Iskander removed his softening shaft from her with a grunt. He stared down at her for a few moments as though unseeing before rolling onto his side away from her. He shifted about for a few moments before becoming still as any statue, his chest not even seeming to rise with his breaths. Craving more intimacy from her new husband, Roxane slid a hand over her body and lightly brushed her fingertips against Iskander's shoulder. Before she could even draw breath, the Great King was once again poised over her, a dagger that she did not know the source of at her throat. He said nothing, but the threat in his eyes was obvious.
Roxane may have been Iskander's wife, but she held no privileges over his body. That right belonged to one man alone.
Scowling at her, Iskander rolled away a second time, the dagger disappearing into its earlier hiding spot. Roxane glared at her husband's broad back, hatred burning in her eyes. He did not wear the blue-eyed general's ring, yet the two remained bound. Iskander may have been infatuated with her, but she did not hold his heart. And as long as Hephaistion remained at Iskander's side her position would never be safe. Iskander would keep her with him only long enough to get an heir upon her and once that job was complete he would set her aside. His beloved general would never suffer that fate.
Nearly an hour later, once she was certain that Iskander slept soundly, Roxane slipped silently from the room. She would not be second in Iskander's esteem. She was his queen and would be honoured as such. Roxane would not allow Iskander to place Hephaistion above her in anything.
It was a dull throb at the base of his skull that Hephaistion became aware of first upon returning to wakefulness. His tongue felt swollen and a foul taste lingered on his pallet, but Hephaistion merely put that down to the amount of alcohol he had drank the night before. After leaving Alexander to his new bride, he had begun a celebration of his own, drinking long into the night with Ptolemy and Cassander. Ptolemy had sympathized. Cassander had been quietly smug and more than once Hephaistion had nearly flung himself across the table in order to remove that expression from his face. Towards the end of the night events became more blurred and Hephaistion could not recall the final journey to his rooms. As he became more aware Hephaistion was more certain that he had not made it to his rooms, but that he had passed out in a quiet corner of the great hall.
A thought that remained with him until he attempted to bring his hands up to cradle his head and felt the heavy metal shackles weighing down his wrists. Hephaistion's eyes shot open, blinking several times, but he saw only darkness. A darkness so full that he could not even make out the whiteness of his chiton.
"Alexander!" Hephaistion called out, his parched throat croaking. "Alexander...." The words echoed back, rebounding quickly in what was obviously a small space. "My Achilles, please...."
Rattling and pulling on his chains, Hephaistion twisted his body about in search of a leverage that would pull his body free. Losing his balance more than once, Hephaistion's upper body dropped to the ground, palms, elbows and shoulders bruising and scraping themselves on the unyielding rock. Hephaistion ignored all of these minor pains, knowing that he must return to Alexander's side. Men had attempted to take Alexander's life before and he did not believe for one moment that his beloved was safe in the mountain stronghold. Hephaistion's memory of the night before was very chaotic and he could not be certain Alexander had not suffered the same fate as him.
Turning his body so that he was facing the wall, Hephaistion set his feet against the stone and gripped the chains that connected him to the wall, pulling on them as he used his legs as leverage as he tried to force the chains free. His grip slipped momentarily and as he fell backwards all of the pressure landed on his wrists, wrenching them painfully. Biting his lip to keep from crying out, Hephaistion forced his numb fingers to hold the chain again. Using his pain to fuel him, he fought to free himself. He could not see and did not make out where any type of exit was, but he had to find some way to get back to Alexander.
Losing his balance a second time, Hephaistion's body twisted to the side and his head connected with the ground and he knew no more.
It was an uneasy feeling that woke Alexander. The sun was already filtering through the gauzy curtains that covered the windows, lightening the room. Beside him, Roxane breathed deeply in sleep, her body curled tightly around his. Feeling confined, Alexander carefully extracted himself from her grasp. His head ached terribly, a combination of too much wine that was not watered down enough and several well-aimed punches delivered by his new wife.
