I hope everyone has/is having/will have a good Yule/Christmas/winter/other celebration that I don't know/can't remember!
Gebo: Gifts, both in the sense of sacrifice and of generosity, indicating balance. All matters in relation to exchanges, including contracts, personal relationships and partnerships.
Christmas time was never a restful time for the Musketeers. The King and Queen, in deference to the season, were out in public more, granting gifts of money to the churches in the city to give to the poor in their congregation and giving out other tokens of their kindness to the populace. This meant that security around the royal couple was tight and the men guarding them could not stop to enjoy the seasonal cheer like most of the population of Paris for fear of attack. It was not until the lull, halfway between Christmas and the New Year celebrations that the Musketeers could take a day off to relax.
Treville called the entire regiment into the courtyard and regarded them from his usual perch on the balcony. The soldiers stood amongst long tables set out in rows across the yard, the newcomers to the regiment looking around in confusion at the change whilst the rest reigned in anticipation.
"This year you have all provided great service to your country and your king," the Captain says to the amassed crowd. "You have worked hard during the Christmas celebrations and I know you will work just as hard for the upcoming New Year celebrations. The King is grateful for your loyal service and has granted this one day of rest. He has asked me to give you his thanks and has allowed me to gift you this meal. I too thank you; I could not imagine a better set of men to be under my command. It has been an honour serving with you for the past year and it will be for the next."
With that people started streaming out from the garrison kitchen which had been a bustle of activity all day, people drafted in from local taverns to lend a hand with cooking a feast for the soldiers were now carrying plates of food towards the tables. With clean plates and cutlery handed along the benches to every man and food laden plates and flagons of wine placed down the center of each table within reach, soon everybody was digging into the food heartily and passing the platters around, making sure that every man had their fill of what they wanted.
Treville settled himself at the end of a table, near his four Inseparables, and dished himself a few slices of meat and spoonfuls of vegetables from the closest platters. Now everybody was enjoying this feast, from the Captain to the stable boys, as equals.
Not only were the plates of food and jugs of wine were passed around, small gifts were too. This was the first time many of them had had chance to exchange presents since the start of the busy Christmas period.
Treville could see his favourite four soldiers pass gifts too, modestly wrapped up in brown paper and twine. Aramis and d'Artagnan eagerly unwrapped their presents whilst Athos and Porthos unwrapped theirs with more care, though each gift was no doubt treasured.
Athos gifted d'Artagnan with a fine scarf that was no doubt was going to be well used during the harsh winter. "Next time you want to fight someone armed only with a scarf, use your own!" He joked. He gave Aramis a medical text and Porthos a piratical novel. Aramis and Porthos had pooled their resources and gave Athos a few small volumes of sword fighting techniques and d'Artagnan a pair of knives. Aramis gave Porthos a pair of leather gloves and received a small booklet of psalms in return. D'Artagnan, being of little means, had carved each man a little wooden model of themselves astride their horse, and passed them shyly over the table. Porthos had given d'Artagnan a big hug in delight at his present and surprise at his now uncovered talent.
When there was one small present sat in the center of the table the inseparables turned towards Athos, who passed it to the man sitting next to him with instruction to pass it on. Treville was not expecting it to reach as far along the table as him.
To his surprise he found his own name written on the paper in Athos' cursive script with the note 'From A, A, P & D'. The meal was his gift to his men for their year's worth of service so he was not expecting anything else in return. He turned back to Athos, who gave him a nod before rejoining his conversation with his friends.
The Captain unwrapped the present carefully and cracked a smile when he saw what was within. He kept the item by his plate for the rest of the meal, pleased at the care they had taken to find him the perfect gift.
It's up to you to decide what Treville got, I couldn't decide!
