Inspired by Little Thief by wolfdragonful, but takes a right turn somewhere around Chapter 6, then keeps going, occasionally running over pedestrians in the way, and adding copious amounts of the books, history and shaking it up for my own amusement.

This is being posted with wolfdragonful's permission, and some plot elements are taken from Little Thief. In particular: the scar on D'Artagnan's neck, the scarf from Aramis, the trinket from Athos, and living with Porthos in the Court of Miracles. Don't worry if that made little sense, all shall be explained.

Warnings: Alternate Character Interpretation for several different Characters, mainly Milady and Thomas, … Speaking of, Milady (aka Anne) and Thomas use Athos' name 'Olivier', and D'Artagnan's name 'Charles' when it's from their point of view, at least in this chapter. D'Artagnan and Athos, on the other hand, will refer to themselves as D'Artagnan and Athos. Also, heavily AU with some stops similar to Series 1 (Have yet to watch series 2, waiting for them to all air so I can marathon watch them) and will become progressively more AU as we go, and as noted above, I will be having fun with the concept. Also, autocorrect and spell check insist on capitalizing the 'd' in D'Artagnan's name, no matter how often I fix it. Multiple POVs this chapter, and a long A/N at the end of this chapter you are welcome to skip. (Also, this chapter is probably going to be the longest and most exposition heavy.)

Prologue: Come What May

Athos resisted the urge to burn the papers in front of him. He knew full well burning them would not help the situation, but he personally was struggling to care about that right now.

Uncharitably, he wondered why his father couldn't have lived another few years until Thomas was in his majority, so he could have given Thomas the position and continued with his career in the musketeers and keep an eye on his friends there, and have their help raising one Charles D'Artagnan.

The boy was doing well, all things considered, but he missed Porthos and Aramis as much as Athos did, and there weren't many children near his age in La Fere as there were in Paris.

Not for the first time did Athos wonder if he'd done the right thing, taking Charles away from Paris and the second home he'd found, but he'd promised he'd look after the boy if anything happened, even though he'd not known about the attack on the farm and Charles' abduction until several years after, and Charles had not objected to going with him.

Thomas and Charles only somewhat got along, Athos knew, despite their attempts to keep it hidden. Thomas had been upset over the loss of their father, and had greatly disliked having to share his newly returned older brother's affections with the younger boy. Charles, for his part, only disliked Thomas because the other had made his dislike over the situation obvious.

Athos had been unsurprised, having realized that with their similar temperaments, that if the two didn't get along, they'd be at each other's throats. Thankfully, both boys had developed a truce of sorts, and Athos had not heard of any trouble between them other than the two altercations that had happened when Charles had been settling in.

Charles did better in the village, where the baker's wife enjoyed fussing over him, and would return with pastries and gossip which he would then share with Athos. It had been even less of a surprise to hear that most of the village hadn't wanted Athos as Comte, having heard his father preferred Thomas. Athos would much prefer Thomas as Comte than himself, but Thomas was still the youngest and it was his duty to and responsibility to take over the title.

Anne's arrival into his life had been a blessing. There had been very little objection to his courting her, and Athos found himself happier than he thought he could be. Thomas had been hesitant, but accepting in the end of Athos decision.

"You don't know much about her, and she doesn't even look like her brother." Thomas had eventually muttered. "I suppose I can't deny that she makes you happy, though. Just don't do anything too rash?"

Charles hadn't said much, and it had taken the two of them going for a ride by themselves before Athos could get him to speak his mind.

"I think she might have lived on the streets." Charles had said, soft and hesitant, not quite looking at Athos as he considered the question. "It's been a while, but she still looks ready to run if she gets cornered, I don't think she's used to people not wanting to use her. I don't think she's related to the priest by blood, either, more like he helped her out and is trying to protect her by saying they're related." Charles had shrugged when Athos had asked what gave him that impression, hiding behind the scarf Aramis had given him. "She really likes you, though, you'd be good for each other, I think." The conversation changed at that point, towards Aramis and the last letter the man had sent, wanting updates on them for Porthos (or so he claimed, they all knew Aramis was more like a mother-hen of the two).

Athos could see what Charles had spoken of, the way Anne sometimes held herself indicated she was ready to get away or fight the moment she didn't feel safe, and did his best to reassure her that he'd never hurt her.

It paid off, and Athos was happily married to Anne, who helped him feel less restricted in his duty as Comte.

