Meliora; Chapter 7: His True Name
Title: Meliora
Author: Del Rion (delrion.mail (at) gmail.com)
Fandom: Alexander the Great
Era: Spanning the years between 342-323 B.C.
Genre: Romance, drama
Rating: M / FRM
Characters: Alexander, Hephaistion (Bagoas, Olympias, Roxane and several others mentioned)
Pairing: Alexander/Hephaistion
Summary: Through the years and across the miles, one man held Alexander’s heart.
Complete.
Warnings: Sexual situations between two men (slash), description of violence, brutality, war and death.
~ ~ ~
Author’s Note: Inspired by and written for my beta, Mythra (mythras-fire).
Also, this chapter follows the story that history tells us of the meeting of Alexander and Sisygambis, rather than what the movie showed us; my brain wasn’t in the right place to recall the movie scene after reading history books so this is what we have. Close enough, I think.
Chapter 7: His True Name
Ecbatana, 324 B.C.
Death hung over them both like a dark drape. Alexander wished he could drown in it, to escape his misery, yet the Gods were cruel and would rather leave him alone with the agonizing pain stabbing him from the inside.
Hephaistion, his other half and most trusted companion - the one his heart truly belonged to - lay dead on the bed, his skin already losing its life’s glow, leaving behind only the sick flesh that had robbed him of his love.
The horror gripped him yet again; he had not seen this, allowing death to creep upon him in secrecy and snatching Hephaistion from him. It felt like a lie, the greatest betrayal, and he had no means to battle it for he was alone and frail.
Hephaistion was gone.
The mere thought of it made him break down. How could he live - how would he go on - when a part of him was no more?
Persia, 333 B.C.
Darius was fleeing, leaving those behind who could not follow - including his family. Alexander had just received word that Darius’ mother, wife, and daughters were in a camp they now held captive.
“I shall speak to them. No other is to enter but myself and Hephaistion,” he commanded; Darius’ family had not taken well to the news of their captivity, perhaps thinking Darius dead, and Alexander meant to reassure them.
Hephaistion did not question his words, nor did anyone else, and once they had cleaned themselves from the gore of the battle and chase, Alexander and his best friend took off towards the royal tent.
Inside, Darius’ mother took one look at them then prostrated herself in front of Hephaistion, speaking in an urgent, pleading manner. One of the servants present rushed forward, an uneasy look on his face, speaking to the queen mother, who then raised her face, understanding her mistake. She started anew, pleading for the lives of her family, yet Alexander stopped him.
“You are not wrong, Mother,” he spoke, raising her up from the floor. “He, too, is Alexander.”
He knew Hephaistion would keep his expression free of smile and surprise; since they were boys, there had been trust between them. No other knew all of Alexander’s secrets, fears, and dreams as Hephaistion did. Their hearts and minds were one, leaning on each other; a perfect union and there was no shame in it when they made better men of each other. To call Hephaistion ‘Alexander’ was as natural as breathing to him, and they both knew it.
No matter how far they went, how many battles they fought or how many new lands they saw, it was the one, unchanging constant that Alexander embraced.
The End
Story Info
Author: Del Rion (delrion.mail (at) gmail.com)
Fandom: Alexander the Great
Era: Spanning the years between 342-323 B.C.
Genre: Romance, drama
Rating: M / FRM
Characters: Alexander, Hephaistion (Bagoas, Olympias, Roxane and several others mentioned)
Pairing: Alexander/Hephaistion
Summary: Through the years and across the miles, one man held Alexander’s heart.
Complete.
Warnings: Sexual situations between two men (slash), description of violence, brutality, war and death.
~ ~ ~
Author’s Note: Inspired by and written for my beta, Mythra (mythras-fire).
Also, this chapter follows the story that history tells us of the meeting of Alexander and Sisygambis, rather than what the movie showed us; my brain wasn’t in the right place to recall the movie scene after reading history books so this is what we have. Close enough, I think.
Chapter 7: His True Name
Ecbatana, 324 B.C.
Death hung over them both like a dark drape. Alexander wished he could drown in it, to escape his misery, yet the Gods were cruel and would rather leave him alone with the agonizing pain stabbing him from the inside.
Hephaistion, his other half and most trusted companion - the one his heart truly belonged to - lay dead on the bed, his skin already losing its life’s glow, leaving behind only the sick flesh that had robbed him of his love.
The horror gripped him yet again; he had not seen this, allowing death to creep upon him in secrecy and snatching Hephaistion from him. It felt like a lie, the greatest betrayal, and he had no means to battle it for he was alone and frail.
Hephaistion was gone.
The mere thought of it made him break down. How could he live - how would he go on - when a part of him was no more?
Persia, 333 B.C.
Darius was fleeing, leaving those behind who could not follow - including his family. Alexander had just received word that Darius’ mother, wife, and daughters were in a camp they now held captive.
“I shall speak to them. No other is to enter but myself and Hephaistion,” he commanded; Darius’ family had not taken well to the news of their captivity, perhaps thinking Darius dead, and Alexander meant to reassure them.
Hephaistion did not question his words, nor did anyone else, and once they had cleaned themselves from the gore of the battle and chase, Alexander and his best friend took off towards the royal tent.
Inside, Darius’ mother took one look at them then prostrated herself in front of Hephaistion, speaking in an urgent, pleading manner. One of the servants present rushed forward, an uneasy look on his face, speaking to the queen mother, who then raised her face, understanding her mistake. She started anew, pleading for the lives of her family, yet Alexander stopped him.
“You are not wrong, Mother,” he spoke, raising her up from the floor. “He, too, is Alexander.”
He knew Hephaistion would keep his expression free of smile and surprise; since they were boys, there had been trust between them. No other knew all of Alexander’s secrets, fears, and dreams as Hephaistion did. Their hearts and minds were one, leaning on each other; a perfect union and there was no shame in it when they made better men of each other. To call Hephaistion ‘Alexander’ was as natural as breathing to him, and they both knew it.
No matter how far they went, how many battles they fought or how many new lands they saw, it was the one, unchanging constant that Alexander embraced.
The End
Story Info