Staggering about the room still naked, hand to his aching head, Alexander scanned the floor for Hephaistion's ring. He had worn it for only a few minutes, but he could feel its weight missing from his hand nonetheless. He found it almost immediately, glinting in a shaft of sunlight near a heavy wooden chest.
Crouching down, Alexander picked up the ring, holding it between his thumb and forefinger as he examined it. Turning it over so that he could see it from all angles better than he had been able to the night before. Alexander closed his fingers around it and brought his hand up to his lips, his eyes sliding shut along with the movement of his hand.
"I did not want to hurt you," Alexander murmured, opening his hand to stare down at the object in his palm.
Hephaistion's body ached. Trying to sit up brought such pain to his head that he felt bile rise in his throat and had to breathe deeply through his nose to prevent it rising fully. Once he was certain that he would not vomit up what meager amount of food he had managed to eat the night before, Hephaistion was much more careful as he twisted his body back into an upright position. He turned so that his back was pressed against the wall, breathing heavily as he willed away the agonizing pain.
He could think only of Alexander who was now alone without his protection.
"Ptolemy, have you seen Hephaistion at all today?" Alexander asked as he encountered the man on one of the outside terraces.
"Not since the wee hours of the morning, my lord," Ptolemy said, lifting a hand up to cover a yawn. "He was drinking in the hall with Cassander and myself, but I was the first to leave. Cassander might know where is. I would not worry, though. Hephaistion always turns up somewhere."
Ptolemy's words offered Alexander no comfort. He had searched throughout the mountain stronghold, looking in every place that he could think of for Hephaistion. Beginning in Hephaistion's assigned room, Alexander had scoured the fort from top to bottom, but could find no trace of his beloved friend. It was also unlike Hephaistion to hide himself away. Even when he was in search of solitude, Hephaistion always made sure that he was in a location that Alexander could find him if need be.
Alexander was fully aware of the attempted covert looks cast his way. Such looks had been a fact of his life since he was a small child, but on this morning they made Alexander feel uneasy. There was something sinister about Hephaistion's disappearance which had followed so soon after his marriage to Roxane.
When questioned about Hephaistion's actions the night before, Cassander looked smug, but genuinely surprised to hear that the man was missing.
"He was the last one there, Alexander. I swear it to you. The last I saw of Hephaistion he was brooding into his wine, looking darker than I've ever seen him before," Cassander insisted, scratching idly at a non-existent itch between his eyes while he spoke. "It would seem as though something upset him, though I do not know what that could be. Have you any idea?"
Glancing around to make sure that no one was near, Roxane raised a hand to knock on her father's door and did not wait for a response before slipping into his rooms. She kept her eyes averted as he finished his rutting with one of the servant girls and made just enough noise shutting the door so that he'd know someone else was in the room.
"You are spoiling my fun, girl," Oxyartes grunted as he rolled off the still-panting servant.
Roxane glared at her father's bedmate, contempt the only emotion in her eyes. "Get out."
Carefully adjusting the rich robes around her body, Roxane crossed her arms just below her breasts as she waited for the nameless serving girl to leave the room. While frightened haste sped up the girl's actions, the lord of the mountain fort was in no such rush to clothe himself. It was only after the two were alone in the room that Oxyartes rolled himself out of bed and slipped on a fur-lined robe.
"What do you want, girl? I'm busy."
"I want to know what you have done with Iskander's general," Roxane demanded, standing with all of the dignity of a queen. "I want to ensure that he and Iskander will not be reunited."
"There is no way that boy is getting out of where I have him stashed," Oxyartes was quick to assure his daughter. "It takes three men to move the rock and his chains do not even stretch--"
"Why is Hephaistion not dead?"
Oxyartes rolled his eyes in annoyance, stalking across the chamber towards a jug of wine set on a table. "You know as well as I do that I cannot kill the general. If the Great King was ever to find out of my involvement in his friend's death it would mean not only my death but yours as well, my daughter. Iskander only desires you for the heirs you will produce. Do not fool yourself otherwise."
In one gulp Oxyartes emptied the goblet in his hand, his back turned to Roxane, dismissing her.