That still didn't get rid of the urge to burn the papers he had to go through, however, but it did help him get through them a little faster.

D'Artagnan had yet to be impressed with Athos' brother, despite the stories Athos had told him. The older boy was passionate about helping others, sure, but it was far too similar to the so called compassion he'd seen on the streets of Paris, where it only existed if anyone of import was looking or listening and quickly changed to disgust or disinterest the moment it wasn't noticed.

To be fair, Thomas would do things to help others, but it was because they were things expected of a proper comte, not because he particularly cared, or even understood, about helping those in need. By contrast, Athos actually cared and understood, and therefore would do the unexpected.

It was worth missing Paris, though, just to have Athos back in his life again. Athos had taken him back to the farm in Lupiac, see what could be salvaged and let someone know that he'd survived. They'd found his rather estranged uncle in charge of the farm, though the man had little interest in raising his brother's son, claiming he was too old to raise a child. He had agreed to leave the farm to D'Artagnan, and had given him his mother's old herb journal and his father's sword, before talking with Athos about sending letters to keep D'Artagnan informed about the farm's state.

From there, they traveled to La Fere, where along with exchanging stories about the parts of their lives they had missed, Athos had coached him in what was expected of a Comte's ward. D'Artagnan had also learned that the trinket Athos had given him years ago would have been considered by many other nobles as an unofficial declaration of that standing, lacking only a legal document. (He soon figured out that navigating politics was very similar to navigating the streets, just with a lot more rules.)

It had become rather obvious that Athos didn't actually want to be Comte or even in La Fere, and quite literally the only reason Athos stayed was because of his brother. Athos knew full well that D'Artagnan had no problem following Athos anywhere; Thomas, however, had no interest whatsoever in leaving La Fere, and D'Artagnan felt the other was rather close-minded.

So when Anne came along, D'Artagnan hadn't been too bothered as she made Athos happy and more relaxed. He'd noticed right away that she held herself like so many on the streets did, wary about becoming a victim but confident they'd survive, and it had been obvious that she had spent more time on the streets than in a safe home, from the way she looked at people as if calculating their worth and threat level to her. D'Artagnan did that too, so he wasn't bothered by that.

(The priest didn't have that look, but he clearly felt guilty of something and having Anne around was both a reminder and attempt at absolution.)

The only problem he'd had with Anne was that she clearly didn't know how to share. It was clear she was worried that Athos would stop loving her, something D'Artagnan could relate to, and it was taking her a while to adjust to the idea that Athos could care about his two younger brothers and her as well.

Unfortunately, judging from the conversation he'd just heard part of, even after being married, she still really didn't understand it.

Anne was scared. They'd been so careful, she'd been so careful … how could this be happening?

She knew how it would look, too, but for all she had convinced the priest into stealing the chalice for a thrill- they hadn't had relations since they'd gone on the run. He'd felt guilty, and convinced her to start anew in this small place in the middle of nowhere as his sister.

She had agreed. Anne would have been the name she would have taken had she become a nun, and the priest had insisted on her still taking the name as a new start here, where he would watch out for her, and keep her from straying again.

She hated running, had been running on the streets all her life until she was caught and sentenced to the convent (an act of mercy, the mother superior had said, because she had been caught stealing from the convent, then the mother superior had died and her replacement made it a real punishment), and it hadn't taken long for the years of being on the street to emerge, especially after a bad encounter with a nun who spent most of her time accusing her of things going missing.

The priest in question had been her only friend, and had been there when she all-but-cried in frustration that she didn't belong anywhere. There hadn't been a planned seduction, for all everyone else would claim there had been, citing her background and how 'moral' and 'virtuous' of a man the priest was. It had just been two lonely people finding comfort in one another, flirting and joking and trying to make the confines and rules of the world disappear for a little while.

As for the heist itself: She'd hated the convent, he'd been willing to do anything for her, and the stealing of the chalice had just been an act of spite against those that hadn't accepted the presence of the low born girl who'd run the streets and had been allowed in as penance for attempting to steal some money for food. They sold it to a Spanish merchant for some food and supplies, and it hadn't meant much more to her.

Olivier had been a surprise, at first a part of Anne had considered him a means to an end- for all the priest had granted her a peaceful and provided life as his sister, Anne had grown up dreaming of a day where she'd be able to live in a large house with servants, and this young Comte had been a way for that dream to be a reality. She learned her lesson on telling the truth and was more than willing to pretend to be whoever he wanted her to be if she never had to go back to the world she'd left.

