Authors note: I will add a chapter a day, real life permitting. They are all in this and all get hurt to some degree.

Chapter One

Athos was not often confused but being summoned to see the King without his Captain was unheard of. The message had arrived at the garrison, by a senior member of the Royal family's staff. The man had insisted on handing the note to Athos personally and said that it was to be read in private. The messenger waited for Athos to read the note before indicating that they were to return to the Palace immediately. Athos had questioned the messenger as to why Treville had not been the one summoned, but the messenger did not answer. Athos suspected the man did not know the answer.

He had saddled his horse as the man waited, already settled on his own mount. He had been told the meeting could not be discussed with anyone else. He had not even been allowed to leave a message for his Captain in case he returned before the meeting had ended. Athos was perplexed by the entire event.

After checking his tack and weapons, Athos mounted up and nodded to the messenger that he was ready. The messenger, a young man who seemed to take his job very seriously urged his horse forward. They trotted out of the garrison side by side. The messenger did not speak during the journey, Athos did not try to start a conversation, he spent the time wracking his brain for some idea as to what the King wanted from him and not Treville.

As they reached the Palace gates the messenger turned his horse towards the man entrance, Athos followed. It was not often that he had entered the Palace through the main door, the Musketeers usually used one of the side entrances when they were on duty, only using the main door if they were accompanying a member of the Royal family. The messenger dismounted and handed his reins to a waiting stableman who also took Athos' horse. The man did not move off with the horse, he waited where he was. Athos realised the man had been briefed that he should stay.

The messenger walked purposefully into the Palace. Athos nodded a greeting to the two men at the door whose expressions, he suspected, mirrored his own. They both looked confused to see him being led into the Palace.

Athos and the messenger walked along one of the wide corridors towards the King's throne room, stopping one room short of the ostentatious room itself. Athos knew the room they had stopped by was a smaller room, where the King would make final preparations or take some respite during a long session in the throne rooms itself. Athos had not been in the room before. The messenger knocked on the door twice before opening it. He held the door for Athos who walked past the messenger, finding himself alone in the room with the King and one servant who was busy adjusting the monarch's cuffs.

The King pulled his arm away from the servant and indicated with a flick of his hand that the servant was to leave. The older man bowed deeply and retreated from the room, Athos watched as the messenger made eye contact with the King briefly, nodding at some unspoken order. The man gave a polite nod and stepped out of the room, closing the door quietly behind him.

Athos turned back to the King who was pulling at the cuff on his sleeve that the servant had been adjusting. He tutted and shook his head before dropping his hand to his side and looking up at Athos.

The two men regarded each other for a few seconds. Athos wondered if he was meant to speak first, but as he had no idea why he had been called he remained silent.

'What I am about to talk to you about is for your ears only. You will be allowed to speak of it only to men you trust implicitly. Am I understood?'

The King tilted his head slightly as he waited for Athos to reply.

'Yes, your majesty.'

The King paused for a moment before nodded to himself.

'Good. I know I can trust you Athos you have been loyal to me. As you are aware, I am almost constantly making negotiations with our neighbours. These negotiations can be very delicate. Captain Treville had been assisting me with some for the last few weeks. He has built up a rapport with a man who I am sure will be of great use to France in the coming years.'

The King wandered towards the only window in the room and stood with his back to Athos gazing out at the gardens around the Palace.

'Treville has been taking messages and helping me to persuade the man to come around to my way of thinking. We are very close to closing a deal with him…'

Athos took a couple of steps forward, putting himself at the side of the King, but remaining a respectable distance away.

'But…?'

'But, there has been a...development,' said the King.

He reached into the pocket of his intricately embroidered doublet, pulling out a tatty piece of paper that had been folded a couple of times. The paper looked dusty. The King handed it to Athos who carefully opened it out and read the scrawled note written on it.

'As you can see, the men who have captured your Captain are merely mercenaries who can be bought for the highest price.'

Athos read the note carefully. Whoever had written it was educated, even if their handwriting was untidy. The man, who had only signed himself as 'X', had written to the monarch to inform him that Treville had been taken captive by the group and he would be handed over to their paymasters in two days' time, unless the King doubled what they were being paid. The mercenaries were not bothered where their money came from and had no interest in the delicate negotiations Treville had been involved with.

