Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Alexander the Great didn't spring fully formed into history, nor did his Kingdom materialize out of thin air one day as is depicted in certain types of media. 
He came from a long line of Kings, hailing back to the great Greek demi God Heracles on his father's side and the great warrior King Achilles of Trojan War fame on his mother's side.
To fully understand him, therefore, I believe it necessary to go back in time and describe, in brief, how his ancestors came to create Macedonia, and to do so we will need to travel to the Greek Kingdom of Argos in the 8th century BC.
The first ancestor that is of importance in our understanding of Alexander's family heritage is Temenus, a descendant of of Heracles and through him, a descendant of the Kings of Argos.
Centuries prior to his birth (roughly 740 BC), his family had been driven off the throne by an usurper, Eurystheus, King of Tiryns, who was aided in this conquest by the Goddess Hera whose hatred for Heracles and his bloodline was well known.
His ancestors invaded Argos to try and reclaim their inheritance, spending a year in war but were eventually driven off again and forced to seek refuge in the city of Athens. 
In all, the descendants of Heracles, known to history as the Heracleidae, attempted four separate invasions of the Kingdom of Argos before Temenus's birth and with each invasion they were defeated and driven out of the country.
Telemnus was the eldest of three brothers, the other two being Cresphontes and Aristodemus, and together the siblings journeyed from their estate in Athens to the Holy Temple of Delphi where they hoped to consult the Oracle of the God Apollo.
Here they asked the Oracle, just like their ancestors had done, how best they could take back what was rightfully theirs.
The Oracle, speaking in her legendary rhyming way, instructed them that they needed to build a fleet at Naupactus and set sail, and this they did, though it soon turned into a disaster when Aristodemus was struck down by lightning for, it is said, killing a Prophet of Apollo over some annoyance or perceived wrong.
Temenus again went to Delphi and asked the Oracle how to make amends, to which she told him a sacrifice was needed and so the Prince gave one, not realizing that the sacrifice wasn't referring to an animal offering, but something that would only manifest years later.
On his way back to his brother Temenus met and befriended Oxylus, an exiled Prince from the Kingdom of Eleia in the Greek province of Aetolia. Oxylus accidentally killed his brother Thelemus by unknown means and so their father the King, not wanting to lose both sons but needing to punish him, gorged out one of his eyes, exiled him and made him a wanderer.
Oyxlus, a great warrior, agreed to join Temenus and his brothers in their quest in return for riches and the chance to earn glory for himself.
This time all went well and the two remaining brothers took their vast fleet into the Peloponnesian peninsula ready for war.
In this war the two brothers and their men came up against Tisamenus, the High King of the region and ruler of Argos and Mycenae. 
The resulting war, unfortunately not covered in great detail in surviving sources, saw Tisamenus killed in battle and the Peloponnesian peninsula coming under the control of the Heracleidae, with Temenus gaining the throne of Argos while his brother took the crown of Messene. His two nephews, the son sof Aristodemus, Procles and Eurysthenes, were given the region of Lacedemonia and here they founded the Kingdom of Sparta.

Sometime after becoming King of Argos Temenus married, his wife's name not having come down in the surviving sources, and had four children. Three sons, Cisus, Karanos, and Phalces, and one daughter Hyrnetho, who, it is said, he loved above all his other offspring, which, as one may guess, caused much friction in the royal family.
When she grew to adulthood Hyrnetho married her distant cousin Deiphontes, a descendant of Heracles and his last wife Deianira, and he became just like a son to the elderly King, so close in fact that Temenus decided to ignore the line of succession, which would see Cisus receive the throne upon his death, and declare Deiphontes and Hynetho as his heirs.
This decision, of course, threw Cisus into a rage and he convinced Karanos and Phalces to join him in his anger, arguing that they, not Deiphontes or Hynetho, deserved to rule in Argos as the rightful elders in the bloodline succession.
The three brothers gathered an army and attacked their father, killing Temenus in battle but unable to press the advantage and take Argos proper, beaten back.
In this chaos the royal forces, appalled that sons would rise against their parent, let alone murder them, chose Deiphontes and Hynetho as their new monarchs, who went on to rule for several years, struggling in a brutal civil war against the brothers.
A few years later, after much blood and loss of life, Cisus led his siblings to the capital under a white flag in order to reach some sort of peace deal, both sides growing weary.
Meeting the King and Queen in the throne room Cisus laid out his claims to the throne. He did this in no diplomatic or civil manner, as one would expect, but pointed out to Hynetho how she and Deiphontes stool their father's crown from him, that Deiphontes was a poor partner and she should leave her husband and make amends with the brothers by marrying someone of their liking.
This sort of talk soon grew into a heated argument. Hynetho defended Deiphontes, stating he was an excellent husband and King.  
Swords were drawn, and by the end of it all the Queen lay dead on the palace floor, stabbed by Phalces. All sources agree it was an accident, perhaps he went for Deiphontes but missed. Whatever the case upon the death of Hynetho the brothers fled Argos.
Deiphontes, grief stricken, soon relinquished the throne and took his wife's body to his hometown of Epidaurus where he built a sanctuary in her memory and lived out the remainder of his life.
When word reached Cisus that his brother in law stepped down from power he wasted no time swooping in and taking the crown, becoming the next King without incident. His reign began sometime in 680 BC.
The three brothers got along well but Cisus did not share power and so Karanos, knowing he would never be King in Argos, began desiring a Kingdom of his own three years later. To this end he made the trip to Delphi to consult Apollo on the best course of action to take.
The God's Oracle said to him that, " "You should find your kingdom there, where you will find plenty of game and domestic animals."
In all of Greece the most fertile land lay in the North and so Karanos, along with a sizable entourage, migrated up into the highlands where the Prince hoped to establish himself.
The natives of the regions, hardy and accustomed to defending themselves, didn't take too kindly to such an invasion, and Karanos spent a few years subduing these tribes, eventually taking the plains of Emathia and building the city of Aegae, which became the first capital of his new Kingdom, which he named Macedonia.
Karanos ruled as King for thirty years, building Macedonia into a strong and stable realm, transforming the highland tribes from a scattered collection of villages into a thriving Kingdom. He died of old age in 645 BC and was succeeded on the throne by his son Koenus.
Unfortunately, with the succession of Koenus the sources regarding the early Macedonian Kings is scant, most being little more than names and dates, but what we do know is that Karanos' line through Koenus did continue to rule, leading us to the next King who comes into history as a figure with some sort of personality and not just a name.
His name was Alcetas and came to the Macedonian throne roughly around 535 BC, at a time when Macedonia, and all of Greece for that matter, was feeling the pressure of the growing power of the Persian Empire.
Alcetas, a peace loving man who abhorred going to war if he could manage it and it was through diplomatic means that he was able to keep Macedonia independent of Persia, if barely.
Alectas died in 512 BC, being succeeded by his son Amyntas, who is even better documented than his father or ancestors, for it was under his reign that Persia finally sank its claws into the highland Kingdom.
A year after becoming King Amyntas received the Persian General Bagabazu at his court. Bagabazu, a cousin of the Persian King, Darius I, was a well renowned man and it was clear to all that he came not as a simple guest but to demand tribute and subjection.
Amyntas, as peace loving as his father was, if not as strong willed, invited the General to dine with him and his family, including his young son, the first Prince in Macedonian history to carry the name Alexander.
At this dinner Bagabazu ordered that women be brought to him and his men, though there were none save for the wives of the nobility present. The General did not care and demanded them and Amyntas, terrified at the thought of what a 'no' could do, consented, ordering the women to sit next to the Persians, who began to fondle them in front of the King and their husbands.
Alexander, disgusted by both this act of disrespect and by his father's cowardice, feigned illness and retreated to the upper floors of the palace where he called seven friends together and formed a plan.
All seven men were beardless and feminine in appearance and the Prince quickly dressed them up in women's clothing, giving each a dagger.
Taking them downstairs Alexander offered these 'wives' to Bagabazu and his men as tribute. The Persians happily accepted and wasted no time in attempting sexual assault on these would be victims.
No sooner had their hands touched their thighs than the Macedonians drew their blades, slashing the throats of Bagabazu and his men.
Alexander, ignoring his father's pleas, had the bodies disposed off and when more envoys came in the form of another Persian General, Bubares, the son of Bagabazu, the Prince took a risk and attempted to pay the man off with a large sum of money and his younger sister, Gygaea's, hand in marriage.
Surprisingly Bubares accepted this offer, returning to Darius and reporting that his father and his men must have went AWOL. As far as the Persians were concerned, Bagabazu and his men simply disappeared and were never heard of again.
Bubares and Gygaea went on to have one son named Amyntas after her father, who would later be given the governorship of the large city of Alabanda in what is now modern day Turkey by Darius's son and successor, Xerxes. Like many historical figures, however, this is the extent of what we know about the first Alexander's nephew.
King Amyntas would rule as a Persian vassal until 497 BC when he passed away and was succeeded by Alexander as Alexander I. 
Despite his bravado in youth, the first Alexander came to an understanding with the Persians, realizing it was in the best interests of his people to work with them instead of against them, and he became, as the later Greek historian said, a man of Xerxes, taking his orders and doing his bidding. One of his main tasks under the Persian King was as a peacemaker during the negotiations following the crushing Persian defeat by the Greek States in the Battle of Salamis in 480 BC, which Alexander excelled.
Yet, for all his outward loyalty, the Macedonian King never forgot he was Greek, helping Greece in secret by giving advice, weapons, and money whenever he could, aiding in the resistance against Persian dominance. Some of this cunning and intelligence would pass down to his great great great grandson and namesake.
Following the death of Alexander I in 454 BC, the line of Alexander the Great left the throne for a time as Alexander's father, Philip, descended not from Alexander I's eldest son, but his fourth, Amyntas, and it was only through a combination of luck and determination that Philip became King at all.