"You are my blood and I will do what I can to protect you, but what you have asked of me is very dangerous indeed."
Night had fallen and there was still no sign of Hephaistion. Alexander had searched tirelessly throughout the day, having to be forced to eat something by Ptolemy who had been by his side since the search for Hephaistion had begun. There were guards watching all the paths leaving up to the front, each man with strict orders to inform Alexander immediately when there was sign of Hephaistion. Alexander had waited desperately for word, hoping that his lover had chosen to spend the day alone after the festivities of the previous day. Rationally the other man might have understood his need to take a wife, but that would not have made the pain of the reality of his marriage any less.
In the flickering torchlight, Alexander stared down at the ring Hephaistion had gifted him with. A ring which he would never again remove no matter what Roxane's objections. Her duty was to produce an heir. She had no claims on his heart beyond being a means to strengthen the empire he and Hephaistion were creating.
"You know just as I do that Hephaistion prefers solitude when his thoughts trouble him," Ptolemy attempted to assure him.
"Do not presume to inform me of Hephaistion's thoughts," Alexander growled as he stalked about the main hall. "I know his habits far better than you."
"I seek only to ease your mind."
Alexander's gaze shot in his direction, dark eyes regarding him intently. "My mind will not be eased until Hephaistion returns to me unharmed."
Alexander spoke the words as a prayer to any god that would hear him. Building an empire had been both their dreams. Alexander knew that he could not continue without Hephaistion by his side. He would not see their dream fulfilled alone. He was Achilles and Achilles could not long survive without his Patroclus.
"He could just be doing this for attention."
Had there not been a table between them, Alexander would have launched himself at Cassander. As it was, he started forward and was immediately held back by Ptolemy.
"Now is not the time for your petty jealousies," Ptolemy hissed, placing himself bodily between Alexander and Cassander. "You know as well as I that Hephaistion would not do something like this. He would most especially not leave without his sword."
Grabbing hold of Ptolemy's shoulder, Alexander spun the older man around. "If Hephaistion does not have his sword then where is it? It was not in his room and he would not leave it lying about."
Nodding his head towards the far side of the hall, Ptolemy murmured, "I would recognize that blade anywhere."
Following Ptolemy's gaze, Alexander found himself staring at Hephaistion's blade lying mostly hidden by empty wine jugs and a few torn down curtains. Alexander was moving as soon as he caught sight of the familiar sword hilt. He sprinted across the hall, unmindful of appearances, sliding to his knees a few feet away from the weapon and he skidded the rest of the way. The skin on his knees and shins were torn on the rough stones, but Alexander ignored the pain as he reverently lifted the blade carefully in his hands. The sword was most definitely Hephaistion's and Alexander's fear increased. Angry with him or not, Hephaistion would not have left his sword behind.
Arms wrapped tightly around his torso, Hephaistion curled himself into as tight a ball as he could manage to block out at least a portion of the all-consuming cold that was seeping into the small room. He had screamed for Alexander until his throat was raw, struggling to pull himself free from the wall, both to no avail. Now that he was quiet, he could vaguely make out sounds of people on the other side of the wall opposite of him. There were people out there and from their accents Hephaistion knew that they were Sogdian and not his fellow Greeks.
As the night continued, Hephaistion became more chilled as the temperature decreased. He had no fire, no blanket and no protection from the cold in the thing chiton that he was wearing. He imagined himself warm and safe in Alexander's arms, trying to comfort himself as his body continued to tremble violently.
All the while his ears strained for any sound of a Greek voice on the other side of the wall. It would be foolish for him to waste all of his energy screaming and fighting when there was no one there who would help him.
"Xander...." Hephaistion sighed, pressing his cheek against his left shoulder, puffing warm air onto his bare flesh.
"Is he still alive?" Roxane demanded as she entered the deep part of the cave.
The guard closest to her nodded his head. "He was screaming until only a short while ago and we can hear the chains move every so often."
Roxane scowled at the news, glancing over her shoulder to ensure that no one had followed her. "I do not want him to be alive when Iskander finds him. Iskander is going to find a corpse."
