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Chapter Eight: The Shortfall
Walking through the corridors towards Cardinal Richelieu's office, d'Artagnan felt the weight of what was about to happen to him increase with his every step. The closer he got to Richelieu, the closer he was to prison, and the farther away he was from his friends and his life as a Musketeer. The weight was crushing, yet somehow he kept on walking as if it was just another day, keeping his inner turmoil to himself – at least he hoped it wasn't visible to others.
D'Artagnan arrived at the Cardinal's office about the same time he did whenever he made a payment to reduce his debt, and soon he was standing in front of Richelieu.
As had become a sort of ritual, d'Artagnan says nothing when he hands the coins to the Red Guard on duty that morning. The Red Guard hands the coins to the Cardinal, who begins to carefully count them, while d'Artagnan is made to stand in place and wait until it had been completed.
If this had been just like every other time he'd paid another installment to reduce his debt, then d'Artagnan, once the count was finished, would have been allowed to leave with hardly a word uttered by the older man. In fact, after the first two payments, the Cardinal hardly ever bothered to say anything at all to him.
But this was not like every other time he'd paid another installment. This time he did not have the full amount that was due. This time the meeting would end very differently than what had become the norm.
He watches as Richelieu shifts the coins to one hand before starting to carefully count them. With only a few coins left, the Cardinal stops counting, glances up at him, and then does a recount. D'Artagnan sees the exact moment when Cardinal Richelieu has confirmed what the Musketeer has already known for days – he doesn't have the full amount required for two weeks of installments.
Richelieu hardly puts any effort into controlling his glee at finding out he has won, while the opposite was true for him. He has to give everything he has to keep from allowing his defeat to show upon his face.
The Cardinal takes every opportunity to drag the moment out as long as he can. It's cruel, but not unexpected, and d'Artagnan uses his Gascon stubbornness to help him to get through it.
One at a time, coin by coin, the older man sets the money on the desk, making stacks organized according to denomination. D'Artagnan knows the Cardinal is trying to provoke some sort of reaction from him, but he refuses to give in, which makes him a hypocrite. He'd already given in, given up on so much.
Finally, Richelieu places the last coin down on one of the stacks and looks up at him. The man's eyes are bright with triumph, and his smile was just as smug as d'Artagnan had imagined it. He hooks his thumbs on his weapons belt and waits, trying to keep his expression as impassive as possible. At any moment, he expects the Cardinal to call for the Red Guards to come and take him away to one of the prisons.
Instead, Cardinal Richelieu leans forward and places his elbows on the desk, clasping his hands together and his index fingers extending to come to a rest just below his lips. The look of triumph was still there, yet now there was an undercurrent of cunning within the man's gaze.
After several long moments, Richelieu smiles. It's predatory and makes d'Artagnan's stomach drop. Perhaps his half-joking, pessimistic prediction of being left in an oubliette hadn't been too far off after all.
"D'Artagnan, it seems you were unable to come up with the full amount required for the two payments due upon your return to Paris."
"As you see," d'Artagnan says.
"You are fully cognizant of what this means, do you not?"
"Yes, Cardinal Richelieu, I do."
He understands he never had a chance in being able to fully repay his family's debt to the crown. He understands being a Musketeer has been his very great honor, and that he will greatly miss his brothers. He is "fully cognizant" of the fact that his life, such as it was, is over.
"Well, now, let's not be too hasty, d'Artagnan. You are only in arrears by one coin; it does not seem just to send you to prison for such a shortfall."
D'Artagnan can barely stand the way Richelieu is speaking. Smugness oozes out of every syllable, and he can sense the man is up to something he definitely won't like. He wants to tell the man to get on with it, to just go ahead and seal his fate, but he chooses to hold his tongue instead.
"I could send you to straight to prison, or…"—Richelieu lowers his hands—"It seems to me that, in return for forgiving the amount of the shortfall, you could do me a favor."
"I will not kill anyone in cold blood, Cardinal."
Richelieu chuckles as he stands and points a finger at him. "I find it very interesting that you would immediately assume I would want you to assassinate someone. It says a lot about your character, I think."
Or it says a lot about yours, that assassination is what first comes to my mind when you ask for a favor, d'Artagnan thinks, but wisely chooses not say.
The Cardinal moves to the front of his desk and leans against it. "My Red Guards are in need of…training. I propose you help them with that today. If you do, then I will forget the fact that you were one coin short. Does that sound agreeable to you?"
D'Artagnan hadn't been expecting such an offer, an offer that is tantamount to a stay of execution. He has the feeling Cardinal Richelieu is up to something, that the man has an ulterior motive for the offer, but he cannot discern what it could be at the moment. From the tone of the man's voice, it is quite clear he has no other choice if he wants to stay out of prison and not lose his commission.
His thoughts slide briefly over to his still-healing wound. The stitches weren't due to come out for another few days, but he thought his arm would be in good enough condition to help with training some Red Guards. He would just have to be careful, but not so careful he revealed he had a weakness.
Still, he's tempted to say no, but he knows he can't. If he gives in, and does the Cardinal this one favor, he can remain free, remain a Musketeer for another week.
"And if I do this favor?"
"Then it will be as if you never defaulted on your loan." Richelieu's smile is an odd combination of creepy and arrogant. "Your next payment would be due as usual."
"Of course," d'Artagnan says. It's a small reprieve, and he'd likely be reliving a form this conversation the following week, but he can't see another way around his predicament. "Then, I accept."
"Excellent." Richelieu's smile widens as he goes back around his desk, calling out for the door guards to retrieve someone as he sits.
"Captain LaFosse," the Cardinal says as an older man with a greying beard enters. "Young d'Artagnan has volunteered to take the place of Gaspard today. Would you please inform him of his duties for the day?"
Once the captain agrees, Richelieu asks, "Shall I inform Captain Tréville?"
"That is not necessary, Your Eminence. I am not on duty today."
"Very good. Please wait outside. I have some business with my captain before you both depart."
As d'Artagnan leaves the room, certainty grows within him that he has just made a deal with the Devil. He can't help but see the irony in the fact that the Devil on this occasion is supposed to be a man of God.
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Next time: Chapter Nine: The Aftermath
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A/N: Just a reminder that I update this story every two weeks.
Many thanks to Celticgal1041! Any remaining mistakes are Richelieu's fault. ;o)
Thanks for reading!
