A/N – some time ago I realized that with exception of one drabble I never wrote a single story about the years Alexander and Hephaistion spent in Macedon. I don't really know how it happened because I really enjoy other authors' stories on the subject. I played with different ideas for quite a few months and now I am ready to put it on paper.

Obviously, it is an AU story but I followed the main milestones – years before Mieza (with a twist), Mieza (with a twist), battle of Chaeronea (with a twist), Illyrian exile (with a twist) – all right, I hope you got the picture. All main characters are here and those who are rarely mentioned are in as well. For some characters, that are known to exist but their names unfortunately lost to us, I have to give names of my own; for example, nobody knows what was the name of Parmenion's wife or their only daughter about whom we only know that she was married twice, each time to the prominent personage of the Macedonian public life – you encounter them in later chapters, I promise.

I truly hope you'll enjoy this story. I plan for some 15 chapters so I am in it for a long haul. First chapter is a short one, just to whet your appetite.

As always, readers' comments are much appreciated and bring joy to my heart.

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"I trust you know what you're doing," Aretha said in a soft voice and leaned over to give her husband a soft kiss on a cheek, "but Larisa is only four years old, and the boy, you said, he just turned three? Is this engagement really necessary?"

"It will make Philip to treat me with less suspicion," Parmenion voiced his hopes loudly.

"Didn't you gain his trust already? I thought that after you submitted Illyrians two years ago, the King had no reasons to doubt your allegiance."

"By crashing Illyrians I proved to Philip my worthiness as a capable general; trust is something completely different. Who knows what Agathocles whispers in his ears?"

"But why Amyntor's son? I don't even know his wife. Wouldn't Antipater be a better choice? He has several sons and I know Aglaia, his wife. Larisa likes to play with their daughter, Phila, when we come to court at the same time."

"I am sure you can as easily make friends with Helen, Amyntor's wife. Philip may get suspicious if Antipater and I would plan to become relatives. He'll think we want to plot against him but he would never suspect Amyntor. If Philip trusts anybody, it's Amyntor."

"So, the rumors are true….." mused Aretha.

"What rumors?" asked Parmenion.

"That Amyntor was Philip's favorite eromenos until he was supplanted by younger Kleitos. Now it's Kleitos who holds King's favor, so much so that the King entrusted his son Alexander to Kleitos' sister, Lanike. Are you sure that Amyntor's son is the best match for our only daughter?"

"This is all women's talk, listen less to Olympias' and Audata's gossips and even what is more important, never repeat them to anybody… except me, of course," smiled Parmenion.

"Audata doesn't gossip, she keeps to herself and her serving women, insists on bringing up her daughter Cynane in Illyrian traditions; the child can barely walk but rides her pony with the confidence of Amazon. I would never allow my daughter to go close to a horse!"

Parmenion laughed and patted his wife's hand affectionately, "there is nothing wrong with a woman who can ride, it is a useful skill."

"For a woman – maybe, but not a young child. So, if Amyntor was never Philip's eromenos why King trusts him more than others? He doesn't even have any important position at court or with the army."

"You surely must know that Amyntor was among the hostages sent to Thebes together with Philip?"

"Yes, it is a common knowledge, my dear," smiled Aretha.

Parmenion smiled in return and looked lovingly at his wife. They were married for some ten years and had three sons and one daughter. The general knew his wife since she was a child, a daughter of his father's guest-friend. She lived in their house for long periods of time while her father traveled all over the cities around Aegean Sea; Parmenion never knew whether it was in his official capacity as negotiator between the constantly quarreling city-states, as a merchant or as a spy. He didn't return from one of his trips and Aretha remained to live in Philotas' house and was treated by Parmenion and his brothers as a sister they never had. She proved to be a very rich heiress and Philotas, Parmenion's father, who served as her guardian, arranged for her first marriage to some old friend of his.

A few years later she became a widow and came back to live in Philotas' house. Seeing her as a beautiful young woman stirred something in Parmenion's heart and his lonely loins. Always away on one mission or other, he took pleasure from the slave girls but dreamt coming home to the loving embraces of a wife. Soon after Philotas himself was wounded in one of the raids and was brought home to die. He bequeathed to his eldest son, Parmenion, to provide for Aretha who was hardly twenty years old and find her a suitable husband. Parmenion gave a promise with an easy heart already knowing that he'd like the job himself. Waiting for the appropriate time to lapse after the funeral, Parmenion and Aretha married, both quite happy with this arrangement. What could have been just a marriage of convenience, turned into quite a steamy love affair, cemented by years of previous friendship and lovely children they produced. Parmenion rarely stepped from the marriage bed, only when he was too long on the never ending campaigns but he always longingly wished to find himself back in the arms of his lovely wife.

