Part XVII

His entire body felt strangely numb yet at the same time his muscles ached as though they had been held clenched for an extended period. He could think of no reason why he would feel that way and was even less concerned when Hephaestion's fingers smoothed lightly over his forehead. It did not even occur to him to question whether or not it was Hephaestion who lay pressed against his side because it would be no one else.

"You have most certainly proven your point," Hephaestion murmured against his temple. "To lose you would be to lose a part of myself and I will not subject you to that. Not while it is within my power to remain by your side."

Alexander desperately wanted to convey his relief to Hephaestion, but simply turning his head towards the warm breath against his cheek was more than he could bear. Try as he might, darkness claimed him once again.

Hephaestion arched a single brow, staring at his pointedly. "Have I ever informed you that you are entirely too reckless?"

Alexander grunted as the surgeon began to stitch the wound on his upper arm. "Not recently."

"Then perhaps I should remind you of the fact that, despite what your mother may claim, you were not actually dipped head first into the River Styx when you were an infant and that if you get into drunken brawls you will feel the effects the next day. Achilles is the only one who can get away with such things. For the time being you are still mortal so when Cassander starts up his games simply walk away."

"He was insulting you," Alexander pointed out, bringing a hand up to probe at his painfully swollen right eye. "He was calling you an Athenian whore."

Hephaestion merely shrugged his shoulders, wincing alongside Alexander when the latter pressed the tender skin a bit too firmly. "And I call him a weasel-faced hermaphrodite when the mood strikes me. What is your point?"

"You call him that?" Alexander chuckled. "To his face?"

"That is most definitely /inoti the point," Hephaestion said, the grin he was trying desperately to hide the only confirmation Alexander needed. "What you need to remember is that I am perfectly capable of defending myself. I do not need a protector. Especially not one who is a worse fighter than I am. You are liable to get both of us killed trying to defend my honor."

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For the moment Olympias was under guard in a secluded section of the palace. Arrangements had to be made to get her out of Macedon and until then Philip had to content himself with locking up his mad wife. He did not wholly believe that she had truly meant to kill Alexander, however, the fact was that she very nearly had. Whatever had transpired between mother and son and had pushed Alexander to attempting matricide. Alexander had been insensible when the guards had pulled him off Olympias and that madness had nothing to do with the snake bite.

"What if he becomes as mad as she is?"

Philip had waited until he was alone with Amyntor before voicing the question Parmenion had put to him earlier. It was not a question that he wanted the answer to, but knew that it was one that must be asked.

"Alexander has always been headstrong, but this?"

"He is young and under a great deal of strain," was the response Amyntor gave after a few minutes of contemplation. "It is the same as with that cursed soldier at the mine: Alexander acted based solely on his emotions. I doubt very much that this will be the last time such a thing happens.... Do not, however, think that to mean I find Olympias guiltless. She needs to suffer for her crimes."

"And she will," Philip was quick to assure his friend. "After today she will be neutralized."

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Try as he might, Hephaestion was having a difficult time keeping his eyes open. He wanted to stay awake until Alexander regained consciousness, but each time he closed his eyes it became harder to lift the lids once again. Eventually he admitted that it would be a losing battle and curled in close to Alexander, hoping that he would wake if he felt Alexander stir.

"Phae...."

Hephaestion tried to open his eyes, but when that failed he pressed his face into Alexander's neck. "You are an idiot."

"Wha' 'appened?" Alexander grunted, his head turning enough so that his chin bumped into Hephaestion's forehead.

"You got yourself bit by one of your mother's foul snakes," Hephaestion yawned, managing to crack a single eye open. When he could see only the blurry outline of the edge of Alexander's nose he shut his eye. "Apparently you attacked her while she was holding one."

Alexander was silent, the stubble on his chin scratching against Hephaestion's forehead as he shook his head slightly. "I wanted to bring back the Iliad."

Hephaestion had no idea how Alexander had gone from wanting to fetch a copy of the Iliad to trying to strangle his mother and could not find the energy to puzzle it out either. It would simply have to wait until they were both more aware.

"Didn' mean t' break my promise," Alexander mumbled a short while later.

