Cassander's Campaign Chapter 14: Ecbatana Part Two, an alexander fanfic

Title: "Cassander's Campaign"

Author: Baliansword

Chapter: 14, "Ecbatana Part Two"

A/N: I haven't checked reviews yet but will do so as soon as this is posted. If you've asked questions I shall try to respond them. If I somehow skip someone don't hate me. Hope everyone is still enjoying.

Everything was different when one knew what they wanted. There were no walls, just a goal in sight, which an individual would do anything to get to. Impediments never stopped the strongest and they had never stopped him. Yet, then again, he'd never had Hephaestion thrown into his path. Cassander picked up the sash and held it for a moment before he let it slide from his hand. It drifted in the air as if it were a feather and as it hit the floor Cassander turned. Picking up his dagger and placing it at his side he turned to leave. But he'd taken too long and Hephaestion was already bursting into the room.

"Tell me why," Hephaestion said, barely able to find the strength to open the door. It took Cassander a moment to look him in the eyes. Hephaestion, who was usually so strong, now seemed even more so. There was hatred in his eyes and Cassander knew it was there because of him. Hephaestion kept his eyes on him and Cassander swallowed, for the first time regretting a decision made on the path to reaching his goals.

"Would a reason abate you?"

"I want to know why," the other agreed. Cassander knew that there was so much he wanted to say to him. He needed him to know that everything was not how it had seemed, and overall, he loved him. Shaking his head for a moment Cassander turned, stared at the unmade bed for a moment, and froze. It was wrong to lie to him. But it was wrong as well to tell him the truth. Either way his soul had been damned in this expedition.

"Hephaestion," Cassander said, his voice turning to a sigh as he spoke the name now. Crossing his arms over his chest he swallowed. Before turning around he hardened his gaze. No longer would he show emotion, no matter how much it hurt to do as he would now. He was going to crush Hephaestion as not even Alexander had done before. "You are the strongest man I've ever known. But we both knew that it would not last."

"Why do you say this," Hephaestion asked.

Cassander thought for a moment, unsure of what to say. The memory washed over him. Even now he remembered the conversation he'd had with Alexander. He could recall it all. Yet now, looking at Hephaestion, he did not know why he'd agreed. It made no sense to him at the moment. Had it then?

The sun beat down at him, perhaps as angry with him as everyone else at the moment. He sat thinking. Still he could not understand why being wiser than the rest was a punishment. Many a times had he cursed the gods. Why give him the gift of mine if they did not intend for him to use it? Then, from behind him, he heard the footsteps of his prince. He did not move. Instead he waited for the blond haired boy to sit down next to him. Cassander glanced over, and decided that Alexander was no longer a boy to him. He was a young man on his way to glory, just as he was. But more than ever, Alexander was now his prince.

"Will you not be missed," Cassander asked. Alexander hardly ever left the banquets thrown for his father. It was not because he wanted to be there. Rather it was because he was required to be. Not to mention he liked to be able to make himself known. He liked being able to stand next to Hephaestion as if they were public. Of course they were not but some day they would be. Cassander already knew. Once again the gods cursed him with a mind enough to notice the feelings the two had.

"Well," Alexander said with a shrug, "what are they going to do with me? My father will not be able to remember that I slipped away for a moment. With the amount he has drunken as of yet he may recall nothing. As for the rest, they do not care where I am."

"I am sure that Hephaestion cares."

"Ah," Alexander said with a slight smile. "That is what I am here to talk to you about."

"Then I am all ears, my prince."

"Alexander."

"Yes," Cassander corrected himself. "Please, tell me what you came here to tell me Alexander."

Alexander took a moment before answering. It was clear that there was something he wanted to say. Cassander could tell by the context clues, mainly the mention of Hephaestion's name that this conversation was going to be about Hephaestion. They seemed to be more and more these days. After a moment Alexander looked at Cassander with the most sincere look he'd ever seen.

"I knew," Alexander then admitted quietly. "When he first came back from Athens that is. I knew that you saw in him the changes I had. I knew that you too saw him for what he is, divine and handsome beyond all compare. Cassander, I knew that you would have taken him as your lover, and I still took him from you."

Cassander laughed, "Which is why some day you will be a good leader. Not only can you stab a friend in the back, you can do it while looking them in the eyes. Tell me, what did it feel like, after you had him in your arms. You did well for a first campaign. Not only did you win, but you got him."