"Then he will massacre us," the first of them protested, staring at her with wide eyes.
"I would suggest then that you hide him away where Iskander will never find him," Roxane instructed them. "Kill him now and leave him at the border of our lands. Remove all blame from our people."
"Will the Great King be so easily dissuaded?"
Roxane smile confidently, running a hand over her still flat stomach. "I will deal with Iskander. I will comfort him and give him a son so that he will not have the time to worry about his dead friend."
From the same balcony where he had witnessed Alexander's marriage to Roxane only the day before, Cassander watched as the young bride rushed in from the rocky outcrops that surrounded the mountain fortress. She was alone, glancing all around her as though searching for sign that she was being followed. Or watched. So he decided to do just that and could perhaps gain Alexander's gratitude when he was the one to find Hephaistion.
Alexander stood at the edge of one of the cliff terraces, staring out at the moonlit landscape. It was the third night in a row that Hephaistion had been lost in the mountains. Alexander had not slept any of those nights, watching the pass that led to the stronghold in hopes that he would be able to spot Hephaistion's approach. He had his men to do the very same job, but Alexander would not wait to be told when Hephaistion returned. He would see it for himself.
"My mother was always fond of telling me that a candle will not burn faster for staring at it," Ptolemy said as he came to stand next to Alexander. "If anything it will burn more slowly."
"This is the first time in my life that I have known fear," Alexander admitted, his nerves so taut that he could admit such a weakness to someone other than Hephaistion. "He did not simply wander off into the mountains on his own. That is not Hephaistion's way and you know it."
"I do know it," Ptolemy admitted with a firm nod.
"Then why can we not find him?"
Ptolemy had no answer for that and Alexander felt his despair grow. Alexander's own emotions were wrapped up firmly in the search for Hephaistion and he had counted on Ptolemy to take on Hephaistion's more rational role because after Hephaistion, Ptolemy was the one that he trusted most. Alexander trembled as he stood on that precipice, his arms wrapped tightly about his torso, hoping for some insight into where his friend was. The mountains were daunting, though. There were so many different peaks, crevices, gullies, valleys, so many places where Hephaistion could be hidden and Alexander did not know where to start because he could not bring himself to trust the Sogdians. There had been too many covert glances cast his way since the day after his wedding to Roxane and Alexander no longer felt comfortable in the mountain fort. He would have departed almost immediately were it not for Hephaistion's disappearance.
"They cannot hide Hephaistion away forever," Ptolemy said quietly. "We will find him, my lord, because I know that Hephaistion is struggling just as hard to get back to you as you are to find him. Of that I have no doubt."
Hephaistion bit savagely on the inside of his bottom lip to keep from crying out as the wounds on his left wrist were torn open once again as the shackle shifted position. He slumped further against the unyielding stone wall behind him, his head lolling to the side. He had lost any sense of time long ago and feared greatly for Alexander's safety.
Gathering his strength and centering himself, Hephaistion gripped the chains with nearly numb fingertips and pulled. More blood continued to dribble down his arms as Hephaistion's emotions voiced themselves in a feral scream. Hephaistion continued to pull even as his muscles protested the movement, his body trembling.
"ALEXANNDDERRRR!"
Collapsing back against the wall, Hephaistion sucked in lungfuls of stale air as he fought off unconsciousness.
Exiting the rooms of his latest mistress, Cassander caught a flash of movement out of the corner of his eye. Turning towards that movement he saw that it was Roxane who was rushing through the corridors in the middle of the night. A smug smile tugging up the corners of his lips, Cassander hurried to catch up with the newly made queen.
He remained far enough behind Roxane so that she would not notice that he was following her and found himself travelling down passageways that he would not have seen had it not been for her. The further he followed Roxane into the fortress the more intrigued Cassander became. Had Hephaistion not run off into the mountains Cassander had no doubt that Roxane would have been a fixed figure at Alexander's side. It was through no fault of her own that her new husband was so thoroughly distracted so he did not blame her for finding entertainment elsewhere.
