Apologies I had real issues uploading this story, I ended up deleting and re-uploading.

Hope it was worth it guys, because it seems technology hates me!

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She stood in the shop whilst the assistant went to get his master; she hated waiting, however Dufour was not a man you hurried. He was an expert at his craft, and her association with the former Cardinal had led to her using his services many time in the past. These days she used the apothecary somewhat less, but still liked to keep her supplies well stocked. The shop was of course a front. As well as the traditional supplies Dufour also supplied less...healthy, medicines and treatments. Dufour had been one of the Cardinal's chief interrogators; she had seen some of the effects of his concoctions and had been impressed. A man might feel confident to withstand the work of a blade master but there was something that much more… hypnotic about watching him go mad from agony or hallucinations with a drop of one mixture, or betray those he loved because of a few sips of another.

Resisting the urge to tap her foot she decided to study some of the many bottles lining the walls, until the small door opened and the assistant returned. "My master is working at the moment Milady, but says you are welcome to join him below, or he will be free tomorrow morning".

She frowned for a moment considering. She really only wanted a couple of things, none of which were urgent so could wait; however that would mean travelling from the other side of Paris again tomorrow. Decision made she indicated for the small, rodent like man to lead the way. Although she had walked the corridor and down the narrow staircase several times in the past, she knew Dufour would expect the awful, twitchy, little man first and that no one else would make it into the room alive.

Whenever she entered Dufour's workroom, she was taken aback by the smell - a mixture of blood, fear and death that must have filled his subjects with terror; she however, quite liked it - although she did find it rather dark. She suspected the wretched creature hanging limply, from chains in the ceiling would feel less at home, but she did not let that bother her, and barely glanced at him as she apologised to Defour for disturbing his work.

"Not at all, as you can see my other appointment has temporarily passed out," he told her cheerily as he wiped the blood off his instruments with a rag. "I was trying something new. Clearly I've not yet perfected it. What can I do for you today Milady?"

"I have a list Master Dufour, fairly standard items", she told him as she handed him the list. He took it from her and read it through.

"Hmm, yes, I should have everything. It may take a while for me to put it together, would you like to wait?" he asked her as though standing in a torture chamber was the most normal thing in the world. She supposed for people like them it was. She smiled at her agreement at him, and he offered her a chair beside his work table and some water. "I apologise Milady at the lack of refreshments, however in my profession I have found water the most difficult in which to hide unpleasant surprises."

"Not to worry Master Dufour, I am happy just to rest my feet for awhile." He bowed softly to her, and headed through another door at the far end of the room, which led to his true workroom. Once again she found herself waiting, so she studied some of the instruments on Dufour's worktable. A few minutes more passed and she started to glance around the room at some of the equipment, eventually getting up to study them further. Slowly she walked all the way around the room until the low groan of the awakening prisoner caught her attention. Now that her eyes had adjusted to the darkness, she could see more than a vague figure, her breath caught when something about him seemed familiar. With a sickening feeling in her stomach she walked slowly towards him, gasping sharply when she knew for sure it was him; beaten, abused, and barely alive. Leaning in close, gently cradling his head in her hands, she whispered his name softly, gently lifting his head. He tried to open his eyes but one had swollen closed completely, and she felt burning anger rise: she would kill Defour for this.

Quickly she returned to the table and brought him a drink of water, and urged him to take a sip. "Athos, please," she begged, "Hang on. I can't get you out, not on my own, but I'll get help, I'll tell the others, d'Artagnon and..."

"No" for all that his voice was hoarse and raw, the determination was strong.

"Athos..." she began

"No" he repeated gasping, through the pain. "Free…now… all…for nothing. Defour will know…onto… Duke's plan.

"Athos, you can't stay here, you..."

"No… few days."

"You may not make a few more days!" she told him, silently wondering if he would even make it through the night.

"Please" he said as unconsciousness took him once more.

Closing her eyes for a moment, trying to regain her composure, she released his head as tenderly as she could and returned to her chair to wait for Defour.