Duplicity
Chapter Two
No-one was late. Well before seven o'clock the Musketeers had arranged themselves in four rows in the courtyard to await the arrival of their new commanding officer. Athos and his friends had, quite deliberately, taken up positions in the rear rank. The church bells chimed the hour. They continued to wait. It was a warm morning.
"Evidently punctuality is not one of his virtues," Aramis said.
Athos contemplated his boots. He'd spent an hour cleaning and polishing them. Dust, stirred by a faint breeze, drifted over them, undoing much of his hard work. His well-worn uniform was as presentable as he could make it.
By the time LeGrange arrived they were all getting restless. An immediate silence fell.
"Good morning," LeGrange said, stripping off gloves that were more decorative than practical and which must have cost a great deal of money. "I assume everyone is here." He looked them over. "Well, let us see what Treville has left me with." He walked along the first row, stopping to inspect each man. It was an uncomfortable and prolonged process.
Eventually he reached Athos and his gaze was openly hostile. "Let me see your sword."
Athos drew it from the scabbard, having no fear that LeGrange would find anything to criticize. LeGrange took it from him, holding the blade across his palms to inspect it. Athos repressed the urge to snatch it from him. It almost felt like sacrilege to have this odious man handle it. After examining it minutely LeGrange returned it and moved on to Aramis.
"Your pistol," he said, holding out his hand.
Athos almost smiled. Anyone who knew Aramis would be aware of the tender loving care he lavished on his firearms. He could sense the disappointment as, once again, LeGrange found nothing amiss.
"You four will accompany me to the Palace." His gaze swept over Athos, Aramis, Porthos and d'Artagnan. Without waiting for a response, he returned to the front. "The exhibition field at the back of the Palace has been put at my disposal. You will each demonstrate your ability with sword, pistol and in hand-to-hand combat. The King has graciously consented to attend. You will ensure that you don't disgrace the Regiment. I have no patience for mediocrity. The trials will begin in one hour. You are dismissed."
As Athos hurried back to his room to collect his cloak he wondered why they had been singled out. When he returned to the stables he found he wasn't the only one who was worried.
"Why us?" d'Artagnan asked.
"I don't know." Porthos heaved the saddle over his horse's back. "But I don't like it. He's just waitin' for us to do somethin' wrong."
"I have to agree." Aramis finished buckling the bridle and led his horse outside.
LeGrange was waiting for them. "About time. It doesn't do to keep the King waiting."
TMTMTM
The King was lounging on his throne when the Musketeers arrived. Rochefort, as usual, was standing close by. None of the other courtiers were present. They stopped a respectful distance away and bowed. LeGrange walked closer to the throne before stopping and bowing.
"Ah. Captain LeGrange. How is your new command?" the King asked.
"Frankly, Sire, it's a shambles."
Athos could feel his anger rising, all the more potent because of a lack of outlet. He didn't dare look at his friends who would certainly be feeling the same.
"The Musketeers is supposed to be an elite regiment, yet Treville admitted men with no pedigree, and overlooked behaviour that any other commander would have punished severely."
Louis sat up and frowned. "I would remind you that I commissioned every one of them. Are you saying I made a mistake?"
"Certainly not, Majesty," Rochefort said. "I think what the Captain is trying to say is that you were misled and, in some cases, left in ignorance."
"I like Treville," the King said plaintively. "He never let me down until he refused to kill that Emilie woman. He was always plain spoken. He wouldn't have lied to me."
"Perhaps Captain LeGrange has some examples to prove his point."
A tight knot formed in Athos' stomach but he managed to keep his face expressionless as LeGrange turned towards the four of them.
"You see before you, Sire, four men who do not deserve the honour of wearing the Musketeer uniform." He pointed towards Athos. "He is a drunkard. Aramis is a notorious womanizer, well known for seducing married women." His face showed his contempt as his gaze fell on Porthos. "This one crawled out of the Court of Miracles. Who knows what crimes he's committed, yet here he stands in your exalted presence. And, finally, we have a callow farm boy from Gascony with no military experience."
By this stage Athos was seething. He couldn't refute the allegations against himself and Aramis but the insult to Porthos and d'Artagnan cut deep.
The King's anger had also been building. However, it was unleashed in an entirely unexpected direction. "Each of these men have proved their courage and loyalty on more than one occasion. They have saved my life and the life of the Queen. I find it admirable that Porthos moved beyond his upbringing and pledged his life in my service. As for d'Artagnan, he earned his commission and has proved to be a worthy addition to the Regiment. Athos and Aramis might have their faults but they always do their duty. I think, Captain, that you should spend more time getting to know your men before passing judgement. You may go."
TMTMTM
Aramis was worried. Since being dismissed from the King's presence Porthos hadn't said a word. His anger on behalf of his friend was burning hot, yet there was no indication from Porthos' face or demeanour that he had been affected by LeGrange's cruel words.
"Porthos."
"He's right, isn't he? What he said about me. I grew up in the Court and did plenty of things I'm not proud of."
"You did what was necessary to survive. You also left all that behind you and have prospered as a highly valued and respected soldier."
"LeGrange doesn't value me highly."
"Perhaps not, but the King does. You heard what he said."
Porthos stopped walking. "That was a surprise."
"Not to me. Without the King's support LeGrange can't dismiss you from the regiment because of your past and he certainly won't be able to allege lack of ability. Don't let his spite drive you away."
"No chance of that. I worked too hard to get here, unlike him. I can't see him havin' got his hands dirty."
"It's very unlikely, yet we have to offer him respect as our Captain." Those words left a sour taste in Aramis' mouth.
"I'd rather offer him my fist."
"That is a sentiment we can all agree with," Athos said. He and d'Artagnan had walked back to join them.
"What about you, d'Artagnan? He might have been right a year ago, but is well wide of the mark now," Aramis said.
"Everyone has to start somewhere." D'Artagnan shrugged off the criticism. "I wonder if he has any military experience?"
"Good point," Athos said. "I think it might be well worth our while to find out more about him. For now, though, he is expecting a demonstration of our skills. We shouldn't disappoint him."
Tbc