Chapter four what's it going to be?
"I know this is quite a shock, and very sudden for you, but I have been ordered by the king to find any eligible lady for the job. " Said D'Artagnan. Athos walked over to Kate who was still looking down at the scroll in shock and stood beside her. He looked at D'Artagnan with furry beginning to brew inside him. "And you chose her? How brainless have you become? You know how that horrible man is!" Athos cried. "He is the king, and I must serve him,"D'Artagnan replied. "You serve fools among men rather then hero's!" Athos replied with a furious look. "Why are you so offended by me coming here? I am asking her to do the job not you!" D'Artagnan asked. "Because I don't want her around that man! He is a snake!" Athos cried. "But you will let Raoul become his musketeer, why is she any different?" Asked D'Artagnan. Those words infuriated him and he lost his temper. "Because she is like my daughter! I cannot allow her to be around indefinite danger!" He cried. Kate after hearing this, swirled around and looked at Athos with anger in her eyes. "And why is Raoul all of a sudden better at taking care of himself then I?" She asked. Athos was surprised by her reaction. He thought she wanted him to defend her from D'Artagnan. "Dear, your a young lady, beautiful and sweet, a man like Louis would easily take advantage of you!" He replied. "No he wouldn't! Why do you love Raoul more then you love me?" She cried. "Kate, I don't, I love you both the same. I just want what's best for you." He replied holding her shoulders. She shook them off as a tear began to run down her cheek. "No! I have dreams and goals and because of you, I have to live without!" She cried. She pushed him out of her way and ran out the front door. Aramis tried to grab her, but she was too fast. "Kate!" Porthos cried looking out the window. But all he could see was a horse and rider riding away from the house. Porthos turned around and faced his friends replying, "She's gone." Athos looked at D'Artagnan and balled up his fist to punch him. "You did that on purpose!" He cried throwing a punch at him, but D'Artagnan grabbed his fist as it approached his left cheek. "I did nothing!" He replied. "Yes you did, you knew she would get upset with me and that's why you said those things!" Athos replied trying to hit him with his other fist, but Aramis restrained him and pulled him back. Athos tried to break himself free and go after D'Artagnan with the rage that had built up inside of him. "Stop!" Aramis cried. Athos struggled for several minutes more and all D'Artagnan did was watch him struggle and look at him like he was pathetic. "Think about it man," D'Artagnan said in a stern voice, "maybe she was feeling that way inside for a long time and used my words to speak for herself." Athos stopped struggling after he heard this. He looked up at D'Artagnan still with rage in his eyes. "Why are you so mad at me if your the one who has caused the problem? I'm just here to extend an offer to her." D'Artagnan placed the scroll on the coffee table and made his way to the door. "Maybe you should think about what she wants rather then what you want this time." He said as he opened the front door. Before he left, he looked back and said one final thing, "I will be back in the morning to get an answer from her, and it better be one from her own heart and not yours." With that, he was gone. None of the men knew what to do or say after that. Aramis let go of Athos while Porthos watched D'Artagnan ride away. Aramis looked down at Athos who was on his hand's and knee's panting from his struggle. "Athos, you know she didn't mean what she said, she was just angry. "Aramis said trying to comfort his friend. Athos looked up at him still with anger in his eyes. "I must clear my head," he replied as he got up and walked out the front door, leaving Porthos and Aramis behind.
Kate ran as far away from home as she could without being found if followed. The place she would always go to would be the river that was twenty minutes away from the house. This was the place she and D'Artagnan would go to to train without Athos knowing. She was sitting on the edge of the river with her toes dipped in the water. Her horse Scarlett, was a few feet away drinking from the gentler stream. Her eyes where full of tears as she looked up at the big moon that glowed down making her tears sparkle like diamonds in the dark woods. She felt anger towards Athos. Not only by what D'Artagnan was saying, but because she had felt that way all her life. Being an independent woman in society was hard enough during those times, but to have someone you care for treat you the way all other men did, it would make you feel very incapable and discouraged. "I hate that man!" She cried with tears pouring down her face. "He has always had more faith in Raoul! That's why he encourages hims so much!" She bent her head down into her hands to weep, as her horse came over feeling there was something wrong with her rider. She began to bump her head lightly into Kate's to get her attention. Kate looked up and all she could see where big glowing eyes, but she knew it was Scarlett who was apparently, worried for her. She began to stroke her head acknowledging that she was okay. "Good girl," she said softly as she cleared her throat. "At least someone cares for what I think." "Your not the only one," a male voice said behind her. She whirled around in fright to see who was speaking to her, and out of the forest, came D'Artagnan who was holding a lantern in one hand, and the bridle that was leading his horse in the other. She turned her head quickly back where it was before to avoid having him see her eyes full of tears, but he had already noticed. "What do you want?" She asked in a shaky voice. D'Artagnan let his horse go with Scarlett, who was back where she once was drinking the water from the stream. He approached her and sat beside her with his hand in the water playing with the small currents. "Well I couldn't just watch you go like that without trying to help you, I know you need someone to talk to about this." He replied. "Oh believe me D'Artagnan," she replied with anger in her voice, "I'll get a talking to about this when I get home to Athos the biggest sexist alive!" "This decision does not involve what Athos, Aramis or any of them. It's about what you want." He replied touching her cheek softly