Interlude I : Into the Darkness of the Woods.

The men marched through the woods, slowing their pace as the night fell. Hundreds of armors echoed in the silent, deep forest as they settled in for camping. The most experienced men put up their tents in a few minutes, and now began to gather wood to start a fire.

In the middle of the forest Alexander, Ptolemy and Hephaestion gathered around a campfire.

"I don't think my butt can handle another long trip", complained Hephaestion, rubbing his sore butt.

"Well, you'll have to manage somehow…" Said Ptolemy, sitting by his side, using a think log as a seat, "This is only the first war we are marching into"

"There won't be any war" Said Alexander, joining Ptolemy. "At least not within the kingdom…"

"Do you think you can convince her?" Asked Ptolemy, taking out his lance for sharpening.

"I'll have to" He said, grabbing a stick to play around with it, poking the ground

Hephaestion sat by his side on the ground, wincing when feeling the rough surface underneath him.

"You still don't believe she did it, do you?" Asked Hephaestion, hugging his knees.

"I don't know what I believe…" Said Alexander, now using the stick to move around the burning logs in the campfire. "But she is my mother. I want to hear it from her. I want to hear what she has to say"

"And if she did it?" Asked Ptolemy. "If she did kill the guard and conspired against the King?"

Alexander played around with the stick in silence.

A loud sound coming from behind them suddenly interrupted their conversation. They turned to see Waver struggling to put up his tent. Stakes and fabric all over the place.

Hephaestion and Ptolemy sighed.

"If… if she did betray us, and if she refuses to negotiate, then… then we'll have no option but to fight" Finally said Alexander, throwing the stick into the fire to burn with the rest of the logs.

They continued to observe Waiver trying to build his tent with frustration. Another pair of hands came from inside it, trying to hold the sheet still while Waver buried the stakes.

"Also… what is she doing here?" Asked Hephaestion discretely, pointing towards Waver's direction

"She insisted in coming, so I couldn't say no" Alexander shrugged with an awkward smile

The tent fell again. Struggling to unwrap themselves out from it, Waver and princess Cleopatra emerged from under the large sheet of fabric.

"She shouldn't have come" Said Ptolemy, annoyed. "She is only going to cause trouble. We can't fight if we have to protect her and Waver"

"Stop worrying too much! They'll be fine. They can protect themselves and stay in the back", Alexander said, confident

Ptolemy scoffed

"Listen… When they are in trouble -and they will be- don't come to me asking for help. You are responsible for bringing them." He said, frowning at their next failed attempt to put up the tent.

"Yes, yes. We know." Hephaestion and Alexander said in unison. Then watched Ptolemy walk towards Waver and Cleo, showing them how to properly set the tent.

In the middle of the night, Waver woke up to the hoot of an owl that rested right above his tent. He lied down in the rock-hard ground in silence for a few minutes, deciding after a while that it would be impossible to sleep. He went outside and saw one last campfire that was still lit far away.

He followed it, and saw a soldier swinging his sword against a tree. Waver hid and observed from behind another tree, curious. Until the soldier finally gave up, sitting on the ground and panting.

Alexander suddenly came from the woods, helping the soldier up.

The soldier removed the helmet, letting a long red braid show.

"Cleo?" Whispered Waver to himself

Alexander now walked around her in circles, talking. She held her sword in front of her, listening. Alexander hit her with his dagger in multiple spots, soft enough to not make a loud sound against the armor, but hard enough to bring her to her knees. He helped her up once again, and she pointed her sword at him.

Waver smiled, wondering what it would feel to have a sibling. He observed them train for a few minutes, and then begun to feel tired again, making his way back to his tent.

A full moon shone up in the sky above the quiet army, deeply asleep in their tents. Only a few rays of moonlight sneaked in through the tall branches that covered the forest. Waver had to watch his steps, tripping a few times on dead campfires. Just before he reached his tent, he thought he had seen someone move around in his same direction. He kept walking a few more steps, and now clearly saw someone's shadow, walking around, looking for something between the tents.

"Hey! W-Who's there?!" Yelled Waver, notoriously scared, yet brave, nonetheless. He ran after the shadow, but he tripped and fell, watching the person sneaking into a tent.

Waver quickly stood up and ran behind the person into the tent. He hesitated one moment, grabbing a knife from his pocket.

"Who is there?!" He yelled again, pointing his knife when he entered the tent.

But the tent was empty.

Waver felt a brief relief, instantly followed by the greater fear.

"W-What the-?" He wondered, looking around. The tent was definitely empty. No shadow, no stranger. Not even a soldier sleeping in there. Had he imagined it all?

