Author's Note: This takes place about three weeks after the movie's end. Buckingham's fleet is still en route, but will become a problem for our favorite Musketeers to solve very soon. I hope you enjoy.
Sister,
You are always welcome in Paris. If you truly believe that leaving Glascony is what you want, then I support you. I have no doubt that Father will support you as well and Mother will undoubtedly understand your decision with time. Send word of your arrival and I'll see to it that you have lodging for however long you wish to stay. You can find me on Rue Saint-Bernard. Just ask for D'Artagnon.
Noel rolled her eyes at the last sentence of her brother's letter as she carefully folded the parchment and tucked it away in her riding jacket.
Leave it to Charles to give her directions without really giving her directions at all.
Her frustrated amusement quickly dissolved as she took in the sights of the city around her.
Paris.
After an arduous four-day journey, she had finally arrived.
The city was unlike anything she had ever seen before. The streets bustled with merchants selling their wares and people moving about from stand to stand, making their purchases. She took in a deep breath, savoring the smells of the freshly baked breads and a variety of dried herbs and spices that were for sale. Noel felt small and entirely insignificant in the flurry of noise and movement around her. A tiny drop of water in the sea that was France's capital.
She loved every moment of it.
Hopping off her horse to better navigate through the crowded streets, she took a moment to take stock of her appearance. She hadn't seen her twin in over a year—the longest they had ever been separated in their lives—and her trip had been hindered by periodic rainfall. While her hooded cloak protected her from the worst of the weather, she didn't want her reunion with her brother to be marred by her looking windswept and half-drowned.
She caught a glimpse of her reflection in a silver platter that was for sale and sighed in relief. She had made a strategic choice with her unruly hair, styling her long dark brown locks with two small braids starting just above her temples to keep the hair off of her face as she traveled. She had then worked those braids into a sturdy knot at the base of her neck for style that required minimum upkeep throughout her journey.
Noel had opted for one of her plainer riding outfits figuring that it would hold up the best over her journey and she was pleased to see that she had been right. Her white chemise held evidence of her time on the road, looking worn and wrinkled in the places where it fashionably poked out of her leather riding jacket. Her riding skirts were wrinkled—something that couldn't have been helped even with sunny skies—and looked a little weather worn, but for the most part looked presentable.
Satisfied that she didn't look like a crazed traveler, she grabbed the reigns of her horse and went on her way in the direction that a kind merchant two streets over had said was the direction of Rue Saint-Bernard.
She had made it down several more streets before she stopped to take her brother's letter out again.
"Good day, Miss."
Noel looked up to find the source of the voice that had greeted her. A blonde man in a black and red uniform gave her a polite nod, but the expression on his face was anything but friendly.
With a slight smile, Noel bowed her head in acknowledgement of his greeting. She quickly tucked the letter back in her pocket and moved to continue down the street and into the square without further interaction with the man.
The man had other ideas.
"Where are we headed off to in such a hurry today?" He asked, taking three long steps to cut her and her horse off at the square's opening.
She bowed her head, refusing to look at him and hoping that he'd let her pass, "I'm visiting my brother, sir. I was delayed on the road and he's expecting me."
"Visiting your brother, you say?" He asked, amusement oozing in his voice, "Allow me to escort you."
Before Noel could blink, the man had grabbed her left arm and started to pull her in the opposite direction of where she was headed.
"Oh, I wouldn't want to trouble you." Noel stated forcing the panic she was beginning to feel from entering her voice. She could still get out of this peacefully, "His directions were pretty clear. I'll be fine, but I thank you for your generosity."
She moved to pull away, but the man gripped tighter. Noel winced.
"It's no trouble at all." He said, grinning at her discomfort.
Noel pointedly looked at where he gripped her arm, anger starting to replace her initial panic, "Sir, I must ask you to not grip my arm so tightly."
"Come along, Miss." The man said, ignoring her as he tried to pull her away again.
Noel eyed the pack on her horse where her sword was hidden, mentally calculating the moves she needed to make in order to free herself from his grip and grab her weapon.
"Sir, I'm not going to ask a second time. Let me go." She was no longer feigning politeness.
The change in her voice caused the man to smirk. He leaned in to whisper smugly, "Or you'll what?"
Noel was glaring at the man so fiercely that she didn't notice a second walking up to the pair, assessing the situation with a cool expressionless gaze.
"Is there a problem here?"
Noel looked up at the second man and the indignant words she was about to say instantly died on her lips.
She was staring at the most handsome man she had ever seen and he was calmly staring right back at her.
He was dressed in all black, but his clothes were clearly that of a man with title and some wealth. The silver cross around his neck and the large silver chain that rested across his doublet signified he held an official role in some capacity, but she was mostly captivated by his eyes. They were the warmest shade of brown and while there was a carefully constructed nonchalance to his expression, there was a softness in his eyes that sent her a clear message.
