To Troilus and Asiacheetah….you wanted ants, I'm giving you ants.
Hephaestion had barely slid down from his horse when a page ran up to him, panting. The boy had obviously been running. "My Lord! You are needed in the hall, right away! I was sent to fetch you!"
Hephaestion laid a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Take a breath, boy. What is the problem?" He had a feeling he knew what the problem was, or at least who it involved.
"I do not know. I only know that General Ptolemy said you are to come right away. He has been searching for you for some time."
He had a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach. "Take care of my horse" he instructed the groom. "Make sure he is rested well, and brush him down for me." He turned towards the page. "Okay, I will go."
He walked quickly towards the great hall, hoping beyond hope that things were not as bad as he suspected that they were. But for Ptolemy to have men frantically searching for him and summoning him to the hall with such haste…he had a bad feeling about it.
He was not prepared for the scene that greeted him there. The Furies themselves had been unleashed it seemed. Craterus was shouting at Alexander. Perdiccas and Ptolemy were restraining Alexander. Nearchus was trying to keep the quarreling men apart. Alexander was shouting at everyone and threatening to try them all for treason. Everyone in the hall wore horrified expressions, and Bagoas, the sniveling fool, was cowering behind a pole. And Cassander…Cassander was laughing, a derisive, smug smile on his face. It made Hephaestion's blood boil, but he would deal with that later.
Ptolemy saw him walk in. "Hephaestion!" he breathed. "Thank the gods!"
Hephaestion took a deep breath. He needed to deal with this quickly. "Alexander!" he shouted.
Alexander froze. Everyone else froze as well. The king turned his head and stared into the steely blue eyes of Hephaestion, wild-eyed and breathing hard.
"Alexander…" he repeated, in soft and soothing voice.
The king visibly relaxed somewhat. "Hephaestion! Where have you…I needed to talk…why were you not here? I needed you!" He stumbled, lost his balance, and would have fallen to the floor if not for Ptolemy and Perdiccas, who still had hold of his arms. His head bowed slightly as he blinked, trying to clear his blurry vision. "I think I need to sit…." His body slumped heavily as he was nearly passed out.
Hephaestion took charge. "Help me get him to his room" he directed at Ptolemy and Perdiccas. "Leonnatus, make sure there are guards posted outside his chambers. I do not want anyone allowed inside. Craterus! Go and sit down. It is over. Nearchus, keep an eye on Craterus. Do not let him come after Alexander again." He looked around the room. "Cassander! We have unfinished business, but it will have to wait. I do not wish to see you anywhere near the king! And Bagoas….get out of my sight."
Bagoas blinked in surprise. "Al'skander will need me to care for him. I will take him to his room."
Hephaestion stepped in front of him, his gaze cold and deadly. "You will do no such thing. You have done quite enough with your poison words. You are to stay away from the king. If I catch you even looking at him, I will run you through with my sword, but not enough to kill you. Then I will take your body and tie you to the ground, cover you with honey, and let the ants eat you alive…little by little. Is that clear? Do not make the mistake of thinking that my threats are idle ones. Go, get out of my sight!"
The eunuch backed away and ran from the hall.
Hephaestion turned his attention back to Alexander. "Come; let's get him to his room." He led the way, with Ptolemy and Perdiccas practically carrying the barely conscious king.
Once they had Alexander safely in his quarters, they laid him on the bed. He had completely passed out by this time. Hephaestion dismissed the attendants that were normally on call there. "Perdiccas, I know this is not a job for a general, but if you could do a favor for me, would you get a pitcher of water and some towels and put them by the bed here? I do not want the servants to see him like this."
Perdiccas nodded. "Anything you need, Hephaestion. I am glad to help."
Ptolemy stood quietly to the side as Hephaestion gently undressed Alexander and covered him with a blanket. His heart ached for Hephaestion as the general tenderly brushed a golden curl from Alexander's face and dropped a soft kiss on his forehead.
Perdiccas returned with the water and the towels. Hephaestion laid a hand on his shoulder. "Thank you my friend. You may go, I will sit with him."
"If you need anything, Hephaestion, just send for me. The guards are posted. They were instructed to let no one in without your permission." He turned and left, closing the door securely behind him.
Hephaestion sighed heavily and collapsed into a chair. His expression was deeply sad. "What am I to do, Ptolemy?"
Ptolemy came to stand beside him and rubbed his back in a friendly gesture. "I do not know, Hephaestion. We need to talk, but I suspect this is not the time to do that. I fear it is going to be a long night."
Hephaestion glanced at Alexander, who shifted restlessly under the covers. "I agree. You may stay, if you like. I might need your help."
Ptolemy sat in a chair on the other side of the bed from where Hephaestion sat. The two men exchanged a look.
"If I may say so, Hephaestion…you look like shit, my brother."
Hephaestion gave him a tight-lipped smile, and then both of them looked at Alexander.
Their vigil had begun.
