By the Sword

by Christian Kachel

  “The girl is not for me; I will watch the two of them.”

  “But to purchase such a flower of exquisite beauty for a dirty slave is almost sacrilegious.”

  “She will not be harmed and will be returned to you in good condition- that much I can swear.”

  “I will have to charge you more, plus the fee for watching.”

  “Very well,” I answered, putting a large purse in his hand. “Now bring her out,” I commanded tersely.

  “Right away, sir.” The warden exited with a newfound sense of urgency fuelled by a heavy purse. He returned seconds later with our girl- adorned in fine silk and smelling of an intoxicating fragrance. My eyes opened wide and I was taken aback by her beauty. I quickly regained my composure and stood stoically next to Vettias, who played his role as slave well, deferentially staring at the ground. Mara immediately noticed us but feigned ignorance perfectly.

  “She will take you to her room,” the warden explained.

  “Good, that will be all then,” I announced condescendingly.

  “Of course sir,” he responded and disappeared through the thick red curtain. After his departure, Mara gave us the faintest of smiles and led us to her chamber.

  Chapter 29

  We entered her quarters, which were decorated with attractive cushions, rugs, and tapestries. Its cleanliness eased some of the concern I had over her treatment while working on our behalf. She quickly closed the door and hugged me with a warmth I had not detected in her previously. Our embrace lingered just long enough to make me feel slightly uncomfortable before she let go and hugged Vettias as well.

  “Ooh, you stink,” she proclaimed, releasing Vettias from her grip. “I was wondering when I was going to see you.”

  “You seem to be in good spirits,” Vettias replied. “How are they treating you here? Do you need anything? Is everything alright?”

  “As good as can be expected. I would be doing this regardless- at least I am in pleasant surroundings. The men here are rather boorish, however, and certainly don’t care to know how to treat a woman.”

  “So, have we met anyone interesting?”

  “An officer of the Silver Shields. His name is Hyllos and claims to be a member of their battle staff. He told me of the infighting within the unit over General Antigenes’ murder of Lord Regent Perdiccas, Seleucus’ betrayal, Ptolemy’s theft of Alexander’s body, and their Deputy Commander Arrhideaus’ new protectorate duties of the Kings. Hyllos believes Arrhideaus does not want this responsibility and the Silver Shields do not support the coming dominance of Antipater that is sure to follow any agreement obtained at this summit. They still hold resentment to Antipater’s direct challenge to them while serving Lord Regent Perdiccas’ legitimate Regency and blame him and Ptolemy for the current situation.”

  “You’ve done an excellent job here Mara, I’m surprised this man would divulge so much to you,” Vettias congratulated.

  “Greeks don’t know what a tongue is for. He’s become infatuated with me and I suspect I will see him again.” Mara continued to provide Hyllos’ general demeanour and his physical attributes.

  “Have you met anyone else who might advance our cause?”

  “There were only a few other drunken fools who were too inebriated to climax- making for a rough time of it. I won’t miss this place when I am through here.” Thinking of Mara’s mistreatment angered me to no end, but I suppressed these feelings and reciprocated the congenial attitude she was displaying. I thought it the right time to test my theory about Nikandros and inserted myself into the conversation, provoking slight annoyance from Vettias.

  “Mara, do you remember when we met that first evening? Do you remember the new head of the treasury you pointed out to us?”

  “Yes,” she replied, not understanding my line of questioning.

  “There was the other individual sitting with him. A man you said you had been with. He was quiet. Do you remember him?”

  “Yes.”

  “Have you seen this individual in Triparadeisus? Has he visited the harem, perhaps taken to a certain girl?”

  “I haven’t.”

  “Can you be cognizant of this man and do all you can do determine if he is in fact here? I would recommend looking out for women here who only have regular clients. Perhaps someone that has been rented for long periods of time. Can you do that?”

  “There is not much I can do outside of these walls but I will be sure to keep my eyes open.”

  “How about you Andrikos? Are you proving your worth?” Mara asked with a tone of superiority that belied her youth.