Philip, the father of Alexander the Great, was born in the Macedonian capital of Pella, in 382 BC, the youngest son of King Amyntas III and his Queen, Eurydice. 
Philip's father, Amyntas, came to the throne through a series of wars and feuds that saw the destruction of several lines of the Macedonian royal family and almost his own, but due to luck and determination to survive he managed to claw his way to the throne.
Philip, as mentioned, was the third and youngest son of his parents, the eldest being his father's heir, Alexander, and the middle child being Perdiccas. All three sons would eventually find their way to the throne, but only Philip would hold it for any length of time.
The relationship between Philip's parents was, to put it mildly, rocky. Eurydice openly slept with a noble of Amyntas's court, a man called Ptolemy of Aloros and the King, as he had other wives, seems not to have cared much but, had he known the schemes Ptolemy was working on in his mind, he may have taken more of an interest.
Amyntas died at the age of fifty in 370 BC and Alexander succeeded as Alexander II, and almost immediately Ptolemy began his plans in earnest.
Talking Eurydice into siding with him the Macedonian laid down the groundwork for the assassination of Alexander and his brothers in order that he may claim the throne, despite having no known blood link to the Argead dynasty himself. Alexander was duly murdered and his brothers would have been next had not been for their adopted brother, an Athenian born warrior named Iphicrates, who stepped in and prevented the slaughter.
The Athenian kept the boys safe from harm until Perdiccas could claim the throne in 365 BC and killed Ptolemy, sending a shockwave throughout the Macedonian court as several leading families supported the nobleman's regime.
To build alliances with other States, particularly those more powerful than Macedonia, Perdiccas reached out to the Persian Empire, seeking to make an ally out of the current King Artaxerxes II. 
Macedonia, in practical terms, didn't have much to offer Persia. It had long ago thrown off its vassal status and was now a free Kingdom again, something Perdiccas wasn't interested in reversing, but Artaxerxes saw in it an opportunity to have an ally inside Greece, one he could use, perhaps, to launch an invasion one day like his predecessors did before him. One that would succeed this time.
The two sides came to an agreement whereby Macedonia and Persia would be trading allies and it was sealed by the marriage of Philip with one of Artaxerxes' daughters, Princess Nahid, by a concubine. The wedding took place in 363 BC.
By the following year Nahid gave birth to Philip's first child, a son they named Philip but who was known throughout his life as Arrhidaeus. 
Arrhidaeus was born with mental disabilities that didn't fully become apparent until later on in his early childhood. His speech was slurred and he was developmentally delayed, but, thankfully, this never a problem for his parents, who loved him all the same. It did, however, mean he was not a suitable heir to the throne should anything happen to his uncle or father. 
In 362 BC Nahid gave birth again, this time to a daughter they named Cynane who would grow up to be a formidable political force in Macedonia. Both siblings would be close to their younger brother Alexander.
In 361 BC, Nahid became pregnant yet again and gave birth to her last child, another daughter named Thessalonike who would, like her elder sister, become a powerful figure in court politics, rising to become Queen of Macedonia when her husband, Cassender, a future friend and General of Alexander, took the throne a few decades after the former's death.
Sadly, following Thessalonike's birth Nahid died due to complications, leaving Philip a widower with three children to raise on his own.
To make matters worse, Perdiccas died less than a year after Nahid, falling in battle against the Illyrian people, a collection of highland tribes in what is now modern day Albania and Kosovo due to his arrogant confidence he could beat such 'savage' people, leaving his son, Amyntas, who was still but a boy, his heir.
Not desiring a possible Civil War or someone to use the young Prince as a puppet, the Macedonian nobles decided to bypass the laws of succession and elect Philip King.
Taking his young nephew into his household the new Macedonian monarch set about establishing himself militarily, leading several successful campaigns against the Illyrians and Thracians, increasing the pay for his soldiers, enforcing stricter training which saw the soldiers improve drastically, and creating a system of meritocracy and abolishing, for the most part, the old system whereby sons of nobles automatically moved up while common men did not unless extremely gifted.
And to top it all off he met a new romantic interest. In 359 BC, while attending a religious festival on the island of Samothrace, Philip met Olympias, a woman from the Molossian tribe of Epirus, a Greek people descended from Molossus, the grandson of the great Greek hero Achilles, and the two fell madly in love, becoming man and wife soon after.

Chapter Text

He was known as the Sorcerer King. A man connected to both the realm of Magic and the Gods and who used this knowledge to make Egypt prosper.
Nectanebo I came to the Egyptian throne in 378 BC, having taken the crown from his uncle Teos who, due to his harsh tax regime, was unpopular with the common people. 
Nectanebo's father, Teos' younger brother, Tjahapimu, had been his brother's closest General and advisor, tasked with looking after Egypt when Teos, wanting to make sure Egypt never again fell under the rule of Persia who had ruled the country after the conquest of Cambyses II, the son of Cyrus the Great, in 525 BC, led an invasion of the Middle East to crush Persian power.
Teos, sensing the need for change in Kings and, of course, wanting to advance his own power, rebelled soon after his brother's departure, placing his son Nectanebo on the throne and ruling jointly with him.
Nectanebo, like his father, had served as a General under his uncle and was well prepared for the occasion of becoming King, having been groomed for it in case Teos or his father died. 
Even before coming to the throne Nectanebo's skills in Magic was well known, having been, like all Pharaohs from the time of Egypt's first King, Narmer, the grandson of Noah, thousands of years before, steeped in the ways of mysticism and spellwork. 
In Nectanebo's case he benefited from the knowledge and Magic developed centuries ago by the Magic school known as the Great Dragon Court, an institution originally established in ancient Sumeria under the Kings of the City of Kish, among whom was the biblical Cain. 
These Kings all claimed descent not only from the Archangel Samael, the true father of Cain, but also from the Sumerian Gods themselves, including the great Dragon Goddess Tiamat, the Grandmother of the Gods. 
Pharaoh Hotepsekhemwy, founder of the Second Dynasty of Egypt in 2890 BC, was the grandson of Nimrod, King of Babylon and a descendant of the Kings of Ur and Kish. His ancestors, as Kings of Ur, were known as Dragon Lords and in their honour, when Hotepsekhemwy became Pharaoh after reuniting Egypt after a period of Civil War following the death of the First Dynasty's last ruler, Qaa, established, unofficially, the Court of the Dragon.
He married Neithotep, a daughter of Qaa and descendant of Narmer and through them their line would continue throughout Egyptian history, sometimes in power, sometimes not, until it reached its zenith under the great Queen Sobeknefru in 1822 BC, who took the title of Great Dragon Queen of Egypt and officially established the Dragon Court as a school of Egyptian Magic.
Thus officially established the Magic tradition of the Dragon would continue as the royal court's preferred system and Nectanebo, while not a direct descendant of Sobeknefru or Hotepsekhemwy  (their descendants having already, in the main, left Egypt for Israel and the West by his lifetime) nonetheless took firm advantage of their ancestors' Magical knowledge to become Egypt's greatest Sorcerer.
Teos, when he learned of his brother's and nephew's betrayal, did the only thing he could do, which was seek refuge in the very same court he was trying to beat into submission, and for their part, the Persians allowed him to stay....at first.
Knowing the risks of allowing his uncle and former King to remain free in a foreign land, Nectanebo sent a trusted friend, a doctor named Wennefer, to the Persian capital of Susa to get the old man back.
The Persian monarch, having no love for Teos and desiring no war with Egypt at the moment, gave little thought to handing him over. Wennefer led the former King back into his homeland in chains where he simply fades into the mists of history, most likely killed or imprisoned for life by his brother and nephew.
Nectanebo's father died shortly thereafter and he was left to rule Egypt alone, and by all accounts, he ruled it well, becoming best known to his subjects for his religious piety and building Temples, most notably the Temple dedicated to the God of the Nile, Khnum, on the island of Abu, now Elephantine, in the Nile, and a Temple to the great God Amun-Ra in the city of Siwa which, in later years, Alexander would visit.
On the island of Philae, close to Aswan, the Pharaoh built the Temple to the Goddess Isis which would become the most important center of her worship in the Kingdom, and it was here that he decreed benefits to the various shrines and Temples throughout the land, giving special rights to the priests and priestesses, all in an attempt to show both Gods and men his piety and religiosity.
The common people under Nectanebo's reign flourished as they never had under his uncle or ancestors. Across the land farmers, from the smallest to the biggest, prospered, their harvests yielding healthy crops year after year. Merchants built up successful businesses. 
The arts thrived and scholars were granted unparalleled access into the mysteries and innerworkings of Egyptian Magic and the mystical traditions, allowing them to then help the people. Nectanebo also made sure that the nobility treated those under their rule with dignity and respect, both due to a genuine concern for their welfare and he saw the hazards of treating the people like cash cows under his uncle's rule.
In the middle 360s BC Persia's eye once more turned to Egypt, hungry for its lost territory. In response the Pharaoh bolstered the royal army and enlisted the help of Greek mercenaries who were among the best warriors of their time, especially the Spartans, and it paid off in 364 BC when the Persians finally invaded the Kingdom.
In a year of bloody fighting Nectanebo, aided by his Greek Commanders Lamius of Sparta and , Diophantus of Athens, pushed back the onslaught and kept Egypt free of foreign control. In honour of his victories the common people rewarded him with the title of 'Nectanebo the Divine Falcon.' The Falcon being the animal spirit and symbol of the God Horus, the Divine protector of Egypt and God of Kingship.
Unfortunately, despite his skills in Magic and his military might, Nectanebo's time was running out even as he celebrated his greatest victories.
Three years later, in 361 BC, the Persians returned, this time their army greater than anything the Egyptians had ever faced before, over thirty thousand warriors made up of Persians, Greek mercenaries, and others in the Empire, led by Pharnabazus, one of Persia's greatest Generals.

