Greek Myth Aesthetic - Tumblr Posts

"We're all like Atlas-- holding up a piece of our very own sky."

- excerpt from a book I'll never write

You can't fail me, professor. don't you know I'm neurodivergent and a minotaur

The tragedy of love a god is only if he loves you back.

It is a tragedy, Hades? x

Close moment between Hera and Coras

After she discovered about Electra. From this day he promised to be loyal to the goddess.

Apollo and Coras(16)

My Record of ragnarok oc

Eirene Goddess of Peace, Greek pantheon.

Trivia:

You're probably asking yourself " Why the goddess of peace is full of scars??" Well, since she's the personification of peace whenever war happens in the human world she gets hurt. The worse is the conflict the worse is the wound. She lost 2 limbs first her left arm after the first world war, then her right leg after the second world war.

She doesn't speak a lot like Poseidon.

She has a strange "friendship" with Loki, even though he brings chaos everywhere, they actually get along. Loki enjoys keeping her company especially after all the pain she's been through.

She despises Zeus and Ares, because they are the main reason wars exists and their adulterous relationships.

Generally she is a neutral goddess,she doesn't approve Ragnarok, it's still a conflict between 2 worlds and every fight brings her a wound.

Even though humankind is the main source of her pain,she doesn't hate humans.

She did suffer a lot due to all the wars.

She had a different look before Ragnarok. (Oowlie note:Gonna show it soon!)

The queen of Olympus is here, Hera goddess of family and marriage, too bad that her own marriage wasn't the best of all. I mean she has Zeus's as husband what did she expect?

Soooooo....

You wished I was done with this fandom but you were wrong haha!

I wasn't satisfied with Eirene's old design, that's why I gave her a little upgrade!!

The goddess of peace will have a new lore and I can't wait to show you everything!!

@mawiotherspace did an incredible job for the voice actor ref page!! thank you so much!!

❄.Sandor & Sansa.❄

as…{«Part.II.»}

✨.Hades & Persephone.✨

✨».King & Queen of Darkness.«✨

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°

Wary,

Hades knew he should regret this day of hasty decisions.

But she was warm.

And sweet.

And light.

He stood, bowing low, bidding his new queen goodnight.

To his surprise, Persephone cupped his face in her hands and kissed the Lord of Darkness lightly on the left temple.

Under her lips, white stars blossomed in his hair for only a moment.

They wilted and fell.

And he fell.

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°

»Hades & Persephone«

»By Megan C. Lloyd«

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐨𝐝 & 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐥

𝙂𝙧𝙚𝙚𝙠 𝙈𝙮𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙡𝙤𝙜𝙮 𝘿𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙤 𝙈𝙖𝙡𝙛𝙤𝙮 𝙭 𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙧

Chapters

𝘾𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙊𝙣𝙚

Chione/Khione's aesthetic

And to be left eternally fading into silence over

And over

And over.

And to be left to waste away in the shadow of a man’s vanity.

~Echo speaks for us all

I lost track of the wounds

In the end

The only one that mattered

Was the one you gave me

In the end

The only one that mattered

Was you

In the end

It was the betrayal that slaughtered me

Before the blood loss

When your eyes sliced into my soul

Puncturing the vital organ

I was dead before your blade parted flesh

Ghost before my body hit the ground

~

In the end

My final breath

An exhale of your name

That still tasted like home on the tounge

My blood forgetting to be afraid

In your familar palms

~

But if I am spirit

Why I am the one haunted?

By you

Or some part of you that perished

With me

Begging for mercy

I do not know how to grant you

~

And if you lived

Why did I find you

Haunting your own shell

When I returned to

Forgive you

~

~And Caeser Thinks: If Betrayal Is A Kiss, I am Glad I Tasted It Last From Your Lips

The sun tosses herself into the arms of the sea

His vast embrace, the only thing she has never felt too infinite for

She takes comfort in being swallowed whole for the night 

Savours the sensation of being devoured 

~ oh celestial love, even the sun longs to be encompassed sometimes, for it is no weakness to desire to be held. you are never too much for someone who cannot get enough of you.

peonies & pomegranates: when eve meets persephone

Persephone meets Eve standing at the edge of the underworld

A fist full of soil

Persephone says,

Hello there

Eve says,

I thought

I might be able to see them

In the end,

Again.