Except Olivier hadn't wanted her to be anything other than his equal- he didn't consider her a thing or a means to secure an heir, but as Anne the woman he talked to about wanting a different life and being a soldier instead of tied to one place for the rest of his life.

And Anne hadn't planned on truly and deeply falling in love with him as he courted her, she'd never planned for that at all, in fact, having wanted to keep her distance like the streets and convent had taught her. Olivier hadn't even noticed the way he'd crossed that distance, and Anne had been shocked the day when she thought that she'd love and stay with him even if he did toss the title away to be a soldier.

Thomas, on the other hand, had kept his distance. They had gotten along, of course, and they both did their best to keep Olivier from feeling trapped, but there had been a polite distance that neither tried to breach.

The real surprise, to Anne at least, had been Olivier's ward. A then 12 (now almost 14) year old boy named Charles D'Artagnan that Olivier explained had been the survivor of a disaster that befell his family, whom had been friends of Olivier, and that he'd taken the boy in when he'd found out. The boy was skittish around others, and Anne had an odd feeling of understanding with the child. She'd been kind to him, of course, knowing that Olivier thought the world of the young boy, but for all she felt an understanding, she mostly went through the motions of caring, not sure how to deal with a child that despite being wary of her, allowed her to take Olivier away from him for an afternoon.

It had taken a few months before Anne saw the scar around the boy's neck, and realized where the understanding came from- the experience of near death and having to run for one's life were rather powerful experiences that left their mark whether or not one wished them to. Anne found herself actually caring for the younger boy instead of going through the motions not long after, though it was difficult for her to show it.

Anne had loved being a family with them, for the first time in years she had felt content, had not once thought of running or improving her situation. Had even thought of telling Olivier her past, but fear of being rejected and shunned by the man she truly loved had kept her quiet.

And now Thomas knew and had warned her there would be consequences, and Anne was unsure what to do, but she just couldn't lose Olivier's love. She didn't want to run, either.

"You need to breathe." A hand grabbed hers. Anne jumped, looking at Charles. "You're upset." The boy frowned, and Anne gave a slightly watery laugh.

"Yes, I am." Anne agreed, and blinked as Charles pulled her over to a small couch and sat next to her, still holding her hand.

"It's about what Thomas said, right?"

Anne felt cold, had Charles heard? Oh, she didn't know what to do, but he'd tell Olivier and she couldn't let Olivier know!

"Athos won't care, he loves you."

She had to keep him from finding- "What?" She didn't know why Charles sometimes called Olivier 'Athos', but it was probably for the same reason Olivier occasionally called him by his last name.

"Athos won't care." Charles repeated, "He didn't care that I was taken in by the Court of Miracles after my family died or that I'd learn to steal, he was just glad I was alive."

"You were part of the Court?" Anne blinked, and blinked again as Charles held up her ring, which he'd taken from her finger without her noticing. "But you had a good family, I'm just the daughter of a prostitute, he'd have to reject me as his wife." No noble would want to keep such a low born wife, it was a fact; a low born mistress was fine, but a wife? It was too much of a scandal. Olivier was a good man, the best, but surely even he would reject her.

Charles put her ring back on, and looked up at her, unimpressed. "He'll be mad you didn't trust him to tell him; he got really upset with me for not coming to him as soon as I was well enough to navigate Paris, and at Porthos and Aramis for not telling him about me; but he'll still love you and he won't cast you out. I thought he'd be upset and not want to help me, but he was only upset and mad he couldn't go hunt the man who'd tried to kill me. Aramis says he shows emotions weird when he feels strongly about something."

Anne nodded, only partially remembering the names as two soldiers that Olivier had gotten along with during his time training as a soldier (he still kept in contact, if she remembered right). "You think I should tell him, then?" She was scared, so scared of seeing the love he had for her disappear. It was a fear she had never actually felt before, and that scared her even more, but Charles was providing an odd sort of anchor in the storm of emotions, after all Olivier cared about the boy and didn't want him hurt, and she'd started to care for him and would protect him too; Charles wasn't rejecting her, that knowledge helped … somehow. Her thoughts were a bit of a mess right now.

"I'll be right there with you, if you need me." Charles said with a small nod.

