Anne was pacing in her room, her hands shaking. Suddenly, she wheeled and ran from her room.
One of her attendants hurried after her. "Milady?"
Anne ran threw the early evening, toward her little chapel in the palace garden. She had no idea what a tragic but romantic sight she made. All dressed in gray, with her long hair streaming out behind her as she ran.
Up in his room, D'Artagnan stood to his feet. He had been waiting to see Anne. But not like this. She was not with her retinue of attendants. But she was running to the chapel.
Anne reached the door and found a few nuns and an old priest praying in the little chapel. She staggered forward to the altar and fell to her knees.
The nuns and priest stood. When they saw the Queen Mother weeping at the altar, they all quietly filed out to leave her into the solitude she obviously wanted.
"Oh God…" wept Anne. "Please…Forgive me…"
"Milady?"
Anne jumped to her feet and whirled. "D'Artagnan!"
D'Artagnan came forward slowly. "What…"
"No!" cried Anne. "Stay back! Stay back!"
He froze.
Anne held her hands out toward him as if warding off a blow.
D'Artagnan was torn inside. He wanted nothing more than to her hold even if it was only for a few precious moments. "Anne…"
It was the way he said her name that caused her resolve to break down. "D'Artagnan!" She burst into tears again and ran to him. She threw herself into his arms.
He crushed her to him.
She raised her face to him. "Kiss me," she whispered. "Kiss me, please!"
D'Artagnan kissed her deeply. These times with her where short but sweet. And he clung to them. "If anyone sees, it could be death…"
"If I don't kiss you, I die anyway," said Anne.
"I can't bear to see you cry," said D'Artagnan. "What's wrong?"
Anne froze. The thoughts of answering that question… "Nothing. Nothing." Slowly, she backed away. "Nothing. I must go now," she said.
And just like that, their moment was gone.
D'Artagnan and Anne moved back to the palace, she walking ahead and him trailing like a proper commoner, several feet behind.
They reached her rooms and D'Artagnan opened the door for her. She glided in and kept her eyes lowered.
"Anne!" said D'Artagnan.
She looked up.
"I know…I know that to love you is treason against France. But not to love you…is treason against my heart."
"Then we will both die traitors, D'Artagnan."