Isabel had not left her room for nearly two weeks. She didn't want to face her father after what had happened. She hated him.
"Izzy?" Coraline knocked on her door, "Won't you come out?"
Isabel sighed, "No, Cor, I can't. I'm never coming out."
Coraline lit up suddenly, "Do you 'wanna have swordfight?" She started singing, "Come on let's go and-"
Isabel laughed, "Cut it out, Coraline. I'm not leaving."
Coraline groaned, "Okay, bye…." She sang again and left.
Isabel laughed again, "You should really stop hanging out with this 'Anna' character, you hear?" She yelled.
"But she's so cool! And she sings a really catchy song."
"She's also eighteen and a princess."
Coraline shrugged outside of the door. "Eh, who cares?" And at that she ran away.
Isabel lied down on her bed and sighed. "Zac, I hope you're okay." She suddenly came to a realization, "Paris. He's in Paris!" She laughed and jumped up. The blonde grabbed a satchel and filled it with a pouch of money and a couple of biscuits left over from her midday meal. The girl also grabbed her sword. She climbed out her window and ran to the stables. She saddled her horse, Joan, and left before anyone could see. Well, almost.
"Izzy, where are you going?" Coraline asked suddenly appearing.
Isabel gasped, "Coraline! What are you doing here?" The blonde glanced around.
"Watching you leave me." She said sadly.
Isabel sighed, "I'm sorry, but-"
"Oh, Isabel," Coraline started, "Go be with your true love."
Isabel scoffed, "What do you know about true love?"
Coraline frowned, "More than you. All you know is how to shut peop-"
"Coraline stop hanging out with that red-head!"
"Fine, and bye!"
Isabel nodded and took off riding. She didn't stop. She looked back and saw Coraline waving.
"Izzy has left the manor!"
The five girls were in their apartment. Viveca was working on her sewing, Renee was writing some music, Aramina was dancing as usual, and Layla was writing in her diary. Corinne was in the bath with the door closed. The four girls in the other room started whispering.
"What do you think happened to her?" Viveca asked.
Aramina sighed, "Maybe she was taken hostage and tortured!" She shrieked.
Renee rolled her eyes and groaned. "Guys, as much as I'm worried about her too, don't forget that Corinne is stronger than all of us combined and can handle herself."
Layla quietly scoffed while the others nodded in agreement. The raven-haired girl just kept writing.
"What are you writing there, Layla?" Said Aramina who was peaking over at her work.
Layla pulled away annoyed, "It's called a diary, and it is private."
Aramina seemed hurt, "Oh," She started, "Sorry." And she solemnly walked away.
Renee stared at the two girls for a moment, puzzled, but then heard a knock on the door.
"Your highness," She opened the door for him, "Please, come in."
The other three girls looked up, "Your highness!" They said in unison.
Louis chuckled and nodded, "Girls," he turned to Renee, "Where is Corinne?"
"In the bath, Your Maje - wait!"
Louis had opened the bathroom door revealing Corinne naked, wrapped in a towel.
Corinne jumped in surprise and quickly grabbed a robe, "Was zum Teufel, du Idiot!" She shouted in German.
Louis walked and stood directly in front of her, "Corinne, I'm not letting you leave here clothed until you tell me the honest truth about what happened."
Corinne glanced at the bathroom doorway where her friends are standing. "Go away!" She shouted, "You do not need to hear this conversation." When they left she turned back to Louis, "I-I-I ran into a pole." She lied very unconvincingly.
Louis tilted his head, "You went missing for two days because you ran into a pole?"
The blonde smiled weakly. "Yes."
Louis sighed and literally dragged her into the other room. He pointed a finger at her, "Corinne," He spoke gruffly, "You tell me really what happened are we're going to have a problem, and trust me on this, you have never seen me truly angry before." He stared at her with so much intensity, it nearly made her crack.
Corinne watched his eyes in awe. She thought she had a glare, but his usually kind eyes were now shooting daggers through her soul. The blonde gulped, "I-I-I was walking that morning and I was forced into an alley by someone. We fought for a while, but I couldn't handle it. They took me to their secret chamber, but I left."
Louis nodded. He now spoke softly, "Corinne, who are they?"
"They're….." She sighed, "I can't say, Louis. I'm so sorry."
Louis felt anger building up inside of him. "Why not?" He said through gritted teeth.
Corinne felt about ready to run out the door with nothing on but a robe. "I promised not to."
"Why can't you say who attacked you, Corinne." Louis stated, staying as calm as he possibly could for the blonde's sake. She had never seen him really mad and he hoped to keep it that way.
Corinne looked at her bare feet, "Because I can't."
"Why not?" He yelled at her.
"Because it would be against my moral to do that." She said getting angrier by the second.
Louis turned confused but still very angry, "Why is it against your morality to tell your to tell your loved-one the identity of an attacker?" He yelled at her.
Corinne started tearing up, "Because…..Because…" She looked at the floor, "I'm sorry, but I can't say."
The blonde tried to run out the door, but Louis grabbed her wrist. "Why?" He asked, "Why can't you say anything to me?"
Corinne tried to get out of his wrist hold, but felt obligated to answer. "The answer is the same reason I got attacked…. It's complicated." She then got out of his hold on her wrist and ran into the bathroom to change. She was not running away naked.
"Corinne!" He knocked on the door. "Please tell me why you are protecting this person? They attacked you." He told her through the door.
Corinne rolled her eyes as she got dressed. "You think I don't know that, Louis? I sort of have proof." She paused, but soon continued. "Oh, and what has happened to Jackson? You didn't like- I don't know- burn him alive did you?"
Louis laughed, "No, but he did get a good lashing from Treville. It's my fault really. I shouldn't blame him."
