CHAPTER 8: EPILOGUE.
Two years later.
Olympias looked at his son and sighed loudly. After the attack, she had not had the heart to leave him alone. The man had lost almost everything that night and was still crying the ones he had lost.
When his men caught Philoares, Cleitus was the one in charge to take the traitor to a small room that had miraculously not burnt to ashes during the fire. The Black General had his own issues to deal with the man; he had also been affected by Philoares's presence next to King Philip as Cleitus was his lover at that moment and the man had convinced the king that he did not need such a young man by his side.
King Philip had ended the close relationship he had with young Cleitus and had no longer listened to him again. The former king died without knowing that Cleitus was still in love with him. That feeling had not changed despite the many years that had gone by since then.
The days after the attack were quite chaotic; they had a palace to put back in order after supervising if the building was safe enough to be inhabited again. The engineers did not know how to tell Alexander that the building was in a very precarious state. However, they told him the truth. Alexander told them to build another palace nearby and leave it as it was.
Queen Olympias cried the tears his son did not; it had been his home since he was a child and had spent wonderful moments while living in it, but it was true, he needed to make a new start for his people and himself.
Philoares got what he deserved; as a former Macedonian officer and traitor to the kingdom, he was executed and Cleitus had been the one to carry it out. He had finally closed that sad chapter in his life and it was high time that he helped the young king close his.
The day was cloudy; it had rained for a few days as if the sky had known how sad the king was feeling and wanted to share the grief with him.
Every person in the palace knew what day it was that and knew how gloomy the king would be. They had seen him walk towards the old palace; the one that had remained in ruins but had a small altar to remember the fire and the victims.
Alexander, as he had done the previous year, burnt some spices mixed with oil. He then offered them to the gods to gain their favour. He was about to sacrifice a young goat when he felt a hand over his shoulder.
- "You have to stop doing this; this won't bring them back and you cannot continue punishing yourself for that attack."
- "How could you say that? I almost lost you that day," Alexander said.
- "I know, but I am here and you did not lose me at all" Hephaestion replied while hugging the king from behind.
Alexander looked at the small goat, patted its rear part and made it run far away from there. He set one hand onto the one still embracing him and then placed his head onto the brunette's shoulder.
- "I can't forget those images, the palace on fire, you covered in blood and dying in my arms …" he said.
Hephaestion turned him around and cupping the king's face with his hands, made Alexander look at him:
- "I know, I was there, trying to say that I loved you too but I couldn't, not until five days after that when I finally woke up," Hephaestion said and then set a short kiss onto the king's lips.
Hephaestion had been unconscious for five days after the attack; the blood loss had been so massive that the doctor did not know if the young man could survive the night. Eupolos was the one to remember about the miraculous plant that had saved Alexander's life six years before and, after that, the recovery was slow but steady. However, Hephaestion did not wake up, his head had received a big hit when he fell after being pierced with Philoares's sword and at that moment, no one had looked after his head when the stomach wound had been so serious. The doctor discovered the bump on the back of his head two days later when they could move him a little bit to bathe him. Since that moment, his head was also under control and on the fifth day, he had opened his eyes and immediately asked for Alexander's wellbeing.
Cleitus, who had been with the brunette at that moment, could clearly see how much they loved each other and was the first to propose the companions the restitution of Hephaestion's freedom and the end of his punishment.
Everybody accepted the motion. When he fully recovered, he was recognized as a free man due to his act of unselfish sacrifice to save the king.
Little by little, both men rekindled their former relationship and months later, they were partners again and sharing the royal chamber.
- "Fortunately, you could tell me that and it is my pleasure to listen to it every single day since then," Alexander said before kissing his partner's lips long and softly.
Alexander's lips were hungry and demanding, moving hot and sure over Hephaestion's, ravaging them with a fierce insistence that left the brunette weak but wanton.
- "Take me to our room to follow this" Hephaestion demanded while sucking Alexander's lower lip.
- "Your wish is my command," alexander said.
- "Who is the slave now?" Hephaestion asked and then a big smile graced his swollen lips.
- "Both of us, we are slaves of Love, the only feeling that would rule us until the last star dies in the sky" the king of the known world kissed Hephaestion's lips and sealed their promise.
Finis.