Her hands unfurl and

Let the dirt fall

You smell like them

Do

You

Know?

You smell like the flowers

Left behind

In Eden.

And Eve turns to look at her then.

And it has been many centuries

For them both

But

Persephone recognizes the never fading gleam,

The twinkle in her eye

Birthed only from

The glazing nectar of

Forbidden fruit.

A mirror reflection

Of herself.

Two women who chose to

Give in

Honour

Their hunger

In hopes of a moments reprieve

From being devoured by their own

Longing.

Persephone says,

You must be

Eve

Eve flitches at her own name.

Merely says

Nothing grows here

And Persephone understands

Her heartbreak

Says

No.

I am sorry.

And Eve flinches at that too.

Breathes,

No

Whispers,

No more

Apologies

Here.

I have lived a life time of

Repentance.

And I

Am done with

All this

Asking for forgiveness

For things we are not to blame for.

For things we are not sorry for.

Persephone

Still scented with Eden’s greenery says

I know

And Eve looks at her with

More ache

Than doubt.

Let’s the goddess assure her

That

You do not have

To be sorry anymore

Here.

And she takes the woman's hand in hers.

Smeared with the kingdoms

Dirt.

A handful of miniscule stones

Ground to sand.

Caught beneath her nails.

Persephone can feel

Life rolling off the

Girl

In gentle waves.

Even here,

After,

She ought to have been

Drained.

As though

The only way to

Take her

Had been instead,

To drown her

Completely

In the sea of

Existance.

And she

Was still

Dripping.

I did not want

To go back

To a gilded cage.

Even if the bars were wound

In vines

And blossoms.

I just

Missed

The flowers.

Persephone sits with her

At the edge of the underworld.

Says

I know

And Eve

Is tired of a lifetime of

Biting her tongue.

What do you know

Of wanting

Persephone?

A Queendom in Spring.

A kingdom come fall.

A million miles below the ground,

When the frost strikes.

Do you know what it is like to be

Cold

Persephone?

To be exiled?

To be

Unwanted?

And it is Eve.

No malice and all

Curiosity.

And Persephone wishes

She could give her

The answers

She needs to be

At peace.

I know

Much of wanting

And the unwanting.

Persephone looks

Up

To

The ground

Above

They blame me

For the plague of

Cold and barren land

And Eve knows too

Well

They blame me

For the plague of

A lifetime of repentance

And Persephone knows too

Well

For paying the price

Of my spent desire.

And their contempt

Drips

Acidic

Into the soil

Eve picks at the dirt

Beneath her nails

As though

She can feel

The burning.

And replies

As though to say

How dare you want,

Woman,

More than what we have

Permitted you to have.

Don't be

Selfish

Persephone finishes for

Her

Own heart and fists

Twisting

Curling

Into themselves.

And Eve

Goes on.

As though to say

How dare you disobey

What you were told to be.

How dare you

Attempt to become

More

Than we have let you

Be.

Eve looks at Persephone then

And it has been many centuries

For them both

But

Eve recognizes the never fading gleam

The twinkle in her eye

Birthed only from

The glazing nectar of

Forbidden fruit

A mirror reflection

Of herself.

I was only

Hungry

Says Eve

I know

Says Persephone

And I did not know

What could stifle

My appetite.

I did not know

What I craved.

Just that

I was starving.

And that

Nothing

Was

Enough.

And he came to you

In your instability

And they both know this story

By heart.

And he said

Eat, love

If you would like

Only

If you would like

And he dropped it into your palms

And she can almost feel the weight in her hands.

Where it once rested,

Before it was digested,

And left for her to carry

In the pit of herself

For eternity.

And it smelt of sweet possibility

Eve inhales.