"That would be … I think I'd need the support." Anne said, and Charles smiled.

"C'mon, Thomas won't interrupt him while he's working." He pulled her towards Olivier's study before she could object that she wasn't ready.

'Please, God, I've never asked for anything and I never will again, just please, let Olivier keep his love for me …'

Athos had listened to Anne's story, but more importantly, he had paid attention to the way her hand gripped Charles' and the way she was tensed, as if ready to bolt. He hadn't waited long after she'd stopped speaking to stand and pull her into an embrace.

"Olivier?" The question was soft and trembling and very much unlike the determined and confident woman he'd fallen in love with.

Athos closed his eyes. He was upset that Anne had not told him before, or that she probably would not have told him ever, but he understood. It was scary, telling others about the real you, and the only people he had ever really opened up to, well, he could count them on one hand. (And Charles was there, looking like he'd fight for Anne, and Athos remembered how scared the little boy had been when faced with the thought of telling Athos he had been taken in by the Court of Miracles and had indeed stolen things from others. Porthos had admitted to being from the Court as well, but was hesitant to admit anything he had done. It seemed all too natural for the former thieves in his life to be scared of admitting it, now that the parallels were drawn.)

"Daughter of a prostitute, a farmer's daughter, or the princess of England, it matters very little to me. I would have balked at marrying the sister of a priest if I cared about standing at all." He murmured. "The rest of it, I forgive."

Anne gave a soft sob of relief, and Athos heard the 'I told you' from Charles.

Athos smiled, briefly, before wondering why Anne had decided to tell him now, so he pulled back to look at her. "I am glad you were honest with me, but I sense there is more to this sudden confession than you've told. May I ask why you felt you had to tell me?"

"Thomas told her he knew she wasn't who she claimed to be, and that he was gonna tell you and she'd face the consequences of lying." Charles informed him before Anne could. "He scared her so much she couldn't breathe right, I thought she would pass out."

"I don't faint, thank you." Anne muttered, a spark of her normal fire shining through.

"I see." Athos frowned, wondering why Thomas had said something like that. Well, they had always looked out for each other, and it was just the two of them left. "He probably thought he'd be protecting me from you. Neither of us think very well when we feel the other is in trouble." The fight they'd gotten into with the children of a visiting Comte was one example that deserved mention- Athos had broken the nose of the one that had insulted Thomas, and Thomas had bitten the one that had insulted Athos. "Don't worry, I'll talk to him. Just promise me one thing." Athos looked Anne in the eyes. "No more secrets, and come to me if you're scared."

"That's two things, my love, but I can promise them." Anne said, looking relieved and even joyful.

"I swear I'll do the same." Athos agreed. Unspoken was the allowance that some things would take time to be spoken of, and a promise that they would wait until each other was ready. Athos noticed Charles fidgeting, as if torn between wanting to watch and leaving to give them privacy. "Unfortunately, I do have to finish the work on my desk, but I believe it's a good afternoon for a ride, if you two want to go?" He'd much rather go with them, but he had a feeling that Anne and Charles needed to be out of the house when he and Thomas spoke.

"That sounds lovely. We'll see you later, then?" Anne kissed him after he nodded, before shooing Charles off with a quick ruffle of the boy's hair.

"Yes." Athos watched the door close, before his smile fell.

Should Anne's history come out, there would be a scandal; while Athos would do his utmost to protect his family, but there was a risk that he wouldn't be able to keep it quiet. The fact Thomas was able to uncover so much of it was a little concerning, but the priest had not stopped or objected to their wedding, which was a point in favor of keeping it secret; he'd talk to Thomas and see how he'd come by the information first, before deciding on what to do.

If need be, he could always resume the life of a soldier, perhaps resume his commission as a musketeer, and leave his brother as Comte in his stead.

Thomas saw Anne (or Sabine, or whatever her name truly was) go with his brother's ward to the stables, laughing as if she hadn't a care in the world. He scowled, as he had hoped she would come to him with some sort of remorse so he would not have to upset Olivier with the information. It seemed that that woman was shameless as well as a liar and thief.

He had approved of her for his brother's sake, had their father been alive the two never would have married and things would have been much better. The scandal could potentially ruin their family's standing. And Thomas had promised his father that he would not allow their family's honor and reputation to be stained.

