Aramis led Porthos through tunnels that twisted wildly, all the while leading downward.

Porthos's eyes where wide. "Aramis…is this the way to hell?"

Aramis smiled slightly. "Hell may be our destination, Porthos, but not this trip." They reached an iron door and Aramis opened it.

They entered a beautiful chapel. Candles where everywhere, illuminating master pieces of art along the walls.

Celeste moved about, still in her pink and white dress, lightening the candles.

Porthos's eyes where wide as he looked around. "Where are we?"

Aramis smiled slightly. "Jesus of Nazareth found the holy among the profane. If we are to have a place of private prayer, where better than here, beside the channels where garbage runs into the river?"

Porthos wandered around the room for a moment. Suddenly he stopped and peered closely at the wall. He found himself face to face with a corpse, enclosed behind glass. He jumped backwards. "Mary, mother of God!"

Celeste giggled. "Not hardly."

"It is also a place of burial," said Aramis seriously.

Celeste looked at him.

He winked at her.

"A tomb!" squeaked Porthos.

Celeste looked at him.

Aramis continued looking at Celeste for a long moment.

"We're in a tomb?" Porthos swallowed hard.

Aramis nodded. "Catacombs. Very holy."

Porthos looked at the bodies warily.

Celeste continued lightening the candles behind Aramis.

He turned and watched her. "You look beautiful tonight, Celeste."

She turned and looked at him. "Thank you."

"But the roses are dying."

Celeste reached up and pulled down one of the roses. It was starting to wilt. "I put them in this morning, while I was in the gardens," she explained softly.

Suddenly the back door opened.

Porthos almost jumped out of his skin. "Yaaaaahhhh!"

A figure hooded in black, entered.

"Relax you big fool, its D'Artagnan," said Aramis.

D'Artagnan removed the hood from his cloak. He blinked at Celeste who was standing behind Aramis. "Celeste!"

Celeste swallowed hard. "D'Artagnan," she said softly. Tonight was a night that much would come to light. And who knew how it would end.

Porthos jumped again when the back door opened and Athos strode in. He stopped when he saw D'Artagnan and Celeste.

D'Artagnan looked at him for a long moment.

"It's alright," said Aramis as he offered his hand to Celeste.

She took it and he seated her at table in the center of the room. D'Artagnan sat next to her and Aramis on her other side.

Porthos and Athos sat opposite of them.

"D'Artagnan was the one who warned us that he'd been given an order for your arrest, Athos," said Aramis.

Celeste looked at her Uncle. "What?"

D'Artagnan nodded. "Louis," he said softly.

Celeste said nothing else.

"Here you have sanctuary." Aramis looked at D'Artagnan, "Does he not, D'Artagnan?"

D'Artagnan said nothing, but simply stared at Athos. His friend seemed to have ages twenty years in one day.

"Look at us," said Aramis. "We are, with the exception of Celeste, old men now. But once we were young. And when we saw injustice, we fought against it."

"We have grown wiser with age. Now we know that some problems cannot be settled with a sword," said D'Artagnan.

"And some problems cannot be settled without one," retorted Athos.

"Well, here is the problem at hand: the King has ordered me to discover the identity of the Governor General of the Jesuits, and kill him. As our English rivals have left the Catholic Church, Louis has struck on a plan to dominate the whole of Europe by uniting Church and State and making himself the head of both. He has already picked the Pope. Only the Jesuits, who put God above throne or papacy, stand in his way."

"But…doesn't God ordain both Pope and King?" asked Porthos.

"So they tell us," said Celeste. But what are we to believe when the king is tyrant and the church, meant to stand for all those oppressed has become the tool of oppression? When no conscience is tolerated? No dissent, no objection?"

"It is a weighty problem," said Porthos. "But perhaps you should leave it to this secret General f the Jesuits, whoever he might be."

"Easy to say, but hard to do," said Aramis. "For what I am trying to tell you is that I am the Governor General of Jesuits in France." He looked at Celeste.

"And I am the only female Jesuit," she said softly.

There was a stunned silence. D'Artagnan stared first Aramis, then at Celeste. Athos and Porthos stared at Celeste. Then all eyes went to Aramis, save D'Artagnan's. He continued staring at Celeste. She met his gaze steadily.

"I can assure you, D'Artagnan, that the Jesuits where not behind all the latest assignation attempts," said Celeste.