The day Nectanebo learned of the invasion he was in the royal palace surrounded by his retainers and servants listening to petitions from local officials on various matters, a dull but necessary routine in his daily life. It proceeded like any other day until one of his servants, bursting through the throne room door, threw himself down terrified, breathless.
"My King!"
He cried,
"The Persians have come!"
No reports had come through, no indication that any such thing was coming reached his ears before then so Nectanebo sat stunned for a moment, his mind racing.
The silence was broken by the stammers and incoherent babble of the courtiers and retainers, all offering unasked for advice or asking what they should do. 
Nectanebo ignored them all and focused his thoughts inward. 
He wasn't afraid of the Persians, he had beaten them several times before and proved himself their equal in combat, but it was the way in which they had struck so fast, so hard that no one foresaw it or knew it was coming. Not even with his Magic had the King been able to figure it out.
Leaving the throne room, giving orders to his guards to leave him be, the Pharaoh withdrew into his private quarters, grabbed a special robe he used only in ritual spellwork, and began conjuring spells.
Using spices, he threw them on a brazier and created a thick cloud of smoke, taking a bowel of water and setting it in the middle of it. Nectanebo then took a wand and touched the four corners of the bowel, representing the four corners of the earth.
He spoke his spell then and instantly images of Persian ships filled the water. Hundreds of them, all manned with heavily armed warriors. 
Waving the images away the Pharaoh put away his Magical equipment and returned to the throne room, commanding all the officers there to prepare for war.
Days later Nectanebo and his army met the Persians in battle, the Pharaoh and his men fighting valiantly, but it was in vain. Thousands were butchered before his eyes, his Magic failing him the time he needed it the most.
Retreating from the field Nectanebo went from fortress to fortress battling the Persians, losing each one and countless of men until finally there was nowhere left to run but out of the country.
Grabbing what gold and jewels he could carry, the Pharaoh abandoned Egypt to its fate and escaped into Nubia where he found refuge for awhile. 
It was in Nubia where he learned of the fall of the capital of Memphis to the Persian King,  ending his dynasty and the restoration of Persian rule.
Now a King without a Kingdom Nectanebo spent some time in Nubia before drifting on and crossing the Middle East into Europe. In time, by chance, he found himself in Greece and the highlands of Macedonia in 359 BC where, settling in the capital of Pella, he decided to end his days working as a Medium and fortuneteller.
His fame soon grew due to his accurate predications and connecting deceased loved ones with their living relatives and it came to pass that Olympias, now Queen, learned of this strange Egyptian Prophet, as he was being called, and sent for him to be brought to the palace.
Nectanebo duly made his way to the royal residence where he met with the Queen. Philip at this time was away waging war and so she, left behind as regnant, had the run of the place.
As they spoke it became apparent to Olympias that, far from being a simple man as most assumed from his dress of cheap fabric and rough appearance, that the Egyptian was much more than he was letting on. She asked him many questions of Egypt, of himself, and what matter of people did he come from.
Nectanebo answered as honestly as he could without giving away his identity. Then, in a moment of divine inspiration, he told Olympias that she would give birth to a son and that, should he choose it, he would have the whole world at his feet and be long lived in the minds of men.
This sudden pronouncement proved to the Queen that he was a true Prophet for, the day before, she learned she was with child.
Nectanebo proceeded to tell the Queen that his God, Amun-Ra, would follow the progress of her child, and should he prove worthy, he would raise him up as Lord of the Nile. At this the Egyptian King stopped, shocked by this himself and what it meant.
The two stared at each other, neither able to speak. Nectanebo, finally, excused himself from her presence and left the palace to continue his work elsewhere, but his prophecy shook him ever after.
Later that night, while Olympias slept, she fell into a strange dream where a man, with bull's horns on his head, came to her. 
Horrified Olympias shrank back and guarded herself against what she believed was an evil spirit about to attack, but the being did not move. He stood there silently for a time and then told her that he was Amun-Ra, the God of Nectanebo. He came, he said, to confirm what the Medium relayed to her, that her child, if they proved worthy in the sight of the Gods, would become great with their blessing and that the world would remember their name.
The Queen, struggling to comprehend what had just been said and by whom, thanked the God who disappeared, leaving her again to sleep dreamless.
Meanwhile in Illyria where the Macedonian army was encamped battling against the Illyrians, the King lay sleeping in his tent and just like his wife he had a strange dream.
In his dream, so he recounted later, a great Red Dragon came to him and plucked him up off the ground, carrying him back to Pella to the royal palace where the Magical creature sat him down on the balcony of the royal bedchamber.
Inside the bedchamber Philip saw the same two horn headed man standing beside a sleeping Olympias. The man looked at him, drew his attention to a seal in his hand, and sat down on the bed next to the Queen.
The seal, engraved with a lion's head, a morning sun, and blazing sword, was placed on the Queen's stomach. Philip watched on, confused, not understanding what he was seeing.
Then he woke up, calling for his wise men and priests to help interpret the dream.
Each in turn said he would be a father. That the man he saw was a God, and that his child was to be blessed by them.
Months later, on July 20th, 357 BC, Olympias gave birth to a healthy baby boy in Pella.
She named him Alexander in honour of his late uncle.

