| Eyes of Aphrodite PART SIX Second Sons |
[Sep. 15th, 2006|02:04 pm] |
Birth of the Second Sons
Alexander walked into the bedroom one evening and looked around in consternation. For the third time this week, the massive bed of Darius was being moved. Servants hauled mightily. Trinkets and army paraphenalia pilfered or begged by the Queen lay in little heaps, having been hidden there for the Gods knew how long. She probably didn't even remember putting them there. He picked up a blue embroidered banner. His imperial eagle of Zeuss had been wrought in the brightest gold in the center, with a laurel wreath of green about it. He fingered the costly fabric and tiny stitches. She had worked long and hard to construct this for the birth of their second son. The first banner hung in place of pride in the nursery above the tiny bed of little Phillip III.
He had just come from the Royal nursery where his cumbersome queen was busy directing a complete reorganization. Two Cradles! "Roxane's babe may come one day..." she had explained guilelessly looking into his eyes as he signed yet another voucher from the royal treasury. He knew by the colors around her that she was not being entirely truthful. "We may have need of a few extra things, if your Companions bring their wives and babies..." Well, by Zeuss, had he not given them all enough to clothe their own babies?! Of the weddings from their successful marriage of the Companions to the Greek maidens, five were fruitful and babies would be arriving from now until the end of spring. The Persian wives fared not so well, as most of the Macedonians and Azthetairoi neglected the succor of their Persian marriages.
Alexander and his friends would gather on ocasion to trade war stories of the confinements of their wives, and to commiserate with the mounting expenses each had incurred, although the new orphanage at Persopoulis was probably the most outrageous. "Urchins!" groused Alexander, "Market place monkeys dragged in off the streets! All to be taught to read and write and cipher, and have postings to the nobility after!" "I will have to make conquest to the other side of the Elysian Fields to pay for all her dreams for the people!" In truth the orphanage already paid for itself as the aristocracy of Greece vied with each other for the favor of the queen. Her urchins were sponsored by these wealthy and influential people and there was going to be a waiting list soon. Secretly he was proud of his noble wife for her unceasing humanitarian efforts. Her leadershiip in this area would provide inspiration to queens and noble women for centuries to come. She had spoken often to him of one named Esther, wife of a previous king named Nebudchanezzer. Esther had loved the people greatly, and he had often seen her stories of this great queen in the scribe's accountings of her visits among the people of his camps.
Nebudchanezzer may have had his Esther, but by the gods, Alexander had his own queen, and a worthy one at that! As he thought further, he recalled that never once even in the worst of their conflict early in the conquest for an heir, had she spoken out of turn. They had frequently disagreed on important matters, but as was proper in the Persian training, and in his own background in the West, she had never spoen unless spoken to. He realized that often had he focused too much on what he perceived to be her faults and flaws of character, and too seldom upon those characteristics of greatness. In this single moment of reflection he forgave her all the troubles and care she caused him. He knew this chaos was a landmark of her progress towards the birth of his second son and he rejoiced for VERY soon he would have his second son! Carelessly he tossed the eagle-emblazoned banner into the corner with the other one, in his distraction failing to notice there were now two of them.
Sleeping soundly this night, he awoke at daylight to find the body of his beautiful Persian courtier in the bed with him. Rolling his shoulders in satisfaction, he bethought to send his queen a gift or some beautiful flowers for her thoughtfulness. Often had she sent to him a comfort for his early morning wishes, sometimes Roxane in those days at the camps, or a courtesan of skill, several times Hephaestion. Later today, the birth of his second sons would begin.
**************
Hurrying through the outer courtyard, Alexander and Hephaestion broke into a full run as the first scream of agony rang in their ears. Her time had arrived in midmorning, and they were summoned without ceremony from a rather boring political meeting. This labor would be long, and hard. Neither was prepared for the hours of suffering they would all endure. All day, and all night labored the queen. At nightfall, her singer sang the Song of the Sister Star, and on occasion a lute, or harp would play, but no one slept. David himself with the harp of his ancestor had arrived recently, and his music soothed everyone, but no one slept. Few could eat as she was a most vocal sufferer.
"Athena," prayed the queen. "Forgive the son of Achilles...Hera, I bring forth no Appollo, only a little mortal boy...withdraw the beguilement of Eileithyia." She pulled her lips between her teeth and wrapped the end of some of her hair aound her finger and unwrapped it several times. Her face was washed and a piece of the ice of the Hindu Kush was given to her. Alexander commanded incense to be lit at the little braziers near altars set around the room to the gods.
