Althea
I placed the bag of gold coins at the feet of Ishtar, folding my hands in prayer. Julian stood beside me, silently praying too.
As we walked out of the temple, I looked up to see the clear blue sky. The night was over, making way for the fresh morning.
"Is that Thalia?" he asked, pointing to a circular platform built around a tree, where a woman sat gazing at the sky.
"Yes, it's her!" Oh poor girl, because of my curiosity, she had to be a part of this ritual too. I hope everything went well for her.
"You can join her then. I'll bring the offerings," I nodded and went to her.
Noticing me, she gave a bright smile, "Althea, you came! Who were you paired with?" she asked excitedly.
"Uh, it was a warrior from the... palace," I twisted, "I knew him so... it went good. What about you?"
She giggled, then bit her lip.
"Thalia," I wiggled her cheek, "You won't tell your sister, hm?" She blushed more. Did she have a... good time?
"But don't tell anyone," she whispered, then started like an enthusiastic child,
"He has the work of arranging the warrior's weapons, so he had to come too," she lowered her gaze, fingers twining with each other.
"He... he told me when he entered the temple, he did not know about the ritual," she sniggered.
Poor boy. Must be my brother heh.
"When the priestess told, it scared him," She couldn't control her snickers, "so he decided to pick the most scared-looking woman!"
I laughed. What a strategy, "so did you...?"
"We had to pretend, right?" The colour returned her cheeks, "so to pretend we...
"We... hugged each other in front of... Aphrodite."
She looked like she was ready to rush in a cave to hide her flushed face.
I stared at her, open-mouthed, "Awwh! You are so cute, Thalia!" I hugged her, "Let me give you a hug too!"
She hugged back, letting out a squeal, "It was the first time I... hugged a man," Her eyes shined with a sense of achievement,
"And he gave a little kiss... on my cheek too!" she giggled.
I looked ahead to see a young man walking toward us with two leaf-made bowls. With his ruffled sandy blonde hair and boyish features, it was evident that he was younger than me. When he noticed Thalia, a huge innocent smile came over his face.
Thalia's cheeks coloured again, "He- He is the one," she mumbled. When he came closer, she gave him a bright smile, "Cicero, do you remember about Althea?" she asked enthusiastically,
"She is the one who writes about the empire!"
The boy Cicero bowed respectfully, "It's an honour to meet you, dear lady. Thalia couldn't stop praising about the work you are doing," he gave a gentle smile.
I returned his smile, "It's nice to meet you too, Cicero. I hope you took good care of my dear Thalia."
A blush came over his cheeks, despite which he said, "I think... she could tell better. No, Thalia? He laughed.
I looked back to see the smile that wasn't leaving her face.
These two cute lovebirds!
"Now, it's not good to keep your lady waiting, dear," I motioned to the offering he held, "Finish it quick. Won't you take her for sightseeing? She'd love to explore this place."
He nodded eagerly and settled beside her. Soon they began chatting, not able to take their eyes off each other.
It was love at first sight, I sighed, feeling happy for them. Only a few are lucky to experience it.
A breeze blew by, causing the tiny flowers of the tree to fall on my lap. I picked one of them, wrapping my thick woollen shawl tighter around me. The Sun was faintly visible and provided little warmth at the cold breezes.
I took a moment to stare at the temple of Ishtar.
Knowing the truth of the ritual and how couples managed it was something that twenty-first-century historians didn't know about.
The jolly faces of the people told that this place wasn't that bad. It seemed more like an ancient matchmaking centre.
Outside the temple where they distributed the offerings, Julian stood with his back faced toward me. A similar man talked to him, elbowing him now and then with a grin. He had bronze-coloured hair and almost the same height as Julian. I recalled him to be the warrior Jakov.
Feeling my gaze, he gave me a small smile, and I smiled back. When he turned to face Julian, he burst in laughter.
My cheeks warmed up. I hope Julian wasn't sharing any sensitive information with him.
Having no other work, I decided to concentrate on the flower in my hand.
"Happy ending, sad ending..." Like silly, I plucked its petals one by one, mumbling to myself. The last petal broke at sad ending.
I sighed and tossed the stalk aside.
"Here," A leaf bowl came into view, held by Julian as he sat beside me.
Thanking him, I took it carefully, and we ate in silence.
The offering was a rich sweet cream with fruits I never knew about, sprinkled in pieces over it. The cream melted in my mouth as the tangy flavour of the fruit burst on my tongue.