When Roxane slipped out through a back entrance, Cassander was tempted to go back for Alexander, but at the last minute he changed his mind. For all that he knew Cassander could gain some very interesting leverage that he could use against the queen of Alexander's new empire. If it turned out that she was in some way connected with Hephaistion's disappearance he could gain Alexander's gratitude as well.
"ALEXANNDDERRRR!"
Roxane's features darkened into a scowl as she stalked into the dimly lit cave. She had been standing outside the cave and had been able to hear the feral scream which was completely unacceptable. Especially not when the man was supposed to have already been killed. It was too great a risk for him to still be alive.
"Why is he not dead?" Roxane demanded of the guards, each of whom dropped to their knees, heads bowed. "You were to have killed him and disposed of the body."
"My lady, we fear reprisals from the Great King if he discovers our part in his general's death," the most senior of the guards murmured.
"Why do you fear Iskander? I am his wife. If I say that you had nothing to do with the general's death than he will believe me," Roxane insisted, holding herself as she imagined a queen would. "Now I want him dead. Before the moon rises tomorrow I want him dead. I will not allow him to continue corrupting Iskander."
With a cry that was almost inhuman, Alexander dropped to his knees in the safety and silence of his current bedchamber. The door had been bolted behind him which would leave him free from prying eyes. The room itself was already in shambles. When he had first entered, Alexander had taken out his anger and frustrations on the inanimate objects in the room, slashing at them with Hephaistion's sword which he refused to part with.
Hephaistion was in danger. Alexander knew that implicitly, but there was nothing he could do about it. He had already been searching for two days and would continue searching for as long as it took until he found Hephaistion. Each minute that passed, though, was a knife digging deeper into his gut.
Holding the hilt of the weapon to his forehead, Alexander bowed his head forward. "I will find you, Hephaistion. I will lay this land to waste if I must, but I will find you."
Alexander was on his feet again in the next second, screaming out his rage towards the heavens. Hephaistion's blade sliced through a wall hanging that had thus far escaped his wrath, punching at the bare wall where it had hung.
"If I am truly your son then lead me to Hephaistion!"
Someone began pounding on the door. "Alexander, open the door!"
Alexander growled and flung a gold decanter in that direction.
"Alexander!"
"I do not have the patience to deal with you, Cassander," Alexander shouted, whirling away from the door, heading towards the window. "Leave me in peace."
There was a brief pause and then, "I know where Hephaistion is, Alexander. And I would recommend that you get to him quickly because I do not know how long he is meant to be kept alive."
As Cassander spoke, Alexander was already rushing towards the door. His relief had a sharp edge to it, though, knowing that Hephaistion was still in danger. Soon, though, he would have Hephaistion back with him and would take his vengeance on those who had hurt him. Throwing open the door, Alexander nearly crashed into Cassander in his rush to get to Hephaistion. He still had the sword clutched tightly in his right hand and brought the tip up to Cassander's throat when he stepped back, leveling and equally lethal glare at the man.
"For your sake I hope that you truly do know where Hephaistion is," Alexander ground out, pressing the blade still closer until a thin trail of blood began to trail down Cassander's throat.
"I have more sense than to lie about something like this," the man smirked, very calmly crossing his arms over his chest.
Alexander retracted the blade, his mouth a grim line. "Gather all of the guards who are not already on duty to the main hall. I will join you once I have the rest of the Companions."
Cassander's smirk did not disappear, but he nodded his head once before disappearing. Once he was alone, Alexander slumped against the door jamb, releasing a shuddering breath. Hephaistion was found and very soon he would have him back safe in his arms.
The Greek soldiers were in an uproar. Unable to decipher their tongue, Roxane did not know what they were speaking about. She could guess, though. The panic was no longer forefront in Iskander's eyes. In its place was only a dangerous fury. Someone had discovered where Hephaistion was being held. Roxane could only hope that her father's soldiers had done their job and that Iskander would only find a corpse when he reached the cave.
If not there were always poisons that could rid her of her husband's lover.
