Disclaimer: I do not own Albert the Fifth Musketeer or the characters.
Notes: It is Three Musketeers canon that Athos and Milady were once married to each other. I found myself thinking that maybe his past with her is the reason behind his actions, such as riding his horse backwards. It's not true canon in the series that Athos sleeps all day whenever they have a peaceful day to relax, I just found myself thinking that it seemed to be a good way to start the story and get it going smoothly.
There is no slash in this story, just friendship and brotherhood among Musketeers. Enjoy!
On quiet and peaceful days, each of the Musketeers found they enjoyed doing something individually to pass the time. Albert would either work on a new invention, upgrade an old one, read a book, brew up more ammunition and experiment with the sauce, or go for a ride in the countryside. D'Artagnan would either sleep, train harder or sort through his medals. Porthos would sleep or find a good place to dine on a hearty meal. Aramis would sleep or try to come up with some poems that he could use to charm a lady in the village that he'd had his eyes on for a few years.
Athos? He preferred sleeping above all. Nobody really knew the reason why, but it seemed he felt more content to just lie in bed and doze the peaceful days away.
It was for that reason that more group activities were to be organised, and so, Albert came up with an idea. "Gentlemen, there is a lake in the countryside that has many fish. What do you say we spend the day out there? The weather is perfect, and it's peaceful enough to leave for a little while."
The Three Musketeers (and D'Artagnan) agreed it did seem to be a fine idea, so they all went to gather their belongings for a day out of the city.
They rode along the country road, a gentle breeze blowing. D'Artagnan was at the head of the pack, while Albert covered the rear. "The weather is rather nice today," Aramis had commented. "Wouldn't you agree, Athos?"
The oldest of the Musketeers nodded in concurrence as he looked to Aramis. It was an easy feat considering he rode his horse backwards. "I have to admit I'm glad I didn't sleep all day."
"Why do you choose to sleep so much, Athos?" Albert asked, curiosity filling his tone.
"I suppose it just seems more ideal." He did have another reason, but he didn't want to admit it to Albert just yet.
Albert suspected that Athos wasn't telling the complete truth, but he decided to let it go for the time being. They were out to relax and have fun, not stress each other out.
Albert led them to the lake. "This is where I've caught the most fish." He brought out his fishing pole. "They're all fine to eat too, we can have a fish feast if we catch enough."
"Sounds like a good idea. But, you're not going to be using your special bait again, are you? You'll catch all of the fish before we can," D'Artagnan commented.
"No, I didn't bring any with me. We just have some simple earthworms for bait today. But, the fish here don't seem to mind them."
"How about a contest then? The one to catch the most fish wins."
"That sounds ideal," Porthos responded. "What about the one who catches the least?"
"Hmm...he'll be punished."
"How so?"
"The rest of us will decide what happens, but it won't be anything too bad."
Aramis moved to sit in a sunny spot, his fishing pole in hand. "I suppose while we're here I can try to come up with another poem." He looked at his surroundings. "Here we are, gathered for fun, all five of us, under the sun."
"That's a rather nice rhyme. As for me, I think I'll have a bit of a nap," Athos stated as he moved to sit under a large, shady tree.
"Ah-ah! We're here to do something together, that means no napping," Albert scolded. "It's such a nice day, why waste it by sleeping through it?"
D'Artagnan sighed. "Just let him sleep for a while." His eyes held seriousness he rarely expressed, except in battle.
The youngest decided it was best to do as requested. Could it be that D'Artagnan knows the real reason as to why Athos sleeps so much?
Four of the five Musketeers sat by the lake, each with a fishing pole in hand, waiting patiently for a fish to take the bait they'd set on the hooks. As for the fifth, Athos was still asleep under the shady tree.
Sometimes, Albert's inquisitive mind gave birth to a curiosity he rarely had. "Gentlemen, why is it that Athos sleeps so much?"
"All of his actions are for a reason, even riding backwards on his horse," Aramis replied. "It's not up to us to tell you why, of course."
"I understand that. But, the reason I'd thought of this day together was because I wanted to keep him from spending the day sleeping so much. It's not good for someone to sleep so much."
"At least he's not the first to fall asleep following late-night patrols in the palace," D'Artagnan commented. He felt a tug on his line, so he pulled it out of the water. He grinned, seeing he was the first to catch a fish...and of a decent size too. "I challenge all of you to beat my fish."
"I like the sound of that challenge!" Porthos replied.
Under the tree, Athos continued to doze. His dreams weren't exactly peaceful, but he didn't wish to wake from them. Not yet.
He was walking beside his lady fair, a beautiful Countess who had earned him the envy of many a man in his village. Olivier D'Athos, Comte de la Fere, had her arm looped through his, and they looked into each other's eyes. His were full of love for the woman of his dreams. But, the Countess' eyes seemed to be hiding something else.
He had no idea what she had planned, how she was going to betray her husband and his comrades, fellow Musketeers.
He wanted to keep dreaming of the days before his beautiful wife, the Countess de Winter, had betrayed him for Cardinal Richelieu. It was something that kept him sane following each mission when they'd cross paths again, both on opposite sides.
As the day passed, the four fishing Musketeers had managed to catch many a fish, enough for their feast at least. That was handy, considering all five men had a healthy appetite, Porthos even more so.
"I'll go and wake Athos, it's time we headed back to Paris. I'll cook up the fish for dinner," Albert offered as he put away his fishing pole, then made his way to his still-slumbering friend.