He came to his knees and sat there for a moment, thinking. Maybe he was just being paranoid. He put his knife away and crawled his way out of the tent with caution.

Just before he exited, the soldier whose tent belonged to came back inside.

"Waver?"

Alexander looked down at him.

He was carrying a bucket with water and wore no armor. Only his leather skirt.

"What are you doing in my tent?" He asked, putting the bucket down

Waver, still in all fours, chuckled awkwardly.

"I-I thought I saw… something" He said as he sat on his knees.

"What?"

"Some sort of… shadow" He said playing with his fingers, suddenly embarrassed by realizing how silly he sounded

"A shadow?" Alexander said, wiping the sweat out of his neck. He then removed his skirt, now completely naked.

Waver nodded, looking away.

"Waver, if you are just making excuses to sneak into my tent-"

"I'm not!"

"Relax, I'm just joking." He said, sitting on a blanket. "Anyway, since you are here… come help me out. I'm exhausted"

"Help you with what?"

Alexander soaked a piece of cloth into the bucket of water and handed him over to Waver

"I always have the servants to do it for me, so I'm no good at it", he said, turning his back at him.

Waver frowned at him, hesitant.

"Come on now, your prince has given you an order" He insisted, shaking the cloth.

Waver snapped the cloth out of his hand and muttered a curse, yet he obeyed either way. He sat behind him and rubbed his back and shoulders.

"Were you helping Cleo train?" Waver asked, as he soaked the cloth in more clean, fresh water.

"Were you spying on us?"

"Don't be stupid" He said, whipping his back with the wet cloth.

Alexander crouched and moaned in pain. Waver noticed he still had some open wounds on his back.

"Oh! My bad!" He said, softly rubbing his back again.

"Hey, shouldn't you take it easy? You are still not completely recovered from your last battle. If you keep fighting like this…" Waver stared at his back with concern.

Alexander slightly turned to him, looking over his shoulder

"I didn't think you cared about me that much" He said, watching Waver's painful expression.

Waver didn't reply, but his silence said more than enough. He kept rubbing Alexander's shoulders in silence, feeling his eyes on him, but trying to ignore it.

"Maybe I should get injured more often… it seems this is the only way to get this kind of treatment from you. I've never seen you so soft and compliant…" He said as he grinned, his eyes still fixed on Waver

Waver was not amused.

"Hey… I'm serious…", he said, annoyed, checking Alexander's scars on his back with his fingers.

Alexander suddenly turned his whole body towards him, grabbing his wrist.

"So am I…" He said, now with a serious expression.

He took the cloth away from Waver's hand and threw it on the floor. His eyes went from Waver's eyes to his mouth, several times, faster each time as he came closer to him.

Waver felt a wave of heat rushing up to his face all at once.

"What if… if I wanted you to treat me gently like this all the time?" Alexander said, and his words reached the corner of Waver's mouth as their noses touched.

Waver's stomach tightened in excitement, gasping when his lips touched Alexander's.

But that feeling quickly faded as a nostalgic feeling invaded Waver's mind. "All the time?" He thought with bitterness, reminding himself that he had to leave someday, rather sooner than later.

Alexander leaned over, pulling Waver closer by his wrist and wrapping his other arm around Waver's waist.

Waver softly pushed Alexander away, trying to resist the urge to kiss him back. His eyebrows curled in a painful expression from fighting his own desire. But his hands easily gave in grabbing desperately onto Alexander's shoulder, squeezing it as his lips found their way around Alexander's mouth. Alexander let go of his wrist, now holding Waver's head, sinking his fingers into his hair as he deepened the kiss.

Waver was numbed by a brief moment of ecstatic sensations, only to come into his senses a few seconds later.

He turned his face to the side, catching his breath. Alexander frowned, panting, almost in pain. He rested his forehead on Waver's shoulder, gently kissing his arm.

Waver coughed nervously

"If… if you don't take care of yourself, you'll die before I can even take care of you" He said, poking Alexander's head repeatedly.

Alexander whined in disapproval, rubbing his head against Waver's shoulder, softly biting his arm.

Waver gently held Alexander's head away from him, and slowly got up, with the excuse of getting the cloth that Alexander threw away a moment ago.

Alexander dropped to the ground. He clenched his fist, squeezing the earth underneath it, and scoffed in disappointment.

Waver pulled him by the arm to help him up. Then washed Alexander's face and hands with the freshly soaked cloth.

"Now stop moving or I'll have to wash you again" He threatened the prince.

"You are so mean" He said, pouting like a spoiled child

"Promise me you won't get yourself killed" Waver demanded, pointing his finger at him.

