A/N: Thank you SnidgetHex, beeblegirl, and Musketball1 for reviewing the last episode! We're on the penultimate episode of the series guys!
Chapter 1
Aramis stood at the medicinal table that'd been set up in Treville's bedchamber, double checking the fresh linen bandages the servants had brought up earlier. Athos was currently sitting at the First Minister's bedside, giving a report on his investigation into the assassination attempts.
"I've been trying to track Governor Magnier's activities and movements, see if I can find proof Boudier is working under his employ," Athos said, then reluctantly added, "But I haven't made much progress."
"You wouldn't," Treville responded, voice threadbare.
Propped up on his side with pillows bunched carefully around him to prevent movement, he looked pale and frail. The infection he'd been battling for the past week had left him severely weakened, on top of the trauma he'd initially suffered. But with Aramis's persistent care, the fever had finally broken and they could now say with confidence that the First Minister would pull through, though his recovery would be a long one.
"Not on your own," Treville went on and looked past Athos at Aramis. "I'm grateful for your care, Aramis, but it's time you return to your Musketeer duties."
"Protecting the First Minister is one of my duties," he pointed out.
"Assassins won't get that close again, and I'm fine now."
Aramis and Athos shared a skeptical look at that, and Treville let out a reedy huff.
"Well, not fine," he amended. "But not dying. Go be useful elsewhere."
Aramis glanced at Athos again, who stood up from his chair.
"I'll reassign some of the cadets to your apartments," the Musketeer captain said.
Treville gave the barest nod in acceptance.
"I'll be coming by to check on your healing," Aramis promised.
"Thank you," Treville said with a wince. "I am not a fan of Doctor Delacroix's bedside manner."
Aramis snorted. "Because he doesn't have one."
He still hadn't forgiven the man for giving up on his patient when Treville had first been shot.
"Minister," Athos said with a slight cant of his head and turned to leave.
Aramis grabbed his weapons belt and walked out with him.
"I still want you at the palace," Athos said once they were out in the corridor.
"Treville is right; you can't dig up evidence against the governor by yourself."
"I know. I've already asked for someone else's help with that."
Aramis arched a brow at him. "Who?"
Athos slowed to a stop. "Ninon."
Aramis pursed his mouth in mild surprise. "It's still a large task even for two."
"So is protecting the King, Queen, Dauphin, and First Minister." Athos cast a look around and lowered his voice. "And I don't trust the palace guards enough to leave it solely in their hands."
"I understand that," Aramis replied in an equally low tone. "Alright, I'll brief the cadets who will replace me outside Treville's apartments, then check in with Porthos and d'Artagnan."
Athos nodded, then headed off.
Silently wishing him luck, Aramis turned and went the other direction.
.o.0.o.
Athos returned to the Musketeer garrison, now completely empty of dragons and men, save for two stable boys. Everyone had been assigned to the palace for extra protection after the assassination attempts had come too close to succeeding. He headed up to his office, only to pull up short when he opened the door and found Ninon inside, sitting in the chair across from his desk. She was wearing a dark cloak with the hood currently pulled back.
He shut the door behind him. "Have you found out anything?" he asked without preamble.
"No one matching the description of the man you gave me came or went from the governor's house in the past two days. Not that I would expect him to use the front door if he's a wanted man."
Athos canted his head in concession of that and rounded his desk to take a seat across from her.
"However," she went on, "during my observations of the house, I noticed Magnier's secretary go out to the side alley and fiddle with a loose brick in the wall. I doubt he was repairing it." Ninon shrugged thoughtfully. "It would be a covert location to leave messages for someone who could only come, say, at night when no one else would see them."
Athos hummed in contemplation at that. "Did you see anyone else in the alley?"
"No, but I haven't been able to watch the place nonstop," she replied regretfully. "Too many of the city guards know my face."
Athos held back a sigh. Aramis and Treville were right—it was too much for two people to manage on their own. Still, the information was something to go on. A message might still be there waiting for its recipient to pick it up, or Boudier might have left a response after receiving the message.
Athos stood again. "Would you care to accompany me on a walk?"
Ninon smiled and got to her feet as well. "I'd love to."
.o.0.o.
After briefing the cadets assigned to Treville—both on security measures and how to watch for signs of a relapse in his recovery—Aramis began conducting rounds of the rest of the palace, making sure all the protection precautions were in order. He came across Constance and the Queen on a walk through the hallways, the only route for a stroll currently available to them. Constance had a sword belt buckled around her waist, as she'd become the Queen's personal bodyguard in recent weeks. She was an honorary musketeer, after all, and had the skill to back it up.
"Aramis," Anne said, face pinching with worry. "Is everything all right?"
"Yes, Your Majesty," he quickly assured her. "I'm just making the usual rounds. Treville is recovering and we've moved some cadets to his protection detail."
"Oh." The Queen clasped her hands tightly in front of her and flicked a look out the window.
Aramis and Constance followed her gaze to where Savron was standing guard outside. There was a dragon on each end of the Louvre, with a Musketeer cadet checking everyone who came and went, and specific pass phrases had been designated for the various levels of staff if they wanted to gain admittance. No one was going to get past them.
