Twins of Egypt

Chapter 7: Mauretania || Part 7

[[Alexander]]

Lysander lied on the Pyre; his eyes and mouth were closed with coins covering them for the journey to the underworld. My father and Helena stood by the unlit pyre holding Lysander calling his name. I surfaced from the small group of people, and made my way towards the man I called my brother.

My father, my new father, looked at me skeptically and then relented. He brought me in close for a hug full of grief and brought me in between him and Helena.

"Say goodbye Helios," Helena whimpered wiping the tears from her eyes. She held her twin brother's arm, much like Selene probably did with the corpse of the dead boy.

I touched Lysander's frigid arm and squeezed the hardened muscle slightly. "Forgive me," I whispered under my breath.

"Forgive me," one of the slaves interrupted our last moment with Lysander, "but the sun will come in a few hours, it is time to burn the body, Dominus."

My father nodded and waved the slave away. "Come, Helios and Helena," he narrowed his eyes, "let's leave your brother to begin his journey." He comfortingly spoke.

I took Helena's hand and tried pulling her away; however, she would not budge. I wrapped my arms around her hugging her as gently as possible. She began to weep and I tried pulling her away again. She turned around and fell into my arms, hugging me tightly, as she wept.

"Lysander," she cried, "Lysander," she kept repeating his name on my shoulder.

I carried her away, like carrying a sack, from the pyre and set her down beside my father. She clung to me, not bearing to watch the fire touch the funeral bed. Gwen patted Helena's back hoping to calm her down.

The gray clouds had turned black now, and the sky began to boom. Blue rods of lightning formed between the clouds and I believed it was the sign that Zeus was angry.

"He's angry," Hades whispered into my ear, "He's angry that you are alive; he's angry that you escaped Death for the third time; he's appalled that Lysander took your place...Alexander." The voice vanished out of my mind, and I was unphased.

I rubbed my hand up and down Helena's back hoping these parental gestures would help her calm down. I watched with interested eyes as the fire built and gulped the wood and corpse. I gazed off into the distance where I saw the lightning touch the quiet ocean and the thunder made noises and intangible sounds.

"Dominus," a slave suggested, "we must head inside."

I agreed and picked up Helena. She screamed, "No," she pulled away, "leave me here, with Lysander, leave me with my real brother." Grief and recognition paved their way into Helena's eyes. At that moment she knew that I was not her real brother, and that I could never replace Lysander. "Leave me alone, Helios. You care nothing for me and Lysander." she commanded fiercely pushing me away and walking closer to Lysander's pyre. She stood for a while, weeping and screaming, but then she fell to the sand and watched her brother turn to ash.

"She did not mean that son," my father fakely mended. He put his arm on me and helped me inside. He tried to explain as I walked next to him unphased and shocked. "Helena does not mean what she said."

"And what does she mean father?" I asked upon impulse, not listening to my memories of Alexander, but my memories with them as Helios. "What does she mean that I am not real?" I asked pained by the emotion.

"Excuse us," Gwen told to the guests who followed us.

"Gwen," my father sighed, "please stay with the guests, I trust you." he briefly commanded and Gwen obeyed, "it's a long story my son, but I promise I will explain."