DISCLAIMER: I do not own Young Blades, the Three Musketeers, or anything else affliated with this production. I just like to play with them.
D'Artagnan stood at the edge of the ballroom, bored with the music and the people there at the masquerade ball. Louis had thrown the party in honor of his favorite musketeers, d'Artagnan, Jacques, Siroc and Ramon, and their recent success in capturing a criminal that had eluded justice in England, Germany, and Belgium. Finally, through the valiant efforts of the brave musketeers, the thief had been brought to justice.
Unfortunately, not all four musketeers were going to be honored tonight. Jacques Laponte had declined the invitation and was currently taking some time off to visit his old home. Or so he had told the king.
D'Artagnan knew that Jacqueline was sitting in the musketeer garrison, avoiding everyone else. He had tried to persuade her to attend, even asking her to be his date. She had flatly refused to go, especially with d'Artagnan, due to the fact that the only real male clothes she owned besides her uniform was the ridiculous outfit she had stolen from the dandy before she entered the musketeers.
"Having fun d'Artagnan?" Ramon asked his companion, his mouth full of some morsel from the banquet table.
"Yeah, this is great," d'Artagnan replied sarcastically.
"If only there were some way to easily scoop and hold dip onto a cracker," Siroc mused as he stared at the cracker and dip he held in his hand, ignoring the conversation next to him.
"I just wish there were more young ladies," d'Artagnan explained. 'Or one more young lady,' he thought.
"D'Artagnan, compadre, all the women in the world would not satisfy you," Ramon observed. "Why don't you try settling for one? Like that one over there," Ramon pointed across the room to a brunette girl in a bright pink outfit.
"No thanks," d'Artagnan replied.
"Or that one, right next to the punch?" Ramon motioned towards another girl with long blonde hair and a pudgy face in a dress that looked like it was supposed to be white, but had now faded to yellow.
"I think I'll take my chances with someone else," d'Artagnan remarked.
"There's a very pretty girl standing near Mazarin, over there," Ramon gestured. D'Artagnan followed the movement, and his eyes were riveted on the sight.
A sparkle of jewels could be seen shimmering in her curly blonde hair, piled in a mass atop her head. The light blue dress was laced tight, betraying her thin waist and slim figure. The skirt was full and skimmed the ground around her. With her back to them, he couldn't see her face, but silently asked that she do so. Finally after a few moments, her gaze wandered around and settled someone just behind him. Her eyes were rimmed with the customary mask, preventing him from getting a good look at her. Still, as d'Artagnan caught sight of her face, all thoughts of Jacqueline immediately exited his mind.
"Excuse me gentlemen, I have a lady to get," d'Artagnan said, moving across the room to stand beside the mystery woman.
"Hello," he greeted the woman.
"Hello," she replied, dropping her face slightly.
"I'm d'Artagnan," he continued, wondering why this girl was being so secretive.
"It's nice to meet you d'Artagnan," the lady responded, still avoiding his direct gaze.
D'Artagnan paused a moment, waiting for her to reciprocate the introduction. "I believe it's your turn to tell me your name," he prodded.
The lady then lifted her head up, just enough to allow him a glimpse of her lips curling into a smile. "Where's the fun in that?"
D'Artagnan returned her smile. "Oh, its fun you're after? Well, I guess I can oblige you there."
The woman returned his smile. "Yeah, we could have fun."
D'Artagnan looked at the young woman; something about her was familiar. "Do I know you from somewhere?"
"We've met," the woman replied.
"Where do I know you from?" d'Artagnan asked the woman, wanting to know why she was so familiar.
"I don't think I can answer that," she replied coyly. "That's three."
"Three?"
"Questions. You have seventeen left before twenty," the woman gave him a wide smile.
"Okay then. Do you live in Paris?" d'Artagnan asked, beginning his questioning of the young lady.
"Yes," she replied shortly.
"Have you always lived in Paris?" d'Artagnan asked.
"No."
D'Artagnan looked at her oddly. "Will you give me more than yes or no?" he asked.
"No."
D'Artagnan gave her a glare. "That's a shame. I was hoping we could get to know each other fairly well."
"That's unfortunate. I wish I could help you."
As d'Artagnan marveled at this amazingly smart and yet extremely arrogant woman, Siroc and Ramon slid over to join d'Artagnan and the mystery woman.
