Chapter 21

Marie was startled awake by rough hands pulling her up from the bed and dragging her harshly out of the room. She didn't bother fighting; she didn't have the strength, so instead she let the man drag her down some stairs and finally throw her roughly onto the floor in a small room she knew to be a servant's room. For good measure he kicked her hard in the side, causing her to cower against the wall.

"That's enough! Leave us," Anne's voice told the man from the corner of the room. The man just grunted before leaving them. Marie looked up as she stepped into the light.

"My brother has found me hasn't he? That's why I'm here," Marie guessed, smirking slightly at the look on Anne's face and knowing she was right.

"And has succeeded in completely ruining your plans? I told you that they would keep a hold on Aramis and not let him do anything stupid, and I also told you that you wouldn't get away with this!" she added, her confidence growing slightly at the thought of them coming to find her, even if they were walking into a trap.

"And I have told to watch what you say." Anne spat warningly as she knelt down in front of the girl. Marie held her stare easily.

"You don't scare me," she said bravely.

"I admire your spirit. But then I am hardly surprised, when you have spent so long in the company of Musketeers to the point where you have become just as careless as them," Anne told her, standing up. Marie gazed up at her, confusion clear on her face.

"It's a two day ride here from Paris, and that's without being held up on the way thanks to some bandits. If they survive that, they most certainly won't survive what they find here. Nor is there a certainty that they will find you alive." She smiled mockingly at her as she finished speaking. Marie didn't say anything. The hope had vanished, her confidence gone as she once again realized the seriousness of the situation. Anne laughed, heading to the door.

"She is all yours. Do what you want to her," she told the man that had brought Marie to the room then she was gone. Marie watched the man walk towards her, a twisted smile plastered on his ugly face. She closed her eyes, bracing herself for what was about to happen, the last bit of hope fading from her as she accepted her fate. She would never see her friends, her brother, or her love again.

Aramis sat sullenly with his back against a tree, slightly away from the other three Musketeers. He was angry with Athos. He had wanted to keep riding through the night, but Athos had quite reasonably insisted they make camp and rest the horses for a few hours before heading off again, completely ignoring Aramis's protests.

After being told that morning that Athos had discovered where Marie was being held, new hope and determination had filled Aramis. Now he just wanted to get to the mansion and get Marie home. The longer they took getting there, the greater the risk of finding her dead. Aramis shuddered at the thought and tried frantically to stop the images of her body flooding through his mind, panic rising up inside him.

"She's okay. She isn't dead. She's not dead," he muttered to himself, pulling his knees close to his chest as he tried in vain to steady his breathing.

The three Musketeers sat by the fire, watching their friend. D'Artagnan was sporting a fresh bruise on his jaw from where Aramis had flung his unwanted dinner back at him in a temper, but that didn't stop worry flooding the youngster as he watched Aramis work himself in a panic.

"Shouldn't one of us go and see if he's okay?" he asked the older two uncertainly.

"I saw what he did to you when you offered him food. I would quite like to avoid a new bruise, thanks," Porthos replied. "I don't think there's anything we can do, anyway."

Athos sighed, getting up and picking up his friend's cloak as he did.

"D'Artagnan is right. One of us should go over to him. Plus it's getting cold and he needs to put this back on. He never fully recovered, you know that. Go and see to the horses, see how much longer we need to stay," Athos ordered them as he headed towards Aramis.

He sat down next to him and gently laid the cloak over him before placing an arm across his shoulders. He could just make out his mutterings and Athos swallowed hard at the unfamiliar sound, not sure what to do. Maybe Treville had been right; maybe they shouldn't have brought Aramis with them. His head was not in a good place and Athos's concern for his friend's state of mind was getting greater by the day. He knew that the others felt the same.

"Aramis. Aramis look at me," Athos called to him gently. It took a few moments but finally he lifted his head, and Athos felt his heart fall at the look in his friend's eyes. They were filled with pain, fear, and exhaustion. Aramis was completely mentally and emotionally drained. It was clear he was at the end of his tether, and Athos worried he would become uncontrollable when they finally reached their destination.

"Marie is going to be okay. I promise." Athos pulled Aramis close to him, feeling his friend's body shake against him, crying without any tears left. Athos rubbed his hand up and down the younger man's arm in an attempt to calm him. He heard footsteps and looked up, seeing Porthos and D'Artagnan watching them. He gave them a sad look and shook his head, telling them they would not be traveling any further that night.