Part XVI

Alexander and Hephaestion rode side by side as they entered Pella later that afternoon. It had only been a few weeks since he had left, but after all that had occurred, the place where he had grown up seemed utterly foreign to him.

For the moment, Alexander had no intention of returning to the palace. He would stay in the barracks with Hephaestion because he could not trust how he would react at the sight of his mother. The mere thought of her made his body tense with rage. That she could do something so vile to Hephaestion was still inconceivable to him, but he knew that she had done it. Hephaestion would not lie about such things and had in fact gone to great lengths to keep it secret. Hephaestion would have killed himself to prevent Alexander from knowing the truth about his mother.

There was certainly no mistaking the fact that he and Hephaestion were under guard when they entered the city. For much of the ride that day they had been alone, but as they had reached the outskirts of Pella, Ptolemy, Leonnatus, Seleucus, Perdiccas, Nearchus, and Harpalus had moved up to surround them. The six men said nothing, but their intentions were obvious. As a unit, they steered Alexander and Hephaestion towards the barracks and away form the main procession which was escorting Philip to the palace where he had nearly two weeks of business to catch up on.

Surrounded as they were, Alexander could clearly see the confused expressions on the faces of the members of the Vanguard who had remained behind. No doubt rumors of what had happened in Illyria had reached Pella, but there would not have been time for rumors of Alexander's own appearance to reach the city. But Alexander did not shy away from it. Instead, he sat up straighter, daring any to mock either of their appearances. Those that spoke ill of Hephaestion would most certainly come to regret it.

"Ahhh, home at last," Seleucus sighed dramatically as they reigned in front of the stables. "No more sleeping under the stars for me. A nice warm bed."

"And hopefully a nice warm girl," Leonnatus added, sliding from his mount's back. "It seems a lifetime since I last saw Antigone."

"It must have been because she was warming my bed when we left," Ptolemy poke up. "Though I do not recall her ever mentioning you."

While their friends bickered about their lovers, Alexander helped Hephaestion dismount Xanthus. His assistance amounted to little more than holding a hand out in case he was in need of support when Hephaestion slid to the ground. Hephaestion stumbled briefly, but managed to keep to his feet by grabbing hold of Xanthus' powerful neck.

"Perhaps I should have listened to the doctor and gone in a litter," Hephaestion chuckled as he drew himself back up to his full height.

Alexander shook his head, sliding a hand up Hephaestion's arm to grip his shoulder. "You would have hated every minute of it and been complaining the entire journey back."

Even as he spoke the words, Alexander knew that Hephaestion would not have offered up a single complaint. Hephaestion bore all discomforts silently and even when asked about them directly tried to make them seem less than they were. He would continue on past exhaustion if Alexander allowed him. So he would not. That night they would rest and provided Hephaestion was fit tomorrow they would continue on to Mieza with only a few friends that Alexander trusted.

Alexander hoped that they would not stay in Pella more than a day because he did not want to break his promise to Hephaestion.

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Amyntor's brat was not supposed to have returned from Illyria. He was supposed to be dead. Yet not only had he survived the Illyrian mine, but he had returned to Pella riding alongside her son. Her golden Achilles was far too sentimental. He should have banished the Athenian from his thoughts and from his bed. Instead he was coddling a thing that was no longer worthy to be in his presence. The Athenian brat had been the plaything of the vilest sorts of men. Not only paid mercenaries, but common slaves. He was no longer even fit to stand beside her son let alone remain his cosseted lover.

However, she was not one to be thwarted. The whore would meet his end soon enough; before he could corrupt her beloved son any further. He was standing in the way of her little Achilles' destiny. So long as he continued to draw breath, Alexander would never marry and never father legitimate sons to carry on his legacy.

Now that they had returned to Pella, she could ensure that the Athenian whore was finally killed.

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The small window in Hephaestion's quarters did not offer much light, but once Alexander had lit the lamps it was cozy enough. They certainly would not need much like right then because Hephaestion had no intention of doing anything outside of sleeping. Much as he loathed to admit it, the days of travel on horseback had exhausted him. If it were at all possible he would sleep out the month.

"My father intends to replace all of the possessions that were taken from you," Alexander said as he glanced about the bare room.

