"No!" screamed Celeste. her sword fell from her hands. Her eyes where wide with horror.

D'Artagnan's face jolted and he fell.

Athos and Aramis caught him before he fell to the floor and gently lowered him to the cold floor. Celeste knelt and took his head in her lap. Blood was gushing from his shoulder, top what seemed to her, to be an alarming rate.

"D'Artagnan!" she cried.

Phillippe stared at her. And his Father.

The knife was still in Louis' hand. Blood dripped from the end of it. Even he seemed stunned at what he had done.

"D'Artagnan!" wailed Celeste. Her tears fell on his face.

Everyone was staring at Louis. The older musketeers, the young ones…and Phillippe.

Phillippe's eyes where blazing. "You!" he hissed. "Vicious…evil…!" He leapt at Louis, knocking the dagger out of his hand and gripping his throat. They crashed to ground and Phillippe pinned Louis down, strangling him.

"Phillippe! No…Don't…He is your brother," gasped out D'Artagnan.

Celeste clamped her hand over his wound. The blood oozed slowly between her fingers.

Slowly Phillippe let go of Louis. Louis fell back, choking and gasping.

Andre was staring at him. "Brother?"

Phillippe hurried over to Celeste's side.

Both Celeste and Athos where drenched in D'Artagnan's blood.

Celeste looked at Athos. "Is he dying?"

"I don't know," said Athos.

Aramis felt for a pulse. "His pulse is strong," he said softly. "He may live yet."

But neither Celeste nor Phillippe heard this.

"All this time…" said Phillippe brokenly. "I was a lost secret. But you were hiding all your loyalty, all your love. You were the Man in the Iron Mask."

Aramis quickly pulled several long rags from his pocket. "Stop the bleeding," he said softly.

Athos grabbed them. He pushed them between Celeste's hands and pressed them firmly into place. "D'Artagnan…"

But D'Artagnan passed out.

Horror filled Philippe and Celeste's eyes.

"No!" cried Celeste. "D'Artagnan!"

Aramis grabbed her and drug her from D'Artagnan. He held her close. "Shh, my darling. He's not dead."

"D'Artagnan!" Celeste starred at him.

Athos and Porthos were clustered around him.

Celeste clasped her bloody hands together. "Oh D'Artagnan."

Aramis shook her gently. "Celeste, listen to me. He's not dead. Not yet. We may be able to save him."

Phillippe stood and moved back, still watching his unconciness father with worried eyes.

Suddenly, Celeste's eyes flickered to Louis. She bent and picked up her sword in a hand that was drenched in her Uncle's blood. She moved over to him and pointed the blade right at his chest. "I should kill you where you lay!" she hissed. Her eyes burned with hatred. "So help me God…if he dies, I will kill you. and nothing, nothing in this world, would stop me."

Andre's blade joined hers. His mild brown eyes where wrathful. "All my life, all I ever wanted…was to become like him." He motioned at D'Artagnan.

Phillippe came over to them.

Louis relaxed slightly. He was sure that Phillippe would order them away. Instead, Phillippe bent and ripped the key from Louis's neck.

"Get this off me," he ordered.

Aramis came over and unlocked the mask.

Phillippe pushed his long brown hair away from his face. Then he looked down at Louis. "You will suffer for all the pain you have caused." He looked at Celeste. "If you wish to kill him, go ahead."