It was almost 2 and a half months since all the men, and any willing women, had left on their journey to Persia to fight King Darius. Alexander and his men had fought at Gaugamela and Darius had retreated, only to be found dead a week or so later.
Once the men had returned from battle, the women, usually the mistresses of King Darius, would comfort them and tend to their wounds. Cleitus was extremely lucky and thankful that he had his wife to care for him. It made his wounds seem far more important.
One afternoon as the men were gathering in Alexander's quarters to discuss their next attack, Claudita was busying herself with a stroll through the city, which Alexander now conquered. As she stopped by a small fountain in the centre of the town square, she felt herself overcome with queasiness. She held her hand over her mouth in an attempt to not throw up.
"I need to get back," she told herself. One of Darius' mistresses Stolca, who was also a slave, came across Claudita seated by the fountain.
"Mistress Claudita? Are you not feeling well?" she asked her. Claudita shook her head.
"No. I haven't been well for some weeks. I think it's just exhaustion from the travel. Perhaps I need to lie down, and rest," She told Stolca. Stolca nodded her agreement.
"Please, let me help you mistress," Stolca offered, as Claudita stood from her position at the fountain. She had only moved a few paces before she felt herself falling to the ground. She had fainted. Stolca did not know what to do. Thankfully however, some passersby came across the unconscious Claudita, and helped Stolca carry her to her chamber in Alexander's quarters. A physician was sent for to examine Claudita.
The men, who were in counsel with Alexander, noticed that many people were rushing through the quarters with a great sense of purpose. Alexander himself stopped the meeting and allowed his men to leave. Cleitus immediately headed back to his chamber in the hope to be with his wife.
Upon entering the chamber he was greeted with Stolca and the physician tending to Claudita, who was laying on the bed.
"Ah, Cleitus I presume?" the physician asked as he entered the room. Cleitus nodded, and proceeded to rush over to Claudita.
"What happened? What's wrong with my wife?" he asked, as he sat beside Claudita on the bed, taking a hold of her hand in his. She smiled up at him weakly.
"Nothing a little rest won't be able to fix. I shall come back in a few days to see how everything's going, Claudita." The physician told her, as he closed his bag and left, with Stolca in tow. This left Cleitus free to ask Claudita what was wrong. Again, she smiled up at him, almost unsure of how to word her answer. She slowly propped herself up on the bed and Cleitus sat himself next to her.
"Please Clau, what's wrong, are you sick?" he asked. She shook her head.
"Not really, just sometimes I've been feeling a little strange," Clau admitted to him. Cleitus placed his hand on the side of her face and kissed her deeply, before resting his forehead against her and looking into her eyes.
"What do you mean 'strange'?" he asked. Claudita smiled at him, before taking hold of his hand again and placing it on her lower abdomen, and placing hers atop his. Cleitus still looked at her with a confused expression on his face. Claudita giggled shyly.
"I'm carrying your child Cleitus. I'm pregnant,"
Cleitus could not believe what he was hearing, as he held his hand to her abdomen.
"I'm going to be a father? Oh Claudita, you make me the happiest man alive. I love you," Cleitus told her, moving his hand from her stomach to kiss her deeply She leant back on the bed and pulled Cleitus down on top of her slowly. He carefully placed his body over hers and continued to kiss her passionately. Claudita started to remove his toga, by unclasping it from his shoulder and letting it fall to the floor so Cleitus was naked atop her clothed body.
"Should we be doing this, are you alright?" he asked, already concerned for his unborn child. Claudita smiled up at her husband.
"It's perfectly fine, now make love to me soldier."