Drabble – Anonymous
She had been in touch with her spies and she didn't like what she had heard. Her son may be in a far away land but not far enough to be out of her reach.
Alexander was drifting. He was angry and disconnected. He needed to find his center again, get back to his strength, he needed to find Hephaestion again. He was spending too much time with his little eunuch and not enough with his soul mate.
Alexander's relationship with Hephaestion was not something she was happy with but she saw very early how much he meant to him. She was not fool enough to try and separate them. Her son was a strong leader but she knew he needed someone just as strong by his side to help him; Hephaestion had been the perfect choice.
She kept her people close to both of them, in there inter circles. She knew within days when things were not going well with them. Her spies were loyal and her anonymousity was guarded furiously.
She set her plans in motion to get them back together and closer. Little seeds were planted, small gifts left for each with hidden messages to peak their curiosity. Each man was left to wonder who his secret admirer was. Neither had suspected each other because of the distance that had made them drift apart.
Scrolls let for each the night of the banquet set the scene she had planned. Each was told to wear a certain color, Alexander red and Hephaestion blue. They were told to meet on the balcony at midnight when their admirer would be revealed.
Hephaestion decided to go just to tell them he was not interested and to put an end to the secret gifts and messages. Alexander was going to do the same but was more curious than Hephaestion about who it might be.
Midnight came, Alexander stood with his back to the hallway when Hephaestion stepped out onto the balcony. Hephaestion recognized Alexander's red chiton at once and smiled to himself. Alexander turned and saw his lover, his blue cloak matching the color of his eyes.
"You sent the messages and gifts?"
Hephaestion shook his head, "I didn't."
"Did you send them to me?" he asked, only to see Alexander deny it too.
"But who?"
Alexander watched the moon play with Hephaestion's eyes. "It doesn't matter."
He took his love in his arms and held him tight, feeling the familiar strength of his body and letting the tension he had pent up in his own body free. He realized how much he missed these arms, this smile, this mind, this man.
Hours were spent renewing the bonds. Alexander changed after that night; his anger was more under control, this mind more focused.
His mother heard a few days later of the success of her plan. The distance meant nothing to her; determination to see her son succeed was stronger than ever.
Alexander the Great was again on his path to greatness.