Constance
Why isn't he back yet? She wondered, casting another precious glance outside the window of the Queen's private chambers. Athos said that he should have been back by now...
"Constance." A soft voice interrupted her train of thought. She looked up, remembering where she was. the Queen of France and mother to the Dauphin stood in front of her, hands clasped together. Constance thanked God no one else was in the room, save the two musketeers on guard outside the door.
"Your majesty?" She curtsied, mentally cursing her stupidity. Now is not the time for worrying when you have her majesty to look after.
"I know you are worried about your husband..." Anne began. "But we must push through these things. I have been in this same situation, and it does not help to worry about it." Constance looked up, resting her hands on her abdomen.
"Your majesty, he has been gone for almost three weeks, with no contact. What am I supposed to do?" Constance groaned, fully standing up. "Louis was not gone for this long, and I understand that you are far more important that I, but it still hurts, knowing that he could be-" She took a deep breath, unable to finish her thought. "I apologize this will not happen again."
Anne walked up to her friend, grasping her hands with her own. "You have nothing to apologize for. Your husband is missing. And while I may be important to France, you are important to me. I want all of my friends to be happy, and you are not so. I would say go to the Garrison and check again but that would bring you only more despair if you find he has not returned." She released her hold, but walked them over to a sofa, which they both sat. "What were the details of this mission d'Artagnan had been sent on?"
Constance swallowed, and recited the story she now knew by heart. "He was sent by Athos to deliver a message to a Comte just outside of Paris. It was maybe a two day ride if he was riding slow, and invite him to the celebration the King will be throwing in honor of the Dauphin's birthday. He had five days to complete his mission." She closed her eyes, trying not to miss the information Athos had shared with her a week prior. "When he did not return, Athos sent out a search party of two to see if had even made it to his destination. The Comte had confirmed that d'Artagnan had been there, and left almost immediately after handing over the invitation two days prior. That was two weeks ago."
"So d'Artagnan has been missing for two weeks?" Anne queried, having lost her friend.
"Two and a half."Constance corrected. "The Comte confirmed he got there, and that leaves us with the assumption that he disappeared on the way back. Athos sent out the first search party three days after his deadline to return home. That was about a week ago."
"Why can't he send out any more?" Anne asked. "i might be able to get an extension for you if you need it."
"There is apparently a sort of fixed number of days and times times that you can send out a search party without decreeing the person dead."Constance sighed. "He hits the deadline in a week and a half."
"They only get a month?"
Constance nodded, "If a fully trained musketeer goes missing with no sort of contact then it has to be for a good reason. Porthos was telling me that d'Artagnan has the tendency to finish his missions quickly, making everyone else seem very lazy in comparison. He would be back right now if he were alive." She added softly, tears threatening to roll down her face.
"Don't say that. You mustn't give up hope." The Queen grasped her hands again. "What does Athos think of the matter?"
Constance looked down at her hands, being held gently in her majesty's grasp. "I do not know, my lady. I am scared to ask."
"Maybe, just maybe, he can help." Anne advised. "Go."
Constance left the room with a shawl wrapped around her shoulders and a curtsy for her best friend.
Athos
"Has anyone even told Aramis yet?" Porthos asked. They were in Treville's- no, his- office, late at night, almost three weeks after their brother from Gascony had gone missing.
Athos looked up from the dreaded sheet of paper sitting carelessly on his desk:
Name~ Charles d'Artagnan
Current Status~ Missing in Action, presumed dead
Signature from Captain confirming death~_.
All that was left now was for him to sign it. "Repeat that?" He asked his second in command.
Porthos shifted his weight to his other foot impatiently. "Has anyone even told Aramis that d'Artagnan is missing?"
Athos frowned, looking back at the paper. He could have sworn that he had someone tell Aramis, but now that he started actually thinking about it, he wasn't sure. "I don't... I don't think so."
Porthos growled. "Why not? D'Artagnan is his younger brother, he deserves to know!"
Athos pushed back his chair and stood up. "Let's not bother him with his priesthood. We went there once, remember how well that turned out?"
"We were trying to recruit him for a war against his homeland, that mission was doomed from the start!" Porthos cried, throwing his hands in the air. He then walked up to the desk, leaning on it. "This is different. This is about our little brother, his little brother, missing. He would like to know, and is he somehow finds out, and NOT from us, we're dead."
"I know. I know!" Athos ran his hands through his hair in frustration. "But what if this was all for nothing? All of this worrying, all these extra gray hairs? What if-"
"What if d'Artagnan left the musketeers on purpose? Is that what you are trying to say? Vanished into thin air, without telling us? Or Constance, for that matter?" Porthos snapped. "Get your head out of the bloody clouds Athos! The boy has worked too damn hard to earn his commission from the king and build a respectable life here to just give it all up! You think he would just go home?"
"Has anyone even checked Gascony?" A new voice asked quietly after managing to enter the room without them noticing.
"Constance." Porthos greeted, before crossing the room to give her a hug.
"I did not hear you enter, Madame. I apologize." Athos said, sighing. He would need to work on that.
After pulling away from Porthos' hug, Constance said, "It's fine. Really. But have you?" After seeing their confused looks, added, "Sent anyone to check his home? Well, former home?"
"Yes, Madame. That was the second search party. No one has seen him since he left to go with his father to petition the King. Apparently, a few were surprised to hear he was still alive." Athos grimanced.
"You can stop with all of the 'madam'ing, Athos. I might not even be married anymore." Her voice broke.
This time he crossed the room to hug her. "We will get him back, I promise." He tried to sooth, gently patting her head.
"But what if there is nothing left to retrieve?" She sniffed, tears running down her face. "He might be burned down to a crisp, not even here anymore!"
Athos pulled away. "We will have none of that talk in this Garrison, Madame. You are worried, and I understand that, but that sort of talk is not needed here," he said sternly. Then, after taking in her heart breaking expression, Athos led her to his chair behind the desk, and said- "Porthos, fetch me some wine from my personal cabinet. I have a feeling we are going to need it."
"Your personal cabinet is locked." Porthos deadpanned.
"That never stopped you before." Athos glanced at his friend with a ghost smile on his face.
"Most o' the time it was d'Artagnan who took from your cabinet!" Porthos protested.
"I am well aware of that fact, but who taught him the skills of lock picking in the first place? Hmm? Who thought it was a good idea to send him because, and I quote, 'he won't get that mad at you because he adores you too much and you have puppy dog eyes that no one can resist?'" Athos gave him a tiny smirk, knowing he had won.
"Hey, that last one was all Aramis!" Porthos held up his hands in a gesture of peace.
"Go." Athos ordered with an actual smile on his face.
A/N- Thank you to my wonderful beta, Calgarry for beta'ing. Please leave a review and let me know what you thought of it. I realize this isn't as well written as it could be, but the chapters get better the longer the story goes on, I promise.