When his brother had fled to be a soldier, Thomas had spent more time with their father as a result, easily learning how to run their lands and listening to his father explain why certain things were important. Where Olivier had struggled to earn their father's approval, Thomas had been praised at how quickly he picked it up, their father even lamenting that Olivier would inherit the title when Thomas had proved to be a much better heir, but refusing to deviate from tradition; and Thomas had not been too upset that Olivier had returned to take up the mantle of Comte after their father's death.

He had even allowed his brother to name the boy he'd brought back with him as his ward, it was not unusual for a Comte to take in a child when they had yet to marry, or thought they could not produce an heir. He had been surprised to learn that some of Olivier's trips years ago had actually been to visit the child and his family, and rather disgusted to learn that the child's family had been killed, leaving his brother as the closest thing to a guardian the boy had. Thomas had approved of Olivier rescuing the boy from the Court of Miracles, sure that the boy would have faced a horrible fate from being near such people.

Thomas did not want his brother unhappy, even though his brother did not like the responsibility of Comte, and so had been willing to approve of Anne as a good match for his brother, despite her low social standing.

What Thomas could not approve of, was the fact her name was false, she had not been the sister of the priest, but instead his lover. Thomas had been with his father when rumors came of a priest and his lover who had stolen a chalice from a convent, and the request for any information that would help the investigation had come with very rough sketches of the two. They had been forgotten due to the death of his Father, only remembered when Olivier had first introduced him to Anne, who had resembled the rough sketch.

Thomas had at first denied the possibility, not wanting to upset his brother's happiness, but he had still sent a few small enquiries through his father's valet, careful to not use anything that would implicate their social standing or whereabouts, to find out more about the character of the woman his brother had married. Anne's reaction had then confirmed all the facts that he had gathered.

Thomas did not want to hurt his brother, but he could not stand that woman lying to him anymore, pretending to love him when all she cared about was money and standing. They could not expose her, doing so would expose them to a scandal that would ruin their family's position, but perhaps they could lock her away. Father had said that such a thing was one of the best ways to keep a scandal from ruining the family reputation- it would cause a small scandal, to be sure, having to lock away a woman and claiming her to be unwell, but much better than a scandal that revealed the woman his brother had married in good faith was anything but.

Gathering up the information, and annoyed that the woman did not seem to care about the position she had put this family in, Thomas gathered his papers and walked to his brother's study. (He didn't pay any attention to the letter opener on the desk, unknowing that, in another life, it would have been the instrument of his death.)

"Enter." His brother's tone was short, and Thomas wondered if perhaps he should come back later, only to remind himself that this was just as important as anything else his brother was working on, and needed to be dealt with as quickly as possible now that that woman had shown herself to be un-remorseful.

"I'm sorry to disturb you, brother, but there's something we need to talk about; I fear it will distress you, but I must be blunt." Thomas began, feeling rather unsure under his brother's rather blank expression, but pushing forward despite it. "Anne is not who she claims to be, the woman is a liar and thief and is using you." He declared, but there was no denial or anger from his brother.

"I'm aware of her past." Olivier said, and Thomas blinked, momentarily confused at why his brother was calm, before deciding that the woman must have told him something, maybe even made up a lie, to turn them against each other.

"I'm not sure you are. She's the daughter of a prostitute, an accused thief with her punishment waived in favor of her joining a convent which she then seduced the priest she claimed as her brother and stole a chalice, what's become of it, I have not yet discovered," Thomas explained, before his brother interrupted him.

"Sold to a Spanish merchant, they needed money for food and supplies." Olivier gave a soft sigh. "She admitted to her past crimes, Thomas, and that she and the priest had stopped being lovers after the chalice was sold. They were truly brother and sister in God's eyes by the time she and I met, and she desired to start over, taking the name she would have taken had she taken her vows."

"Then you realize we must do something to keep her from staining our family's reputation." Thomas had not expected her to tell Olivier the full truth, and clearly she had spun a very pretty web mixing truth with lies, but that did little to change the situation. "We cannot allow her to use her position as your wife to steal from us; she is clearly a master manipulator, if she claimed to have stopped being lovers with the priest before you met to make you feel more forgiving."

"Thomas!" His brother snapped, standing, before pausing and visibly shoving aside his anger before continuing in a calmer tone. "I know you mean to protect me, but I will thank you not to speak of my wife in such a way. Anne did not tell me her past to beg for mercy, but because she did not want to lose my love. Regardless of what she has done before, because I do love her, I have forgiven those past crimes. As for her continued relations with the priest, he would not have blessed our courtship or our marriage if he'd still had other feelings for her."