"What do you propose to do now?" asked Athos.

"Replace the king," said Celeste.

"I cannot listen to this!" exclaimed D'Artagnan.

Celeste looked at him.

"It can't be done," said Porthos.

"It can," said Celeste. "I know the way."

"I am with you," said Athos instantly.

"No!" cried D'Artagnan. "Stop…" His eyes where wide.

"I will need you all," said Aramis, his eyes on D'Artagnan. "All for one. One for all."

D'Artagnan jumped to his feet. "You….You cannot ask me to betray my King! I have sworn to him!"

Celeste stood. "D'Artagnan, please!"

"Celeste, how can you…" began D'Artagnan.

"It is honor you and I serve, D'Artagnan," said Celeste. "But Louis has none."

"When the king is dishonorable, you are removed from your oath of honor," said Athos.

Celeste turned to him. "That's not true, Athos."

"An oath is an oath precisely because it cannot be removed!" said D'Artagnan.

"Why do you follow him, D'Artagnan! Why!" shouted Athos. "I know you have put service above your own life, but why does the King deserve such loyalty? He is a monster! He has no honor!"

A queer looked passed over Celeste's face when Athos asked D'Artagnan those questions.

D'Artagnan shook his head. "No man is all bad…or all good. I believe…I must believe….that Louis can learn. And perhaps I can help him."

Celeste stared at her Uncle.

Athos jumped to his feet and glared at D'Artagnan. "Aramis, Whatever the plan…I am in it!" He pointed a finger at D'Artagnan. "The next time we meet, one of will die!"

"No!" cried Celeste. She jumped forward and wrapped her arms around her Uncle. "No!"

D'Artagnan automatically hugged her to him. He stared at Athos, stricken.

Athos stormed out the door he had come in.

Aramis sighed. "Porthos, see to Athos, won't you?"

Porthos stood and went after Athos.

Aramis sat still and watched Celeste and D'Artagnan.

"How can you do this?" asked D'Artagnan.

"Please," begged Celeste. "Don't hate me. Don't refuse me. I know you won't help us. I know that you cannot help us. But please, say you don't hate me!" she pleaded, her eyes filling with crystal tears.

D'Artagnan looked at her for a long moment. Then his hands came up and he framed her dear face. He kissed her forehead and held her close. "I could never hate you," he whispered. "Never."

Celeste buried her face in his chest as her tears fell.

D'Artagnan rested his chin on the top of her head and his eyes met Aramis's for a moment. Then he looked away.

At last Celeste looked at him. "You fight for honor, Uncle. And good. As do I. But you are loyal to Louis and he has lost mine." Her eyes where filled with a deep and profound sadness. "I'm sorry."

"As am I," said D'Artagnan. "Sorry that I cannot help you."

Aramis stood. "I have heard many confessions, D'Artagnan. But even if I were not a priest, I could tell your heart has a secret weight, and it is hurting you to carry it alone."

He does not carry it alone, Celeste wanted nothing more than to shout those words. But she couldn't. Instead she shivered slightly.

D'Artagnan held Celeste even close. "The secret I carry I cannot share. Not even with God." He kissed Celeste once more and then slowly released her and moved to the door. "I cannot betray Louis. I will defend him with my life."

Celeste clenched her hands together and her tears came faster. "D'Artagnan…"

D'Artagnan looked at her. "I understand," he said softly. "I swear to you I do. But I cannot. And please, do not ask it of me, Celeste. For I find in my heart, that I can refuse you nothing."

"God go with you, D'Artagnan," whispered Celeste. "For I will not ask it of you. And I will return to the palace later."

D'Artagnan left them alone.

Aramis came forward and placed his hands on Celeste's shoulders. "It was a hard choice you made."

Celeste stared after her Uncle. "He could not have gone against Louis, Aramis. He couldn't have."

Aramis turned her around. He touched her cheek. "I'm sorry," he said softly. "I can see now you bear the weight of D'Artagnan's secret."

Celeste looked at him for a long moment. "Yes, I do. Though he does not know it. And I will not betray his confidence."

Aramis looked into her blue eyes. "Since that day I kissed you to make a point to Porthos…I couldn't forget it. I told myself over and over…that I was a servant of God. It was against the vows I had made. But nothing I told myself made sense. This mission…its ludicrous. And who knows what will happen in it. But I must tell you before we start…I love you, Celeste. I love you more than anything else on this earth."