Jacqueline almost fell to her knees when she saw that familiar face. She could not take her eyes off of him from the moment that "Clyde" had stepped out of the way to reveal his king. "Stuart… Charles…" she gasped. "What are you doing here?" She felt her cheeks blush when his eyes fell on her. Suddenly, she felt a little embarrassed to be looked upon by the young king. The last time he had seen her, she was confident and strong. However, now she was weak and bound by the clutches of the Cardinal.
Louis was the first to address Charles. "Why yes! Your Majesty!" he exclaimed like an excited little boy. "I had not received word of your visit to Paris."
Charles held up his hands in an apologetic manner. "Forgive me. I did not have the time to send a formal announcement. I had to make haste," he said with a gentle but commanding voice. He turned to Jacqueline and gave her a small smile as if he were trying to comfort her.
Jacqueline continued to stare at the king. He had changed since the last time they saw each other. He had grown, not in physical stature, but in image. He held himself differently, with perfect poise and posture just like a king should. Her mouth could not form the words that she wanted to say. She swallowed hard before she found her voice. "Your Majesty," she whispered before attempting to curtsy. She was a commoner now, a simple woman whose life was now not her own.
Charles was immediately by her side. He placed his hands under hers to stop her from lowering herself to him. "Don't. For it is I that holds you in the highest respect." He couldn't help himself and placed a hand on her right cheek, caressing her soft skin. He pulled back, remembering that he lost the right to show her affection in any way. He turned to Louis. "I am here on Jacqueline Roget's behalf, Highness."
Mazarin's face matched the color of his robes, but he held in his rage. He plastered a fake smile on his face and slithered toward Charles. "My dear king, this woman is a murderer, for I have seen her commit the act with my very own eyes. The men who were with me that day will support me, for they two were witnessed the heinous crime." He glanced over to Jacqueline; he could see her anger through her dark brown eyes.
D'Artagnan stepped up. "I support Jacqueline." Ramon and Siroc followed suit.
"As do we," they both said in unison.
Mazarin laughed at the futile attempt of saving the worthless woman. "Have you forgotten that you are also under arrest? You're opinion no longer is valid in this matter. Musketeers, you shall be sentenced for aiding, and worse yet, harboring a fugitive. And you," he glared at Duval, "you must have known all this time, captain."
Duval let out a long breath. His gaze traveled from his beloved musketeers to Jacqueline, then finally landed on the Cardinal. He stood proudly, no longer leaning against his cane. "I knew," he said simply.
"Captain!" d'Artagnan yelled. He looked to Louis with panicked eyes. "He didn't know. Only I did. Since the first day that Jacque Laponte was enlisted as a musketeer, I knew. The captain didn't know until yes…"
"Hold your tongue, Private d'Artagnan," Duval said harshly. "As captain, I accept all responsibility of the actions taken by my musketeers." He held Mazarin's gaze, almost daring him to continue the diatribe.
D'Artagnan, Siroc, and Ramon looked at each other in worry. They wanted to avoid involving Duval and musketeers. They did not want Duval to have pay for what they had done. Siroc spoke up facing Louis, "Your Majesty, d'Artagnan, Ramon, and I have resigned our roles as musketeers. Our actions cannot be tied to the captain. You can only charge us as common civilians, not muske…"
"Silence!" Mazarin roared. He was losing his composure now. He was at Louis' side in a flash. He seemed like a parasite that could not let go of his host for too long. "Your Majesty, have I not been a loyal servant of yours for all these years? I have never asked for anything for my own well-being. Your Majesty, I have suffered because of this woman's act of anger. She's nothing but a heartless killer. "
Jacqueline just shook her head then looked to her feet. This was the moment she dreaded the most, the one point in her life she never wanted to come across. It was worse because she had involved those she loved dearly. She felt a gentle hand on her arm, and she looked up to see Charles still smiling at her, telling her that he was with her. "I disagree, Cardinal." He stepped aside to let everyone in the room have a good look at Jacqueline. "She is the most admirable, noble, and self-less person I have ever met in my life. When I was captured, it was she who had saved my life. She risked her own for a complete stranger because she believed I was ill-treated and falsely accused." He locked eyes with her and continued, "I offered her a throne, a new life, but she refused. Yes, it was partly because of my betrayal of her trust, but highness…" He now turned his eyes on Louis. "More than her desire to be relieved of these accusations the Cardinal has set upon her, she stayed for you."
Louis let out a breath. "For me?" His eyes darted to Jacqueline in a new light. He was seeing her, as Jacqueline, for the first time. Jacque was still present, but what he saw was a proud, scared, yet faithful woman.