The Egyptian priest sniffed in disdain. Had he not in good faith offered her the Elixir of the Queens? No Egyptian queen would carry on like this. Egyptian royalty for centuries had been borne in complete silence. But the queen trusted not the Egyptian priests. They had in mind breeding Alexander into their own royalty, and would not hesitate to destroy her children or herself to that end. Their power was legendary and she had suffered nightmares for weeks, sent by their foul magic to disturb her confinement. Finally, the sleeping kiswoman had taken it upon herself to pray to Yahweh, and guardian angels had dispersed the darkness around her.
Alexander and her servants had been much relieved to have a joyful radiant queen restored to them after the first difficult eight weeks.
"Priam of Troy, grandfather," she said, "Have compassion upon your granddaughter this day...for I have sought to please you in the birth of your grandsons. They will be brought forth in peace, Aquarian by my choice. Andromache would love them, Molossus will never bring forth any sons to shame the honor of Hector..." she wept piteously and Alexander wept also at the respect she showed for ancestors and the gods.
Vespers were sung by the maidens of the Temples, and evening advanced. Such a long night. Her Egyptian priest with whom she had conspired to obtain the Elixir of the Queens offered her the elixir, but she declined, wanting to see how long she could persevere in her task with her own strength. Her hands trembled in the hold of Hephaestion, who never left her side. Gently he stroked the back of her hand and her arms, which ached from the unaccustomed strain, for it was not time yet to allow any work in her lower regions, and much energy was expended through her arms and hands. Through each painful contraction she breathed as she had been taught by the midwife. Hephaestion soon became involved in the breathing and found a certain rhythm in the work of the laboring queen. Throughout her relationship with her king, they would always be conscious of the rhythms of their environment, and the mundane activities of those around them often set the tempo of their days. Marla and her handmaidens talked softly to her. Hephaestion combed her hair, someone rubbed scented oils into her feet for her legs would cramp and she was given replenishing drinks, and some tea, but no honey with it.
Now, as the sun rose on the third day of her labor, she advanced to the transition stage of the birth. Stroking softly the front of Alexander's tunic, she turned glittering green eyes upon him. She held his phallus and looked him full in the face. Sweetly she said, "If I had a dagger this minute I would dismember this WEAPON of CONQUEST. NEVER again would you enforce this torture of childbirth upon me or any other woman on this earth."
The look on Alexander's face was comic, and Hephaestion had to hide his laughing face in his elbow. He snickered into his sleeve as Alexander's habitual hard on of the dawning hours melted into itself, and the midwife glanced at Alexander in some amusement. "Tis the way of a woman in travail Great King. This too, is a landmark on the path to a joyous end. Take no heed of her words. She will hate you mightily for a little while, and All Men," (here she glanced at Hephaestion, who stopped laughing.) "She will say terribly things, it is to be expected, she blames you for the suffering; but the joy of a babe in arms ever causes all women to forget the suffering. It is the way of the world, be patient King Alexander, and soon, very very soon you will see your little boy..." and so soothingly did Marla speak to Alexander and Hephaestion as they alternately bore the tongue lashing of their laboring queen.
A two minute respite at the end of this ordeal found them both wringing with sweat, and holding each other's hands. They looked at each other, and dropped hands but no one was looking anyway, as the tirade of the queen had the whole room spellbound with awe.
"Eileithyia, friend of Leto..." gently beseeched the queen. "Come to me now, from the golden clouds of Olympus. Iris, I beseech thee to summon Eileithyia, for she is beguiled and does not know of this travail..." The queen reached under the bed and brought forth a necklace of pearls strung on a length of golden thread. Alexander stared in wonder, his queen was quoting Homer, the poet of his own beloved Iliad. She asked him how long was the necklace, and he intoned the correct answer, "nine cubits..." Sobbing softly, thinking she could surely die soon, the queen promised Iris to bring the golden necklace to Delos. It was a promise they would fulfil in every detail on a later date.
Servants brought them scented water and fresh robes. They drank of the water of the Hindu Kush, carefully examined by a guard before the seals of purity were broken.
Unexpectedly, the queen said to Alexander, "Great King, father of my sons..." ('Oh no, here it comes, just like before. Well he knew that voice, her request would entail great endeavor on his part,') and he resolved to give it to her, whatever it may be.
"I propose to you a riddle," she began.
('Ah! There is hope for me in this, for I am very intelligent, and nimble in my mind!') thought Alexander.
"If you can geuss the riddle in time, I will forfeit my sponsorship of the manumission of war slaves."
"Ooooh, this is big," thought Alexander, for they had quarreled largely over this point.
"But, if you do not," she grabbed his hand for a very large pain brought her attention back to her duty. Her grip on his hand made him numb to the shoulder. Hephaestion also, on her other side was astonished at the strength of her small hands. Marla wiped her face and gave her some ice.
The queen looked warningly at her Captain. He in turn looked warningly at his guards, who in turn scowled at everybody else in the room.