"How long are we to live like this?" Anne said wearily. "I feel almost a prisoner in my own home."
"I know it's difficult for now, Your Majesty," Aramis said. "But Athos is searching for the ones behind the assassination attempts. Once we can be sure the threat is no more, these strict measures will no longer be necessary."
"And has he come any closer to finding them?" she asked.
Aramis and Constance briefly shared a grim look before he dropped his gaze. "Not yet," he reluctantly admitted.
Anne reached up to rub her arms, obviously distraught over the situation.
Constance's attention drifted past Aramis's shoulder and she straightened slightly, her lips quirking in a half smile. He turned to look and saw d'Artagnan down the hall, giving her a small wave.
Anne's expression softened. "Go on," she said.
Constance hesitated. "Oh, I shouldn't…"
"Aramis can watch over me in your stead," Anne insisted, reaching out to give Constance's arm an encouraging squeeze. "Go see your husband."
Aramis canted his head toward d'Artagnan in agreement, and Constance smiled as she practically sprinted down the corridor. The two immediately embraced and shared a passionate kiss. With everything going on, they hadn't had any time together lately.
Anne watched them with a sad, almost wistful look on her face. "You all are sacrificing so much to keep us safe."
"That is our duty," Aramis replied kindly. "And it won't be forever. We will find who's responsible."
She turned and gave him a wan smile. "I know you will. The Musketeers have never failed us."
Anne still looked distressed as she shifted in place, her anxiety making it difficult to keep still. No doubt that was why she and Constance had been roaming the corridors.
She stilled as something seemed to catch her attention and frowned. "Marguerite?"
Aramis followed the direction of her gaze and spotted the Dauphin's governess heading for a side door with what looked like the infant Dauphin in her arms. They were supposed to be upstairs with the King.
Anne hurried after her. "Marguerite!"
The woman didn't stop but slipped outside and down the steps onto the gravel drive. Aramis quickened his pace to reach the door first, gesturing for the Queen to remain inside, but of course she refused and rushed after her son.
"Marguerite!"
There was no way the governess hadn't heard her name, but she only seemed to walk faster. Aramis and Anne broke into a run to catch up with her. At the other end of the palace exterior, Rhaego looked over in interest.
Aramis closed the distance and grabbed Marguerite by the arm, yanking her around. The Dauphin was, in fact, swaddled in her arms. "What are you doing?" he demanded.
"Oh, Your Majesty," she sputtered as Anne caught up to them as well. "You shouldn't be outside."
"Neither should you, especially not with the Dauphin," Aramis chastised.
She flicked a harried look down at the infant. "He was fussy. I thought the fresh air would soothe him. I'll be inside in just a minute, I promise."
Aramis regarded her warily and held an arm out toward her. "We should all go back inside."
Marguerite shifted nervously, glancing around. "Please, just go back inside."
Aramis frowned and was ready to insist she come with them, even if it required force, when he caught movement behind the hedges at the perimeter of the palace grounds.
"Move," he said urgently, reaching out to grab Marguerite by the arm. She shied away from him, looking like a trapped animal. Before Aramis could make a more aggressive move, a massive swarm of insects suddenly came bursting out from the hedges.
He staggered in shock as the bugs instantly cascaded over them in a rapid frenzy. The women screamed. Aramis twisted and flailed his arms in a futile attempt to get them away, though within a few short moments, they had swarmed past the three of them and gone straight for the palace. Rhaego screeched as they reached him next, swirling around his entire body and blinding him in their whirling eddy.
Aramis batted at a few stragglers that skimmed past his face, then gestured frantically at Anne and Marguerite. "Get back inside!"
But now there were men charging out from the hedges toward their position. Marguerite turned toward them, and Aramis's instincts screamed at him. He lunged forward and snatched the baby from her arms.
"Run!" he yelled at Anne, pivoting sharply to make a run for the palace. But they'd barely taken two steps before they skidded to a stop, staring in horror as the swarm of insects completely covered the palace on all sides. Rhaego was running the opposite direction, flapping his wings madly as he tried to escape the mass.
The insects—or beetles, from what Aramis could see—seemed intent on converging on the Louvre. There was no getting back into the palace without going through that.
"Aramis!" Anne shouted in alarm.
The intruders were heading straight for them. And all the dragons had been distracted by the swarm of beetles.
Aramis pushed the Queen toward the tree line. "Run!"
The men behind them yelled for them to stop, as if that would ever happen. Anne had pulled her skirts up and was running as fast as she could, though she was admittedly hampered by the dress. And Aramis had the Dauphin in his arms.
They reached the woods, and Aramis shifted his hold on the baby so he could support the child in the crook of one arm, freeing up his other hand. He paused long enough to draw his pistol and turn to shoot at one of their pursuers. The ball struck the man in the chest, taking him down instantly. Aramis bolted into a run again, quickly catching up with the Queen.
"Keep going!" he told her.
It was awkward trying to switch pistols mid-run with a baby, but he managed to get the fired one back on its clip and pulled the other. Drawing up short for a second time, he shot the second man on their tail. But with more still coming in the distance, they couldn't afford to stop.
Aramis turned and urged Anne onward as they fled into the forest.