The Argive: Gates of Hades, Book I, Chapter VIII

Chapter VIII

Friend of my Enemy

 

Alexander's Camp

“No way we are doing this” shouted Anthea, raising her hands in denial.

“It is the only way we can make this work; can’t you see it? The best solution to not understand our real identities is to present ourselves as hetaeras”.

“No. I cannot accept it” replied Anthea, crossing her hands at her chest.

“You don’t even have to present yourself as one. I will be one, and you will be my servant”.

“You are making it worse”.

“Alright, if you have a better solution, I’ll wait to hear it”.

Anthea said silent for a minute. She could not think of something else that could work. They would raise unwanted attention if they went to the camp and presented themselves as mercenaries. Yet, being actually a whore, or even her maid, was embarrassing. But there were no other choices.

“Believe me” said Thalestres, “I don’t like it either”.

“Yeah, right…”.

“What was that?” asked Thalestres, raising her eyebrow.

“Nothing…” replied Anthea. “Now shut it and let’s go”.

The women hide their weapons and took with them only necessary ones, like small daggers. The whole plan was simple. Theoretically, at least. Thalestres would ask for the king, in order to gain access to Alexander’s tent. The weapons, according to the last reports were there. Then, Thalestres was about to drug the king and lay him to sleep. Alexander had a servant, a girl, called Leptini. They were going to abduct her, in order, to take her uniform to trick the guards. As Thalestres was about to exit the tent, Anthea was about to enter, to steal the weapons and sneak them out, behind the tent.

 

The first part was easy. The army whores were very common at an army camp, let alone those who were called hetaires. It only took two to three feasts, in order the king of Macedon notice the young and beautiful Thalestres. The same night, the young lady, Leptini, Alexander’s servant, appeared before Thalestres with an invitation from the king.

“Hm, thank you” said Thalestres as she was reading the parchment. “What is your name, girl?” asked Thalestres.

“Leptini…” replied the girl, shy and red from embarrassment.

Thalestres exchanged a look with Anthea. She nodded.

“You can go now” said Thalestres.

By the time she turned her back to leave, Anthea lunged forward, with a linen with a liquid all over it and she knocked uconcious Leptini in seconds.

“Time to get to work” said Thalestres, as Anthea tied Leptini at a chair.

 

Thalestres arrived at Alexander’s tent at a couple of minutes. She was wearing only a light and almost transparent chiton, underneath her thick woolen tunic. The soldier who was guarding the tent, turned to her.

“Our king will be here soon. He said that you could make yourself comfortable” and he moved aside, to let her pass. Thalestres realized that see didn’t had enough time. See had to act quickly, before Alexander’s arrival. She had to prepare the drug. But first she had to find the Shield and the Bow. Achilles’ shield was in plain sight. It was a well-known fact that Alexander used the shield as his banner. He always carried it during his campaigns and his battles. But the Bow was nowhere to be found. A box nearby was locked. The lock was a child’s play for the experienced Thalestres. She opened it. Inside was the Bow, wrapped in linen. No chord, no arrows though.

“Why is like this?” Thalestres asked herself. “I don’t get this”.

Suddenly, there was movement outside the tent. She placed the Bow at its place, closing the chest. She left the lock opened for Anthea. She stood and made her hair. She also lowered her tunic, in order for her breasts to look more seductive to the king.

“Hail my king!” said the guards.

“So, here is our spy! In person you are much more beautiful!” shouted Alexander with joy, while entering the tent.

Thalestres tried to keep herself calm. She smiled and turned to the young king.

“Your Majesty!” she said playfully with a slight bow before Alexander, letting her tunic off her shoulders. “I was just admiring the view”.

Alexander laughed. He sat at his bed.

“Oh really? Not here for my divine weapons?”

“I don’t understand what you mean, your Grace” said Thalestres, still smiling, but having lost her color. Alexander sighed.

“I am entirely sure that you completely understand what I mean. But before you tell me what in the name of Hades want here, I would very much like to know where my servant is”.