"I came here for this," he raised the offering, "It was a coincidence I spotted you."
Was he clarifying that he wasn't here for the ritual? I smiled to myself.
"You could order this to make in your palace?" I suggested.
"That's the problem," he muttered, "They keep the recipe a secret."
After finishing, he stood up to stretch his arms, the warm cloak shielding him from the cold.
"Have you visited Babylonia before?" he asked, looking to his left at the muddy but smooth path that went on as far as our sight took in.
"No," I replied. I spotted Thalia and Cicero sneaking behind the temple.
"There's a place you'd like to know then," he glanced back, "Want to come?"
My cheeks flushed for no particular reason. There was something different in the way he looked at me or the way he looked in general?
Did he become more attractive over the night?
"Althea?" he clicked his fingers, snapping me out of my daze of staring him openly. He tilted his head, probably wondering what was wrong with me.
My heart was pounding by his mere gaze. His actions were nothing new, but why was I feeling so hot and bothered now?
"Uh, I- was thinking... which place you were talking about," I tried to say with a straight face, "Can I bring my book then? I will come back quickly," I gave an uneasy smile.
He said nothing, just nodded. His expression held a sense of curiosity as he watched me go.
Reaching my room back in the lodging, I heaved for breath. Not that I'd run all the way, but my heart was beating because of some... other reasons.
I placed my palms on the mirror, watching my face that had turned red. Not from running, but... him. I touched my face. It was burning.
Grabbing the water pitcher, I galloped it all, taking a deep breath for the feeling to go. But the unusual twitch in my heart wouldn't leave.
I splashed my face with cold water and sat on the bed for a moment to figure out what it was. Rubbing a hand over my neck, I closed my eyes.
The rough stubble of his jaw had brushed my neck, but his lips were soft. Placing careful kisses all along the length, it was then that I'd almost cried out when he had deepened the kiss, making my neck arch back in pleasure...
A shudder ran through me when I opened my eyes. What was I even thinking? I gulped. It's just my brain exaggerating a normal feeling. Yes, a normal feeling.
It was normal because I had never experienced it. I convinced myself. Then a thought clicked in.
No, it's not my fault!
It's the fault of the pill that is playing with my hormones!
I sprang up and slapped my cheeks. Come out of the daze, Althea, and stop blaming yourself. I was sure now. That damned pill was the cause.
Picking my book, I trudged down the stairs, only to see him waiting at the entrance.
Not my heart, my entire body started beating its own beat. The pep talk I'd given myself was nowhere to be found in the records of my brain.
He was facing in a way that only a side of his face was visible. The breeze blew his hair gently, and it did nothing to soften his tough facade. His eyes moved precisely, lips pressed in a thin line as if looking out for a predator.
When in fact he was the predator. Always guarded and calculated. My eyes travelled down. With his broad shoulders and well-defined chest, even a single dark cloak looked hot on him.
Althea, the body you are imagining now is the one that was pressed over yours, moments ago...
I cursed the pills for the tenth time and made my way downstairs.
"You were taking long," he complained, doing a once over my self, "I guessed if you got yourself in another trouble," he crossed his arms against his chest.
I couldn't do anything other than shying away.
Goddamnit.
Colourful two-storey buildings lined the muddy path where we walked. The Sun was out and bright, warm enough to not let us shiver. There were several trees with those tiny flowers and they continued to fall every time a breeze blew by. Having no deserts, Babylonia looked a colourful place compared to Romanos.
Romanos. It was the perfect time to know about his unknown kingdom and distract myself from the feeling.
"So..." I started, "When did Romanos come into existence?"
"Shortly before Alexander defeated Darius." he gave a closed reply, and I groaned inwardly. I need to keep him talking to jot down major stuff.
"Um, so Alexander sent you to Egypt for spying on Darius?" I prompted.
"Kind of," he shrugged, "We are Macedonians originally, from a kingdom in Greece.
"When Alexander had plans to conquer Persia, I and Ptolemy defeated the Egyptian pharaohs and established our empire. From here, we had better access to Darius' activities, and so the information delivered to Alex." I wrote speedily.
For an archaeologist, this information was gold.
"Initially setting up a small empire did double work. Not only Alexander came to know much about Darius, but could also conquer Egypt in its entirety."
Wowowowow, was all I could chant in my head.
When I didn't say anything and just kept writing, he looked down, "Who told you could write all this?"
I froze midway.
Slowly, I closed the book, embarrassed. I hadn't taken his permission. Neither was my dumb self able to say anything in defence.