"If you do not geuss the riddle, then I claim the Ship of Conquest, and the Hunting Lodge at Pella."
Was that all she wanted? He would have given her those anyway had she asked.
"Speak the riddle," he said confidently. He had a classic education and thought he knew every riddle there ever was.
"One if by land, Two if by Sea," she said.
"And..." he prompted.
"That's it, that's the riddle," she said. For the next half hour Alexander's nimble mind twisted and turned and searched every mental archive of his tutors. Hephaestion also ruminated. "Was the ship of Conquest a clue?" he asked eventually. Her eyes lit up, "You are geussing very close," she teased, a technique they had often used on children looking for hidden gifts in their forays out to the people.
"You wish me to build you another Ship of Conquest..." ventured Alexander hopefully. Maybe she had forgiven him for being a man, and this was an olive branch.
"Far... very far from the answer..."
"Hmmm," Alexander pondered on. His hand felt as if it would fall off of his arm and he found himself aching all over as his own body tensed up every time she bore down to give birth.
He and Hephaestion found themselves obeying the voice of Marla as she calmly coached the tiring queen. "Breathe in with your nose, out with your mouth, a cleansing breath. Purse your lips, remember all I taught you." Marla gave Alexander fragrant herbal oils and he tenderly massaged them into her skin. The oils were designed to help her body stretch to fit the exit of the baby, but he knew in deepening despair that baby would never come out. Emotionally, he fought with himself over the decision to force the surgical procedure to take the baby.
"Go to your place, Alexander," said Marla finally, "The next effort will produce the baby's head." Eagerly he knelt, tenderly he touched the baby's little head. Like his first, Alexander's eyes were what the boy saw as he emerged from the womb, much faster than was expected.
A boy! Alexander gazed lovingly at his little son. A very Little son... He looked puzzled. This child was fully one third less in size than their first born.
All this grief, and screaming and months of domestic chaos for This Tiny Little Thing? He looked questioningly at his wife, she in turn was looking a little surprised at how easily the baby had been expelled. "Quickly, Great King, cut the cord." He did so, and rushed with the squalling infant to the balcony and the adulation began. The Blue Banner was unfurled to the delight of the people.
Dazed, Hephaestion started to get up but she pulled him to her. "No Hephaestion ! NOW is the time I need you most. All we talked about! Focus!" She deviously removed his dagger from around his waist. She wanted to put the leather cover into her mouth to prevent screaming. The next part would be bad. While Alexander and the midwife addressed the people and the new baby, Hephaestion and the queen worked on her duty, not yet fulfilled. The Amazon guarding "little Achilles" gently took the dagger from her and gave her back the leather cover. The Egyptian priest started forward and got three spears to his throat. "I only want what's ours for the temple," he muttered. The placenta and cord were duly handed over. Fresh linens were put under the queen and the soiled and bloody linens of birth were put into baskets with garlands of herbs and fragrant oils. Later these would go to the temples of Hera and Aphrodite, to be burned ceremonially by priestesses and acolytes, along with large tributes of gold and other gifts from the King and Queen as gratitude for the gift of life.
"Remember Hephaestion, much blood. Do not let Aulassaundahr intervene!" He looked around wildly.
"Watch that priest," warned the queen to her soldiers. Urgently, Hephaestion screamed at Alexander, and Marla came, too. Alexander thrust the baby into the arms of a nurse. "No! Not there," shouted the queen, overcome by another wracking wave of sensation, as if burning. She tried to speak to Marla, gasping and writhing she said, "Make the cut, Marla! Do it now!" Two steps behind Marla, Alexander heard what was being said. Marla objected, "Only a few more minutes queen, you have fought long, do not mar the beauty of your thighs... it will be only a few minutes."
"You don't understand," gritted the Queen. "The cord around his neck, it is killing him!" Alexander looked wildly at the infant in the arms of the nurse. There was no cord around the baby's neck. He looked desperately at Hephaestion, who started to speak. Marla's eyes widened, she looked at the queen's straining body. "PANT," she hissed, "breathe lightly." Hephaestion and Alexander panted wildly - Alexander's eyes on Hephaestion's - 'What's going on??'
Breathing the breath of purification, the queen suddenly twisted. "KILL THAT GIRL! SHE'S FALSE!" she shrieked. The Amazon bodyguard threw the dagger of Hephaestion. It missed Cleitus by parts of an inch and only by his war honed reflexes did he duck away from it. Alexander's first son, who had been trying unsuccessfully to peer into the covers of the baby instantly slashed the girl's throat with a dagger he also was not supposed to have in the birthing room,and the baby was rescued from smothering pillows. The queen's captain of the guard sank a sword into the girl's body to make sure she was dead and he looked guiltily at the queen.