Chapter Text

Alexander, as the only son of Philip without any disability, was immediately made heir to the throne upon his birth and given all the benefits and privilages that came with that. This, however, did not take away from Arrhidaeus who continued to receive affection and attention from his father and who became a close playmate to his younger brother.
In 355 BC Olympias became pregnant for the final time, giving birth to a baby girl who Philip named Cleopatra. Like much her half sisters Cleopatra would grow up to play an important role in Macedonia politics and become a strong supporter and ally of Alexander. She was, along with his mother and brother, one of the few known people he kept in touch with via letter while on his future military campaigns in Asia.
For the first few years of his life Alexander would have been raised in the company of his mother and maid servants, his father being present often but not always, fighting in wars and handling diplomatic missions many times.
Things continued like this for all of Alexander's childhood and early teenage years, his first notable feat coming at the age of twelve.
One day, so the ancient sources say, the young Prince was accompanying his father to a horse show where the King hoped to buy a new mount for himself when the two spotted a large black horse in the pen, going wild and kicking at his tamers, nostrils flaring.
The horse, named Bucephalus (literally 'ox head'), found Alexander's eyes and the two gazed at each other, the animal's such a deep blue that it caught the Prince's attention.
Bucking off one of the tamers Bucephalus nearly trambled the other before he backed off.
Philip quickly lost interest in the horse once he saw it was, apparently, untamed and aggressive but Alexander, captivated by the horse's beauty and fighting spirit, walked over to him cautiously.
His father called him back, told him not to approach, but the Prince ignored him and continued up to Bucephalus, holding out his hand once he got half way.
To everyone's surprise the black horse came to the boy, and what's more, licked his palm. Then, suddenly, Bucelphalus went down to his knees and looked up into Alexander's eyes.
On instinct, the Prince asked for a saddle and reins, and to the astonishment of everyone, not least of all Philip, Alexander placed the saddle on the horse, mounted him, and rode him around the pen.
Thus it was that Alexander tamed Bucelphalus and the two became inseparable, becoming as close as two friends could possibly be.
Soon thereafter, at thirteen, Alexander was given his first military command by his father, one hundred troops, in order to get him used to warfare, though this was more symbolic than an actual position, and in the meantime the Prince was placed under the tutledge of his maternal cousin, Leonidas, a middle aged man and veteran of many battles, to learn the ways of the sword.
Along with Leonidas came a Theban warrior named Dionysios, who was a harsh but fair drill master who taught Alexander how to wield a spear, fight from horseback, and how to take pain.
Dionysios long ago received a wound down his face that twisted and made him look grotesque and to many boys he trained it scared them, but to Alexander it proved the man was a true warrior, for all true warriors, the boy thought, carried battle wounds.
Among the boys the Theban and Leonidas trained alongside Alexander were Ptolemy, a half brother to the Prince via his father (Ptolemy's mother, Arisone, had been Philip's mistress just before he met Olympias). Nearchus, a naval officer's son from Crete, and Harplus, a common born boy who was selected by Alexander's mother, seemingly at random, due to her desire for her son to "know all types" as she said.
Harplus, having one bad leg, wasn't much for fighting but did his best when he and Alexander scrapped and so earned the Prince's respect and the two became friends.
Most days Dionysios and Leonidas had the boys train with swords. Iron bladed weapons that, when they struck together, produced a high pitched CLANG. Finely made and cleaned after every session by the Theban, these swords were the first real weapons Alexander and his friends ever used, becoming near constant companions.
Everyday the students were placed in pairs and usually, though not always, Alexander and Ptolemy ended up sparring together, which unsettled the Prince as Ptolemy, as much as he hated admitting it, was the much better swordsman than he.
His half brother moved with a grace Alexander couldn't hope to match, easily moving out of the way of his blows and counter strikes, attacking swiftly with his own and, just to be spiteful, sometimes he would slash at Alexander when Dionysios and Leonidas weren't watching, cutting up his thigh or an arm, drawing blood.
The Prince never complained, never called him out on it, not wanting to be seen as a coward or a troublemaker and so Ptolemy, knowing he could get away with it, kept doing it. In one such duel things became so bad that Alexander, leg slashed and bleeding, could barely stand but his half brother kept on the assault. 
Something inside the Prince broke that day, something primal took hold and he rose in a rage, smashing past Ptolemy's sword work and shield, slashing at him and drawing blood before Dionysios called a halt to the combat and broke the two up, taking the weeping Ptolemy away to be tended too.
Later that night the Theban reported back to the King in the royal palace, remarking that the boy was fast with a sword and superior to the other students in terms of skill. But, he added quickly, he sweated too much and allowed his anger to cloud his judgement, which, Dionysios believed, would hinder him from ever wielding any weapon well.
"If so,"
Philip said dismissively,
"He has his mother to thank for that."
The remark, both referring to Alexander's non Macedonian blood, a trait which many in the Kingdom saw as a negative, seeing all non Macedonians, even fellow Greeks like the Molossians, as inferior, and to the fact that mother and son were especially close. A fact that Philip thought made his boy soft.
Dionysios stayed silent a moment, not liking this insult to the Queen or other Greeks but knowing he couldn't say anything.
"If he can master his anger,"
The Theban veteran offered,
"He will be a formiddable foe on the field. A worthy successor to the throne."
"See that it is done."
Philip ordered, growing tired of the conversation. The King grabbed a wine goblet, saluted his son's trainer and left the room.
Dionysios saw himself out shortly thereafter, asking how he ever managed to find himself in such a pompus man's employ.

At age fourteen the Prince, eager to finally prove himself a man, begged his father to allow him to take his command of men out into the world to achieve some great deed, some renown so that his name could begin to be known among the Greeks.
Philip at first dismissed this, citing Alexander's age and told him to wait until he grew a bit more.
"Father,"
Alexander said, on his knees in the throne room,
"You were but a little older than me when you went to war for the first time. I want to match you in strength and courage, and to do that I need to be given an opportunity."
"You are but a boy."
Philip smiled, admiring his son's ambition but not willing to risk the future of the Kingdom.
"Give the Fates the time they need to put some hair on your chin. Then I'll let you go out and fight."
"Please."
Alexander asked again.
"Give me a chance."
"Let him go Philip,"
Leonidas, standing at the back of the room arms foled, said in a booming voice,
"Dionysios and I will accompany him to make sure he'll be looked after. It will give him real world experience and a chance to learn command skills."
The King looked on the Molossian coolly, his one good eye (he lost the other in battle by spear point) flaring with anger momentarily for being questioned, but, for whatever reason, Philip decided his cousin in law had a point and so finally consented.
Alexander, overjoyed, set about the business of organizing his forces at once with Leonidas and Dionysios' help.
A week later, with his one hundred men behind him, the Prince set off from Macedonia and entered into wider Greece, finding his way to the Peloponnese region ruled by Nikalos, King of Argos.
Nikalos, a distant relative of Alexander, both being descended from Temenus, when he learned of this strange force of warriors in his land, rode out at the head of his own men and demanded to know why they were in Argos.
Alexander, pushing his way forward through his men, and jerking free of Dionysios' grip (he tried restraining the boy, fearing his temper was flaring) saluted his kinsman.
"I am Prince Alexander, son of King Philip of Macedonia,"
The teenager announced brightly,
"On a quest to prove to my father I'm worthy of his throne and respect."
"And you decided to invade my lands to do it?"
Nikolas asked, not amused by the boy's youthful naivety or cluelessness on how such matters were understood by adults.
"I meant no harm sir."
Alexander said.
"Return home boy. I'll forgive your ignorance this once."
Nikolas's men laughed and Argos' King made ready to ride home when Alexander shouted at him, challenging him to a duel.
Finding this challenge the most hilarious thing he heard in a such a long time Nikolas burst out in a long, drawn out mocking laugh, ending it by picking up a clump of mud and hurling it into Alexander's face.
"flee boy, and you may yet live."
Boiling with rage, Alexander wiped the mess off but did not advance nor draw his sword. Instead, remembering Leonidas's and Dionysios' words, he remained calm. He pointed at Nikolas and made him a promise:
That he would either take his land for his own or would give his life in the attempt.
Swinging Bucephalus around Alexander rode hard back to Macedonia where, despite his mother's protests, he raised a bigger force of men, effectively an army, and within the week marched back into Argos.
The two Lords met again on the same field, their banners and colours flying in the midday wind as their opposing armies took position.
Drums beat their ominous music. Macedonians and Pelopnnesians trade insults across the divide of the battlefield, then, with an order, they charge.
The impact of the two sides sent shockwaves throughout the field, the sound of shield upon shield, metal upon metal, charging horses kicking up mountains of dust and mud as men fell dead or writhing in pain.
Thus was Alexander's first taste of battle. A chaotic medley in the fields of Argos that saw hundreds die on both sides.
Sometime during the battle Nikolas sought out the young Prince, spear in hand, and once he found him he threw it, Alexander barely catching it on his shield before it pierced his body. 
Pressing his preceived advantage Nikolas drew his sword and advanced, Alexander drawing his own to defend, and the two locked into a long and bitter contest, with the older man dealing his younger enemy a great many blows on the helmet and chest, but thankfully the Prince's armour held and no serious injury occured.
Through luck, or perhaps an indictation of Alexander's future skills, he broke through Nikolas's defenses at last, bringing down his sword across the King's neck, slicing off his head.
Upon Nikolas's defeat and death the Pelopnnese region swore fealty to Philip as its overlord and Alexander returned home in triumpth, hailed as a hero by his men, but all of this was to be shattered when he reached Pella and took in a dreadful sight.
In his absence his father, having desired a new wife for sometime (tired of Olympias not being able to conceive again and her constant meddling) put her aside and got engaged to a younger woman named Cleopatra Eurydice, a niece of one of Philip's closest advisors and Generals, Attalus.
Upon entering the banquet hall Alexander went before his father and bowed, informing him of his victory in Argos, saying,
"Father, I pray you accept the fruits of my first victory before I go to the wedding."
"What wedding?"
His father asked, confused.
"My mother's,"
Alexander retorted coldly,
"For I shall marry her to a noble King and make him the greatest King on the earth. I will not stay here while she disgraced in such a way."
At this Philip went white with rage, but just before he could say anything more Attalus spoke up and made a cruel remark.
"Lord King, do not pay the boy no mind. My niece will bear you a son greater than him."
This struck a cord like no other comment could. Alexander, as much as he was a Prince and a descendant of Karanos like his father, was also not full Macedonian. His Molossian heritage made him, in the eyes of many, including Attalus, a half breed, inferior to pure blooded Macedonians like themselves and, more importantly, Cleopatra Eurydice and any children she bore Philip.
Unable to bear the insult Alexander drew his sword and struck Attalus down right in front of his father and the entire court.
Philip, drunk and fueled by a primal rage, shot out of his seat to kill his son, but the drink was stronger and he tripped, smashing into a table.
Alexander mocked him, asking how he would lead his armies against his enemies when he couldn't even make it from one couch to another, before removing himself from the banquet and going in search of his mother.
After this incident between father and son the young Prince, his younger sister Cleopatra, and their mother left Pella and settled in Molossia where they found refuge with Olympias's older brother, Alexander Molossus. Philip would not see or hear from his son or daughter for several years.

