Through a Glass Darkly

"I can't help being nervous," Constance murmured, holding d'Artagnan's arm.

"There's nothing to be scared of," he assured her.

Constance rolled her eyes, but the promise made her feel better. d'Artagnan smiled, keeping up the chatter to keep her from dwelling, but now that she'd brought it up he cast his attention ahead, to the people inside the building they were approaching. Excitement, nervousness; one person was desperate for things to start, another desperate for them not to. Nothing unusual, nothing to worry about. He turned his attention back to Constance.

Half an hour later, he watched in horror as Marmion pushed Aramis out a second story window.

Porthos was shouting d'Artagnan's name as the guards tried to push him out. d'Artagnan closed his eyes briefly, trying to focus past the terror and horror and grief filling the room.

His eyes snapped open, and he caught Porthos' gaze, shaking his head. Porthos relaxed a little, allowing himself to be hustled away on Rochefort's heels.

Constance was terrified and trying very hard not to show it. d'Artagnan smiled reassuringly, stepping closer to her as their guard finished tying her hands and moved away. "We'll get out of this," he said quietly. "I promise. Trust me?"

She nodded quickly, but her terror wasn't diminishing. d'Artagnan turned, half shielding her from the room, to watch Marmion. Tied or not, Constance or not, if he tried to touch the royal family d'Artagnan would have to intervene.

Milady deliberately caught his eye from across the room before she turned to leave. d'Artagnan frowned, trying to untangle the emotions she was deliberately throwing at him; relief, and something about being protected and safe...he couldn't get it, and then she was gone. He wondered idly whether her coin had really come up heads, or if she'd just nudged Marmion into declaring her free anyway.

The first man's death answered one question at least. Marmion killed him and felt only satisfaction. There was no bloodthirstiness, no desire to cause pain; nothing that d'Artagnan should have picked up on. Nothing that might have given him a warning.

Aramis was up and moving, if in some pain. d'Artagnan pressed a little closer to Constance. "I think Milady's gone for help," he murmured to her. "Hold on a little longer, Constance."

"That one?" Constance smiled bitterly. "We'll never see her again, and good riddance." She looked past him; d'Artagnan didn't turn. "The queen is so frightened," she whispered.

"I know. Just hold tight a little. We'll get out of here."

She studied him. "You really believe that?"

"I really do. Athos isn't here, remember. As soon as he realises something is wrong, he'll come. And we don't know if all Rochefort's men were killed; one of them might have gotten away."

"What are you two whispering about?" Marmion demanded.

"We're deciding what to do when you're dead and we've walked out of here," d'Artagnan said evenly. Kowtowing wouldn't help anything; Marmion would kill them or not according to the rules of his twisted game.

The room had gone very, very quiet. d'Artagnan didn't look away from Marmion.

"And what did you decide?" he asked, genuinely curious.

d'Artagnan shrugged carelessly. "I missed breakfast, so I'm thinking something to eat."

Louis was spluttering in the background. d'Artagnan ignored him.

Marmion smiled. "I like this one," he announced. Turning towards Louis, he added "Are all your guards like him?"

"No. No, he's quite unique."

"Shall we flip for his life?" Marmion suggested. "What do you think, heads or tails?"

"Don't answer him," d'Artagnan said quickly.

Marmion turned back to him, scowling. "That's not your decision."

"I'm not leaving, even if that thing tells me to. You'd have to kill me, and what would that do to Fate? If I should have lived but I died instead?"

"Fate does not care for any of us," Marmion said distantly. Brightening up suddenly, he turned to Louis. "You don't want to flip for his life? You're quite sure?" Louis nodded numbly. "Very well. Next game, then. I think you'll want to play this one."

d'Artagnan shouted when one of the guards grabbed the queen's shoulders, but there were other guards, snatching at Marguerite, forcing the other courtiers to their feet. Louis was terrified, horrified, but untouched, left alone as the others were spirited out.

Constance pressed against d'Artagnan. He returned the pressure as best he could, tracking the two groups. Everyone was afraid, but none of them had been harmed, and they were stationary somewhere in the building.

