Part XVIII
Hephaestion was not entirely sure what woke him. He knew that he was awake because he could hear Alexander's soft snores and Ptolemy's even louder ones. Not hearing anything else in the room, Hephaestion was already beginning to drift off to sleep again when he heard a breath taken out of sync with the rest of theirs. After that, Hephaestion lay perfectly tense, breathing regularly while he strained to hear further sounds from the intruder. For a long while there was nothing and Hephaestion nearly managed to convince himself that he had merely been hearing things. Then there was the soft padding of footsteps.
Focusing on the sound, Hephaestion rolled off the bed and lunged towards it. He caught the body around the middle and they both crashed to the ground in a heap of tangled limbs. Something sharp grazed his arm, but Hephaestion paid it no mind, intent upon subduing the man who had tried to harm Alexander.
"Hephaestion!"
Someone was dragging him off the other man, but Hephaestion continued to lash out. He could not allow the man to try and sneak away. There were muffled shouts all around him, only Hephaestion could not make out the words that were spoken. He was passed off to someone else then and only stopped struggling when he heard Alexander's voice in his ear.
"Calm down, Phae, it is me," Alexander murmured in his ear, arms tight about his chest. "Ptolemy has him. It is over."
In the dim moonlight, Hephaestion could see Ptolemy pinning a second man to the ground. Hephaestion struggled out of Alexander's arms, reaching for the bedside lamp to cast more light in the room. It took two strikes of the flint to get a spark going and Hephaestion immediately applied it to the wick, chasing away the darkness. As soon as he could see, Hephaestion grabbed up the nearest blade.
"Get off me!"
Even as Ptolemy climbed off the no longer struggling body beneath him, Hephaestion did not lower the blade He kept the tip of the knife pointed at the intruder even after the man turned over and reveled his identity.
"Hera's sagging tits, man! What is going on in your head?" Ptolemy spat, climbing to his feet without offering a hand.
"My head? That madman attacked me!"
"What do you expect when you go sneaking about in the dark? Show some sense, Cassander. What are you even doing here?"
Tense as he was, Hephaestion did not start when he felt a hand on his shoulder. The threat was before him and the only one behind him was Alexander. And even though he knew that it was Alexander trying to coax the knife from his grasp, he found it difficult to uncurl his fingers.
"You can relax now, it is only Cassander," Alexander whispered against his temple. "Let go of the knife."
On the next tug, Hephaestion reluctantly released the blade.
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Ptolemy climbed slowly to his feet, shaking his head in disbelief. "Hera's sagging tits, man! What is going on in your head?"
From the floor, Cassander glared up at him. "My head? That madman attacked me!"
"What do you expect when you go sneaking about in the dark?" Ptolemy raked his fingers through his hair, finding it difficult to comprehend what had just happened. "Show some sense, Cassander. What are you even doing here?"
Features still twisted in annoyance, Cassander clambered to his feet. "Nearchus said that you had been here all day so I came to see if you wanted a break. Had I known I would be attacked I would have stayed in the hall drinking. Has Hephaestion taken total leave of his senses?"
"You came creeping in when we were all asleep, Cassander. Had you woken me I would have attacked too," Ptolemy chastised the younger man. He paused then, noticing for the first time the bloodied knife with a smear of blood on it. "You came in armed?"
"No, I pulled it out when I was tackled to the ground," Cassander sneered, leaning over to snatch up the short knife. "I was trying to defend myself."
"Against an unarmed man?"
"I did not know he was unarmed."
"Then for Zeus' sake bring a light next time."
Leaving Cassander to sulk, Ptolemy crossed to where Alexander and Hephaestion stood, the latter's body still rigid with fear. Alexander was slowly trying to draw Hephaestion back towards the bed, but it was as though he were trying to move a stone block for all the response he was getting.
Ptolemy stood directly in front of Hephaestion and placed one hand on his cheek, the other on his shoulder. Hephaestion seemed to be looking without truly seeing so Ptolemy gave him a shake to get his attention. Those wild blue eyes widened momentarily before focusing on him. Ptolemy held Hephaestion's gaze for a minute to ensure he had the other man's attention.
"You did good, Hephaestion," he said slowly, a slight smile tilting his lips upwards. "This time it was Cassander, but it may not have been a friend. Now go sit so that Alexander can see to that cut on your arm."
Alexander made a startled sound and immediately tugged Hephaestion to the bed, willing or no. Knowing that Hephaestion would be in good hands, Ptolemy turned back to Cassander, intent on imparting a few more harsh words, only Cassander was no longer there.