"There is not much that was taken," Hephaestion yawned, blinking slowly in hopes of keeping his eyes open longer. "Clothes, a few scrolls, my armour, sword... all of those can be replaced. Though I am relieved that I decided against packing my copy of The Myrmidons. I would have hated to lose that."

Alexander slowly arched a brow, crossing the room so that he could slide into the bed alongside Hephaestion. "Why? That thing is a crumpled mess and on longer even rolls properly."

"That is because you fell asleep on it," Hephaestion murmured, shifting about so that he was on his side facing Alexander. "That afternoon at Mieza when you first gave me the medallion. It was what I was reading when you and the brute found me. Afterwards, however, you mistook it for a pillow."

Alexander said nothing to that, but reached out to finger the medallion that rested on the blankets between them, the cord still fastened about Hephaestion's neck.

Sunlight dappled off of Alexander's damp skin, creating intricate patterns as the leaves shifted about in a breeze. Hephaestion could only watch and marvel at the sight of him. Alexander looked like a slumbering god, like Achilles himself. He was lying half-curled on his side, one hand tangled about the longer strands of Hephaestion's hair, the other flung above his head. Alexander's hair was as twisted and wild as a lion's mane and the only thing he wore was a medallion carved with the images of Achilles and Patroclus. Identical to the one Hephaestion wore.

As his eyes began to drift shut, Hephaestion could not help but smile when he noticed the scroll he had been reading half stuck out of the balled up chiton Alexander was using as a pillow.

Blinking his eyes open, Hephaestion could not help but feel startled when instead of seeing Alexander resting beside him, he saw instead his father sitting upon a stool.

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Meeting with his father was the last thing Alexander wanted to do then, but he had been informed by Amyntor that it was expected of him if he meant to leave for Mieza the following day. The sole concern of both men was security, more specifically ensuring that Hephaestion was kept safe. Nothing would be left up to chance. There would be guards watching all possible access routes to the sanctuary and the only ones allowed within were people that Alexander specifically invited.

Still, Alexander wished that he had not been forced to leave Hephaestion while he still slept. He did not want Hephaestion to wake without him there, but the other man had been resting so peacefully that Alexander had been unwilling to wake him.

"Go on back," Philip grumbled, slumping back into his chair. "Your mind is with him anyway. We will finish this in the morning before you depart."

Alexander bowed his head respectively then hurried from his father's rooms. The half-hour he had been away was already too long and even though he knew Hephaestion would be perfectly safe in Amyntor's care, he did not want to leave him for long.

Wanting to retrieve his copy of iThe Iliad/i, though, forced Alexander to pass by his mother's rooms. And while he had no intention of confronting his mother then—he could not and keep his promise to Hephaestion –when he heard her singing, Alexander found that he could not take another step.

".... Trust the ones who give you love. Life has just begun, son...."

Alexander was in motion before he was even fully aware of his own intent. He shoved open the door and stalked into his mother's rooms, screaming for all the attendants to get out. His mother would not carry on as though she had not just attempted to have Hephaestion murdered. She had not even meant to give Hephaestion the honor of a clean death.

"You vile, snake-spawned witch! How could you do this?" Alexander raged as he stormed towards the balcony where his mother stood, snake coiled about her arm. "What crime has Hephaestion ever committed that you would do such a thing to him?"

Olympias' brows knit together, showing her displeasure. "You would accuse me of such a thing? Me, who has always had your best interests at heart?"

"My best interests? You tried to murder the other half of my very soul and would have murdered me as well. You could not have thought that such a thing would remain hidden for long."

Alexander watched his mother, waiting for some sign that would show her innocence. The slight twisting of her lips and the way she stroked the snake in her arms told a vastly different story. She was far too pleased with herself to not have played any role in Hephaestion's ordeal.

"You did it," Alexander gasped, the words nearly choking him.

"He made you weak. A king does not lower himself to anyone," Olympias spat out, leaving the balcony to slither across to the bed. "That Athenian whore made you weak. You are of Achilles' blood and should never—"

Every ounce of anger and rage that was in Alexander poured from him in a single scream. There were no words for it, everything tumbled out of him in that one sound. Alexander was not even aware of his own actions as he flew across the room, pinning his mother to her bed with his hands about her throat. He felt the bite of the snake, but did not care. For what she had done she would not continue to draw breath.