'It seems,' said the King, 'that a third party had discovered my tireless efforts to better France's position and has ordered Treville, who is party to some highly sensitive information, to be captured and delivered to them for questioning.'

'Who bought the note, have they been questioned?' asked Athos.

The King shook his head, 'the note was passed to one of the gardeners, the fool could not give a description of the person, although they were probably paid to deliver the note anyway.'

'Where was the Captain when he was taken?'

Again, the King shook his head, 'I can only give you a rough idea of the location. You will have to search for him.'

'I will muster the garrison-'

'No!' the King held out a hand to stop Athos who had turned towards the door.

Athos could not help a look of confusion.

'The information he has is vital and very sensitive. It cannot be allowed to get into enemy hands,' the King said as he took a step closer to Athos and lowered his voice to a whisper. 'You are to pick a select few men to go with you on the search, the fewer the better.'

Athos nodded, 'I understand, your Majesty.'

'I want to make one thing very clear to you. If you cannot liberate Treville before he is handed to the mercenaries, you must ensure that he does not talk to them.'

'The ransom is not going to be paid?' asked Athos.

'I will not tolerate such demands, no, Athos, the ransom is not going to be paid. Treville has to be rescued, or, regrettably, he must die.'

Athos had already understood the implication the King had made, but to hear him say it plainly was still a shock.

'You and your men must succeed. On pain of death, you must succeed. If Treville is not either recovered or rendered unable to talk, you will all become wanted men, condemned men.'

The King, his face serious, meant every word he had spoken. Athos wondered what was so important that the King was prepared to order him to potentially kill his Captain and take men on a mission where success was the only outcome. Failure did not bear thinking about.

After a few seconds, the King reached out his hand to take the note back from Athos. After taking the note and replacing it in his doublet the King turned back to the window.

'You have two days, Athos. This is vital for the future of France. Do not fail me.'

Athos did not think he was required to reply and considering himself dismissed, he bowed and walked to the door, as he reached for the handle, he heard the King speak again, quietly.

'Good luck.'

MMMM

Earlier…

The horse was cantering with ease, the sun was uninhibited by clouds, and the wind had died down. Treville could not hide a smile as he enjoyed the relative freedom the ride back to Paris was providing. The recent wet weather had left the ground muddy, with puddles in places but the road he was on was well maintained. The sure-footed horse had no issue as they made their way towards the city.

The meeting had gone well, Treville knew the King would be pleased with the progress, taking the credit for himself. Treville did not mind, the King would enjoy his glory as he quietly celebrated in the background. Such was the life of a soldier, but if it was for the betterment of France it was worth it.

The King's strict instructions of secrecy were the only part of the covert mission that annoyed him. Treville knew he could trust his Musketeers. His men would have been useful allies for his work. He had noticed his best men, his inseparables, watching his movements. They knew something was going on, knew he was doing something other than his usual work. But the King had been adamant that only he was to deal with the contact and handle the delicate negotiations.

Not wanting to tire the horse, Treville slowed him to a trot. The horse snorted a couple of times but eased down as instructed by his master. The road was quiet, he knew it would get busier in the next couple of miles and then he would be in the thick of the bustle of the city. The last few minutes of open land was welcome.

The area was sparsely covered in trees and thick bushes with a few areas of more densely packed trees. Treville watched a pair of birds of prey circling overhead as the trees closed in around him.

A snap drew his attention, followed by his horse faltering slightly. The well-trained horse's reaction surprised Treville. Several shouts and yells followed by the feeling of being hit by several things, stones and rocks he guessed, had Treville trying to urge the horse forwards quickly. He was too slow. His enjoyment of the journey had distracted him. He inwardly cursed as he pulled his gun.

But there were too many of them. He could not count the number of men who swarmed from the thicket of trees. He was grabbed by several men. His horse whinnied and reared, but the men already had a firm hold of him, knocking his gun from his hand. Treville did not see where the gun went as he was pulled bodily from his horse his foot being wrenched from the stirrup.

The last thing he saw was the ground as he was pushed down. A blow to his head the last thing he felt.

MMMM