TITLE: U is for Un-breakable bond.
AUTHOR: Too_beauty.
PAIRING: Alexander & Hephaestion.
RATING: PG
CATEGORY: Historical AU
DISCLAMER: I don't know the people involved; they belong to History and to themselves, if not Phai would be living in BA.
WARNING: none
BETA: Emily who can put my thoughts into beautiful words.
FEEDBACK: comments are love!
AUTHOR'S NOTE: The words in italics belong to the lyrics of "Un-break my heart" by Tony Braxton.
Alexander was again hidden in his chamber in Babylon; he couldn't tolerate his absence anymore. The king had been ill so frequently since he left that his doctor warned him that if he didn't take care of himself, he'd ask his companions to tie him up and make him take his medicines.
But anyone could understand the young King's behavior; after all, his better half had left him alone, taking with him his love and happiness and, ultimately, his drive to live.
Alexander also realized that he was the guilty one - he was the one who had forced his soul mate to go away. His yearning for power made him lose his greatest source of sanity, and so here he was, ill again, carding his fingers along his hair, pulling it hard, fruitlessly seeking comfort in pain.
The king decided that he would write a love letter to his lover, and if He didn't forgive him, he would accept defeat, but he would not die without trying to gain Him back, at least once more.
So the young and heartbroken king sat at his desk, took a scroll and a stylos, and poured his heart out.
My dearest Phai,
I am writing this to you because I want to know if you can forgive me and come back to me or let me come to you.
Please, my beloved, don't leave me in all this pain, don't leave me out in the rain because not always can the rain wash the pain away.
Come back and bring back my smile, the one which faded away because you are not near to see it; come and take these tears away because they cloud my eyes and my mind; I need your arms to hold me now and put me back together, because I am broken, I am useless, I am nobody.
The nights are so unkind - I spend them alone, wishing you were by my side. Please bring back those nights when I held you beside me, when I could make love to you and you loved me back.
The rain outside, which had begun just as a gentle drizzle, had turned into a ferocious storm, just to rival the king's state of mind.
My Beloved, un-break my heart, put it back together, because I feel neither my heartbeat nor yours; say you'll love me again and by saying that I'd be the happiest man on earth again. Undo this hurt you caused when you walked out the door of this very same palace eight months ago. By doing this you also walked out of my life without looking back.
Un-cry these tears, I cried so many nights and days and any time my heart does not want to go on beating, please un-break my heart and take it back again.
My Moon, take back that sad word good-bye, it felt so sorrowful in your lips; bring back the joy to my life, I am numb and I can't feel anything. Don't leave me here with these tears, they are too bitter and make my heart heavy; come and kiss this pain away, you are the only one who can do that because you are the only one I love. I can't forget the day you left, those images are repeated in front of my eyes once and again. Time is so unkind and life is so cruel without you here beside me; everything is dull, everything is meaningless, everything is pain.
My Soul Mate, come back and say you love me, still as I do love you; un-break my heart, sweet darling, you are the best part of the two of us; without you I just can't go on because I cannot think clearly, I cannot breathe, because I cannot love anybody else but you.
My dear Philoalexandros, I'll understand if you don't want me back; I won't ever command you anything against your will, but if you have the slightest doubt, please search in your heart and find that reason for which you used to love me. If love is still there, come back to me, I'll be waiting for you forever and one day more.
Health to you, my love,
Yours forever
Alexander.
The messenger arrived at the small farm in the outskirts of Babylon and asked for the owner. A woman entered the house and came back, followed by the former General.
"Joy to you Sire, I am bringing a letter from the king" said the messenger, feeling a bit nervous.
"Joy to you, Keron, please come inside and take some wine and rest for a while" said Hephaestion, walking back inside.
Keron followed him and handed him the letter. The young messenger saw how the hand of the brunette was shacking slightly. After taking it, Hephaestion excused himself and went to his chamber.
Hephaestion spent some minutes looking at the seal on the scroll. He caressed the blood red seal and sighed; Alexander had used the one that was engraved on a gold ring. The ring had been Hephaestion's birthday gift, the same year they became lovers: a sun and a moon entwined in a tender embrace.
The former General didn't dare to break the seal so he used the dagger (tucked into his belt) – the one that had been given by Alexander – to open it.
Tears ran along the clean-shaved cheeks; he had never imagined that Alexander needed him so much. However, at the same time he was still angry with him. Alexander had been really mean and it was, of course, only when he went away that the king had realized how important Hephaestion was for him.
Hephaestion went back to the kitchen and told Keron to take his reply back to the King. His expression remained devoid of all emotion and so Keron couldn't imagine what it was; he'd have to wait for the King to read the reply and act according to it.