Day Two: A particular shade of Blue.
Hephaestion's eyes showed different shades of blue according to his mood, it was quite a peculiar characteristic of the remarkable man and it had been like that since the day he was born in that distant autumn day, that had been strangely warm for that season of the year.
His mother, who had lost her hope of having more children, was thrilled when she discovered that she was pregnant again. After having raised three other children, all of them grown men and brave soldiers as their father at the moment, she had much free time in her hands and she realized that this baby would be the prize in her golden years. She did not mind having another boy but she secretly wished for a girl who would keep her company while her four courageous men were far away, fighting for their Macedonian king.
The due date was close and, as Queen Olympias was expecting too, her second child in her case, King Philip had decided to stay in his kingdom to wait for the arrival of his baby while his diplomats were sent to missions to the different territories so they could tie new bonds with the recently conquered territories and their peoples.
Amyntas was back from the palace, after a long debriefing with King Philip, and his three sons were with him; they wanted to visit their mother before going back to their own homes where wives and children were looking forward to seeing them again after such a long and difficult campaign.
Lady Amyntoros was resting in her garden, sitting on a comfortable couch; her ankles were swollen due to her pregnancy and it had been difficult for her to walk properly these last days. Her maids were worried about her health; even though she was well, they were looking after her quite thoroughly because none of them wanted anything to happen to her, especially when their master was not in the farmhouse to help.
She had her eyes closed while she absently caressed her swollen belly. The baby inside it had always been a very quiet one, never bringing her any problem but today the baby had been particularly restless during the whole morning, since the very early hours of it. The baby had been moving and kicking her gently but kicking her anyway. The movements had intensified in the last hour so she decided to take a longer nap in the quietest place in the house and still enjoyed the weak warmth of the autumn day.
As soon as the heavy footsteps and the baritone voices were heard inside the house, the baby started to move so much that Lady Amyntoros had to grab her belly tight. She was folded over her own stomach, leaning forwards and she was still cradling it between her arms when she was found in that disturbing position by her four men, who suddenly ran towards her and started to bombard her with tons of questions; their voices laced with concern and fear.
She started to take deep breaths and everything got calmer inside her belly when Amyntas set his big right hand over the taut skin and caressed it gently with his callous fingers. He leant over and spoke directly to the baby inside his wife's womb:
"Soothe baby, don't kick your mummy like that because it hurts"
…. And miraculously, the kicking and movements stopped.
"He likes your voice, Sire" said lady Amyntoros while she pushed herself upwards to sit more comfortable.
Her sons hurried immediately to her side to help her, bringing some more cushions and a glass of fresh water.
Amyntas leaned over his wife and took her soft pinkish lips in a tender kiss but as usually happened to them due to their deep love, the desire for each other grew with every passing minute. One of his sons, the eldest of the three, Lysander, cleared his voice lowly once but the gesture did not affect the recently met lovers. He cleared his voice once more, a bit louder this time and at the repeated sound, the couple ended their kiss and then the battle-proved General stepped backwards, licking his lips as he could still taste his wife's tenderness and love in his lips. He then turned to look at his sons with a smirk in his face. After seeing the astonished expressions in their young faces, he smiled openly because, even though their sons were adults and they had wives and families of their own, they were still reluctant to accept that their parents still have a very active and healthy sexual life.
The whole family shared a late hearty meal in the kitchen and even though the men ate everything with too much gusto, lady Amyntoros did not eat too much, she spent the whole meal moving the food around the plate and just taking one or two bites of the meat and vegetables. When the meal was nearly over, she stood up from her chair and started to wander around the room, arranging things that were perfectly in order and cleaning others that were already spotless.
Lysander looked at his father and a broad smile appeared in his handsome face, he then added:
"She has begun to nest, papa the baby is coming soon" the man had seen the same signs with his younger brothers and with his own wife when she was expecting his children.
"I think you are right, son. Please go and tell Lena to be ready and to gather all the necessary things for the delivery. As you have just said, the baby will be here soon" Amyntas said while taking his wife to their chamber, walking slowly and whispering words of love into her ear.
After talking for some minutes among them, the three sons decided to stay for the incoming birth as Lena, after checking her mistress's state, had assured them that it would not take longer. The young men sent three stable boys, one to each of the their houses, to let their wives and children know that they were back and safe but that they would be in their parents' house waiting for the arrival of the baby.
As the three houses were relatively near, within the hour, the three daughters-in-law and four grandchildren arrived at the Amyntoros' farmhouse, bringing food for the men and presents for the newborn.
