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Nights of Babylon	By : kruemel Category: 1 through F > Alexander Views: 12920 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Alexander, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 27
- 28
- 29
Thanks for your reviews, folks. And thanks for waiting so patiently. I'm sorry it took so long to update. I was drowning in work.
Disclaimer: Alexander doesn't belong to me.
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Chapter 28 - A fatal oath
Alexander couldn't remember when he had last felt so peaceful and at ease. Spending time alone with Hephaistion always washed away all sorrow and made the every day problems fade away. He sighed contentedly, snuggling the sleeping brunette closer against his bare chest. Hephaistion mumbled some incomprehensibly sweet nonsense in his sleep, sighing softly before a small smile crept across his features.
The king kissed the top of his lover's head, smiling into the silky though due to their recent lovemaking quite tousled strands. Hephaistion always looked a bit untidy with his stubbles and long tousled hair, but a damn sexy appearance he was, combining strictly male attributes with an androgynous beauty. It was his own unique style and it was captivating.
Alexander stared up into the sky, a tiny patch of bright blue, revealed between the branches and leaves of the trees which shaded the two lovers from the sun's merciless glory. A small breeze rustled in the tree-tops as if the trees themselves quietly whispered to each other, accompanied by the constant murmur of the river. Crickets chirped in the dry grass.
He could have lain there forever, only he and Hephaistion. However, he had to get back to Babylon soon. He had been so busy being jealous this morning that he hadn't spent a single thought about what Olympias might do when confronted with two winged demons who her son kept like pets.
Alexander grinned evily.
"Penny for your thoughts."
He looked down at Hephaistion, startled as he hadn't noticed the young man was awake. The grin changed into a happy smile. "I just imagined mother's face when she gets to meet our winged friends."
Hephaistion yawned, stretching like a cat before he sat up. "She won't like it, will she?"
Alexander laughed and kissed hs lover's forehead. "She most certainly won't. She's already pissed off because of you, as she thinks you keep me from marrying and producing a healthy and strong heir."
"You know I don't object to you getting married. You are a king and you most certainly need an heir. It would be extremely selfish of me to expect you to stay unmarried. Olympias really doesn't have to worry."
"But she does. And to some extent she is right. I would wed you if I could. I haven't yet found a woman whom I could love like I love you. We're soul-mates, Hephaistion. I'm so lucky to have you and I doubt there is another person in this world, man or woman, whom I ever will have such a strong bond to. I guess, that's why I always make a fool of myself when it comes to Alexis. I fear nothing except losing you." He leaned down to kiss his lover's lips tenderly, but was taken unaware by the ferocity with which his kiss was returned.
Tears were shining in Hephaistion's saphire eyes when he answered, his voice broken by emotion. "I thank you, beloved. Your love is the greatest blessing I could receive in this world and I couldn't live without it." He wrapped his arms around the blond's neck and rubbed his nose against his lover's.

Alexander smiled warmly then turned earnest again. "I won't have a single peaceful moment until I have chosen to marry now mother is here. She won't leave me be." He sighed deeply. "She doesn't care much if I don't love the girls she thinks are appropriate. And if I don't find one she'll sooner or later make me marry anybody just to make her shut up."
"What about that princess, Darius' daughter?", Hephaistion suggested. "She's not a bad choice."
"Oh, I beg you pardon, she bores me to death!" Alexander was indignant. "We never would produce an heir because I would fall asleep each time we tried before I even could get hard!"
"Oh, that was mean! She's a nice girl."
"She doesn't turn me on, not a bit."
"Is there any woman in Babylon who turns you on?"
Alexander thought about that for a while. "Well, Serena."
"She doesn't count."
The king laughed heartily. "Mother wouldn't be pleased at all if I introduced Serena as my bat-winged demon bride."
Hephaistion chuckled. "But it would be worth the look on Olympias' face to do so as a joke."
"Ah, I didn't know you had such cruelty in you, my dearest."

