"Tell me, D'Artagnan, how do you expect us to prevent Buckingham from this ball?" Athos asked as the two walked through the palace's gardens.
"Well, I think it should be fairly simple." D'Artagnan said.
"It's the annual Masquerade Ball. Everyone will be wearing masks and dressing extravagantly. How do we find Buckingham in a setting such as that?"
D'Artagnan thought for a moment. "We could- wait no, that wouldn't work. He could be anyone."
Athos nodded. "Exactly."
"We'll just have to wait and see." D'Artagnan sighed and looked behind him. The King was waving at him to come over to him. "Oh, I believe the King is calling for me. I'll be right back." D'Artagnan said and walked over to the King.
Athos sighed and walked on. A few minutes later, he sensed someone following him.
"Hello, Athos." A voice said next to him.
Athos turned and saw Arabella next to him. She now had on a lavender dress rather than the blue dress that she had on earlier.
"Hello, Arabella." Athos smiled.
"You looked lonely so, I decided to join you. You also looked troubled. "Arabella said as she walked with him.
"I'm always like that."
"Yes, and I know why."
Athos stopped walking and looked at her. "She told you?"
Arabella nodded. "Yes. You really loved her, I'm sure."
"Of course, I did. I was a fool though, thinking love can be the solution to everything. Ignorant that a woman so beautiful can betray you in such a way that you-"Athos stopped. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't be talking about this."
"Oh, no, it's alright. Milady would be pleased that you're talking about her in such a way." Arabella said quietly.
"Yes, she would be, wouldn't she?"
"Athos?" D'Artagnan called out in the distance.
Arabella and Athos turned towards him.
"If you'll excuse me, Arabella?" Athos said and walked away.
"Oh, of course." Arabella said as he left.
"Where are you going?" D'Artagnan asked as he walked by.
"I'm going to find Porthos and Aramis." Athos replied.
"Oh." D'Artagnan said and quickly walked up to Arabella.
She looked lovely in the dress, D'Artagnan thought. He wanted to really tell her how lovely she looked but he had no idea how she would respond to that.
"That dress looks nice on you." He said, slightly blushing.
Arabella looked down at her dress. "Thank you. I rather like it, myself. The Queen said she will have a dress for me for the Masquerade Ball, as well."
D'Artagnan smiled. "That's very generous of her. I've never really been to a ball, or a masquerade ball." He admitted.
"Never been to a ball? Oh, D'Artagnan, they're so enchanting! Where have you been?" Arabella smirked.
"I've been… not attending any balls, obviously." He laughed.
"I've only attended two when I was young, but they were so lovely. Sometimes there are fireworks, and beautiful dresses, music, food and couples dance."
"I probably won't be seeing nor doing any of those."
"And why is that?"
"Well, for one thing, I have no nice clothes to wear for something as extravagant as that, I don't really know how to dance and I'm going to be looking out for…someone. "
Arabella crossed her arms. "Well, you're no fun."
"Sure, I am. What will you be doing?"
"Enjoying myself and socializing and dancing."
D'Artagnan leaned in. "Dancing? With whom?"
Arabella took a step back. "With whomever I please."
"I doubt you will find any men who will be able to dance with you. They'll already have someone to dance with."
"Oh, I'll find one." Arabella smiled.
"Like me?" D'Artagnan smiled.
Arabella raised an eyebrow. "I thought you didn't know how to dance."
"I could learn."
Arabella laughed at the thought of D'Artagnan trying to teach himself how to dance.
"What's so funny?" D'Artagnan said, laughing as well.
Arabella smiled. "Nothing. Oh, there's Aramis."
"We're leaving! Come along, you two!" Aramis yelled.
"Time to go back." D'Artagnan said.
"Yes, I heard him, D'Artagnan." Arabella said and walked away with a smile on her face.
D'Artagnan happily sighed and followed her.
Arabella had been living with the Musketeers for more than a few days now, and was beginning to get used to them. She hardly thought of her brother or Milady. She didn't miss them at all and she knew they didn't miss her either. She also knew that deep down; she had developed some feelings for D'Artagnan. She denied them, of course. He had been nothing but kind to her since they met and saved her life. Arabella knew she shouldn't even get involved because she felt that if she even showed her feelings toward him, something would try to keep them apart. Fate would work against them, and because of this, she tried to deny any feelings of the like towards him, but that wasn't the easiest thing for her to do.
One afternoon, Arabella was looking around in D'Artaganan's room, which was currently her room. She saw that D'Artagnan's sword was in the corner of the room. She walked over to it and took it out of the sheath. She held the sword up and looked at her reflection on the sword. Soon, she not only saw her reflection, but someone else's reflection next to her. She smiled and turned around.
"Spying on me, D'Artagnan?" She asked.
"Snooping around in my room, Arabella?" D'Artagnan asked.
"I can't help it." Arabella smiled.
"I can't help it, either."
Arabella said nothing and looked back at her reflection in the sword.
"Do you like it?" D'Artagnan asked.
Arabella nodded.
"Do you know how to use a sword?" He asked.
"Not really. I'd like to learn how, though."
D'Artagnan smiled and gently took the sword from her. "What's stopping you then?" He asked.
Arabella shrugged her shoulders. "I don't really have any reason to learn how to use it."
"And what if you had to? You'd be an easy defeat to the enemy if you were in that situation."
Arabella glared at him. "So you would be the one to teach me how to use one?"
D'Artagnan nodded. "Only If you would like that."
"Well then, teach me."
D'Artagnan smiled and walked out the door. "Come on, then!"
