.

Tag to S1E10

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Aramis couldn't stop pacing; back and forth, back and forth. The queen is with child…my child! Mine! Time passed without him noticing as he tried to wrap his mind around it, and when his door opened a while later, he didn't even notice.

"Aramis. Aramis."

It took someone grabbing his arms to make him stop pacing and come back to himself. He looked to see that it was Athos, watching him with his usual impassive stare, though Aramis could easily see the concern in his expression that Athos reserved only for him, Porthos, d'Artagnan, and Treville. "It's mine, Athos," he said.

"You can't be sure of that," Athos told him.

"Of course I'm sure!" Aramis told him. "And so is she!"

Athos tightened the grip on his friend's arms. "I can understand why you wish to think so…"

"Athos," said Aramis. "The king and queen have been together for years and only conceived once. That child was lost and the queen was thought to be barren ever since. Then she and I are together once, and now there's a child? You think it coincidence?"

Athos said nothing.

"The physical defect that has prevented offspring for them is with the king, not the queen," said Aramis. "We were together once, and she's with child!" He shook his head as his gaze shifted away from Athos. "My child!"

"You cannot think this way," said Athos. "That child belongs to the king, and will become the dauphin of France, to rule someday after Louis. He is not the humble son of a foolish musketeer who should never have set foot inside that room."

Aramis sighed, abashed, before looking at Athos again with a smile. "You believe it to be a boy?"

Athos rolled his eyes and let go of his friend before taking a few steps away. "For your own good, Aramis, you need to tell yourself that it is not your child, no matter how sure you are. You have a duty to protect the royal family, not be a father to the child that will be raised to rule France."

Aramis sighed again, before walking over to his bed and sitting down. "I know, but, Athos…it's my child. My child…"

"You can never have him, Aramis," Athos told him. "You can only watch him from afar, which is what's best for you, him, and the queen."

Aramis lowered his head.

Athos sat beside him. "You need to accept that now, before it becomes even harder for you to do so."

Aramis glanced up at Athos before looking down again. "I thought I had a family, once, with Isabelle and our unborn child. Then she lost it and disappeared…and died in that convent. Now I have another child that will never be mine."

Athos placed a hand on his friend's shoulder. "I'm sorry," was all he could think of to say.

Aramis sighed.

"Go to bed," said Athos. "Get some rest."

Aramis huffed, as if doubting that he would sleep.

"Then pray," said Athos, knowing that, if nothing else, would soothe Aramis' trouble thoughts.

Aramis looked at him and nodded. "I will. Thank you, Athos."

Athos nodded and squeezed his shoulder, before rising and leaving the room.

Aramis changed into nightclothes before getting into bed and laying his tired head on the pillow. "Lord," he prayed, with a tired sigh. "Please help me…"

God heard him before he even finished his sentence, for that was as far as Aramis got before falling fast asleep.

THE END