He was an ally.
She quickly composed herself and tried for the peaceful path once more.
"No problem, sir." She turned back to look at the blonde man, "I was just taking my leave."
The blonde man's grip on her arm tightened in response. One last threat that she felt down to the bone.
Noel sucked in a silent breath through clenched teeth, unwilling to give him the satisfaction of seeing her in pain. The second man, however, seemed to see right through this and turned to her attacker, his expression still unnervingly calm.
"I do believe the lady, bid you adieu." He stated matter-of-factly.
The blonde man took his gaze from Noel and turned to acknowledge the man in black for the first time with a look of pure hatred.
Noel frowned. Did these two know each other?
"Always sticking your nose in business that isn't your own." The blonde man sneered, "You never learn."
The man in black flipped closed a little leather booklet that he'd been holding in his hands, his expression giving nothing away, "On the contrary, I am a city official and you are in the heart of my city." Tucking the booklet inside his doublet, he turned his attention back to the blonde man, finally allowing a look of warning to cross his face, "You just made it my problem. Now let her go."
Still gripping Noel's arm with one hand, the blonde man drew his sword with his other.
Noel took an instinctive step closer to her horse—to her weapon—but the blonde man roughly pulled her back towards him
In a movement that was impossibly fast, the man in black drew a sword of his own, pointing it straight at her attacker's face, "Let the record show that you were given several opportunities to walk away."
Her attacker lunged at the man in black and Noel took the movement as her opportunity to pull herself free of his grip.
She heard the sound of clashing metal behind her as she rushed to her horse, frantically digging through her rolled up pack for her sword.
While she had no doubt that the man in black could hold his own in a fight, she was not about to let the slight towards her go unpunished.
She was not the kind of girl that a man in uniform could threaten and get away with it.
Her temper taking control, Noel unsheathed her sword from the pack and rushed back to the fray. Seeing a break in the fight, she jumped in between the two men and disarmed the blonde man in just three movements.
Her attacker took several steps back, a look of astonishment on his face that was quickly replaced with one of rage as he slowly bent down and reached for his sword, "You have no idea who you've just sided with, girl."
The man in black took in this new development in his expressionless manner, but Noel could have sworn that there was a look of delighted amusement in his eyes.
Those eyes.
Noel focused her attention back on the blonde man and raised her sword daring him to attack her again, "Someone with more decorum than you."
The blonde man growled, "You'll regret this."
He angrily sheathed his sword and rushed off to the horse he had hitched several feet away, quickly riding off.
The small crowd that had formed to watch the fight started to dissipate after a few small cheers and within a matter of moments, it was almost as if the altercation had never happened.
Noel turned to look at the man in black who had been standing there, sword still in his hand, his eyebrows raised.
"What?" Noel asked, her temper still getting the best of her, "He did ask what would happen if he didn't let me go. He found out."
The man in black let out a loud surprised laugh as he sheathed his sword, grinning.
Noel's temper instantly died at the shock of his laughter and she quickly found herself thinking that the man was even more good looking when he smiled.
He gave her a slight bow, "I would apologize for not getting here sooner, but it seems like you had everything under control. My apologies for my chivalry getting in the way of my better judgement. I should have seen you had everything well at hand."
Was the man—who had just moments before been her silent, steadfast protector—poking fun at her?
She rolled her eyes in response, "Well, it's nice to know that not all men in uniform in Paris are brutes."
She moved to place her sword back in the pack on her horse, wincing as she did so. She was certain that bruises were already forming on her left arm where the blonde man had gripped her.
The man in black approached her, all jest quickly leaving his expression.
"Did he hurt you?"
The sincerity in his voice made Noel pause. She wasn't sure why, but she desperately wanted to make him smile again.
"It's nothing I can't handle." She stated, hoping that he would take the bait.
A small smile crossed his face and Noel sighed in relief.
"True." He remarked, his eye giving her a once over, "You do appear to be quite able to handle anything. Good day."
The man in black gave her a nod as he turned to make his leave and Noel reached out towards him, not wanting him to go. Not yet.
"I was lying before." She blurted out, "My brother has many great qualities, but giving directions isn't one of them. I am hopelessly lost. Do you know where I might find Rue Saint-Bernard?"
The man turned around, smiling.
"As a matter of fact, I know Rue Saint-Bernard quite well. I'll gladly show you the way." He gave her a slight bow as he added, "If I may, that is?"
Noel nodded in response and grabbed her horse's reigns to follow alongside him.
They walked in comfortable silence for a few moments before the man in black leaned towards her, "So you're visiting your brother?"
"Yes." She stated, suddenly nervous. How would she explain traveling by herself to an unknown city without sounding completely ridiculous, "I um…needed to get away from home for a bit and Paris seemed like a good option." She paused for a moment while the man considered her words, wincing at her vague response. "My brother offered to help me find lodging and well…here I am."
