enjoyable in the end. So I hope you'll enjoy chapter 02 as it is.
Warnings: Tyriotes gets mad and his words become a little graphic. You'll get over it.
Disclaimer: I have no ownership in Oliver Stone's Alexander or in Mary Renault's books. I'm just borrowing some of their historical characters for fun.
After a few weeks of peaceful solitude in the Babylonian palace, Bagoas emerged from his rooms one afternoon to an atmosphere charged with tension. Curious, he sought out Tyriotes to find out why everyone seemed to be on edge. The youth found his friend sitting on the ledge of a small pool in the harem's private fountain court, talking with the chief eunuch and several lesser-ranking individuals. They were speaking in hushed whispers, fright glowing in their dark eyes, and Bagoas felt worry begin to bubble up in his stomach.
The young courtesan approached the pool with his usual cool arrogance and commanding grace. Ever since he had arrived in Darius's court, Bagoas had worked hard to earn the dislike of the other eunuchs. During his first few weeks, they had harassed him with embarrassing and annoying questions about his intimate services to the Great King. They had fawned over him, offering tiny gifts and services, trying to win his favor, knowing he had the king's. A few of the more desperate individuals had even gone so far as to corner him in his rooms and attempt to seduce him, pledging to treat him as if he were the Great King and themselves the courtesan. They had wrongly assumed he enjoyed his duties, attributing this as the cause for his unwillingness to tell them anything. Frightened and disgusted by the actions, Bagoas had threatened to tell Darius who would have had them exiled or executed for such things. After that, many of the eunuchs had begun to leave the youth to his own devices, not realizing how afraid and alienated their persistent questions had made the young courtesan feel.
Bagoas slipped up to Tyriotes and sat down beside him. The others had known for awhile that the late Queen's gentle servant had somehow managed to catch the young courtesan's eye, but due to the youth's public attitude, many had come to feel sorry for Tyriotes rather than jealous of him.
"Darius met the Macedonians and Greeks at Gaugamela. Although he had them outnumbered, he apparently turned tail and ran," Tyriotes informed his young friend. "Rumors say he's fleeing for Ecbatana and won't be returning to Babylon anytime soon."
"And what of the Macedonian king?" Bagoas kept his voice neutral, carefully masking the fear and betrayal that he felt at the news.
"Some say he'll pursue Darius. Others think he'll bring his army here to Babylon," the elder eunuch glanced at the young courtesan from the corner of his eye, trying to gage the reaction he was hiding. "Either way, all the messengers agree that he's currently taking time to care for the wounded and give last rights to the dead, even though it costs him valuable time."
"Well if he decides to come to Babylon, he will probably find himself with time to spare. This is the second time our Great King has fled from him, after all," Bagoas could not hide all of the contempt from his voice, leaving some of the other eunuchs looking stunned at his words. "This Macedonian seems patient. It should not surprise anyone if he bides his time and lets Darius run for a little while. He probably fancies it as a game of cat and mouse."
"Do you really think he's that arrogant, Bagoas?" one of the other eunuch's inquired.
"Arrogance is the birthright of royalty and nobility," the youth shrugged, getting up to leave. "You've been here long enough. You should have learned that by now."
"If it's the birthright of nobility, than what's your excuse?" another eunuch quipped.
Bagoas turned to glare at the offender for a long moment, and Tyriotes could sense his friend was debating something in his mind which was important to him. Finally there was a softening to the young courtesan's eyes, and for the first time, Bagoas allowed the other eunuchs to see a hint of his deep sadness.
"All any of you have ever seen are the lavish gifts that Darius has bestowed upon me, but none of you have ever realized that he has taken away from me everything that I ever had and held dear," Bagoas turned away before anyone could see the tears threatening his eyes. "The only thing I have left that did not come from that self-centered coward is my pride."
The youth hurried from the courtyard then, focused only on getting back to the safety and comfort of his rooms. As soon as he was out of sight, he knew the others would huddle back together again to begin gossiping about him. And for once, Bagoas wished he hadn't become such a stranger to his fellow eunuchs. The thought only lasted a moment, however, as he recalled just how petty and competitive the group of harem servants could be. He knew he was better off without them.
