Alexander stood on his balcony, looking straight into the night sky, mesmerized by the glorious stars that hung above him. They glittered constantly, even when they fell. Oh, how beautiful the night was. Wolfs howled. Birds chirped quietly and grasshoppers sang their lullabies. Alexander looked behind him at the young man sleeping in his bed: Alexander's bed. But, no natural beauty of the sky could match the beauty of Hephaestion. Alexander quietly walked to his bed. Sitting on the soft mattress, Alexander gazed into the face of the sleeping beauty. The skin was soft and flushed. The eyelashes, elegantly feather-like, enclosed the beautiful blue eyes. Reaching out his hand, Alexander stroked the boy's forehead, eyelids, and finally the lips. His fingers trembled with the sensation of the smoth texture running along the boy's skin.

"If only you could feel how much I love you," Alexander whispered. Hephaestion grunted and moved slightly by Alexander's touch.

"If only I could show you how much you mean to me."

A soft smile spread across the sleepy-head's face as he turned his head into the soft cloth of his lover's cotton-filled bed.

Alexander lifted himself off the bed and took his first step, when he felt something catch his cloak. Quickly looking back, he saw Hephaestion grabbing on to him. He was still asleep, his nostrils softly exhaling and inhaling. Alexander smiled and Hephaestion
let go, letting his hand dangle over the bedside.

"Alexander," the boy muttered.

A rush of warmth climbed through Alexander's chest as he heard this. He made his way back onto the bed, this time with tears.

Feeling wetness, Hephaestion awoke. He looked up from his position and blinked at Alexander's face.

"Why do you look at me that way, Alexander? Have I done something?"

"Uh...n-nothing."

Hephaestion watched Alexander hastily rush back to his balcony.

Hours passed by as Alexander waited for Hephaestion to fall back asleep again. But whenever he looked back, he noticed Hephaestion not only awake, but constantly and intensely watching the young king.

Finally, after the long hours of silence, Hephaestion spoke.

"Say, it is getting quite cold."

"Yes it is," Alexander replied, again facing the night
sky.

"You could catch a sickness tonight standing in the cold
night air."

"Yes, possibly so."

"Perhaps," the young beauty hesitated,"I could warm you
tonight."

"And what about you? My cold skin could freeze you."

"I wouldn't mind. Besides..." Hephaestion paused for a moment.

Alexander looked back, "What? What is it?"

"...I've been a little lonely lately. I haven't felt
your touch for only a few hours and it feels like ages."

"Oh?," Alexander said, "but you're married."

Hephaestion lowered his head and looked down at his hands.

"And since when today did I touch you?"

Hephaestion paused, and then spoke.

"It was not just today, Alexander. Even without you, I could feel you by my side. But, today, I couldn't feel you. Since I became exhausted from my wedding ceremony this morning, you allowed me to sleep in your bed, for I was too tired to attend to my wife. Since this morning, you've seemed awfully cold to me. I only felt you in my dreams."

"What dreams?"

"Is this an interrogation, like you always do?"

"No."

Hephaestion shifted to the far side of the bed, facing his back to Alexander, "...I had a dream just a moment ago that we were lying together on the shores of Persia. You told me how much you
loved me and you..." Hephaestion lifted his hand and stroked his own forehead, eyelids, and finally: lips.
"You touched me with much kindness."

Alexander stared deeply at Hephaestion. This scared the boy, but as he looked at Alexander, he noticed a tear fall
from the right eye of the king and into the carpet underneath him. Hephaestion watched as the tears began to
pour, which then led Alexander to collapse. The sobbing began.

Hephaestion rushed out of bed and to his lover's side.
He could feel Alexander shake uncontrollably.

"Alexander please," the blue-eyed boy held Alexander in his arms and kissed his blond hair. Alexander's tears poured down
on Hephaestion's hands.

"Please," and with a final swift movement, Hephaestion
met his lips with the king's.
Releasing his grip and soft lips from the King, Hephaestion spoke, "This marriage was not of my consent. Please forgive me. I always loved you and always will, even if I am bonded
with a woman."

Alexander looked up into his love's eyes, "If you truly loved me, why did you not stop this? I thought we would be together 'til our deaths in battle. Oh,
how I thought." Alexander covered his forehead with his rough, scarred hand.

"Shhh...be still, my love. We will stay together. That is why I married."

Hephestion stared intently into Alexander's eyes, looking back and forth across his lover's facial expression.

"What? Did you not know how much that would hurt me?"
"Alexander, please."

"I've truly tried my hardest to show you my love and you
married?" Alexander's eyes were now wetter than ever.

Hephaesion paused. He looked down again at his hands.

"Then did you not love me after marrying four women?," Hephaestion finally spoke.

Alexander stopped. Hephaestion was right. He did marry
four women, even while being in a relationship with
Hephaestion.

"They threatened me." Hephaestion said, "that they would separate you from me if I did not produce an heir. I knew I could not handle such a punishment."

"But then, I would have killed them."

"No, Alexander, they were messengers from your mother."

"My mother would never do such a thing... wait... actually, I think she would..."

"Since you were always with me and always loved me, she feared that you would not produce an heir."

"Then why have you married?"

"She believed that my marriage would cause you to hate me. Either way, I would have been gone from your affections."

"Gone from my affections... Please, Hephaestion, do you love me?"

"Yes, more than anyone else."

"Will you stay by my side?"

"Of course."

"Would you...accept all my love if I were to give it to
you?"

"Yes, you can love me all you like and I would be
grateful."

"When I die in battle, will you come with me to the
other world?"

"Will you do so also if I perish."

"Yes."

"Then I too shall follow you, even after death."

Alexander grabbed Hephaestion's hand and forced his lips
onto his. Hephaestion fully welcomed it, closing his eyes and submitting to the weight of his lover's body.

That night, the two made love in the warmth of one another and lay in each other's arms throughout the night.

The promise between them has now been sealed.