Green
Hi all! New around these parts, and would like to offer around a big hi and this little sketchy piece that was going to be a part of something larger I'm intending to write but doesn't actually fit. So a slightly modified idea made into a stand alone! :)
This my first real attempt at anything resembling Alexander the Great fiction. Anyway, I'm proud that it can be displayed here with everyone else's fantastic stuff! There are some truly great authors here and I hope some day to be able to write as well as you all.
Title: Green
Author: Raffery
Rating: PGish
Summary: Kassander watches.
At Mieza things were quiet and intimate. When something happened it spread between friends and a philosopher but not to the outside world. Except, by matter of course, when Kassander relayed all endeavors, small and large, to his father and King Philip.
As it were, Kassander found that being an informal spy was really rather difficult. First off, it required paying attention to everything and everyone at all times. And there were only so many times one could watch Alexander strut around doing absolutely nothing of any interest without becoming slightly mad. What Hephaistion discussed with Aristotle was mundane and stupor inducing. And who honestly cared what Harpalos did at all?
So Kassander sat in the cool outside wind picking at his sandal and contemplating some intrigues he could make up. Perhaps Ptolemy had been sneaking off in the dead of night returning before dawn smelling of flowers and sex? Kassander yawned. Never mind that, may as well make up what they were having for dinner. Not only was it an uninspiring intrigue, King Philip would not care.
He wanted to know what Alexander was up to. Was he plotting anything? Did the philosopher plant bad seeds in his head? What factions were forming among the boys? Had he quarreled with any of the others?
No, no, none and no. Alexander, it seemed, was exceptionally boring. No scandals here, not even lackluster studying. Seeing first hand how easy Alexander made it seem to avoid scandal, one could feel a genuine patch of admiration for Philip and his notorious sex scandals.
Or so Kassander found himself thinking just as Alexander himself wandered outside, ever at his side was Hephaistion. Ah, this could very well be good and juicy. A bit to eat after weeks of any empty, waiting stomach. But then again, probably not; Alexander and Hephaistion often went out into the evening together bringing back little things for Aristotle and rosy cheeks.
Whatever the case, Kassander felt a jolt of excitement around his throat and deep into his chest as they did not notice him tucked away as he was among the rocks. He grinned crookedly and cocked his head towards them; heart beating all the faster at the thought of being caught. Could he pretend to be dozing?
"Alexander," Hephaistion said lightly pulling Kassander away from visions of getting into a tumultuous fist fight. Kassander risked a brief glance; Hephaistion stood a few paces behind Alexander. He was tall and lean, beautiful. The bones of his face were delicately shaped, his lips curved haughtily, tauntingly, into a small smile. If he had not been Hephaistion, Kassander would very much have liked to bed him. Alexander was not beauty. There was something about his features that seemed distinctly unplanned, or perhaps overly so. They blended together in a way that was not hideous to look at but instead interesting; something that needed more than a single look to make sure the true shape of the thing was being seen.
Kassander looked away again. His fingers were trembling without him being able to control it, he clamped them into fists and listened.
There was slight laugh, Alexander's. “This way tonight, I think. We've not been there as many times.”
Perhaps he smiled at his friend, probably he gestured. Kassander did not risk another glance just yet. “Yes, all right,” Hephaistion said and Kassander could hear the smile in that and found himself frowning. He imagined Hephaistion striding forward on those long, graceful legs and touching Alexander's shoulder.
His hands trembled in their fists, his frown deepened. Should he look, or stay put and close his eyes?
Kassander decided to risk the glance, his fingers trembled furiously as he raised himself slightly to have his eyes away from the filling sight of the rocks. Alexander stood with his back to Kassander, his hair flying wild in the light wind. From the back Alexander was, perhaps, a bit more comely. His shoulders were well developed and his entire body quite shapely and not overly muscled.
Hephaistion was standing next to Alexander with nearly his entire body turned towards the other boy; so that they were not shoulder to shoulder but rather Alexander's shoulder to Hephaistion's breast. Kassander felt a warmth in his stomach, Hephaistion was gorgeous from the side. Indeed, Kassander found that he needed to remind himself that this was Hephaistion, assertive and able and Alexander's, to get himself to stop staring quite so intently at his alluring body.
Alexander was saying something but Kassander did not hear, he was too occupied with watching Alexander's arm slide smoothly and easily around Hephaistion's narrow waist. His hands clenched tighter still, no longer trembling, as he watched Hephaistion return the gesture.
For a foolish moment, Kassander considered leaping to his feet and yelling out an insult about Hephaistion just to see who would strike him first. He caught his senses just in time as he watched them stroll away together. An echo of the previous excitement was twisting in his chest, but it was something else entirely, rougher and blinding.
He was slow rise from his place among the stones, but finally did so. His palms were quite sore where he'd been digging his nails in, little crescents stayed as a reminder of his trembling.
Inside, Kassander was quiet and sullen and none of the other boys bothered asking. Ptolemy had some vague idea already and none of the others much cared. When Alexander and Hephaistion appeared just a small time later, Kassander felt the familiar stir in his chest.
Hephaistion was glowing and pink, a stain of grass on his thigh. Alexander was just as pink and smiling. Kassander once more considered throwing out an insult but kept his mouth shut, thinking instead of the green on Hephaistion.
Kassander went to bed that night with his stomach grumbling, an ache in his fingers, and a deep cold feeling in his chest. He thought of making up some outrageous tale of sex in the wild, Aristotle observing with a tablet and stylus, with clothes ripping and much vocalizing and passion between Alexander and Hephaistion.