A few moments after he reached his tiny apartment, Bagoas heard a soft knock on the door. Then Tyriotes slipped into his front room and immediately drew him into a consoling embrace. The young courtesan allowed himself to collapse against his friend's sturdy frame and weep into his shoulder, needing to just let go of his straining emotions. Tyriotes rocked him back and forth, hushing him with gentle words and soft caresses. Bagoas took all of it that he could get, nuzzling hard against the elder eunuch's chest and threatening to unconsciously bite him as his sobs grew harsher.
"What are we to do now, Tyri? Darius has abandoned us to a barbarian king and his marauding army! We'll be lucky if they don't kill us in their quest to wipe out loyalty to the Great King!"
"I don't know what we should do, Bagoas, but I do know that it will be better for us to stay put than to risk being caught on the run. All we can do is pray that this Macedonian will be merciful. We are merely servants, after all."
"But they can do whatever they want with servants without political consequence!" Bagoas stared up at his friend with terror in his eyes. "I've heard that it is common to keep boys for pleasure in Greece, that in Athens men brawl for them in the streets. I'll end up becoming the plaything for half their army! I'll be raped to death!"
"We have heard no rumors even hinting that this Macedonian king allows his men to commit such acts. To the contrary, some say he has flogged men for raping innocents. Do not turn fearful without due cause."
"Do not trust to hope either!" Bagoas buried his face against Tyriotes's chest once again, his hysterical sobs choking off his words completely.
"Bagoas, oh little Bagoas, hush now!" the elder eunuch ran his fingers through the youth's glossy hair. "This Macedonian won't even arrive for over a week. We have time to figure things out, to gather more information on him. With Darius on the run, his spies won't all be able to catch up with him. Some will come here and report, surely! We'll find a way to keep you safe if it is necessary, I promise!"
As Tyriotes continued to offer soothing words and calming touches, Bagoas's hysterics slowly eased away. Finally exhausted, the youth began drifting off to sleep in his friend's protective arms. Moving with utmost care, the elder eunuch carried the slumbering courtesan into his bedroom and put him to bed. Knowing the younger eunuch would most likely wake up with a headache from his crying, Tyriotes then went to fetch fresh wash water and some medicinal concoction to clear the youth's head.
When the elder eunuch finally returned from his little mission, he was disturbed to find Bagoas toying with one of his ornate daggers used as a prop in some of his dances. The look in the courtesan's eyes warned Tyriotes that whatever his friend was pondering, nothing good could come out of it. Moving quickly, the elder eunuch placed a firm hand around the slightly smaller one which held the dagger.
"No, don't even think about it, Bagoas," Tyriotes's voice possessed a seldom-heard commanding tone that startled the youth out of his trance-like state. The elder eunuch took the dagger from his friend and placed it back in the drawer of his dressing table.
As he turned back to Bagoas, Tyriotes found the young courtesan staring up at him with more sorrow in his dark eyes than his friend had ever seen before, and it greatly worried the elder eunuch. The youth was coming dangerously close to his breaking point, but Tyriotes would refuse to let him fall over the edge.
"Here, drink this," his voice gentle now, the elder eunuch handed the healing brew that he had fetched to the young courtesan. Bagoas took it and drank the bitter herbal concoction without complaint and then relaxed back onto his soft mattress.
Tyriotes dipped a clean washcloth in the bowl of fresh water he had collected and began to wipe the tearstains from the youth's delicate face. As he worked, a knock sounded on the outer door, and after Bagoas bid the visitor to enter, the chief eunuch slipped into the tiny apartment. For a moment, the fat, bald-headed eunuch stared at the late Queen's servant, seemingly surprised to find him in Bagoas's bedroom. But then the little courtesan spoke, snapping the other out of his thoughts.
"And what mal intent brings you here?" despite his weariness, the youth still showed annoyance at this unwanted visit. After what he had revealed in the fountain court, Bagoas wasn't feeling up to dealing with anyone beyond Tyriotes at the moment.
"I just wanted to check up on you to make sure you were alright," the chief eunuch fumbled with his pudgy fingers, feeling ashamed that he too, like all the other harem servants, had so badly misjudged the youth. "It is my job after all, and apparently I have not been doing it as I should."
