Danger Is My Life
Chapter 14: Day off
Madame Helene had given Corinne and the girls a day off from work. They always thought having a day off would be fun, and relaxing, however it turned out having a day off is not all it's cracked up to be. You see Corinne, and the girls are very hard-working, and when you're really hard-working and have nothing to do. You tend to be incredibly bored to the point where you just pace around the room swinging your sword in your hand. Well . . . that's what Corinne did anyway.
"Corinne can you stop spinning your sword around before you poke someones eye out?" Renée asked, dodging it. Corinne ceased the spinning of her sword.
"Sorry, I'm just so bored." She said.
"Tell me about it." Viveca said, drawing new designs for clothes.
"Hey look, Louis is trying to get his balloon up again." Aramina said.
"What?!" The girls asked.
"After what happened the first time, is he crazy?" Renée asked.
"Probably." Corinne said.
"I hope he's learned how to control the thing by now." Viveca said, "He was clueless the first time, right Corinne." No one answered, "Corinne?" But Corinne had already left.
...
"Louis!" Louis heard a familiar voice call. He turned away from the Balloon, running toward him was Corinne.
"Corinne?" He asked.
"What are you doing?" Corinne asked.
"Going on a test drive," He said. "I've made some adjustments."
"Like how to land?" Corinne asked.
"Yeah." Louis said.
"Well where you go in this crazy thing, I better go to." Corinne said.
"You still don't believe in me?" Louis said in a fake pouting voice.
"Ah . . . no." Corinne said. Louis sighed.
"Isn't it a pity we live in such skeptical times, alright, step right in, m' lady." He said.
"I am not a lady." Corinne said.
"Alright then, get in if you want, I just need to get one thing from my room, I'll be back in a second." Louis said. Corinne nodded, and got into the Balloon. A couple minutes later, Louis appeared, he got in beside her. He started the balloon up. As they floated up, Corinne noticed the rope wasn't attached to anything.
"Louis, the rope . . . ." She was cut off though.
"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing." Louis said.
"Oh, yey, when shall we jump out, because you pulled the wrong lever?" Corinne asked.
"Ye of little faith." Louis said.
"When it comes to this, yes, yes I am." Corinne said, "We nearly died last time we were on here, remember?"
"Yeah, I do." Louis said, "But we didn't." Corinne smirked.
"Where are we going exactly?" Corinne asked, "The castle seems to be getting further than it should if we were going back down to the courtyard?"
"We're going somewhere I used to go to as a kid." Louis said.
"A museum?" Corinne asked, "Please say no."
"No, we're going to a valley only the royal family knows about." Louis said.
"Why are we going there?" Corinne said. Louis hesitated.
"Because, I know you'll like it there." He said. Corinne crossed her arms, and raised an eyebrow at him, but her suspicious look soon faded into a smile.
"Aw." She hugged him, "Don't get me wrong, I still don't think you can control this thing."
"Hey, I supported your dream, you support mine." Louis said.
"Do my ears deceive me, you never supported me until I saved you again." Corinne said, "Which reminds me, this is pay back for saying girls can't be musketeers."
"Now Cori, musketeers don't hold grudges." Louis said.
"Don't hold gr . . . have you met me?" Corinne asked.
"Funny." Louis said, he looked out of the balloon. Corinne walked to his side.
"Woah." She said, the view was beautiful, "You can see Gascony from here."
"Beautiful." Louis said. Corinne looked at him to find he was looking at her.
"The view." Louis said quickly, "There's the valley, we'll be landing soon." He pointed to a green valley with trees surrounding it, and colorful flowers dotting it. Sunlight seemed to glow on the grass. Soon they landed in the valley. Corinne stepped out, and spun around in amazement at the scene before her. It was more beautiful than it was from afar.
"It's beautiful." Corinne said.
"It is, but that's not why it's so special." Louis said.
"I'm sure it's not, but then why is it?" Corinne asked.
"Corinne . . . this place was where my Dad asked my mom to marry him." Louis said. Corinne's eyes widened, an answer to the balloon flight to the valley came to her head. What if Louis was about to ask her . . . no. Why would he, sure he had loved her a long time ago, almost four years ago, but why would he still love her. She was nothing but a farm girl turned musketeer. He was a King, and after what she put him through, he really didn't have much of a reason to love her still. But still she couldn't help, but ask what he meant.
"What are you getting at?" Corinne asked.
"Do you remember the kiss?" He asked. Corinne sighed, of course she did, but that kiss was just because of the time. She'd just woken up, and they were so close together, and his blue eyes were shining, and . . . it didn't mean anything . . . much.
"Yes." She said. She felt her heart beat quicker as he laced his fingers through hers. He took a small red velvet box from his pocket. Corinne nearly groaned, this just keeps getting worse and worse. Treville is going to kill me. Did she want to marry him? A part of her said yes and another, in a way more reasonable, said no. Which one was right she didn't know.
"Corinne . . . I love you. There was a time where I wasn't very sure of that, but now I am. I know you're the one." Louis said, then he suddenly got down on one knee and opened the box, inside was the most beautiful ring Corinne had ever seen. It was gold with a clear diamond in the middle, and two light pink diamonds on either side.
"Now that I know I do." Louis said, "I know who I want to spend the rest of my life, now all I want is that she does too."
"Louis?" Corinne asked.
"Corinne D'Artagnan will you marry me?" Louis asked. At that moment the world stopped turning, time stopped running. All of Corinne's hopes and fears came true. The weird thing was the hopes and fears were about the same thing. Hoping he would ask her, because whether she liked it or not she was in love with him, she Corinne D'Artagnan was in love with the king. She feared the same thing, she feared that he's ask her, feared of the heart-break she'd cause both of him unless she said yes, but then her duties as Queen would demand her to give up her job as a musketeer. Her dream, the thing she's been working for since she was a little girl. Was she ready to give it up? And what about the rest of the royal court, and musketeers. Treville would kill her. She looked into Louis' eyes, his eyes were filled with love, devotion, kindness and patience, and the answer suddenly just came to her.
"Yes." She said, "Yes!" Louis grinned, he got up, and hugged her, then he cupped her chin, and their eyes met, and he kissed her. Corinne put her arms around his neck, and he put his around her waist.
"About time!" A voice said. The two broke apart, and turned around, there Renée, Aramina, and Viveca were grinning at them.
Aramina sighed, "That was soooo romantic. Most beautiful proposal ever."
"Took you two long enough." Renée said.
"What kind of dress would you like Corinne?" Viveca said, "Simple and elegant or intricate and elegant?"
"How long have you been there?" Corinne asked.
"You don't want to know." Renée said.
"How'd you get here then?" Corinne asked.
"Horses are actually very fast when they want to be." Viveca said.
"I told you that you were going to get married." Aramina said, "Now can I plan your wedding?" Corinne looked at Louis, he shrugged.
"Alright." Corinne said. Aramina clapped her hands.
"Well we need to invite Corinne's family, and Louis' too." Aramina said, "I'll make a list." Corinne laughed quietly, Louis took her hand, and she smiled at him, she knew she made the right choice.
. ... .
A/N: How was that? You like? You hate? Should Corinne and Louis get married without anyone telling them about Louis needing to marry a princess or should they get married with some obstacles in the way like the law? Review please.