"Okay, now let's say I'm an enemy." D'Artagnan said as he slowly paced across the open grassy field. "And I don't know you're here, so how would you attack?"
D'Artagnan looked in the distance where Arabella was standing, but couldn't see her.
"Arabella?"
Arabella quickly got up from where she was hiding and pushed D'Artagnan down. She smirked as she pointed the sword at him. "So, if you were an enemy, I just caught you off guard?"
D'Artagnan, who was still somewhat startled from being pushed down, looked up at her. "I wasn't expecting you to learn so fast."
Arabella smiled. "Well, we have been here for most of the afternoon." She said and helped D'Artagnan up.
"True. Do you think you want to try dueling against me, now?" D'Artagnan asked as he picked up an extra sword that was on the grass near him.
"If you insist." Arabella said and walked across the grass with a sword.
D'Artagnan smiled and swung the sword around so he can get used to it.
"What happens in I kill you on accident, D'Artagnan?" Arabella asked
" You'd probably feel really guilty and miss me terribly, so you'll realize you can't live without me so, as you can see, we have a Romeo and Juliet situation going on here." D'Artagnan joked.
"Not a chance." Arabella smiled.
D'Artagnan laughed and looked at the sword in his hand. "And what happens if I kill you, on accident?"
"You won't. Now stop talking and let's get to it." Arabella said.
The two began their sword duel, not to the death of course, but just until one of them gave up. All afternoon, D'Artagnan taught Arabella how to use a sword, how to defend herself and even defeat an enemy if she ever had to.
The swords clashed against each other, while the two ducked each other's swings and lunges. After a few minutes, the two swords were clashed against each other and D'Artagnan and Arabella had a small distance between them.
"D'Artagnan, just give up and let me win the duel, please." Arabella said.
"But that wouldn't be fair." D'Artagnan replied.
Arabella rolled her eyes. "But you're already a trained swordsman and I barely learned, and-"Arabella stopped talking and stared at D'Artagnan and he moved closer to her. Without thinking, the two lowered their swords to their sides. To her, it seemed as if he was leaning in to kiss her and she couldn't really help herself, so she leaned in as well.
Her heart began to beat rapidly as did his. She was afraid he would be able to hear it.
Just as D'Artagnan was about to kiss her, someone decided to show up.
"I'm here! Like I said I would be!"
"Planchet." D'Artagnan groaned.
Arabella opened her eyes and backed away, saying nothing.
"Way to ruin a moment, Planchet." D'Artagnan thought.
D'Artagnan was really fond of Planchet and enjoyed his company, but at the moment, he `despised him.
"You told me to be here to get you at sunset, and here I am!" Planchet said happily with Buttercup at his side.
D'Artagnan sighed and looked at Arabella who was distracting herself but twirling her long hair.
"I told you that, Planchet?" He asked.
Planchet nodded. "That you did, Sir."
"Well, I congratulate you on following instructions so well."
"Aw, I try my best, sir!"
"I know you do." D'Artagnan smiled. "Let's go back then. Arabella?" He asked as he slowly walked backwards.
Arabella looked up. "Hmm? Oh, I'm coming." She said and followed D'Artagnan.
The three went back home for an awkward evening. It was awkward for D'Artagnan and Arabella, anyway. The two exchanged a few words during dinner and that was it. The rest of the evening was just an exchange of smiles and listening to the other Musketeers tell stories.
That night, Arabella lay awake, staring at the ceiling. She was imagining how it would have been if she kissed D'Artagnan. She secretly wished she could go back in time and have that moment with D'Artagnan all over again, except without an interruption from Planchet, of course. She knew she couldn't really try to hide her feelings for him anymore, but she had only known him for a little less than a week, maybe it was just a small infatuation they had for each other and it would soon pass as time passed. Arabella wished it would all be real. Downstairs, D'Artagnan was lying awake, as well, wishing the exact same thing.
"You know, I've heard a rumor that troubles me." Buckingham said as he examined a map at his desk.
"What rumor is that?" Milady asked as she seductively leaned against the desk.
Buckingham looked up from the map and looked at her. "We are not on the guest list for the Queens Masquerade Ball."
Milady playfully pouted. "That's not very nice of her."
"No, it isn't. You and I will just have to attend, though. We'll have to get through a few people to get an invitation though. We can pass as another couple." Buckingham explained.
Milady smiled. "I like that idea. No one will recognize us?"
"Oh, no. I know just what we'll be wearing, and no one will recognize us. Not even those Musketeers."
"And because they don't recognize us, they'll think you didn't attend so they'll be off their guard while we try to kill them, yes?" Milady asked.
Buckingham grinned. "Precisely. We'll poison their drinks or something like that."
"You do realize that Arabella may be there?" Milady asked.
"Oh, I've been wondering where she had gone. I have a feeling she's with the Musketeers. My poor little sister. They're probably brainwashing her with their ignorance. Too bad she'll have to betray them."
"If you really want to have revenge, why don't you have her kill them or help us with our plan? If she's been with them this long, she's bound to have made a bond with them. "
Buckingham thought about it for a moment. "My dear, you are such a genius! So, she'll know she has to pay the consequences when she goes against us and if she betrays the Musketeers, they'll think her friendship was a lie. They'll hate her for it. She'll have no choice but to come back to us and watch the Musketeers die."
Milady nodded and took a bottle of wine from the edge of the table. "I think this calls for a toast." She said as she poured two cups of wine for Buckingham and herself.
Buckingham smiled and grabbed his cup.
"To the success of your plans." Milady said as she held the cup up.
"And to a soon to be, Musketeer-less France." Buckingham laughed.