Chapter 3: Deadly Secrets

She wasn't going to ignore it. The closer they got to the General, the more Cosette didn't want to have to kill the General if the boys didn't show up. Cosette took the keys that were on the guard and used them to unlock a cell door. She pointed a pistol at Lucie for show and opened the door. Then she levelled it up at the man in front of her.

"Change of plan," said Cosette as the door was closed. "Shh." She assumed this man was General de Foix.

"General," Cosette said silently.

"What's going on?" The General asked.

: He's a Musketeer," Lucie explained "His name's d'Artagnan."

Cosette was silently grateful Lucie didn't call her by her gender or her real name. She looked and saw that the General was not alone, he had a Governor with him.

"So, what do you propose to do now?" The Governor sneered.

"First, stop your talking," Cosette answered. She took her scarf and gagged him while also tying his hands behind his back.

"What is your plan?" said General De Foix"

"For now, we wait, sir," Cosette said. She was trying to put her finger on why this man was so familiar. But she couldn't put her finger on it.

"The guards check on me every hour," said de Foix.

"If my friends survived, they will be here soon," Cosette answered. Seriously, this man looked familiar. She'd seen him before.

"We should make a run for it," Lucie said and Charlotte shook her head.

"No, no, we'll never get more than a few yards. We wait."

"Your friends are dead," she hissed. "We have to save ourselves."

Cosette wasn't going to have it. Her brothers were not dead, they just couldn't be.

"We don't know that," said Cosette.

The boys they couldn't be dead. They just couldn't be. She ignored the looks the General de Foix was giving her and instead, focused on the prison door. For the past hour, nothing. Cosette had no choice. She took her gun out and pointed it at the General.

"I'm sorry," Cosette said, tears coming down her face, "but I have my orders." She pointed it at de Foix.

"I understand, Cosette," General said. He showed his hands to her but Cosette's hand shook.

"How do you know my real name?" Cosette said. She wavered.

"I knew you, when you were just a little girl," said the general. "Treville and I knew each other. Treville introduced us when you would come and visit him in Paris."

Cosette remembered coming to Paris when she was a little girl. That was why he was so familiar. She had been remembering the general this whole time. But she had only been six at the time.

"I can't do it..." Cosette said. She quickly discarded the pistol when suddenly the door burst open. Lucie looked like she wanted to kill her. But the young woman wouldn't relent on their attacker. She was shaken up, she pulled out her dagger.

"Guys, you...you're not dead?" she asked.

"Sorry to disappoint you, d'Artagnan," said Athos. Aramis and Porthos themselves sagged in relief.

"Yeah, not even close," said Porthos. He looked at the general. "General de Foix, I presume?"

"Yes," answered the general.

Lucie wasted no time, when she came and went to strike D'Artagnan. However, the general pulled his sister away from her.

"D'Artagnan was doing his duty. I bear him no ill will and nor should you. Gentlemen, this is my sister, Lucie."

"Sister?" Athos hissed. He looked at Rochefort. "Why didn't you tell us she was here?"

"A woman's presence can only hinder our escape." was his response. Cosette could have went over and kill him, but Porthos grabbed her arm to prevent her from doing something stupid.

"If my sister stays, I stay," said the General.

"It's settled, she comes with us," said Athos.

Now, they had to find a way to get out of here.

A few hours later...

Aramis, Porthos, Cosette, and Athos walked back to the garrison. Cosette hoped that everything was going to be okay with the general that he was going to make a recovery. Lucie came by and expressed thanks towards Cosette for not killing her brother. Despite her brother's wound being infected she knew he'd pull through. Actually, Cosette was not mad about the have that the King credited Rochefort for what the Musketeers had done. Cosette respected the King but she had to admit, he was such an idiot

She shook that all off as she approached Henry, who came across, where he sat right next to her. Wordlessly, they held each other's hands.

However, they quickly separated them when they saw Porthos and Aramis coming over.

"D'Art, can we have a moment?" Aramis asked. Cosette looked at Henry, and so did Aramis. "Alone."

Henry, still terrified of Aramis, nodded.

"I'll see you later, Cos," Henry whispered in her ear. He pats her hand one last time before heading out to training.

"We've been thinking," said Porthos, after a long silence. "That when you're ready, we can tell Athos."

