Alexander was frantic. His heart was beating wildly, his breath catching in his throat. He kept telling himself not to panic, to calm down; everything was going to be all right. But then he would think about it again and it would start all over.
How could this happen, he kept asking himself. It has to be around here in this room.
He kept picturing it in his mind, willing it to appear on his desk or dresser. But when he saw it in his mind, he saw at around Hephaestions' neck, since they were exactly alike, and it made the panic worse.
They had promised each other to wear them always and never take them off. Alexander had slipped in the muddy water of the creek and had been covered from head to toe in mud and grime. Washing as much off of himself in the stream, he had waited to come back to his rooms to finish the dirty job.
He had only taken it off for a moment to get into the waiting bath. When he was clean, he was going to wash the necklace and put it back on where it should be, where it belonged.
He had to find it soon, Hephaestion was always dropping in and Alexander knew he would know he had misplaced it, all he would have to do is look at Alexander's' face to know something was wrong.
As if by fate, he heard footsteps approaching his door. Hephaestion entered the room and with one look, came immediately to Alexander with concern in his eyes.
"What is the matter, what happened?" Hephaestion asked Alexander, gently holding his arms.
Alexander eyes glanced at the strand around Hephaestion neck and looked down, unable to look him in the eyes just yet.
"Alexander, tell me, let me help, what has happened?" pleaded Hephaestion.
Alexander brought his hand to his mouth and could only shake his head, not wanting to tell Hephaestion what he had done and hurt him.
"I can't help if you won't tell me what is wrong." Hephaestion said, his voice beginning to get agitated.
Alexander finally admitted defeat and grabbed a hold of Hephaestion and held him very tightly. He wanted to make sure he had a tight hold when he told him the awful news.
"I lost mine." he said quietly.
"You lost your what?" Hephaestion asked, his face a picture of puzzlement.
Alexander brought his hand around Hephaestion and held the necklace around Hephaestions' neck.
Of all of the reactions Alexander was expecting, the one that followed was not one of them.
Hephaestion began to laugh and pulled Alexander close to him.
"Thank the gods, I thought someone had died and something was wrong with you."
"You aren't mad?" an astounded Alexander asked.
Hephaestion only smiled and asked him where he had it on last.
"We will both look, don't worry it will show up."
They started tearing the room apart looking for the elusive stone. The more they looked the more unset Alexander became again. Hephaestion finally stopped looking and tried to calm him down again.
They stood in the middle of the shambles of the room, Alexander shaking and Hephaestion saying calming words.
"Where did you see is last?" Hephaestion asked, his eyes following Alexander as his hand pointed to the table in by his bed.
"Was there anyone here with you?" was the next question.
"No, no one has been here but me." Alexander said, his frustration mounting.
"It has just been me and the puppies…" Alexander froze as the words came out of his mouth.
They both looked at the little five-month-old puppies eyes looking up at them. Upon seeing his masters look at him, his tail began wagging wildly and he yipped happily.
"You don't think he could have…" Hephaestion didn't want to finish his sentence.
They both looked down again as Dion belched loudly.
Both men looked at each other and bite their lower lips, knowing there was only one way to find out.
"You are going to just have to wait and see what come out in the end…um…so to speak." Hephaestion said, his tongue in his cheek.
"Me!" Said Alexander, "I thought you would do anything for me?"
"Nice try," Hephaestion said grinning back at him, "you lost it, and you find it."
Two Days Later
Two older ladies made their way by the side of the Palace on a walk to see the sights. They were sisters and the older one had come for a visit.
Their attention was drawn to the Palace gardens and a man on his knees gingerly going through puppy poop, grumbling and talking to himself about how much puppies could eat and get rid of.
All of the sudden, the man held up what looked like a small rope and happily went back into the Palace.
The women had watched all of this transpire in front of them quietly.
"I won't mind working for a King, but I would rather not have that duty." The visiting sister said, wrinkling her nose in disgust.
"Oh, that was the our King," her sibling answer as they continued to walk.
She leaned close to her sister and whispered, "They say strange things go on in there."