"Fine…"

"…And that you will take care of your wounds" He said, now wiping down his chest "That includes no more midnight training sessions…"

"I know, but I can't let Cleo by herself…"

Waver soaked the cloth once again. He now held up Alexander's right arm, and slowly wiped it from shoulder to wrist.

"You know, she is stronger and smarter than you all think", Waver said as he softly wiped Alexander's neck.

Alexander turned his face and his cheek touched Waver's. He felt the chills down his spine as Alexander kissed his ear.

Waver took a deep breath, and grabbed Alexander's chin, wiping his smile away with the cloth.

Alexander sighed, giving up.

"No, I know she is strong. She is my sister." He continued "We all know. I just can't help wanting to protect the people that I love"

Waver sunk the cloth under the water and played with it for a bit, thoughtful

"Not everyone…" He said, still looking down at the cloth dancing in the water

"What do you mean?"

"What about Hephaestion?"

Alexander turned to him, confused

"During… during the battle…You sent me away, but you let Hephaestion stay by your side…" He slightly tilted his head to look at him, his hand still in the water.

"Do you not want to protect him too?"

"That's… different", Alexander turned his back. Then he started to undo his braid.

"But you love him…" Said Waver, more like a statement than a question.

Alexander sat in silence, brushing his hair with his fingers. Then he leaned back resting on his elbows and looked up, letting his long, auburn curls hang, and signaled Waver with his hand to wash his hair.

Waver sighed, slightly annoyed by him dodging his question, then brought the bucket with him to dip Alexander hair in it.

Alexander closed his eyes, relaxing to Waver's hands massaging his scalp in silence.

"Hey, Alexander?" Waver said after a while.

"Huh?" He muttered with his eyes still closed, almost asleep

Waver stopped massaging to drain the water out of his hair, moving the bucket away.

"Can I…" He finally said, "… Is it OK… if I fight by your side?"

Alexander sat up and turned to Waver, who was staring at him with determination.

The prince sighed, then smiled at him.

"I guess I can't have Ptolemy knock you out every time it gets dangerous" He said, brushing his hair back with his fingers. A few drops ran down his chest to his torso.

"Don't even remind me…" He said, trying his best to focus on that unpleasant memory to deviate his thoughts from the view he had in front of him.

"Do you understand what it means to be in my army?" Alexander said with a smirk, wrapping a tiny robe around his waist. "This means you cannot turn back…"

"As a wise friend once told me, "I shall grieve, and I shall weep. But I shall never regret", and I live by that"

Alexander chuckled, amused.

"This friend of yours…he seems indeed very wise. He may be a little lame at times, but he is right"

"You think so?", he laughed awkwardly, slightly confused by Alexander's reaction to his own words from his future self.

"Now go get some rest" Said Alexander "Unless you are here to spend the night with me, then-"

"Good night!" Waver said as he rushed out of the tent, anxiously

When he stepped out, his face met directly with Hephaestion, who was standing outside the tent.

"He-Hephaestion" Said Waver, unable to hide his surprise

"Oh" He said, equally surprised "Sorry, I uh- I went to take a leak and I guess… I guess I lost my way to my tent" He chuckled nervously "I must be still asleep"

"Oh" Waver said, not knowing what to reply

"Anyway, good night, Waver", He said, as he walked away

Waver took a deep breath. He thought his heart couldn't bare any more emotions for the day. He went back to his tent and fell asleep as soon as his head touched the ground.

Across the forest, the moonlight cast a grisly shadow upon the camp. The shadow slowly materialized into the shape of a man, who sneaked in between the tents where hundreds of soldiers slept soundly before their battle, as if it was their last night on Earth. The man roamed between the tents as if looking for something, until he entered into one of them.

A young man slept inside. The man stood closer to him, making sure he was asleep, and then whispered something into his ear. The boy shook his head, his golden locks covering his angelic face, now grimed with fear. Then the boy sat up, panting heavily, as if woken up from a nightmare. He looked around, but nobody was there to find. Unable to sleep, he went for a walk, washed his face in the river near by. His eyes, the ones of a wild animal. Black and deep and thirsty for blood. He wandered around for a while. His face sweating, his palms shaking, fighting away the bloodlust taking over him. A voice inside his head whispering. A voice that came from his own, deepest, darkest thoughts. And then the darkness took over. For a brief moment he blacked out.

When he opened his eyes, he was standing in front of someone else's tent. Someone else came out, exchanged with him some words that he couldn't really figure out. Then he went back to bed, confused, wondering if he had dreamed it all.