Celeste instantly raised hers. "D'Artagnan!"
D'Artagnan wasn't even the least surprise. "The way is blocked. The Captain of the Bastille has turned back from the mission I sent him on and is in the courtyard with a party of men."
Aramis and Porthos raised their swords as well but Athos kept his right where it was. "He lies," he said. "He is here to trap us!"
Celeste's sword flashed up and she knocked Athos's sword aside. "Do not threaten my Uncle," she said firmly.
D'Artagnan looked at Athos. "I came to see you safely out. Check for yourself."
Athos stared at him, his eyes hard.
"Do you really think I would try and get my own niece killed?" snapped D'Artagnan, coming swiftly to the end of his rope. He knew they had only a matter of minuets before the halls and corridors of the Bastille would be swarming with guards.
Porthos climbed the stairs to check.
D'Artagnan looked at Phillippe, still in the mask. "All you have suffered, I would gladly have borne myself to keep it from you."
Phillippe stared at him.
Athos spit on the ground and Celeste raised her hand as if to backhand him but stopped. "Do not start, Athos," she said warningly.
Porthos came barreling down the stairway. "D'Artagnan is right! The courtyard is filling with soldiers!"
"This way," said D'Artagnan. He started quickly down a side corridor.
Celeste, Phillippe, Aramis and Porthos followed without hesitation. Athos heisted, then followed.
"Where are we going?" asked Celeste softly.
"To the side courtyard door," said D'Artagnan.
"But…"
D'Artagnan raised his hand, silencing her. "It's the least I can do, after the things and mistakes I have made tonight."
"I cannot…"
"No more." D'Artagnan looked at her, his brown eyes full of loyalty. "Get as far away from here as you, Celeste."
"I cannot leave you."
"You must." D'Artagnan led them around another corner, into a long, narrow corridor. At the end of it, was a massive door. They reached it and D'Artagnan produced a set of keys marked with the royal seal of the Musketeers. He began unlocking the three padlocks that secured the door.
"Once you are through, don't stop till you reach the river."
"They will know you helped us, if we go this way," said Aramis.
"That doesn't matter now." D'Artagnan glanced at Celeste, his eyes full of his love for her, and swung the door open. "Go."
They stepped out but stopped.
Louis and his platoon where just coming into the courtyard.
"There!" shouted Louis. "Stop them!"
Celeste gasped. She grabbed Phillippe's arm.
Phillippe stared at his brother for a spilt second and then pushed Celeste behind him.
"Betrayed!" cried Athos. He glared at D'Artagnan and drew his sword.
"Celeste!" shouted Aramis. "Get back!"
Celeste froze behind Phillippe.
The young musketeers with Louis, jumped down from their horses.
D'Artagnan reached out and grabbed Phillippe and Celeste and jerked them back inside. The other three jumped back as well and Celeste slammed the door. D'Artagnan quickly relocked it.
"Back the way we came!" cried Aramis. He grabbed Celeste's arm and ran.
"Phillippe!" she cried and turned her head.
"I'm coming." He ran behind her. "Go!"
D'Artagnan grabbed her other arm and shoved her to make her go faster. He turned and looked back at the door they had just locked. He prayed with all his might that none of Louis's musketeers had the keys he had.
They raced back up the corridor and turned the corner. They had come to another inner door and jerked it open.
The soldiers from the Bastille were coming at them.
Aramis jerked Celeste back. "Back!"
Celeste was sick and tired of being drug here, jerked there. She jerked her arm free. She drew her pistol and aimed it at the soldiers and fired.
They stopped, surprised that a young and beautiful girl like her would even have a pistol.
They retreated and Porthos slammed the door. Like all the doors in the Bastille, it was made from heavy wood and Porthos sealed it with a huge iron bar. But now there was no where else for them to run.
For the first time in her life, Celeste felt a tinge of fear. But she slapped it away and quickly reloaded her pistol.
"Trapped," said Athos.
At the far end of the narrow corridor, Louis's musketeers where working on the door.
"Well," said D'Artagnan. "Let's see if we still remember what we learned." He looked at Celeste and his heart sank. He reached out and touched her cheek. He couldn't say anything but only sighed.
Celeste managed a smile. She stood on tip toe and kissed her Uncle's cheek, for what may be the last time. She took off her hat and her thick black hair, contained in one thick braid, spilled down her back. She tossed the hat aside. "Let's see if you taught me well enough, D'Artagnan." She stepped into the corridor and raised her pistol.
They stood shoulder to shoulder, Celeste in between D'Artagnan and Aramis. And Athos next to D'Artagnan and Porthos on the other side of Aramis, all with their pistols drawn. They had formed a wall between Louis's men and Phillippe.
The door bust open and Louis's men poured in.
"Charge them!" shouted Louis.
The young musketeers charged down the narrow corridor.
The pistols fired and five men fell, wounded. Then swords where drawn and the four veteran musketeers and Celeste fought. The battle in cramped confines of the corridor was bloody and fierce. The young attackers could only get a few men into the fight at a time and the few who came before the famous Musketeers and Celeste where instantly cut down.
Celeste kept her face hard but she did not kill one man. She wounded several but couldn't bring herself to kill the musketeers she had spent so much of her time with.
Louis's men began to retreat.
Louis was furious. He jumped at Andre, who was dragging a wounded comrade back from the fight. "Cowards!" he shouted. "Twenty run from four and a girl?"
"The corridor nullifies out number," said Andre. "And no one has the stomach to fight the Captain and Celeste."
Louis's face filled with disgust. "D'Artagnan!" he called. "Celeste?"
His voice echoed down the hallway and around the corner where the four musketeers, Celeste and Phillippe where standing.
D'Artagnan and Celeste looked at each other.
"I am not angry with the two of you," said Louis. "I knew you would lead me to them and so you have done. Both of you, lay down your swords and I will not punish you. And I will give your friends a swift execution, if you surrender. Now!"
His words bounced off the hallway and echoed in their ears.
Celeste smiled slightly. "What a generous offer," she mummered.
D'Artagnan stood there, holding his sword and looking at his friends and niece.
Aramis looked at Celeste. "You must accept…"
"No," said Celeste. "I will not."
Aramis looked at D'Artagnan. "D'Artagnan. You cannot let her die here."
"He lets me do nothing,'" said Celeste. "I chose to stay here with you, Aramis. Not matter the ending." Then she looked at Phillippe and smiled brilliantly. "This is the end that I would chose above all. To die for my King."
Aramis looked at D'Artagnan. "Will you not at least accept his offer? For we are dead anyway."
"He is right, D'Artagnan," said Porthos.
Athos said nothing. But when D'Artagnan looked at him, he lowered his eyes. He was ashamed for ever having doubt D'Artagnan's loyalty and friendship. "D'Artagnan," he said softly. "I can think of no better honor than to die side by side with my best friend." He looked up and his eyes where full of tears. "Can you ever forgive me?"
D'Artagnan smiled. "There is nothing to forgive, Athos. Nothing."
"Wait."
All eyes went to Phillippe, wretched looking in his mask.
"Bargin me to Louis," said Phillippe. "For all your lives. You have done your best. Let me go, and all of your find peace." He looked at Celeste. "You, who gave me peace in a lifetime of war, cannot die because me."
Celeste smiled. She raised her bloody sword and saluted him. "As I said before, what better honor for me, than to die for my true king?"
Phillippe looked at D'Artagnan.
"No," said D'Artagnan. "Even if I could give up my friends…" His eyes bore in Phillippe's. "I could never give up my son."