Showtime! Chapter 1

[joyeee]

Fandom: Alexander the Great
Rating: FRT/PG/K+

Just in case they were missed, the credits, other notes about the story, and prologue are here.

Author's Note: "Euthymius" means "in good spirits."

Chapter 1: Alexander the Third of Macedon, Tamer of Bucephalus, son of King Philip the Second of Macedon and Queen Olympias of the Molossians of Epirus, Prince

Comments

[qaddafi]

Good story. The comment about how Olympias wouldn't understand warfare was interesting. I'm afraid I can't think of too much more to say, other than it was good and I'm looking froward to when Alexander and Hephaistion meet.

[joyeee]

I know Olympias knew quite well how to get her way, and didn't balk at violence - and that Alexander probably realized that. But while he was still a kid I think she'd emphasize the glorious parts, going into details of blood and death only to add to the "glory," instead of the more mundane things like cleaning equipment and caring for horses. Hence Alexander's perception of her in the story.

Thanks for reading, especially since it tends to WAFF!

[coraldawn]

You already know - at length - what I felt about this chapter! :) Just wanted to pop back in and say, you write dialogue very well! So much of characterization and story events flow through dialogue in your tales - difficult to achieve, but marvellous!

[joyeee]

Thank you! The thesaurus has not failed me, then. ^_^ (Really glad there are so many ways to say "say," especially with lots of characters in a scene!)

From Moon71

[anonymous]

Well, what can I say I didn't say on FF? I love this story. I think the style of the prologue is lots of fun and refreshingly different and I love the fact that Alexander has missed out on the chance to meet Hephaestion in Chapter 1. You have obviously given a great deal of thought to your story, especially in the characterisation. I am EAGERLY awaiting chapter 2! Get a move on, woman

[joyeee]

Ch. 2 coming, I really didn't expect it to simmer like something in a crock-pot but it's not well-done yet! Thank you for mentioning characterization, I think that's my number one attractant in any book/movie etc. that I really really like.

How can anyone not see the love and support between them in Virtues? Especially compared with most other works, including the movie ... when there are lines in this book like "Him awake, I can sleep. Him on my flank, I need look neither right nor left. His worth exceeds warcraft. He has brought over a hundred cities without bloodshed, simply by the excellence of his forward envoyage. Tact and charity, which would be weaknesses in a lesser man, are with him so innate that they disarm even the haughtiest and most ill-disposed of enemy chieftains..." Okay, I won't tediously quote any more. And it's not just that one scene when Alexander sees Hephaestion; all of the scenes in which Hephaestion makes an appearance made me very happy. Just for example, there is that scene that actually demonstrates how

[parisad]

Cute and good story!Original! I like it and I'm waiting for the second chapter

Messmore

[parisad]

I'm so sorry, Joy, I'm obviously going through my opinionated phase. Michael Messmore's name fits his books - he made more of a mess of Alexander and Ancient Macedon than any author I know. His Hephaestion is a clot and the rest of his characters have no personality. And his research for his books must have been minimal. He wrote one mainly about Philip and Olympias and one about Alexander - Alexander the King or something like that. Didn't bother to read the first one and skimmed the second. He lets us understand Alexander and Hephaestion are lovers but doesn't seem happy about it - they never actually seem to spend the night together - and has his Alexander comparing the male and female body and - THIS IS ANCIENT GREECE! - finding the female body superior, because men have no curves. Then he has him refering to himself as "more and more hetrosexual" (yes he uses that term!) and being PLEASED about it. He says he loved Hephaestion but doesn't know why because Hephaestion was so stupid. If someone held a gun to my head and

Re: Messmore

[parisad]

"he has him referring himself as more and more HETEROSEXUAL"...
WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT??? my god, I thought to have already read every kind of crap but...I missed this! And Alexander finding the female body superior, because men have no curves...what is this, a book from a frustrated old man? **disgusting**
Ah, well, he says Alexander loves Hephaestion but doesn't know why because he is so stupid...well, I'm wondering too how Alexander could have loved a stupid man for twenty years :P My God, how can thee people get published. What a waste of paper. And Nicastro's book seems even worse...a rapist and impotent Alexander. Every time I read these things I think they're insulting Alexander (and Hephaestion).
But...no need to apologize, dear, I knew this rant is not aimed at me ;) we could talk about these books again...:)
**hug** (to you and Joy)

Re: Messmore

[joyeee]

Yes, how did that 1st person narrator know? Camp gossip at best, rather unreliable!
Exactly as you say it's ancient Greece; with Alexander's education, background, and his love of the Iliad with Achilles and Patroclus it's really strange to think he could think a woman's curves "superior" and being pleased to find himself more and more a lady's man! Even if he did secretly "find out" he liked being with women more, I don't think he would've been happy about it, given the thoughts on love between a man and a woman, and love between two men, of the time

[rothalion]

Great tale, I enjoy stories about their youth. Thanks.

[joyeee]

Glad you liked it!