A/N: This piece has been written for one of my closest friends. She is a talented writer, truly magical person with a huge heart, and she gives the warmest hugs ever. I love you, Ana. Happy Birthday to you! And I am sorry for disappearing for such a long time.
Month ago, he got a letter, signed by Catherine, his would-be-sister-in-law. Athos was reluctant to open it, but later his curiosity overpowered his sense of self-preservation.
Catherine was getting married to Lumiere du Peyrer de Tréville. The same day de Tréville had invited the Inseparables to the wedding of his son, nobody knew about.
And if Catherine Athos could easily have refused, to refuse his mentor would've been much more difficult.
Little did he know that Lumiere's younger god-sister was no-one else but Anne. The same Anne he loved. The same Anne he hated. The Anne he called his wife.
That's why now Athos sat at the table, looking at the people around him. Beside him his wife was chatting with another guest, whose name Athos didn't catch or didn't even care to.
Lumiere decided to place her by his father's subordinates. They were his father's closest friend as for now, and Anne was his father's goddaughter. It seemed only a logical decision.
Anne wasn't excited to see the men, who exiled her from Paris, to say the least. But she could never refuse her favorite elder brother. And now she sat beside her husband, she should have hated, but wasn't able to.
Thankfully, one of the nearby living barons sat on the other side from her and gave her a chance to have a conversation with someone other than her husband and his friends. Turned out the baron had known her late father and was now telling her different stories from their adolescence.
She listened to her company but didn't forget to keep an eye on her little treasure, that was running around the place with other kids.
Anne remembered how her five-year-old daughter met Athos day earlier. They were having a picnic under the tree near the mansion, when a bunch of men approached them to ask for directions. Recognizing them, Anne told the girl to go to pick up some flowers, knowing that there was no chance for a civil conversation, getting the defence. And not in vain.
Athos instantly threw accusations at her, after Régine stepped a little aside. He demanded answers, his wife ignored his questions. When his friends dragged him away, she almost broke down, but steadied her composure for Régine's sake.
But she knew that wasn't their last encounter, given her brother was marrying Catherine. Of course, Athos had to be at the upcoming wedding. She just had to survive through that day. Nothing she hasn't done earlier. But still, she was not so sure of herself, as that time not only she would get hurt, but also her daughter.
Shaking off her memory, Anne was going to answer to the baron, when she noticed her upset daughter near them. Excusing herself from the baron, she beckoned Régine to the table and picked her at her lap.
"What's wrong, my love?" Was the sentence that drew Athos attention from his thoughts to his wife and her daughter. He didn't fail to notice the little girl's gloomy expression.
"Others said that they don't want to play with me." Régine said, trying her best not to cry. "Why are they so mean? What did I do to them, mama?" Her lower lip started to tremble. Anne's hand drew soothing circles on her back.
"Oh, baby, you did nothing wrong." Anne hugged her little girl. "Sometimes people can just get bored with us. That is normal. Don't get angry with them. Or upset. They will come back to ask you to play with them again. For now sit with me, my sunshine, have something. You haven't eaten since this morning and were running around all day."
She placed the girl between herself and Athos as it was the only empty place at the table. Anne profusely kept it vacant so she could have some distance from the Musketeer.
After she ate, Régine turned to Athos, his formal camisole catching her attention.
"Monsieur, such a wonderful attire you wear!" Little girl complimented just like an adult, making people around touched and Athos blush. Anne couldn't keep her lips from widening in a smile. If she didn't know Athos's expression, she wouldn't have noticed, but for her luck and his misfortune, she did.
"Why, thank you Mademoiselle! You look just as charming today!" He bowed to a smiling girl. Her smile was just the same her mother used to give him on such occasions, when they were happy. Athos noticed Anne's expression but decided to keep it slide.
"How can I address you, Monsieur?" Régine continued the conversation. "My name is Régine Anais de Breuil." She introduced herself, her little hand outstretched for a handshake.
"Athos de La Fére. Nice to meet you, Mademoiselle Régine." Instead of a handshake, Athos carefully grabbed little palms and kissed it, making five-years-old laugh out of excitement.
"Oh, you are the sworn brother of Madame Catherine, right?" Athos was truly enchanted by this little girl. Something pulled him to her. "My uncle Lumiere told me, she once was engaged to the de La Fere family, but her fiancé had died."
"Your information is correct. Her late fiancé was my younger brother Thomas." Athos answered to Régine, glancing up at his wife, only to see she was not paying attention, talking to the baron. Better for Athos, he didn't know how she would react to that conversation.
"I am sorry for your loss, Monsieur Athos." At that Athos smiled tightly, grateful that Régine decided to change the painful subject. "Monsieur Athos, would you mind accompanying me outside? The place is getting too noisy."
"If your mother won't object, of course, I would accompany you." Such an abrupt transition has surprised Athos, but he didn't emphasize on it.
Régine drew her mama's attention, asking for permission, which she gave without a second thought, surprising her husband even more. Silently he took the girl out in the evening gardens.
Athos held Régine by her little hand, while they walked down the flowered aisle in the backyard. Athos asked lots of different questions, Régine asked even more. Suddenly a little girl said something that made Athos a little nervous.
"You know, I know who you are, Monsieur Athos."
"And who am I, Mademoiselle Régine?" Athos' expression and voice didn't show his nervousness.
"My papa." Answered Régine peacefully, as a matter of fact. Athos abruptly stopped.
"Why do you think so?" His voice shook against his will.
He turned to the little girl to face him, while getting down on his knee. He looked intensely at her, searching, and finding every possible similarity.
"I don't think, I know. Mama told me whose daughter I am. Monsieur Olivier de la Fere's. Your name is Athos de La Fere. It's not that hard to put two and two together." Athos felt as though somebody was suffocating him, he couldn't breathe.
"And besides I saw your portrait." Girl continued, nevertheless. "I saw mama crying and clutching the portrait to her chest, when she thought I was asleep in my rooms. She has always said that my papa was the only person she ever loved. And she was crying over your portrait. I am really good at Arithmetic."
Athos was bewildered by that little girl's insight. He was barely holding it together to not break down. But he couldn't. Not in front of the little girl who, it seemed, could see right to his soul.
"So, Monsieur Athos, I want to ask. Why did you leave my mama? Why did you make her cry? Why do you make her cry every day, even when you are not beside her? Why are you not beside her? Beside me?" Tears were streaming down her little cheeks, eyes anguished with the emotions she had hidden for a long time.
Their staring contest had been continuing when they heard a shuffle of skirts. Little girl saw her mother's sparkly dress through bushes, swiftly wiped her tears and out of sudden fell. Athos didn't have time to react and catch her as she was once again standing on her legs and shaking the dirt off of her palms.
When Anne saw her little girl standing up from the ground, she rushed to them.
"What's happened?" Kneeling beside them and clutching Régine by her elbows, looking for visible injuries, Anne demanded. If she was more attentive, she would have seen Athos' silent tears. But lucky for him, she was occupied by her daughter.
And before Athos had a chance to answer, the girl rushed to explain.
"Nothing, mama, I was just running and fell. Monsieur Athos came to help me. Just as you did." Little girl had faked a hiccup. Athos recognized that she was covering for him. Régine didn't want her mother to know about their conversation.
Anne glanced at Athos and drew her attention back to Régine. Her dress was a little dusty, but otherwise not even a scratch. Anne helped her to dust off the dress and picked her up.
Looking at Athos, Anne noticed something off within his eyes, something that she couldn't decipher. Nodding curtly to him, Anne rushed back to the mansion with a child on her hip.
Athos was left to himself and to his thoughts, that were wandering in the dark places.