Heracles felt his heart beating a hole through his chest as he left the room, wishing he had helped Aegus kill Cassander then and there. After they had left the room, Aegus and Ptolemy II went to find Antipater, leaving Heracles to find Elsie. He remembered her room, for it had been a guest chamber of sorts. He wondered who that little boy had been, but Thessa was beyond a childbearing age and Cassander wasn't particularly generous to anyone without a noble lineage.
Heracles' stomach twisted in revolt as he thought of how he would react if the boy was Cassander's. He hoped he wouldn't scream, or stomp his feet or look like an immature boy at all. He was at the door in minutes and he knocked cautiously.
"Hello?" she asked as she opened the door. Heracles looked at her and immediately remembered why he had resisted the Egyptian consorts he was offered. Elsie's copper hair still shone and her warm brown eyes made his legs feel like buckling underneath him.
"Hello," whispered Heracles, who wasn't in a speaking mood.
" You're back," she stated in a quieter whisper. She had wanted this for years and now it was happening, and she didn't know what to say.
"I am aware of that." He grinned, happy that she wasn't ignoring him.
"I didn't think you would ever be back," she replied, feeling lightheaded from alack of sleep. To call Troy hyper would be a gross understatement.
"Why wouldn't I come back?" he asked with amusement, and she felt her mouth curve into a smile.
"So, what has happened these past years?" Heracles asked as he walked into her chambers. Elsie closed the door behind him. He looked around the cream colored room and admired the artwork on her walls. Some of it was familiar, actually. The bedroom should be to the door on the left, and was that a picture of Hephaestion and Alexander on her wall?
He swallowed when he realized where he was.
"This was Roxana's room," Heracles breathed as he walked over to the window, which he knew looked out onto the gardens.
"I know. Cassander gave it to me after I gave birth to Troy." Elsie looked out the window as well.
"Troy? That is the boy's name?" he asked, putting the painful pieces together. Of course Cassander took advantage of her, it is what he does best.
"His Grandfather loved tales of Troy and so does he. He likes the tale of the Trojan Horse the best," Elsie said with a small smile, and Heracles noticed the freckles that dusted her nose.
"Who is his father?" Heracles asked, steeling himself for the inevitable.
"You are." She turned and faced him.
"I am his father?" he asked in a shocked voice, and immediately enveloped her in a hug. He buried his face in her neck, and inhaled the smell he loved the most.
"I left you alone and pregnant?" he asked, needing to confirm his cruelty.
"Well, you didn't mean to," she replied with a smile. He smiled a little too.
"You could have tried to tell me," Heracles pointed out to her.
"Cassander got really paranoid about Egyptians after you ran away," Elsie informed him. He nodded his head.
They sat down in silence for a while, until Heracles started talking.
"If Troy was Cassander's, I would have killed him," Heracles said. Elsie rolled her eyes.
"Please, don't talk like the Regent," she said, closing her eyes.
"Cassander said that?" Heracles asked, his curiosity roused from its long slumber.
"Yes, whenever a new child was born. He doesn't want more kids, he already has an heir," Elsie said, playing with a lock of her hair.
"Speaking of his heir, what is going on with Antipater?" asked Heracles.
"He is engaged to Lena, and has definitely grown up. Spitting image of his father, except he has his uncle's square jaw. He is very handsome, Lena really cares about him."
"I knew he was going to be one to watch," Heracles said bitterly, trying to picture the youngest of his three friends.
"I guess it is just because he has come out of Aegus' shadow," Elsie suggested.
"I think we all have grown now that he is not as prominent as he was in court," Heracles said reaching for wine.
"Anyone can grow up once Aegus and Cassander are separated," Elsie remarked.
"I am sometimes scared of being like Cassander," Heracles said.
"How would you ever become him?" asked Elsie, looking Heracles in the eye.
"Not be him, but like him," Heracles said, feeling ashamed.
"If you were like him, you would be king and Aegus would be buried," Elsie said, reaching out to hug Heracles.
Heracles had curled up now, as tears wet his eyes. For the past three years, Ptolemy had given him sad looks, and Heracles knew whom he saw. He had grown his sand colored hair out and it had become wavy like Cassander's. Heracles had deep brown eyes and a tanned complexion. He was also built the same, and had an oval face. He wondered how often Ptolemy agonized over Heracles and who he would be. It also probably didn't help that Heracles was a brilliant strategist with a knack for manipulation. He had gotten the skill when the three younger boys were small and he needed them to behave. He always felt that Roxana was proud of the skill, but he knew how Ptolemy felt about it.
Elsie's held him close to her, and kissed his forehead. He was never going to be Cassander in her eyes. He would never murder for power or wage wars on his allies. He helped so many people out, more then Cassander could ever stand to be nice to.
"You will never be Cassander, not in a million years or more," she She said fiercely, holding him tight. He buried his head in her shoulder and wrapped his arms around her. He knew her words to be true and besides, she would never let him become Cassander.
"I have something to tell you," she whispered. He nodded his head for her to continue.
"We can get married. My father was Philotas, but I was ashamed and I thought you would hate me and Gods why am I talking so fast and…" she was going to continue, but Heracles cut her off.
"I will never hate you, I will never leave you again and I will marry you," he said kissing her. She smiled and kissed back, thinking of how long she had been waiting for him to say those few words.
