Seven years later a woman's voice echoed around a small farm just outside the city.
"Theo, Theo!"
"Where is that boy." she added under her breathe. "Theo!"
"Have you seen your brother?" she asked a tawny haired boy carrying a piglet.
"He's in the stable."
Cassandra through up her hands and went to find her adopted son.
Hephaistion ran his hand over the coat of the chestnut coloured mere in thanks for letting him and Panos be the first to see her foals that was only just finding it's feet.
It had been seven years since Callisthenes had taking from his room in the palace and brought him out here.
There has been a sad farewell from Alexander, who had pulled him into a hug and whispered in his ear "Now it is safe for you to go out." with that he placed a blueish green stone on a leather thong around his neck adding " Take care of this for me."
Hephaistion loved the freedom of the farm, he loved his new family but when he was alone with his thoughts he found himself holding the pendent that Alexander had given him.
Like he was doing now but the sound of someone approaching interrupted his thoughts.
"There you are." said his mother Cassandra " Come here, we have to get you clean up he'll be here soon."
Inside Hephaistion's heart jumped, Alexander was coming he had been waiting for this moment for what felt like ages.
They went inside where he was washed and changed.
"Don't get messy now." she said gave his hair a little roughing.
The time for Alexander's visit came and went. Hephaistion had been stood by the door with Panos at his side ready to greet his friend but as the sun began to fade both began to become weary of the wait.
Cassandra came and put her hand on Hephaistion's shoulders.
" I'm sure there is an explanation Hephaistion didn't want to hear it and before anyone had chance to see the tears he had shrugged Cassandra off and went running off into the night with Panos barking behind.
Cassandra called for him to come back but when he failed to answer Theo she called his other name instead.
It was dark when Hephaistion reached the palace, he had told Panos to go home rather forcefully looking around now wished that he had the dog with him now.
Using his skill that he had leaned living on the farm he climb up the tree that grow up the wall and dropped down into the courtyard below.
He had no memory of the palace layout except for his room. He found entrée to the palace when suddenly a side door open and outcome a man and a woman both laughing, both were very drunk. Hephaistion hide behind a plant pot till they had gone leaving the door wide open.
Wondering around the palace he hoped to find Alexander by chance. It would seem that there was some sort of party going on for there was a lot of people around and music and laugher could be heard. Following that crowd he knew that Alexander would be found.
There was a particular large crowd at one end of the room that Hephaistion shoved his way to the front of and there what he saw made him freeze.
The crowd was surrounding Alexander and Roxanne and his arm he was holding a baby. Hephaistion felt the stab of jealously as he watched Alexander, the look on his face, his actions, they were all the same things that Alexander used on him. Seeing enough Hephaistion shoved his way back through earning him several foul looks and nasty names and he ran.
He ran till he couldn't run anymore, having no idea where he was he slumped to the ground tucked his legs up to his chest rested his head on his knees and sobbed.
There he stayed till Callisthenes and Anatolios found him the next morning and took him home to a worried family