Le Parfum Des Saisons
It was days after Athos's named had been cleared and freed, that the three Alphas noticed.
D'Artagnan was an Omega.
At first, the three had hardly believed it, the young man certainly did not act like the Omegas here in Paris; in fact D'Artagnan acted more like an Alpha. When Aramis had pointed this out, Treville, who overheard; had laughed, it was then that Porthos, Aramis, and Athos learned two things, a) their Captain was from Gascony and b) Omegas in Gascony worked side by side with their Alphas and Betas. Be it in the fields, hunting, the forges or market. It was also common to see Omegas carrying around a sword, knife, gun or any kind of weapon, and they could even own land.
Treville had to bite back another burst of laughter at the look of awe and shock on his three best soldiers faces, though he could empathize, he himself when he first came to Paris was surprised at how the Omegas were treated.
The people of Paris seem to think Omegas were fragile things to be coddled, and sheltered; or merely objects to be possessed, and D'Artagnan was a male Omega, highly fertile, and known for not only having successful births, but for giving birth to only Alphas and Omegas offsprings.
The Captain of the King's Musketeers was surprised the boy had yet to be shackled and paired off to the first Alpha that walked through the door.
Leaving those thoughts for a moment, Treville watched his three men as they processed what they had learned, and quickly saw the shock and awe be replaced with guilt and horror as they realized that they had attacked an Omega, granted it was in self-defense but in their minds it was no excuse, they were gentlemen. To raise a hand or sword towards an Omega was dishonorable.
Watching the three leave, no doubt to apologize, Treville wondered if he should have explained that in Gascony if an Alpha defeated an Omega in any type of combat then the Alpha had rights to court said Omega, the Captain decided against it.
It was more fun that way.
~.~
His father and mother always told him that not everywhere was Gascony, that Omegas were not treated the same as they were in his hometown. When he had been younger he found that hard to believe, why would Omegas be treated any different? Then he came to Paris and understood.
At first he didn't notice, blinded by grief and rage for the death of his father, but now that his mind was clear, he did, and he was shocked.
"Mother and Father were right, not everywhere is Gascony" the Omega said days after he had helped clear Athos's name, they were in the kitchen all three enjoying a cup of wine Bonacieux had brought back from a business trip.
"What do you mean?" Constance asked, beside her, Bonacieux looked intrigued.
D'Artagnan smiled and told them what life was like for a Gascon Omega.
"Not everywhere is Gascony" Constance said in awe when the other Omega finished.
"Omegas here certainly don't carry around firearm" said Bonacieux.
D'Artagnan looks at the Alpha, their first meeting the Alpha had come home to his wife bandaging an injured man, at first he had been suspicious, it was only after taking in the other's scent and finding D'Artagnan to be an Omega did that suspicion turned into anger, surprisingly on the male Omega's behalf.
Despite his haughty expression, the Alpha seem kind, especially since he was offering room and broad with a reasonable rent fee and was offering to be his Famille Alpha (which he accepted, an Omega by himself in a strange town was just asking for trouble, he was lucky to have come so far as it were), still, this wasn't Gascony.
"Do you disapprove?" the male Omega asked.
"I cannot say I am comfortable with the thought, but I have a feeling that with you staying here, it will grow on me" said the Alpha.
Constance giggled, while D'Artagnan grinned
"So, how is Paris different from Gascony?" D'Artagnan then asked.
Both Constance and Bonacieux were just explaining what it would mean for D'Artagnan now that Bonacieux was his Famille Alpha (which was not so different from Gascony), when there was a knock on the door, Bonacieux gets up to answer it, he returns later with Porthos, Athos and Aramis trailing behind him.
"They wish to speak with you D'Artagnan" Bonacieux said.
With an idea of what it was about, Constance grabbed hold of her husband and dragged him out the room, ignoring his protests. D'Artagnan watches them go with amusement before getting up and getting more glasses, while the other was moving about in the kitchen, the three Alphas studied the Omega. None of them had ever seen a male Omega before, just heard stories. The young man had the delicate Omega features in the face and body, dark soft looking hair that barely brushed his shoulders, smooth dark skin and even darker eyes. When D'Artagnan hands a cup to Porthos, the Alpha find's his nose flaring, taking in the other's scent before he could stop himself.
The scent of spring flowers, the smell of summer rain, the crisp fall, and the gentle falling winter snow.
Growing up in the Court where everyone was covered in the same scent that made it unable to identify one's gender, and after joining the Musketeers, he's met Omegas who covered their scents in heavy (sometimes unbearable) oils, smelling all four blended together, creating such a scent that made the Alpha's whole body relax and wanting to roll in it.