"Now." Marmion sat down beside Louis, watching him carefully. "Time to make a decision, your majesty. Shall I send this man -" He waved at one of the guards, who casually unsheathed his sword. "- into room one, or room two?"

Louis blinked at him, barely following the words. "What is in these rooms?"

"In one of them is your wife, your son, and his governess. In the other, your three loyal courtiers. Choose quickly, or he will visit both rooms."

"I - I can't - how can I…"

"Choose quickly," Marmion repeated.

d'Artagnan struggled, trying to focus. Had Marmion felt something when he described the rooms? Was he hoping Louis would choose one way or the other? He was definitely anticipating something…

He shifted, caught Louis' eye, and mouthed 'one' over and over until Louis nodded.

"Have you decided?" Marmion asked patiently.

"God forgive me," Louis breathed. "One."

Marmion smiled, nodding to the guard. d'Artagnan blinked as he suddenly realised what was going on, but there was no way to explain it to Louis. He held onto it tightly.

He paid only enough attention to know that Marmion had not been lying before pulling up a shield. He could not afford to be pulled away right now, slim as the risk was.

"d'Artagnan," Constance whispered, "are you all right? You're so pale."

"I'm fine." He squeezed her joined hands gently. "Just…" He tilted his head to indicate the room.

Constance nodded, watching the king. He'd pulled in on himself, literally huddled into a ball in his chair. "Which room do you think he went into?"

d'Artagnan shrugged. "I suppose we'll find out soon."

"He surely wouldn't kill the Dauphin? He's just a babe…"

"I hope not."

Relief, strangely doubled, washed through him. He shook his head absently to focus, tracing it back to the queen and Aramis. Good; one less thing to worry about.

The guard came back, absently stripping blood from his blade. Louis stared at him, wide eyed. "Who did you kill. Who - who did you kill?"

Marmion only smirked. d'Artagnan grimaced. "Don't torture him!"

Another smirk, but Marmion deigned to say "Your wife and child are safe. You have sacrificed your loyal courtiers."

Louis buried his head in his arms. d'Artagnan swallowed, taking a step back to lean against the wall.

Something tugged at his attention, a familiar feeling from far away. He frowned, drawing it up for a better look. He almost smiled before he caught himself; that particular blend of protectiveness and righteous fury could only be one person. And now that he knew where to look, he could sense others around Athos. Reinforcements were coming.

Constance's fear spiked. d'Artagnan dragged his attention back from the comfort of Athos' emotions just in time to elbow the guard who was trying to separate them. The guard doubled over, but another came from behind d'Artagnan, immobilising him for long enough for Constance to be dragged away some distance.

"Time to play for her life," Marmion told Louis. "Choose heads or tails, she lives or she dies."

"She hasn't done anything to you!" d'Artagnan protested, struggling against his guard.

"My wife and children had never harmed anyone," Marmion said sharply. "Why should she live and they die?"

"Why not? That is fate too, isn't it?"

Marmion turned back to Louis. "Choose, your majesty. Or refuse, and I will kill her anyway."

"Don't," d'Artagnan said, eyes on Louis. Marmion would do it this time; he would shoot Constance if the coin came up wrong. "Don't call. Don't let him do this."

Louis stared at them, disturbingly blank both to the eye and to d'Artagnan's senses. "Tails."

"No!" d'Artagnan surged against his guard, but he couldn't get loose.

Marmion flipped the coin.

d'Artagnan felt the surge of pleasure and howled, trying to buck free again.

Marmion leaned over conscientiously, showing Louis the coin. There was a faint flicker of grief, quickly smothered under the heavy nothingness. Marmion smiled, drawing his pistol and aiming it at Constance.

Marion's servant was nerving himself up to intervene, horrified at the lengths his master was going to, but he wasn't there yet.

"Look me in the eyes." Constance's voice shook, but she stood straight without flinching. "Look me in the eye and think of your wife. Then shoot me, if you still want to."

"No!" d'Artagnan jerked hard enough to break free, stumbling across get between them. "No," he said again. Where - Aramis was nearby, how could - "Shoot me instead. That will satisfy the game, won't it? The coin demands a life. Take mine."