Though breath means

Nothing here.

But she does it anyways

For the sake of

Nostalgia.

And he gave you a fruit

And I brought it to my own lips

And he gave you a choice

And I laid it on my own tongue

Peresphone watches her

Mirror

Knowingly.

And you chose

To bite

To swallow

The consequences.

And it hangs between them.

Tangible.

Ripe.

And ready

To fall.

The culmination

Of two seeded

Choices

And it

Drops

Into

Persephone's lap

Persephone's palms

Persephone's mouth

And you would do it again

And the fruit always looks deceptively

Delectable

But the nectar

Of the truth

Is always

Bitter

And Eve cups her hands below

The goddesses chin

And lets the golden syrup

Accumulate

And

Sips

Yes

I would

Do it

Again

And they do not need to speak

To say:

If I was given the chance

The choice

To save myself

Again

I would do it

I would take it

Over

And

Over

And

Over

Again.

Because

I do not think

I could ever

Be sorry

For being

Hungry

And eating

Until

I was full

And Persephone

Nods

Understanding

The all consuming nature of

The desire to

Know.

I do not think

I could ever

Be sorry

For choosing to live

Over

Survive.

I was never

Sorry

Even when

They punished me for

Knowing

For wanting

For being something other than

A good girl

A docile daughter

And Eve laughs

And Persephone is struck

By how much the

Sound tastes of

Fresh bloom.

Have they ever met

Mother Nature

She is

No

Soft

Or

Submissive

Thing

And Persephone smiles then too

And Eve is struck

By how much the

Image looks like

The creation of

A universe.

My mother

Warned me

Her breath is breeze after

Rainfall

To be wary of bitter men

And their sweet offerings

Her gaze is an ocean

Rippling reflection

And my mother said

It is a dangerous game to play

Persephone

She is

The symphony

Of life.

And my father said,

Listen to me, Eve

And my mother said

Come home to me

Persephone

Or their will be consequences

You belong here

In the sun

In the garden

In my gaze

In my grasp

And they both

Know this story

By heart.

Muscle memory

Fear

Hate

Rage

Longing

Stillness.

And I thought,

I belong wherever

I please.

And I thought

I deserve

To know.

I thought

I will not be afraid

Of the dark.

I thought

I deserve

To eat.

I thought

I will not bow to death.

And Eve is looking at

Persephone.

And the reflection

Is cracking.

And instead

He lowered his brow

To brush his lips

Across your knuckles.

And Persephone is looking at

Eve

And the reflection

Is shattering.

And instead

He bent a knee for me.

The glass is

Falling.

I do not know

What that is like.

I do not think

He loves me

Anymore.

And the silence

Aches for them both

How do you

Know?

And Eve

Considers this.

The quiet

Holds her

Softly.

I do not think I know

What love ought to be.

I do not think

The tree

Taught me

This.

And Persephone

Picks up

The shards,

Dew drops of light

Healing the image

Into a make shift

Mosaic.

Hands still gentle

When they brush away

Her doubt.

Love

Is

The way

The truth

Made itself

Soft

And

Sweet

For you,

Love.

Love

Is

The way

You choose

It

And

It Chose

You.

And Eve is

Not staring

At a mirror

She is gazing

At

The entirety

Of the universe

At once.

And the truth is

My lover

My sin

My salvation

That I was not

Naive

Or

Ignorant

Or

Victim

To a man's

Deception

And when I committed the

Transgression

Of

Making a choice

That was wholly my own

I did not beg to be kept

To be released

I walked out of

Paradise

With my head held high

Bid farewell to the

Light

And entered

The shadows

Let the gates shut behind me

And I left

And I stayed

And it was

My

Choice

And it is

In Persphone’s arms

That Eve learns

For the first time

Of what it is like

To be held

Other than as

Grudge

Or

Guilt.

And Eve

Is embraced by the universe

Until

At last

She knows

e v e r y t h i n g

I C H O R

The story of Hades and Persephone starts like any other love lore.