  “The boy is coming along quite well,” Vettias interjected before I could answer- causing me to feel a little insecure, given how it made me look in front of Mara to be talked about as if I was not present in the room. “Mara, I have a small task for you,” Vettias explained as he removed a small parchment, ink, and stylus. Can you write these words to your new admirer as I dictate them to you? I need something that is going to tug on his heart strings.” Mara complied and wrote a false message urgently requesting Hyllos meet her immediately because she had been sold and was being moved the following morning. When Mara finished, Vettias rubbed a drop of her perfume on the parchment before rolling it up and placing it back in his small bag.

  The three of us lingered for another twenty minutes before Vettias thought it the appropriate time to make our departure. “My dear, we will require one more favour of you this early evening- we will need you to take us to the central palace garden.”

  As Mara approached her door, she turned around and gave me the softest, most sensual kiss I had ever received and stated in a sarcastic, yet warm tone, “Don’t you two forget about me.”

  She led us back to the atrium, where the warden had been waiting anxiously and ran out from behind a curtain when he heard us emerge. “Everything alright gentlemen?” he rushed to ask, while surveying Mara to ensure my slave did not sully his prized property.

  “Everything was exceedingly fine; however I have one small additional demand,” I stated in an arrogant tone. “I require this beauty to see us out of the palace. Spending those precious few extra moments with her is worth it to me,” I explained while putting another small amount of coin in his hand.

  “Uh, n-normally we do not let our women leave the premises…But, I can make an exception as long as she comes directly back here so she can wash off that slave’s stench,” he replied, looking sternly at Mara in a way that infuriated me.

  “I’ve no doubt she will see us out and return quickly to her quarters. You may see me again during the summit so be sure to have her ready when I arrive.”

  “Of course sir,” the warden replied deferentially. With that we took our leave through the large wooden doors and followed Mara back down the lavish corridor in the direction of the marble staircase.

  “You did great kid,” Vettias whispered with a proud smile. This recognition caused a mild euphoria in me as a rush of adrenaline hastened my pace. “You played your part well. I will need you to briefly explain our appearance to our contact in the central garden. Allow me to do the talking from then on, unless challenged by someone before we arrive at the Queen’s suite chambers. Mara, my dear, I was right to choose you. In a palace of gilded excess, you are a natural object of grace and beauty. One or both of us will be back to see you soon. Take heart, we will not forget about you.”

  Mara brought us past the large marble staircase, where we found ourselves on the second floor balcony overlooking the grand banquet hall. I looked down onto the large dining tables, each able to hold fifty men, as they were hurriedly being prepared for the evening’s festivities. The high ceiling was gilded with gold and jewels while the walls were adorned with tapestries and statues. Continuing along the balcony, we exited the grand dining hall and entered the palace’s central garden. This room was at the heart of the palace and spanned its entire height with the structure’s central rooftop edifice hovering overhead. It appeared the canopy was opened du
ring the day to allow sunlight into the garden and drawn closed each night. Exotic trees and flowers grew in the middle of the first floor, with several peacocks casually strolling about. A number of palace guests loitered in the garden below, enjoying the lush atmosphere. The second and third floor terraces also boasted striking floral arrangements hanging down from above. Mara pointed to a small staircase leading down to the first floor and bid us farewell.

  “I should be getting back,” she stated sullenly.

  “Remember what I told you; we’re not going to forget about you,” Vettias reassured. She quickly turned and left, perhaps to mask a tear, and Vettias and I descended the staircase into the palatial garden. “Don’t avoid eye contact with anyone,” Vettias whispered. “You need to act like you belong here. If someone gives you a challenging glance, you need to return it in such a forceful manner as to make them regret questioning your presence in the first place. If someone does question us, you are the personal guest of Ptolemy’s battle staff.” I nodded my understanding as we entered the garden to meet our unknown contact. Most of the garden’s admirers were too busy looking at the various species of flora to notice us. I did a fairly good job of fending off the few inquisitive glances I did receive at great internal exertion.