On the verge of sleep himself, Hephaestion squeezed Alexander's middle. "I know."

"What were you thinking letting me ramble on like that when your leg was cut open?"

Hephaestion shifted his leg experimentally to test the give in the stitches. Exhausted as he had to have been, the physician had done a good job sewing the wound shut. Hephaestion had not thought much about the wound himself and so had waved off several surgeons who had wanted to tend to him, sending them to take care of other more seriously injured soldiers. Unfortunately, he could not do the same to Alexander.

"I did not think that it was quite so bad. Xanthus looked like he had the worst of it."

The stern expression on Alexander's face was made less by the way he was fussing over Hephaestion. "It cut nearly to the bone."

"You are exaggerating," Hephaestion snorted. He then winced as he pressed his heel into the ground too hard, tightening muscles that would rather have remained lax. Within the confines of his own tent, Hephaestion knew that he did not have to be quite so stoic, but in the end it was simply easier. Alexander would not worry so much and instead celebrate his amazing victory. At eighteen he had defeated the Sacred Band. With such a feat completed so early, Hephaestion knew that there could only be greatness to follow.

"And you are a terrible liar."

It was the sound of pitiful moans that roused Hephaestion from his sleep. As he became more aware he could feel Alexander twisting about in his arms. Awake instantly, Hephaestion clambered over Alexander towards the bedstand where Philip had left the medicine. He sat back on his heels, unstoppering the phial while Alexander fumbled weakly at his chiton.

"Easy love," Hephaestion murmured, levering Alexander's shoulder up so that he could swallow the medicine. Alexander was convulsing, looking as though he were about to vomit, but Hephaestion managed to get the medicine down his throat. Slowly the tremors eased and Hephaestion gathered Alexander up in his arms, holding him close. "Just relax. I have you."

"Just relax. I have you."

Alexander sunk gratefully into Hephaestion's chest. The flames slowly appeared to be fading from his muscles and he could rest more easily once again. Alexander was not entirely sure what had occurred, but was relieved that it had ended so quickly. It had felt as though his body were trying to consume itself.

"I think that was the worst of it," Hephaestion said quietly, fingers blessedly cool against his cheeks and forehead. "Philip said that your stomach might attempt to revolt against the venom."

The most Alexander could manage then was something halfway resembling a grunt. A moment later he could feel bile rising in his throat and desperately scanned about for something to empty his stomach into. He was saved the embarrassment of vomiting all over himself when Hephaestion placed a bowl in front of him. It was mostly just phlegmy bile that came up, but it burned horribly, making his eyes water. Alexander could only imagine the pathetic sight he made then.

"We are certainly a pathetic pair," Hephaestion chuckled as he stretched out alongside him once again. His movements were slow and careful and Alexander could not be sure if it was because of Hephaestion's own injuries or concern for his uneasy stomach. "Leonidas would throw a fit to see us now, coddling each other in your massive bed."

"Can go hang 'imself," Alexander grumbled, attempting to crack his eyes open marginally. "Stingy bastard."

Hephaestion chuckled quietly and drew Alexander against his chest. In the utter silence of the room, Alexander was fairly certain that he could feel Hephaestion's heart beating beneath his ear. A steady thump that slowly began to ease him back into sleep.

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The rooms she had been shut up in were all together too small and confining. She most certainly did not deserve to be locked up like a criminal within her own palace. Alexander had simply reacted a little too rashly and had been bitten as a consequence. Olympias would have never knowingly placed her darling son in danger. The boy had been around snakes his entire life, but had momentarily forgotten himself. Her Alexander would tell that fool Philip as much when he awoke. Hopefully by then he would also be over his lunacy regarding Amyntor's boy. There was no reason for the little Athenian harlot to hold such sway over her son. Her little Achilles could have any match he chose so there was no need for him to bind himself to a gutter whore. Soon enough he would see the error of his ways.

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"Just so that you are aware, you are both utterly mad."

Had he not been so famished, Hephaestion would have tossed the hunk of bread he was holding at Seleucus. Instead he dunked it into the pot of olive oil and rosemary, grinning as Nearchus hit him between the eyes with a grape.