Hades The Greek God of the Underworld hardly ever leaves his domain. But when he did leave the underworld, he came across the beautiful maiden, Persephone. Born as an offspring between two Gods, Persephone was beautiful both in and out.

And Hades fell in love with her.

Knowing that her mother will never allow to marry him. Hades opens the Earth and takes Persephone away to the underworld. To not frighten the beautiful maiden. Hades created a garden in the underworld and treated Persephone with respect and love like all men should.

Demeter Persephone's mother, Goddess of the harvest roamed the Earth in search of her beloved daughter neglecting her duties as the Goddess of Harvest. When she came to know that Hades has abducted her she demanded justice to the king of all Gods, Zeus.

Knowing that she cannot stay her forever. Hades gifts Persephone one last gift.

A pomegranate.

Persephone eats six pomegranate seeds and leaves the Underworld promising that she would return.

Zeus torn between the decision he has to make came to know of the last gift. In Greek tradition eating something from the host of the household means that you have promised to return.

So the King of the Gods declared that Persephone would be the queen of the Underworld for six months of the year each for the six pomegranate seeds. And spend the rest six with her mother Demeter.

It is told that six months of spring and summer is when Persephone is with her mother. While the next six of autumn and winter, when the world withers away she is the queen of the Underworld.

The story of Hades and Persephone is often misunderstood portraying Hades as the villain and Persephone as weak.

But I think that Hades truly loved her And Persephone loved him back.

What do you think?

The Song Of Achilles

I met you when I was twelve. Just a scrawny little kid with curls in his hair.

You always sat separately, didn't fawn over me like everyone else.

Was it then I fell in love with you?

Was it when you kissed me on the beach?

Was it when you left my father's house to chase after me?

Was it when you loved me in silence every night not knowing I did just the same?

Was it when you came to a foreign land looking for me?

I will let you in on a secret Patroclus.

I loved you from the moment I laid my eyes on you.

The moment you caught the fig I threw at you.

The moment you came with me to watch me fight.

The moment you came with me to listen to my father's stories.

I loved you Patroclus.

I loved you when you wore my armour and fought in my stead.

I loved you when I held you for the last time.

I loved you when they burned you on a pyre.

I loved you when I fought a river God.

I loved you when I killed Hector.

Because how could I not love you Patroclus?

The best of Greeks.

The best part of me.

ACHILLES AND PATROCLUS.

This is a story you all know well. Beautiful and tragic this story is. The Greeks loved men and women alike. It did not matter to them a person's gender. Achilles was the prince. The son of a Goddess and a King. The best of Greeks. The best of men.

When Achilles first laid eyes upon Patroclus, he didn't look like much. He was covered in dirt and grime because of his long and excruciating travel. Achilles's father had welcomed him, told Achilles that Patroclus was a prince like him but he no longer was. Achilles did not care for all that, he was more intrigued by the quiet boy.

Becoming friends with Patroclus was easy as breathing for him. Patroclus knew when to pull him back if he should go too far and knew when to encourage him. Peleus didn't bother separating them both, instead, sent them both to Chiron.

The centaur had taken one look at them and knew what would become of them. Achilles who was fast, relentless and unforgiving, and Patroclus who was silent, soft and forgiving, Chiron had looked at them and saw their end even before they had begun. But he had guarded his silence and taught both his students to be great. He knew that they were destined for greatness, like he knew about Jason and about Heracles. He, also, knew that Jason's naive behaviour and Heracles's pride would be their downfall. Just as he knew that Achilles's pride and Patroclus's heart would be theirs.

When Thetis came, Chiron was tempted to send her away, to protect his students who he had come to cherish. Chiron knew that Thetis came with the news of war, the news of death.

Both Achilles and Patroclus bowed to him and promised that they would come visit him after the war was over. Chiron had simply nodded, not telling them that neither would make it back.

