This will probably be a two-part one-shot, finishing next week. For those of you who wonder what happened to my longer fanfic, Revenge, it will be continued soon. Thanks for reading my fanfics!

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He was dreaming.

The Dauphin was laughing as he ran around the green grass, his nursemaids pretending not being able to catch him.

My son, he thought, as his dream continued. Watching, his son giggled, when, all of a sudden, all three young women converged on him at once, tickling him and laughing with him as he rolled on the ground trying to escape their fingers.

How handsome he is. The ladies will swoon over him.

I'm so proud of him, his heart bursting with love for the little son he could only watch from afar.

And then he woke up, wishing he hadn't as he realized that his real-life living nightmare continued.

The darkness was so thick, he couldn't see his hand in front of his face. It seemed like such a long time since he had seen any daylight. There were no windows, and he couldn't tell if there was a door in this black murky environment he was in. Not even a lantern or torch had brightened his day for what was beginning to seem like forever.

The moment he raised his arm, clanking sounded in the utter silence. He couldn't move without the sound coming from the heavy shackles locked around his wrists, or the one encompassing his neck. Both were attached by chains to the base of the wall behind him, which also prevented him from standing up. He could feel that the chafing of the irons on his neck and wrists were beginning to cause bruising on his skin.

He had tried exploring when he was new to the place, but the chains not only didn't let him stand up, but prevented him also from crawling more than a foot or so from the wall the chains were attached to. The only positions available to him were sitting or lying down, the second position only provided he kept his upper body near the wall he was attached to.

An involuntary shiver ran down his spine, something that happened frequently ever since he had been here. The place he was in, besides being dark, was cold and dank, especially since he didn't have his leather doublet or boots to ward off the cold. He wondered idly when they had divested him of them, then thought probably as soon as they had slammed something against the side of his head when kidnapping him.

How long ago had that been, he despairingly wondered. He had no idea. There was no way of telling minutes, hours, days or weeks in this place that he was imprisoned.

A sharp rap sounded behind him, startling him out of his thoughts. Turning slightly, he listened as a small rectangle of metal lifted slightly to his left. No light shone when it was opened, either.

He knew the routine now. A bowl and cup would be pushed through the opening. His food and drink for the day.

The food was a rather pathetic attempt at porridge. It had the consistency of glue, and was almost tasteless. Neither the amount of food nor the cup of water was enough for a child, let alone a grown man. His stomach hadn't stopped growling since the second day he had been there, and he found himself frequently running his tongue over his lips to bring a small bit of moisture to their dryness.

Maybe they were trying to starve him to death. Ruefully, he thought it would be an agonizing way to die.

The only human voices he had heard since he had been imprisoned here had been the first day. He had been told exactly what he was supposed to do, and what would happen if he didn't follow their instructions.

He had been told sharply that he would receive food and water once a day. He needed to have set the empty bowl and cup back where he found it when a second rap was heard. If it wasn't, it would be the end of his food and drink for as long as they saw fit, or permanently.

He was also told that when he heard another rap later, he was to put the bucket he had been provided with for his bodily functions at the same place. If it wasn't put there, he was told he would not have it emptied any more.

He had been faithful to the instructions, knowing that the threats implied would make his captivity infinitely more difficult to bear.

The reason for his kidnapping and continuing imprisonment had been his constant companion since he had been here. Old enemy? Someone with a grudge? Revenge? Jealousy? He just didn't know, or have a way of finding shiver ran through him again, seeming to seep into his bones. This time, it was followed by a coughing spell. The medic, as well as the soldier in him knew that wasn't good.

He knew the constant darkness, the shackles completely hindering his movements, the lack of sufficient food, the cold and dampness combined could take his life if he was down here very much longer. The lack of being able to do almost anything left him with just his mind to keep him occupied. Dozing off frequently at least took him away from here, even if it was temporary.

He wondered if there was any way his brothers could find him, and find him in time.

With that thought, he leaned his head wearily back against the cold stone wall and dozed off once more.

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Athos watched Porthos restlessly prowling in the courtyard. He didn't really blame him.

It had been close to three weeks since Aramis had disappeared. They had turned Paris upside-down searching for him, but to no avail.

Everyone they spoke to said they had seen nothing, heard nothing.

They had endured the insults of the Red Guards, after they had heard about Aramis.

"High and mighty Musketeers. Can't find one of your own when he's missing. Or maybe," one of them sneeringly said, "he's just off with one of his conquests."

Athos and'Artagnan had grabbed hold of Porthos when he started heading for the man, murder in his eyes.

"Fighting will not help us to find Aramis, Porthos," Athos told him firmly. "You know the Red Guards try to goad us into fights to foment trouble. Ignore them."

Porthos had stood still for a moment, then stalked away.

"Porthos, we will find him," Athos said quietly. "Whoever has done this will make a mistake, and we will get him back. And we will make whoever took him very sorry for touching him, I promise you."