Chapter Text

Alexander spent four years at his uncle's court in Molossia where his mother, always a religious and devout woman, had his sister and he participate in countless ceremonies, taking part in sacrifices to Zeus and the Olympians and of course to the Egyptian God Amun-Ra. 
It is unclear exactly when the Prince learned of his parents' dreams but it is likely to have been during the time he spent in his ancestral homeland as by the time he returned to Macedonia at eighteen he was already well aware of them and took great care in winning the favor of the Gods, both the Greek ones and the Egyptians.
It was also in his uncle's court that Alexander was put under the mentorship of the great philosopher, scientist, and ethicist Aristotle, one of the major thinkers of his time. It was under the great master's instructions that Alexander began studying the sciences and the works of historians like Homer who's book on the Trojan War, the Illiad, became the Prince's favorite and most cherished book (he loved it so much that, for the rest of his life, he always made sure to carry a copy with him wherever he went, even on campaign).
Studying Homer, the grandson of the great hero Odysseus, one of the Greek Commanders in the Trojan war and the man who thought up the Trojan horse, Alexander dreamed of being his age's Achillies, of becoming a great and mighty warrior like his ancestor before him, and Aristotle fostered and built up that dream, encouraging his pupil.
Even being as far away as they were from Pella, news still reached the Prince and his family from time to time about Philip, and it was while studying under Aristotle that Alexander learned of his father's plans to invade Asia and conquer the Persian Empire. Why Philip, who never had any problems with Persians in general, decided to undertake such a plan is up for debate, but most likely it was due to wanting to win glory and fame.
When Aristotle learned of this plan of conquest he was thrilled, practically beating Alexander over the head with how great it would be to see Greece dominate Persia, to finally subjugate an enemy that had tried themselves to conquer the Greeks for so long.
He instructed Alexander that, should his father fail, he must one day take up the great task, saying,
"Deal with the Persians as one deals with beasts or plants."
Despite this kind of racial superiority being taught to him, Alexander never seems to have taken it all in. Its undeniable that he believed the Greeks were superior to other peoples, a belief so common as to not be seriously questioned, but he never held contempt for non Greek people and indeed did his best to respect their traditions and values, instructing his officers and officials to do the same, much to their disgust.
By eighteen, in 340 BC, Alexander and his father reconciled and the Prince returned to Macedonia with his mother and sister, reuniting with his old friends from his training days.
His arrival, too, fell close on another visit, this one unexpected by everyone.
Three Persian envoys, coming to demand tribute.

Philip, away on errands, never received notice of the envoys and so did not have anyone selected to greet them.
Alexander, as heir to the throne, took it upon himself to meet the Persian officials and greet them. 
Dressed in purple coats and gold tunics, the Persians weren't simple envoys but Magi, High Priests and advisors to the Persian monarch, men of great influence.
Knowing this made Alexander initially nervous and why would it not? Here he was, eighteen, barely finished his education, meant to entertain men who knew the secrets of Magic, the divine and other sacred mysteries.
Of course he was nervous!
At first, thinking him a common servant (apparently he was dressed in rather shabby clothes that day) they paid him little mind, not even accepting the wine he offered them, but once a translator explained who he truly was, the Persian envoys quickly changed their tunes and began taking an interest in him.
Soon Alexander's nervousness faded, overcome by his curiosity about the men, the Persian Empire, its people, and their way of life. He asked question after question, the envoys patiently answering each one.
How many nations are subject to Persia?
Twenty three.
What is the title of your King?
King of Kings.
How long did it take you arrive in Macedonia?
Three days.
More questions were asked but none of much interest to anyone but the Prince, he got so lost in thoughts that he failed to notice his mother coming down from the palace with Leonidas and guards behind her, but the envoys certainly took notice.
"Greetings to the servants of the King of Kings, Lord of Asia. I am Queen Olympias of Macedonia. I welcome you to Pella and into my home."
At first the three men said nothing, nor did they move. Some interpret this to mean they were so taken by Olympias's beauty that they were stunned. However it is far more likely that they were stunned not due to how attractive the Queen may have been but due to the fact that a woman, Queen or not, was greeting them and not the King himself or a trusted male servant.
In the end none spoke to the Queen but merely bowed and followed her inside.
Ptolemy would later tease Alexander for his seemingly endless questions, pointing out that the Prince asked the men about everything except the women of Asia. 
Olympias saw that the Persian envoys were well taken care of, given what they needed for their stay, and then quietly withdrew from them as they waited for her husband's return. In the meantime Alexander and his friends returned to their studies and at suppertime the Prince went to the palace to eat.
And as soon as he entered the room his mother was ready, pouncing on him for his questions, asking him how stupid he could be? That such behavior was beneath a Prince, a future King.
"Filling your thoughts with deeds like those of Achilles,"
Olympias lashed out at him,
"When you have the same passions as a eunuch!"
Alexander allowed her to hurl these abuses, having grown used to them as a child and listening to the fights she and his father engaged in. He knew that she'd never stay mad, she would apologize, and the two would reconcile. It was a cycle he accepted as a natural part of life.
But then, out of nowhere, she threw out the name of Arrhidaeus, mocking Alexander's older brother by stating that even he could have handled the envoys better than Alexander did.
And this did hurt the Prince. Despite his brother's disabilities he never looked at him differently like his mother and so many others did and to hear Olympias put him down in such a way was hard to bear.
Still, Alexander remained silent.
Olympias continued on, berating his curiosity and pointing out how he was a farmer at heart, that ALL Macedonians were farmers at heart, from the lowly peasants in the field to Philip himself. The irony of this, of course, is that she was displaying the same mindset of superiority to the Macedonians they displayed towards her and which she hated.
Whether Alexander caught this hypocrisy or not he simply said,
"Maybe its because we're farmers at heart, and know our horses, that we Macedonians can ride circles around other Greeks."
This remark drove his mother into a rage for, she knew, this was how Philip thought and if there was one thing she couldn't stand was the fact that Alexander was just as much his son as hers and that, no matter how much she may try to mold him into the man she wished him to be, to erase all traces of Philip or his Argead blood, it would ultimately fail.
The rest of her rant spilled into the meal and soon after was forgotten by Alexander who, having finished, retreated to his chambers to sleep. Within a few days his father would return and then they would all hear what the Persians had to say.

