Title: "Olympias' Request"
Author: BalianswordA/N: Much thanks to everyone involved with this story. Again, I must thank recent reviewers. Such are as follows: Queendel, Anthigony, and Alexs-patroklus, to whom I would like to say a special thank you to. I'm glad you're my Thessalunki fan base, thanks so much for being a fan! To everyone else reading, thank you so much, and please read and review should you have the time!
A/N(2): During this chapter we will take a leap through time. Alexander and his men will be in Babylon. There are some details, which are changed, and may not have actually happened. However- they make the story so much better! I should also mention that Bagoas will enter the story, and will take an active role in the next chapter. I like Bagoas, don't get me wrong, but he is not right for Alexander –so he won't be treated highly in this story. Please don't hate me for it!
-Baliansword
Hephaestion enjoyed the feeling he had when he left the room. For the first time in so long, he was not afraid of Olympias, or of Cassander for the matter. Olympias he feared because she was willing to rip him away from Alexander using any means necessary – even if it meant killing him. Yet most of her power had been the manipulation of words and actions. Well, now he had the power to manipulate her. The same went for Cassander.
Fearless, he walked down the hall. Upon hearing a noise he turned his head to the left. Following him step-by-step on the other side of the palace was Alexander. Hephaestion smiled as he stopped and watched Alexander do the same. He came to the railing, placing both hands upon the stone, and stared at Alexander. His eyes were enough to make Alexander warm inside.
"What are you doing," the king asked. He put a hand up to tell Hephaestion not to move. He then quickly made his way up and across the hall. He walked up to Hephaestion, putting both hands on his chest, and kissed him lightly on the lips. It no longer mattered in his mind if anyone were to see, because all already knew, didn't they?
"You seem to be in a better mood," Hephaestion responded, not answering the question that had been presented earlier.
"I've been thinking," Alexander agreed as he took Hephaestion's hand in his. As he turned Hephaestion obediently followed beside him. It comforted him that Alexander rubbed a thumb against the back of his hand. "Its time we thought about Persia."
So he had finally decided, Hephaestion thought to himself. It was not that he was surprised. Surprise would be if Alexander decided not to invade Persia. But, now that Alexander had decided on it, Hephaestion began to worry. If wars did not kill a man, they would change him, and he did not want Alexander to change. He did not want Alexander to have to see the ignominy of war. He did not want him to see men slaughtered in the thousands, he did not want him to be amongst those men, to have to be where he could be taken from him.
"Alexander," Hephaestion whispered as he stopped slowly. His lover turned to him, the lust for life in his eyes. Hephaestion loved him, and he understood him, but he was selfish and at the same time did not want to loose him to the life of a king that he desired so much.
"What is it Phae," Alexander asked. His mood did not entirely change. Regard entered his voice, but there was still underlining enthusiasm. He likely thought that Hephaestion would praise his decision, agree to come willingly. Which, of course, he would. He would follow him to the gates and back if that was what he wanted.
"I fear for you," Hephaestion admitted as he put a hand on Alexander's cheek. He traced the line of his jaw with his thumb. Already he felt like he was going to cry. The triumph he had felt just moments before was now gone. Now he felt only like he was shattered, lost, and was about to be undeniably alone in the world that he had once shared with Alexander.
Alexander hugged him closely as he said this. He put a hand on the back of his neck, and breathed deeply on his neck. Did Hephaestion not know that he had fears as well? They all evolved around him, so in this they were both the same. They both worried for the other more than they did for themselves.
"Fear," Alexander whispered, "makes one human."
"Then you should not fear," Hephaestion said as he put his forehead against Alexander's. He kissed his nose lightly and then stared into his eyes. "Gods do not fear."
Much Later, in Babylon, Persia….
Cassander did not know whether to smile, or to ache, when he saw Hephaestion. The commander sat next to Ptolemy, and far away from Alexander. Alexander sat next to Bagoas, his Persian eunuch, his new whore. Cassander took a sip of wine, then looked back at Hephaestion. The years had changed him, and at the same time, he was the same.
