Oasis

The hectic morning spread into the noisy afternoon for Alexander. The endless parade of faces appeared before him only to be replaced by yet more endless faces. Problems varied from the mundane to life threatening. It was time for a break.

He calmly told his staff to hold up the line for a few minutes and retired to an inner chamber behind his throne room. He poured himself some wine and closed his eyes to savor both the wine and the silence. He opened them to find he was no longer alone.

Hephaestion had entered quietly and stood watching Alexander drink his wine. When they saw each other, they both smiled and each took a seat across from each other.

Not a word was said as the minutes passed, only occasional smiles and nods. After a few quiet moments, Alexander's face relaxed, as did his body. The stress slipped away for a while and he sighed deeply.

They rose together in their oasis, and smiling, left to return to the hectic day.