Why wasn't Olivier understanding the situation they were in? "Unless he was in on it and they were planning for you to have an accident!" Thomas declared, and felt his breath hitch in his throat as his brother's anger flared in his face again before utterly disappearing. He had said the wrong thing, Thomas realized, but he had to make his brother understand that such a woman, who would seduced and lead a priest into sin, was not capable of love, no matter what Olivier felt for her. "Please, brother, think with your head, not your heart, you know such a woman loves little more than power, Father warned us about those who would use our hearts against us!"

"I would advise you to do the same, for I am not the one being foolish." Olivier's voice was colder than winter. Thomas had heard their father speak like that only once, when Olivier had chosen to leave to become a soldier, and it was no less terrifying when Olivier used the frigid tone. "I'd advise you to come back when you are ready to actually listen to me, and not assume you know everything." Olivier sat back down at his desk. "Anne is still my wife, by God and by law, and I love her and will honor my vows."

"I highly doubt she will honor hers." Thomas dumped the papers onto his brother's desk and stormed out of the study.

His brother was letting his heart lead his decisions, and Thomas would not let Anne take advantage of that. He would let his brother calm down, read, and then Thomas would go back to convince him that he was right.

D'Artagnan smiled as Anne raced him back to the stables. They'd spent most of the ride swapping stories about growing up on the streets. Anne had not grown up on the streets of Paris, but one of the port cities to the north. She'd mentioned learning how to fight by dressing up as a boy, and tricking some of the nicer sailors into teaching her how. There had been a 'Court' there too, she had mentioned, though it was more like a guild, and the prostitutes were under their protection (or mercy, rather, judging from the way she had said 'protection'). Stealing and dealing was the best way to survive, and she'd gotten very good at manipulation in order to come out on top- though not without some mishaps, of which she related the humorous ones. (She'd found his own stories amusing, and though her glance had strayed to his neck, she hadn't asked about the more dangerous ones, and he also didn't pry.)

"I do believe I win," Anne smiled, dismounting.

"I'm not giving up my dessert." D'Artagnan declared as they walked, earning a laugh which quickly faded as they spotted a figure at the top of the stairs in the back hall. Thomas scowled at Anne, before disappearing down the left upstairs hall.

"Athos took your side." D'Artagnan noted, looking up at her. "So he's not happy his brother chose you over him."

"… Strangely enough, I don't think I like them fighting." Anne said, looking utterly perplexed. "I've never even thought about it before …"

"Probably because you love Athos, remember?" D'Artagnan didn't understand why Anne was still so confused by the emotion. (He'd have to write Aramis and let him know his lecture on different loves was helping him understand a little of what was going on.)

"Oh. Right. I thought that was just a fairy tale." Yes, Anne apparently didn't understand love, despite feeling it for Athos. Now that he thought about it, it didn't sound like there was anyone she'd been close to while running the streets, and for all her and the priest had been lovers, there wasn't much between them now save some fondness.

Adults were weird, and he wasn't going to enjoy growing up if it involved dealing with messes like this one.

They met Athos who was still in his study, and pouring himself a drink.

"It didn't go well, I take it?" Anne asked, and he glanced up at them.

"He would like me to have you locked away quietly to preserve our family's reputation from the dishonor of having a low-born Comtesse. I refused, and he accused me of not thinking rationally." Athos explained with a sigh. "He left his evidence on my desk, that sketch could be a great many women with brown hair and light eyes, and it has your hair under a scarf. Even the description is vague. He thought it would help me to change my mind." Athos shook his head. "I doubt he actually listened to me, when I said you told me the truth. And as we're both hard-headed when we think ourselves in the right, that leaves us with a few options."

"What are our options then?" Anne was a little overjoyed to hear him say 'us', a part of her still not quite believing he would not throw her away at first sign of trouble.

"The first, what Thomas wants, would be to lock you into a set of rooms and pretend you've taken ill. That's not happening, and apparently, neither will him forgiving and forgetting. We could stay, but it's likely that Thomas would not rest or allow us any peace until I saw things his way. The easiest way to avoid the 'scandal' would be to leave La Fere and go to Paris, where we'd be able to gain allies to help mitigate the issue; there I could join the court, or even re-join the musketeers, and leave Thomas here to manage things until we've both cooled down. What would you prefer?"

