I do not own any right on that universe or on the characters, except for Corneille. And I do not earn any money from that hobby. But I wish I owned Aramis's hat.
Chapter II. The King's extravagant request
Corneille is a female Musketeer. She joined the King's soldiers a few months ago, and she is getting along with the four inseparable friends. Well, she is getting along with most of them. For an unknown reason, Aramis is feeling a kind of embarrassment when she is near. He is the only one who does not trust her entirely, but he keeps it for himself, even if his friends can see his discomfort. He is kind of reserved around her. But she does not seem uncomfortable around him. It feels strange to see Athos, the one usually having difficulty trusting women, to become very good friend with her, and at the same time, himself, Aramis the man who loves all women, not able to bound that much with Corneille. Maybe it is because she almost acts like a man. Well... She is actually a Musketeer, so... He wonders what is wrong with him. He will have to see to that. Or she is a spy. Or it is something else.
The Musketeers Garrison. Not that early in the morning.
The Musketeers join together around an outside table, one that is not too much under the sun, for they need to take it slowly after the night they had yesterday.
- Corneille (Crow)! says a smiling Porthos, tu es un vrai oiseau de nuit! (you are a real night owl!)
The female Musketeer just smiles lazily at him, stretching her back and arms, yawning, before she sits at the table, grasping a piece of bread hungrily. Her long and velvety black hair are braided and fall on her left shoulder. Smiling at Athos, she just nods at him, saying:
- Capitaine. (Captain).
Athos smiles, noding back, adding a comment to Portho's one :
- Je n'ai jamais vu une femme ayant si peu de classe, mais tu chantes d'une manière des plus divertissantes. (You are the most unclassy woman I ever saw, but you sang the most entertaining songs I ever heard.)
- Cela manquait de classe pour une femme, mais c'était parfait pour un mousquetaire en congé. (Unclassy for a woman, but fair enough for a Musketeer off duty), says a half-smiling Aramis.
- Eh bien, j'ignorais que les tavernes étaient faites pour montrer de bonnes manières. (Well, I did not know taverns were made to show classy manners), says a fully smiling Corneille.
A yawning D'Artagnan chuckles at what he hears, and adds :
- Elle ferait sans doute une dame fort charmante à la Cour.(She would made a very charming lady at the Court)
All of them, including Corneille, start to laugh loudly.
- Quoi? Habillée en femme, elle ferait une dame digne de n'importe quelle autre! J'étais sérieux. (What! Dressed like a woman, she would made a worthy lady like any other! I was serious.)
A short silence. Corneille starts to laugh again, very happy that his best friend take her defense. But Athos, Porthos and Aramis stay silent.
- D'Artagnan! C'est très chamant gentilhomme de ta part de dire de tels compliments. Mais ma place est avec les soldats, pas avec les dames de la Cour. (D'Artagnan! It is very charming and gentleman of you to say such compliments. But my place is with the soldiers, not with Court's ladies.)
And she hugs him strongly, in a brotherly manner, giving him some good slaps on his back. D'Artagnan slaps her back and they laugh with a conniving gaze. Aramis looks at them, almost jealous of what D'Artagnan has with her. And it seems like another person is jealous of their strong conniving friendship...
- D'Artagnan!, says an upset Constance.
All the Musketeers seem suddenly very busy minding their own things. But Corneille just greets Constance with a polite reverence. And D'Artagnan just does not understand why his charming wife seems so upset.
- Constance, qu'y a-t-il? Quelque chose ne va pas ? (Constance, what is it? Is there something wrong?)
Constance signs softly.
- J'imagine que non. (Nothing, I guess.)
As the couple go farther apart to have a more private conversation, Aramis gazes incousciouly at Corneille, not able to understand how he really feels. Aramis is usually well attunded to his feelings. He is an intuitive man. But right now, he is confused. Maybe he drank too much yesterday.
