So I've been meaning to post this story for a while but life and everything else sort of got in the way. I'll try to update once a week. (I have the other chapters mainly done it's finding time to edit and post, that's the problem.)
Some of you know that Anne's my favourite character and one of the things I wish we saw more of is her relationships with each of the musketeers. We know why she's so fond of them but the musketeers' perspective isn't as demonstrated (ok Aramis' appreciation is fairly well understood). Their loyalty is more than just because she's queen (they side with her over the king on a few occasions) so I thought I'd give each of them a moment to show why they would do that.
Hopefully you'll all enjoy.
1625. Pre-Series. Post-Savoy
Porthos curled his fingers into his hands, fighting the urge to drive a fist into the bastards' faces. He forced himself to stare straight ahead. He was not going to let them know they were getting to him. And he certainly wasn't going to shame Captain Treville. The man had done so much, given him a chance to prove himself. Porthos wasn't going to let him down.
A newly commissioned musketeer brawling with red guards at a palace party in front of the royals would probably do both.
"How desperate is Treville? Hiring half-breed mongrels and brutes."
He tried to grab a glimpse of Athos, somebody from the regiment. A reminder that there were good men present. Actual soldiers. A reminder of why he was here.
"Well it's not like he had a choice. All the best ones went and got themselves massacred while they were training."
"Guess 'best' wasn't that good. Couldn't even last 'til a real fight."
"Is something the matter?" The new voice arrived just as Porthos' self-control failed. All three men immediately straightened and bowed in the presence of the queen.
"No, Your Majesty. We were just checking that the security was still sufficient. Most of the musketeers are new. Wouldn't want something to happen because of rookies, since the experienced ones are all dead."
Queen Anne smiled. To Porthos it only showed politeness but if he looked closely, he thought there might be a possible coolness as well. "Your concern is noted but I'm sure Captain Treville has everything in hand. The king appointed him Captain of the Musketeers for a reason. Questioning Treville or his men could be misconstrued as questioning the king. Which would be treason."
Porthos stifled a grin at the look on the idiots' faces.
"We'd never question His Majesty," one of them spluttered.
"Of course not," the queen interjected smoothly. "You were concerned for his safety, and commiserating with this soldier on the loss of his colleagues. And now that such matters have been alleviated, you can return to your duties. After all, it would not do for something to happen because the red guards were not at their posts."
The pair couldn't bow low enough or flee fast enough. Porthos expected Queen Anne to move on but instead she lingered. "I'm sorry if they upset you, Monsieur…" she paused, her expression turning slightly contrite. "Forgive me, I don't know your name."
"Oh, eh, it's Porthos, Your Majesty." He didn't expect her to remember it by the end of the conversation. She was royalty after all. Individual musketeers and their names didn't mean anything to her.
"I am sorry if they upset you, Monsieur Porthos."
He caught his shrug. "I'm used to it." That didn't sound like the right thing to say to a queen. "I mean it takes a lot more than that to upset me."
"I do not doubt it. Musketeers are not so easily defeated. But that does not excuse their behaviour." She glanced coolly in the direction the guards had gone. When she turned back to him, her features softened. "Whatever happened, those musketeers died honourably in service to their king and country. They deserve nothing less than respect and gratitude.
"Were you close to them? Were any of them friends in particular, I mean."
Porthos was about to correct her, tell her that he had still been a cadet, only weeks at the garrison and not especially liked because of his skin colour. But an image of Aramis flashed through his mind and stopped him. The only person who had treated Porthos the same way he had treated everyone. And who had become unrecognisable to the man he'd only casually interacted with.
"Yeah, I lost a friend."
"I will pray for him." It was more than prayer Aramis needed but Porthos thought he'd like the idea of the queen praying for him. He thanked her.
Porthos tried to study her without showing it. Queen Anne was Spanish. The raiding party responsible were her own countrymen. Possibly on her brother's orders. But as far as Porthos could tell she genuinely mourned for the men lost.
Maybe that was why Captain Treville was so fond of her. It was known that she was always respectful and courteous to the soldiers that served Their Majesties. That she often sided with Captain Treville and credited the regiment in front of the king had earned her a unique respect and loyalty from the men.
It was the first time he'd been in such close quarters to her. She was young but that meant little to Porthos. He'd grown up in the Court of Miracles. Young didn't mean anything but lacking the experience to not die.
She was much more serious than the king. Quieter too, but there was something in her manner that Porthos liked even though he couldn't put his finger on it.
Queen Anne paused as she moved away. "About what those men said."
"It's fine Your Majesty."
"I have known Captain Treville since before there were musketeers. Even if there was only one able man in all of France, he would not let him wear that pauldron if he did not believe that man was anything less than deserving of it. Don't let anyone convince you otherwise."
The words hit him harder than expected. He believed he was capable alright but knowing the queen had faith if not in Porthos himself, at least in Captain Treville's judgement, believed he thought Porthos a just candidate, was approval he hadn't expected.
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
She smiled as she left to re-join the party. Porthos watched her go. He didn't know what it meant to her, the conversation with a lowly musketeer. She probably saw it as good manners, offering her condolences to a member of the regiment.
To Porthos, it showed that he had made the right choice. It was worth being a musketeer, fighting for France, serving under a respected captain like Treville, defending a good monarch like the queen.
The king had been amused at the idea of someone like Porthos in his musketeers. Queen Anne didn't seem to care about his background one way or the other. He liked the king's good-natured cheer and exuberance. He might like the queen for better reasons.
As always let me know what you think, not only about the chapter but if you have any opinions or insights into the friendships of queenie and the musketeers feel free to state it.
Also I have a question for my lovely readers. I recently came across fandoms being sorted into the four Hogwarts houses and it got me wondering. (Keep in mind it's been a long time (years) since I read the books and based on both good and bad qualities of the houses.)
Treville: Gryffindor - Bravery, chivalry, strength of will.
D'Artaganan: Gryffindor - Daring, courage, reckless. Honestly I can't see him anywhere else.
Louis: Gryffindor - Bravery, arrogance, self-absorbed.
Porthos: Gryffindor/ Ravenclaw/ Hufflepuff - Honestly the only house I can't make a case for is Slytherin.
Athos/ Aramis /Anne: Gryffindor/ Ravenclaw/ Hufflepuff/ Slytherin - I think I could actually make a case for each of them in any of the houses.
Constance: Gryffindor/ Hufflepuff/ Ravenclaw - more the first two than the third but a case could be made.
Milady/ Richelieu/ Rochefort: Slytherin - All of them have cunning, ambition, resourcefulness, pride and a high level of self-preservation.
Sylvie/ Ninon: Ravenclaw - Intelligence, love of knowledge, high standards.
Please be respectful of other opinions if you don't agree with them (especially other reviewers as it's unfair to argue with them in the reviews especially when they may not be able to do so themselves) but by all means please let me know what you think. Not everyone is a perfect fit for a particular hat.