"You had better watch who you call mad, boy, because there are stories that I could tell about you," Nearchus warned, rolling his eyes when Seleucus plucked the grape off his lip and ate it. "Speaking of which, how is Helena? Has she birthed the foal yet?"

That time it was Seleucus who smirked at Nearchus. "While we were away. The groom and I both agree that the colt is the spitting image of you."

"It's the goat that Seleucus impregnated," Perdiccas added helpfully.

"While you were rutting among the chickens."

It was not even midday yet they all sounded thoroughly drunk to Hephaestion. It would not have surprised him if that was the case. Their antics certainly made for interesting entertainment. Alexander himself looked equally amused, a slight smile tilting his lips. Though still feeling out of sorts, Alexander certainly looked better. His skin was no longer a sickly pale and though he still felt nauseous, he had not vomited since the night before.

From his seat across the room, Ptolemy shook his head. "How it is that you lot have managed to survive this long is an utter mystery to me."

"I am more impressed with the fact that they have bedded something even remotely resembling a female," Cleitus added, smirking in their direction.

Though nothing had been stated outright, it was obvious that Cleitus was acting as a bodyguard to ensure that no further mishap occurred before they left for Mieza. He had arrived around sunset the day before and had not left since. Hephaestion himself rarely strayed more than an arm's length away from Alexander. The rest had arrived roughly an hour before bearing food and wine, intending to distract him and Alexander. It seemed to be working well enough for which Hephaestion was grateful.

"You look tired," Hephaestion murmured, nudging his nose against Alexander's cheek.

Alexander smiled softly, discomfort evident in his strained features. "No more than I imagine you do."

Ignoring the others in the room, Hephaestion instead simply relaxed into the soft bedding and into Alexander. All that he wanted to do was forget the rest of the world. He wanted to rest. Hephaestion felt so utterly exhausted as he wanted nothing more than to be able to relax; to simply be. And he was so very close to it, too. Olympias was too near for him to let his guard down fully. She had nearly killed Alexander and until she was gone from Macedon, Hephaestion knew that he would not feel safe.

"Do you think if we stop talking they will go away?"

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He awoke slowly, his body no longer aching quite so much when he did. He still felt out of sorts, but it was much more bearable now. Slowly blinking his eyes open, he glanced over to where Hephaestion was sleeping soundly next to him.

"He was blinking like a wee babe so I wondered what would happen if I just stopped talking," Ptolemy said quietly from the other side of the room. "Sure enough, a minute later he was out."

Alexander stared at Hephaestion's face, lips pursing when he noticed lines that had not been there before. Hephaestion was just utterly exhausted. He did not sleep much, did not eat much, and, in fact, had gained back only a little of the weight he had lost in the mines. Alexander had not given it as much thought as he had simply keeping Hephaestion alive. He had done what he could to care for his love while they were in Illyria and then on the road back to Pella, relieved with each new dawn that Hephaestion awoke to see. Now that it was obvious that Hephaestion was not in immediate danger of dying on his own, Alexander intended to work on getting him healthy again.

"I worry about him," Alexander said quietly, glancing briefly towards Ptolemy before turning his attention back to Hephaestion. "I worry that he will never be my Hephaestion again."

Ptolemy bobbed his head slightly. "He has changed in the past few months, no mistake, but then so have you. A month ago I would never have thought you capable of killing your mother."

Alexander's hand did not still in petting Hephaestion's unruly hair. "She told me that she had done all of this to Hephaestion because she thinks he is a distraction. She wants me to have a whole litter of sons waiting when my father dies and sees Hephaestion as a hindrance to that. She tried to have him killed because I am not interested in fathering sons right now. And being without Hephaestion would certainly not make me willing to drown my sorrows in a marriage bed I had no desire to make. Had Hephaestion not been taken, my only concern would be getting to Persia with my father. I still want that, but for now it is a secondary concern. Hephaestion is first."

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Watching the princeling and his whore, he could not help but marvel at how easy it would be to kill them both. He had gained access to the room with incredible ease and their so-called bodyguard was snoring away on the chair.

So very easy indeed to clear the way to the throne.