Achilles marveled at everything the ships, the soldiers, the sea. After Odysseus had brought him from the island he was hiding as a woman, everyone had told Achilles that he would be the reason for their victory. Not only because, he had taken the oath of Tyndareus, not because only someone with his blood can breach the walls but because he was the best fighter. He was the warrior who was to lead them towards victory. He was the best of Greeks. But Achilles knew that he would win, because Patroclus was beside him.

One thousand ships and fifty thousand soldiers, Achilles thought, but the war will be won by Patroclus and I.

Patroclus didn't join him for the raids around Troy. He chose to stay behind at camp to help the healers. Achilles knew that Patroclus wasn't weak by any measure, he knew that he had also taken the Oath of Tyndareus but he was baffled by the notion of Patroclus not wanting glory, not wanting honor.

When Achilles brought Briseis to their tent Patroclus hadn't said anything. He treated her as he would treat a friend and not a spoil of war. Achilles had like Briseis, he had brought her here to spite Agamemnon but he still had liked her, but she could not be compared to the man who held his heart.

When the war began, Achilles saw a part of Patroclus that he hadn't seen before. A chilling, brutal and a cruel part of him. Patroclus fought like that was his last fight, he killed mercilessly and terrifyingly. Achilles had fought all his fights knowing that he would win, Patroclus fought all his fights like he was afraid that he would die. Achilles did not understand how he could miss this side of his Patroclus, he had mistaken his silence and withdrawal as cowardness when it simply had been preservation. Patroclus had been more deadly in battle than Achilles.

When Agamemnon disrespected him, he withdraws from battle, knowing that without him they can't win and without him Patroclus wouldn't fight. He was content with watching men burn, he didn't care whether they were Greeks or Trojans. He knew that in the end, after Agamemnon has fallen, after Hector has fallen, him and Patroclus would rule everything.

Men come and plead with him, soldiers who are less and great alike. Odysseus pleads for his intervention so that the war would end and he can go to his wife, Diomedes does not want to watch his men getting slaughtered, Nestor wants too see his country before he dies, Menelaus apologizes in the place of Agamemnon and many more come to his tent but he turns them all away.

Patroclus is the last one to plead. He pleads him to join the fight and Achilles is so stunned. Patroclus never spoke against him or his wishes. When Patroclus told that he was wrong, when Patroclus was pulling him back it meant that he was in the wrong. That he was at fault. Achilles didn't want to admit this, instead he tells Patroclus that perhaps he should fight without him. They don't touch or speak with each other throughout the night.

The next evening there was screaming, violent screams. The Trojans had a son of Zeus beside them! Prince Hector was leading the charge with the son of Zeus! They are trying to break into the camp! The news stuns Achilles but it alarms Patroclus. He pleads him again, not for him to join the fight but to send him instead. Achilles puts his armour and gives him his sword. Come back, he tells him, come back to me. When the Greeks see Achilles's golden armour shining through the night, they rejoice knowing that they will win now. Messengers run to the camp at varied times, he didn't wish to watch the fight, knowing that he might be tempted to join. He hears their whispers, Achilles has killed the son of Zeus, Achilles has driven away the Trojans from the camp, Achilles is pursuing Prince Hector. After the last one, the whispers stop. Achilles could hear the faint cries of battle beyond the camp.

When the cries stop, Achilles wonders why he doesn't hear the cry of victory and joy. At dawn the soldiers arrive, Agamemnon is the first to enter his tent and before he could tell him to leave Odysseus, Nestor and Diomedes enter and Menelaus enters last. The gently set down a body they had been carrying, Achilles thinks that Agamemnon has killed Briseis and before he can lash out at him, he hears Menelaus say, he fought well. He. It was Patroclus.

Achilles uncovers the shroud. He looks at them and wishes for their death. They leave silently. Achilles washes him, puts him on their bed and slides in next to him. Like this he pretends that they are back in Chiron's camp and that Patroclus is sleeping like the dead because of the hard training they had endured.

And he dreams, oh Gods, he dreams. He dreams of Patroclus, he dreams of his touch, his smile, his kindness. Those dreams leave his body aching in the morning. He goes in and out of consciousness. He dreams of Patroclus dying, he dreams of Hector striking him and finally, he dreams that he is the one who kills Patroclus.