He had a scar of his cheek, a token of battle, but it did not take away from his amazing features. He had the same cerulean eyes, which held the same passion for life, the same full lips. Cassander felt terrible for him. It must be hard, going from the main thing in Alexander's life, to a 'friend' he slept with on the side every once and a while.
Alexander got up and walked to Hephaestion's side. He wrapped an arm around his waist, a gesture that used to mean something between them. Now it only meant that if he didn't Alexander would fall over from his drunkenness. He began to speak with Hephaestion, but then the Persian boy approached. Whatever could have happened between them was now ended. Hephaestion stepped away and Bagoas now held Alexander. The king did not seem to notice, or if he did, he did not care.
Cassander therefore did what Alexander did not. He got up and followed Hephaestion as he left the grand hall. He began walking down the hall, wondering why it was so dark. When he reached a balcony, he stopped, knowing that he would find Hephaestion there basking in the moonlight as if it were the sun. Cassander quietly stepped out onto the balcony and silently stood next to a very saddened Hephaestion.
"He does not know what he is loosing," Cassander stated quietly. "I would not worry though, he will come back."
"What makes you think that," Hephaestion said as he took a large swig of wine from the goblet he still held. When he went to drink again and found the goblet empty he tossed it into a planter behind him. "He seems perfectly content with his Persian boy."
"I meant only that I would come back," answered Cassander. "That is, if I ever were daft enough to leave."
Hephaestion looked over at Cassander for a moment. He pursed his lips and then let out a soft breath. Cassander knew that he wanted to speak his mind, but did not feel as if he should. Cassander felt the same way around him most of the time. But he had been getting better. He had not called him a whore for months, at least not out loud, for every now and then the word still registered in his thoughts. Perhaps it came from pretending that a whore was what Hephaestion was for so long. Now, he knew that he was not. He was so much more.
"He will come back," Cassander concluded.
"What if I don't want him back," Hephaestion asked. He quickly added that he did not mean anything by such a comment. "I don't mean that. Of course I want him back."
"I heard you convinced him to bring his mother to Babylon," Cassander said, trying to change the subject before Hephaestion fled from his unwelcome company.
"She is his mother. She deserves to see what her son has done with his life, after all," he quietly added, "I am sure Macedonia must be getting boring. Why would she not want to see Babylon?"
"Perhaps you know more than me," Cassander said as he turned and leaned back against the railing. He stared at Hephaestion, wondering what he could say to cheer him up. But perhaps he did not want to be cheery. Maybe he needed to say what was on his mind.
Hephaestion was lost in his own thoughts. He did not need Cassander to be there. Yet he found himself liking the company. For it was truly the only company he had received in some time. He even did not mind that it was Cassander.
"It's easy to see that you hate it here," Cassander told him quietly. "You used to love it here. You could see it in your eyes. Now I just see you drifting away. Others see it too. Perhaps you should leave for awhile, go back to Macedonia."
"Running never solves anything."
"Alexander runs from his mother," Cassander said. "It seems to be working fine for him. Well, if you consider land and gold success."
"Why are you here," Hephaestion asked suddenly. He did not want Cassander pulling thoughts from his mind. He did not want Cassander to be so close to him. Most of all, he did not want to think about leaving Alexander, and Cassander made him want to all the more.
Before he could do anything, Cassander put a hand on his cheek, and leaned into him. Their lips met, and try as he might, Hephaestion could not pull away. He wanted to, he knew that he should, but somehow Cassander comforted him where Alexander no longer did. Cassander was the first to break away. He then whispered a final thing before leaving Hephaestion to the night.
"You are loved," he whispered. He then left the balcony. Hephaestion glanced over his shoulder and watched Cassander go. He then put his forehead down on the stone railing and let tears fall.
He wanted Alexander back but knew not by what means to get him back with. He paused, thinking of what could happen in the days to come. Olympias would be in Babylon. If she thought that she hated him, he knew that she would definitely despise Bagoas. The question entered his mind suddenly. What was he willing to do to get Alexander back?