Drabble – He Said What
Hephaestion entered the big hall and stopped a little ways into the room. His eyes glanced around the room, taking in all that was in front of him.
To his left, some of the other companions were sitting and it was obvious that they had been enjoying their wines. To his right, were the married or 'taken' companions. They were quieter and more subdued with their wives or lovers than the ones across the hall.
In the center of the room was Alexander. His wife was not present tonight but his young lover was. Bagoas had noticed when Hephaestion had entered the room and had moved closer to Alexander a few inches, a move not having gone unnoticed by Hephaestion.
Hephaestion was tired, both physically and emotionally. His body was battle wore and scarred, that he could contend with. The fight to hold Alexander to him was now a losing battle as far as he could see. He knew he no longer held the place he had cherished for so long. Bagoas had replaced him in his heart as well as his bed. Now all the fight had left him and he felt drained and old.
Alexander finally saw Hephaestion across the room and smiled happily. He told Bagoas to go tell Hephaestion to come sit by him. Bagoas nodded, and frowning, went to do as he was told.
Hephaestion had started to leave by the time Bagoas reached him. Alexander watched as Hephaestion turned and listened to what the young man said to him. He watched the pained expression pass over Hephaestion's handsome face. Hephaestion then said something himself and turned to walk out of the room. Alexander quickly rose from his seat and followed Hephaestion out of the room, ignoring Bagoas as he passed.
He found him sitting on a balcony wall looking out towards the city. Alexander straddled the wall and sat beside him. He gently slipped Hephaestion's hair behind his ear so he could see his face better.
"Why didn't you join me?"
Hephaestion kept staring ahead as he answered Alexander.
"It looked pretty crowded over there."
"There will always be room for you by my side, don't you know that by now?"
"I guess it was the way it was asked then." Said Hephaestion.
"What did Bagoas say?"
"He said, 'My Alexander would like you to come by him."
"He said what?" Alexander shouted.
"I told him to go to you, it was his place now."
Alexander was first fuming with anger at what Bagoas had said to Hephaestion until the words Hephaestion had just said to him sunk in.
"By the gods, what have I done? I want no one else by my side but you, only you. I have again made you think otherwise and for that I am truly sorry. You are the only one in my heart and I am 'your' Alexander, I belong to no one else."
By this time Alexander had Hephaestion's face in his hands and he drew him close and kissed him.
"Only you, Hephaestion."
"What about the one who is close and listening to everything we are saying?"
Alexander looked at him and then behind him where he saw the curtains move as someone slipped away.
"He is of no importance to me or you anymore. Everything I want and need is right here with me now."
Bagaos was later banished from Alexander's rooms and sent to Roxanna's rooms, a decision the would come to haunt Alexander to his dying days.
He had brought together the two people who hated Hephaestion the most in this world.
