The Musketeers - Ascension Of Athos

Stalemate Part 4

My tired muscles aching even with this simple movement as I hear another knock at the door. As I close my eyes wishing I was already far from this palace as I find myself looking again at the queen.

With another musketeer coming in behind her, his relief profoundly clear as I fail to look him in the eye and its Aramis. The handsome features pale, serious and also profoundly mad.

The queen keeping her gaze level between them both and that his jumbled memories were still not fully connecting. As Aramis drew forward taking the initiative:

'Like Porthos and d'Artagnan I am happy to see you have come back from the dead you gave us quite a scare there you know?'

As I don't answer knowing my fellow musketeers methods of getting someone to talk as I slowly let my head rise looking to the sword, now not far from me. Before switching my blue green eyes fully on Aramis and my silence is not doing me any good, as my thoughts collide to when I had forced him back to his post.

Plus finding myself at this moment for the first time probably since meeting him coming under his full judgement of the person usually second in command to myself. His hazel eyes searching me for understanding that I won't give or answer to.

Another sound now causing us all pause as another individual comes through the half open door and it is their son. Aramis ruffling the toddlers hair the queen lifting her young son Aramis keeping his hazel eyes on me.

Aware I seem to have missed something of importance as I look to the young boy for a long moment thinking on the queens earlier words. That Milady, my ex wife and whom has saved my life is carrying the kings child not my own.

The thought hanging there a little to long as the queen and the young prince leave, Aramis watching them go before taking up where he left off:

'We won't stand in your way whatever you decide but there are one or two things which came to light while you were unconscious.

That does need to be rectified and one over and above that. Also shared only between Porthos and myself though I think d'Artagnan was aware of it while searching for you earlier and it is something I have kept from you for far to long Athos.'

The hazel eyes trying to measure what I am thinking and he has at least got my full attention, not entirely sure where he is going with it only that I am not going to like it.

My past indeed coming fully to the present as Aramis breaks the ice in a different way:

'Nice sword by the way and I do believe this is yours also.'

As he comes closer handing a delicate locket which I take in my left palm swallowing hard my hand closing tightly over it memories flooding me along with it and I have no doubt who had it or where it came from.

Drawing strength from it as well as Aramis offers me more wine, something I don't refuse and like Porthos it is taken back of me way to quickly. With his years over me finely coming in useful as he picks his words wisely:

'I think it is actually one long dead Cardinal de Richelieu that I and Porthos should be thanking for bringing you to Paris years earlier Athos though I do believe the king told you of this in a fashion?'

It is a direct question as we level up and I don't answer him, Aramis seeing straight through my silence as he continues:

'Treville like the queen unwittingly gave the king all the information he needed along with Milady giving him that hair loom, which you have thankfully received back.'

As I give a bemused scowl:

'You are sidetracking whatever you want to tell me and you are making no sense as usual.'

My words severely harder than intended Aramis flinching but not letting me of the hook as he now uses the statement to his advantage:

'True but do you remember your first ever words to Porthos Athos?'

Our gaze coming to meet puzzlement finding its way onto my features as I shrug not trusting my own voice, my fellow comrade answering for me:

'That your death would give you pleasure?'

The soft eyes of my friend flaring with a different light:

'You have for your own reasons never mentioned those words since but Porthos and myself have had to live with that comment ever since and neither of us liked shouldering it.'

Aramis using my own skills against me and giving me a dose of my own medicine while at it and that I am still unable to look him in the eye. With him at the same time getting me back for all the times I have given him into trouble or navigated into a suicidal plan and this time I am on the receiving end of his anger.

His tone picking up a pace as I look instead at the locket and he is going to give me no rest on the subject:

'Also for someone who was so hard to make a musketeer in the first place you seem to be in a big enough hurry to defect.'

This causing a reaction my blue eyes welding with his inner fury surfacing as I respond:

'Are you accusing me of cowardly actions and you are one to talk about defecting.'

The comment blindly giving my friend ammunition:

'It was what brought you to Paris in the first place running away from your past.'

As I sigh trying to gain the upper hand one I am loosing completely:

'Aramis get to the point and why are you bringing up how I became a musketeer in the first place?'

With this causing him to at last smile and that my current attitude is only adding to the humorous grin he is trying to hide. Aramis going for the shot with his next words:

'Put it another way what did you tell Constance the first time she appeared at the garrison?'

My thoughts now delving to another time and place and an altogether happier memory as I reply on form:

'That we had no intention to kill d'Artagnan though we outnumbered him three to one.'

Aramis giving a full smile in return as I catch on:

'You lied to force me to join as a musketeer and that you and Porthos actually had no intention of killing me then.'

The simplicity of the statement causing me pause as I add to it:

'Like the duke you were not far of doing so and I still got the scar to prove it.'

My earlier bad mood having melted a little Aramis keeping the momentum going and that he has got beyond my usual mute response:

'Self defence Athos and there it was not so difficult to discuss the past that you seem to brood over all the time.'

The latter half dropped casually in and like d'Artagnan he is for the first time pushing for answers that I have tried to keep contained. His features returning to serious:

'Plus every time you end up by yourself you seem to end up in even more trouble than all of us combined.'

This causing a whole hearted grin as I reply:

'I will take that as a compliment and would you enlighten me to whatever else is on your mind?'

With it being the closest we have come to a normal conversation since Aramis came in as he took the sword, the hair loom belonging to my family:

'Milady entrusted it to me in turn I gave it to d'Artagnan for safe keeping and when the time was right not Porthos for obvious reason and apparently your ex-wife seems to trust me in someway.

For I don't know the full significance of the locket I have just given you back.'

The tone highly serious as I try to flip the question:

'I was overly harsh on the queen before and what has become of the king?'

With the question pivotal but one Aramis is not going to answer at this moment:

'You also have asked nothing of Milady apart from what Queen Anne has mentioned to you and furthermore. She saved your life twice within a day which has to count for something and this locket was yours originally was it not?'

As I slowly bring my eyes to meet my oldest comrades fleetingly once more remembering that first meeting, the sword fight then and this was a sword fight of a different kind.

Swallowing hard my muscles no longer as soar though everything still aching, my chest, left wrist and shoulder the worst. With my earlier tension having gone though my throat and mouth are still desperately dry as I take another larger drink of water.

Before returning my blue green eyes to Aramis with him waiting on an answer to a past I have continuously in one way or other ran away from and whether I liked it or not. My friend is unwilling to let me brood on the subject any longer as I at last find the strength and the words…..

TO BE CONTINUED