When Philip returned, limping and grunting from battle wounds well earned in raids against the Illyrians, Olympias informed him of the Persian envoys, the Macedonian King's face immediately going from miserable to angry.
But, ever the respectful host, he didn't keep them waiting, heading directly to his throne, calling Alexander to his side as he went and instructing the boy to sit beside him as the envoys relayed their messages.
"Remember,"
His father said as they walked down the marble stone halls of the palace, good eye scanning the faces of servants and guards alike,
"Whatever they say, do not react negatively. Do not speak down to them, and do not,"
He stopped, holding a finger in his son's face,
"Insult them."
"I understand father."
"Make sure you do. The Persians cannot have any suspicions of my plans or have any reason to report back to Darius with anything that could bring hell down upon us."
Alexander nodded and the two entered the throne room where the three envoys waited.
As they saw Philip they bowed though, the Prince noted, they did not go completely prostrate on their knees as was customary.
His father paid it no mind and took his seat and Alexander next to him.
Around the room Philip's nobles also attended, all eager to hear the Persian message. Some, like Ptolemy's stepfather Lagus, wanted peace between Macedonia and Persia, resisting Philip's plans of conquest and hoping these envoys could dissuade him.
Others like Antipater, a good friend of the King's and one of his Generals, desired nothing more than Philip to cast out the envoys and declare his intentions of taking Asia.
"Please,"
Philip said after a time, clearing his throat.
"Tell us why you've come."
At this the leader of the envoys, a man in his sixties with grey peppered through his black beard, came forward, his hazel brown eyes glancing casually at Alexander before settling on his father.
"I am Otanes son of Cyrus, cousin to the Great King Darius."
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Otanes son of Cyrus."
Philip nodded in greeting.
"The Great King,"
Otanes said,
"Has sent us to ask why you have not paid the tribute the last three years. Macedonia has always been a loyal province to the Empire, the Great King knows this, and thus does not want trouble, merely an answer."
Philip's tribute to Persia, or as he saw it, a payment to an ally, stopped when he began developing plans for his invasion, but of course he could not admit to that.
"The Great King knows how hard it has been here in the summer months,"
He said instead, referring to failing crops. 
A fiction, but a plausible one that they couldn't disprove.
Otanes, his wrinkled face impassive, looked back at his companions, their faces equally expressionless and giving nothing a way.
"What should we tell the Great King?"
Otanes asked.
To this Philip stated flatly,
"Tell Darius that Macedonia can spare no tribute."
The court fell into silence. Alexander glancing around the room taking in the faces of the nobles and envoys alike. A tension held for a long time, the boy fearing it may turn into something worse.
But he need not have for Otanes, realizing to push his luck would be foolish, bowed slightly to the King and asked if the envoys could take their leave, to which Philip assented, wishing them well and ordering a servant to give them sufficient food and drink for their journey home.
Once they were gone the King turned to his son.
"And now my task has become that much harder."
Without another word his father stood up, gestured for Antipater, in a far corner, to follow him, and the two men left to discuss military matters.
Alexander too removed himself from the court, returning to his chambers and picking up the IIiad to read, his mind buzzing with the secrets and Magic Asia held.

Asia, as it turned out, needed to wait a bit longer, for in Thrace a rebel leader named Pausanius rose up against Macedonian rule.
Pausanius, a Macedonian himself, had fled to Thrace a year prior when he was rejected by Olympias as a lover. Stung by this rejection, angry over Philip's neglect of his wife, and desiring more influence, he decided on rebellion and found allies among the Thracian tribes.
Philip, furious that a man whom he trusted (Pausanius had been a Captain within the palace guard), would ally with barbarians against him, quickly gathered his army together and invaded Thrace, Alexander going with him, his second in command.
Thrace, a mountainous country, provided Pausanius and his rebels plenty of ambush points and hiding spots and he used them to great effect. Within a month he had Philip chasing him from one end of the country to the other, unable to force a full on confrontation and being dealt severe losses with raids and ambush attacks.
In one such ambush, taking place by a stream the Greeks called the waters of Heracle's due to their belief the great hero drank from it, Philip was caught completely off guard while he and his men were refilling their canteens.
Alexander, standing beside his father and taking a small sip was the first to notice the Thracians revealing themselves, shouting and pointing towards the hill.
"To arms! To arms!"
Philip commanded his men, slapping his son on the shoulder, a signal to draw his sword, before drawing his own.
Pausanias and his warriors came down hard on the Macedonians, shrieking like ghouls in the mid autumn day, their faces painted ash grey.
Alexander stayed close to Philip, the two fighting back to back at certain points, their sweat intermixing they stood so close. 
The Thracians pushed in, slaughtering ten Macedonians in just as many minutes, forcing the survivors closer together, boxing them in.
Philip, realizing what they were doing, was adamant his men not let it happen. He left Alexander's side and slammed into the Thracian attackers, killing two and backing others up.
Alexander soon joined him, and, given confidence from seeing their King and Prince fighting so fearlessly, the rest of the Macedonians joined them. Still they struggled to turn the tide, more Thracians pouring down the mountainside.
"Run!"
Philip suddenly shouted to Alexander.
"Run boy!"
The King shoved his son away from the fighting, shouting again for him to retreat.
"Father, I can't!"
"Go, Alexander! That's a command."
Philip said, his tone final as he swung back around and stabbed a Thracian in the forehead, brains spraying over his beard.
He did not look back at his son, trusting he would listen, but Alexander refused and rushed back into the fray, rewarded with nearly losing his head to a Thracian war axe, saved by his father's timely intervention.
"I TOLD YOU TO RUN!"
His father grabbed him forcefully, his gore filled hands sticky, and threw him out of the killing field, sending the Prince flying a few feet.
Alexander rolled over and looked up, his father nowhere to be seen.
"Father?"
He scrambled to his feet, spotting Philip locked in battle with Pausanias, the rebel Macedonian wielding a spear.
"Father!"
Philip glanced over to his son and then backhanded Pausanias with his sword hilt, breaking the man's nose in the process.
Pausanias, mouth a bloody mess, spun hard on his heels, charging into the King and spearing him through the middle of his chest.
In a great burst of blood Philip sagged against his killer's chest, mouth open as if trying to speak. Pausanias pulled the King off the shaft, his guts caught on the steel. With a push Philip fell to the ground and his killer turned to face Alexander.
And he ran.
Alexander ran fast, faster than he ever believed he could, leaving his father's body and those of his men where they fell.
He ran until he couldn't run anymore.
A day later he recovered Bucelphalus and rode back to Pella. Exhausted, hungry, and heartbroken.

Chapter Text

The death of Philip did not send Macedonia into a panic or chaos like Pausanias might have hoped. Before his death the King had made it perfectly clear that Alexander was to succeed him and that is exactly what happened, but before he would allow himself to be crowned, Alexander wanted to gain revenge on the rebel leader and his Thracians. 
He didn't have to wait long for a confrontation either for Pausanias, emboldened by his victory in the mountains of Thrace, led his men down from their hills and into Macedonia, marching halfway across the Kingdom before Alexander met him on the field of battle.
It did last long. Well suited for guerrilla warfare, Pausanias's Thracians stood no chance in open country against trained soldiers, getting butchered where they stood.
The rebel Macedonian fell to Alexander's sword, the King to be rushing upon him during the battle, drawing his blade quickly from its sheathe, and slicing off the man's head in one clean cut. Upon Pausanias's death his Thracians surrendered and Alexander granted them clemency and they retreated back to their mountain homes.
A day later the Macedonians brought their dead back and Philip was buried in Pella. Alexander grieved greatly for him as, despite all their differences, he could not bring himself to hate the man as his mother did. He was his father and in his own way Philip had loved him.
The day after Philip's funeral Alexander was formally crowned King of Macedonia, being given the golden crown, bright yellow in colour, with a red gem at its center, and the scepter, the sign of Kingship since ancient Sumerian times, was given into his hand just as it had been at his own father's coronation and Amyntas', stretching all the way back to Karanos and the Kingdom's founding.
Then three heralds called for all the noblemen to come forward and do homage to their new Lord, which all did without hesitation.
Once that was done Alexander, taking off the crown, stood up to address his subjects.
"Lords, I swear by the Gods that I will govern with justice and honour like my father and ancestors before me. That will favor no man, whether highborn or lowborn, before the law. I declare that I hate frauds and those who seek gain at others' expense. I pray that you heed the Gods, follow in their ways as I strive to do, be merciful to the people who you will rule in my name."
In turn the nobles swore their undying loyalty to Alexander as their King and Lord, asking the Gods on Olympus to bless and guide him throughout his reign.
When the coronation ceremony finished the court feasted and celebrated, though Alexander retired early to bed, heart not in it.
That night, while he slept, Amun-Ra came to him in his dreams just as the great God did with his mother and father decades before.
In the dream the Egyptian God gave the new King his blessing just as he promised all those years ago. Then, out of the bright light that surrounded them a beautiful woman appeared, Isis, the Egyptian Goddess of Life and Magic.
Like Amun-Ra she gave the King her blessing, proclaiming that he would, if he put his mind to it, become as great as Achilles and conquer Persia like his father dreamt of doing.
Upon waking the next morning Alexander told his mother of his dream and Olympias, overjoyed that the Gods kept their promise, told him trust in the dream and prepare to fulfill Philip's ambition of conquering Asia.

