TITLE: Messing with Love – Chapter 9: "Tying loose knots" (9/10)

AUTHOR: Too_beauty.

PAIRING: Alexander and Hephaestion.

RATING: NC-17 for the whole series.

CATEGORY: Historical Alternative Universe.

DISCLAMER: I don't know the people involved; they belong to History and to themselves.

WARNING: Mentions of m/m relationship, physical and mental torture, insulting vocabulary, male rape, angst.

NO BETA so all mistakes are mine.

Alexander woke up from his agitated rest, turned round and his hand instantly looked for the warm body next to him. Finding the spot cold and empty brought the King back to his misery and new tears were shed from his royal eyes. When he could focus his eyes again, he saw the bag containing Hephaestion's tresses and a moan got trapped in his throat.

Suddenly, he noticed something interesting in it, the design was quite original, nothing that could be seen in Babylon, and there was a painted drawing on the bottom part. Alexander knew he had seen it before but he couldn't remember where. If his Phai were there, he'd tell him because the brunette had an extraordinary memory, especially for tiny details. If his Phai were there, that question wouldn't need to be asked at all. He sighed and continued staring at it.

A sudden realization came to him and it struck like a lightning; he had seen that design in Mieza, when he was a child. There was a page who wore it on his clothes; it was his mother's family emblem. He cracked his head trying to remember the page's name but he couldn't.

He knew who also had as a good memory for details as his Phai. Leaving his chamber, he started his search for Ptolemy. The companion was walking towards the king's chamber with a tray with a light meal in that precise moment. Alexander also realized that night had come and cursed himself because it was too dark to go and look for his Phai again.

"Come on, my king, back to your chamber to eat something."

"I don't feel like eating"

"You should or you won't have the strength to look for your lover"

"If I hadn't been so trapped with that map, nothing of this nightmare would have happened" said Alexander, regretting and blaming himself for this entire ongoing situation.

"Come on, let's have something to eat and then we can decide what we are doing tomorrow."

"Ptolemy, have a look at that design, doesn't it look familiar?"

"Yes, there was a page, a bulky one, he served under your father and his name was ….was ….. something connected to an animal ….. Oh! I remember, he was Ox, son of Minos." Do you think there is a connection between them?

"Maybe, what happened to him?"

"He was discharged of his service because he hit an officer and he was forced into exile somewhere out of Mieza."

"That's a long way from here"

"Maybe someone bought it or stolen it; we haven't seen him for nearly twenty years."

"It is the only hint I have, Ptolemy" said Alexander sighing.

"I know, my brother, but it is a real weak one"

"I'd take a search party up north and send another looking for merchants, maybe one of them had seen another pieces with this design"

"All right, now go back to sleep Alexander; gain your strength back and rest."

"I can't, I dreamt about Phai calling me and when I was about to grab him, he ran away from me, shouting."

"Well, some of the companions are still having their dinner in the dinning room; maybe the conversation will distract you for a while."

Both men walked towards the room, which was alive with laughs and bickering. On seeing Alexander entering, some of the companions went silent; it looked as if Alexander had grown older from that very morning, and no one had to be very intelligent to notice the pain in his two-coloured eyes. Perdicas offered him a goblet with wine while Cleitus patted his back gently.

"Look who brought the tides, Alexander" said Cassander.

A bulky dark-haired man appeared from behind a column and hugged his King tightly.

"Nearchos, what are you doing here, my friend?" asked Alexander smiling to the captain of his fleet.

"I came as soon as I had news about what happened to Hephaestion, Sire" said Nearchos looking sad.

"Thanks for your concern, my brother."

"He has always had a big crush on Hephaestion, Alexander. Perhaps, he has him hidden in one of his boats" said Cassander.

"Since Hephaestion disappeared, let me rephrase that, since Hephaestion was kidnapped, you have had and said the weirdest and most stupid ideas, Cassander. Thanks to the gods I have Ptolemy to bring some hope in this time of despair"

"Why? What have you discovered Ptolemy, and why weren't we informed?" asked Cassander with his eyes wide open.

"It is a very weak clue but Alexander recognized an emblem in the bag and I know who it belonged to"

"And whose is it?"

"Ox, son of Minos, a former page of Philip who was sent to exile when we were kids."

