A/N: This chapter revolves around Hephaistion, Alexander, and one other. I won't tell you who, you will have to read to find out, and Hephaistion makes a decision that will startle even those who seem most infallable.

Don't own them, never will.

Reviews always welcome.

Chapter 7

"What did he say?" I heard a faint voice behind me.

"Home?" came another.

"We're going home!" Crateros, one of the generals, shouted for all to hear.

Suddenly a loud cheer erupted all around me. I pushed myself up and smiled. Whence I settled myself again, a hand reached down and gripped me by the shoulder.

"Come, Hephaistion," I heard the voice of none other than Cassander. Cassander? I was certain the man despised me as much as Roxanne did, perhaps even more so.

"Cassander, what are you doing?" I asked as he helped me stand up. Putting my arm around his shoulder, I limped along beside him.

"I need to speak with you," he insisted.

"Me?" I asked, not knowing what he had planned. "You have your own troops, Cassander; need you consult with me over what they do?"

"No, I just want a talk," he insisted. This was indeed strange. Cassander had never before spoken to me this way. I had always been under the impression that Cassander was nearly green with… I would not call it jealousy, but rage perhaps? Over Alexander's choice for a wife. Truth be told none of us liked Roxanne, I only put on a face to make it seem like I accepted her to spare him grief.

"Ok, what about?" I sat down in the sand and inspected my leg. It was not infected, thanks to the stitching job Philip, one of our physicians, did for me.

Cassander sat down beside me. "Have you ever lain with another man, Hephaistion?"

I could feel my head jerk back in surprise. Immediately my thoughts went back to when we had been young boys, I think twelve or so, and Cassander asking if the love between Achilles and Patroclus was a corruptive one.

"Of course," I answered. He knew this, why did he bother to ask? I had lain with Alexander many a time.

"Did you love with this person?"

"I believe so…" I stuttered. Where was he getting this from? He knew I loved Alexander.

"Were you in love with him?"

"Cassander, please!" I got up, walked away about 6 paces and placed my hands upon my temples. "Why do you ask these questions of me?"

"Because I know, Hephaistion, I can see it in your face!" he answered, rather loudly, but loud enough to make me listen. "You may claim that you love this person, and that is fine, but you are not in love with him!"

Mine eyes grew wide at this accusation. How could Cassander, son of Antipator, who had never lain with a woman as of yet, know this? I was in love with Alexander…

Was I not?

"You are not in love with him," Cassander insisted, himself rising and coming over to me. Placing his hands upon my cheeks, he leaned forward and planted a kiss upon my forehead. "Grant me this one night, Hephaistion?" he asked.

Cassander had never asked this of me before, nor any other for that matter. Looking into his eyes I could see that he was serious.

I turned, and he turned with me.

When Apollo sent the sun o'r the horizon the next morn, I awoke to find myself in Cassander's arms.

I untangled myself, careful not to wake him, and poked my head outside. There, in the middle of the rows of tents, stood the King.

"How fared you last night?" he asked as I came out to speak with him.

"No less than you did, my King," I answered, moving my hand to rub the sleep out of my eye. It was then I realized that I had ne'er called Alexander 'my King'. What had happened?

"You lay with Cassander last night," he informed me, no change in his tone of voice.

"Yes I did."

"Why?" he asked of me.

My eyes grew wide. "Tell me, Alexander, why you may lay with eunuchs and I may not lay with whomever I choose?" I bit my lip to keep myself from shouting. "Why is it not appropriate for me to share my body with someone who has ne'er experienced the mere concept of loving another, when he so asked me last night?"

I saw a look in Alexander's eye I knew all too well.

Anger, rage.

"Because you belong to me…" his hand reached out to touch my cheek.

"Do not touch me!" I hissed, wrenching myself away from him. "I belong to no one."

"Turn your back on me Phai, and so help me Zeus…" his voice lowered, as if to threaten me. "You are a general in my army that my father built, with his own two hands! He gave you your station; I can relieve you of it!"

"Than do it!" I taunted. "Take it from me…" I removed the crest from my cloak and threw it in the sand. To make him all the more angry, I spat on it, to show Alexander exactly what I thought of him now.

This was the final draw. I was tired of being owned, and I would not stand for it any longer. "And you shall no longer call me Phai, but Hephaistion." I hissed. "You are no longer Alexander, but my King, and I shall address you as such."

He reached for me again, his eyes wide. Again, I turned away.

Upon my horse I climbed, steering the reins to make him move.

"I shall leave now, Your Majesty, and do not come after me, for I do not exist any longer…" I told him. Coaxing my steed, I turned him and built him into a trot.

The last image I had on India was that of Alexander, King of Macedonia, collapsing on the sand with enough tears running down his face to fill the River Nile, and Cassander emerging from the tent I had lain with him in.

Mine own.