Day Twelve: First heartbreak.
News always seemed to spread quickly in the Macedonian lands but when they were related to the Crown prince, they seemed to fly at eagle-speed so it was not a surprise that Queen Olympias knew about Alexander's crush on his blue-eyed friend even before the warm feeling had settled in Alexander's heart.
Antipater, Cassander's father, had let the bomb drop as an innocent comment while having dinner at the king's table. Alexander's parents had quite opposite reactions to the startling piece of news. King Philip thought that Hephaestion could be a good influence on Alexander if the prince did not let the brunette manipulate him. The young boy was intelligent, trustful and loyal, three virtues that were difficult to find in only one man, more if that person was still a young teen.
The boy also came from a traditional Macedonian family, whose men had always served and fought for the king.
The king took a big bite of the meat on his plate and went on considering things about his favourite General's son. He was almost sure that Hephaestion's friendship with Alexander would never be a stone in his son's path towards his own achievements; in fact, the blue-eyed boy would be like a safe person to go and ask for advice due to his witty mind and diplomatic skills, inherited by his own father. The king also knew that the boy would step aside when the time for choosing a wife for Alexander arrived; Hephaestion was too noble at heart to be a nuisance. He only prayed the gods to give Hephaestion the strength of mind and heart to remain as he was at this precise moment for the rest of his life.
On the other hand, queen Olympias was fuming with anger when she heard the news. That pretty boy, who, according to Cleitus and other grown up men of the Cavalry, was sex on legs, could bring her son's downfall with those deep cyan eyes and those tempting milky thighs.
Olympias had not had the opportunity to meet him before he went to the Lyceum but she promised herself that she would find the chance soon. If she wanted to know her enemy, she had to keep him close, really close. She wanted so badly to have him close to her that she was thinking about spending summer at Mieza. She would even tolerate living in that Spartan big house her king liked to call his small summer palace. She wanted to keep a close eye on that brunette that seemed to be unsettling her always obedient son with his charms, beauty and good manners.
Antipater's words had sunk deeply inside her twisted heart and it had trembled with, quite a feat for such an implacable woman like her, but no one but her would ever have influence on Alexander. She had never let Philip influence too much on him so she would never let a mere boy take her son from under her control.
She announced her desire to visit her son during the summer in Mieza in the throes of passion, after a long lovemaking. King Philip was known for not being too much coherent in the afterglow, especially if the mysterious body of his queen had satiated him. While being under that effect, he could promise to steal a lightning from the very same Zeus.
However, the following morning when Olympias talked abut her departure towards the Lyceum, King Philip looked very surprised and tried to think when he had accepted that. He late realized that he had been manipulated once again due to his weakness for his wife's tempting and sneaky body.
As many of his most trusted men surrounded them, the king did not dare to deny his consent and simply nodded towards her. The queen smiled broadly in triumph so things began to be organized and packed for the long stay in the summerhouse. Maids and pages were coming and going carrying things in their arms but what called the king's attention most was the presence of five very young teenagers, girls similar in age and beauty to the prince, and the king suddenly realized what Olympias's real reason was, hidden behind her innocent visit to her so missed son. She was going there to play dirty. To get her son from the brunette's claws.
Philip thought that Hephaestion would be a worthy rival to the queen and he would pay a hundred gold coins to see their "war" because he was sure that there would be blood … and tears … and broken hearts …
A month went by since the news had arrived at the Macedonian palace and four of them had gone since the two lovebirds had shared their first shy kisses, which by now, had turned into toe-curling ones, leaving them with swollen lips and itchy bodies. They had not gone further than sharing kisses but the time for more was arriving sooner than they thought. They were already fourteen years old, a suitable age to discover the pleasure of the flesh.
Their bodies had flourished in those last months and, with them, their desire for the other and the need to work out all that unresolved sexual tension between them. Hands had begun to wander below their waists, testing their reactions that had been always the same lately, hard manhoods, wet spots in their loincloths and laboured breathings after those explorations. However, none of them dared to take that step further in their relationship; they were afraid that they would change too much, turned weaker, or that if it did not work, they would lose the precious gift of their friendship because they also knew that after being lovers, there was no way back to friends.
The most reluctant was the brunette Hephaestion, he had more to lose than Alexander; he had walked into that relationship with his cyan eyes wide open, knowing that he would have to step aside when Alexander was in need to look for a wife to give him an heir. He was not blind but he was determined to enjoy the time they could have together so then, when they were apart, he would be able to cherish every shared moment and then offer Alexander a deeper friendship and his eternal loyalty to him and his family. He would also help the prince to follow and achieve his dreams, even if he had to follow him up to the end of the earth … or die in the conquest of them.
However, the prince had a complete different vision of their relationship. Hephaestion was the most romantic of the two but never in a girlish way. On the other hand, Alexander was getting more and more possessive with every single day that they spent together and he had also realized that he was not good at sharing, a serious defect on his part because he knew that Hephaestion, who was a free spirit, would feel trapped if he was constantly followed or watched. The prince had to learn to control that jealousy because if he did not, he would run the risk of turning Hephaestion into his most important weakness when he already saw him as his strength and anchor.