"Interesting," Marmion murmured thoughtfully.

Constance was protesting. d'Artagnan ignored it, staying between them.

"Here is my offer," Marmion announced. "You may walk out of here right now, a free man. But she will die. Or stay, and die for her."

"Stay," d'Artagnan said immediately.

"d'Artagnan -" Constance was crying. "Go, get out of here, get help…"

"No."

"Please -"

"No." He turned enough to look at her. "I can't leave you here to die. I can't do it, Constance." He looked back at Marmion. "She will be allowed to leave unharmed?"

"One life for another," Marmion agreed.

d'Artagnan nodded, lifting his chin. "Do it."

The gun fired.

Someone fell heavily against d'Artagnan, gasping. d'Artagnan went down under the unexpected weight, managing to catch the servant before he hit the ground. Constance gasped, taking a couple of steps back; Marmion fell to his knees beside them. "Robert…?"

Robert smiled shakily. "Is the coin happy now, brother?"

He was dead before Marmion could answer. Marmion stared at him for several moments before pushing slowly to his feet. One of the guards moved in to take Robert's body from d'Artagnan.

Marmion rubbed at his face. "Time to end this," he said, mostly to himself.

"Marmion," d'Artagnan said, climbing to his feet.

"Another sacrifice?" Marmion asked disinterestedly. "Your life for your king's?"

"No." Marmion wouldn't accept that anyway, not now. "Yours. Play by your own rules. Flip the coin and we all leave or we all die."

"d'Artagnan!" Louis protested. "What are you doing?"

"Fate," Marmion murmured. He was intrigued, he - "Very well. But if you lose, you will personally execute your king."

d'Artagnan nodded agreement. He'd think of something if it came up. "Tails."

"d'Artagnan, I forbid this!" Louis snapped.

"The call has been made," Marmion told him. "Let us see if Fate thinks you are worth saving."

d'Artagnan was suddenly intensely aware of Milady, as though she were standing right next to him. Taking the hint, he pulled Constance back a step or two, out of the line of fire of the doors.

Marmion threw the coin.

The doors burst inwards.

d'Artagnan jumped the nearest guard, managing to cut the ties around his wrists after a struggle. He freed Constance, pushing her behind a bench and ordered her to stay. The fight was almost over when he looked around; Louis was shouting for Marmion's head, Rochefort was nowhere in sight, and the others were rounding up Marmion's men.

d'Artagnan waited until they were done to roughly hug Aramis. He'd known the other man was alive, but seeing him made it more real.

"Are you all right?" Aramis asked, gaze flickering over him quickly.

"Bruises," he said dismissively. "Nothing else - oh…"

"What?" Aramis demanded.

"Marmion's dead," he murmured. "Rochefort caught up to him."

"Couldn't happen to a nicer person," Aramis said briskly. "Are you all right?"

"Yes. I'm fine," he insisted at Aramis' look. "I'm not going to fall."

"The traitor Marmion is dead!" Rochefort declared from the door.

"Rochefort, you are a hero," Louis said in relief. "Your prompt arrival saved me, while you -" He turned on d'Artagnan. "- encouraged that madman to gamble with my life."

"I had to stall him, sire," d'Artagnan protested. "It's all I could think of."

Louis scowled. "I admit you played a brave part, but it was a very dangerous game. Rochefort, come. We must discuss how I can be better protected."

"Your majesty, a moment?" d'Artagnan said quickly.

"I wish to see my wife and son, d'Artagnan."

"I know, your majesty, this will only take a moment."

"One moment only," Louis snapped, waving Rochefort to continue without him. Aramis hung back, to stay behind them without listening; Athos was firmly on Louis' other side, though d'Artagnan hadn't expected him to be anywhere else.

"I know you're angry with me, your majesty, and I'm sorry for that," he said quietly. "But you should know. When you were choosing the room? Marmion was never going to kill the queen then. It was always going to be the other room."

Louis stared at him. "What?"

