Drabble – Plans
Blanket, food, wine and his copy of The Iliad, everything he needed for a perfect day. All that was missing was Hephaestion. Alexander gathered all of the items and headed towards the missing ingredient for a wonderful day.
He had neglected his beloved for too long. He had swamped him with a workload that should have been assigned to at least four men. Too many nights lately had been spent in his marriage bed and his own, alone or with Bagaos, He had watched as Hephaestion stood alone more, talked less and pulled into himself.
Today that would change. Today was for Hephaestion.
Alexander knew of a very special place, quiet and secluded with a small stream trickling close by. It would be just the two of them.
He entered Hephaestion's rooms and was surprised not to see his best friend hunched over his desk and surrounded by baskets of scrolls. Instead the room was eerily quiet, the desk cleared of clutter and no sign of Hephaestion.
Alexander called his name but was surprised to see Hephaestion's young page come through a side door. He bowed his head when he saw the king.
"Where is Hephaestion?"
"He left early this morning, Sire"
"Where did he go?" Alexander said, hoping to catch up with him.
"They didn't say where they were going?" the page answered.
"They?"
"Pharnakes and my master, Sire, neither mentioned where they planned to spend the day."
Alexander felt like he had been hit by a rock in the center of his chest. Many emotions raged through his body; anger, rage and most of all, jealousy.
"Did they say when they would be coming back?" Alexander managed to spit out.
"No, Sire, but if is like before, they should be back before the moon rises.
Alexander turned and walked back towards his own rooms, mumbling to himself all the way. The path in front of him parted as the people saw the look on his handsome face.
Hephaestion with someone else…the very idea of it set Alexander into a panic. Granted, he had only himself to blame. How many times had he seen the pained look in Hephaestion's eyes when he talked about his other lovers? The expression Hephaestion tried to hide from him when Alexander left the celebration early with someone else. To help lessen his own guilt, Alexander had always told Hephaestion to be with others but Hephaestion had only smiled and shook his head telling him he only wanted one man.
Alexander tried to remember the last few times he had made the suggestion to Hephaestion about taking lovers. Hephaestion had said nothing, neither denying nor confirming that he only needed just one man anymore. How had Alexander been so blind and missed that?
By the gods, I'm losing him. He no longer waits patiently for me to finally come to him.
The words 'He too is Alexander' roared in his ears and straight to his heart.
And he had no one to blame but himself.
