Title: By my side

Author: Adsagsona

Type: Romance

Rating: PG – PG 13

Disclaimer: Nothing about the movieverse Alexander belongs to me, I don't own a thing, sadly enough. I believe the real Alexander the Great and his companions belong to history and themselves.

Warnings: None, really.

Beta: None.

Pairing: Alexander/Hephaestion

Archive: Note: It is a slight AU from the Alexander movie verse. Hephaestion is not the son of Lord Amyntor, but a slave.

Spoilers: For 'Alexander'

Summary: At a young age, a slave gets captured by the soldiers of Philip. Alexander needs someone to wrestle with, because his friends always let him win. Too stubborn for his own good, the slave causes problems.

By my side – Chapter 1

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A boy was dragged inside the palace of Pella, by a soldier who had caught him only half an hour before. He had been trying to steal something to eat, but he had never been too good at it and as a result, got caught. He knew that he was too stubborn for his own good, refusing to say his name when the soldier had asked for it, even when he got a slap in the face as a 'thank you'.

King Philip walked through the corridor at that exact same moment, together with his son. They came back from a meeting of the war council, where Alexander always attended, even when he was not needed there. He always liked to listen to his father talk, give the best strategies. He knew that his father was a true warlord, but could not grasp the full extent of it yet.

The soldier bowed hastily towards the king and gave the child a shove, so that the boy fell on his knees. With a light gasp he leaned forward on his hands to catch his fall, before looking up defiantly at the King. Although only eleven, this boy was proud and would not let anyone, not even a King, tell him what to do. Or so he thought.

"Who is this?"

"A boy who has been caught stealing in the kitchen, my lord. He will not be of any burden to you, I assure you."

"Have him whipped and send him to the slave quarters."

"Yes, my lord."

For the first time, some fear could be seen in the eyes of the boy and he showed resistance when the soldier wanted to drag him to his feet. It was this that caught the attention of Alexander.

"Father, would you not give him to me?"

The King looked at his son for a moment. He could always tell when Alexander was up to something, that boy was too intelligent for his own good.

"Why? You have no need of another slave, Alexander, there are people enough to take care of you."

"I don't need him as my slave, father, I need him as my adversary."

Although he did not understand, he gestured for the soldier to stay. "Give him a room in the slave quarters for the moment and do not have him whipped. My orders will follow for this young one."

"Yes, my King."

The soldier bowed and now forcefully dragged the other away. The young boy was locked up in a private cell of the slave quarters, where he would be kept until the King made a decision about his future. He huddled up in a corner and stayed there, keeping out of sight as much as possible.

Alexander and his father walked along until they stopped before the office of the King. The boy opened the door like he had done it for all of his life and invited the King to sit in his own chair, he would plead his case.

"Father, I have been looking for a good adversary in wrestling. You know as much as I do that all of my friends are afraid of hurting me. Or hurting themselves, because they know that you would punish them if anything happened to your son."

"That is ridiculous, you have to learn."

"I know, father. That is why I want that boy. He does not have anything to lose, right? So that means that he will fight me no matter what. I want him as my adversary."

"What if he runs?"

"I will give him a reason not to."

"Very well." The King nodded slowly. "I will let him come to your room. Talk to him and explain what your purpose is with him. Make him understand, do you hear? This boy will not have any false dreams about freedom, that is over."

Alexander nodded and left the office of Philip, giving the order to one of the soldiers at the door to go fetch the boy whom had been brought in only a few hours before.

"They will know, just ask."

"Yes, my Prince."

With that he walked back to his own room, where he was interrupted by a knock not too soon after. The soldier pushed the boy in and pulled the door closed, remaining in front of it so that he would not run. The room of Alexander was at the second floor, so jumping out of a window would be out of the question. The boy remained standing as close to the door as possible, ready to bolt.

"You can't escape, there is a guard outside the door." Alexander said to him from his place on the bed, where he had taken a seat.

"What is your name?"

There came no answer, only silence greeted him. He began to believe that the boy was mute, as he had not spoken before.

"Can you speak? Or are you just refusing to? That will cost you a whipping, you know." Alexander threatened, but there came no reaction.

"Fine then, I'll just name you myself. It is quite easy."

The hellblue eyes of the other flashed. Alexander had wondered about them, if they were even real. Nobody on this earth was capable of possessing such a colour of orbs.

"Hephaestion."

Ah, so he had guessed right. Such a proud boy would not be able to stand the humiliation of a given name.

"Hephaestion it is." Alexander said with a small smile.