The whole atmosphere inside the house was festive and the people's moods were quite high because the last baby had been born eight years ago and she was soon was going to be a proud aunt. Nobody could deny that the newcomer would be spoiled rotten, not only by his parents and elder brothers but also by four very young aunts and uncles.
The pain began slowly, coming in slow waves that made the skin of the belly stretch and then relax almost immediately after. Then it intensified preparing lady Amyntoros's body for the last stage of her very easy an peaceful pregnancy.
Lena entered the room and gently commanded everybody to go outside to wait because the baby was due any time soon. She set several fluffy towels, made of the finest Egyptian cotton and three sets of bowls with tepid water to use in the delivery. If this baby were similar to the other three, the birth would be quick and uneventful. The other three babies had been born with nearly five kilos each, with a mop of blonde thin hair on top of their babies' heads and round-shaped green eyes, the spitting image of their mother and they had all turned into gorgeous and strong men, who had fathered gorgeous babies too.
Lena and two other maids were present next to the woman lying on the bed, as well as her husband who had refused to leave her alone. The hardened warrior had bathed and changed his dusty clothes and he was now wearing clean clothes to assist his wife in her delivery. He was sat next to her, with one of her small hands between his huge ones while he dried the sweat from her forehead.
A strong contraction attacked her body and Lena could see the baby's head crowning. The woman on the bed pushed once more and the head was completely out and, at that precise moment, the fire in the fireplace grew by itself and produced big flames catching the attention of all the people there.
"If it is a boy, I know how I will name him" lady Amyntoros announced between deep intakes of air.
The woman said that with such confidence in her tiny voice that her husband, who had always named all his sons, did not dare to contradict his beloved wife's wish.
The next contraction and following push let the baby release the full head and his narrow shoulders completely, Lena was surprised to find a brunette mop on the round head, and she instantly knew that the baby was going to be more special than the others were.
One last and strong push let the baby out of the comfortable nest that had been holding and taking care of him for the last nine months. Lena took the baby in her hands; she immediately cleaned the nostrils and mouth and handed to the father. Amyntas looked at him and proceeded to cut the umbilical cord with the very same dagger that had cut the previous cords and many others before those. The General, who already had a cotton blanket in his hands, wrapped the baby in it and lifted him above his head and proudly announced "It is a boy" and after leaving his first fatherly kiss on the baby's forehead, he gave him to his mother who immediately cuddled him against her warm chest. The baby pursed his mouth, wrinkled his button nose, yawned widely and when all that was over, he blinked several times and finally opened his eyes, fixing them onto his mother's face.
A general sound of surprise could be heard in the room, it was so loud that the ones who were waiting outside the chamber, entered to see what was happening.
They approached the bed and looked at the baby in lady Amyntoros's arms. The newborn, mesmerized by his mother's face, looked at her again, opening his eyes wider and so the rest could see what had caused the previous sound of surprise.
The baby's eyes were baby blue, so clear, so crystal blue that it seemed as if you were looking into the waters of the Aegean Sea. It had a unique shade of blue and he was the first of the Amyntoros' boys to have eyes like his father's but with a different shade of blue, clearer, brighter … more lively.
Once the general surprise was over, lady Amyntoros kissed her newborn baby's forehead and said:
"I name you Hephaestion Amyntoros, son of Amyntas and I am sure that you will be a very special man. Honour your name, be loyal to your family, be strong but merciful, love and be true to your heart because that is what will make you loved by all"
All the people present were truly moved by lady Amyntoros' words especially because she was always the quietest of the family, more prone to listen than to speak, always ready to follow than to lead …
The new uncles and aunts gathered around their grandmother's bed and greeted the baby with sweet kisses and gentle caresses. They also took turns during the whole day to carry him in their arms, under the strict vigilance of their mothers. The small people in the family looked at the baby as if he were the newest toy and they were already thinking what they would teach him as soon as he started to move on his own.
Lady Amyntoros started to doze and so her husband asked the rest of the family to move their celebration outside the room so mother and baby could get a well-deserved rest.
She set more comfortably on her back and after some minutes, she rolled to her right side while the baby rolled to his left and they were facing each other.
"Rest my Phai, grow strong, be brave and love without restriction, I could foresee a great future waiting for you"
The baby looked at his mother and, even with his still blurred vision, he saw unconditional love in her emerald eyes and heard the warmth of her words in her soothing voice. Cuddling against her chest, he closed his baby blue eyes and went to sleep, feeling safe in the arms of his mother.