Yet, fulfilling his father's ambition would not come easy. Philip's death saw the rapid decay of the alliances he had made with other Greek Kingdoms and States. The Illyrians, subject peoples days before, now rose in open revolt against the new King, and Athens declared Macedonia an enemy.
To make matters worse the treasury was running low, the soldiers were delayed in their payments, and several Generals, Alexander learned, squabbled among themselves and some even secretly sought to replace him with his older brother, to have a mind easily controllable on the throne.
Not knowing who else to turn to the King sought advice from his former tutor, writing Aristotle a letter explaining his predicament.
The Philosopher took things into consideration at his estate in Athens, walking among his gardens while he contemplated what to write back to his former pupil, eventually deciding that, like his Generals advised, Alexander needed to first focus on the Illyrians and bringing them back under Macedonian subjection, and so he wrote this down.
When Alexander received the letter, he wasted no time in following through, marshalling the army and heading up into the highland of the Balkans to put an end to the rebellious tribes, placing his father's old friend Antipater in charge of the Kingdom while he was away.
He also brought along his brother, not wanting to risk harm coming to him or someone using him to stage a rebellion within the capital. The two spent every night together, Alexander reading the lliad to Arrhidaeus or having dinner with him. He rarely let him out of his sight, both due to genuine affection and, one can assume, not wanting anything to happen to him.
It took a year of harsh fighting for the Macedonians to subdue the Illyrian tribes again, Alexander forced to go from fort to fort, town to town, and village to village bit by bit, crushing resistance into the ground every step of the way. 
He was merciful to those who surrendered right away, allowing them to keep their lands and their lives so long as they swore never to rise against him again. To those who resisted even when he was at their doorstep, Alexander was far less forgiving, many times killing entire villages or forts, sometimes selling the survivors into slavery.
By the time he returned to Macedonia Illyria was completely pacified and would remain so for the rest of his reign, many Illyrian warriors finding themselves joining his army.
While he was gone Antipater, having a keen mind geared towards governance, was able to refill the treasury, create new alliances, and stabilize the Kingdom, allowing Alexander the opportunity to finally take time aside and begin a thorough plan for the invasion of Asia. 
Planning lasted for a week uninterrupted then news reached Pella that Thebes, a city in the region of Boeotia, had risen in revolt against Macedonia based upon a false rumour that Alexander had been cut down in some Illyrian forest.
The Thebans, eager to reassert their independence, killed their Macedonian governors under the direction of orators who rallied them under the idea of freedom and liberty and had cornerned the Macedonian soldiers in their forts, lying siege to them everyday in the hopes of slaughtering all within.
Aristotle, visiting Pella at the time the news arrived, cautioned the King to use diplomacy to win the Thebans back to his side, that war would only lead to destruction.
But Alexander would hear none of it. The garrisons couldn't be left to die he said, he had a duty as their King and Commander to save them if he could, and so with his army he left Macedonia for Thebes.
The Macedonian army set up their tents outside the city in the cemetery, Alexander and one of his Generals, Parmenion, believing that it would suit their purposes better than trying to attack the city straight away.
On Parmenion's advice the King sent envoys into Thebes, demanding the city leaders reconsider their allegiance, spare their people needless war, and open the gates.
In short order the Thebans turned the envoys away, stating there could be no peace unless Alexander offered up Parmenion for he, they said, caused them no end of grief during Philip's conquest.
Parmenion, a great warrior in his youth under Alexander's father, did indeed do things he wasn't proud of then, including killing innocent civilians, but as an older man he recognized the foillies and crimes of his younger days, and agreed to their terms.
Alexander, however, was not about to hand over one of his best and most experienced veterans to a certain execution, the very thought was anathema to him. 
Instead, as much as he hated the idea, the King ordered a siege to be begun and soon thereafter Thebes was encircled by Macedonian soldiers, fireballs, giant stones, and arrows being hurled into the city, killing hundreds.
Within ten days the city walls, made of ancient stone, fell to the constant bombardment.
"Onward!"
Alexander gave the order.
"Take the city!"
His soldiers rushed in and began what they believed to be a slaughter.....
But which turned, unexpectedly, into a route.
Somehow the Thebans, using the very monuments and shrines they were known for as cover and ambush points, were able to defeat the Macedonians, killing off wave after wave of them.
Alexander, in the thick of things, nearly lost his head when a Theban warrior, a thick man with black mutton chops on his cheeks, jumped off a building and swung down with his war axe. The only thing that saved the King was that the man miscalculated his jump!
The axe slammed into the dirt beneath their feet, Alexander quickly thrusting his sword into the man's throat, killing him almost instantly, but the near death experience shook him to his core.
"Fall back!"
He cried gripping Bulcephalus's reins,
"FALL BACK!"
He kneed his mount and dashed out of the city, heart leaping into his throat as fear and adrenaline overtook him. 
Shame would do so later. 
The defeat at Thebes would be Alexander's greatest, and only, defeat, but it would be one he would never forget. It humbled him, giving him insight into the fact that while he may have been blessed by the Gods, that did not mean they would hand him every victory on a golden platter.
He would, like everyone else, need to earn his victories, the Gods would offer aid, but it was up to him to use that aid to win glory for himself.
To this end Parmenion, in order to both repay his King for not handing him over to a certain death, and to help Macedonia regain her former strength, told the King of a secret organization he knew of, one of the Great Mystery Schools dedicated to the Goddess of Wisdom, Athena.
The organization, known as The Order of the Ancients, Parmenion explained, had in Macedonia since Alexander's grandfather's time, helping to establish Temples, shrines, and other places of worship to Athena and, he said, they also concerned themselves with locating sacred artifacts of great power.
One of the artifacts they found during Philip's time was the Trident of Poseidon, buried in a mound on the island of Crete in what local legend claimed was the gravesite of Poseidon's long dead son, Polydectes, who was given the Trident when he came of age.
This artifact, Parmenion told the King, could give its wielder supernatural strength and agility. Make his mind sharp, sharper than any normal man. With it, the General insisted, Alexander could fulfill his father's dream and conquer Persia and all of Asia.
The problem was, Alexander asked, how would they convince the Order to part with it?
The only way was to become a member, but Alexander wasn't interested in dedicating himself to just one God or Goddess, he followed them all.
But, like any good politician, he played the game. On a cool March night a month after the defeat at Thebes he met with the Order's Grandmaster, his father's old friend Antipater, in a sacred grove just outside of Pella.
The older man, wearing silk robes, looked slimmer than the last time the King saw him. Sicker. Though he couldn't say he heard any rumours he was sick.
"Thank you for meeting with me,"
Alexander said after embracing the nobleman in a hug.
"Thank you for calling on me, my Lord,"
Antipater smiled,
"I was worried that my time had past with your father."
"Nonsense. My father's friends are my friends too."
The grove, dedicated to Athena a century ago and used for annual rituals and festivals, was a small affair, with beautiful trees for shade and an alter that was well worn with age.
Antipater gestured for the King to join him under a tree and the two men sat down, Alexander's guards a few feet away.
"Parmenion,"
Antipater began,
"Says you wish to use the Trident of Poseidon."
"I do, yes. I wish to wield it for the glory of Macedonia."
"It is a sacred relic. Not something easy to come by."
"I understand, and I would not ask for it if I did not have great need. But with the Trident I believe I can accomplish what my father dreamed of, Antipater."
"With it you believe you can bring the Persians to their knees do you?"
"I do."
The old Macedonian noble looked at his young monarch, admiring the ambition and conviction Alexander had. He wished his own sons could be so determined.
"And what will you do with it once you complete your task?"
"I would return it to the Order for safekeeping."
"Would you?"
Antipater questioned him, more out of curiosity than actual doubt.
"Or do you only believe you would, then when the time came hold back, not wanting to relinquish the power the relic gives you?"
"I am a man of my word."
"I know you are, but my King, weapons such as the Trident, for it is a weapon, have a way of corrupting men. Just look at how some of our great heroes fell when they got a taste of the Gods' power. Think carefully of what you ask."
"I know what I ask,"
Alexander answered back sternly, growing frustrated at what he perceived as Antipater believing him to be weak minded,
"I ask for this relic to make Macedonia great. To unite Greece under our Kingdom's banner and conquer the Persian Empire. That is why I ask for it. Not only for my own glory."
"Peace, Alexander. Peace."
Antipater put an hand on the King's shoulder,
"I'm not your enemy, nor do I wish to anger you. I'll grant you use of the Trident. On one condition."
"What is that?"
"You give it back for certain once Babylon falls."
"I swear by Zeus and Amun-Ra that I will."
The King put out his hand, and Antipater shook it, the two making a deal.
The following day Antipater and his son Cassender came to the royal palace, carrying with them a golden staff.
The Trident Of Poseidon.
Just as it was described by Parmenion the Trident was a magical object, pulsing with power. Intricately engraved with runes, placed upon it when the great Cyclops' forged it eons ago during the war with Kronos, Father of the Gods, in order to keep the magic within the weapon.
Antipater presented the Trident to the King in the throne room, also present were Olympias, Ptolemy, and all of Alexander's other friends and family.
They all marveled at the relic's beauty, Olympias uttering a short prayer to the Sea God, asking him to allow her son to wield the great weapon in his name and lead his people well.
Alexander took the Trident from the Grand Master and, as soon as his hand touched it, the staff glowed bright, golden rays spreading across the room in an aura of power.
All took it as a sign that Poseidon blessed the King's taking of the Trident, and soon news of this event spread throughout all of Greece.
Athens, Thebes, Sparta, and every other Greek State, fearing the power that Alexander now had, all agreed to support his conquest of Persia.
Within the next three months the Macedonian King amassed a great army of thousands composed of men from across the Greek world.
Then, Trident in his possession and army at his back, Alexander, the third of his name, marched from the Macedonian highlands into Asia, eyes set on the ancient city of Babylon.

