Unconditionally

Part II

When Aramis, Porthos, and d'Artagnan entered the palace, they immediately noticed a change in the atmosphere. There was a stillness to the air and an overwhelming sense that something big was about to happen. Apart from the palace guards, they encountered no one, and only caught glimpses of page boys and servants scurrying to spread the news that the king's health had taken another turn for the worse and this time, he will not be able to recover. Otherwise, the palace was silent, as if the occupants thought they would be able to hear the king's last breath leave his body if they were quiet enough.

As soon as Aramis had heard the news, his first thoughts were with the dauphin; his four-year-old son was about to become the King of France. Since the boy was not of age though, that meant there would be a regency, and according to precedent, it fell to the widowed queen to take charge of the new king and the running of the country. Whenever he considered the possibility of a regency, Aramis had always found comfort in the fact that he knew the queen, that Anne, would take care of their son and his kingdom to the best of her ability.

A few weeks ago though, when the king's intestinal pains started to look fatal, Treville had come to the garrison, and revealed to the four of them that the king had declared in his will the establishment of a regency council for his son. Anne would be regent but a council consisting of six men would be limiting her power. Aramis knew that most if not all of these men were likely to take little heed to what Anne would have to say; dismissing her for being a woman and, on top of that, Spanish. What would happen to their son then? How often would personal quests for power and wealth influence the decisions these men made over the welfare of the country, its citizens, and its king?

King Louis's official reasoning behind the decision was that the burden of ruling will be too great for the queen to carry alone, therefore, a council would be in the country's best interest. They all knew there had to be more to it than that though. When Treville voiced his opinion that it could do with the king's own experience with his mother acting as regent and how she had turned against him in order to try to take the throne for herself, Aramis's blood had boiled over at the insinuation that the king could think Anne would do something like that to her son.

Right now though, Aramis was worried. Why did Athos send for them? Did he fear something would happen when the king died? Would someone try to take the throne from the dauphin?

When the three of them reached the top of the staircase that lead to the king's apartment they found not only Athos waiting for them, but Constance as well.

Porthos was the first to speak. "Is this really it?"

Athos nodded solemnly. "We're just waiting now. I've been with Treville is in His Majesty's room with the other ministers and the priests."

D'Artagnan noticed his wife looking at the man expectantly. "And what is it you wanted us for?"

Athos looked down, as if he was considering what he was going to say. "You three are to go and guard the queen and the princes."

"She was with the king up until a short while ago when he could no longer hear or speak. She's with her sons in the nursery now." Constance added.

Aramis realized what Athos was uneasy about; him being near the queen and his son. Upon his return to the regiment, Athos had kept him away from them as much as he could, and when it could not be avoided, Porthos and d'Artagnan would be there to keep a close eye on him. He had accepted what they were doing early on, knowing that it was for the best, but there were a few times where he could not let the opportunity to speak to them pass by.

"Shouldn't there be guards there already?" Porthos asked.

"There are, but the queen specifically asked for you three."

"She wants her most loyal and trusted musketeers, I don't know why you didn't send for them sooner." Constance admonished him.

"Of course." Athos replied dryly. "Just go and tell the pair on duty they can return to the garrison and get some rest or something to eat until they are called back."

Once the three soldiers nodded in understanding, Athos turned to Constance, "Shall we return to our vigil?"

"Oh, I was going to go with them and check on her."

Athos narrowed his eyes at her, but didn't inquire further, instead saying, "Very well" and setting off alone.

Constance walked next to her husband most of the way and told them in a hushed tone details of the king's condition. Before they were about to reach the beginning of the hallway leading to the nursery though, she brought them to a stop.

"What is it?"

D'Artagnan had asked the question, but it was Aramis who she stepped in front of and spoke to. "You should go to her."

Judging by the grumble that came from Porthos and how d'Artagnan put his hands on his hips, they had heard her and Aramis did not imagine what Constance had just said. That very thought had been ever present in his mind since he heard that the king was in his final hours and he could not stop thinking of ways to make it happen. Would it be possible? When he finally spoke though, he tried not to give any hint of eagerness, "Would that be wise?"

