Chapter 12: The Falls
Melody stirred from her sleep as Aramis entered the chamber they had been sharing, she tilted her neck from side to side, trying and failing to dispel the painful tension that had seated itself there. She knew she should apologise to the man before her, she herself acknowledged that her behaviour that morning had been unpardonably rude. All he had done, Melody reasoned, was attempt to do the right and honourable thing in a difficult situation – and she had responded in an uncouth manner. Melody, sighed inwardly, she had done so because her heart was breaking, slowly and painfully and secretly. And she could share none of this.
"As I predicted, Porthos and D'Artagnan have arrived safely and are now downstairs refreshing themselves" Aramis informed her, seating himself in the armchair opposite her own.
"They and Athos are safe and well? What of my Uncle?" She gushed frantically.
"Athos has remained in Paris at the garrison, surrounded by the best soldiers in the country. Your Uncle is still to return, but Athos will put his mind at ease when he does."
"How did they know where to find us you never did tell me?" Melody's natural curiosity got the better of her.
"I could tell you; but I would rather show you! Come on get your cloak" She narrowed her eyes a little in confusion, but then could not help but smile shyly as Aramis put on an expression similar to that of a sad and pleading young puppy who cannot be reused anything. Relenting, she allowed him to drape a thick cloak around her shoulders and lead her to the door.
Porthos watched the couple leave the inn together and walk past the window opposite him. He had never seen his confident friend behave in such a shy and uncertain manner before. Even in battle when the odds were stacked horrifically against them, Aramis was always the one ready with a joke and encouraging enthusiasm to proceed. How ironic, Porthos thought, that it was a woman who has reduced the self-proclaimed romantic hero to the state he was currently in. Melody though, he continued to muse, was definitely the woman for him – of that he could be certain.
The air was still very cold considering that spring was supposed to be just around the corner. Melody tugged on the gloves she had to prevent her fingers from aching with cold. She had no idea why Aramis was so insistent that she accompany him outside or where they were heading. She only hoped, for the sake of her back that it did not involve a horse.
"It's not too far away and the walk should loosen your muscles a bit" Aramis cheerfully informed her, she noticed the slight nervous quiver in his voice and frowned. Obediently Melody followed him through a gap in the nearly bare trees; they seemed to be heading into the forest that surrounded the inn. The near constant rain the area had been experiencing that week had made the ground very muddy, at one incline Melody had slid straight down the mud path, luckily she remained upright and Aramis had halted her progress at the bottom. She couldn't help but laugh with him at the odd shriek she had let out on her travels. The trees, despite being for the most part leafless, were still eerily beautiful and Melody was transfixed by the patterns their dense planting created as they traversed further into the wooded area. "We are nearly there, but we do need to climb a little up this path. Take my hand"
Without hesitating, Melody placed her own hand in his outstretched one and allowed him to lead her securely up the slight slope the path took. His back obscured most of her view to the front of her. Suddenly he stopped and turned a grin on his handsome face.
"This is the most beautiful place I have found on earth so far. And this is what I wanted you to see!" Aramis explained gravely, before stepping aside to reveal a view so beautiful Melody gasped audibly. It was a waterfall, but it was unlike anything Melody had ever seen in her life. There wasn't just one fall, but several cascading down multiple levels of rock, finishing in one large whirling, foaming pool at the bottom of the rock face. Melody was speechless, the water was mesmerising, the sound enchanting and the mist collecting above the surface of the water made everything seem magical. Aramis watched as her face showed her awe and amazement. Neither spoke for several moments as they drank in the scene before them. Melody wanted to memorise every detail of the scene in front of her and Aramis was deliberating what he should say.
Eventually Melody turned her head towards him, her dark blonde waves that had escaped their restraints on the walk floating in the wind that was getting stronger.
"Thank you for bringing me to see this – I doubt I will ever find anything anywhere nearly as beautiful again."She was deadly serious.
"I discovered it by accident and when I want to find some peace I close my eyes and picture this very spot." Aramis acknowledged, Melody nodded her understanding. After a few moments she broke the silence again, having to raise her voice slightly to be heard over the sound of the running water and the now howling wind.
"I still don't understand how this scene explains how the others knew where to look for us?" She looked uncertainly at him, fearing she had missed something obvious. The time had come.
"About three years ago, we stopped here on our way back to Paris – I can't even recall where we had been. I decided to go exploring and stretch my legs, the inn keeper pointed me in this direction and when I discovered the falls I had much the same reaction as you. I rushed back and made Porthos and Athos follow me here so that I could show them nature's beauty. It was then that I made a promise to myself and them and that is how Porthos knew where I would be!" he paused waiting to see the question in Melody's eyes before he continued slowly and deliberately. "I swore that if, and for a while I had been doubting that it would ever happen, if I found a woman that I truly loved then I would bring her to this spot and show her the falls. But it could and would only be the one woman I loved without question or doubt or condition, wholly and unreservedly. Because there is something magical about this place and I can't explain why but this spot means more to me that anywhere else and that woman - the one that I love is the only one that I want to share it with."
"But I don't understand – you've brought me here…" Her voice trailed off and Aramis watched as her eyes widened with realisation and disbelief. She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out, she turned quickly to face the water. He said nothing; all he could hear in the silence was the rush of the water and the thump of his rapidly beating heart. Was this a good or bad sign? Turning slowly back, in an attempt to control her emotions, Melody stared at him. Her eyes were moist with unshed tears. "Let me make sure I have understood this totally correctly. You promised that you would only bring a woman here if you loved her…"
"The only woman I truly loved is the only woman I will bring here yes." He interrupted.
"Right. And you have brought me here" Melody wasn't sure if she was trying to make a statement or ask a question. Blood was pumping in her ears and she could feel her knees trembling, the fear she was misunderstanding his intentions was painful and terrifying. "So does that mean that I…"
"Yes!" Aramis said forcefully, before she had even completed her question. "You are the woman I love – more than anything else in this world. I didn't even know it was possible to feel so much for someone. Some days I can't eat or breath, because I need to see you, to hear your voice and your laugh and to know that you are happy" Tears trickled down Melody's cheeks as he spoke the words she had been longing to hear. "When I mentioned marriage this morning and you reacted so badly I thought I had ruined everything forever and I've never felt so bereft." Melody was shaking her head vigorously
"No, I was unforgivably awful to you because I was terrified you were only considering proposing because you felt that you had to and I didn't want that. I swore that I would only agree to marry if I truly loved the man, and I didn't want to feel responsible for trapping you in a loveless marriage – no matter how much I wanted to marry you!" understanding dawned on Aramis' face and was soon replaced by one of his usual cheeky grins.
"So you do want to marry me then?"
"As far as I am aware you haven't actually asked" Melody countered with her own cheeky expression. With a flourish of his hat, Aramis gracefully dropped onto one knee, capturing Melody's left hand as he did so. "Melody Treville, will you do me the honour of becoming my wife?" She pretended to frown as if considering her options seriously. After a pause Aramis heard the single word, uttered as the wind blustered past them both.
"Yes!" Melody managed to speak over the wind and her own overwhelming joy. Aramis leapt up, as gracefully as he had knelt, his eyes never leaving hers as he leant in slowly for the kiss he was sure he had been waiting his whole life for without even knowing it. He wiped a tear from her cheek as he stood back grinning inanely from ear to ear. "There is a condition though – well two actually. One is that you seek my Uncle's permission"
"Naturally. And the second?"
"Is that we get this whole business of Athos' avenging wife sorted first. We need to concentrate on keeping him safe."
"Spoken like a true musketeer. Of course, but as soon as it is over I shall go to see the priest!"