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Hephaestion was tense as a bowstring, his whole body practically vibrating. Whatever his intentions had been, Alexander spared a few foul thoughts for Cassander; cursing him for destroying the brief peace Hephaestion had found.
"Come now, love, sit down," Alexander murmured, placing his hands on Hephaestion's shoulders to gently push him onto the bed. "Let me see your arm."
Hephaestion's eyes flashed confusion for a brief moment before glancing down at his left arm. He seemed surprised by the bleeding cut there. "I barely felt it."
"It is finished now."
To that Hephaestion merely grunted. He seemed to not be fully aware of what was going on around him and that worried Alexander. The attack itself worried him as well. Cassander had drawn a knife when he had to have known that there were only three people in the room, two of them injured. There had been no reason for him to draw the knife because he should not have needed it to stop Hephaestion. At the moment, Hephaestion did not have the strength to pose a serious threat in a physical attack. Cassander should have been able to subdue him without a weapon.
"I do not trust that boy," Ptolemy grumbled slumping down next to Hephaestion on the bed. "There was something odd about the way he was acting. Cassander has never done a selfless thing in his life."
"He did not come here to relieve Ptolemy."
Clarity had returned to Hephaestion's eyes, glancing down at his arm where Alexander was dabbing blood away from the wound. With his free hand, Hephaestion scrubbed a hand over his face.
"He was skulking about and was already halfway to the bed when I got to him."
Sitting back on his heels, Alexander chewed on his bottom lip. While he did not doubt Hephaestion's words, he had a difficult time comprehending them. Cassander was not someone Alexander would have considered reckless. Yet what Hephaestion had seen and the fact that he had had a knife drawn told a very different story.
"I will go speak with the guards," Ptolemy announced, pushing himself up from the bed. "You two stay in here."
"We are not children to be coddled," Hephaestion immediately began to protest. He tried to rise from the bed only to be stopped by Ptolemy's hand on his shoulder.
"This is not coddling. This is me doing what I can to protect you. Please let me do that since I could not before."
Hephaestion seemed to relax at that, some of the fire that consumed him dimming. A moment later he all but sagged, exhaustion finally catching up with him. Alexander was relieved that it was exhaustion and not injury that was slowing Hephaestion down. Slow as the process seemed to be, Hephaestion was recovering.
"By morning Cassander will be whining to his father so we had best sleep now while we can," Alexander said quietly, brushing the back of his fingers against the corner of Hephaestion's jaw. Hephaestion leaned into his touch, his eyes sliding closed. "Whatever Cassander is plotting, you will not be harmed."
Grunting quietly, Hephaestion allowed Alexander to coax him back against the headboard. Crossing to the other side of the bed, Alexander climbed in as well. Hephaestion rolled onto his side and into Alexander's arms as soon as he was close enough.
"Soon we will be in Mieza and this will all just start to become a bad dream."
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Pacing the too-small confines of his room, Cassander raked his fingers through his hair and wondered just what madness had overtaken him. That he should try to kill either Alexander or Hephaestion was utter lunacy. Yet that was exactly what he had done. The knife had been in his hand and he would have plunged it into the nearest body had Hephaestion not tackled him to the ground.
Eyeing the wine glass sitting on the other side of the room, Cassander scowled and vowed to drink his wine more mixed at the next banquet.
It took until mid-morning for the sun to rise high enough to shine into Hephaestion's eyes. Grunting, he turned his face into the pillow, not yet ready to be awake. It felt as though he had closed his eyes only a moment ago. Beside him, Alexander was still snoring quietly, the sun not having woken him. Hephaestion would have been content to sleep the entire day. Never having to move again also seemed a worthwhile fate. Only Alexander made a snuffling sound then, a sure sign that he was waking.
Turning his head to the slide slightly, Hephaestion watched Alexander's eyes flutter slowly open. Those wide gray eyes were out of focus for a moment before they softened noticeably at the edges. Hephaestion quirked the left corner of his lips in a brief smile and wiggled his fingers briefly against Alexander's stomach, the digits twisting about the whispy dark blonde hair below his navel. In retaliation, Alexander's toes slid along his shin before curving around his ankle.
Hephaestion sighed deeply, his eyes closing as he simply enjoyed this interlude of peace. He desperately wanted to believe Ptolemy when he said that they were safe in Alexander's rooms. It was calm for the moment and he did not want that to end. Eyes still shut, Hephaestion leaned in closer so that his face rested alongside Alexander's, nuzzling his nose against the smaller man's cheek. And though he could not see him right then, Hephaestion knew that Alexander was relaxed as well. He could feel it in every line of Alexander's body where their flesh touched. There was no tension in his body, no stiffness from lingering illness.
