Thanks and appreciation to…

Angoliel… blushes I'm so glad you like my stories!

Utsuri… Nice to hear from you again!

CeleryBunch… You won't see Athos' reaction quite yet, but it is coming, I promise!

Mercury Gray… I thought the prayer was appropriate given Aramis' clerical background. As for the priestly vows, I tinkered with that a little (remember I said in my disclaimer that I'd taken some liberties with the story...) For the purposes of this story, I wanted Aramis to have already left the priesthood. The combined stress of falling in love and then leaving the priesthood was more psychological drama than I wanted to deal with.

Chapter 4: Intimate Dreams

The night was not kind to Aramis. Despite his prayers, his thoughts were troubled and they often fell upon Natalie. She should be like a daughter to me, he thought in anguish, yet in my mind I see her not as a child but as a woman. A very desirable woman. Finally, his whirling thoughts slowed and he drifted off to sleep.

Aramis found himself in one of the many labyrinth mazes that dotted the grounds of Versailles. He felt merry; some game was afoot. He hurried through the corridors, looking at each intersection, until finally he found the heart of the maze. In the center, seated on a marble bench, was a woman. Her long dark hair was pulled up, but the ends trailed down her neck in loose curls.

"There you are," he laughed as Natalie turned around.

"At last, you have found me," she said as she ran to him.

He caught her by the waist and pulled her close. Without hesitation, he kissed the young woman in his arms and this was no courtly kiss. It was a lover's kiss, full and deep and sweet-tasting. The pleasure of her soft lips beneath his made his head spin and he moved to kiss her neck. Natalie bent her head back, exposing an expanse of ivory skin for his pleasure.

Aramis explored every inch with soft kisses and caresses. He traced the curve of her shoulder to where the sleeve of her dress clung. The dove-grey material was warm from the sun. This dress laced in the front, one of the newer fashions at court and Natalie took Aramis hand, placing it upon the ribbon lacings. He could felt he rise and fall of her chest as she breathed.

"There is no one else here…" she whispered.

The lacings seemed to melt away beneath Aramis' hand without any effort at all, and the shoulders of Natalie's gown fell away. Aramis looked down, mesmerized. He reached for her and placed his hand upon one of her breasts as he kissed Natalie deeply again…

With a gasp, Aramis sat up in his bed. His chest heaving, covered in sweat, Aramis leaped up from the bed. The cool air chilled him and he grabbed a shirt and held it in front of him to cover his naked arousal. What a dream! He shook his head to clear the memory from his mind. Aramis hastily threw on his pants and pulled a loose shirt over his head. Maybe a short walk in the cool air would bring him to his senses.

Sitting by her window, Natalie noticed the white shirt in the moonlight. It was Aramis. She could tell by the way he walked and the graceful carriage of his shoulders. His years as a swordsman had given him a grace of motion that couldn't be imitated. She got up quickly and pulled a simple outer dress over her chemise and tied it together. It wasn't as fancy as her day dresses, but no one could accuse her of dressing indecently.

Out of the moon-dappled night a gentle voice called out. "Aramis? Is that you?"

For a moment his heart stopped, surprised utterly to find companionship within the garden at that late hour.

"Good Lord, Natalie! What are you doing about at this hour?" Aramis kept his voice at a whisper.

"I could not sleep, and I saw you walk out into the garden. I thought to come keep you company," she answered.

"Do you realize the scandal it would cause if someone found us here like this? Alone? In the late of the night?"

She laughed. "Oh, Aramis, you worry so. You are a dear friend of our family. No one would accuse you of ill intent."

After that dream, I could accuse myself of that with little trouble. Fathers have a way of not seeing things in such a reasonable light when it comes to their daughters.

Standing close to him, Natalie looked up into his eyes and smiled. She probably didn't even realize how alluring she looked in the moonlight with the breeze stirring the ends of her hair.

"Natalie," he said softly. He twined his fingers through hers, and felt a band of metal. He raised Natalie's hand and saw the gold fleur-de-lis ring glint in the moonlight. It was on her second finger, right next to her ring finger. Gingerly, he touched his lips to the ring.

"You said that someday it would fit me," she said softly, and there was a deeper meaning beneath her words. Natalie, despite her youth, knew it was there and Aramis heard it as well.

Inside, Aramis was torn. Natalie was no longer a little girl, but a woman, and so far she had made it quite clear that she would welcome Aramis as a suitor. But she was Athos' daughter. It was one thing to find a husband for his daughter, but Aramis was sure that the possibility of Aramis being that husband would have never entered Athos' wildest dreams – or nightmares.

But if he was going to listen to his own heart, Aramis had to admit he was fond of Natalie. No, "fond" is a lie, he thought. I'm in love with her; I just never realized it before this. If I had, I would have never come back here until she was safely wed to someone else. But it is too late for that now…

Aramis drew Natalie's hand up and slid his other arm around her waist. He bent his head slightly until his lips barely brushed hers. It was only the barest hint of a kiss, but it was a kiss nonetheless. With a great effort Aramis gently pulled away from Natalie. Her face was upturned and her eyes closed as she relived the fluttering kiss in her memory.

"Being here like this is scandalous," he whispered. "This could be nothing more than the power of the moon and the night sky addling both our minds."

"I am certain it is more than that," she answered.

Ah, you are a girl wrapped in a woman's body, Natalie. You know nothing of love nor have you felt the pain of love slice your heart. It kills me that I may be the one to thrust that first cut upon you.

"If you are not certain, then take some time to think upon it tomorrow. I will wait for you here tomorrow night," said Natalie. "If you truly wish to court me, I know you'll come for me. Then you can speak to my father. If not…" She did not finish her thought for she did not truly know what she would do if Aramis did not come for her.

His mind said no, that Athos would not understand this or approve of it, but Aramis found himself saying yes to the butterfly before him. "Here then. Tomorrow night."

"Here then," she said and she disappeared down the garden path, but she didn't go unnoticed.

Please read and review; let me know what you think. I'm having quite a bit of fun writing this so I do hope you're enjoying reading it. The rest of this week at work is going to be insane, so I might not be able to post again until the weekend (unless I get lucky!).

Disclaimer: As always, only Natalie and Luc (who you have not met yet) are my creations. Everything else is borrowed for inspiration with much gratitude and respect.