To War They Go

by silvermoongirl10

Anne wonders how it feels to be a mother watching her son march off to war, and she prays that the Musketeers return for their mothers sake (Set at the end of 2x10, but slightly AU in that Aramis has not gone to the monastery, and this makes no reference to Aramis' relationship with Anne so this kind of suggesting it never happened. That's my view but you can decide for yourself.)

Anne stood before her window with her infant son cradled in her arms. Before her she watched as the Musketeer Regiment stood to attention for one last inspection by Louis and Treville before they marched off to war.

Anne was torn. Here she was watching as her King and husband, along with War Minister Treville, were sending off men to fight in a war against the country where she was born. If she closed her eyes she could still feel the warm sun on her face and her the laughter of her younger self and her siblings. Those carefree days of childhood when there was no sense of responsibility, they could spend their day's horse riding and carefree. For her that ended when she was fourteen and sent to Paris to marry the young boy King of France. And she had accepted that. It was her duty as a Princess to marry and help form ties and alliances with other countries by marrying reigning monarchs. Just as her younger sister Maria Anna had done this year to the Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand III.

But now her loyalties were to France, her husband and most importantly to her, her son. Despite her feelings towards her brother and Spain, her duty to was stand by and watch as her husband waged war with Spain, which he declared would only strengthen France's position and therefore benefit their infant son.

However, looking at the men stood to attention before her husband and Treville. She looked at the men she had come to know and admire. Athos, d'Artagnan, Aramis and Porthos. Men who had risked their lives for her. On both accounts at serious risk to themselves. And she wondered about their families, she had never had the opportunity to talk to them as one might a friend or close acquaintance. It was always as a Queen to her subjects. So she wondered, looking at her son, were their mothers still alive? And if they were how did they feel standing by as their sons marched off to war? Anne wondered how it would feel watching as her son went to war. She shuddered; it was not worth thinking about.

It was rare for Kings now to fight in the thick of battle, Louis himself, while going to La Rochelle in 1627, did not actually fight. Not like some of the Musketeers before her.

She new d'Artagnan was new to the regiment so this would be the first war he had taken part in. Athos, Aramis and Porthos she knew had all been in the regiment long enough to partake in the Siege of La Rochelle. But the regiment wasn't formed until 1622 so she wondered had any of the three been soldiers before? How many wars and battles had they marched into?

While she herself and never been to battle she was not naive enough to think all the men would return unharmed. As she looked between her son and their loyal Musketeers she thought of all the mothers who had to stand by and watch as their sons marched off to battle. And wondered how many mothers never got to see their sons again. Looking at some of the older Musketeers such as Aramis, Porthos and Athos. She took in their weary faces, which told her they were trying to block out unwanted memories. She had seen that look before. On Aramis' face when Sister Helen died in his arms and when Athos first saw Milady de Winter at court, but she did not know why he looked so pained.

As she scanned the faces of all the Musketeers she prayed to God for their safe return. She felt as their Queen it was her duty to pray for them. As Queen of France her duty was to her subjects and while wars had always been fought, and undoubtedly be continued to be fought, monarchs would always send the men to fight and so it should be the monarchs duty to ensure, as much as possible, the men's safe return. For they had mothers waiting for their return.

Anne kissed the top of Louis' head and whispered, "Look at the men stood before you my son. They are the bravest of the brave, and they are about to go to war for your father. And some day they might just go to war for you. They will do, as you command for they are steadfast in their loyalty, but please my son, I hope that if you should ever have to send these men to war. I pray for their mother's sakes, that you do what you can to bring them home. For no mother should ever have to bury their son."

The crunching of footsteps drew her attention, the Musketeers were now marching out of the courtyard and Anne sighed. She spotted the four Musketeers she considered friends, or as much as friends that they could be to her, and hoped in the next few weeks or months, that she would not hear the news of their deaths. She also hoped she would not have to hear the news of any of the Musketeers deaths. They all held a place in her heart.

The regiment had a lot of young faces, faces that were burned into her memory. They needed to return. Not just for her husband, herself and her son. But for their mothers.

They had to return for their mothers.