"A foolish question, I'd go with you." Anne grabbed Athos' hands. "It matters little to me which you choose, because you have not tossed me aside."

"You're not leaving me! I'd rather go with you guys and see Porthos and Aramis again." D'Artagnan reminded them he was still in the room, causing them to actually laugh.

"Then that's what we'll do, I'll have to draft up the documents …" Athos grimaced. "Unfortunately, I cannot completely resign the title, especially as I am still capable of siring an heir, but Thomas can act as regent, and will probably be happier for the distance." He tossed the papers carefully into the fire, and sighed. "I have sent a pardon to the priest, in light of 'services rendered to the aide of the Comte de la Fere', both names are on it, and should this come back to haunt us, we can prove that you were pardoned for your previous crimes." It wouldn't stop anyone higher than a comte from condemning them, but he'd find a more permanent way once they got to Paris.

"Thank you." Anne breathed, and the two were so distracted that they missed D'Artagnan rolling his eyes and slipping out of the study.

Okay, author notes time- I'm going with Thomas being 20/21 at this point, and so being actually several years older than D'Artagnan. (In canon, this would mean D'Artagnan is the same age as Thomas was when he died, and that's why Athos gets to being protective of him so quickly, or that's how I see things. Milady would also consider a 20/21 year old more of a threat than a 14/15 year old, I think.) Athos is 19 years older than D'Artagnan, so early 30s, and I think Milady is mid or late 20s.

And to explain how I got to alternate character interpretations, here's a very long explanation:

The whole 'what happened in La Fere five years ago' is a bit fiddly, but we do know that Athos was reluctant to become Comte, and did leave for a time- during this unknown time period, his father would have had plenty of time to mold Thomas into a better heir, maybe even trying to actually connect with Thomas due to not having his real heir around to instruct. As a result, Thomas gets some negative traits- considering people based on standing, being one. We know Milady is a thief and a liar at this point, and that she was part of a convent and 'seduced' a priest.

We also know that Dumas had a great love of making people considered virtuous by others to actually have real character flaws and vices. (Go read the book version of Hunchback of Notre Dame, Frollo is not the creepy villain Disney made him out to be, and Phoebus is not the most honorable guy in the world.) And historically, it would not surprise me if the priest in question actually meant to seduce Milady as well, because the whole celibacy thing was not taken too seriously during this time frame save by those extremely religious.

The priest is indicated as still being around, and doesn't stop Milady from marrying Athos, so either A, it's what Thomas suggests, and the two were planning together to take out Athos, or B, it's my suggestion that the priest and milady had quit having sex and were honestly not lovers at this point. (there are other options, of course, I like B.)

Also, this time period? Low-born female prostitutes were treated like dirt, and any children they had would not be able to find honest work- they'd be lucky if an orphanage took them in and not reminded every day they were a product of sin. In the book, Milady is branded with a fleur-de-lis, meaning she was a convicted prostitute/adulteress (though in the book, the moment Athos sees the mark, he wants nothing to do with her, in the bbc version, she clearly doesn't have that mark (yet) and Athos loved her up until she murdered his brother). Thomas' response is the historically accurate one (not the morally right one, though at the time, the two were considered the same).

Now, Milady twists the truth a lot, but she's not a complete liar. She tells Athos she wanted to preserve their love, that Thomas was a hypocrite, and later tells D'Artagnan Thomas tried to force himself on her. Athos is probably the first person she's ever loved, or the first person who has truly loved her, and she wanted to keep that, and probably thought that killing the threat to her happiness was a viable option. Thomas was probably not the paragon that Athos describes him as being, and Athos might have even whitewashed some of Thomas' flaws in order to deal with his wife killing his brother. The last is most likely a lie; but, Milady probably did feel as if Thomas forced her into a position where she had to kill him to defend herself and Athos. (Note: I have not seen 2.05, or any other series 2 episode, I'm waiting for them all to come out to watch, I am aware of certain spoilers, but would like you all to not tell me about them just yet! I want to watch them for myself!)

Yeah, that's my excuse for the alternate character interpretation. But don't worry purists, Milady is still going to be her dangerous self- she just has a morality chain named Athos (and maybe one in D'Artagnan) that keeps her from being, well, unhinged.