Alexander leaned into him the rest of the way, lips moving against the bridge of Hephaestion's nose. He could tell that Alexander was saying something the way his lips were moving, but could not hear the words. The new position made it awkward to keep his hand below Alexander's navel so he moved it up around his hip, fingertips ghosting along his side. Alexander shuddered briefly, his own leg wrapping around Hephaestion's, holding them trapped. The only thing that kept the tension out of Hephaestion's body was the fact that he could still move his arms. He was not entirely trapped. Equally calming was the fact that it was Alexander's naked flesh that was pressed against his. Warm and smooth with familiar scars and an even more familiar scent.
Alexander's fingers tickling over the small of his back were enough to relax him completely, easing him back into sleep whether he wanted to or not.
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Emissaries had been sent to Epirus, to Olympias' brother. Philip was offering Alexander of Epirus the hand his daughter Cleopatra in exchange for taking over guardianship of Macedon's mad queen. It would still be another year or so until Cleopatra was of a proper age to marry which would give Philip time to judge whether the Epirot king was keeping up his end of the bargain. It would take time to find out his response, but it would only be a day or so more until Alexander and Hephaestion were safely on their way to Mieza.
"Do you think the Epirot will keep his word?" Parmenion asked while he, Philip, Amyntor and Antipater dined privately in Philip's rooms. "She is his sister, after all."
Philip drank deeply from his cup, considering the question. "There is no love lost between them. Olympias was headstrong and domineering long before our son was born. I would not be surprised if he took a perverse pleasure in locking her away."
"When she goes, I would be among her escort," Amyntor announced immediately. "I want to be sure that she is locked away and can no longer pose a threat to my son."
"She will never again set foot in Macedon," Philip ground out, holding Amyntor's gaze for a long minute. "Both our boys will be safe from her madness."
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Halfway through their second day lounging about in bed, Alexander was more than ready to be about. The only thing that stopped him was that when he did try to get out of bed he instantly felt light-headed and had to sit again. Fear had given him the strength to stay on his feet the night before, but now that they were all safe, that rush had left him. Even so, he felt stronger than he had the day before and the next day they would be bound for Mieza, both his father and the physician had confirmed it. Alexander could not wait to be away from Pella. Already they had lingered too long and though his mother was still confined to quarters on the opposite side of the palace, Alexander knew that Hephaestion was not entirely safe. Not as long as she remained in Macedon. Mieza, though, was much safer than Pella.
As the sun began to set on their final day in Pella, Alexander was feeling more like himself and ordered a bath prepared for him and Hephaestion. He was desperate to wash the stench of sickness off himself and knew that although he would never admit to it, Hephaestion enjoyed a generous soak in heated water.
Sure enough, as he had expected, the instant Hephaestion sunk into the water he released a long sigh, his head lolling back and his eyes fluttering closed. Lowering himself in opposite his love, Alexander draped his legs over Hephaestion's, settling himself in comfortably between Hephaestion's feet. The heated water, scented with Egyptian oils, was incredibly relaxing and Alexander soon copied Hephaestion's slumped pose.
He was so relaxed that he nearly jumped when he felt Hephaestion's toes brush against his hip. Instead, Alexander kept his eyes closed, a smile tugging at his lips while he moved his own toes against Hephaestion's upper thighs. When he felt Hephaestion shift his hips about, Alexander cracked on eye open, his smile becoming full-fledged when he saw Hephaestion's soft smile. Alexander reached one hand into the water and curled his fingers around Hephaestion's calf, squeezing lightly before beginning to massage it. Whatever tension was left in Hephaestion's body instantly began to melt away.
When Hephaestion curled his feet around Alexander's back and began to draw their bodies together, Alexander allowed him to guide the motion of their bodies. Both of Hephaestion's arms disappeared into the water and he slowly began to nudge himself forward. Hephaestion sucked his lips inwards as he continued to move forward, his knees drawn up below Alexander's armpits when he finally stopped. There was a strange look in his eyes that Alexander could not entirely interpret so he stayed still as Hephaestion's right arm came out of the water to cup the side of his neck. Hephaestion's fingers were at the base of his skull then and Alexander could not stop his smile growing when Hephaestion began to tip their heads together, their lips meeting softly.
There was a slight tenseness in Hephaestion's limbs, Alexander himself remaining pliant, allowing his beloved to dictate their movements. Only when he felt Hephaestion's left hand on his hip did Alexander allow himself to wrap his arms around his love's shoulders, fingers playing in the few longer strands of hair at the nape of his neck.
"Love you," Hephaestion whispered against his lips when he drew back for a breath.
"Until the world itself is dust," was Alexander's heartfelt response.