Evening My Lovelies

Oh, wow I didn't mean to leave it so long between updates! I had most of this chapter written the day after my last update but decided to wait a bit before finishing it to make sure I wanted to commit to the decisions I've made as they'll have long repercussions for our characters (despite the fact I decided on these ideas AGES ago lol) I never meant to leave it so long, I just completely forgot all about it SORRY!

Notes On Reviews:

Debbie (Guest): Thanks for the review - Etienne and D'Art definitely have a long recovery ahead of them but they'll get there, unfortunately for our pup, he'll also have more than just his health to deal with :D The King's got other things to deal with today than worry about the health of D'Art but he'll show his concern eventually :) Enjoy the new chapter! x

beeblegirl: Thanks for the review - That would involve the King having a heart lol :) Enjoy the new chapter! x

pallysAramisRios: Thanks for the review - Corbett will keep D'Art safe while the boys are away. I was going to keep them in the garrison but figured my plan for a future chapter worked out better if they went away for a little bit. Enjoy the new chapter! x

WelshEssex: Thanks for the review - Yeah :) It's good to have everyone back in Paris and our lot could definitely do with the extra help. Etienne and D'Art have a long recovery ahead of them but they'll get there :D Haha well, I decided I needed the boys away from D'Art for a bit and who best to take responsibility for that then the King :D Enjoy the new chapter! x

As always much love and many thanks for following/favouriting/reviewing/reading

Love you all!

Enjoy!

xxx


Chapter Seventy-Six: Meeting The King

As they stood in the throne room, waiting for the King to arrive it was becoming increasingly difficult for Athos to contain his annoyance and impatience at the delay the King was causing. All he wanted was to rush back to the infirmary and to sit by his baby brother's side. D'Artagnan had begun to show sign of waking shortly before the Captain had arrived to tell them of the summons and he desperately didn't want the Gascon to wake up without them by his side, especially considering the guilt he felt for the boy's condition. He wanted to be the one to explain it all to the younger man, to beg for forgiveness.

"Calm down," chastised a voice by his side, pulling Athos from his thoughts as he turned his head to see Treville watching him with a small, disapproving look on his face as he took in his lieutenant's obvious impatience. "I know this is the last place you want to be but we're about to meet with the King -"

Treville was unable to finish his scolding as the doors on the opposite side of the room opened, granting the King entrance, the young monarch sauntering up to his throne before turning to address the gathered crowd, acknowledging their collective bows with a single nod before focusing his attention to Treville who took a single step forward and began to speak.


Back in the garrison, Corbett was doing his best not to fall asleep as he sat silently by D'Artagnan's bedside in the infirmary room. He had already been exhausted when he entered and the silence was making it very difficult to stay awake, or at least it had been making it difficult as there soon came a small sound of pain from his younger friend that instantly gained the tired musketeer's complete attention.

Straightening in his seat Corbett leaned over the edge of the Gascon's bed, being especially careful not to touch him after having the younger man's condition explained to him by Tristan, who had come by to check on things shortly after Athos and the others had left.

"D'Artagnan?" he spoke quietly, not wanting to startle the boy but desperately hoping for some sign of recognition. Tristan had explained to him how the younger musketeer had been unconscious for a long time and while he tried to hide it Corbett could see that it was beginning to worry the physician's assistant and given how tense and stressed things had been lately he was sure that arriving back to see their youngest awake would do everyone a world of good.

Another small sound of pain escaped the sick Gascon before his already closed eyes scrunched together as he slowly began to return to the waking world.

"That's it," praised Corbett with a beaming smile on his exhausted face, "Just open those eyes of yours kid, you've had a lot of people very worried."

It took some time but eventually, D'Artagnan weakly forced his eyes open, much to the delight of Corbett who was quick to grab a small goblet of water, holding it up to the younger man's lips, "Small sips," he warned as he watched the barely conscious Gascon greedily drink his fill of the cool liquid.

For a moment it looked like the Gascon was still too out of it, or too weak from his illness and poisoning to attempt speaking so it came as a bit of a surprise when the boy mumbled out something a few minutes later, something that had a small smirk growing on Corbett's face.

"Athos and the others are with Treville presenting the mission report to the King," explained Corbett as he tried to hide the worry he felt for the younger man who would let out a whimper of pain whenever he so much as twitched. Deciding to focus on distracting the younger man from his condition the musketeer continued on with his explanation, "They might be a while as they've taken the prisoners with them and even then Treville going to have to explain what happened with Corneau."

Confusion filled D'Artagnan's face and it didn't take Corbett long to realise that the younger man had probably been too out of it, with his illness, to really remember what had happened over the last few days. Not seeing anything wrong with filling the gaps in the Gascon's memory the musketeer set to work explaining the situation as he knew it, using the information he had managed to garner from other members of the regiment to explain the events that happened while he had been watching over Blaise and Alain in Paris.

Mistaking the look on D'Artagnan's face as he explained the Gascon's poisoning he placed a gentle hand on the boy's shoulder, withdrawing it the instant the younger man let out a whimper of pain. "It's okay D'Artagnan," he reassured, hoping to rid the boy of the expression he was currently sporting, "Corneau got what was coming to him and even if he was still alive Athos and the others wouldn't let him anywhere near you after what he did."

D'Artagnan said nothing to correct his friend's misconceptions, choosing instead on trying to ignore the growing pain he felt, something Corbett seemed to quickly cotton on to as he soon stated he would grab one of the physicians to tend to him.


"Well you and yours have certainly been busy Treville," smirked the King as he finished listening to the report from the musketeer Captain and his men. He didn't bother to hide his relief over the knowledge that their mysterious author was now dealt with but he did let his displeasure show when it came time to dealing with the prisoners Treville and the others had managed to capture.

For the men who had followed Corneau and infiltrated the church that would eventually house the recovering musketeers the decision regarding their fate had been a simple one… Death. There wasn't anything else suitable for the crimes those men had committed given they had killed the priests and brothers who originally called that church home before their companions, still reluctantly in the wind, set it alight following the musketeers departure.

With the sentence given the captured men were dragged out of the throne room with an impressive amount of struggle. They were to be held in the Bastille until preparations for their sentence could be carried out.

Rochefort was who he dealt with next and despite the fondness and respect he once held for the man the King felt no pity as he stared down at the man's unconscious, grievously injured form. Part of him wanted to offer the man some form of mercy, if for his wife than anything else as the pair had been friends once upon a time but logically he knew he couldn't. When they had originally banished the former red guard Captain he had stated what would happen should he return to French soil and he couldn't go against that decision now.

So death it was and Louis began to feel the weight of the crown on his head as he declared the man's fate, oblivious to the obvious relief of the musketeers gathered.

As Rochefort was taken away King Louis turned his attention to the last remaining prisoner, the red guard who had disobeyed his mission and committed treason to help his former Captain attempt to kill Treville's men.

To Louis's surprise the man didn't appear fearful, defiant or even resigned to his fate, not after hearing the fates of his fellow prisoners. In fact the man, whilst gagged appeared to be smirking at him and that intrigued the young King would gestured to the man's guards to bring him forward and release his gag.

"Something you wish to say Monsieur?" asked the King, curiosity ringing clear as a bell in his voice as he took in the smirking red guard.

If anything Ethan's smirk seemed to grow at this as he glanced over towards Treville before refocusing his attention back onto the King. "Just wondering when Treville's going to present his own men for sentencing." Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the way Treville stiffened and couldn't help but smirk wider as he added, "They did butcher an unarmed, restrained man after all."