"Move the boulder now," Alexander growled, the tip of Hephaistion's sword pressed to the throat of one of the Sogdian soldiers. "Move it, and you had best pray to all your gods that Hephaistion still lives."
Alexander's knuckles were white he was gripping the hilt of the blade so tightly. It was strength of will alone that kept Alexander's arm from trembling. Too many nights without sleep and too many days spent frantically searching the mountains for his beloved had exhausted him. The entrance to the cave was so small that had it not been for Cassander's directions they would not have found it. Still Alexander could not rest. Not until he had Hephaistion once again resting safely within his arms.
The scraping sound of the boulder behind shoved along the stone ground grated on Alexander's senses. It took four men to move the heavy rock and all that Alexander could see behind it was darkness. A darkness that Hephaistion had been trapped in for three days. When Hephaistion did not immediately rush forward, Alexander felt true fear grip him.
Taking the torch from Ptolemy, Alexander hurried into the small cave that had been his beloved's prison. Both the sword and the torch clattered to the ground when he entered the tiny room and saw Hephaistion. Alexander did not remember crossing the room, only that he was kneeling before Hephaistion, his fingers ghosting over the bruised and damaged flesh. The man was unconscious, his body slumped in a heap on the ground, arms tangled in the chains that held him to the wall.
"Hephaistion," Alexander moaned, his lips brushing against his friend's bruised cheek as he leaned over the prone body. "Phaistion, please...."
Hephaistion did not move or respond in any outward way, but his breath was warm against Alexander's throat. It was unsteady and halting so Alexander took comfort in the fact that Hephaistion continued to draw breath. He was reminded once again of the chains that kept the man locked to the wall when he went to gather Hephaistion into his arms and was unable to.
"Remove these cuffs from him now," Alexander hissed, turning his head back towards the entrance of the small alcove. When there was no immediate response from the soldiers or guards, he shouted, "Now!"
With one hand supporting Hephaistion's head, Alexander ran his hand soothingly over his lover's chest and murmured softly into his ear in hopes of comforting the injured man. It was Ptolemy who appeared at his side to free Hephaistion from the chains.
"Hephaistion will recover," Ptolemy murmured, carefully balancing the injured man's hand and forearm so as not to injure him further while he removed the cuff. "He loves you too much die. Beyond that he is to stubborn. Hephaistion will not leave you unguarded and alone."
When the first of the metal shackles was removed Hephaistion's muscles tensed, a quiet moan escaping his lips. Hope rose in Alexander at that, both of his hands framing his beloved's cheeks as he stared intently into his face. The flickering light of the torches made it difficult for Alexander to tell whether the man was trying to open his eyes or if it was merely a trick of the lighting. Until he saw the tiniest flicker of blue beneath the dark lashes.
"Xander...." Hephaistion moaned, his already-freed left hand reaching up to grasp Alexander's forearm. Hephaistion's grip was only tight for a moment before unconsciousness loosened his hold.
Leaning forward, Alexander touched his lips to Hephaistion's forehead. "Rest easy, beloved, I will protect you."
Once Ptolemy had freed Hephaistion from the wall, Alexander gathered his beloved into his arms. Hephaistion was both taller and built more widely across the chest, but Alexander would not allow Ptolemy to help him lift Hephaistion. Nor would be allow the other man to help him bear Hephaistion from the cave. All of the Sogdian soldiers were on their knees when Alexander stepped into the main part of the cave, their heads bowed and Greek blades at their throats.
Alexander said nothing to the mountain tribesmen, but glared at them and bared his teeth in a silent growl.
Trusting the others to see Alexander and Hephaistion safely back to the fortress, Ptolemy remained behind with the Greek guards to deal with the Sogdian soldiers who had been foolish enough to hold Hephaistion captive. At the moment Alexander's attention was focused solely on his beloved general, but once he was certain that Hephaistion was well, it would be another matter entirely. Alexander was nothing if not vengeful when those he cared for were harmed or wronged in any way.
"Castor, take these fools to our encampment and place them under heavy guard," Ptolemy ordered, leaning down to collect Hephaistion's sword from where Alexander had dropped it a short time ago. "They are to be kept in readiness for when the king is ready to punish them for their crimes."