He kills Hector the next day. They fight all day long and Hector runs from him in the hopes of meeting his son for the last time. A river God rose to protect Hector but Achilles's rage is so overwhelming that he defeats the God. The winds murmur, he can hear what they are saying. He has defeated a God! He will kill all Trojans. The war mustn't end this soon! He drags Hector's body around Troy. To show them that this was their Prince but now another dead body. He knows he is angering the Gods further but Achilles doesn't care. What was victory without Patroclus beside him?

The stench of Patroclus fills the tent but he still sleeps there, on their bed. His dreams will either be of their times together or it will be Achilles killing him. He realizes one day- after a horrid dream where Patroclus curses him for his death, although he knows that Patroclus would never do that, he still wishes that he had- Patroclus did die because of him. Not only because of his pride but because Patroclus had no reason in the first place to be here, Patroclus had been a prince when he had taken the Oath of Tyndareus but he hadn't been a prince now. He hadn't had any reason to go to Chiron as well. He had simply followed Achilles wherever he had gone. Achilles did kill him. That thought breaks Achilles beyond repair.

He dreams again, this time he is in their tent and Patroclus walks in and kneels before him. Patroclus places his hand on his cheek and Achilles leans into his touch. You have to let me go, Patroclus says, let me go, Achilles.

No, Achilles clutches his arm, you said you would come back.

Patroclus smiles at him. The smile is clear and beautiful, unlike his previous blurry dreams. Achilles, he calls his name, you have to let me go.

Achilles washes Patroclus again and sets a funeral pyre for him. Whole of the Greek army attends to pay their respects. Patroclus, he says his name like a prayer, the best of Greeks, the best part of me.

After that Achilles fights aimlessly, he doesn't fight to win but he doesn't lose either. Achilles sees Apollo next to Prince Paris- Hector's brother and the man who started this war- Apollo's smile is sick and frightening but Achilles wasn't frightened. To him it was warm and welcoming since it held the promise of death. Paris set his arrow loose while Apollo carried it. Right in his heel. Right where his body is weak. He falls and closes his eyes.

He doesn't care about the Trojans or the Greeks or winning. It had only mattered to him when Patroclus was at his side. Patroclus had followed him all his life, it was time for Achilles to follow him to death. Patroclus smiles at him when he sees him. Patroclus, he says, I missed you and I'm here.

Hephaestion wakes up with a start. There were people running around outside his tent, he could hear them. Far away, he could hear thundering footsteps against the earth and a war horn blowing. It was still early in the morning but the enemies were there to attack. Sighing, he turns to see Alexander sleeping next to him.

Hephaestion hated a lot of things about Alexander. He hated how much he drunk, he hated his arrogance, his anger, his pride, he hated so many things about Alexander. Alexander who was strong, who was the prince, who was hailed as the son of Zeus, who killed his own father to take the throne. In Alexander's defence his father was a dick.

But the thing is, Alexander was his friend. No matter what Alexander did, Hephaestion was unable to hate him. And now, he slept without any care in the world when enemies were right outside. And the reason he slept without a care was because Hephaestion was the General to his armies and he knew that Hephaestion would win.

They win that battle. Like they always do. And when they reach the royal family who attacked them, their queen falls on his knees before Hephaestion to beg for her life and her children's. "You are mistaken. I am not the King."

The queen's eyes widens. Before she could apologise Alexander smiles at her kindly. "You were not mistaken, Mother. This man too is Alexander." And then walks away.

Hephaestion watches as Alexander sits at the throne of the king they just defeated. "I will not harm you or your family but in turn you must welcome me as your ruler." He tells the court and they all bow to him. Hephaestion tilts his head and goes to stand next to him.