"Reports of His Majesty's condition will be brought to the queen by me. And there will be a pair of trustworthy musketeers," Constance looked pointedly at Porthos and d'Artagnan, "guarding the nursery to make sure that no one disturbs Her Majesty at this extremely upsetting time."

They all looked to Aramis for a response, but all he did was look at the ground as he tried to decide whether or not if it was safe enough for them to go through with this.

"Everyone's attention is on the king right now, you might not get another chance like this once he dies." Constance continued in a low voice. "Aramis, I know this is dangerous, but I really think it would help if she could talk to you."

"She wants to see me?"

"Yes."

Aramis turned to his brothers. He had to make sure they would be willing to risk their necks for him. He looked at them, silently asking if they would be okay with this. But d'Artagnan could not say no to his wife's pleading eyes and, although he took a few seconds longer, Porthos decided he would not deny Aramis this chance. They both nodded their consent.

"I'll go to her."

"Good. Now, I think it would be best for you to just wait here and act like you're on guard. Once the musketeers who Porthos and d'Artagnan are replacing are out of sight you can come down to us."

As he waited, Aramis hoped to make use of the time to sort out his thoughts. He was going to be able to talk to Anne and ask her questions, but he had to remember that she asked for him, she needed him. What Anne is going through is what matters right now and she needs him to be strong and supportive.

The minutes flew by though, and before he knew it, he was standing by the door to the nursery, waiting as Constance quietly opened the door and slipped inside to check on the queen and make sure it was okay for Aramis to come in.

When she reappeared, she nodded her head to the three men. Porthos and d'Artagnan moved next to each other to block Aramis from view as Constance opened the door wider.

Stepping into the room, he saw that Anne was standing in front of one of the windows. "Thank you, Constance." She kept her back to them and he was reminded of their conversation the day her pregnancy had been announced. This time though, he did not expect her to turn to him radiant and smiling.

Constance smiled sympathetically(?) but then looked at Aramis with a warning in her eyes to be careful. He nodded and after she closed the door, started to approach Anne.

On his way, he passed by the crib where two-year-old Philippe slept and then Louis in his small bed. Both were sleeping soundly despite the great changes that were already in motion.

The queen turned her head briefly to look at him when he reached her but he still caught the tear stains on her cheeks and her red eyes and he wondered when was the last time she had been able to sleep as peacefully as her sons.

"Your Majesty…" Aramis began to say but then trailed off. There she is, right in front of him, but he did not know what to say.

He watched as she raised her head slightly and looked up to the sky before closing her eyes. "I didn't expect it to feel like this, to feel...like my heart is being torn from my body." She seemed surprised by the intensity of her grief.

"You've been together for so long, and you have such a caring heart, it is understandable." Aramis almost felt as if they were back at the convent, except this time it is him who came to comfort her.

"I did love him once." A hollow laugh escaped her throat. "I was a fool. He might have cared about me, but he never loved me. And now he doesn't even trust me. He thinks I would turn his sons against him, against France."

Aramis was aware that the king, among others, felt that Anne spent far more time with her children than was usual for a woman of her status and after losing his temper following one incident, the king accused her of raising the boys to dislike him and had seriously considered taking them away from her. Thankfully, the king's anger dissipated as quickly as it had appeared and no separation came to pass, but he knew the possibility had left Anne deeply shaken.

He clenched his jaw to keep his anger over the king's jealousy and selfishness from bursting forth. "After everything you've done, everything you've endured for him and this country."

"He has always believed me to be Spanish at heart."

Aramis shook his head. How could the king be so blind?

"And yet he said he was sorry for ever believing I could be unfaithful. The one thing that is actually true. I should feel relieved, shouldn't I? But it only made me feel more guilty." She briefly closed her eyes in order to get her emotions under control. "I sat there, knowing that as soon as he died, his son's-his illegitimate son's-first act as king will be to annul his will."

Aramis frowned in confusion. "What do you mean?"