"I guess there is no harm telling you about our daughter's future father-in-law but you may want to keep this knowledge to yourself. I know I can trust you, am I not?"

"Of course, dear husband," Aretha lovingly laughed and looked at her beloved with eager anticipation.

"When Ptolemy of Alorus sent Philip and other hostage to Thebes, he had no intentions of leaving Philip alive because he was a viable contender for the Macedonian throne that Ptolemy recently gained by having king Alexander killed. Philip was just fourteen, an annoying young man with no manners, no apparent talent for anything and flaunting disregard for any type of authority or discipline. Besides, he was rather unattractive. He was written off by Theban elite as a burdensome inconvenience. Amyntor, on the other hand, conquered everybody's hearts with his looks, charm and ready wit. Both Pelopidas and Epaminondas, the famous Theban generals and statesmen who broke Sparta's hegemony in Greece, clamored the honor of becoming his erastes but Amyntor politely declined both offers and choose Pammenes, another celebrated general, instead. Some say it was a pure coincidence, others – Amyntor already knew what he was doing. Either way, not only he learned from Pammenes that Ptolemy asked Thebans to quietly get rid of Philip but also managed to convince Pelopidas to take Philip as his eromenos and teach him everything he knew.

After Pelopidas succeeded to get through Philip's outer crude shell, he recognized the brilliant mind and wanted nothing else but to have the honor to sharp it. When some four years later Philip, Amyntor and other hostages left Thebes, Philip learned everything there was to learn from such distinguished generals as Pelopidas and Epaminondas. I don't know the details of what transpired between Philip and Amyntor in Thebes but they forged a bond that will never brake. Only Olympians might know what and how Amyntor saw in Philip at the start of their acquaintance that everybody else missed but if our King trusts anybody, it will be him."

"If he trusts him so much, why Amyntor doesn't hold any important posts in the Army or at the Court?" Aretha asked the logical question.

"Amyntor travels on King's behalf, makes alliances and I am sure spies as well. It is said he can charm sandals from Hermes' feet. I am sure this is the reason why he has only one son. Well, I meant his constant travels, not his silver tongue," Parmenion corrected himself. "I've heard that Hephaistion, his son, took after his father in his looks, our daughter will have the most beautiful husband in the whole Macedon and beyond."

"Beautiful man will have numerous concubines and will leave our daughter heart –broken, I'd rather prefer for her a loving husband."

"Well, he will be both beautiful and faithful, how about that?" smiled Parmenion.

"Impossible," Aretha shook her head.

"Then, maybe he'd catch a small pox that will leave his face with scars and ugly marks," joked the general.

"Don't say that!" Aretha chastised her husband. "Anyway, now I understand why you seek alliance with Amyntor. But what it is for him in this union?"

"Ah, my clever wife! It is right of you to ponder this question. You asked before why Amyntor doesn't have any significant post. I think if there is anything that Amyntor loves more than his family or his king, it is the idea of united and powerful Macedon. I even suspect everything he did for Philip is simply because he truly believes he is the best man to achieve that. Again, how he was able to see that when he himself was barely in his teens, I have no idea. Maybe gods whispered it in his ears. But I think it will be wrong to assume that Amyntor is not ambitious, after all he has a son to carry on his name and who knows, if he stays a little bit longer in the company of his wife, he'll have more children. Maybe we even can facilitate such an occurrence," Parmenion mischievously pocked his wife with his elbow at her side. "We can drag this engagement thing a little longer so Amyntor would enjoy the company of his wife and when they are here, we should deter them to stay at our estate for several days. And," Parmenion eyes lit delightfully at the idea, "we should behave very amorously around them so they would be tempted to follow our example and enjoy each other in private. Do you think you can behave amorously around me?"

"I sure can," laughed Aretha. "I can even suggest they leave Hephaistion in the care of Nicanor's nurse. The boys are the same age and if they are going to be brothers-in-law, they better become fast friends from this tender age. And if Hephaistion has a little sister, we can engage her to our Nicanor. It will make our alliance even stronger. What do you think?"

"I see you took quite a liking to the idea, eh?" chuckled Parmenion. "However, let's take it one step at the time and not plan marriage of the child not yet born. The gods may frown on our presumptuousness. As for Amyntor, despite all his believe in Philip, he wants to secure his own interests here, in Macedon. With his constant absences, he needs somebody he can trust at Philip's court and who can be better than the father of his son future bride?"