- Qu'est-ce que tu regardes de la sorte, Aramis? (What are you staring at like this, Aramis?) Says a bit insulted Corneille.
- En fait, curieusement, je l'ignore, Corneille. (Curiously, I actually do not really know, Corneille...)
Corneille looks at him intensely, analysing the situation. They are not that close, but until then, they were never in a conflictual relationship either. But now she feels like he is judging her, and the wrong way.
- Eh bien, je crois que je le sais, curieusement... Aramis. (Well, I believe I know, curiously... Aramis)
A very surprised, yet a quite insulted Aramis looks back at her with an interrogative, yet a bit provocative manner, his body language clearly saying : please explain yourself before I get angry. But their silent conversation will have to wait, for Constance comes back towards Corneille, asking her politely but firmly:
- Est-il possible d'avoir une conversation, Mousquetaire? (May we have a talk, Musketeer?)
- Certes, Madame. (Indeed, Madame.)
After they gained Athos's approval, they go in his office to have a private conversation.
- Maintenant, Corneille, aurais-tu l'obligeance de me dire ce qu'il y a entre toi et D'Artagnan? (Now, Corneille, would you be kind enough to tell me what is happening between you and D'Artagnan?)
Corneille warmly smiles at her.
- La même chose qu'entre nous, Constance. (The same thing as between you and me, Constance.)
Constance suddenly has an interrogative look. So Corneille explains herself better.
- Seulement de l'amitié. Mais une amitié très particulière... D'Artagnan est plus qu'un ami à mes yeux. Il est davantage un frère. Un petit frère. Je dois lutter contre mes instincts maternels quand il est près de moi. (Only friendship. But a very special one... D'Artagnan is more than a friend to me. He is more like a brother. A little brother. I have to control all my maternal instincts when he is around.)
It is Constance's turn to smile warmly at Corneille.
- Oui, ce serait ridicule de le materner devant une bande de mousquetaires viriles... Je comprends maintenant. Je suis heureuse de savoir que nous sommes comme une famille. (Yes, it would be ridiculous to mother him in front of all those manly Musketeers... I understand now. Well, I am happy to know that we are like family.)
They shake hands clumsily, but their smiles are both sincere.
- Avant que je quitte, voici une lettre pour Gabriel. (Before I leave, here I have a letter for Gabriel.)
- C'est comme si c'était fait. (Consider it done.)
- J'ai confiance en toi. (I put my trust in you.)
They leave the captain's office separately. After a a few moments, Athos comes back, ready to check on his work, worrying about the rumors of conspiracy between Feron and Gaston. As he sits on his chair, he notices that his old friend comes out from his cabinet, happy he does not have to kill a man this early.
- Que faisais-tu dans mon armoire, Aramis? J'aurais pu te tuer par erreur... (What were you doing in my cabinet, Aramis? I could have killed you accidentally...)
- Oh, je fais confiance à tes réflexes, Athos. Je voulais m'assurer que ça ne tourne pas mal entre Constance et Corneille... (Oh, I trust you reflexes, Athos. I wanted to be sure that it would not turn bad between Constance and Corneille...)
Athos looks closely at his friend.
- Qu'est-ce que ne va pas chez toi dernièrement? (What is wrong with you, lately?) Says a worrying Athos.
Aramis thinks a lot before he answers.
- Je l'ignore. Mais il y a quelque chose qui me dérange chez Corneille. Je pense qu'elle est peut-être une espionne. (I do not know. But something is bothering me with Corneille. I think she may be a spy.)
- Ce que tu dis est grave. Je ne pardonnerais pas une telle traîtrise. (What you say is serious. I would not forgive such a treachery.)
- Je sais... Mais je suis peut-être dans le tort. (I know... But I may be wrong.)
- Surveille-la si tu veux. Mais jusqu'à preuve du contraire, je la considère comme l'une des nôtres. J'ai un bon instinct pour ces choses. (Check on her if you want. But until evidences are found, she is one of us. I have good instinct for those things.)