As an reply Hephaistion fluttered his eyelashes at the king innocently. "There's a lot you don't yet know about me, my love", he purred seductively, his face seperated by only a few inches from his lover's. He licked his lips lasciviously, but pulled away when Alexander tried to grab him.
"Tantalizing creature!"
"You want me, come and get me", Hephaistion challenged his king. "If you dare, that is."
Alexander was about to chase the naughty brunette, but was stopped by the sound of footsteps of an approaching soldier who obviously tried to make as much noise as possible as not to stumble into something he didn't want to witness.
Cursing Alexander got up and dressed quickly, trying to hide his recent arousal rather unsuccessfully beneath his tunic. "Look what you have done", he accused Hephaistion, who seemed utterly pleased with the result his seductive attempts were showing. "You could at least be ashamed", Alexander scolded.
Hephaistion opened his mouth for a cheeky reply but swallowed it when the soldier stepped into the clearing. It was a young man and he was rather nervous, trying not to look at Hephaistion who wasn't even half dressed or at the enormous erection his king was sporting. In the end he decided that it was best to stare at his feet.
Alexander had ordered not to be disturbed. this disobidience could only mean that there had occured something important which couldn't wait. "What is it?", he asked quite harshly.
"A c-c-caaravan app-approaches, my k-k-king", he stammered nervously.

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Roxane held her brother's hot and dry hand. He was injured badly, babbling about a winged female with the head on fire in his feverish dreams, proclaiming that her fiery golden eyes were consuming him with their blazing ferocity. His voice was no more than a hoarse whisper, cracked and weak. It wasn't the voice of a strong young man, it was the last desperate sound of a dying man.

Roxane had found him last night, lying unconsciously on the dusty ground, wounded by a wild animal, a deadly predator with razor sharp claws. He must have laid there for some time. Nobody had missed him as Karim often spent the night outside with the horses and if Roxane hadn't gone to ask him whether he was hungry he would be dead by now.
Still his life time was running out swiftly. He had lost far too much blood. His wounds were dirty and insects had taken there chance while he had lain unconsciously in the sand.
Roxane fought back her tears bravely. She hardly ever cried. She despised all the women who burst into tears for no reason at all, as she had learned that tears couldn't change a thing. Tears were a sign for weakness and Roxane didn't allow herself any weaknesses. She knew what she wanted and she always got it because she never gave up.
But against death she couldn't win. She could feel his presence, could almost see his spidery white skeleton fingers stroke against her brother's pale and hollow cheeks like a lover's caress. Her eyes burnt of unshed tears, but she wouldn't cry despite the unbearable heartache she felt at the loss of her beloved brother.
Karim had always been the weak minded of the siblings, while his sister held the merciless willpower of a warrior, the lad was soft hearted and kind - or, as their father would put it, gutless. She was a born leader and willing to pay sacrifices on the way to her goal, he was a hopeless philanthropist, who couldn't harm any living thing.
Still she loved him like noone else. Younger, though, she had protected him against their father and the harass his kind nature caused people to treat him with. She knew there would be nothing but emptiness when he was gone. She also knew that she could fill this emptiness with hatred and the wish for revenge.
"Roxane", Karim moaned. His eyes fluttered open, a quickly fading light flickered within them. "The winged hellcat. Beware. She's dangerous. She killed me." His voice died away and his eyes shut again. He took a deep breath which rattled in his lungs.
"Who, who killed you? Karim! Please tell me. Please", Roxane begged him. A winged she-devil? She couldn't understand this nonesense. What kind of beast had he met? Hadn't it been an animal? Who was this mysterious woman he didn't cease to talk about? Was it just a feverish vision, a nightmare which didn't leave him? Or did he speak the unbelievable truth?
For one last time his eyes opened. His voice was hardly audible and Roxane had to bend down to hear her brother's last word. It was a name. "Serena."

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The moment he had laid eyes on her everything around him had ceased to exist.
The woman was young, not much more than a girl, still determination radiated from her petite form. Her face bore a emotionless mask, cold as stone, but her eyes belied her. There was a strong fire burning within those hazel depths which resembled the flame within his own. He was drawn to her like a moth is drawn to the light.
Every woman he knew would have wailed and cried in her situation. She didn't. She stayed calm, as if not touched by her loss, and approached him with pride. Although she bowed lowly and pressed her forehead to the ground when she greeted him, the way she moved told him she did regard herself as an equal to him. She was an impressive person. And a beautiful exotic flower which Alexander longed to pluck and make his own.
She rose from her kneeling position and looked the mighty king of Babylon straight into the eye, neither did she blush nor show any nervousness. Alexander stared at her for a while, not able to utter a single comprehensible word as his brain turned into pudding. Instead Alexander the great smiled sheepishly at the maiden in front of him like a lovesick puppy.
Hephaistion shook his head in amusement at the sheepish expression the king bore. To be honest he first had felt a sting of jealousy rise within him when Alexander had fallen under the princess' spell. However he had managed to soothe his uneasiness away. Alexander needed an heir and if Roxane was the woman of his choice Hephaistion would be happy for him. He knew that nobody - especially no woman - would ever take his place in Alexander's heart. And as the king had learned to share Hephaistion with Alexis, he would learn to share his lover with Roxane if this was what Alexander wanted.

