Olympias, sitting across from them as they entered, rose to greet them. She kissed Alexander's cheek briefly before turning to survey Hephaistion. Her eyes narrowed slightly as she smiled, "So here you are again, Hephaistion."
"Joy to you, my queen," Hephaistion replied softly. She was reminding him a bit of a purring cat.
He sat next to Alexander on a couch across from her. Alexander smiled subtly at him.
"I remember you from when you were Philip's page. When was it? Two years ago?"Olympias asked him, her voice and expression unreadable now.
"I left just over two years ago, yes,"Hephaistion replied and forced a smile.
Olympias considered him. "You were very beautiful then already."
Hephaistion instantly felt uncomfortable. He noticed her shoot a pointed look at her son. He felt Alexander stiffen beside him. Of course, she was implying what Alexander had already fretted about: that he had slept with Philip.
"You are not necessarily what I would've chosen for Alexander," Olympias continued, scraping honey on a roll.
Hephaistion swallowed, "I thought Alexander would be doing the choosing, either way."
"Not when he makes such terrible decisions."
"Mother, please."
Hephaistion gazed back on Olympias, "Perhaps I'm biased but I disagree."
"Of course you are."
Alexander interrupted, "Mother, you said you wanted to meet Hephaistion again, not argue with him."
Olympias smiled, her cheeks dimpled. Her eyes showed some amusement and for an instant, she seemed an indulgent mother. "If that's what you want, Alexander. Please help yourself, Hephaistion," she gestured to the table of food.
Outside her rooms, Alexander looked at Hephaistion warily. In the corridor he held his hand briefly, "Are you alright?"
Hephaistion smiled widely, "Yes. Where are we going?"
"The stables."
"Through here?" They had taken a flight of dark stairs downwards.
"Through the royal gardens, yes, "Alexander replied, his hand now firmly clasping Hephaistion's.
The stairs led onto a covered portico with an arch framing the gardens. Alexander turned to Hephaistion and kissed him gently.
"She was nice enough, honestly,"Hephaistion murmured against Alexander's ear. Alexander's arms snaked around his waist.
"You don't have to pretend to like her," Alexander voice was strained with wary amusement.
Hephaistion leaned back, "She's not likely to be my confidante but she's not my enemy either."
Alexander dipped his head in acknowledgement. That was enough for him.
"How did you find Olympias?"Perdikkas asked.
They were at the evening's banquet in the palace hall. Alexander was seated on the royal dais, on a couch with Antipater, beside his father.
Hephaistion smiled, "How did you know?"
Perdikkas shot him an amused glance as they weaved their way across the room. "Alexander told me during the drills. He was so relieved."
"Really?" Hephaistion paused. "I knew Olympias was a difficult woman but I didn't think it would matter so much to him whether she liked me or not."
"It was not so much whether she liked you; it was whether you liked her."
Hephaistion gazed at Perdikkas, slightly stunned and increasingly uncomfortable, "I never intended for my approval to mean so much."
Perdikkas pulled his arm and they carried on walking. "He's in love with you. I think he was worried she might scare you off."
Hephaistion relaxed. "It's too late for that," he assured him, smilingly.
"There you are!"Ptolemy exclaimed, suddenly in front of the pair with his arm around a clutching girl.
"And here you are going," Perdikkas replied and sipped his wine.
"Well, you've missed the best of them," Ptolemy answered and grinned at his conquest. "I'll see you tomorrow."
They walked on to where Leonnatos, Harpalos, Seleucos and Nearchos were seated. Harpalos was scarcely recognisable behind the pale body of a girl straddling his lap. Leonnatos was talking animatedly with a sturdy man with a mop of mahogany curls. Perdikkas went over to shake the man's hand, casually joining their conversation, while Hephaistion sat down beside Nearchos. They began a conversation about Nearchos's nautical family. They were comparing their experiences of how they had learned to sail when King Philip shouted goodnight to his court. Hephaistion turned towards the dais as the king left, trailed by Antipater, and saw Alexander walking towards him.
"Is your father drunk, Alexander?" Nearchos frowned as the prince approached them.
"Not quite; he promised Antipater he'd go over a new proposed law." Alexader gazed at the door through which his father had left and then looked back down to Nearchos and his lover, "He's definitely not sober, though!"
Hephaistion smiled and caught Alexander's warm glance, knowing what he felt like doing.
"I was so surprised when he let us end early today," Nearchos was saying. "I thought we had to perfect the adaption of the pincer move."
"No, Parmenion wanted us to but my father's not keen."
"Don't tell Philotas that- he's been telling everyone about his father's brilliant new idea," Nearchos replied, trying to keep his face straight.
Alexander's smile flitted across his lips before he pulled his mouth into a straight line, "Well, I wonder how long he'll keep at it, without us actually implementing the new idea."
Hephaistion shook his, amusement on his face, "You two are being horrible."
"Believe me, Hephaistion, if you had heard his boasting as often as we had, you would laugh,too," Alexander replied, his eyes appraising Hephaistion's body briefly before resting on Hephaistion's face. Hephaistion held his glance for a moment and then looked away.
"I'm going to bed," Alexander said. "I see the orgy is about to really begin."
"Forgive me if I stay?" Nearchos grinned. "It's been a while since I got lucky."
"I'll leave you to it, then," Hephaistion got up. "Health to you!"
Alexander leant over his shoulder, "See you upstairs?"
Hephaistion's lips twitched in reply. He wished Perdikkas health and walked outside, seeing Alexander laughing with a cavalryman he had seen a few days before.
In five minutes, Alexander had caught up with him.
"Been missing me?" Hephaistion teased, his hand falling down Alexander's arm.
Alexander's eyes twinkled, "You don't know how much."
"I think I can guess," Hephaistion replied and ran a hand down his lover's thigh.
Alexander stepped back, his heart racing, and smiled at Hephaistion, " I think I can still surprise you."