This is how things have been for the longest time. Hephaestion was always beside Alexander. Wherever the King resided the General was beside him. Even when they were children and Alexander couldn't bear to stay inside with his father and mother, Hephaestion and Alexander would stay under the stars and talk about seeing the world. Alexander wanted to see everything, he wanted to see worlds beyond the stars, he wanted to see Olympus, he wanted to see the Gods. Hephaestion was to be beside him. Nowhere else. Hephaestion thinks when Alexander talks about wars, battles and conquest; he would be nowhere else than here. They were too alike, even in the way they dressed, acted and spoke.

And when Alexander became King, he listened to Hephaestion more than he listened to anyone else. He hears his father's subjects but takes only Hephaestion's words to heart. And even now, after so many battles and wars, he still heeds only his words and not anyone else.

The queen kneels before Alexander and offers her daughter in marriage as a sign of acceptance but he refuses, saying that the king is still alive and he would wed her daughter only after the king is dead.

They stay in the city that they won for a few nights, even if Alexander had two wives he still tumbled into Hephaestion's bed. And Alexander acts like it's perfectly fine to sleep in Hephaestion's room and not let him sleep. When they touch each other, it was simply need instead of want and when they slept beside one another that was need as well.

They leave to hunt down the king who escaped the battlefield. They find him after days of travel. They kill him very easily. The defeated king did not gain safety from anyone and was wandering from the day of battle with his injuries unattended. While they ride back home Alexander tells Hephaestion to take the queen's other daughter as his bride. Hephaestion agrees because it would strengthen their campaign.

They get married to the princesses on the same day. The third wife for Alexander and the very first bride for Hephaestion.

Few days later Hephaestion is planning for their next battle and Alexander is reading on the table. And when Hephaestion's words get too loud, he closes the scroll and looks at him. Hephaestion stops talking.

"Are you quite done?"

"Yes." Hephaestion answers.

"Good." Alexander says and kisses him.

Hephaestion laughs. "Three wives. You have three wives."

"They are not you." Alexander says and that was that.

When they reach their next battlefield Hephaestion's skin itches. He doesn't want to be there. And it is worse after they win the battle. It was clear that something bad was going to come. He stays beside Alexander and doesn't allow anyone unknown near him. Alexander hosts games in honor of their victory and few days before the games Hephaestion coughs up blood and realizes that he was the one who is dying.

Still he does his duties but the day when they are supposed to leave for the games, Hephaestion stays back and promises that he would join him a few days later, after he oversees the construction of the monument for Hephaestion.

He feels fine for a few days. Then the sickness sets in and he loses himself. And whenever he comes back, there is someone beside him, taking care of him but it's not Alexander. In his sickness he dreams of many things. But when he wakes up he doesn't remember them. He thinks about the time he was with Alexander. There never has been a time when he hasn't been with him. He thinks about the time they visited the tomb of Achilles and Patroclus. Alexander had honoured Achilles while Hephaestion honoured Patroclus, then they had raced and felt the air in their hair and skin.

Hephaestion thinks that he has never told Alexander that he has loved him. He told him that he will stay beside him, win him battles and conquer the world with him. But he has never told him about his affections. Alexander had said that Hephaestion and him were the same. Had he known all along?

Hephaestion thinks that he was not meant to grow old. Heroes never grow old. They always go out in a blaze of fire and glory. Patroclus had died in battle with Achilles's armour on him. Hephaestion who was Alexander's armour is going to die alone.

Hephaestion dies and the rage of the King is uncontrollable. His grief is uncontrollable. Alexander arrives the night of the day Hephaestion dies. And he kills so many people. He killes Hephaestion's physician, the guards and almost a hundred men for his funeral. And when he is not cutting down men like grass he is crying on the floor like he was in pain and no one can placate him. Three wives and Alexander threatens to kill anyone who comes near him.

Alexander fights and wins. Heroes don't grow old. But living while your other half is gone, is a far greater tragedy than anything else. What was conquering the sun and the stars if Hephaestion wasn't there? When Alexander dies eight months later, he doesn't think of Olympus, the Gods, his Empire or his conquests. He thinks of Hephaestion.