Bagoas gave the chief eunuch a distrustful glance before refocusing on Tyriotes and reaching for the damp cloth he still held. After spreading the item over his face, the courtesan rolled onto his side, putting his back to the room in a dismissive attitude. Tyriotes knew his friend wasn't trying to get rid of him; it was his other visitor he wanted to discourage. The elder eunuch rubbed comfortingly at the youth's back a few times and then stood up to direct their overseer to the front room.
After shutting the bedroom door behind him, Tyriotes gave the chief eunuch a questioning look, wanting to know why the other male had decided to invade his friend's sanctuary now.
"How's he reacting to the news?" the overseer inquired, still fumbling with his fingers and not willing to meet Tyriotes eyes.
"How do you think? He's absolutely terrified!" the other eunuch hissed. "This is your fault, you know. If you idiots hadn't alienated him by assuming he enjoyed his job and this life…"
"And how were we supposed to know? Most of us would sell our souls to have the opportunities he has had!"
"Oh come on! How could you not know he hates it? What fourteen-year-old who you've ever met actually wants to get his ass plugged by some horny old man every other night? King or no king, it's still a harsh way to lose one's innocence," Tyriotes wanted very much to strangle the obnoxious, oblivious eunuch standing before him. "And now he's eighteen and scared to death that this Macedonian conqueror is going to throw him in amongst a horde of soldiers who haven't had a woman or a boy for a month or more as soon as they reach Babylon's gates!"
On second thought, Tyriotes wished he could gut the man with Bagoas's dagger, thinking he'd never get his hands around enough of the overseer's flabby neck to actually asphyxiate him. The late Queen's servant took a deep, calming breath and turned away from the target of his rising anger, knowing Bagoas needed him as a reassuring force in his young life right now. Anger, no matter whom or what it was directed at, would only serve to stir up the youth's negative emotions under the current circumstances.
"He's not handling things well right now," Tyriotes ran a hand through his shoulder-length hair. "I know him better than anyone else, but even I can't predict what he's going to do under the strain of this new situation. Lately, though, some of his words and actions have me worried for his health and safety."
"Stay with him then," the chief eunuch said after a short pause. Tyriotes glanced at him as though he had grown a second head.
"Be serious! I would be executed for such a thing!"
"I am being serious. Consider the facts. Darius has fled, and he won't be coming back to Babylon anytime soon. The Macedonians and Greeks are not as restrictive with their women as we are, so I would say it's safe to conclude they aren't as restrictive with their boys either. And what they don't know won't hurt you. If anyone asks, you're just taking care of a sick courtesan as you used to care for the Queen. Bagoas's servant doesn't have your expertise in that particular area after all. Why would this Macedonian king execute or even punish you for doing a necessary job that no one else has the training for here?"
Tyriotes had to admit that the chief eunuch made a fair argument. And he did want to stay with Bagoas to make sure the youth didn't do anything stupid in a fit of emotion. Finally he nodded his agreement.
"And I want you to make sure no one else says anything stupid to him or within his hearing," Tyriotes gave the overseer one last hard look. "I want them to understand that Bagoas hates what he's been forced to do and that their envy hurts him. If they had understood that from the beginning, then he wouldn't have become so arrogant towards them."
The chief eunuch consented and then turned to leave. Tyriotes waited until the door had closed behind his chubby form before slipping back into Bagoas's bedroom. He found the youth still curled on his side, but the washcloth had been removed from his face and placed back into the silver bowl on the dressing table. With a gentle smile, the elder eunuch slipped into the bed beside the younger and ran a comforting hand through the courtesan's tear-dampened hair. Bagoas turned a questioning look on his friend.
"The chief eunuch gave me permission to stay with you for now," Tyriotes explained. "If anyone asks, they're to be told that you're sick and that your servant doesn't know how to handle it."
Bagoas responded with a sleepy smile and nuzzled against his friend's chest. Within moments, the youth had fallen asleep in the protective comfort of Tyriotes's arms.
End A/N: So that's chapter 02. I hope you enjoyed it. (Personally, it's a little shorter than what I wanted, but setting up the next scene would have added too much I think.)
Please review! It's always appreciated! ~ Stony Knight