  Vettias and I walked slowly through the narrow paths landscaped into the garden where we finally saw a girl about my age of unmistakably Macedonian origin. She sat on a small bench examining a particularly exotic flower and wore a white linen robe decorated with a bright purple pattern and ornamental clasps. In her hair she wore two decorative hairpins and a white jasmine flower. My heart raced a little as I approached to make an introduction.

  “My lady, may I ask you the way to the palatial baths?” I asked with as polished a Greek tone as my humble upbringing was capable of summoning.

  “Its location is difficult to traverse if you don’t know the way. Allow me to show you to them.” Having executed our recognition signals, I quickly sat beside her and explained who we in fact were in a hushed tone. Vettias then apologized for his appearance and introduced himself.

  “My lady, thank you for so expertly serving your queen and meeting with us here today. Please lead the way to her suite. Between now and then, if we are to be stopped for any reason, please do your best to maintain the guise Andrikos and I have assumed. Are you ready?”

  “Yes, please follow me gentlemen. I believe you will find the palatial baths to your liking.” We followed in silence as she led us out of the central garden and through several halls and corridors until we reached a set of four marble columns indicating the entrance to the palatial baths.

  We entered the bath’s main vestibule, where several people milled about drinking wine and making conversation. “The corridor we seek is just inside the smaller female facilities. I’ll return once I determine our path is clear of any outsiders and we will hurriedly make our way. Wait here and act natural.” Vettias nodded his assent and we quietly moved into a dimly lit corner of the atrium.

  “Follow my lead when we enter her chambers. I will do the talking. Don’t speak unless spoken to. You are about to be in the presence of Argead royalty- Alexander’s own cousin no less. You’re a long way from the brothels of Ilandra kid,” Vettias smirked while putting his arm around me- even he was getting caught up in the gravity of the moment. Our royal guide emerged from the woman’s facilities at a determined pace and quickly motioned the two of us to follow her. Vettias took quick stock of our surroundings to ensure he and I had been forgotten by the few conversationalists inside the vestibule. Making the determination we could safely follow, we made a hastened dash through the entrance to the women’s side of the bathhouse. We trailed our guide, who quickly darted into a small alcove used to store maintenance supplies. As we did so, the three of us froze in place after hearing the carefree laughter of two women patrons approaching. We backed up against the dimly lit alcove wall and held our breaths as the two women neared. The presence of two men in the women’s bathhouse facilities would be seen as a great offense and terminate any chance of us meeting with the Queen. The two women passed by completely unaware of our presence, and our guide rapidly opened a hidden door that was constructed to look like part of the alcove’s wall. She lit a candle and the three of us entered the dark corridor leading to a stairwell. Closing the secret door behind us, we were in complete darkness save for our guide’s small candle.

  The corridor smelled of mildew and contained multiple unseen cobwebs that I frequently walked into, causing me to walk up the stairs with my hands out in front me. The stone staircase followed a continuously curving route until it reached an old wooden door whose hinges hadn’t looked used in decades. Our guide gave a deliberate knock, denoting a prearranged signal, and the door was unlocked from the other side and slowly creaked open.

  An immense man stood in the doorway, with sword drawn, wearing the colours of the royal bodyguard. Recognizing our guide, he hurriedly ushered the three of us in and locked the old door behind us, moving a wooden chest in front of it. We found ourselves in an extravagant circular anteroom occupied by several royal bodyguards and attendants. Perceiving the need to put the brute at ease, Vettias spoke first.

  “I am Vettias of Amphipolis, son of Nikomachus, veteran of Chaeronea, the Granicus, the Planes of Issus, the sieges of Sidon and Tyre, Gaugamela, The Jaxartes River, The Hydaspes River, as well as the recent battles of succession in Cappadocia. I currently serve the one true defender of the Argead Kings, General Eumenes of Cardia, as an officer within his battle staff. I have travelled many weeks, risking life and limb, to stand in this very room to pledge my undying loyalty to Queen Adea and offer assistance against her powerful enemies so she may rightly retain the Argead throne. My colleague is my apprentice in service of the Argead Kings.”