When Albert was out of earshot, Aramis whispered to D'Artagnan and Porthos, "I do hope Athos slept well, he needs to escape his personal hell".
"Why? Why are you doing this?"
The beautiful woman sneered at her husband. "I thought you would've known me better by now."
"Athos? Athos, we're leaving now. It's time to wake up." Albert moved to gently shake his older friend awake, but he paused when he noticed something in those usually hidden eyes. Tears? Just what is it that Athos is dreaming of?
He stirred and finally woke, sorrow in his eyes. He quickly ducked his head so his fringe would hide them. "Oh, did I really sleep that long? Sorry about that, I wasn't aware time had passed so quickly." He rose to his feet and dusted off the back of his uniform. "So, we're heading back, are we? Are there enough fish for the feast?"
"Plenty, though D'Artagnan has been declaring you'll be punished for not catching any fish."
"Oh well, that's my bad luck." He made his way over to the horses, where the others were waiting.
Athos... He hurried after his oldest comrade, concern filling him. He knew Athos was choosing to avoid talking about what was troubling him. If only he was able to talk about it. I'm not so curious, more concerned about him. What was he dreaming about that brought tears to his eyes?
The group was riding back to the city, the sunset painting the sky pink, red and orange, a beautiful mixture. Normally, Albert found he enjoyed the view of the sky during sunset, but his mind was filled with other worries. Every so often, he'd cast a subtle glance at Athos, hoping he was alright. Something tells me though...he's not.
"All of his actions are for a reason, even riding backwards on his horse."
Aramis' words from earlier that afternoon repeated through his mind. Just what was the reason for Athos' actions?
"Alright, Athos, since you didn't catch any fish, you're to be punished. Your punishment is...you don't get to eat as many fish as the rest of us!" D'Artagnan declared.
"That's it?"
"Well, I was going to have you do something, but Albert stopped me."
Athos looked to the small blond, noting there was still concern in his eyes. "Albert, after dinner, we can talk. For now, let's enjoy this feast all of you are responsible for."
"Alright, Athos. Gentlemen, I decided to experiment with a new sauce for the fish. Would you care to try some?" He set little plates beside the larger dishes that held a few fish each.
"And I brought in some wine, a suitable beverage for when we dine," Aramis rhymed as he set the bottles onto the table.
The feast went well, everyone enjoyed their meals and shared the wine. There was laughter and singing from all of them, something to celebrate peace in their usually busy lives.
As the night wore on, and the liquor was starting to get to everyone, Athos gestured for Albert to follow him out of the dining hall.
He rose from his seat, and bid everyone else bonne nuit before following after Athos. He didn't know how long the talk was going to last, but he knew that after it, he was going to retire for the evening.
Athos led him to a quiet room in the mansion. He closed the door after the petit male had entered. "Have a seat, won't you?"
He did so.
"So, I guess you noticed what happened towards the end of my nap."
"Yes. You were crying."
"Yes. My dreams weren't very pleasant. The worst thing is that they weren't just dreams, but memories of days long passed." He moved to the window and looked out to the night sky. "Did you know I was once married, Albert?"
"No, I did not."
"You'd never heard that Comte de la Fere was wed?"
"I never realised that you and he were the same person."
"Yes. My full name is Olivier d'Athos." He turned slightly to look back at the young Musketeer. "So, you know who I was wed to, don't you?"
"Countess de Winter...you were wed to Milady de Winter?"
"I was. I loved her very much, her betrayal struck deeply. It still does. That's why I sleep so much following a mission. It's not just because of fatigue. It's because I'm trying to return to those joyful days. It's always hard having to face my ex-wife. I'd always hoped our paths would never cross again, but they always do, and we're always on opposite sides."
"I'm so sorry to hear that, my friend."
"I have my fringe longer and wear my hat lower to hide my eyes. I don't want everyone to see the sorrow that's still in them, especially not her. That's also a reason I ride my horse backwards, so the enemy cannot see my weakness."
"I see."
"All of his actions are for a reason, even riding backwards on his horse."
"I'd never imagined that your pain and your past were the reason behind how you ride your horse..."
"Hardly anybody does." He moved away from the window and approached the younger Musketeer. He could still see the concern shining in his eyes. He placed a hand on his shoulder and smiled slightly. "I appreciate your concern, and I'm sorry to have worried you. It's something I still need to work on myself. Maybe one day, I'll be able to move past it."
"You shouldn't have to work on it alone though. We're all here for you too. We won't be able to fill the void Milady left in your heart, but we can at least try to help you heal from the heartbreak she delivered upon you."
"Thank you. I appreciate it." He lifted the brim of his hat slightly and pushed his hair out of his eyes. They still held hints of sorrow, but also appreciation for having such a good friend. "I pray that when you find your lady fair that she'll never do something like that to you. I couldn't bear it if one of my friends had to face what I have."
"Please do not concern yourself with that, Athos. You have enough to worry about. But, all of us will ease that burden off your shoulders. Someday, you'll be able to find you can make it through life without having to dream of pleasant memories. That, I promise, and I've yet to break my word."
"Thank you."
Albert meant every word he'd said. There was a firm resolve in his eyes, replacing the concern. He wasn't about to let his friend continue suffering from his difficult past, he was going to do whatever he could to ease the pain, and he knew the other Musketeers truly felt the same way.