When everything falls apart, is it possible to put the pieces back together?
What Love Is Worth, Ch. 1
They stood on the hilltop next to the carriage and looked down at the city of Paris that sprawled in front of them. The musketeers stood at attention as the King's cousins surveyed the city and stretched, trying to relieve some of their stiffness from the long journey.
"Well, I guess this is supposed to show us the grandeur of Paris," Valentina, the Duchess of Modena told her brother in Italian as she stood, unimpressed, next to the carriage.
"If the journey is any indication, this trip will be insufferable," her brother Marcello, Duke of Mantua replied as he tried to work the soreness from the ride out of his shoulders. "I can't wait to be free of this carriage," he responded as he frowned and looked down on Paris.
The Italian nobles stood there surveying the city with contempt, both disdaining the need to leave Venice in order to shower platitudes upon their out-modish cousin. Valentina was as beautiful as her brother was handsome, with rich brown hair and dark eyes that seemed constantly imbued with scorn. She was outwardly beautiful, but she was spoiled, cruel and jaded having lived her entire life in the lap of luxury and privilege. She had a malicious heart and cared only for her own pleasures, and for her brother.
Marcello was more amendable than his sister, but he too had been hardened by wealth and exposure. He was difficult to impress – in fact very few things managed to capture his focus for more than a few moments. He was an accomplished soldier, an artist and a philosopher and carried a devil-may-care attitude born on the battlefield into court with him, which when coupled with his charm, easily won him admirers and allies.
"Oh, I don't know, at least our escort is handsome." she said looking at the musketeers standing nearby, her eyes lingering on one in particular.
He rolled his eyes at his sister. "You promised you would behave on this trip. Think of your poor husband," he said with a grin.
She laughed as he helped her back into the coach. "I'm trying not to," she said making a face. "I promise I will behave but that doesn't mean I can't entertain myself while we're stuck in this miserable city," she said coyly as the carriage lurched forward on its way towards the Louvre.
oOo
Athos, Aramis, Porthos and D'Artagnan escorted the Italian nobles and cousins of Louis into the gilded throne room of the Louvre.
"Ah! Cousins! It's about time!" said the King, rising to his feet and gesturing to his relations.
"Forgive us cousin, the road is long," said Valentina as she curtsied low before the King. "It fills my heart with joy to see you," she said with a smile that couldn't break the cold depths of her eyes.
"And you cousin, are more radiant than I remember," he said as he stepped down from his platform and took her hand as she rose.
"It is good to see both your majesties looking so well," she said to the Queen who smiled at her.
"You are truly the most fortunate out of all of us, cousin," said Marcello as he bowed to the King. "Wars could be started if only other nations could witness the beauty of the Queen of France," he said, as he kissed the Queen's hand.
Louis laughed loudly. "Ah, Marcello, as charming as ever. Come! Let me have you settled! I'm interested to hear what you thought of France as you journeyed here." The King called forward some servants and began commanding them about.
"Dear god," Valentina muttered to her brother in Italian once more as they were shuffled backwards slightly as the servants swept through the room in harried attempts to carry out the King's wishes. "Have you ever seen such a cow-like group of courtiers? How unattractive and unfashionable they all are! It will be insufferably boring here!" she said, her courtly mask unfazed by the condescension of her words.
"Excuse me, your Grace, but I would be careful of what you might say while in court. Some of us cows understand Italian. I worry that others might misinterpret your meaning…" said a woman's voice from behind them.
Valentina and Marcello turned; her eyes were blazed with anger and his with mirth as they beheld Christine, the Comtesse des Etoiles, who swiftly curtsied to the pair and made her way across the throne room.
"How dare she!" Valentina hissed.
"More importantly, who is she?" Marcello asked his eyes bright with laughter. His stay in Paris suddenly looked like it could be far more interesting than he had surmised.
oOo
"Hello," Christine greeted Aramis warmly as she approached him where he stood on guard by the terrace doors. "How was your journey?"