He pushed that away with some effort and dreamed of grass stains on thighs and pooling blood.
This my first real attempt at anything resembling Alexander the Great fiction. Anyway, I'm proud that it can be displayed here with everyone else's fantastic stuff! There are some truly great authors here and I hope some day to be able to write as well as you all.
Title: Green
Author: Raffery
Rating: PGish
Summary: Kassander watches.
At Mieza things were quiet and intimate. When something happened it spread between friends and a philosopher but not to the outside world. Except, by matter of course, when Kassander relayed all endeavors, small and large, to his father and King Philip.
As it were, Kassander found that being an informal spy was really rather difficult. First off, it required paying attention to everything and everyone at all times. And there were only so many times one could watch Alexander strut around doing absolutely nothing of any interest without becoming slightly mad. What Hephaistion discussed with Aristotle was mundane and stupor inducing. And who honestly cared what Harpalos did at all?
So Kassander sat in the cool outside wind picking at his sandal and contemplating some intrigues he could make up. Perhaps Ptolemy had been sneaking off in the dead of night returning before dawn smelling of flowers and sex? Kassander yawned. Never mind that, may as well make up what they were having for dinner. Not only was it an uninspiring intrigue, King Philip would not care.
He wanted to know what Alexander was up to. Was he plotting anything? Did the philosopher plant bad seeds in his head? What factions were forming among the boys? Had he quarreled with any of the others?
No, no, none and no. Alexander, it seemed, was exceptionally boring. No scandals here, not even lackluster studying. Seeing first hand how easy Alexander made it seem to avoid scandal, one could feel a genuine patch of admiration for Philip and his notorious sex scandals.
Or so Kassander found himself thinking just as Alexander himself wandered outside, ever at his side was Hephaistion. Ah, this could very well be good and juicy. A bit to eat after weeks of any empty, waiting stomach. But then again, probably not; Alexander and Hephaistion often went out into the evening together bringing back little things for Aristotle and rosy cheeks.
Whatever the case, Kassander felt a jolt of excitement around his throat and deep into his chest as they did not notice him tucked away as he was among the rocks. He grinned crookedly and cocked his head towards them; heart beating all the faster at the thought of being caught. Could he pretend to be dozing?
"Alexander," Hephaistion said lightly pulling Kassander away from visions of getting into a tumultuous fist fight. Kassander risked a brief glance; Hephaistion stood a few paces behind Alexander. He was tall and lean, beautiful. The bones of his face were delicately shaped, his lips curved haughtily, tauntingly, into a small smile. If he had not been Hephaistion, Kassander would very much have liked to bed him. Alexander was not beauty. There was something about his features that seemed distinctly unplanned, or perhaps overly so. They blended together in a way that was not hideous to look at but instead interesting; something that needed more than a single look to make sure the true shape of the thing was being seen.
Kassander looked away again. His fingers were trembling without him being able to control it, he clamped them into fists and listened.
There was slight laugh, Alexander's. “This way tonight, I think. We've not been there as many times.”
Perhaps he smiled at his friend, probably he gestured. Kassander did not risk another glance just yet. “Yes, all right,” Hephaistion said and Kassander could hear the smile in that and found himself frowning. He imagined Hephaistion striding forward on those long, graceful legs and touching Alexander's shoulder.
His hands trembled in their fists, his frown deepened. Should he look, or stay put and close his eyes?
Kassander decided to risk the glance, his fingers trembled furiously as he raised himself slightly to have his eyes away from the filling sight of the rocks. Alexander stood with his back to Kassander, his hair flying wild in the light wind. From the back Alexander was, perhaps, a bit more comely. His shoulders were well developed and his entire body quite shapely and not overly muscled.
Hephaistion was standing next to Alexander with nearly his entire body turned towards the other boy; so that they were not shoulder to shoulder but rather Alexander's shoulder to Hephaistion's breast. Kassander felt a warmth in his stomach, Hephaistion was gorgeous from the side. Indeed, Kassander found that he needed to remind himself that this was Hephaistion, assertive and able and Alexander's, to get himself to stop staring quite so intently at his alluring body.
Alexander was saying something but Kassander did not hear, he was too occupied with watching Alexander's arm slide smoothly and easily around Hephaistion's narrow waist. His hands clenched tighter still, no longer trembling, as he watched Hephaistion return the gesture.
For a foolish moment, Kassander considered leaping to his feet and yelling out an insult about Hephaistion just to see who would strike him first. He caught his senses just in time as he watched them stroll away together. An echo of the previous excitement was twisting in his chest, but it was something else entirely, rougher and blinding.
He was slow rise from his place among the stones, but finally did so. His palms were quite sore where he'd been digging his nails in, little crescents stayed as a reminder of his trembling.
Inside, Kassander was quiet and sullen and none of the other boys bothered asking. Ptolemy had some vague idea already and none of the others much cared. When Alexander and Hephaistion appeared just a small time later, Kassander felt the familiar stir in his chest.
Hephaistion was glowing and pink, a stain of grass on his thigh. Alexander was just as pink and smiling. Kassander once more considered throwing out an insult but kept his mouth shut, thinking instead of the green on Hephaistion.
Kassander went to bed that night with his stomach grumbling, an ache in his fingers, and a deep cold feeling in his chest. He thought of making up some outrageous tale of sex in the wild, Aristotle observing with a tablet and stylus, with clothes ripping and much vocalizing and passion between Alexander and Hephaistion.
He pushed that away with some effort and dreamed of grass stains on thighs and pooling blood.