Chapter Text

The first city to feel the brunt of Alexander's invasion was the city of Chalcedon in the region of Bithynia in what is now northern Turkey.
The Macedonian army surrounded the city and lay siege to it, Alexander using the Trident of Poseidon to both send blasts of Magic against the ancient city walls and to give his soldiers boosts of strength.
When the Chalcedonians saw these supernatural feats they, quite naturally, lost heart and did not fight with much zeal, seeing their predicament as hopeless.
The King, seizing the opportunity, rode up to the city gates on Bucelphalus and held up the Trident for all to see, a bright and proud smile beaming on his face.
"Men of Chalceldon!"
He shouted,
"Why do you not fight with all your hearts? Why hold back? If you will not fight like men, put down your arms and open your gates. It will go better for you if you do."
At this the Chalceldonians, knowing they could not win, threw down their arms and opened the gates, allowing Alexander and his men inside.
He granted them mercy, took what money they could afford, and then left the city standing. In a detour of sorts the Macedonian King sailed for Italy, why precisely is unknown, but here, using the Trident, Alexander subjected the Italians to his rule, even the Republic of Rome he conquered in the Battle of Latinum.
The Roman leader, Titus Manlius Imperiosus Torquatus, led his cavalry and legionaries out to meet the advancing Macedonian army, only to have Alexander use the Trident to mow them down in searing blast of fire. Once the Romans inside the city saw this destruction they threw open the gates and welcomed him inside.
Alexander reinstated the Roman Kingdom, crowning himself its King, before leaving a friend of his, Heraclides, as governor and set his sights on Egypt, the bread basket of Persia in those days. If he could take Egypt, Alexander knew he could take Persia itself, and so he set sail.
The Egyptians, made to do so by their Persian masters, mobilized and met the Macedonians along their borders, several border battles being fought, in one Alexander received an arrow wound in the thigh, knocking him off Bucelphalus into the sands.
Heat intense and pain spreading across his leg, Alexander rose to his feet, Trident still gripped tightly in his right hand.
Wiping the sand, sweat, and grime from his face the Macedonian monarch slammed the relic on the ground, Magic bursting into it, veins crisscrossing the battlefield, hitting Egyptian warriors and popping them like balloons, guts and blood soon exploding up into the air and over the Macedonians.
"Advance!"
The King ordered harshly, his anger blinding him to his injury now,
"Advance and slaughter them all!"
The power of the Trident was felt in Egypt that day, hundreds of souls lost to its awesome Magic. They say Poseidon himself wept at this loss of life, but if this be true, the God did not take his tool back and Alexander wielded it savagely as he marched into the ancient land of Narmer, dealing death to anyone who opposed him.
Gaza, an important trading fortress, fell once Alexander blew down its gates with the Trident. Its Commander, a Persian eunuch named Batis, was offered mercy in exchange for his loyalty.
He laughed in Alexander's face, spitting on his foot.
The King had him tied to the back of a chariot and dragged out into the desert where he was never heard or seen from again.
Once Gaza fell and the officials saw what the fate that befell Batis, they surrendered willingly, welcoming Alexander as their new Lord.
In the Holy and ancient city of Memphis Alexander and his Macedonians marched through the streets in glory, some seeing them as liberators from Persian oppressions, others, we can imagine, saw them as just another horde of foreigners imposing their will upon the Egyptian people.
In the royal palace Alexander, decked out in gold and finery, was given the Red and White Crowns of Upper and Lower Egypt, signifying to all that now he, not Darius, was Pharaoh.
In return for their submission the King gave the Egyptians something the Persians never did, self autonomy. He allowed them to govern themselves, all they had to do was recognize his rule and pay him taxes, which they gladly did.
Before leaving Egypt the new Pharaoh visited one of the holiest places in the land, the Oracle of Amun-Ra in the Oasis of Siwa.
Here, among the famous Medjay, the bodyguards of the Kings of Egypt and Siwa's protectors, Alexander received yet more confirmation of his divine blessings. 
The Gods, the Oracle told him, were pleased with his conquests so far. That he was the son of Amun-Ra and his champion. He was destined, she said, to be remembered for all time as a great warrior.
Alexander took this to heart, boosting his confidence and pride, and he left Egypt more determined than ever to conquer Babylon.
And he got his chance weeks later when he invaded Persia, meeting Darius at the Battle of Gaugamela near Duhok, modern day Iraq.
It was here that Alexander and his men beheld for the first time the greatest weapon the Persians had in their arsenal.
Their war elephants.
Alexander heard stories of such creatures growing up, Aristotle and his father telling him how mighty and deadly they were, but he never saw one until that day at Gaugamela, and it made his blood go cold.
"Such size."
He whispered under his breath as he and his Generals moved their men into position. He momentarily forgot about the Trident or what the Oracle of Siwa said.
All he could think of was how terrible and destructive the elephants would be against his soldiers. He scanned their backs, looked at the faces of those he could see, and wondered to himself how many would survive this day.
Would he survive this day?
Only the Gods knew, he decided darkly, gripping the Trident tight and continued advancing with his men, shouting encouragement and praising their bravery.
On the opposite side of the field Darius, in the center of his army, was surrounded by spearmen and cavalrymen, a tight knit wall of defense to ensure he did not face serious danger. 
His war elephants, prominent in the front ranks, were ready to charge, and he sent them against the Greeks almost immediately.
Alexander and his men steeled themselves as the ground shook, the enormous animals lumbering down upon them, their Persian and Indian riders hurling spears down at them, hitting unfortunate souls.
But the truly unfortunates were the ones crushed to death under the elephants' feet. Alexander watched dozens of men were trampled, their bodies reduced to paste under the weight of the animals. 
Using the Trident the King brought the elephants down, Magic energy surging from one to the other, killing them instantly and their riders. With the elephants slain Alexander pushed his men forward, leading a frontal charge against Darius's lines while Parmenion and Cleitus, another veteran of his father's, led the right and left flanks of the Macedonians around the Persians to encircle them.
The Trident's Magic roared forward into the Persian ranks, decimating them, reducing them from thousands to hundreds in half an hour. Once the soldiers were reduced in numbers the Macedonian King charged again, this time heading directly for the Persian King's chariot, Ptolemy, Nearchus, and Harplus joining him in this assault.
Darius, boxed in by his own men, had nowhere to run, nowhere to escape too. He watched Alexander and his warriors come down on him, their eyes wild with bloodlust and adrenaline.
"Pull back!"
The Persian King commanded, but it was too late. His men didn't have time to follow through before the Macedonians crashed into their lines, bringing their swords and spears down on them in a bloody melee.
Alexander, urging Bucelphalus on, leapt over the shields of the Persians, landing on the other side unharmed, and charged forward at Darius.
The two Kings locked eyes, Alexander raising the Trident in victory, before smashing it down into the ground, a sharp jolt of lightning Magic ripping through the earth, going under Darius's chariot, and ripping up in a thunderous blast, demolishing man and vehicle in a brilliant flash of colour.
All stood stunned at this. Both Persian and Greek stopped to watch as the lightning shot up into the sky and disappeared.
This gruesome end to the Persian monarch sealed the battle in Macedonia's favor, the soldiers throwing down their arms and surrendering with no further resistence.
Alexander incorporated them into his ranks and continued on to Babylon, eager to see the great city.
Darius's mother, Queen Sisygambis, learning how her son had died and fearing the Macedonian King might use the power of his Gods to level Babylon if it did not surrender, ordered the gates thrown open even before Alexander was close, and so it was that he and his men marched into the capital of the Persian Empire with ease, conquerors of the greatest State on earth.
Babylon, once ruled by the Dragon Lords of ancient Sumer, still retained its beauty and its sacredness, and Alexander honoured it as the city of both Gods and Kings.
In a lavish ceremony put on a month after Darius's death Alexander was formally invested as King of Kings, Emperor of Persia, and Master of Babylon.