"It was too early in the game," d'Artagnan explained. "If you'd lost the queen and the dauphin then, the – it wouldn't have been fun any more. Your courtiers were doomed but your family was always safe."

"But – you told me to say 'one'! Why do that if it didn't matter? If you weren't saving the queen and the dauphin?"

d'Artagnan smiled bitterly. "It was not by your choice that your courtiers were killed, your majesty."

Louis was still staring at him. "You did that."

d'Artagnan inclined his head. "I am a Musketeer, your majesty, I protect you in every way I can."

"Your majesty?" Rochefort called from the end of the corridor.

Louis studied d'Artagnan for a moment longer before turning away. Aramis passed them, glancing curiously at them as he followed the king.

"d'Artagnan," Athos murmured.

"Marmion put the queen, the dauphin and Marguerite in one room, and those three courtiers in another, and made the king decide which room to send the man with the sword into without knowing who was where."

"So you decided?"

"The guilt of that decision would have destroyed him," d'Artagnan hissed. "I am a soldier, I am his soldier, and I can deal with it. That's what I'm here for."

Athos studied him. "Will it destroy you?"

"They were dead as soon as they arrived here. There was no way to save them."

"d'Artagnan…"

"We should go." He turned away, following the others outside.

Athos passed him as he wandered up the slope towards the carriage and horses. He wasn't really eager to spend any more time in company, but it couldn't be avoided; they had to head back to the city, and Louis wasn't likely to dismiss any of them until they got there.

Constance came flying down the slope at him; d'Artagnan braced himself, catching her as she reached him. She kissed him quickly.

"I love you."

"I know," he agreed.

"I don't care what people think. I don't care what they say. This is my life and I want to spend the rest of it with you."

He considered for a moment, linking his hands behind her back. "Do I get a say in this?"

Constance laughed, kissing him again, and for a moment everything was perfect.

Athos hadn't expected to see d'Artagnan for a while, but he was sitting at the table in the courtyard, playing idly with a cup. Athos sat opposite him, watching.

"How's Aramis?" d'Artagnan sounded a little distant.

"He'll be fine after some rest." d'Artagnan nodded, and kept nodding until Athos touched his arm to draw his attention. "How are you?"

"I'm on the way to Rue Plummet." The church, Athos thought. He hadn't been aware that d'Artagnan was still visiting it. "I wanted to check in, first."

Athos watched him until he sighed. "I think something is wrong with Louis."

"Wrong with him?"

"There's something in his mind. Something that isn't him." He shook his head at Athos' look. "I can't explain it any better than that, I'm not a mind reader, I can't see it properly. I just know it's there, and it shouldn't be."

"Someone has done this to him?"

"Yes. I think. I've never felt anything like it before, but - it doesn't feel right. But the only reason I could tell was his mask was down. Once we were back at the carriages, it was hidden again. I'd have to go poking to find it, and I might set something off that I shouldn't."

"I see," Athos murmured. "Perhaps his uncharacteristic behaviour is not truly his fault, then."

"Maybe not," d'Artagnan agreed, rising to his feet. "Athos, I know it's been a long day, but would you walk with me to Rue Plummet?"

"Of course. Let me tell Porthos where we're going."

d'Artagnan was silent as they walked. Athos escorted him all the way into the cell, watching him settle on the pallet.

"This is fine," d'Artagnan told him. "I'll be fine by tomorrow."

"Very well." He started to leave, hesitated. "Would you like me to stay?"

d'Artagnan smiled faintly. "It wouldn't help. But thank you."

Athos nodded, reluctantly turning away and pulling the door closed. He'd go back and sit with Aramis. Maybe he could be useful there.

If he hadn't been searching, trying to find what the fake Louise had done, if he hadn't been so open, so without shields…

He dropped to his knees beside Bonacieux, trying to stem the bleeding, casting his senses desperately outwards. Aramis was coming, only seconds away. Bonacieux only had to hang on another moment.

Bonacieux's hand caught his wrist. d'Artagnan felt the tug too late to do anything about it; senses wide open, he was helpless to stop himself tumbling into the dark place as Bonacieux died.