Author: Baliansword
Chapter: 11, "Divisions"
A/N: We are back on track! Thank you so much everyone for your support, and continued reading, as well as reviews. Queendel, your answers will be found. Mlygia, the answer to the mention of Kasir comes in this chapter. I'm glad that you find him interesting! Queen, I'll go ahead and email you some info, and webs, about the questions you sent me for the prior chapter. With that, here we go….
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Kasir's PoV-There is nothing visibly different about him as he sulks away down the hall. I'm not sure what has gone on between him and our king, but as always, it is the beautiful blue eyed one that leaves. He is like a small dog, when kicked he runs, his tail between his legs. It is the only analogy that suits the situation. I continue my strides though as if I did not see him at all. Alexander will be at some meeting with Ptolemy, whom I begin to think less and less of, and even worse than that he'll be with Nearchus as well. It can mean only one thing, these circumstances, that Hephaestion will be attending to other business. Since we have just begun to settle in this means that without a doubt he'll go over the inventory of the army supplies. Such a wonder, managing to get everything done, running the army where Alexander cannot.
At the moment he is going to go change. It is not hard to figure him out, for at times like these he is rather predictable. I continue my route, finding my way to Cassander's rooms. Perhaps I should have knocked when I came to his door but I did not. Instead, entering in a moderate rush, I walk in on a scene all to familiar. Cassander sighs, or perhaps it is some sort of panting, but rolls off of the Persian concubine he's been pleasuring himself with. She doesn't seem to mind. Maybe she too is used to interruptions like these, for I'm sure Darius had business as well. Cassander just lies there, staring up, and I glare slightly at the concubine as she passes me. Cassander pulls the sheet over himself but continues to breathe heavily, then glances over at me, damp hair covering a cheek.
"Hephaestion is preparing to do inventory," I tell him, voice flat, as I pull out a chair. I sit and look away out of courtesy as Cassander stands. He begins to pull on a chiton. Honestly I cannot manage to keep my eyes off of him this long. I steal a quick glance, staring at the sweat dripping on his back, the curve where his buttocks meet his thighs. However I look away before he notices that I am infatuated with him.
"How do you know," he asks me, as he always does. He is kind as if he fears that angering me could ruin our friendship. It would not. His anger has always been kept under control around me, but I've seen him angry with others, and it causes others to fear him. I, on the other hand, wish we could fight for a few moments. He continues to dress and I glance down at my hand, inspecting a cut on a finger, and I try to remember where I got it. Quickly I loose interest in that though.
"I do," is all that I say. He knows me. There are too many people in the world that use too many words. If you can justify your intentions with fewer, then do so. Wasting time that belongs to those that painstakingly listen to you only pisses them off. I hate listening to those that speak too much. So I make up for the time by making sure I offer in my answers only what is needed. Cassander understands this. Others think me arrogant.
"What about Miskaelah?"
"She's proven useful," I answer. Cassander stops, finished dressing, and he turns to look at me. For the first time he seems to notice that I perhaps and slightly frustrated with him. I cannot deny it. I do not enjoy walking in on him whilst he is in the middle of an escapade with another. I've all too often thought of myself being wrapped in his arms, in such a warm embrace, tangled with him as he is with others. Never does it happen but I remain strong, even though my voice betrays me, for my emotions come from my little words.
"What is wrong," he asks. He knows now, for he comes and kneels before me. I look up, over his head, but he lifts a hand to touch my cheek. It causes me to look down, as he wants, and he smiles for a moment. He wraps a hand in my hair and brings my forehead to his. Whispering to me I feel his breath upon my skin, tingling. "I have explained this to you before. There will come a day."
"I know," I say as I stand. I move away from him, not wishing to speak to him. Of course we have had such a talk before. He continues to tell me that it is not me that he rejects. He wants to be mine, likely not as much as I want to be his, but at least there are some mutual feelings. However, he does not believe that the time is right. What that means I shall never know I fear. With the constant battles, and all the other chaos in this world, by the time he makes up his mind I could likely be dead. I leave him, not knowing what he is thinking, and decide that it would be a wonderful day to go meander around wherever Hephaestion is likely to go.
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Hephaestion cast a glance over his shoulder as Kasir approached. There was something about the imaging of this man that took him aback each time he saw him. However, of everything, it was the way that the sun hit his hair and seemed to reflect to his eyes, which became a wonder to him. He had the sleekest, and blackest hair, but in the sun it seemed lighter. The rays that hit his hair lightened his face though, brining out those emerald eyes, which were deep and held a thousand secrets he knew. Kasir stopped beside him, crossing his arms immediately as he did so, and just watched as Hephaestion sent a few others to work. Hephaestion noticed, from his profile, that his lips were full and lush.
"Are you here on Cassander's business or your own," Hephaestion asked as he quickly wrote down a few quick pieces of information. He folded the parchment upon which he wrote and sent it with a scribe away. Kasir just watched, wondering what it would take to get him to be his, if only for once. Hephaestion brought his eyes to meet Kasir's, wondering if he'd said something wrong. Of course he had. He'd been harsh when Kasir had nothing to do with his current bout of anger. Or was it betrayal?
"My own," Kasir answered. He had not truly noticed Hephaestion's anger, was aware of it slightly, but knew it was not aimed at him. Kasir picked up a broken sword and studied it for a moment. Blades that broke had become a problem as of late. Some said that perhaps the Persians had blades of a different metal, which cut through all others, and especially through men. Kasir had seen Persian blades up close though. They were no different from those from Macedonia. Both killed, and both would eventually bend and break. It just so happened that the Macedonian blades somehow tended to do it sooner.
"I came," he continued, "to ask you how you enjoyed Cassander."
That was all that needed to be said. Hephaestion turned his head so quickly it was amazing that it did not fall off. Kasir tossed the blade down upon the table and picked up another blade. The same problem with this one. He noted though that this blade appeared to be broken at the same spot. Hephaestion still stared at him though, nostrils about to flare, hands gripping tighter to each other.
"Don't worry," Kasir continued. "I have not said a word and nor shall I. Merely I wanted to know your opinion of him as a lover."
"I thought you would know," Hephaestion said, in a playful tone, which made even Kasir shrug. Kasir then glanced over at him and put the blade down. Hephaestion nodded, "They are all broken the same. Air in the blade."
"I wonder, if something were to happen to you, would Alexander ever know how to lead?"
There was silence. Hephaestion only nodded after a moment. In truth he did not know. It was clear to him that he was the one that made sure most tasks got completed. Inventory was one of them. However, honestly, he was not sure what Alexander would be able to do without him. Kasir did not seem to mind his pause though. Instead he put a hand over Hephaestion, then glanced at him in a way that Hephaestion alone was to understand, and he then walked away. Hephaestion watched him go, wondering if he'd let himself give into passion once more.