Aramis looks to the ceiling.
- Athos... tu a été trahi par Milady. (Athos... you were betrayed by Milady...)
- Justement. Je n'ai pas écouté mon instinct à cette époque. Maintenant, je suis attentif. Et rien ne m'amène à douter de Corneille. (Precisely. I did not listen to my insctints, back then. Now I am aware. And nothing makes me doubt about Corneille.)
Aramis leaves Athos's office, and walks straight towards Corneille's room. He does not even have the time to sneak, that she opens the door to welcome him.
- Cher Aramis, entre donc, fais comme chez toi! (Dear Aramis, come in, make yourself comfortable).
Aramis hesitantly passes the door, taking off his hat. Like every other soldier's rooms, this one is not that big, with only a chair, a bed, a small table and a small cabinet. The only difference here, is that Corneille owns a chest at the bottom of the bed, and that she has a book shelve.
- Pourquoi être si familière, soudainement? (Why are you being so friendly, all of a sudden?)
- Je vais être directe, puisque je le suis toujours. Je sais que tu nous espionnais, Aramis. Je ne crois pas mériter ce manque de confiance, mais j'imagine que tu as de bonnes raisons. Tu peux t'amuser à m'espionner. Peut-être trouveras-tu quelque chose d'intéressant. (I will be very outspoken, since I am always straightfoward. I know you were spying on us, Aramis. I do not believe I deserve this distrust, but I guess you have good reasons. You can enjoy spying on me. Maybe you will find something interesting.)
Aramis did not think that she knew he was spying, Well, she is a Musketeer too. She has more than one trick in her sleeve. Maybe he just has to be as straightforward as she is.
- Je ne sais pas pourquoi j'ai ce sentiment que tu caches quelque chose. Peut-être que j'ai tort d'entretenir des doutes à ton égard. Mais dis-moi, ce Gabriel, qui est-il? ( I do not know why I have this feeling you are hiding something. Maybe I am wrong to keep some doubts about you. But tell me, this Gabriel, who is he?)
- Je ne peux pas répondre à cette question. Comment puis-je te prouver que je suis digne de confiance? Ne l'ai-je pas prouvé maintes fois lors des batailles que nous avons livrées ensemble? (I cannot answer this question. How can I prove you that I am trustworthy? Did I not prove it many times when we fought together?)
Surely she covered their backs more than once. But is it not any Musketeer task to look for his fellows?
- Je ne sais pas exactement, Corneille. Je vais y penser... (I do not know exactly, Corneille. I will think about it...)
Corneille looks like she wants to say something, but the words stay in her throat. As they hear a horse in the courtyard, they get outside to see what this is about. It is Treville.
- Capitaine Athos, says Treville to his old friend.
The Minister points at Athos, Porthos, Aramis, D'Artagnan and Corneille, and asks them to follow him in his old office.
- Par ordre du roi, vous devez escorter une troupe d'acteurs jusqu'au palais royal. (By the order of the King, you must escort a troupe of actors to the royal palace.)
The Musketeers cannot believe that ridiculous request, but they keep it for themselves, for orders are orders. The king seems to become more and more extravagant lately.
- Es-tu certain que cet ordre provient réellement du roi? (Are you sure that this order really comes from the king?), asks Athos.
- Il me l'a donné en main propre. (He gave it to me himself), answers Treville.
- Doit-on réellement être cinq pour accomplir cette tâche? (Do we really need to be five to accomplish this task?), asks an unbelieving Aramis.
- Regardez vous-mêmes, tous vos noms sont écrits. (Look for yourselves, all your names are written there).
The five Musketeers prepare themselves before they leave the garrison. They will have to find the actors somewhere in a village not that far, and to escort them to the palace. They will come back very late, or maybe even tomorrow morning. They wonder why the King is sending them? What is on his mind, for God's sake?