Anne looked in the direction of where their son slept. "Louis will ask the Parlement of Paris to dissolve the council so that I can be sole regent."

"But you signed the declaration, you took an oath to abide by the king's will."

"I could not openly oppose him and risk being shut out of the regency completely." Anne explained. "I publicly accepted it, but in private, I started to conduct talks with members of the Parlement, and with some of the members of the council, making sure they would be on my side. No king can bind his successor, Aramis, and I could not let such a council have control over my son."

Aramis was in awe of what she had done and what she was determined to do for their son. "And you have the support to do this?"

"Yes." Anne answered but then looked to the side. There must be something else.

"What is it?"

"Gaston."

When Treville had told them about the king's will, he said that the king made his younger brother lieutenant general of the kingdom-in charge of the regency council. He was known to be an ambitious man who had conspired for the throne in the past and they assumed that he was given the position on the council to appease him and his supporters and avoid rebellion.

When Anne looked at him, her eyes were wide and fearful. He could tell that they were getting to the heart of the matter, the thing that led Anne to take this risk and call for him. "Aramis, if something were to happen to me, he would have the best claim on the regency."

Aramis' mouth went dry at the thought. Nightmares he had of her dying, of not reaching her in time or simply unable to save her, flashed in front of his eyes. "Do you really think he would try something?"

Anne's hand went to her neck, her fingers hovering over an invisible chain, telling him that Rochefort's garrote haunted her as much as it did him. "I don't know. I would like to think not, but I can't take any chances." In the next moment, she was walking over to Louis' bed and then sitting down on the floor.

He quickly, but quietly, followed her and sat down beside her. After putting his hat next to him on the floor, he placed a comforting hand on her cheek and silently asked her to look at him. "You have nothing to fear, I'm here and you have the best musketeers you could ask for right outside that door, and we won't let anything happen to you."

Anne took his hand from her cheek so she could kiss his palm. "I know." She then lowered their hands to rest on her lap where she slowly rubbed her thumb back and forth over his knuckles. "You always make me feel safe."

Aramis was content to sit there and watch her as she continued to stroke and examine his calloused hands with her smooth and soft ones.

"I'm sorry, Aramis." Anne whispered, breaking the silence.

"For what?"

"He is too young. He is too young to be king. I did not want this for him." She looked up at him and he saw that her eyes were starting to water.

Aramis agreed wholeheartedly. Their son is but a child. Was it not just the other day that d'Artagnan told him about the dauphin playing soldier with a group of children, while Constance acted as drill commander "by royal decree" of the queen? And now that same boy is about to be put in charge of a real army with real soldiers. No, he did not want this for him either, but it is going to happen, and he will do all he can to help them through it.

"He is not alone though. He has you, to help him, to teach him how to be a great ruler. And I will always be there for you and your sons, as I've promised." Aramis assured her, referring back not only to that day so long ago when he first swore to watch over and guard her son with all his strength and heart, but also to the first conversation they shared upon his return to Paris after leaving the monastery, where he renewed his vow and extended it to include Philippe.

Sniffling, Anne looked up at him and smiled tremulously as she lightly squeezed his hand, but when she returned her gaze to the boy, her face fell. "But what if he comes to hate me? What if he thinks I am trying to keep him power from him? Marie de Medici had said she only wanted to spare her young son the burden of the crown. I would never try to take the throne away from him but...Aramis, what if I become like her?"

"There isn't a chance of that happening. She only wanted power for herself. She was selfish. She only loved her son when he benefitted her quest for power. You though, are selfless and most importantly, you love your son unconditionally." Even though he knew it was his trusted brothers who were outside, he still threw a quick glance over to the door and in the faintest voice said, "We both love our son unconditionally."

A/N: So the idea of the fic was to speculate on a first episode scene for them and then a season finale scene, though this second part is more history-based (the regency council, the dauphin playing soldier, Louis threatening to take the boys away, and how Anne felt as though her heart was being torn out of her body when she saw Louis dying). I hope you liked it and I'd love to hear your theories on how the new season will go for these two!