Louis scrambled to his feet "What is your problem?"
"My problem is the likes of you!" Buck shouted.
Corinne wasn't sure who pulled her from between the two boys, but she couldn't take her eyes off the dual.
"This could get messy." Renee mumbled.
Corinne shook her head "I've been teaching Louis to fight."
"This is going to be good!"
Buck walked straight to Louis and threw a punch at him.
Louis leaned out of the way, his countenance visibly falling as his eyebrows lowered.
Buck took a deep breath then swung his large fist at Louis again.
This time, Louis grabbed his wrist and flipped him over onto his back.
"What kind of fighting did you teach him?" Viveca asked.
"Everything." Corinne answered.
Buck leapt up from from barn floor "You'll be sorry for that!" then he tackled Louis right in the stomach.
Several of the teenage and younger boys started cheering and shouting as Buck and Louis rolled around on the floor.
"I'll teach you to try and steal my girl!" Buck said, red faced and puffing.
Louis rolled them over so he was the one on top "She was never yours!"
Buck threw a punch into Louis' jaw, knocking him off, then quickly had him pinned down "You wanna bet!"
Louis rammed his knee into Buck's stomach and knocked him over "Isn't it obvious?"
Buck grabbed Louis' shirt collar and slammed the prince into the ground "Don't make me beat you to a pulp!" all of the sudden, someone grabbed his shoulders and yanked him back, then slung him several feet away.
"That is enough!" Corinne shouted.
Instantly, the whole barn became silent.
The two boys jumped to their feet, and Buck started running back towards Louis, so the other young man instinctively jumped into a ready pose.
"If either one of you make one more move to hit each other, I swear I'll whip both of you!"
Both boys became stock still.
Even though Buck was headstrong, proud and stubborn, he knew not to mess with Corinne when she was mad. And right now, her eyes were flashing with sheer aggravation.
"Listen." She said through partially gritted teeth "I know what you two are fighting about. And before you decide to go and kill each other, did you ever think to ask me about this?" she turned to face Buck "Listen to me and you had better listen good. I do not like you. I never have and never will!"
"What about him?" Buck cried, pointing at Louis.
"I am not talking to Louis right now!" Corinne snapped "Do not try and change the subject. Now, if you ever attack someone because of me again, you're going to have to finish the fight with me." she almost got nose to nose with him "And I can whip you a lot easier now than I could when we were ten."
There was a slight round of chuckles from the men.
Buck glanced around nervously, but Corinne didn't even blink.
"Let's go mom." Buck finally mumbled, then he left the barn, picking his stetson up on his way out.
Corinne let out a large huff of air then turned to face Louis "Are you alright?"
Louis gave her a small smile "Yeah."
"Is your shoulder okay?"
"Yeah."
She cocked her head to look at the spot where Buck had punched him "What about your jaw?"
Louis ran his hand over the spot "I think it'll be fine."
Corinne smiled slightly "Good."
Louis smiled down at her, then his gaze flicked behind her "Look out!" he grabbed her arm and jumped to the side, pulling her with him just as an arrow whizzed past.
Corinne spun around to see Jasper and his men standing in the doorway and immediately knew that that arrow had been aimed at Louis, not her.
With a groan she turned to face the man completely "I am not in the mood for this right now!"
The other three girls went to stand by her side.
"Left of your skirt." Viveca whispered "Between the pleats."
Corinne reached her hand to the designated spot and felt something hard. Her hand grasped it, then she pulled it out. She smiled as she looked at her sword "Convenient."
"You too, Aramina." Viveca said "As you know, Renee. Yours is around your neck."
Renee nodded as she pulled off her necklace. Aramina pulled out two fans and Viveca pulled out two long ribbons.
Everyone in the barn backed up uncertain as the four girls faced the eight men.
"Get them!" Jasper shouted "And do it right this time!"
Louis stared at Jasper. He looked so... familiar. Then he recognized him. The head of the Regent's men! And the regent was his cousin, Philippe! Jasper was also the man who had shot him. And the man with the lion mask had been Philippe!
"I am the prince." Louis mumbled. Then his gaze flipped to Corinne. She had saved him from his runaway balloon! That's where he knew her from! And the attraction that he'd acquired for her hadn't started on the farm either.
Half of the men were down, and the girls were starting to finish off the last of them.
Corinne purposely got her sword locked with Jasper's "Tell Philippe," she whispered "That no matter who he sends or how hard you try, you will not hurt Louis while he's here. Ever. Now leave." she pushed the man back.
"Let's go!" Jasper shouted, then he and the men fled from the barn.
Everything was deathly silent for a long moment, then everyone began cheering.
"I knew it!" One old man shouted "I never doubted that a girl could fight!"
"Me neither!" Another one piped up "I never said Corinne couldn't be a musketeer either!"
Corinne chuckled and turned to face her friends "They've all said it at least twice."
"I bet they'll never say it again." Renee chuckled.
The four girls quickly hugged each other as the clapping continued.
Louis looked down at the ground. He knew he had to go back to Paris. But it didn't seem the least bit appealing, considering the only family member he had wanted him dead. He looked over to where the girls were.
Or... he could pretend he still didn't remember and just stay in Gascony... with Corinne.
It was really late by time the last guest left and everyone could finally retire.
When Corinne was about to go inside, Louis stopped her.
"I just wanted to say I'm sorry." he said nervously "About the fight. It... should have never happened."
Corinne smiled "I know. But it wasn't your fault. Buck is simply impossible." she slowly met his gaze "Actually I wanted to thank you for standing up to him. Not many people do."