Alexander, in spite of his fourteen years, had very mature thoughts; he knew what his parents expected from him, his father wanted a strong ruler and a soldier, her mother wanted a ruthless king and a King of kings. He knew he would have to work hard to achieve those dreams but right now, what he wanted, more than anything, was to enjoy life before it got too complicated. And to add to his happiness, he wanted to enjoy this time with Hephaestion, his steadfast friend, his lover-to-be …..
Hephaestion was coming from the nearby river, where he had taken a quick dip, his strong chest bare while tiny drops of water were travelling along his sun kissed skin. He was toweling his hair with his damp chiton and looking downwards. That was why he did not see the newcomers arrived. However, a burst of feminine giggles made him lift his head and he found himself looking at five very pretty young girls, all of them wearing colourful peplos, with their hair combed into very intricate hairstyles.
The young boy looked again and saw a tall skinny woman in a red peplos descending from a cart. Her dark hair was full of long curls that made her look like a pretty Medusa but her eyes were cold as ice and he did not feel comfortable at all under her disapproving look.
When their eyes crossed, one pair green and the other blue, Hephaestion sensed feelings of hatred coming his way and he feared for his life.
"Don't you bow in front of your Queen?" Olympias asked with venom in her voice and a snake around her arm.
Hephaestion bowed slightly and apologized for his lack of respect, even though he realized he had not done anything wrong.
"Don't you have any kind of respect? How do you dare walk like that in front of your Queen and these fine noble young ladies, who one of them would become your future Queen?" she said, almost hissing every single word.
In that precise moment, Olympias knew she had won her first battle against her son's lover and that the poor brunette, still bow in front of her, did not know who he was dealing with yet.
The only thing Hephaestion knew at that moment was that his heart was breaking into a thousand pieces and that he had not been able to hide his pain before it showed in his eyes. Hephaestion stood up and put his damp and dirty chiton on again. The damp cloth enveloped and outstood all his muscles and the wonderful sight woke up, once more, the giggling of the young ladies.
Olympias made them shut up with one single icy look and the five ladies froze in their places.
At least, three different pairs of running footsteps could be heard approaching them and suddenly, a blonde young boy followed by a grey wolf and a black Saraman dog bumped into the brunette, throwing him to the floor. Sotiris and Peritas started to lick Hephaestion's face while Alexander tickled the tempting body beneath his. The prince had been planning this encounter all day long and when he did not find his friend in the river, he thought he had missed the opportunity to capture his brunette and convince him to spend the night in the woods as the following day was going to be their day off.
Alexander was about to kiss Hephaestion on the lips when he saw the blue eyes he loved so much, fully dilated, but it had not been him who had provoked that. The prince followed the frantic looks that Hephaestion was throwing over his right shoulder and Alexander found himself looking into the greenest and angriest eyes he had ever seen in his fourteen years.
"Joy to you Mother" he calmly said while standing up.
Instead of going to greet her properly, the prince outstretched his hand and helped Hephaestion to stand up. He then took a brunette tress in his fingers and combed it gently behind the brunette's ear, provoking his mother's wrath with that simple but meaningful gesture. Alexander realized that things would be wrong between them if he went on behaving like that …
However, Alexander decided that he would not let his mother reign over his will and heart as he had left her do before; he was his own man now; he wanted to be the ruler of his actions and not a mere pawn in his mother's devious plans. He breathed deeply and turned round to face his mother, who was still fuming in her place. But before moving, he took Hephaestion's hands in his and made him walk together towards the Queen. The brunette did not want to follow Alexander's path as he did not want to raise the Queen's anger once more but Alexander did not care about that, he wanted his Phai by his side and no one would tell him who he should be with.
The blonde prince and his brunette friend looked at the young ladies standing there, being the witnesses of a mother and son's battle of wills. Most of them had a terrified look in their eyes, with a submissive attitude revealed by their hunched shoulders, except one. This young lady was at the back of the rest and a bit separated as if she did not feel comfortable being there. Alexander and Hephaestion were attracted to her immediately, recognizing in her many of the characteristics they valued in each other. She truly outstood from the lot, her hair was a shiny red and her head was covered in long curls up to her waist, giving the image of a head on fire, she also wore a fringe to one side, a not very common hairstyle among young ladies in those times. She was quite tall for being a girl and her face, of a white complexion, was covered in tiny freckles that added a certain exotic look to her. Her eyes were also weird; with a strange shade of green, not like Olympias's, her eyes had a warmth look and they made you feel comfortable in her presence. The girl saw the two boys looking at her and, instead of blushing, as any of the rest would do, she threw them a fierce look as if she were annoyed by their appreciation. Her arched eyebrow put an end to their silent observation. But the clearing voice of the Queen made them look at her and so the red haired girl went back to be the tiniest of the problems they were about to face.
They knew that the Queen was ready to go to war, Hephaestion positively knew she had won the first battle by humiliating him in front of the young ladies, making him look as a mere servant. However, Alexander had won a tiny scuffle by not running to her side as soon as he was there. Both boys knew that they would only win if they presented a united front but maybe an inner help could be achieved in the following days. It would be a subtle work; no one should realize what the boys would be doing because they could be in peril of losing all before even starting, all that meant for them the world.