ATG fic: You are nothing without me (4/7)
Author notes: Special thanks for my sweetest beta Myr
Chapter 4
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The sound was boisterous around the camp. Alexander was still sitting motionless on his bed, when he heard his beloved's name called.
"Hephaistion!"
Quickly, he got up ready to step out of the tent.
/Finally, my Hephaistion is back./ Alexander knew in his heart that Hephaistion would never be able to truly leave him. He simply couldn't; Alexander knew him too well. His lover was still in love with him and once they were together again, everything would be back to normal.
To keep peace in tact between his two generals, he would send Eumunes on a task keeping him there for a while, giving Hephaistion time to feel comfortable in the camp again.
Alexander's heart was beating fast and he thought of how to act in front of his returned beloved. Should he be mad at him or should he laugh and welcome him back merrily? Before he could think any further, Ptolemy barged in; his pale face bore a dreadful expression.
"Alexander! Something bad has happened. My king..." he hesitated.
"What?" The king's heart instantly felt heavier. Ptolemy's face showed all signs of bringing bad news. News about his Hephaistion.
"Hephaistion... Alexander. We lost him." Ptolemy swallowed seeing the shock spread across Alexander's face. He proceeded, "The soldiers found Bagoas in the river where Hephaistion himself was drowned."
"What?" Alexander gasped, his eyes becoming wider in disbelief. "No. You are lying to me, Ptolemy. Bring me Bagoas. Bring him to me. Search the river."
As soon as he got out of the tent, he saw the dreadful face on all the soldiers gathered around Hephaistion's camp. He knew how his soldier loved their general, how they honored Hephaistion and followed his orders in every battle. They were loyal to Hephaistion as much as they were loyal to their King. The news of his alleged demise had made an excruciating impact on them.
On the ground, he finally noticed the small, wet frame of the poor eunuch. Nearing him to stand close, Alexander felt the trembles from the body against his feet. Bagoas was still breathing laboured from the traumatic ordeal.
Alexander quickly kneeled down and cupped Bagoas' teary face with both hands. Looking into his terrified eyes, he saw how the experience still lingered like a haunting dream.
"What happen to Lord Hephaistion, Bagoas?" Alexander asked with as much patience as he could muster. "Tell me, tell me everything and no one will blame you."
One of Bagoas' slim hands reached for Alexander and kissed the feet of his King.
"Please, my King. Spare me. It is not my fault what happen to Lord Hephaistion."
"I know it is not your fault, Bagoas. Now tell me what happened... please. No one will hurt you; you have my word."
Feeling Bagoas' continued hesitance to plea in front of Hephaestion's soldiers, Alexander beckoned the poor eunuch to join him inside the privacy of the tent.
When he, Ptolemy, and Bagoas got inside the tent, the poor eunuch started to kiss his foot and cry for his life.
"Stop it Bagoas. No one is going to hurt you," Alexander repeated hoping it would have an effect. "You have my words on this. Now tell me what happened to General Hephaistion?"
Looking up, Bagoas finally decided to come forward with his version of the 'facts'. "My King. Your Lord Hephaistion tried to kill me. He saw me on the riverbank and approached me in an angry manner, saying I was to blame. That I was responsible for his new position..." Dramatically, Bagoas closed his eyes before continuing. "... and then he tried to drown me in the river."
The effect wasn't lost on his audience, and he continued, "Unfortunately, both of us lost our balance and fell into the water."
Ptolemy looked for Alexander's reaction, but the King only stood rooted, staring motionless at the eunuch.
Bagoas' was aware he was on thin ice, but he decided to finish his story, "My lords – the river swallowed the life of the general but let me live. The mother river wants me to live my King. She did not need me yet. She spared me so that I can serve you my King." Bagoas was now crying with emotional tears for his frightful experience.
"Take him to rest, Ptolemy. Don't let anyone hurt him. And tell the soldiers to search for Hephaistion. Stretch the soldiers all along the river line to search for him. I don't believe that he is dead yet. I would have felt it," Alexander said in a fatigued voice. His heart felt heavier than ever but he refused to let that be the feeling. It wasn't the right feeling.
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The night had fallen and all available soldiers had been enlisted in the search for Hephaistion. The search would start again tomorrow at dawn. Alexander had commanded to set up camp along the river. It would make things more practical.
Entering Alexander's tent, Ptolemy found the King staring at the river map stretching out on the table.
"Come Ptolemy, come. We will set up a troop here and here and there and on this spot, we will send men to look into this small trail in case Hephaistion tries to return to us. We must secure these areas to make sure that Hephaisiton will not be attacked by any bandits."
"The current is very strong, Alexander. There will also be rain tonight as hard as yesterday's night and there are constant masses of water coming down from the mountain, pressing debris faster than we can..."
"What are you trying to tell me Ptolemy?" Alexander interrupted.
"I just want to remind you the water can kill us. Even the strongest man cannot survive long in that water, my King."
"What? Do you think that Hephaistion is dead? Is that what you're trying to tell me?" Alexander was getting angry and started barging toward Ptolemy. He pushed the taller officer on to the ground and began punching the un-responding man.
"NO! He is not dead. Do you hear me Ptolemy? He is not dead. I can't believe that he is that stupid! He should not do that, Ptolemy. He should not ..."
Realising the futile outburst, Alexander finally gave up on punching his motionless friend and instead fell on his buttocks next to Ptolemy.
"Do you believe him, Alexander?"
"Who?"
"Bagoas, do you believe the story he told us?"
Alexander shrugged.
"I do not buy his story, Alexander. Hephaistion is very strong and if he wants to kill the Eunuch, he would simply have asked one of his soldiers to have him execute his orders. Bagoas' thin neck would have been broken within the blink of an eye. It is questionable that Hephaistion would engage in a common fight, with a Eunuch for the love of the gods, yet actually lose said fight and fall into the river and drown. Doesn't add up."
Alexander heard him and he saw the logic in his arguments, but he didn't like the prospects. "I don't know Ptolemy. I don't care what happened and why Hephaistion fell in the river as long as he's still alive. Nevertheless, if what you said is true, Ptolemy, what is the reason that Bagoas would lie to me? Eventually, when we find Hephaistion, he will confirm Bagoas' story. Only then, will I know what really happened and if he lied to me. I don't see him benefiting from that."
Ptolemy didn't reply to his King. However, he knew that something wrong with Bagoas' story. Alexander was right, there was no gain for lying if Hephaistion survived unless Bagoas was certain that Hephaistion was dead and that no one would find the truth from his words.
TBC