"Alright," he sighed, "write it. But you won't be taking this book anywhere with you. Also," He took the book and skimmed through what I wrote, "You'll only have it when you write. The rest, it will be in my room."
Oh, my poor book baby, I looked at it lovingly as he gave it back. I had nothing else to say. I had to do it.
"As you wish to," I mumbled. Few birds twittered above us.
My sadness flew away when another thought clicked in. His stepbrother Ptolemy.
There was so much I'd read about Ptolemy I Soter. The famous Macedonian warrior who had started the Ptolemaic dynasty in Egypt. A great companion of Alexander.
Did he do something to Julian, that he wasn't known to the modern world? Step Brothers could get really cruel to each other in these times.
I was nervous about how to ask him. Given the time in the camps when I'd asked, he had become very mad at the slight mention of his stepbrother.
"Nothing more?" I heard him say. He was looking in such a good mood and I was going to ruin it.
"The question can... get you- angry, I guess," I bit my lip.
"Ask away," he replied, amused.
"I... wanted to ask that Ptolemy-"
"Why?" The smile diminished from his voice, coated by a coldness that turned his face hard.
Because the world knows about him, but nothing about you, I thought, disheartened.
I started calmly, "Like his part of the empire is called Ptolemaic Egypt, does your part is... called Julian Egypt?"
He didn't delve deep into it, instead corrected me, "Romanowskian Egypt."
I knew that after Alexander's death; they handed the entire Egyptian province to Ptolemy I Soter. And hence it was called the Ptolemaic Egypt.
How did Julian get wiped out from all this?
To my surprise he started speaking, "The Nile divides Egypt into two unequal halves. The western part being larger than the east, it was foolish to acquire it that way.
"So we decided to split it into North-South halves. The Nile enters Egypt from the south and drains through the north, into the great sea between Egypt and Greece.
"Northern Egypt is my empire and the southern, his." He clarified.
Wowowowowowow
"How does Alexander come to be Egypt's pharaoh then?" I inquired, hastily noting down.
His deep laugh fluttered the previous feel in me, "He is one savage warrior obsessed with conquering more, but never sits back to rule. Hands this work to his companions."
And that's what made him Alexander The Great? I thought, stifling a laugh.
"That's some serious dedication there," I laughed along, "What about all the trees in that desert? You imported them from Greece?" I asked curiously.
"No. The imported ones are only in the palace gardens."
We looked in the distance to see a forest-like area emerging in the middle of this bustling town. There was also a stream of water flowing in front of it.
"Nile creates a delta when it drains off into the sea. That's why the soil around is fertile enough. A bit of planning and we've directed thin channels to grow trees. Sand all the time is damn frustrating," he tched.
He is such a planner; I thought in awe. The strategic location of Romanos was the reason Alexander put up Alexandria near it. I never knew his empire was built in such a productive area.
Soon, common people disappeared, replaced by warriors. Few of them glanced my way but the second they noticed Julian, they averted their gaze.
"What is this place?" I asked as I felt the air turning cooler. The whiff of fresh plants engulfed the area.
"I thought you knew, dear writer?" he grinned.
"Hanging Gardens of Babylon," he revealed.
I stopped in my tracks as his words sank in my head.
Hanging Gardens of Babylon.
One of the seven wonders of the ancient world. Till date, we found no archaeological evidence at Babylon for these Gardens.
Created in the sixth century BCE, no historian ever saw these gardens. They were only known in legends.
And it stood in front of me now.
"Althea...?" Julian clicked his fingers for the second time. This time he was very confused.
I was so emotional now that I wanted to crush him in a hug. My excitement could compare to the rocket that was about to go into space.
"Oh my gosh, thank you so much!" I cried out. "I can never thank you enough for bringing me here. Thank you, my king," I gave him a deep bow, "Thank you thank you thank you!" Saying so, I dashed for my conquest, without stopping for him.
The first thing I noticed was a trench of water surrounding the palace. Holy Zeus, for us twenty-first centurians, it was unclear whether the Hanging Gardens were an actual construction or a fabricated story, because of the lack of documentation in Babylonian sources.
They said that the Gods gave good things only after the bad happened. Oh, Aphrodite, I love you so much!
To cross this water trench, they constructed a broad staircase that led up to the first floor of the gardens. Though it was a full-fledged palace, the frontal section was made somewhat like the mountains carved out for terrace farming. Each floor had a balcony which resembled a garden in its own right.
I had never seen a place that had humongous trees growing on its sixth floor.
