Disclaimer: Still do not own The Musketeers (Dang!)

I apologize for such short chapters but that is just how they have worked out so far.

I forgot to say this in the first post but this is inspired by BBC's The Musketeers.

WANING: Here begins the reason this story is rated, T

Chapter 1 Shattered Pieces

"Your funeral was lovely so I was told," the King said shrewdly smirking in disgust as he added, "The Queen did not leave her Chambers for three days after she heard the news. And I can not even tell you the stopper your friends are in though their fighting on the battlefield has improved ten fold perhaps I should have told them of your demise sooner thought it pains me to see Tréville in so much pain, alas not everything can be perfect. . ."

The King continued to ramble on and on but Aramis had long ago stopped listening as his already shattered heart broke again into even more tiny pieces as he pictured his brothers charging into battle to ignore their grief and it was his fault. And yet he could not bring himself to regret the decision he had made over a month or so ago ( he had given up on counting the days) because they were still alive and Anne was still able to raise their son. Though he was not necessarily tortured physically he new at the rate thing were going mentally he would never be the same. He had had little to no contact with any other human being except the few times the King had come to visit and the occasional visit from his guards bringing menial food and water along with the occasional contest of who could hurt the musketeer the most.

"Aramis?" King Louis ask.

Aramis blinked staring back up at the King where he sat shackled in his dark cell. "Yes, your Majesty?" Aramis asked back with as much reverence as he could though falling short.

"Have you heard anything I have said?" He asked cruelly a small smirk spreading across his faces as if he already knew the answer and what he was going to do about it.

"No, Majesty, I'm sorry, I have not," Aramis answered back flatly completely unable to make his voice sound apologetic at all.

"Hmmm," The King said thoughtfully then he turned to a man Aramis had not noticed before leaning against the wall hidden in the shadows. " Grimaud, would you come forward I'd like to officially introduce you to my ex-most loyal musketeer."

The was the king had said this made Aramis involuntarily shiver he had never heard such malice in his majesty's voice before and it scared him as he knew the king had finally come to a decision on what exactly to do with him. As Aramis looked to this man Grimaud the terror in him grew as he remembered the last time he had been there. It had been a few weeks or so after his initial imprisonment the King had come for his first visit to inform him that he had just set out the letter of his death to Tréville and he had brought his older half-brother Phillip and this man Grimaud who had terrified him then. Though Aramis had still no idea why the King had brought them all they had done was stare at him for a full ten minutes then left.

"You see," His Majesty continued bringing Aramis out of his own mind, "I have come to the conclusion that I do not know how to properly punish you but, Grimaud here had a most wonderful idea and since you still seem to hold little or no respect for me YOUR KING I have decided to leave him in charge of you for the next few months or so. Grimaud would you mind explaining his first punishment." The King turned to the man and nodded sending a malicious smile towards Aramis which made his stomach churn.

Grimaud 's smile was cruel and yet his eyes help a malicious kind of joy behind them as he held up an Iron bridle the kind that inquisition would normally put on a woman who would speak their mind. Aramis heart sank. "I have heard you are a very religious man and you take comfort in reciting hymns and prayers. Well, I'm sorry to say you will not be able to do that for a while."

As Grimaud entered his cell Aramis rose to a crouching position ready to fight he was not going to make this easy for him however the King seemed to know what he was thinking so said casually yet coolly, "You might want to cooperate I still have the document for Anne's exile it only need my seal and signature."

Aramis froze for a second then knelt down in defeat closing his eyes as he felt the cooled flat taste of iron in his mouth and around his nose and head and with a loud audible Click as he faced the lock on the back Aramis fought hard to keep his fear in check. "Don't worry I'll be back in a couple of days or so to remove it," Grimaud said in a mock-soothing tone leaving Aramis alone in his dark cell with only his horrifying thoughts for company.

Battlefield off the French and Spanish border

Athos walked up to the fire near Porthos' tent he saw the large man sitting by it staring blankly into the dancing flames. Athos sight it had been nearly a year since they had gotten the news of Aramis' death and still, Porthos refuse to participate in any celebration what so ever he had even stopped gambling. D'Artagnan his young protose sat next to his brother in a near identical stopper though he knew his youngest brother was currently missing his wife for in a couple of weeks it would be their first wedding anniversary and he could not go see her. He new Carbanion mist Aramis just as much as himself and Porthos. It had been hard for all of them.

Once only a few days ago when they had just resumed Porthos from the Spanish and were on their way back. Do to some head trauma Porthos had asked where Aramis was and why he wasn't already 'fussing over him like a mother hen' before he remembered Aramis would not be coming back again. That had nearly brought them all to tears until D'Artagnan had said "He probably is looking down at us right now doing just that Porthos." that had brought an all to fleeting and rare brief smile to the once exuberant man. Athos' heart hurt like he could barely breathe sometimes and because they had not had a body to early he still half expected the Spaniard to come joining up and asking them jokingly you really thought I was dead Athos. He sighed and smiled softly to himself as he went to sit next to his brothers. Before he could a messenger boy stopped him and handed him a folded parchment he thanked the lad and unconsciously gave him a coin as he turned the letter over to see the seal of her Majesty Queen Anne.

The Palace gardens

Anne walked side by side with Constance enjoying the rare visit from her former lady-in-waiting and confidante. "So," Constance was saying, "You asked Athos to come back how did you get the King to accept that?"

"I told him that I needed to go to the country house that my absence might help with the tension the people are feeling towards the Queen with Spanish blood and I could use an excursion and that would allow Athos to also check in on the garrison and cadets whom could be recommended as musketeers to Louis. Also with me away that would give him time to our son that he hasn't had in awhile."

"But your Majesty why send for Athos now. I now you have been looking for proof Aramis is alive. Have you found some."

Anne nodded and held out a rosary to Constance careful so as to make sure they were not being observed. The Rosary was worn out wood with a small silver crucifix fixed to the wooden cross at the beginning of it. Constance gasped quickly regaining control over her emotions as she whispered almost inaudibly. "That's. .that's. .Ara. . ."

Anne nodded finishing Constance's sentence just as quietly, "yes it's Aramis' I found it in Phillips rooms after I saw it in the hands of his shadow man Grimaud. Aramis would never be without if and if he had been killed by the Spanish they would have buried him with it. So how did it get to France? How did it get into the vile man's hand? And for that matter why did he give it to Philip? Also, why did Philip never acknowledged it was missing? Constance, there are too many questions and not enough answers for me to make sense of this I need Athos' musketeer mind."

Somewhere in the northern French countryside

Aramis tried to slow his breathing it had been an eternity since the King and Grimaud left his cell and with no way to tell time every minute felt like hours and every hour felt like months. And he fought the loneliness as it tried to consume him utterly. He closed his eye and pictured Anne with their son alive, well, and together he calmed as tears streamed down his face.

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