"So, what did you want to talk about?" D'Artagnan asked handing Aramis his cup and bringing Porthos out of his thoughts.
Looking over at his friends, Porthos realized the others had smelt the same thing if the glazed look slowly disappearing from their eyes was anything to go by.
"We wanted to apologize for our behavior in the Garrison days ago" said Porthos.
D'Artagnan frowned as he tried to remember what had happened that required the three Musketeers to apologize, he found nothing expect that he should apologize to them (since the courting was different here in Paris, it wasn't an official Courting Duel, not that he would have minded. The three Alphas were pleasing to the eye and seemed like they'd make good mates from what he observed).
"What are you apologizing for?" the Omega finally asked.
"We should have not raised our swords towards you" Athos said, "doing such, to an Omega is dishonorable"
"Did you know I was an Omega at that time?"
"No"
"Then I see not the problem, though I do not know how me being an Omega has anything to do with the fact that I attacked you first, and should be the one apologizing"
"A gentlemen shouldn't raise his sword or hand towards an Omega regardless of who's at fault" Aramis said.
D'Artagnan still saw no difference, but as he sipped his wine, thinks over what he just learnt about Paris in regards to their Omegas and what he's learned of the three Musketeers he had befriended. It's obvious that they do not think he is fragile, though it may take some time for them to get use to his independent nature, but it seems they had a code that they go by, and apparently in dueling him; they had broken it. Even though they were not at fault.
He decides for the moment to accept the apology, and judging from the way the three Alphas relaxed once he did, he made the right decision.
It was then that Bonacieux returned, he sits back in his seat and glared at the three Musketeers, no doubt wondering what they had done to his newest member of the household while he had been held captive by his wife, deciding not to add fuel to the fire; the three Musketeers bid both of them good night and were escorted out the door by D'Artagnan.
Watching the three leave, the Gascon had a feeling his life was going to be much more interesting.
~.~
Days later, Aramis's fist is inches away from the door when said door flings open, the Alpha quickly jumps to side just as a body is thrown out the house and lands hard onto the ground.
"If I see you here again, I'll gut you like a fish!"
Aramis watched the man, an Alpha, hurriedly picks himself off the ground and runs away before turning to the doorway; Bonacieux straightens his ruffled clothes and hair before turning his gaze to Aramis.
"May I help you?" he asked.
Aramis gulped.
"Erm, I'm here to speak with D'Artagnan" said Aramis after summoning up his courage.
"Why?" the Alpha demanded.
"Captain Treville wishes to speak with him" Aramis answered with an smile, inwardly cursing his Captain for sending him to pick up the Omega, dealing with Famille Alphas was never fun.
"And what does the Captain of the Musketeers want with D'Artagnan?"
"To be honest, I don't know"
Bonacieux's eyes narrowed and it looked like he was going to slam the door in his face, when D'Artagnan appears behind the Alpha's shoulder.
"It's alright Bonacieux" he said gaining the two Alpha's attention, he then smiled mischievously, "this Alpha's attention I actually want"
Aramis cleared his throat, cheeks turning red, while Bonacieux looks ready to have a fit. It's only when Constance drags her husband upstairs that D'Artagnan is able to leave with Aramis to the Garrison.
"What does the Captain want with me?" D'Artagnan asked.
"He wouldn't say" answered Aramis.
When they arrived at the Garrison, the men there all stopped and stared at the Omega, watching as he and Aramis head up to Treville's office. Treville wastes no time and gets to the point once his door is closed.
"No" said Athos once the Alpha is finished explaining his plan.
Treville raised a brow and glanced over at D'Artagnan who looks at the Musketeer with a bewildered frown, but said nothing.
"Do you have another plan then?" the Captain then asked.
Athos merely glared at him. Neither Porthos nor Aramis say anything, for one thing, their fellow Musketeer has always been grumpy. The other was because they knew the Alpha's instincts were yelling at him to keep the Omega away from danger, they themselves were fighting it too, they just weren't being vocal about it.
"Vadim will not a trust a Musketeer" Treville continued on, "D'Artagnan is only not a Musketeer, but he's an Omega, a male Omega at that. Vadim will no doubt lower his guard. D'Artagnan is our best chance"
Athos grumbled before looking at Porthos and Aramis, sighing when both men merely shrugged in response.
"I don't suppose I get a say in this"
All eyes turned to D'Artagnan.
"And what is your say in this?" Treville asked.
The Omega is silent for a long moment, before he smiled.
"I can handle it"
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