(Originally posted on AO3 on June 16th, 2014. Crossposted here due to the latest events at the AO3 board.)
WARNINGS for period typical attitudes and MAJOR CHARACTER DEATH.
The fact is, the queen has been spending a lot of time in the gardens since her pregnancy was revealed to the court, and musketeers are always around to assure her security. Usually, he wouldn't have a single problem with that – musketeers have been, after all, created to protect the king and the realm through him – so the protection of the queen is part of their attributions, but… Well, he had noticed, before, that some of the musketeers had no real boundaries where the queen was concerned, and it has gotten worse since the pregnancy was revealed.
Truth be told, he is not really surprised to see that it is this damn Aramis who shows no respect of the royal etiquette. Oh, he can control himself in public, but as soon as the queen is alone, or with only one or two ladies-in-waiting attending to her, he forgets himself.
He can see them easily from his where he's standing in the castle, the large windows offering him a good view of the gardens, even the parts people think to be hidden from the view. Athos is chatting away with the lady-in-waiting, while Aramis is definitively being too close to the queen for it to be proper, even though he is not touching her. He has seen plenty of scenes like these in the past six weeks, enough to be assured that the musketeer has slept with the queen at the convent. Oh, he knows nobody is going to admit it, but someone must have noticed it, back in Bourbon-les-Eaux, and it is his duty to make sure France is and stays strong.
Which won't be the case if it becomes known that the queen cheated on the king and is perhaps carrying a bastard.
He has work to do.
ooOoo
The mother superior seems surprised to see him, but not as surprised as what could have been expected. Perhaps she was expecting him earlier, and he probably would have indeed come sooner, had he not needed to make sure the queen wasn't going to double-cross him in Louis's affections. He hadn't needed to worry, actually, despite her assurances, back at the chapel: Louis is still overwhelmed by his duties as king, even after all these years, and the queen's pregnancy is putting a strain on his attention towards his royal duties. He is, after all, more than relieved to have his cardinal preparing the work for him, and still holds him in high regards… which couldn't be better for his plans.
The mother superior hadn't noticed anything strange concerning the musketeers' behavior, no, and the leader (Athos, he supplies, and she agrees) had been nothing but useful, very concentrated on the task at hand. The other one, well, under different circumstances, she would never have let him put a foot in her convent, because she knows men like that, and they are good for nothing but troubling the heart of young nuns (not only nuns, he can't help but think bitterly, Adele's death still present at the back of his mind) but he had been respectful of her charges. Asking about the musketeer's behavior around the queen is trickier, but he has experience in these matters, and the good mother superior has a sharp mind too. After all this time, if he has come to visit, it must be for a good reason, and desecrating a house of God does not put people in the nuns' good graces.
Unfortunately, she has nothing troubling to report, except that Aramis was looking at the queen with more passion than proper, but the mind's troubles can't be brought up as a proof of treason. He is disappointed by the lack of information, he won't deny it, but the mother superior surprises him when she decides to go searching for one of the nuns, assuring him that the young woman had been troubled by their three visitors' stay.
"She said it was about matters of the flesh, during confession", the mother superior explains while they are both waiting for the young girl, "but she assured me that she was still as pure as the day she had arrived here, and I believe her."
Sister Marie arrives and bows slightly before looking at them with bright, green eyes. She is barely twenty and has already been ordered – probably one of those girls left at the doors and praying for a better life. The girl will know next to nothing about sins and temptation, and if the mother superior is telling the truth, she might be useful for his plans…
"Please tell the Cardinal what you told me, my child," the mother superior is saying next to him, and the girl looks at him before taking a huge breath and starting to talk.
"I first noticed when I was coming back from Lauds, Your Eminence," she starts with a shy voice, not daring to look him in the eyes, but rather fixing her gaze on the crucifix behind his head. "I needed to walk a bit before coming back to my cell, because of all the excitement of the previous day," she blushes a little and stops until he tells her to go ahead, "and I walked towards the cells where Her Majesty and the musketeers were staying and I saw…" she falters and blushes again, but this time, there seems to be some anger in her eyes.
She takes a breath and looks at him directly in the eyes.
"I saw that the musketeer called Aramis was in the queen's cell, in her bed, shirtless, and the queen was in his arms, and not wearing her dress," she says really fast, and the mother superior gasps in horror next to him. "I thought I was dreaming," Sister Marie continues "and went back to my cell to sleep, but when we woke up again for Prime, I went back to see if he was still here, and he was."
She seems more assured now, frankly holding his eyes, and he can't help but wonder why she didn't say anything to anyone before. He asks her so and she gives him a long, uneasy look.
"Nobody would have believed me, and I didn't want to insult the queen's honor, when she has always been kind to our house," she explains shyly. "But since Your Eminence is here, I guess it must means something is amiss at court… after all, we rejoiced too when we learnt of the queen's pregnancy."