Louis nodded "It was my pleasure."
Corinne sent him one last smile before she went inside.
Louis looked up at the stars "Yeah. I would much rather stay here."
Corinne climbed the ladder to the attic and fell down on her bed "What a day."
"Yeah, I meant to tell you about the weapons earlier, but I forgot." Viveca said "They came in handy."
Renee chuckled "It's probably good that you didn't. Corinne may have used her sword on Buck."
"Do you think Louis' okay?" Aramina asked.
"He'll be okay." Corinne answered "Well, good night. Chores start early tomorrow." it wasn't long till her friends were fast asleep. But Corinne just lay there staring at the ceiling, her mother's favorite song playing through her head.
Marie had deemed that song her favorite because it was being sung at a harvest party when she'd met D'artagnon.
Corinne remembered when she was little... like five. Her mom would sing that song while she cooked and her father would join her on choruses. Until he died.
Now, Marie hummed it, but didn't sing.
Corinne rolled over onto her side and sighed.
Seriously, that song was perfect for the situation she was in with Louis.
'"I know I shouldn't but I just can't help myself." Played through her mind "But you have to. He's the prince!" she rolled over onto her stomach and buried her face in her pillow "How on earth did I fall for the prince?"
The next morning, Corinne and Louis started out early for the fighting lesson like usual.
"I don't think I've ever been to a barn raisin' before." Louis said as they walked "Or a Hoedown."
Corinne chuckled "I seriously doubt you have."
"Me too. I think I would have remembered having that much fun." he smiled down at her "You're an amazing singer. So are your friends."
Corinne shrugged "I just sing it for my mom. I'm not really into stuff like that. I mainly stick to sword fighting."
"You don't have any other hobby?"
"Mucking out stalls?"
They both laughed.
"By the way, how's your jaw?"
Louis flexed it slightly "Sore but good. That guy can punch!"
"He's called a cattle puncher for a reason." Corinne shook her head "I'm surprised you held up as good as you did. And that your shoulder didn't suffer."
"I've been well taught and well bandaged." Louis replied.
Corinne smiled and looked down at her feet. And now I'm fallin' for ya. Fallin for ya'.
She shook her head and picked up the pace.
"Um... Corinne?" Louis said slowly "Can I ask you something?"
Corinne stopped and turned to face the young man "Sure."
"You know that fight that happened last night?"
"Yeah?"
"You know what it was about, right?"
Corinne chuckled "Of course."
"Well..." he took a step closer to her "I was wondering... If that ever comes up again..." he nervously rubbed the back of his neck "If I could actually fight for you as my girl."
Corinne's eyes widened "What?" it came out as more of a squeak than a word.
"I want you to be my girl." Louis said "My girl that no one can take." he looked her straight in the face "I know it probably sounds selfish but... I don't want to lose you. Or share you."
Corinne bit her bottom lip and looked down at the ground. She wanted to say yes, but she couldn't. More than anything she just wanted to throw her arms around his neck and say that it was a promise. But he was the prince and he didn't know who he was.
Corinne took a deep breath and looked up at him "Louis... I... can't."
The confused and hurt look that crossed his face was almost her undoing.
"I'm sorry." Corinne said quickly "But I... I just can't." then she spun around and ran back towards the house.
Louis stared after her then sighed "She knows you're the Prince, Louis." he said to himself "She's too sweet to say yes when she thinks you still don't remember." he ran his hand through his hair "Way to go."
Corinne ran to the back of the barn and leaned against the wall. Then she slowly slid to the ground "Why?"
Aramina walked around the corner just then and spotted her "Are you okay?" she asked, quickly running to her friend's side.
"Not really." Corinne answered "Where are the others?"
"Still asleep."
Corinne nodded "Can... I tell you something?"
"Of course." Aramina sat down beside the blond "I'm one of your best friends. You can tell me anything."
"Louis... asked me to be his girl." Corinne said slowly "As in... His girl."
Aramina's mouth fell open "He did!? What did you say?"
"I had to say no!" Corinne shook her head "He's the Prince, Aramina. Telling him yes when he thinks he's just a stable hand is... wrong." she picked at a piece of grass that was beside her.
Aramina smiled slightly "Did you want to say yes?"
Corinne slowly looked over at her friend "I did." she answered after a long moment "I really did." she huffed and leaned back into barn "I've seen both sides of him, Aramina. When he's a prince and when he's not. There's not much of a difference besides Prince Louis has everyone's expectations to live up to and Farm Louis is free to be himself."
"But Prince Louis is Farm Louis' self." The red head said gently.
"I know."
Aramina stared at her friend for a long moment "You... don't want him to remember who he is, do you?"
"Yes I do. Sorta." Corinne answered "It's actually half-in-half. I want him to remember because France needs him! But at the same time I don't want him to. I just want him to stay here... with me."
Aramina smiled gently "You've fallen in love with him."
"I didn't mean too." Corinne pulled her knees up to her chest "But I..."
"Just can't help yourself." Aramina finished "Ever think you two might be... meant to be?"
"We're from two different worlds Aramina." Corinne said with a slow shake of her head "When he finally remembers who he is, he's not going to pick a Country Girl over all the duchesses and Princesses there are. It's just not done that way." she looked over at her friend and smiled "Thanks. For listening."
Aramina smiled and quickly hugged the blond "That's what I'm here for."
The two girls stood up to go get started on the morning chores
"Oh." Corinne said quickly "Don't tell Renee."
Aramina shook her head, her eyes wide "No."