"For you, for your safety, for her loyalty to her only king," Charles said. He now stood in front of Jacqueline, holding onto her right hand. He kissed her hand. "I would gladly give my life for you. And I believe that I can say the same for your friends," he said motioning towards the trio.
D'Artagnan could hardly contain his feelings for Jacqueline. Right there, he wanted to tell her how much she meant to him, that he just wanted to carry her away from all of this and live where they could be happy without any influence of the Cardinal. Maybe that place he had often dreamed of with her was heaven. "Jacqueline," he said. "If it is fate that you must be taken away from me, know that I will follow you. No man, no law, nothing will keep me from you." He walked up to her realizing that she was holding back tears. He gently placed his forehead against hers.
Siroc limped toward the couple and stood next to d'Artagnan, and Ramon followed. Siroc wiped his bleeding lip with the back of his hand. "Jacqueline is dear to me as well. She is more than a comrade to me. She gave me a soul. If she says she did not murder the captain, then I believe her even if it costs me my life."
Ramon completed the circle that the three of them formed around Jacqueline. "These three are my family. And whatever fate will befall them, then shall it befall upon me." He stood his ground along with d'Artagnan and Siroc even when Mazarin gave them threatening glares.
Mazarin scowled even more, and almost threw up his hands in frustration. "You cannot possibly believe all of this, majesty," he said to Louis, but the young king was silent.
Louis observed everything quietly. Slowly he made his way to Jacqueline. The room was still, and the only sounds that could be heard were Louis' soft footfalls. He stopped in front of d'Artagnan, ignoring the man's pleading eyes. Louis gently attempted to pushed d'Artagnan out of the way. When d'Artagnan did not move, he stared directly into the former musketeer's eyes. Louis was filled with the presence of a ruler, a king. When d'Artagnan became aware that he could not defy his sovereign, he bowed his head and stepped out of the Louis' way. Siroc and Ramon noticed the defeated look in d'Artagnan's eyes and they too back away slowly from Louis. The young king now stood face to face with Jacqueline.
"Majesty," she said in a low voice and knelt down on one knee. "Majesty I…"
"Mademoiselle Roget," he said in a serious tone. It felt awkward saying her real name for the first time. He looked down to her with a soft gaze. "You have shown me such courage, compassion, and loyalty. Your friends, even the King of England himself have been touched by you. Never have I forgotten what you have done for me in the past, for it is because of you that I am still alive today. I do not believe that you have done what is accused of you." To everyone's surprise, he knelt down in front of her. "I am grateful." He placed his hands under chin and lifted her face, so that they were looking at each other directly. "I am grateful for you Jacqueline Roget." He gave her a bright smile. "A life for a life…"
D'Artagnan felt his legs starting to give away. "Does that mean?"
Louis nodded his head, and his smile grew wider when he saw recognition dawn in Jacqueline's eyes. "You saved my life, so I shall save yours. I shall drop the charges against you. You will be pardoned."
She didn't care about maintaining herself anymore. Jacqueline threw her arms around Louis, capturing him in a tight hug. She cried into his shoulder, but they were sobs of joy. "Thank you, Majesty. Thank you. Thank you."
Siroc, Ramon, Duval, and Charles II let out a triumphant shout, but it was quickly silenced by Mazarin's cry of dismay. "NO! Majesty, you cannot allow that! I will not allow it!" So close. He had her within in his clutches, and this spineless child ruined everything for him.
Louis was taken back by the Cardinal. "Mazarin, my will is law. Do not forget that. I shall write a decree for all of Paris to know that I have pardoned Jacqueline."
D'Artagnan helped Jacqueline to her feet then shielded her from Mazarin. "Your evil cannot touch her now. Your tyranny ends now."
"That peasant deserved his fate!" Mazarin shouted. "If I could, I would have him killed again!" Pure anger blinded Mazarin, and he did not realize that he had confessed the truth about Claude Roget. The two guards that came in with Jacqueline cowered, eyes widened in fear.
Louis stood to his feet as well. He and the others closed in on Mazarin. Louis sucked in a breath, straightened his clothes, dusted his pants, and let out the breath. Cheerily, he looked to Duval. "Captain," he called.
"Yes, highness," Duval smiled. After all these years, he now had Mazarin where he wanted him.
"Will you do the honor?"
"Of course, highness," Duval said with satisfaction. He limped toward Mazarin, grabbing him roughly by his arm. "Cardinal Mazarin, you are under arrest."