He nods and the mother superior has her lips pinched so hard they are almost white. The girl is smart enough but doesn't seem to want to hurt anyone needlessly, which is all good for his plans. He knows he won't enjoy the day he has to tell Louis his wife cheated on him…
"Are you ready to sign a confession repeating everything you just told me, and then repeat it in front of a court of justice, if things came to this?" he asks her, assessing her, and notices how she looks at the mother superior, whose cheeks have turned red under emotion – shame? Anger? He isn't sure.
"It is already bad enough that our convent has been desecrating by this act, but I won't have anyone hiding the truth from the king's justice," she hisses, and he knows he had found good allies in his quest. "God will punish the sinners in time, in this life or another," she adds, and the three of them sign themselves.
When he leaves the convent an hour later, he has a full confession signed by Sister Marie, putting all the blame on Aramis and easing Athos from any kind of responsibility, and the assurance that she will come to Paris at once as soon as he writes for her.
Now it is time to decide what the next course of actions will be.
ooOoo
Their Majesties are happy, of course, especially since the queen is reaching her sixth month of pregnancy and still hasn't lost the child. Perhaps this one will last until the birth… he is not sure what would be kinder, but does know he has to tell the king, and soon.
The day he chooses is as good as any other: Louis is working in his rooms, alone with only a few guards around, while the queen is enjoying the gardens before going into confinement. Aramis and Porthos are around, for security measures, and all these people can easily be seen from the windows.
His time has come.
"You seem troubled, Cardinal," Louis says in an even voice, not looking from the papers in front of him – economical troubles, once again.
"Indeed I am, Your Majesty," he answers before turning back to the king, letting his displeasure shows on his face.
Louis always likes it best when people are honest with him, and he can't say the idea of hurting him like that pleases him. He likes the young man, after all.
The inked quill stops scratching the paper.
"Well? What is it?"
Louis has immediately picked up on the seriousness of the situation, and he wonders if he has let something on in the past few days. Ah well, perhaps it will help the king take him seriously…
"I am afraid I have received some bad news from the convent of Bourbon-les-Eaux, Your Majesty," he declares in a slightly pained voice.
"Well, go ahead, Cardinal", Louis orders in a slightly angry voice – only a careful ear would pick up the fear underneath.
He sighs.
"I have reports of one of the musketeers' behavior during their stay at the convent while the Queen was under attack, Your Majesty," and he waits for a tight nod before going ahead. "It appears that the Queen, in her despair of not being able to bear a child for the throne of France, has slept with a musketeer."
"No."
Louis rises up so fast that his quill rolls and hits the floor, ink spreading over like blood.
"Anne wouldn't betray me like this," and his voice is high with anger – and it is fear or pain? "She knows her responsibility to France, she knows how dangerous bastards can be to the throne, she wouldn't do this.
"The Queen knows how important it is for Your Majesty to have an heir as soon as possible," he points, and he doesn't like playing devil's advocate, but he is sure he has a good grasp on the queen's reasons. "The people has been talking for a long time, and a pregnancy would bring more safety on the succession… especially if a boy is born out of it."
Louis looks crushed and he really regrets having to hurt him like that, but bastards are too high a risk, especially when the wars of religion, though a thing of the past, are still so close to them. But he won't have a royal child whose paternity will forever be unknown, no matter if he is of royal Spanish blood. It is not enough for the House of Bourbon.
"She wouldn't hurt me like that," Louis mumbles, close to tears, and he understands he has to bring the point home.
"Her Majesty wanted to bring you happiness by offering you a child," he offers, and tries to be as kind as he can. "Having children has been her desire for a long time, and acting this way could have created one…"
Louis shakes his head, inhales sharply, and finally moves towards him – towards the windows. They stand close, shoulders almost bumping, and Louis's breath is erratic while he watches the queen waking slowly in the gardens, Aramis one foot behind and her ladies-in-waiting a few feet behind them, Porthos closing the march. This is a sensible formation, for securities reasons, but also allows a conversation at double-entendre between a woman and her lover.
"Who did you say it was?" Louis finally asks, voice hurt and broken, and regrets settle more deeply in his heart.
"The musketeer called Aramis, the one with a feather on his hat," he answers as gently as he can, and watches Louis as he scans the crowd surrounding his wife.
He can pinpoint the exact moment Louis sees the man, and watches with fascination as his face turns to stone.
"At least we share the same hair color," he mumbles, before sighing loudly.
He watches the queen some more, eyes raking over the swell of her belly, and sighs once more. Silence falls and birds are singing in the gardens, while courtiers enjoy the bright, sunny days, everyone trying to get a good look at the queen, who doesn't know how fragile her position has become.
He would almost regret it, if she hadn't tried to double-cross him. Almost.
"Something must be done, but for now, I want to be left alone," Louis finally declares after some long minutes. "Thank you, Cardinal."
He bows deeply and walks away, only to be called before reaching the door.
"Cardinal… do you have any proof?"