The smile faded off her face. With a swift move, she took her dirk under her dress and charged Alexander. But the well-trained and battle-hardened king of Macedon, easily pinned Thalestres, holding her from her neck. She was still fighting, trying to pierce him with the dagger. Alexander laughed with her efforts and leaned his body a little. The point of the dagger pierced his chest,

“You made a demigod bleed. Very well done” said Alexander sarcastically.

With all the fuzz inside the king’s tent, the soldiers worried and burst in. They saw Thalestres with the dagger in her hand.

“Attempt against the king’s life!” shouted the guard, panicked. One of Alexander’s generals appeared at the entrance of the tent.

“Take her outside!” he barked at his men. “Take her outside and kill her! She tried to murder our king!”.

“Perdiccas, shut up you idiot!” said Alexander. “I need this one alive! Take your men and leave!”

Perdiccas stood at the door, not sure about what to do.

“Alexander, are you certain…”

“Yes! For fuck’s sake Perdiccas, take the men out of here!”

Perdiccas did as he was told. Alexander very easily removed the dagger from Thalestres hand. He then tied her and threw her to the ground, as he was tending to his small wound at his chest.

“So, my dear” he said, smiling this time. “Where were we?” 

 

Anthea started to get worried. What if Thalestres got busted? He was capable to kill her himself in an instant, without hesitating. At least this is what Achilles said. The young maid, Leptini, was weeping silently.

“Please, shut up. We are not here to kill you, but I swear to the Gods that if you don’t stop whining I most certainly will” said Anthea, losing her patience over her. The girl said something between her teeth, which was in a language that was not known to Anthea. Suddenly, shouts started to rise outside the tent. Leptini, tried to shout something, but Anthea putted her hand in front of her mouth just in time. Her heart was pounding. She was hoping that Thalestres had killed Alexander and the soldiers just found out. She found herself praying to Poseidon, which was pretty rare for her. A shadow appeared at the entrance of the tent. Anthea took her knife out of her pocket, but it was too late. A dozen soldiers entered the scene and surrounded her. She was like a trapped lioness, growling at every direction. Last entered Alexander, with a smile at his face.

“My dear, my dear, I searched everywhere for you” said to Anthea. Then, turning to two of the soldiers, ordered to untie his servant.

“You know what makes me angrier?” continued Alexander, with the smile wiped from his face. “Everyday men and women try to kill me, I have been used to that. But you tried to take some things and some people that belong to me! That, I cannot allow!”.

Anthea, with rage filling her chest, lunged against Alexander. He looked at her with a cold face before turning his back to her, at her surprise. A shield hit her at her back, and she landed at her face, losing her senses almost immediately.  

She woke up, chained up beside Thalestres. Someone was taking care of her wound at her forehead. It took her a while to understand that Alexander himself tended to her wound. She immediately pushed him away.

“Get away from me you monster!”

“You are welcome” said Alexander, with a tone of sarcasm and frustration. “I really don’t understand your motives against me”.

“Thebes, Tyre, Persepolis!” shouted Thalestres at him.

“Do you know how many times did I forgave Thebes? Or how many good friends I lost at Tyre? They crucified my master, the leader of my diplomatic team inside their city. What you were going to do? You are here, hunting a man you know nothing about”.

“You were synergizing with Hades! You want to tear the world apart!”.

“No” he said. “I want to rule the world. I’m just going to give Hades the key to destroy Olympus, that’s all”.

“There will be chaos! You don’t care about the consequences?”

“There will be no consequences. The Gods took the leadership from the Titans. The change of command won’t affect the world”.

The two women stayed silenced, without knowing how to respond.

“Are you going to kill us now?” asked Anthea, without betraying with her expressions the fear in her heart.

“You mistake me with the cold – blooded murderer, your Achilles and his Gods are. I am more of a diplomat” said Alexander, crossing his hands in front of his chest. “You are far too valuable to me alive than dead”.

He nodded at the soldiers to pick them up.

“Be grateful you are not dead. Yet…” said Alexander and exited the tent.

Author: Geralt Of Rivia