The man bowed his head to Ptolemy and began to shout out orders to his subordinates. Once the orders were given and the Greeks were leading the bound Sogdian soldiers from the cave, Castor made his way over to where Ptolemy was standing.
"What will happen now, my lord?"
Ptolemy raked the fingers of his free hand through his curly hair, expelling a loud breath. "I could not tell you, my friend. That will all depend entirely on what Hephaistion has to say."
There was no panic when he awoke. No tightening of fear or icy terror. Hephaistion felt only peace, aware of Alexander's presence even before he opened his eyes. From the even breathing he knew that Alexander slept, most likely having twisted himself into some uncomfortable position on a nearby chair. Taking silent stock of his injuries, Hephaistion slowly blinked his eyes open. Almost immediately he saw Alexander's hand resting next to his left one, fingers brushing the white bandage around his wrist. Further down there was a mop of blonde hair resting against the blankets, the remainder of his body disappearing over the side of the bed.
His left hand fumbling, Hephaistion wrapped his fingers around Alexander's hand, squeezing lightly. "Xand...."
Alexander was awake immediately, scrambling up onto the bed before he was even fully aware. He had a knife out, his upper body turned towards the door, positioning himself between Hephaistion and any outside threat.
"Xander," Hephaistion croaked a second time, tightening his fingers around Alexander's a second time.
The knife clattered to the ground and suddenly Alexander's hands were holding his face. He leaned in close so that their foreheads were pressed together, giving Hephaistion a close up view of Alexander's teary eyes. More important in his mind, Hephaistion noticed the deep bags that seemed to bruise the skin around Alexander's eyes, a testament to his own exhaustion.
"You have not slept."
"I could not sleep," Alexander corrected him. "Not until I knew what had become of you and had assured your safety."
"Which you have done now. So rest. Sleep," Hephaistion commanded, his voice fading to a mere whisper as his own exhaustion sought to claim him once again. In the back of his mind, though, Hephaistion knew that Alexander would not rest. His beloved friend would find no comfort and no safety within the walls of their host. "The men are loyal to you. They will not see you harmed."
"If they were truly loyal to me, you would not have been hurt," Alexander murmured hotly, his eyes glowing with a fire that Hephaistion had only seen a few times in all the years they had been friends.
Groaning tiredly, Hephaistion closed his eyes, relaxing back against the pillows. "I am far too exhausted to figure out political intrigues right now, my love. I want only to sleep."
Alexander tenderly smoothed a few pieces of hair from his face. "Then sleep. I will be here to watch over you."
Hephaistion reached up with his less injured left hand, blinding searching out Alexander's face and holding his cheek. "No, my love, you will sleep as well."
"Hephaistion...."
"I will not hear it, Alexander. I will not rest until you do," Hephaistion insisted, fighting off exhaustion even as he struggled to keep his hand in place. The tips of his fingers brushed a few longer strands of Alexander's bright hair and he twirled them about in hopes of finding some leverage to keep his hand in place. "Seeing as we both require sleep right now, it would be best for you to yield now."
There was a shift and then Alexander was lowering himself down next to Hephaistion who sighed with relief. He had slept for he did not know how long and still his body ached. It made him uncomfortable and he shifted about uneasily in an attempt to return back to the realm of dreams. It was infinitely easier with Alexander's arms wound around his body. His beautiful, strong Alexander who would ensure that he was not stolen away again.
Roxane stared nervously at the heavy closed door, chewing nervously on her bottom lip. On the other side of the door Iskander lay with his lover, tending to the injured man with his own hands. It disgusted her. That an emperor would lower himself to do the job of a servant was undignified. He should have left Hephaistion's care to someone else, checking on him only when necessary. Instead she was barred from her own bedchamber because Iskander would not trust anyone else to care for his general.