Ah. Of course. He takes the confession out of his coat and brings it to the king, who reads once, twice, pinches his lips really hard and turns his back on him.
He knows when he has been dismissed, and leaves in silence.
ooOoo
All hell breaks loose three days later, while the king and the queen are enjoying a nice cup of tea together, the rain keeping everyone in the palace. The king is his usual-self, and finally ushers the courtiers out of the room, only keeping a few guards, his wife and his prime counselor. The queen looks a bit surprised, but soon turns horrified when the king puts the confession of Sister Marie in front of her.
"Is it true?" Louis asks after a long moment of silence, visibly fighting not to lose all his calm. "Is it?" he asks again when the queen shows no sign of answering.
"Your Majesty…" she begins to speak and then looks at him, visibly heartbroken.
Louis inhales sharply and falls on his chair before putting his face in his hands. Anne bits her lips, and turns her eyes to him – the spider she thought to have on a tight leash. Sweet child…
"We need a son," she finally says, and Louis chokes on – a sob? a laugh? before looking at her.
"I need a son of our blood, not a bastard," he declares in a cold, broken voice. "Anne…"
He stops, and looks ready to cry. They both are, he realizes, and stops himself from sighing. Such children, and in charge of a country… The outcome won't be nice.
There is silence, before Louis breaks it again.
"Do you… Do you love him?"
He feels like he is seeing again the child whose father and king was murdered in plain day.
"Not as I love you", the queen answers before tentatively putting her hand on Louis'.
Who looks at their hands and doesn't move.
"Louis… the child will still be of royal blood."
"But not of mine!" Louis screams and rises up so fast his chair falls to the floor. "I can't have a bastard on the throne, Anne, you know it very well! It will bring back France to the dark times of the wars of religion! I can't risk it!"
Too much is at stake, and the three of them know it very well. The king walks around, trying to calm himself – pregnant women shouldn't be yelled at, everyone is aware of that fact, and no one wants to risk a miscarriage.
"We can't have this child, Anne", he finally pronounces without looking at anyone, standing in front the windows. "How could we? How could I leave this life without knowing if my heir is one my blood or of the blood of a commoner?"
Silence stretches. The queen is slowly, patiently, tearing apart her napkin, all food forgotten on the table.
"You will spend your confinement at Fontainebleau," the King finally decides. "Once the child is born, it will be left at the hospital of the Brothers of Saint-Jean-de-Dieu and then raised in a convent."
A pause, and:
"Like a proper royal bastard."
This is the sentence of the royal justice and nobody will go against it.
"As far as the musketeer is concerned…" the King's voice wavers and he stops.
The queen is livid.
"There is only one sentence for high treason" the King finally declares in a slow voice. "He will be executed at the Bastille. Cardinal Richelieu."
"Your Majesty."
"You will take care of this. Nothing will be known by the people of Paris or by the court. I trust you."
The declaration stands heavily in the room. Secrecy about the whole matter is the only way to protect the queen's reputation – to protect the royal marriage.
"What about his death?" the queen asks in a low voice, tears in her eyes.
Louis finally turns back to them and doesn't look any better.
"Since he brought you some happiness, it will be a quick death," he declares.
The queen nods, Louis bows shortly in front of her and leaves the room, obviously needing to be alone to mourn the child – perhaps even his marriage. They wait until the doors are closed again, and the queen inhales sharply before putting her head in her hands. He feels bad for her, really, but the price of treason is high, and greater things are at stake, more important than the life of one musketeer: the future of the country and of the House of Bourbon.
ooOoo
Taking care of this matter is not very difficult, once he has the confession of Sister Marie back in his hands and the orders of the king, sealed by the royal seal, to further his claims in front of Treville. He feels bad for the captain, who is losing one of his best men on the affair, but nothing can be done to change Aramis' fate. The other musketeers want to do something, of course, but Athos stops them.
"Losing one man who has been loyal to the king for so long is already a hardship for Their Majesties," he explains to Athos in front of Treville, Aramis secure in the cells of the Bastille, Porthos and the young d'Artagnan eaves-dropping in the corridor. "But losing more because of misplaced loyalty? It would destroy this corps and many lives pointlessly. Aramis, no matter how close he is to you, committed high treason. He cannot be trusted with Their Majesties' safety anymore. A shame, given his talents."
There is no escape attempt, and three days later, Aramis, stripped off the musketeers' paldron, is beheaded in the court of the Bastille, Treville, Athos, Porthos, d'Artagnan and himself as only witnesses. The man repents, of course he does, but it is too late in this life. The blow is well done and he doesn't suffer. Small mercy, as the King decided.
Oh, he knows he has made three mortal enemies in the musketeers with this death, but he can handle it.
He doesn't have a choice.
It is for the greater good.
For France, and the House of Bourbon.
ooOoo
(One month into confinement and the queen goes into early labor: a stillborn child is brought to light after hours of pain.)