"No more waiting, Cosette," said Aramis with a smile. "We support your decision. Constance was right. We should tell Athos.

Cosette nodded but they saw the look of doubt on her face. She was contemplated. But she couldn't go through with it.

"I can't," Cosette said. Along the way back home, Cosette figured that maybe, it was best Athos never found out. Look, I've seen how you guys have come to see through my welfare and I love you for that brothers," the two smiled at her.

"But I think it's better if we didn't tell Athos today. Or for a while. When he finds out..." She stopped herself.

"He'll never let you on another mission again." Porthos finished for her.

"Cosette ..." Aramis began. Athos interrupted them.

"Okay, guys, what was it you wanted to share with me?" Athos asked. The group looked at Athos. Cosette looked insecure about this. The three of them shouldn't tell Athos anything.

"Oh, it was nothing important," said Cosette. Athos raised an eyebrow. Without Another word, Cosette walked out to the courtyard, where she saw Constance.

"You heard all of that, didn't you?" Cosette asked. The older woman nodded.

"Yes, I uh, the Queen sent me to check on the general," answered Constance. Cosette was actually surprised. That was the only thing she had to say? Nothing about Athos? Or the fact that get identity to him is still a secret.

"He's weaker, "Cosette answered" but Constance, why?"

"Why what?" she asked.

"Why do I always make things worse?"

"Don't say that," said Constance.

"I have to, this secret is not being revealed to Athos yet just because I'm too scared for myself."

"Yes," said Constance. "I thought you were going to tell him."

"Well, I didn't Constance, and you want to know why? Because, if I tell Athos, he will do everything in his power to make sure I am well protected, never wield a sword again. Worse case scenario, I break his heart. Or he'll have me executed."

"Cosette, enough," snapped Constance.

"But he will. The last time a person he cares for lied to him, he had her hanged from a tree!"

"Athos wouldn't do that, he loves you. "

"Well he loved Milady, but when he found out she was a traitor, they executed her. I am just like her.

"Don't say that," said Constance. "Cosette, you're not Milady."

"But I am. Like Milady, I put on disguises, I manipulate people and I also hurt people that I care about and who cares about me."

"Cosette, please," said Constance. "You have to tell Athos. You're my best friend, my sister, I just don't want you to get hurt. And neither would Athos, or your sisters, or, your brothers."

"I'm sorry, Constance," said Cosette. "But I can't see y anything to Athos. I just want to be left alone."

And without another word, Cosette walked away from her best friend and back into her Chambers as she broke down crying, not sure where the future would lead her now. For now, she joined her brothers alone in the tavern.

"The captain made a mistake," said Cosette. She stuffed food in her mouth.

"He's a soldier born and bred," said Athos. "It's not easy for a man with a good heart to learn the dirty business of politics."

"France needs an honest man by the king's side," said Porthos.

"Better the captain than Rochefort," said Aramis.

"Who will look out for France now?"Athos asked.

"At least the mission was a success," said Porthos. "France's secrets are safe."

"De Foix is dying," said Athos as he leaned on the table.

"We did everything we could," said Aramis, as he cleaned his pistol.

"Obviously not enough," said Cosette.

"With the cardinal gone," said Athos as he picked up his hat and dusted it off, "I thought our world would be safer. Now I'm not so sure."

Cosette watched as Athos left the tavern. She then looked at Aramis and Porthos.

"Are you sure you want this, Cosette?" said Aramis. "Because its best if Athos knew. You need another person in on the secret, Cosette. We can't keep lying to him."

Cosette shook her head. "You don't get it, Aramis, you don't get it. It's my secret, not yours. So, can we just drop it?"

The boys looked at her, but Cosette looked away. She stomped out of the tavern, ignoring the boys' glares at her. She ran into the garrison through her room and began crying. This dream of being a Musketeer was a Nightmare. Now Rochefort was in charge, and influencing the king while Treville is probably regretting not taking the job as the First Minister of France. Cosette heard a knock at her door and she approached it. She opened it to Henry.

"Hey," Henry said with a smile. Cosette couldn't help but return it.

"Hi," Cosette said.

"You look like you could use someone for a companion," said Henry and Cosette smiled. She brought him in for a kiss and let the door close behind them.