with his hand. She turned her head facing him still with tears coming down her cheeks. He began to wipe them away with his fingers. "Don't cry, You can't make any important decision when upset my dear," he replied softly. She nodded her head in agreement with him. "Tell me what you feel you should do, and do not base your decision on what the others feel should happen. This is your life and you have the right as a human being to do what you please." D'Artagnan said with a serious tone. She cleared her throat and began speaking in a shaky voice, "I want to be different, I don't want to be a farm girl who dreams dreams, I want to be one who achieves them." She replied. "Alright,... what are your dreams?" He asked. "I don't want to be like all the other women in France or even the world. They all abide to the same lifestyle and have accepted the way things are rather then try to gain more. I am not a woman who dreams of marrying a farmer, and having to reproduce as many children as I can to help with growing grain. I would have to sell to pay for high taxes anyway." She paused for a moment to catch her breath."Go on," he replied softly holding her hand. "The kind of woman I want to be is not the one anybody in my home see's, it's the one you see D'Artagnan. The one you have tried to teach me to be. ""A musketeer?" He asked. She nodded in response. "Then why are you sitting here debating any longer if that is what you want to do with your life?" He asked. "I want to do more then just be a musketeer for any king, I want to serve one that I can respect and honor by putting my life on the line each day." She replied. "What would you change about the king if you could now?" Asked D'Artagnan." Well, I would want him to give fresh food to the people, and I would want him to make fair laws, and make tax cuts so people can afford to live... I want him to change everything he is doing!" She replied. "Have you ever gone to him yourself with these thoughts in mind?" He asked. "No, I'm not scared of him, but Athos is, and he won't let any one of us speak up to him. Not even Raoul. "She replied. "Why would you allow that to stop you? Your your own woman as I said before, and I will tell you, it's your life, my dear, and we all have a certain amount of days under the sun." He replied." That's true," There was a dead silence between the two of them as Kate had thoughts racing through her mind. "Make this decision based on what Kate wants, and what Kate needs, not on what Athos or any of them are wanting or doing. "He said breaking the silence.
Kate sat still, thinking carefully about the decision she was about to make. "If I choose to go, maybe I can get him to change some of his laws," she thought. "but what if that doesn't work and I am stuck there? What if he doesn't change? What if I never achieve my dream to become a musketeer?" Anxiety was building up more inside, and D'Artagnan could tell by her facial expressions. He stood up and gazed at the high moon that had made it's way across the sky. "It's about midnight my dear, and the woods will become more dangerous the longer we stay here. "Said D'Artagnan. Kate looked up and saw the moon had moved also, but she had no idea it was that late. "Oh, then I guess I better go then," she replied getting up and making her way to Scarlett. She began to fasten the saddle back on for the ride back, after taking it off for Scarlett to relax easier. D'Artagnan stood by and watched as she rushed to leave. He could tell she wasn't about to make a decision now, but he needed her too or his job would be history. He had to think of a way to encourage her to do it. As she prepared her horse for the journey back, he began to preach to her one final time, "You could have a better life if you go and work with him," His words pierced through the silence she had in her mind to calm her anxiety. "You could achieve greater things then you ever could on your own. He has the power to make you greater then you want to be." She only began to work much faster to try to stop herself from making a hasty decision. D'Artagnan could tell he was getting to her. "You deserve better then living in a small hut made of dried mud and clay, your worthy of a musketeer's grand home my dear, even... a princess." She stopped working and froze with the words, "You deserve better," dancing around in her head. She looked back at him with wide eyes, and an aching stomach full of butterflies. "Please, tell me, do you guarantee my safety if I was to go with him? Would you guarantee that I could leave if I so very well chose too?" She asked. D'Artagnan stared at her for a minute not knowing what to say. He couldn't let her go on his own word, but by the kings. And you my dear readers already know how stubborn a man he is. He couldn't lie nor did he want to lie, but he knew he had to do something to get her to agree. He figured he could try to convince the king to let her go free if she was unhappy, but that was something he still couldn't do easily, and without the risk of getting nothing accomplished. He looked into her eyes that where full of anxiety, but hope. She needed someone to help guide her if it wasn't going to be anyone at her home. What was D'Artagnan to do you might wonder? He walked over to her and again held a hand to her cheek. He looked into her eyes and answered with a gentle voice, "I promise your safety with my life." With those words, he took out of his bag another message scroll with the same message on it and extended it out to her. She looked down at the velvet bow tied message, and kept asking herself if she wanted to do it. She looked up at D'Artagnan wondering if he could really get her out of the palace if she needed to leave. "Could he?" She wondered. "And if he can, should I go?" D'Artagnan looked at her with a smile on his face waiting patiently for her reply. She finally decided what she would do at that point. She reached for the scroll and took it out of his hands. D'Artagnan happy with the result, walked back to his horse and sat up on him. "I will come tomorrow at the appointed time with my coach to pick you up. Have yourself dressed and ready for him. "He instructed. She nodded in agreement. With that, he took off leaving a trail of dust behind. She looked down at the scroll with a pain in her stomach, yet satisfaction in her heart. "This is what I shall do," she said to herself loud and sternly.