"Long, and tedious," he said smiling at her and dropping his voice he whispered, "but as always, returning to your smiling face makes every journey worthwhile."
She beamed at him and then turned away so they were standing side by side. Casually, she lowered her hand and shifted her skirt so their fingers could touch without witnesses.
The touch of her lover's hand elated Christine, and they both fought to stifle their smiles as the electricity passed through their fingertips. Though their love was free and open among the public, it was kept hidden at court where her status as a noble and his as a member of the King's guard threw complications onto their blissful romance.
With no male family members living, technically, it was to the King that Aramis would need to present his suit for Christine's affection – an antiquated tradition that aggravated the Comtesse excessively. She was a strong believer in a woman's right to independence, and education and this male dominated system disagreed with the philosophies that she had been brought up to believe in.
She reluctantly stepped away from Aranis as the King exited the room with his relatives and the Queen.
Marcello caught Christine's eye. She offered him a small apologetic smile as she curtsied with the other courtiers as they passed. She hoped that her comment had not registered as rude.
He turned his head to look back at her as he exited the throne room; his sister at his side stared straight ahead.
oOo
"I wonder who she is?" Marcello asked himself as they dined with the King and Queen that evening.
"Who?" asked the Queen, curiously as Louis and Valentina laughed loudly across the table, as the servants continuously refilled their wine goblets. It was clear that Italian women liked to drink.
Marcello smiled at the Queen. "There was a woman in court today that I should wish to meet," he said simply, which caught the King's attention.
"Oh?" replied Louis. "Has Cupid struck already? You've only just arrived! You've hardly had time to see the beauties of Paris," he said laughing.
"It is unlikely," Marcello replied with a smirk. "This woman…she said something that amused me. I appreciate a woman who isn't afraid to speak her mind. I should like to make her acquaintance," he said shrugging casually as he took a sip from his glass. "Plus she spoke Italian exceptionally," he said, his mocking eyes flashing at his sister who scowled slightly.
"I doubt very much that trivial conversation is all you have in mind," said the King with a wink. "Who was she? What did she look like?" he asked, his eyebrows wiggling at the prospect of this hunt.
Marcello laughed. "I hardly know," he said. "Few women can leave an impression on me like your beautiful Queen here," he said raising a glass to the Queen who smiled at him. "She was beautiful though. Striking, really. She had dark hair that was pulled off her shoulders. Her eyes were grey or perhaps blue. A combination of the two I believe. She wore a lilac gown and on her neck she wore a thin chain where three stars dangled."
"Most descriptive!" exclaimed the King.
"Yes," said Valentina wryly. "My brother does have an affliction for details, a side effect of his study of art I'm afraid," she said with a grin at the King who roared at her jest.
"I believe the woman you are referring to is the Comtesse des Etoiles," said the Queen with a thoughtful look.
"Ah yes!" exclaimed the King. "Christine – quite the beauty, and a particular favourite of mine. I've never met a more intelligent or interesting woman in all my life – save for the two of you, my dears," said the King as he raised his glass to his wife. She smiled at him tenderly, her hand moving to her belly where their long awaited child was growing. The King beamed back at her, doing very well for all the wine he had consumed.
"Worry not my dear Marcello, I believe an introduction can be arranged. Who knows," said the King, 'We may just make a Frenchman of you yet!"
oOo
In another part of Paris, away from these potential royal matchmakers, the Comtesse des Etoiles lay blissfully in the arms of her musketeer lover, their bodies having expressed how much they had missed each other, as they lay together bathed in the moonlight.
oOo
A/N: Welcome back! Just wanted to clarify a few things: This story makes no claims to being historically accurate! Not sure if Louis was actually related to this Duke or Duchess, but in this story he is! Also, as this is my AU, yes, the Queen is pregnant with Louis' child - no royal scandal in this universe! :-P
As always, I love hearing your feedback, and your ideas for where this story might go! Thanks again for reading!