"It is not what you think Cassander. I came here not to make an enemy of you. I came to ask a favor."

"What could I possibly have to give you Alexander?"

"I love him." Alexander admitted what he'd said to no other to Cassander at this moment. It was not hard either. Instead, the words rolled off of his tongue. "That is why I ask you to make a vow. If ever I hurt him, take him from me. Do it as you will, but make sure that he does not remain loyal to me."

"I would take him from you now if I wanted."

"You would," Alexander said as he stood with a soft smile. "If you did not care for him, you already would have. But you love him, as do I, so together we must put him before ourselves. Vow to me, Cassander, that together we shall protect him."

Cassander nodded.

That was where it had begun, many years ago in Pella. Cassander had done only as he'd vowed to do. He took Hephaestion from Alexander when he got the chance to in Babylon and never looked back. Yet he'd done it only to get back at Alexander. He was not supposed to love Hephaestion. Clearly he'd failed though, for he did love him, and did not wish to give him back to Alexander. It scared him that he could look at the love of his life as if he were some slave. But that was what Alexander had made him. He was a pawn.

"I deserve at least an attempt at an explanation," whispered Hephaestion. He was trying to keep his anger away. Alexander had told him though. Long ago Cassander had vowed to keep him safe from the king when needed. Never had he truly loved him. It was only a favor, so that Cassander could gain land. Hephaestion was never his love but rather a bargaining chip. It was all a lie. Or at least, that was what he'd decided. "After all, you've been lying to me for years. Can you tell me at least a single truth?"

"I love you," Cassander replied and was honest about it. He did love him. He always had, even when he'd tried to deny it, and still did. He wanted him more than anything. Yet so did Alexander and even if Hephaestion was not a bargaining chip, he still in likeness was a token of the king's. "Yet, as you say, I have lied."

"What was this? Is it as he says Cassander?"

"I know not what Alexander has told you."

"Then tell me something true," Hephaestion spat. The anger was rising. All of this time he'd thought that Cassander had truly loved him. For over time he'd come to love him. "You never loved me but have some respect for me!"

"It was to protect you," Cassander responded quietly. He knew not if Hephaestion saw the pain he was trying to hide. Arguing with him would not convince him. It would be a waste of his time. Hephaestion had made his mind up, as Alexander had wanted, and Cassander was once again the serpent in the garden. "Alexander put you in my charge so that his enemies would not bring harm upon you. I was to make it appear real and Alexander helped along the way. But you were never mine. You've always been Alexander's and shall continue to be so."

"I was a pawn?"

"No," he sighed. "You were the only thing in the world that Alexander cared enough about to protect. You've seen the people here Hephaestion. If all knew that you were Alexander's real lover, then they would kill you, and you know that Alexander is nothing without you."

"So it was all a lie?"

"Everything," he replied, and for the first time, Cassander lied to Hephaestion.

Cassander sat silently, watching the sun set on the balcony. It would not make sense when the story was told years from now. No young students would understand why Alexander, the King of All, would protect Hephaestion over all of his men. Cassander understood it though. Hephaestion was the stability in Alexander's life and without him there was nothing. Watching the sunset he wondered about this entire adventure. Had it all been wrong?

He had done as he had promised. He took Hephaestion from Alexander and protected him when Alexander would have only crushed him. He'd fallen in love with him and continued to love him. He wanted him more than anything in the world, as Alexander did, and in that they were alike. Sighing, Cassander drew in a breath. Tonight he had lied to Hephaestion. For everything they had shared was not a lie. At first it had been, for Cassander knew only to take him from Alexander, but beyond that it was all a truth. He did love him and did want him. Land was nothing to him now if he could have Hephaestion. To protect him he'd loved him, taking him from the king. But at the same time he'd only brought him another kind of pain. After a moment Cassander glanced over his shoulder. He'd heard the footfalls but had only just now gotten around to looking.

"You lie to protect," Bagoas softly said. "Is that the secret of life?"

"Yes," Cassander agreed. "You lie to protect."

A/N: Hopefully this gets into the explanation of the turn of events. In the next chapter the subject will again be discussed, yet there will be more action. There will also be a confrontation between Alexander and Cassander over Hephaestion. If there are any questions, please contact me, and feel free to review.