Dear moon,

Always so nice seeing a new story from you. The letter / diary format is so good in telling us about the deep emotions involved. You give us a mature relationship. Hephaestion is afraid he will be abandoned and deprived of the Love, Friendship and close relations to his Beautiful Golden One, but he is able to overcome these feelings and see the importance for Alexander to have a relation with a woman of noble birth. When he meets her, he then even likes her and he can realize that she is good for Alexander.

Amyntor is, as always, a wonderful and understanding Father, and an excellent advisor. Their exchange of letters show their fond and open relations. I feel so sorry they never met again in *real* life.

Hephastion's night with his four pages is both hilarious and serious. They know how he must feel, and they will not leave him alone during this very difficult night. The game of kottabos is hilarious, and I can understand that they all want to kiss Hephaestion! :)

Young Hylas is endearing, and the way he expresses his feelings of Love is warm and strong in all its innocence.

I like your way of bringing the different aspects of changes into your story. Changes will always occur. They are inevitable, for good or bad - and *your* Hephaestion and Amyntor teaches us in an excellent manner how to deal with them.

The Happy Ending, with Alexander returning to his True Steadfast Friend, is endearing. You put it so well, this complicated relationship.

"For, in the end, I have shared Alexander all my life – with the demands of his parents, with the Court of Macedon, with the army, with his dreams of glory and conquest, even with his unspoken rivalry with the gods. If I can do that, and still keep his heart, then surely I can give just a little more ground to share him with the gracious Lady Barsine."

All the best wishes and many thanks for sharing. Very well done!

/ NorthernLight

A quiet piece of introspection that touches on so much!

It catches my attention that Amyntor is the one Hephaestion can trust the most, yet he still holds back - when he writes "let me get to the heart of the matter," and "let me open my heart," he continues describing, explaining, laying down groundwork, before actually admitting that he doesn't want this change to come - that he's being selfish. I got the feeling of lots, and lots, of isolation here - for A and H, for Barsine, even a little for Hylas. Wasn't there some philosophy that said a person is, in the end, alone, because one can never completely know another's heart!

Amyntor is wonderfully insightful, as always, noting so concisely that Hephaestion _not_ acting is tantamount to a negative reaction; that withholding his opinion is as bad as him using Alexander's "love and trust against him", because that's just how Alexander is; and that Alexander is asking for Hephaestion's _support_, not his approval.

I liked how Parmenion seemed quite relieved that Hephaestion hadn't protested, and was particularly warm that night! Other wonderful grace notes: Erygius and Laomedon (bringing to mind Rediscovery), Amyntor's "your faith in your father delights his heart," and the thought of A and H admiring the Companion Cavalry like gods, the Sacred Band's philosophy inspiring Hephaestion. Barsine, too, seems just like what she would be from what I've read about her, strong, graceful, smart, able to accept the change of kings and lovers but also seeming to mourn Memnon underneath the poised, quietly pleasant meetings with Alexander and others.

Lastly, the pages' scene was very nice, and so many of your other stories are woven in here, including Kottabos ... and that crazy, delightful dream that made Alexander wake up screaming in "The Substitute"! Here, though, it's subdued, mellow, and for some reason didn't make me happy at all, I don't know why... perhaps because it shows how devoted they are to him (and the kisses suggest they'd gladly go further with him, and with at least some understanding, too, instead of Hylas' innocent love), and that he _has_ come to feel affection for them (trying to classify Hylas!), able to enjoy getting drunk with them when he had intended to do so alone ... (which simultaneously recalls, hilariously, "We Shall Not Be Disturbed," and hits home again how he really can't trust any of his peers that far - to get drunk in their presence, I mean). And Hylas' simple fulfillment at merely having Hephaestion _know_ that he loves him (which is then taken in turn by H as the answer to his dilemma), was perfect.

I don't know if you were unsure in "resolving" this one, but I feel the last paragraph is a good ending. Satisfying...but in the way that the pages' scene was, leaving a little bittersweet taste. (Am I making sense? Augh!)

So great to see another story from you. There are few stories who depict Barsine and after all, she must have been something to hold Alexander's attention. Also, I wished to be one of the pages playing kottabos with Hephaistion. As for Amyntor's advice, it was wonderful, even though I must somewhat disagree with him. Somehow I felt that Alexander, in his own way, *was* asking for Hephaistion's approval. He might not have known it himself, but that is how it felt to me. Thanks for this treat.

Joy to you! :D How nice to have you back, after I finished your latest fic I’ve been really looking forward to having the pleasure of enjoying some new Alexander fanfiction from you again.

