Anne
The sun was still high in the cold, blue sky. Time seemed to drag on more slowly than she ever thought possible. She was more bored than she was tired or saddle sore. She was sure she was becoming ill. Perhaps she had caught whatever sickness her son had. She was worried about her child, and had not been able to sleep last night. The Dauphin had been not feverish when she had left him, but his cough had sounded terrible. However, the King had ignored her pleas to let her stay in Paris. Now she felt even more sick after seeing how excited her husband was to shoot a poor rabbit.
The Inseparables. Aramis. The Queen's sleepless night had not entirely been due to her son. She had been secretly watching Aramis during their journey to Fontainebleau. His thin frame and pallid complexion worried her, but what was more concerning were his empty eyes. He kept everyone at a distance. It was as if some evil spirit had taken the soul of her lively and charming champion. There was no emotion in his eyes. There was not a sign of joy, nor a hint of the mischievous glint that was usually present. Even his smile was lifeless. She wanted to go to him and demand that her beloved musketeer be restored to her-although he never could really be hers.
She was not even sure if he wanted her around anymore. Her presence seemed to make him uneasy. She started to wonder what she had done to upset him so much. Even after racking her brain, she could not think of anything that might have caused him to be angry.
When she had talked to Constance, the young woman's eyes had filled with tears. She had only suggested that perhaps Aramis felt unworthy of serving his Queen. Then Constance begged her not to ask any more questions. When she approached Porthos, he had done the same.
She needed to talk to Aramis in private. She had to know what was tormenting him. She cast a glance towards the famous Inseparables, who were riding at the rear of their party. Her heart sank when she saw how pale her musketeer was. Despite looking less than fit, he held himself straight and steady on his horse.
Fortunately, the King decided that he wanted to hunt for a something bigger than a rabbit, as it was obvious that God was on his side on this hunt. Distracted by his quest, he agreed to allow the Queen to return to Palace with a party of musketeers to guard her. Tréville volunteered the Inseparables to go with her. He wanted to allow his ailing men to get some rest.
She bid good bye to her husband, who was too excited to even pay attention to her. She guessed that he expected his new lover to join him. Her thoughts turned bitter. She could be killed for loving another man, while he could openly cherish another woman. It was so unfair!
As they rode, all she could think about was how badly she needed to feel Aramis' touch, even if it were innocent. The idea of falling off her horse came to mind, but she quickly discounted it. She might get hurt, and someone besides Aramis might come to her aid.
Her mare moved her ears nervously, and the young queen seized the opportunity. Heels hidden by her skirts, she kicked the horse as hard as she could, and jerked on the reins, directing her mount towards a side road. The horse responded by shifting into a light canter, just as her rider wanted. Anne spurred her into a fast run, and headed down the narrow road.
"Help me!" she cried, secretly urging her horse to go faster. Fortunately, she was dressed comfortably for riding. However, she had to remember that she was not a very good rider. That would certainly make her little charade more believable.
She could not risk a glance over her shoulder, but she heard a horse closing in on her.
God please-let it be my Aramis. Please!
Suddenly, she heard a shot. In that moment, she lost all control of her horse, who leaped forward in terror. She cried out in panic, and desperately hung on to the mane. She had been so stupid! Now she would end up dead! The road seemed to be one blurry, muddy strip, and her eyes were wide with fear. Her mare bucked, and the Queen lost her grasp. She fell heavily, and a sharp flame of pain shot through her left ankle. She curled up on the ground, instinctively reaching for her leg.
She heard a horse approaching at a full gallop, then heard Aramis shouting her name. Her heart stopped when she saw her musketeer jump from his horse without coming to a stop.
He would break his neck!
But he rolled to the ground, and landed on one knee next to her.
"Anne! Are you injured?" he asked, his voice desperate.
"My ankle…" she gasped. She felt miserable.
He ghosted his hands over her injured leg. It hurt, but the need for his touch hurt even more.
"I'll bind it up for now. When we get to a safe place, I'll take a closer look." He untied his blue sash.
She nodded. The pain remained, but was sudden overcome by desire. She wanted more than anything to lean into his touch, and to taste his kisses. She wanted him to claim her as his own.
It's a sin! You should not dream about him! You are a queen, you are married, and you are in danger! She ignored the voice of her conscience. I could care less about being a sinner! She began to think strategically. First, you must be safe from bandits, and then…
He finished binding her ankle.