There would be enough uproar amongst his generals and Olympias would fume with anger, as Roxane wasn't the political benefit she hoped to gain due to a marriage. As far as Hephaistion knew the house of the girl's father was ranking low amongst the nobles. And she was an Asian, a foreigner, an alien. Although Hephaistion didn't feel much sympathy for Roxane as she was too headstrong and determinated for his likings, she certainly would need all strength she had to endure the hostility of Alexander's followers if he really made her his queen.
"Roxane", Alexander whispered to himself for the fourth time, while everybody stood there waiting for him to greet his guests in return. Hephaistion nudged the king gently in the side and took matters in his own hands as the king failed to react.
"King Alexander welcomes you to Babylon, Oxyartes of Bactria", he addressed the black bearded man who looked worn. Well, he has lost his son, of course he looks worn, Hephaistion scolded himself. "The king expresses his condolence to you and your daughter. He is very sorry that you had to meet under such sad circumstances."
"I lost my finest steed", Oxyartes complained. "The beast who did this should be hunted down! One should think that the king kept his lands safe for travellers!"
Hephaistion's expression froze at Oxyartes' insulting manners. He risked a side glance at Alexander, but the blond was far too consumed by Roxane's presence to notice. Hephaistion thought of a sharp reply, then decided to simply ignore the man. Despite his behaviour he felt sorry for him. His son is dead, he reminded himself. "You are invited to the king's palace", he said. "We will accompany you and make sure no further harm is caused."
Oxyartes nodded and grunted his consent. Meanwhile Alexander had recovered from his stupor and helped Roxane to climb into her sedan. She smiled thankfully at him with those full lips of hers and his heart skipped a few beats. It was only a small smile and Alexander thought it looked rather sad. She certainly suffered from her brother's death.
"Mylady", he stammered and she turned to look at him, her slender hand resting at the silken curtain to her sedan. She raised an eyebrow inquiringly when he didn't continue, but admired the exquisite beauty of her oval face. "If there is anything I can do to ease your pain, please tell me. I'd do everything, no matter what you demand, if only I can make you happy again", he finally gasped hurriedly.
"I only wish for justice", Roxane replied silently. "Repay death with death. Bring his murderer's head to me. That's all I ask for." Her burning gaze met his for a brief moment, then she pulled the curtains close.
"I swear that I will fulfill your wish. I will not rest before your brother's murderer is dead!", Alexander vowed. He didn't know anything about how her brother died or why, but just right now he didn't care. Her suffering pained him and he felt a righteous fury rise within him against the murderous beast who had caused this heavenly nymph to experience sorrow.
He waited for her to answer, to explain to him the circumstances of her brother's death and point out the direction of the culprit.
Roxane took her time. She wasn't sure how the king would react to the information she had. She still wasn't sure whether Karim had just dreamt. She didn't want to make a fool of herself, still all she had was the name of a woman and a rather odd description of the name's owner. She wondered if he had spoken metaphorically when talking of wings. Karim's body had borne the marks of claws. No human could have done this. So maybe the wing talk wasn't a metaphos at all. Maybe it was all real.
She would never find out if she didn't act. So she pulled the curtains open and looked the young man who so obviously adored her straight in the eyes. "Are you a man who keeps his oaths or are you a weak sissy who breaks a vow the moment it crosses his lips?"
"I have never and will never break an oath, Lady Roxane. I promised to hunt down your brother's murderer and kill him and that's what I will do, no matter what it costs", he answered and she could tell by the sound of his voice and the determination in his eyes that he spoke the truth.
She nodded silently and reached out to take his big hand in her small one. And then she told him. Told him how she had found her brother, told him about the wounds, told him everything he had said in his feverish dreams. And in the end she told him the name which had been the last word on Karim's lips.

Serena.
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- 28
- 29
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Nights of Babylon