Thanks for all the nice reviews, here is Chapter 2 for you.

Niagaraweasel you are the best, your work is awesome and I´m really thankful that we met here on this side.

Aramis' heart was racing on the way to the castle – his son and the woman he loved were in danger. It was hard to suppress his feelings, but he knew the king would have him hanged if he knew that the heir was Aramis' son.

He found it easy to dazzle women with his charm, but Queen Anne was different. She had been there for him and consoled him at a very dark time. What had happened that night, hadn't been just sex, there had been something there, that he hadn't experienced in a long time – pure feeling. It bordered on a miracle that this beautiful boy had also been conceived that night.

He would have loved to be at her side, but he had to keep his feelings hidden or he would put the two people closest to his heart in danger.

When they arrived at the castle it was shortly before midnight and the rooms of the queen were dark. The guards opened the gates and let the musketeers in.

Rochefort came down the stairs. "To what do we owe the honour of a visit from the musketeers? Shouldn't you be drunk in a tavern somewhere?"

"Oh, that's where we were, until our peace was shattered, when a lady friend of ours fell at our feet half-dead," Athos answered sharply.

"We really don't like it when people treat our friends that way," Porthos agreed.

"As far as I know there's one among you who would have been prepared to have a woman hang. I doubt that that's any more honourable," Rochefort answered with a smug smile.

Athos did his best to appear calm. He knew that the captain of the Red Guard wanted to provoke him. "We want to see the queen."

"She's asleep and I won't allow you to disturb her with trivialities."

"These trivialities would make you look bad, Rochefort. I will stay here and wait until the queen is awake and then I will inform her about the matter. Porthos?" Aramis walked up the stairs past Rochefort. Porthos followed him. Athos looked at Rochefort and saw that his hands had started to shake threateningly.

He gave the man a smile and headed for the exit.

Night had fallen over the castle and all of Paris. The leader of the musketeers was about to climb on his horse, when he noticed a shadow. Immediately he went to investigate and found his wife, Milady de Winter. A mixture of feelings warred in his heart – longing and desire fought with disgust and hate.

"How is D'Artagnan's little friend?" Milady asked, walking around Athos.

"She'll survive," he answered in a cool voice. "How's your plan with Rochefort going?"

"I do not have a plan. I'm trying to survive. Rochefort blackmails me. He loves the queen and he needs the king out of the way. If I don't do my duty, he will kill me and tell the king everything."

His eyes were on guard. "You let yourself be blackmailed? Usually it's you playing this game with others."

"I have no choice, if I hadn't had a dagger with me, he would have killed me in cold blood earlier. Then he took his rage out on Madame Bonacieux."

"You threatened to kill the heir."

"I had no other choice. Do you really think me capable of that?"

His eyes met hers. "You've done worse."

Athos noticed the changing look in his wife's eyes. The coldness was gone, replaced by sadness.

"You detest me."

She stepped closer and caressed his cheek. Athos didn't move, although his heart was beating furiously. "And to think there was a time when we loved each other. Now look what has become of us – I'm a murderess, who has to sleep with the king so she isn't forced to live on the street, and you're a musketeer with a sad and bitter soul.

Athos grabbed her hand and pushed her away. "This is your doing. If I should find you anywhere near the queen or the heir, I will see to it that you spend your last years in prison." With these words he left her, climbed on his horse and rode back to the garrison.

Constance had fallen asleep. D'Artagnan was sitting at her bed, watching her. She seemed to be dreaming, every now and then she would frown and start to whimper.

Rochefort would pay for this and Bonacieux as well, he would make sure of that. The young musketeer's mother had been dead for a long time now, but he still remembered how his parents had treated each other. His father had always treated his mother with respect. They had been happy and he had sat at her bed until she had died.

D'Artagnan still remembered his mother, she had been brave and kind and beautiful and she had had a big heart, just like Constance. He had always wished for just such a woman by his side. His mother had always told him to marry for love and not for a good place in society. No matter what would happen in his life, Constance was the woman he wanted to have at his side and he would do everything to achieve that and give her all his love.

D'Artagnan took her hand and kissed it. A knock at the door jolted him out of his thoughts, he quickly let go of her hand and went to answer it. Athos was standing before him and D'Artagnan joined him outside the room.

"You didn't take her home?" he asked with a knowing look.

"She didn't want me to and I can't deny her that wish. Who knows if Bonacieux would look after her?" D'Artagnan answered.

"That's your decision, but you are getting yourself into a difficult situation," Athos reminded him.

"I don't care, I love her and I'm not going to leave her alone."

"Aramis and Porthos have stayed at the castle. They will inform the queen tomorrow morning about what happened."

"If I get my hands on Rochefort, I will kill him."

Athos put his hand on his friend's shoulder. "No, you won't. He will get his just punishment, we will see to that."

"What about Milady. How do you feel about it?" D'Artagnan asked worriedly.

"It doesn't leave me cold, if that's what you mean. Apparently Rochefort is blackmailing her," Athos replied, thoughtfully.

"Do you believe her?"

"I don't know. Usually, Milady is not a woman who lets others blackmail her. One should take everything she says with a grain of salt."

A sudden cry interrupted the two musketeers.

"Constance!" D'Artagnan called out and hurried back into the room. Athos followed him.

Constance sat upright in bed, drenched in sweat and pressing a hand against her ribs.

D'Artagnan was immediately at her side. "What happened?"

"I had a nightmare about Rochefort, I jerked upright and then there was a stabbing pain," Constance answered, breathing heavily.

Athos passed her a bottle. "Take a sip of this, it will dull the pain and keep the nightmares away."

Constance gave him a questioning look, but obediently took a large sip.

Athos and D'Artagnan grinned when it made her cough.

Constance lay back down on the bed and closed her eyes.

Athos turned to leave and D'Artagnan sat back down beside Constance, who had fallen asleep again.