"You will need to ride with me." He was stating the obvious, as her mare was long gone. However, Anne's mind transformed his words into a promise of passionate lovemaking. She flushed in embarrassment. A queen should not even know that the word could be used in that manner.
He helped her to stand up. She pretended to lose her balance, hoping he would catch her in his arms. He did so, but she suddenly felt as if any musketeer in the regiment was holding her. Something was definitely wrong. The situation was worse than she had thought.
He mounted behind her, supporting her with one arm wrapped around her waist. She leaned against his body. He stiffened, but said nothing. They galloped through the forest. Finally, he pulled to a stop in a quiet glade.
"I think we may safely stop here. I need to take care of your ankle-if you will permit me, Your Majesty." He dismounted, and she slipped into his waiting arms. His mouth was so close. She found it impossible to resist closing the distance between their lips, and met him in a passionate kiss. To be more precise, she had hoped it would be a passionate kiss. However, Aramis recoiled from her touch, nearly losing his balance. His eyes wide with horror.
Was he in love in another woman?! She could not blame him if it were true, but the thought was incredibly painful.
But he had reacted more strongly than if the kiss was simply unwanted… perhaps he had vowed to be loyal to his new lover, and was afraid that the queen would demand that he satisfy her appetites? Did Aramis think so little of her?
He lowered her to a sitting position against the trunk of a tree, and knelt before her. His pistol lay on the ground within his reach. He untied his sash from her leg, and she noticed that his hands were trembling.
"It will hurt," he warned her, then pulled off her shoe. She bit her lip, but the pain was not as bad as she had feared. He gently checked her ankle.
"It's not broken, Your Majesty, only sprained. I will wrap it up once more, and they we can continue riding. We can make a detour up ahead, and hopefully will meet up with the others."
She took his face in her hands, and looked into his eyes. He stiffened. He reminded her of the poor trapped rabbit that her husband had killed. She gently closed the distance between them, and almost touched his lips before halting. God, he was terrified! She saw pure fear in his beautiful brown orbs.
"Are you in love with another woman?" she asked, knowing what the answer would be.
"No, Your Majesty."
He was frozen in place.
"May I kiss you then?"
"I would rather you didn't, my lady."
"Why?"
"It' is too dangerous-for you, and for your son, Your Majesty"
"That didn't seem to bother you until recently."
"My Lady…. Please forget about me…"
"Why?"
"I am unworthy of your attention, Your Majesty."
He irritated her with all these titles he was using. He had never followed protocol so strictly, even when he met her for the first time.
"What happened to you, Aramis?"she burst out, losing her patience.
"I was broken. If they had demanded any information from me, I would be a traitor," he said curtly, then pulled away from her."We must go, Your Majesty."
Anne remained silent. She was shocked. Someone had been able to break her musketeer?! Was it really possible?! She did not want to believe it.
He helped her on to the horse. "You are forgiven, Aramis of the King's Musketeers," she whispered.
He swung up behind her, and was silent for a moment, then muttered, "I do not deserve your forgiveness, my Lady."
They rode on in silence. Anne felt that the day had turned into a complete disaster. Aramis stopped the horse on the edge of the forest.
"The musketeers are there, on the other side of this large clearing. You'll be soon safe, Your Majesty. I don't like the looks of this exposed space, so we are going to cross it as fast as possible."
He spurred his horse. The speed made her feel lightheaded, but she felt safe in his arms. However, her heart bled for the man she loved, and she had no idea how to help him.
The shot took her by surprise. Aramis cursed under his breath, and his horse sped up.
"You must ride on your own," he murmured into her ear. "I will stop them."
She was confused when he gave her the reins.
"Go as fast as you can!"
Suddenly, his solid presence behind her was gone. She cried out his name, but the only answer she heard was the order he gave his horse. "GO!, Orage, go!" The horse listened to his master, and immediately responded.
Anne could feel tears stinging her eyes, and fought to regain her composure before she reached the musketeers. As Orage slowed down, Porthos caught the reins.
"Aramis is back there! Please save him!" she pleaded desperately.
"I will, Your Majesty," vowed the large man.
"Porthos, Tannard, go after him!" someone ordered.
Athos appeared next to her. "Let me escort you to the safety of the palace, Your Majesty. Are you injured?"
"It's just a sprained ankle," she replied distractedly, her thoughts elsewhere. She could still feel the new scars on Aramis' face under her fingers. How could she be worried about her minor injuries?! Someone had broke her musketeer! They had taken the man she loved away from her.
Special thanks to my Beta – Riversidewren.