So, what to say about this one. I was in a hurry when I first read it, so that was kind of a hasty enjoyment, but even so I did enjoy it, and now when I had a second go, it was even better. My first thought when I read the title was, “another Bagoas story?” – I have to admit that. I wouldn’t have mind that, really, but for a change it was nice this way, and because we’ve already had the opportunity to read your take on Bagoas’ arrival in The Other Half, haven’t we.

Again, I am stunned by how you handle the English language, and mostly by your Hephaestion as a character. I can see some delibaretion there; it was clever of you that you didn’t try to make Hephaestion seem too much of a jealous mistress, if you get the picture. You have developed a perfect balance between all his feelings in this story; he surely is jealous, and envious of Barsine, but he is in command of his emotions, at least on some level. He doesn’t let them possess him - because that isn't who Hephaestion is, is it? His faith in Alexander’s love for him doesn’t waver, although he may need some help from his father, bless him, to receive this new change graciously. I, as always, liked very much how you presented the Hephaestion/Amyntor relationship – a strong, reliable bond that Hephaestion could trust much enough still as an adult to confess his thoughts about Barsine, and the change she brings, to his dear Father. Their relationship in this one was much like what could have ensued from the kind of a relationship they had in In the Name of Eros, don’t you think?

So, an excellent fic, as always, and until you’ll let us enjoy your writings again,

best wishes,

- nights.

hi

i've missed reading you stories cause our pair always get in some many places and see some many interesting characters.

Welldone :)

Very nice to see you back, and as always your story is very well written and enjoyable.

The dominant emotion in this seems to be dispassion. Hephaestion is trying to distance himself from his uncertainty and jealousy and so we only see this at third remove in his letters to his father. His care and concern for Alexander's development make him seem a lot older than 23 or so, and Alexander seem like quite a boy. We are not shown Alexander's emotional need for Hephaestion, only his physical need. But what must he have been feeling in not having seen Hephaestion for 7 days?

Your story made me think of Mary Renault's The Last of The Wine, where Alexis cannot even put a name to his sexual jealousy when Lysis becomes infatuated with a woman. Do you think the ancient Greeks would have found sexual jealousy of a woman (who after all was an inferior creature) something too shameful to acknowledge?

Thanks for making me think about this and hope to see more from you soon.

Wow...I SO wish I had your talent for reviews so I could do this properly.

How do I love this story? Let me count the ways.

#1: the exquisite depiction of an adult approach to love and sex. I don't care that the underlying culture is different from 21st C western society, it's the way any caring, thoughtful, mature individual should examine these things.

#2: a beautiful father/son relationship. I've GOT to get time to read your other stories. I love father/son stories anyway, and this is as good as it gets.

#3: Style. Wow, lady. Not only can you handle the English language stunningly, but the whole letter intersperced with real time action was as beautiful a balance in a short story as anyone could ask for.

#4: Your OC. What a doll and what a very very USEFUL character. Do I understand we've more of him in other stories? Whoopie! His father's background is perfect for filling in some of those so-important #5's.

#5: Your exquisite attention to historical detail and mindset. You pack an AMAZING amount into a short story and never ever ever sound like a note card. Amazing.

That's the short list. I can't wait to get onto the next story, but it's gotta wait till tomorrow.

Wow...just...Wow...I've gotta reread this and take it all in.

It's great to find that you've posted a new story . I like very much how you show Hephestion's feelings about the changes that Barsine could mean in his relationship with Alexander. Your Amyntor is, as always, a strong and very nice character and the scene with Hylas was so tender and so pausible. I really hope for more stories soon.

Yay, a new story by Moon! it has been such a long time since you last posted a fic. i have missed your stories, which i love almost to the point of addiction. as usual, this one was impeccable and eloquent. i adore your characterization of hephaestion: masculine, confident, a devoted companion, loving, and sensitive as to fall prey to envy/insecurity. i also appreciate how you balance the godlike and human qualities in alexander; although he's the great king, he's not immune to human fears and insecurity. reading about their interesting relationship in your fics is one of my pleasures. nice to see appearances by the pages (especially hylas) and amyntor. i can only hope that you'll post a new story soon in the future. thanks for sharing this with us!

Very nice story, i really enjoy it and love how you portray their relation and how they cope with the changes. Thanks for writing and sharing

I am glad you wrote a new story..

I love the way you describe Hephaestion, it isn't easy for him that Alexander might want another lover but he is willing to accept it, and supports Alexander in his choices.

I always love a story with Amyntor in it, he seems to be such a nice man, especially with young Alexander.

I hope you write another story soon, I've really missed your story's!