Corinne shook her head. "Uh…yeah, you should. You don't know how awful he is to the poor." She shook her head. "He was going to hit a child with a whip, but I stopped him before he could touch him."
Louis groaned. "Was that the day he had a black eye and a fractured elbow and he refused to say what happened?" He folded his arms.
Corinne laughed nervously. "Maybe, but-" She was cut off by Louis.
"Corinne, stop changing the subject." The brunette demanded. Corinne opened the door. She had a white shirt, a dark red skirt, but no vest and her hair was wet and hanging down onto her shoulders. Her crystal blue eyes pierced his brown ones. She stared at him, putting the young king into something like a trance, but he looked away after a moment. "Voulez-vous arrêter de faire ça!" The brunette backs up and turns away from her.
Corinne leaned in the doorway of the bathroom. "Do what?" She asks not-so-innocently. "Staring at you? Do my eyes repulse you or something?" she walks over to him.
Louis grunted, not so enthused. "No, your eyes are actually quite beautiful, but," he turns around, "I need you to stop putting me in a trance."
She mocked a gasp. "A trance? You think I'm a witch? Am I to be burned at the stake?"
Louis looked at her calmly. "Yes, actually." He grabbed her arms and held them behind her back in an 'I'm being arrested' sort of way. He smirked at her. "Your execution will be tomorrow at dawn."
The blonde whimpered mockingly at him. "Show mercy, your highness."
Louis grunted. "Why should I show mercy to a witch?" He asks her un-amused.
"Because you love me." The blonde stated simply.
Louis snapped out of it again and let her free from his wrist hold. "Oh my-" He cut himself off. "Corinne, tell me why you are protecting this person who attacked you." He threatened. "Did they threaten you?"
"No."
Louis stopped pacing. "Did they threaten your mother?"
"No." She repeats.
"Did they threaten-"
She cuts him off, "No one threatened me, Louis." She rolls her eyes. "Why can't you just let this go?" Corinne sits down at her desk and grabs a paper.
Louis puts his hand on the paper to stop her from doing whatever. "You disappeared for two days with no explanation and you expect me to immediately 'let it go'?"
She nodded and moved his hand off her paper herself. "Yes, now let me work." She dips her pen in ink and begins writing while Louis watches with a sour expression.
Louis grabs the paper and hides it behind his back. "Not unless you tell me what a want to know."
Corinne shrugged and stood up. "I didn't want to complete that anyway." She flashes a smile and starts walking away.
Louis follows her through the door of the apartment and down the stairs. "Louis, stop following me." She says annoyed.
The brunette rolled his eyes, but did not stop following her. "Nah, I'm good." He tells her casually.
Corinne rolls her eyes, but as soon as she does, an arrow narrowly misses her face and lands on a tree. "Louis we need to get back to the palace now or we are dead meat." The two start running. Corinne is on high alert, but no more arrows come. When they get back to the palace, Treville runs up to them.
"Sire, are you hurt?" He asks frantically.
Louis shook his head, "No, but I'm pretty sure whoever shot that arrow wasn't aimed for me." He looked at the blonde next to him. "It was aimed at her."
Treville stared the blonde down. "Corinne, I want you to tell me on oath, do you know who your attacker is?" The older man asks her very unhappy.
Corinne gulps. She's being stared down by two men whom of which are of higher authority than her. She stutters for a minute, "Um…I-I….Well, you see, I-It…er," She stops and looks at the ground. "Yes, I know who it is."
Treville frowns. "And why won't you say who it is, Corinne?"
Corinne looks at him solemnly. "I'm sorry, but I-I just can't tell you."
Treville shakes his head disappointed. "Corinne, don't tell the others I said this, but you are the best Musketeer I have so if you're a target for who knows what, I need to know."
Corinne smiled weakly. "I'm not telling you who it is, sir, but I can tell you that whoever attacked me, did not shoot that arrow."
Treville stared at her for a moment, but finally said, "We have two different attackers on our hands?"
Corinne nods. "Yes sir, and for once, neither are after the king."
Louis laughed, "Well, that's a first."
Treville furrowed his eyebrows, "You not being plotted against?" He asks confused.
"No," Louis points at Corinne, "Her calling me 'the king'." Corinne smacked him on the arm. "Did I say something wrong?"
Treville shakes his head and changes the subject. "Corinne, we must be on high alert for this threat towards you so be careful."
"No offense, sir, but why are you putting extra precautions out for me?" She asks curiously.
Treville glanced at Louis who gave him the stink eye. "Um…I have promised not to say anything." He then rushes away.
"Um, okay I guess?" She says and walks away.
Louis chuckled when she was out of earshot. "Oh, there is so much she doesn't know." He shook his head and ran after the blonde. He still wanted answers. Answers he most likely wasn't going to get. Not yet, at least.
A/N: Tada! Sorry, I would've updated sooner, but my first try at this chapter turned disastrous. Here's what would've happened: 1. Corinne would've been way too out of character. 2. Louis would be too mean. And 3. It was way, way, way too short. So, yeah.
Oh, and call me a nerd that digs way too deep, but I might know when Corinne was born. *Whispers* Well, if she was real. *Gets smacked by multiple Corinne lovers* Sorry…. Well anyway, if the real D'artagnan is Corinne's father (If she was real *Gets hit upside the head again*) he died in 1673. Well, Louis is a little less than a year older than her so Louis (As in Louis, Grand Dauphin of France, Louis) was born on the first of November, 1661 so that means Corinne was born about October 26th (Which is a month from today, by the way) 1662. By the way, if Corinne was real, (*I dodge the smacks*) she would've been ten years old when her father died. (She was born on a Wednesday. I just wanted to say that for some reason).
How's that for investigating? Heh, heh? Anyway, hope you enjoy and don't forget to wish Corinne a happy birthday next month!
Sincerely,
Weatherbug02
