Since that day, Alexander stopped eating, drinking, sleeping, walking… Living.
Subjects thought they were losing their King.
"Please, my Lord, you've got to sleep, you haven't rested in days!" begged a young servant looking at the king (or the broken pieces of him) but Alexander remained silent.
"We should call the doctor, maybe he could prepare a sleeping potion or…" started suggesting an older servant, but Alexander cried:
"NO! It'll kill me! They want to kill me just like they did with him… Oh, Hephaestion! My beloved Hephaestion! Why?!"
Both servants looked at each other.
"Go tell the doctor he needs a sleep potion." Whispered the older man. The young servant nodded and left the room.
Some minutes later, both men were trying to give the potion to the king.
"It's just a mint tea with honey…" lied the servant. "Please, drink it."
Alexander's eyes practically pierced the head of the servant, but he drank the potion.
And then… He fell asleep.
It was cold and dark…
Alexander opened his eyes in the middle of the night because there was something missing.
He got up from the bed and walked out of the room.
There, in the hallway, was Hephaestion, wearing a black robe, looking around.
"My king." Said Phai, when he turned around to see Alexander.
"Hephaestion, what are you doing here?" asked the king, hugging himself due to the cold temperature of the night.
"Shouldn't I be the one asking that? You haven't slept in days, why aren't you in bed?" Hephaestion's eyes had a funny sparkle.
"Well, there's something missing in my bed and that's the reason why I can't sleep."
"Oh… And what's missing? Is there anything I can do to ease that nuisance?"
"Well, now that you ask… There isn't another person in my bed. Someone who can keep me warm and make me feel good when I have nightmares"
The blue eyed man nodded.
"And yes, there's something you can do for me"
"And what is it?"
"Come with me."
The blond king took the other man's hand and pulled him toward the bedroom without asking.
"If I stay, will you sleep?"
"I don't know…"
Whispered Alexander, and out of nowhere, stripped Hephaestion of his robe.
"Gods, Alexander… you need to sleep…"
"Sleep is for the weak people…"
Alexander hugged his lover and then pushed him to the bed.
"No, Alexander…"
"I need you."
"ALEXANDER!"
And he stopped.
"Maybe… maybe next time… not now… please, love, stop. Lay by my side and sleep."
Hephaestion snuggled underneath the fur that covered the bed and looked at Alexander, inviting him to the bed.
"Promise?" He asked. "Promise. Now come and hug me, it's cold." The king smiled and got into the bed, hugging his lover, smelling his essence, feeling his bare skin, his warmness, everything.
"Everything has been a nightmare… I'll wake up and Hephaestion will be right by my side, my arms will be wrapping his nude waist, I'll kiss his lips and we'll make love again as we always did in the mornings. Then, he will get dressed and will force me to get out of the bed and take a bath… and our lives will be the same… yes…" thought Alexander when a sunray woke him up. He opened his eyes, but there was no body by his side.
"Hephaestion?" called the king, looking around the bedroom. "Where are you, love?" he smiled, thinking that maybe his lover was playing. "Hephaestion! Come here!" demanded the blond man, getting out of the bed, now walking around the bedroom, looking for Hephaestion.
"Where are you? Stop playing! It's not funny! Not anymore!" his voice cracked. "Hephaestion, please, my love! Come out, wherever you are!" tears welled in his eyes. "Hephaestion! HEPHAESTION, COME HERE!" he cried, looking around, desperate, like a kid who lost his mother.
"My king…" said a man, entering the room.
"Where's Hephaestion?" Demanded the king.
"What? I'm sorry my lord, but…"
"WHERE'S HEPHAESTION? DID YOU HIDE HIM? YOU TOOK HIM AWAY FROM ME!? HOW DARE YOU!?"
The servant looked scared.
"My lord… I couldn't have kidnapped Hephaestion even if I wanted… he's dead, my king, don't you remember it?"
And Alexander fell on his knees.
"Was it a dream?" He asked, looking hopeless. "I'm sorry, I don't understand…"
"Get out! Get out of my room!" shouted the man.
The servant obeyed and ran out of the bedroom, closing the doors behind him.
Alexander never walked out of his chamber again.
And a couple of weeks later… He fell asleep forever, in a dream where he would be with Hephaestion for the eternity.