"Hello milady. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Ramon Francisco de la Cruz. And who might you be?" Ramon lifted the woman's hand to his lips. She gave a small blush, then returned her attention to d'Artagnan.
"This is one of my fellow musketeers. The other one is Siroc," d'Artagnan introduced his friends.
"Hello," the woman smiled at the newcomers.
"And who might you be?" Siroc repeated Ramon's question.
"Twelve," the woman murmured to d'Artagnan.
"What was that?" Ramon asked.
"Your companion and I are playing a little game. Part of the game is guessing my name, so I apologize that I can't give it to you," the woman replied with her trademark coy smile.
"Why do their questions count?" d'Artagnan asked, realizing that the woman had added Ramon and Siroc's identical question to his count.
"One more down. They're your friends, so unless they want to play themselves, I think it's only fair their questions are added to yours." Her smile seemed to split her face.
"We'll leave you two to your games," Ramon said with a wink. He and Siroc then moved away to look for their own ladies to dance and woo.
D'Artagnan looked back at the woman, disbelieving her spunk. "Well than, will you dance with me?" d'Artagnan held out his hand for the lady. She took it with a small nod.
"Where did you live before you moved to Paris?" d'Artagnan asked the woman as they twirled around the ballroom.
"You chose to waste a question like that? I told you, I will only reply with yes or no," the woman replied.
"Fine, are you from the North?"
"Yes, I am," the woman replied with a smile.
"Do you live with your family here in Paris?"
"No," the woman replied, allowing her face to fall and hide her expression. "No, I no longer live with my family."
"So do you work here in Paris?" d'Artagnan tried another approach, sensing that her family was a difficult topic for the young lady.
"Yes."
"Do you work at the Café Nuveau?"
"No," the woman replied.
D'Artagnan pondered for a moment. He was deciding how best to discover this mysterious woman's identity. He then thought of the perfect way to find out exactly who she was.
"Were you invited to the Ball, or did you just decide to try to sneak it?" d'Artagnan looked at her mischievously, knowing that it was something he would have contemplated.
"Yes, I was invited," the woman said proudly, with a touch of anger that he would believe she had snuck in.
"Then you must be personally acquainted with the Royal Family, am I right?"
The woman hesitated for a moment. D'Artagnan could tell she was debating within herself on how to answer.
"Yes, I know the Royal Family," she finally replied. "You only have two more; use them wisely."
D'Artagnan had not been keeping the mental count that she had, so he panicked when he realized that there were only two more chances to figure out who she was.
"Okay, um, did you come alone?" d'Artagnan asked. If all else failed, he could give her description to Louis or Queen Anne and have them tell him who she was.
"Yes."
D'Artagnan faltered, not knowing what to ask, his last chance to discover who this woman was. "Will you tell me your name?"
The woman gave him a pleased look. "If you can't tell who I am by now, I'm very disappointed in you d'Artagnan. After all the time we've spent together, a silly disguise has fooled even you?"
D'Artagnan looked at the woman strangely. There was something in her voice that reminded him of, but it couldn't be…
"Jacqueline?" d'Artagnan asked quietly.
"Took you long enough," Jacqueline replied, removing her mask just long enough for d'Artagnan to confirm his suspicion.
"What do you think you're doing? What if someone recognized you?" d'Artagnan tried to keep his voice down as he reprimanded her.
Jacqueline gave him a condescending look. "If you couldn't tell who I am, who else would be able to tell that it's me?"
D'Artagnan looked at the logic of this statement. "Well, okay." The orchestra began to play another song, and d'Artagnan once again offered his hand to her.
"Mademoiselle?" Jacqueline took his hand and allowed him to lead her through the slow waltz.
D'Artagnan admitted to himself that he was upset about what Jacqueline had done. It was a big risk for her to show up here, in a room full of musketeers and Cardinal's guards, without her masculine disguise. But d'Artagnan couldn't help but enjoy the moment. He was dancing with Jacqueline, and no one around knew who she was. He was finally able to spend a moment with the woman he had come to care so deeply about.
"I'm glad you did come," d'Artagnan murmured as he twirled her around.
"So am I," she whispered back.
FIN
A/N: Congratulations to all those who guessed it correctly. Don't forget to review!