Freaking wow.
Eagerly, I stepped up the marble stairs, looking around how paintings of mythical creatures were drawn on pillars that supported the terrace above them.
Upon reaching the first floor, I found rows of different trees to my left. Beaming, I walked ahead when Julian called out.
"This way, explorer," he motioned to the right, looking at me as if I was a curious little animal.
I tucked my hair behind my ear with a nervous smile and went to where he stood. The right side was a balcony with shrubs and grapevines covering every corner.
"Can we go... higher?" I asked, looking at the next set of stairs that were situated further right.
He rubbed the back of his neck, wondering what to say. I pouted. Why was he taking so much time?
I was restless, "I'm going. Ta ta," I waved him with a big smile and whisked to the stairs.
The most spectacular part was the waterfall that fell from the fifth floor and onto the fourth floor, simultaneously watering the plants that lay there. The constant sound of the water falling calmed my heart to ecstasy.
Birds chirped and butterflies flew over my head as I made my way to the fifth floor. The sweet fragrance of flowers, smell of wet soil with the constant cool breeze moving past made me wonder if this is what heaven looks like. This place was utterly beautiful.
Julian wasn't saying anything as he silently walked up the stairs, a few steps below me. It was by the fourth floor that my legs began to give out.
Two rounds walking back and forth between the temple and lodgings, all the way to this Garden and now up till the fifth floor.
I hadn't realised I'd walked so much.
I peeped behind to see him walking without a heave, aimlessly looking around the trees. While I was breathless. The wooden sandals weren't at all comfortable that had my toes and ankle aching.
Just then, Cheryl's voicemail twinkled in my head,
Heyo Cors, just saw you climbing up the Hanging Gardens. Don't worry about writing, cuz I've covered the area cuz I'm living there with Alex hehe.
Hope you have a good time with Mr. Armani. wink wink.
A thud bubbled up my heart when I realised there was no one except us. I tried looking around, hoping Cheryl was peeking from somewhere, but not.
As I entered the fifth floor finally, I threw my AI book at one corner. I wanted to slump across the little stairs, which looked like a sitting spot. Still, I pushed my throbbing legs till the terrace's front wall and gripped the handrail.
I was breathless, both by my state and the view in front.
"Tired finally?" Julian came to stand beside me, resting his hands over the wall.
"Hard work leads to success," I panted. And then my eyes started to droop.
Damn, this was the worst timing to feel sleepy.
From here, the waterfall appeared to rush down our feet, splashing calmly down the next floor. I blinked, standing on my toes to see from where exactly the waterfall was getting its water.
"You want to fall over, huh?" I heard him sigh and the next moment, his arms enclosed around my waist to straighten my bent posture.
The sleep flew away with my heating body. He pulled me away from the wall and placed his arms on either side, securing me between him and the wall.
Sexual tension.
That's what had my body ringing ever since the ritual.
How much I tried, it wasn't leaving my head. And this position was the last place to think about it.
"Can you see the double gate there?" He pointed to a rectangular doorway, "That's the Ishtar gate. The entrance to the city of Babylon."
He was seeming so calm, no hesitancy in this voice while poor me was affected so much.
Of course, he must have done so much more, that the ritual would've seemed an ordinary thing for him. I forced a smile.
"Does Alexander live here?" I asked, wondering what Cheryl told.
"No. This palace is like a warrior camp," His hot breath tickled the nape of my neck,
"He's here to plan further annexations of the Persian empire. Also to search where Darius has hidden."
He continued, "This palace was made by-"
"King Nebuchadnezzar II," I cut him.
His soft laugh rumbled my heart again, "Do tell why it was made then?" The feeling intensified when I felt him speak next to my ear.
I want to clear one thing, dear Althea. I'm a woman, he's a man. It's natural for me to be attracted to him, duh! Nothing uncommon there, duh!
Duh duh duh! I calmed myself.
"Legend says the king's wife was homesick for this view, as she came from the mountains," I placed my hands ahead, inches away from his', "So for her, he made all this.
"What a great husband..." I sighed.
"I will be a great husband too," he stated casually, his chest now coming in contact with my back, "Maybe I'll make a..."
He brought his face next to mine, to stare at the city ahead, "Grand library for her?"
"Then she'll be able to read and write as much as she wants," he whispered.
I closed my eyes to ease the surge in my heart. No, this couldn't happen.
I could never bring myself to even think about what he was suggesting.
