Olympias would wait months to hear from Persia and Babylon about Alexander's death. It had been decided that Ptolemy would take his remains and that he would be in charge of informing the family back in Macedonia of his death.

Olympias read the scrawled tear stained letter in a bit of a distant mindset; before the conclusion had really sunk it she was kind of struck to receive a letter from Babylon at all.

She dropped the letter and clutched her heart.

"My little Achilles… is gone" she cried openly, not wanting to accept her only son had gone… and she never able to repair the damage to their ailed relationship.

"My Queen would you like something too…" a servant girl knocked upon Olympias' door but it was too late, she was all ready gone.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Ptolemy sat down with a piece of fresh Papyrus, the quill blotted in the deepest ink. He had thought for many months after Alexander's burial, that he must begin writing his stories of Alexander so not to forget them and so that he could share them with his grand children.

He stared vacantly at the faces of his grand kids, who had gathered around this particular afternoon to here of the charge at Guagemela, still so raw in his memory of the tragic events of Alexander's life, there was nothing Ptolemy enjoyed more than sharing his tales of his brave King and letting it known to this small minds that love is possible, and can never be conquered.

"Was their really a King called Alexander or are you making it up?" one of his grand children asked him, and Ptolemy sighed.

"Of course there was, and there was a man called Hephaistion too. Alexander's lover and closest friend"

"You sound a lot like your old tutor, Aristotle. He wrote many great scrolls on the ancient Greece, of Troy and of Patroklus and Achilles" one of his older grand children mused, "Was Alexander's love for Hephaistion that strong?"

"It was" Ptolemy smiled, the age showing in his eyes as he glanced over the ring he had picked up off the floor all that time ago.

"Now, you all go and play outside. Its too beautiful a day to be kept up indoors, I have more writing to pursue…" he ushered them with his hands, and they all laughed and giggled as they chased each other outside.

"Now Cadmos, I have another great tale for you to add to my collection… one that was not so grand in the scale of Alexander are many feats as King, but as a boy it was a marvel what he did…"

"I'll be glad to hear it" Cadmos smiled, setting up his desk to write.

"It was when Alexander first met Hephaistion… after his father's brutal beatings; Alexander found comfort in his friends especially of Hephaistion who broke down his chamber door just to see him…."

"It sounds as though Hephaistion and Alexander were meant to be" Cadmos muttered absent mindly as he jotted, "a real love story"

"More than that, they were destined for each other" Ptolemy whispered, "but they had to go through so much than anyone else to realise it at the end, which is why I tell my grand children to speak freely about love, and never let it be tamed or abandoned…"

Cadmos looked at the old man who was rambling sweet nothings before him, and thought of how grand it would've been to have a love so pure and deep as King Alexander's and Hephaistion's.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-

"All I want is you" Hephaistion whispered in Alexander's ear when he finally fell asleep. He brushed his tangly gold locks from Alexander's shoulder and kissed it. He was so warm and gentle; it was hard to believe this was the same boy who only a minute or so ago was threatening to hurt him.

"You would never hurt me… not intentionally" Hephaistion said sleepily, and closed his eyes.

Alexander listened to Hephaistion murmur in his ear with deep satisfaction. He had found his life's companion and his greatest truest friend. He stroked Hephaistion's hand that was wrapped tightly around his waist, and thought of nothing bout how beautiful and how meaningful it was to have someone love him for who he was and not what.

"All I want and have is you" Alexander whispered to himself, as he allowed his sleepy, swollen eyes to close again. Only this time his father's face did not appear, only the soothing touch of Hephaistion's hand on his, his gentle raspy breathing on his back calmed his nerves and made him feel he had conquered the world.

And in that moment Alexander had, he really had.