If the man thought her journey improper, he gave no notice of his thoughts, instead asking another question to keep the conversation going, "He's an older brother I presume?"
"Twin actually. Older by only two minutes, but he never lets me forget it." It was occurring to Noel that she was speaking very openly to a man she barely knew, but there was something about this man that put her at ease. She didn't know how exactly—it wasn't just because of his good looks—but she knew she could trust him. Even though the fight was over, he still remained her unspoken ally.
The man smiled a soft smile as they continued down the crowded streets. Noel had long sense stopped paying attention as to where they were.
"What is it that your brother does here in Paris?"
An exasperated sigh escaped Noel's lips at the thought of her brother's escapades since arrive in Paris last year, "He gets into trouble mostly from the sound of it, but he always has the best of intentions."
The man in black gave her an understanding nod, his expression turning serious again.
That wouldn't do.
"Charles has more good luck than anyone I know. Always lands on his feet no matter the situation, sometimes better off than when he started. It was exceedingly frustrating growing up having to work twice as hard to achieve what he simply lucked into."
The man rewarded her with another surprised laugh, "I bet."
Their pace started to slow and Noel looked at her surroundings. They had left the busier streets and were headed into more residential areas. They were nearing her destination and she desperately didn't want their conversation to end.
Not when she still knew so little about him.
"Aside from attempting to save the occasional damsel in distress," She started tentatively, "what exactly do you do for the city?"
The man acknowledged her joke with a half-smile, "Clerical stuff mostly. Issue citations, collecting overdue payments and the like."
Noel raised her eyebrows skeptically, "And a city clerk needs to be an expert swordsman?"
The man looked at her and grinned like he knew some amusing secret that she was not privy to, "I have a few side jobs."
She laughed rolling her eyes at him for a second time, "I see."
The man in black suddenly stopped and gestured to the square they were currently in, "Here we are, Rue Saint-Bernard. Now where exactly is your brother staying—"
"Noel!"
Noel whipped around at the sound of her brother's voice, smiling as she caught sight of him running towards her.
"Charles!" she exclaimed, leaving her horse with the man and running up to her twin.
He enveloped her in one of his massive bear hugs and Noel didn't care that her injured arm was screaming at her. As frustrating as he was, she hadn't realized the full weight of how much she had missed her brother until this moment.
D'Artagnon released her from his hug, still keeping an arm around her shoulders, "I see you've met Aramis."
He gestured towards the man in black and everything suddenly came to focus. Her serious-yet-playful companion who moved with an assassin's speed and an expert's grace with a sword was exactly the man that her brother had described in his letters to her.
She had unknowingly been with one of the Musketeers this whole time.
"Aramis?" she exclaimed, stunned at the revelation. She then thought back to one of the last things that he had said and gave him a sly look, "'Side jobs' indeed."
Aramis looked almost as shocked as she felt, his expressionless mask gone, "You're D'Artagnon's sister?"
Sensing that something had happened between the two of them that he was unaware of, D'Artagnon gave his compatriot are wary glance, "Do I want to know how you two met?"
Aramis quickly composed himself and looked at D'Artagnon with one eyebrow raised, "Jussac seems to be picking up where Rochefort left off, but your sister here was perfectly capable of handling him herself. I merely provided commentary."
D'Artagnon grinned, giving his sister's shoulder an encouraging squeeze, "Well, I should certainly hope so. In Paris only a few hours and already causing fights."
"Sounds painfully familiar." Aramis stated, smiling a little to himself, "Speaking of your more exasperating qualities, when were you going to tell us that you were expecting a guest?"
Noel gasped in horror as she ducked out of her brother's arm, "Charles!" she exclaimed, elbowing him sharply with her good arm.
She turned to Aramis, "I sincerely apologize for my brother's poor manners. I do not wish to cause any trouble. I shall go find a room now to –"
Aramis waived her off, "It's no trouble at all. You can stay with us until you find more permanent lodging."
Noel bowed her head in thanks, "Thank you."
"You'll sleep in D'Artagnon's room." Aramis stated as he began to lead Noel's horse to the stables.
D'Artagnon frowned "But where will—"
Aramis interrupted him with a clap on the shoulder, grinning as he passed, "The balcony."
D'Artagnon groaned as he grabbed Noel's pack off of the horse as it passed, looking at his sister with a deflated expression.
Noel held her hands up in defense, "Don't look at me. You have no one to blame but yourself."
D'Artagnon motioned for her to follow him inside the place where she was to spend the night, but she paused.
"Charles are you sure about this? Isn't it…a little unfitting for me to be staying in a house with four men? I thought you had an apartment of your own."
"I've been meaning to get one," he remarked, earning another jab from her, "but discretion and people turning a blind eye to the comings and goings of this square is part of its appeal. As long as you're with me, you're fine."
Noel rolled her eyes at her brother's exaggerated gallantry, "I'm sorry I even asked."