"But it can't be him, he should be dead after 22 years in Illyria" said Cassander.

"And I thought that my Phai and Ptolemy were the two only ones with good memory in my Army" said Alexander, scrutinizing Cassander.

"He was a good friend of yours, wasn't he, Cassander?" asked Ptolemy, facing the man with a serious expression on his face.

"Well, no more than the rest" defended Cassander himself.

"But I remember you two playing pranks on Hephaestion" said Nearchos.

"I don't recall that" said Cassander, his voice faltering a bit. "Well, I am sorry to say, but I have a warm lady waiting for me in my chamber. Health to you!"

"Go quickly and have fun, Cassander" said Alexander with a tiny smile, which disappeared as soon as the brunette crossed the door.

Alexander looked at Ptolemy and Perdicas and making a subtle nod, he transmitted his orders.

Some time later, two dark cloaked figures followed a third hooded person who had left the Palace by the back gate. A horse was waiting for him and he ran away, galloping fast towards north, heading to the lake.

Ptolemy and Perdicas went back running to the stables, took the first two horses that were ready and followed him. In a moment, the first rider slowed down his pace and stopped outside an abandoned mine. Cassander dismounted and entered the fake hidden door to disappear in the night.

The two companions were following him at a prudent distance. On seeing Cassander's mysterious attitude, both men confirmed their suspicion.

Meanwhile Ox was teasing Hephaestion and playing with his nearly broken mind. He had been mentally torturing him since very early this morning. He had been playing again with his psyche, making Hephaestion believe, once more, that another fortnight had gone and his King had really forgotten about him. He had kept Hephaestion awake for the last two days, filling his ears with lies and showing him another fake letter in which Alexander confessed his desire of not getting his General back. Hephaestion couldn't feel worst; his mind was so clouded that he couldn't realize how strange the supposed attitude of his King was.

Ox didn't dare to touch him again; Aetos had been extremely firm against the raping sessions he had inflected on Hephaestion. Aetos had continued looking after Hephaestion's wounds and his body had started to heal well; the brunette could also now tolerate the touch of Aetos, who treated him gently. The former torturer found himself caressing, more than once, Hephaestion's hair and temples while the blue-eyed man was trying to sleep; as if he could chase away the demons in his nightmares.

Even though Hephaestion was practically mute, Aetos could see a tiny thanking look in his eyes; he also had the feeling that Hephaestion trusted he'd not hurt him anymore. Hephaestion didn't flinch away when he entered the tiny cell but he still did that when Ox was near.

Ox was ready to let his prisoner rest for a while when he listened to an unusual noise near the hidden entrance. He thought for a while if he had forgotten any meeting with his inner ally but he didn't. Undoing his walk to the door, he saw the familiar hooded figure. He walked towards him and whispered:

"What are you doing here?"

"Alexander recognized your mother's family emblem and bloody Ptolemy remembered your name and genealogy. Nearchos, who is also here now, remembered about our jokes on Hephaestion"

"So, what have you said?"

"I tried to take their attention away from me but I don't think I could distract them forever."

"Alright, keep us inform, if they get near, we will move forward"

"How long will you keep him here? Hasn't he cracked yet?"

"Nearly but he is really stubborn and I have to recognize that I am envious about his love and loyalty to your King."

"Well, he had always been a lapdog" said the brunette through clenched teeth.

"Yes. Are you sure nobody has seen you?"

"No, I let them believe I was getting laid. But I'll come back, in case someone looks for me"

"Do you want to see him?" asked Ox smirking.

"Please. I'll really enjoy seeing him turn into nothing; he who is always so self-confident"

"Well, he is not like that anymore, he is afraid of his own shadow now, he is just a broken and frightened to death man"

The brunette laughed at Hephaestion loudly when he saw him curled into a tight ball. Moving back and forwards, murmuring intelligible words with a muffled voice. He greeted Ox and left.

Ptolemy and Perdicas stayed there for a while doing a clear and deep recognition of the area and went back to the palace to inform Alexander what they had discovered.

When Alexander knew about Cassander's help in the plot for kidnapping and raping Hephaestion, his blood boiled in his veins, and only the gods and his two strong companions could stop him from going to look for Antipater's son and kill him right there in the spot.

That night, the rescue mission was carefully planned and a King and Lover was a step nearer to achieve his revenge.