"YOUholdthatbaby!" hissed the queen to her Captain. Everybody took a purification breath as his wails of protest proved he lived. The captain and the Amazon took up protective stances on each side of big brother who held the crying baby. Cleitus stared, infatuated, at the Amazon.
Marla had made the first slash while the men were looking away. In horror Alexander turned back to see the queen bleeding bright red blood. She looked at Hephaestion who wrapped his arms around Alexander. No one else on earth could have held Alexander at that moment. Marla feared for her life and those of everyone else in the room if Alexander were to break free from that hold of love. "The babe is in danger," said Hephaestion, "It will be hard work to save her, and the babe." Suddenly the riddle clicked into the mind of Alexander. Two cribs, extra clothing, two banners, two acolytes to every temple in Asia, One if by land, Two if by Sea. Their honeymoon on the Ship of Conquest had brought about the advent of a very rare event in the lives of royalty. Twins.
"Be brave," said his queen, her eyes melting into such a look of love that he thought she would surely die, and he would too, for he realized in that instant that to live for even one minute without her would be unacceptable. She realized that the imminent birth of the second twin would fulfil her duty to the gods and Alexander's heart felt it would break as he watched the colors swirling around her. In anguish he looked at Hephaestion. "Two if by Sea." The words echoed in his mind.
"Marla," snapped the queen, "You must go into the pathway of the living, and bring forth our child." She panted focused and in control. Her whole body burned and burned, she bled profusely. The baby's life depended now on her perfect control and the skill of the midwife. A hard push at this point would strangle him and he would be born dead. Already it seemed too long... she feared for his health. Looking into the eyes of Alexander she brought his wild emotion to her will. He pulled down his tunic and straightened his shoulders. He breathed deeply through his nose.
The eunachs dragged the body of the nurse to a corner and three people fainted. The Egyptian priest did not move. This powerful queen had successfully hidden from him and his counterparts this most auspicious aspect of the birth. The guardian angels stood between his darkness and the drama of the oncoming birth.
She grinned wickedly at Alexander. "You lose, I claim my forfeit." She glared balefully at the Egyptian. "Let the scribes now record the words of the queen of Alexander. Standing amongst us all today are ANGELS of the God of Moses! They witness the honorable endeavor of Alexander's queen, and in the name of Jesu REBUKE the Malice of those who love not the sons of the King!"
The Egyptian lost all color and he looked around the room desperately. The harp of the ancestor of David fell in a huge sound to the floor. The Egyptian could not breathe. Ramses himself, half brother of Moses had lost his first born son to these angels! The people of Egypt had suffered greatly and great were the losses to the Kingdom of Egypt, incurred as Ramses resisted the demands of Moses and his God to release the slaves of Judea. Most of the country's entire army of chariots had perished in the sea following these people as they left Egypt all those long long years ago. Angels! Here! Unwillingly he fell to his knees as invisible powers forced him down. He saw the angels, standing with arms folded at the foot of the bed. He fainted dead away in fear, and outside several hundred more people among the crowd fell also to their knees. Their neighbors around them made note of this, and later Alexander's people would have a comprehensive list of those people and the slaughter of every single one of them would be ruthless. Alexander's many scribes and philosophers and historians would search long and long for the name of Jesu, but no record of this name was to be found.
Quickly the queen inserted the knife cover and a good deal of Hephaestion's sleeve into her mouth. Hephaestion took her hands and Alexander went to his knees for the birth of a twin son.
Pulled unceremoniously from the birth canal as the queen screamed soundlessly into the cloth of Hephaestion's sleeve, the cord was so tight around the baby's neck it had to be cut and the gushing of blood landed on Alexander. Marla cleaned the little mouth and commanded Alexander to puff a breath of air to the baby's lungs. Once, twice, Alexander wept and trembled, and breathed as gently as a new lover into the mouth of his little prince. The baby was blue, and now he started to become very cold. Alexander breathed and breathed. Marla firmly massaged the baby's chest, and convulsed twice. Alexander thought he would drop the poor child, and screamed in anguish. But it was the baby's first efforts to breathe, and with a tiny little wail, he breathed on his own and started to turn pink.
Alexander watched in awe, as the color of life suffused into the body of his little son. This he had missed on the other occasions, being in a hurry to go to the people. Prayers of thanksgiving were murmured by the people attending the birth, and a lovely tune of grace and spiritual gratitude filled the air as Alexander and Hephaestion strode to the balcony, each holding a new baby, and the second blue banner was unfurled.
Later, the queen would take the hand of Alexander. Opening it to see the palm, she showed him where the lifeline which had been broken was now repaired, the three noble tasks of the gods had been fulfilled. |
|
|
![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif?v=92.1){kind=small}
herashandmaiden's journal