"Die, harpy! Sorceress!" Alexander screamed, his fingers tightening. "You will no longer poison another soul!"

Hands were on him then, hauling him off of Olympias. Hard as he tried to fight, though, he could not pull away from them.

"You birthed me in a sack of hate, you monster! I will kill you for what you did to him!"

The world around him was beginning to lose focus and though he struggled against it, in the end the darkness won out.

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Try as he might, Hephaestion could not fall back to sleep. His mind simply would not stop creating all sorts of horrid scenarios that could be taking place in the palace. Alexander had simply been gone too long and no matter how much his father tried to assure him that Alexander was with the king, Hephaestion could not help but worry.

"You need to rest, Hephaestion," his father implored, leaning forward with his elbows resting against his knees. "You will be on horseback again tomorrow and need your strength."

Hephaestion wearily scrubbed a hand over his face. "Alexander has been gone too long. Thorough as he and the king are, he should have returned by now."

Hephaestion lay still for a few seconds longer before rolling towards the opposite side of the bed and then to his feet. He stayed in a half-crouched position, hand on the bed to steady himself, then rose to his full height. Immediately his father was around the bed, reaching a hand out towards him when he wavered slightly. Hephaestion waved him off, closing his eyes briefly to stave off the momentary wave of dizziness.

"Stop right there," Amyntor ordered when Hephaestion began to move towards the door. "You are a fool if you think you are going anywhere near the palace."

"Something is wrong," Hephaestion insisted, attempting to step around his father. Amyntor merely followed the movement to halt his progress once again. "Please, Father, I need to see Alexander."

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It did not surprise Philip when Hephaestion rushed into Alexander's rooms before he could send someone to fetch the boy. The lad was pale as could be and looked utterly exhausted, but there was no mistaking the fire in his eyes. Without saying a word, Hephaestion made straight for the bed where Alexander was being tended. He silently climbed onto the bed and shifted over so that he was lying pressed against Alexander's side. Alexander was sweating and twitching, a result of the snake bite, but he moaned pitifully and turned his head towards Hephaestion when the other boy brushed a hand over his forehead.

"He was supposed to be heading back to the barracks," Philip said when Amyntor came to stand beside him. "His mind was on nothing except Hephaestion. Then one of the servant girls heard him scream...."

The physician finished with Alexander then, said something quiet to Hephaestion before stepping away from the bed. Hephaestion immediately gathered Alexander up in his arms, holding him close as the other boy continued to tremble and shake.

"The venom was not lethal, but I daresay the prince will be bedridden for a few days," the physician said as he approached. "I have left a drink that will help to settle his stomach should the need arise."

Philip nodded his head, squeezing the physician's shoulder as he walked past. There was nothing that he could think of to say; things were simply spiraling out of control. Olympias was becoming uncontrollable. Philip had worried when she had tried to have Hephaestion killed, but now the victim was he own son. Olympias most definitely needed to be removed before she had a chance to succeed.

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Even asleep Alexander's body continued to shudder. Hephaestion knew that it was not from any type of chill, but he still held Alexander close, hoping that proximity would ease his trembling. No matter how hard he tried, he could not comprehend the fact that Olympias had attempted to kill Alexander. She had always done everything for Alexander's sake and it made no sense for her to try and end his life. Yet that was exactly what she had done.

Hephaestion had been relieved when Philip said that the snake was not overly venomous. That there were likely much more deadly snakes in her keeping. Hephaestion wished that he could believe Alexander's purposely ending up in Olympias' rooms had been unintentional, but he simply could not. Alexander was entirely too volatile and would have been quick to confront his mother if provoked.

"What were you doing in those rooms?" Hephaestion murmured against Alexander's temple.

There was no answer, and Hephaestion had not expected one. He was simply relieved that it was not one of Olympias' more deadly snakes that had attacked Alexander. In that moment when he had first seen Alexander lying twitching on the bed, he had been unable to stop his fears from taking over. He had been unable to think of anything except the fact that he could very well be watching Alexander die and cursed himself for wanting to do the same thing to his beloved. Those few seconds had been utterly terrifying, but they were finished and he had been assured that Alexander would recover. Hephaestion had not intended to leave Alexander the same assurances.

"You will not loose me," Hephaestion murmured into what remained of Alexander's hair. "Only, I beg you, do not let me loose you."