  The room fell silent as Vettias delivered his impressive introduction. His demeanour always became intensely serious when speaking of Alexander and his successors- underlying the impassioned allegiance he held to the oath taken in India. I hoped to feel as passionate about something as Vettias did to his oath- such passions spur one to accomplish great things and give meaning to one’s life.

  All in attendance remained silent and cautiously looked towards the gaggle of female attendants huddled on the opposite side of the foyer. Within this group of women, all eyes looked to a singular beauty standing several inches taller than her companions with blond hair, blue eyes, and fair skin. She stepped forward into the centre of the room with everyone’s eyes deferentially following her. She looked confidently at the two of us as she approached with a poise and grace reserved for royalty despite her apparent young age. I felt obliged to turn my eyes towards the ground in surrender to such self-assuredness. It was clear Argead blood flowed through this young girl as she addressed the two of us.

  “Vettias of Amphipolis, I thank you for your service to Macedon’s military victories and for your loyalty to the interest of my family. It appears we have both donned guises for this meeting. Let us lift them and speak privately in my chambers.”

  “As you command, my Queen,” Vettias answered, bowing his head. Two attendants opened the colossal double doors, carved with friezes displaying mythical Persian creatures, allowing passage into the royal chambers. The imposing bodyguard who granted us entry to the royal atrium followed the three of us into a large antechamber decorated with distinctly Greek artifacts- no doubt brought from Macedon in the royal baggage train. There were two corridors leading to what looked like a large private dining hall and a bath facility. A larger set of closed double doors was opened by the bodyguard leading to the royal bedchamber.

  “It is a great offense for men of your low stature to be allowed in the private chambers of the Queen,” Adea stated while motioning us to follow her inside.

  “Which is of course why you chose to have this meeting here,” Vettias added.

  “This place is crawling with snakes, thus all precautions must be taken.” The bodyguard followed us into the bedroo
m when Vettias abruptly halted.

  “My queen, it is precisely because I agree with you that we must ask to speak with you alone,” he implored, while motioning towards her bodyguard. The sentry shot Adea a disapproving stare before being ordered to wait outside after disarming us. As he closed the door behind him, Adea motioned us to sit on a plush couch with blue cushions and gold stitching. As I did so, I realized this was the most comfortable piece of furniture I had ever sat on.

  “My queen, I want to thank you for agreeing to meet us under these circumstances. I…”

  “And what makes you think I did not want to have two men who serve under the Phalangiarch Alcetas brought to my chambers to be killed for my amusement?” Adea forcefully interrupted. She spoke with an eloquence resulting from years of study under Greece’s best tutors, and a stubborn combativeness that pointed to her young age and northern heritage. It appeared she was not willing to let bygones be bygones- Vettias was going to have his work cut out for him. “Do you think me willing to further the cause of the man who murdered my mother? A woman who surpassed him and his family in every conceivable measure. It’s no wonder his brother, the fool Perdiccas, managed to lose his army and his life without a battle being fought. I could have intervened and saved him but instead I spit on his corpse with a smile. He won’t be the last to lay dead after crossing me. And this is the faction you come here to entreat me to support?”

  “And now you have been brought here to wait for your new master to arrive and take you under his possession until you have served his purposes.” Vettias was taking a chance with his blunt assessment to change the course of the conversation. “You’ve suffered under men who did not have your best interest at heart and now you will be delivered to Antipater to serve as pawn until he no longer has use of you and your husband.”

  “You forget yourself Vettias; no one speaks to me in that manner,” Adea corrected in a half-serious tone. “Let us speak plainly. My husband is an imbecile, Alexander’s son is an infant, his widow is from some dirt farm in Bactria, and his mother has been banished to her country of Epirus by Antipater. I alone am suited to act as Protectorate of the Argead line.”