Through rumour she had learned that the soldiers who had been standing watch in the cave were not being lodged in the Greek encampment outside of the fortress. She had counted on Iskander's wrath to remove any trace of her involvement in Hephaistion's abduction. That they had not been killed was extremely worrying because Roxane did not know whether or not she would be implicated. All that she could do was act the part of the concerned wife and hope that Iskander did not discover what was so far only her first attempt to rid herself of Hephaistion.
Every wince and pained gasp added more guilt to Alexander's already weary shoulders. Alexander had tried to sleep, but every time he would close his eyes he would see Hephaistion chained to the wall in the small alcove. Over the past day and a half, Hephaistion had been waking on and off for only a few minutes at a time. Even so, all of the physicians Alexander had come to see Hephaistion all claimed that the injured man would recover completely given enough time and rest.
That, unfortunately, would mean remaining in the Sogdian stronghold for a longer period of time because Hephaistion quite adamantly refused to go in a litter.
"I am at enough of a disadvantage being so close to you without appearing weak before the army," Hephaistion insisted, shifting uncomfortably on the bed while his right wrist was rebandaged.
"You are my oldest and dearest friend, a part of my very being," Alexander said vehemently, pacing about the foot of the bed. "I did not lie when I told Sisygambis that you too are Alexander. Those who threaten or mock you, threaten and mock me as well."
He had been awake for only a few minutes, but already Hephaistion's eyelids were becoming heavy. Three days without food or water combined with his badly torn wrists, bruised ribs, gash near his temple and various other cuts and bruises had severely weakened the normally robust man. Alexander had not once left his side since rushed into that small alcove to free his friend. He could not bear to. Being at the foot of the bed while Hephaistion was propped up on pillows at its head was almost further than he could bear.
"Give me another day and I will be able to ride out of here by your side," Hephaistion assured him, yawning widely.
As eager as he was to leave the Sogdian stronghold, Alexander did not hurt the relief that he had hoped to. "I do not want you to force yourself, Phaistion. I want you to be well."
"And I would like you to stop coddling me."
Alexander stopped in his pacing and stared at Hephaistion with an expression of affronted horror. Most would have missed it, but after a few seconds Hephaistion's attempt at hiding a grin became evident. Dismissing the physician with a nod of his head, Alexander moved around the bed and sat down next to his friend's hip.
"I do not mean to coddle you, love," Alexander murmured, fingering the edge of the bandage wrapped around Hephaistion's wrist. "I only want you to be well. To be safe."
"The same as I only ever want for you," Hephaistion gasped out around a yawn, turning his hand over so that he was able to wrap his fingers around Alexander's.
It was amusing watching Alexander fuss over Hephaistion who seemed caught between frustration and enjoyment. As much as he tried to deny it, Ptolemy knew that Hephaistion took pleasure having the Great King's attention focused solely on him. More amusing were Bagoas' vain attempts to attract Alexander's eye. At the moment all that Alexander could see was Hephaistion and he was fairly certain that it would remain that way for quite some time.
To his left, Cassander was sulking nearly as much as the Persian eunuch. The man had undoubtedly been expecting praise for his role in Hephaistion's rescue, but instead was mostly ignored as Alexander cared for his injured friend. Alexander had not left Hephaistion's side since his return from the mountains. The day before the two men had gone side by side to the Greek encampment, Alexander supporting Hephaistion when necessary, to confront the Sogdian soldiers who had held him captive. No one but those two men and an interpreter knew what had been said. The Sogdian guards were all dead and neither Alexander nor Hephaistion were saying what had happened.
"There is no need to scowl so, Cassander," Ptolemy said as he turned away from the sight of Hephaistion fending off Alexander's attempts to help him mount his horse. "You should have known that you would not receive the praise that you sought. Alexander's only concern is Hephaistion. You know that as well as I."
Cassander said nothing, but the scathing glare he directed at Hephaistion spoke volumes. Ptolemy himself did genuinely care for the younger man and made a silent vow that he would do what he could to ensure that such an event did not take place a second time. Though their unwilling separation had been only brief, Ptolemy had seen the effect that it had had on Alexander and had no wish to see it a second time. Hephaistion was what kept Alexander centered and he feared to see what would happen if the two were torn apart permanently.