"That's... an amazing idea, my Lord," I didn't know why it pained me to call him by his title,
"Then I would... accompany her to the library," I pulled my lips into a smile, "We would become... great friends!" I exclaimed.
***
Julian
Once again she proved what a genius she was to twist things her way. I snickered, backing my face.
Her responses were naïve when I knew she recognised my undertones perfectly. She stiffened when I took hold of a strand of her hair to sniff the sweet smell it had.
"Let's see what the future brings," Leaving a kiss on the strand, I let it go. It was good to see how she reacted to the seeds of doubt I put in her head.
Turning around to see me go, she too followed and meekly sat on the little stairs beside me.
She shifted her face away to look at the plant decorations along the terrace wall. I picked up her book and placed it beside her.
Back in the ritual room, the burning of scented wood mixed with her scent had turned the atmosphere strangely... tantalising, making it harder for me to concentrate. Especially when I'd removed the see-through linen off her.
They made the special dress that way for the ease of discarding it during the ritual. But I didn't tell her.
Because she wasn't prepared to deal with it.
"I didn't quite understand... how the ritual was successful..." she mumbled, staring at her lap.
A faint smile came over me at her sweet effort in the ritual, "If a woman shows even slight care towards the man during the sermon, it means she isn't scared and the ritual is successful.
"Your little action symbolised just that."
She hummed, face reddening up. To cover-up, she picked up her book and flipped it open to write. Her lips pressed together to avoid giving out any expression.
It was after I'd bought her the offering that she acted strangely.
Maybe the winter was making her cheeks naturally red, or it was my overthinking.
She closed the book, not looking in the mood to write. The journey up here had tired her, but her wilful self wasn't showing it. What a little champion.
Her eyes drooped, which she blinked back. Barely able to keep them open. She must've woken earlier than usual for the ritual.
Shifting closer, I gently placed a hand over her head and rested her against me. She scrambled away with a questioning face, but her eyes were all closing. Smiling, I just kissed her forehead and placed her head back on me.
This time she didn't protest, falling into sleep the moment she closed her eyes.
I weaved a hand through her head. It was something I'd noticed. A single kiss on her forehead calmed her a lot, and it had worked at the beginning of the ritual too.
After a while, I held her arm as she snored softly against me. Tucking her book in my cloak, I placed my hands under her legs to pick her in my arms.
Walking inside the palace and down to the first floor, the sound of Alexander barking orders to the commanders was the only thing reverberating through the walls.
I made my way to the alley constructed underground of this palace. The corridor connected straight to the fortress he gave me for the stay in Babylon.
Feeling her close-to-nothing weight, I made a mental note to check on what exactly she ate. Because if this continues, she'd fall sick and...
I didn't want to think. For some strange reason, I couldn't think about her leaving me.
Soon, we reached the little fortress, and I crossed the hallway to go to her room when a voice called out.
"Julian!" I stopped as I passed mother's room. She came out with her eyebrows drawn together.
I thought she'd be mad at the little dove who was making her son work, but she did the opposite.
"What happened... to her?" She touched Althea's forehead, and I was amazed to see the worry on her face, before it was back to her emotionless facade.
"She did Ishtar's ritual," Her eyes widened hearing it.
"She did?" she asked back, not believing.
I nodded, "To pray for me so I'm not injured in the wars," I smiled.
She just hummed in understanding.
"Mother," I lowered my face to her level, "You can be soft to her," I whispered.
She smiled at that, "I have my ways to evaluate, who to be soft with, my dear boy," She tapped my cheek, "She must be tired. Let her rest in her room."
I sighed. I would never know mother's ways. All I knew was that she did what was good for me.
Entering her tiny room, I placed her on the bed and removed her wooden sandals.
Her lips were slightly parted as she slept peacefully, which reminded me of something from the ritual.
It was when I was lowering my head, she had parted her lips, only to close it when I had rested my forehead against hers.
Was she expecting me to kiss her?
A proud feeling overtook me, "So you wanted me to kiss you hm?" I asked her sleeping form, "We're definitely making progress there," I moved a hand through her head.
Watching her soft red lips, I wanted nothing more than to close my lips on them, but it wasn't a position to kiss. With her sprawled under me, trying to move her hands, unsure of what to do, I would've lost the limited self-restraint I had on myself.
I had never felt such emotions for any woman in a long time.
And when I did, I wanted to take it slow.
The gardens were named hanging because they appeared to hang in front of the palace.
Just like our hanging feelings toward each other.
"Oh, Rosemary, what are you doing to this Romanowski?" I sighed.