Many thanks as always to all my readers and reviewers, especially…
Angoliel… Thanks. I appreciate the praise… and I would love to see what you do with D'Artagnan. He's a fun character with lots of dimensions to play with (although, Aramis is still number one in my heart).
Sweet A.K… Thank you. I'm glad you enjoy the story so much and how I've handled Athos.
Zelinia… A girl? Interesting. I write Athos like a dream? You make me blush!
Utsuri…Athos would definitely have choked on his drink if he'd been drinking at that moment.
Evenstar Elanor… If you watch the Disney version of Three Musketeers (which is campy but a lot of fun – especially Tim Curry as Cardinal Richelieu), there is a whole scene titled the Manly Art of Wenching, so that was my tip of the hat to the history among D'Artagnan, Aramis, Athos, and Porthos.
Angelofdeadlydarkness0010… Welcome! I'm really glad you've enjoyed it so far. My assumption is that Aramis would be in his mid-40s in this. Since D'Artagnan is the youngest of all the Musketeers, I made an assumption that Aramis was about 24 in the original (and I'm probably estimating young)… so assuming about 20 years have gone by between the original story and when Man in the Iron Mask happened, he'd be right around 44 right now.
Mercury Gray… Oh, he has a good sense of right and wrong, but he is, after all, simply a man, and any man can be overcome by desire. And he wasn't always a priest. Nudge, nudge, grin, grin, wink, wink. But seriously, I think it was more an opportunity for Athos to flex his "I'm her father" muscles more than anything else.
Chapter 26: Mon Amour
Once they reached the gardens, Aramis willingly indulged Natalie as she looked at the flowers; the King had torches staked in the ground and they offered magnificent illumination. Aramis and Natalie spent a little time walking silently together, merely enjoying the fact that they were free to walk in the garden without worry or suspicion. As they came into one small open area with a sculpture of a rearing horse, they saw another couple strolling along the paths. Christine waved to them and then returned her hand to Jacques' arm. Aramis watched them for a moment and nodded to himself; they were a good match.
Aramis gestured to a bench and Natalie sat down. She was surprised when Aramis – rather than sit – knelt down in front of her. He kissed her hand. The moon was starting to rise in the purple blue sky. A few wispy clouds drifted lazily along, barely touching the edges of the silver disk.
"Beneath the silver gaze of Selene, a dream, a vision appeared before me…" Aramis voice was husky and low. "Her light did grace your ivory skin, gilding you in silver as fair as any faerie queen.
Transfixed I stopped and thought to leave, when Cupid's aim upon my heart did fall…"
He continued on for several minutes, whispering poetic endearments that flooded Natalie with desire and longing. Finally, when he finished, he kissed her hand again and drew her up into his arms.
"I'll need to return you safely to your father soon," whispered Aramis. Natalie nodded as she stared up into his dark eyes. This walk would end too soon, but she knew how fortunate she was to have this walk at all, nor was she inclined to be greedy. In two months, they would be married and could walk wherever and whenever they liked.
Aramis watched her, drinking her in, and he didn't make an effort to conceal the desire in his eyes. Natalie saw it and she blushed. Aramis' eyes traveled slowly, languidly from Natalie's shoulder down over the curve of her breast where his eyes lingered for a moment. Then they traveled down the line of her waist. Her breath quickened and she felt warm.
Although she had never really known a man's caress, save for the few stolen moments she'd enjoyed with Aramis back at her father's country house, Natalie was suddenly struck with an understanding. Once, when she and Christine, had been socializing with some of the ladies of the court, they had started to talk about men. Some of the conversation made Natalie blush furiously, and she had been gently teased over her delicate sensibilities.
But hadn't understood one of the things the ladies told her about. They told her how some men, the ones who were truly great lovers, could make love to a woman without ever laying a hand upon them; they could do it merely with their eyes. At the time, it had seemed like an odd, and unlikely, thing to happen. But now, under Aramis' seductive gaze, a warm, tingling feeling spread throughout Natalie's body. She flushed and smiled, finally understanding what those ladies had been talking about.
Aramis lifted Natalie's hand and kissed it gently. She sighed, remembering the last time he had kissed her in the moonlight. Slowly turning her hand over, he kissed the palm of her hand and then the wrist. Slowly, tenderly, he kissed her arm and then the crook of her elbow where he allowed his lips to linger. His breath brushed gently against her skin.
"You taunt me with your kisses, Aramis," she said.
"Nay, it is not to taunt you, only to show you how much I desire you, Natalie." His breath was warm in her ear, his voice, soft. "Soon you'll be my wife – you'll be Madame d'Herblay – and I do not want you to be afraid of my touch. I want you to feel safe, especially on our wedding night."
"Safe? With you, how could I feel otherwise? If there is any fear, it will merely be fear of the unknown," said Natalie.
"The unknown? Then, perhaps, we should shed some light on the unknown, for I wish you to be eager and not shy..." He kissed the bridge of her nose and then her cheek. Dropping his head slightly lower, Natalie could feel his lips gently brush her ear and neck. The sensation sent shivers through her, and all she wanted was for Aramis to kiss her in earnest.
Aramis took her hand and put it on his chest. He held it firmly for a moment and was pleased that Natalie left it there when he released her hand. The smooth cloth of his shirt felt warm underneath her fingers, and after a moment, she began to move her hand slowly, starting to learn the contours of his body. Aramis forced himself to remain still, remembering his promise to Athos, and it took all of his discipline. Her light, inquisitive touch made his head swim, as if he'd drunk too much wine.
Finally, he could stand it no more. Putting a hand on each side of her face, Aramis leaned in and kissed Natalie. It was deeper and more demanding, a stronger kiss than he'd ever offered her before. Natalie didn't draw away, and Aramis groaned softly as she returned his kiss boldly. Natalie circled her arms around him and traced her hands along his back.
Aramis moved back after a moment and gazed down at his fiancée. Natalie's cheeks were flushed and her eyes were shining. He moved around to stand behind her, and pulled her hair to the side, exposing her neck and shoulder. He circled an arm around her waist and pulled Natalie close against him. She stiffened for a moment, surprised, as she felt his body, and his desire, so close to her, but then she shut her eyes and relaxed into him.
"Mon coeur bat seulement pour vous, mon ange, ma colombe, mon papillon… Vous êtes mon cadeau de Dieu ; je vous adore au delà de la mesure …" Aramis whispered. My heart beats only for you, my angel, my dove, my butterfly… You are my gift from God; I adore you beyond measure…>
He kissed her one more time, a long, lingering kiss on her throat, just below her jaw line. Just before he released her, he allowed his hand to momentarily skim the curve of Natalie's breast, a daring and cavalier move. She gasped in shock and Aramis released her, lest he go too far for her sensibilities. But when she turned to look at him, her expression clearly told him that he hadn't.
"You are a wicked man," she said playfully with a voice that now spoke of desire and want.
"Wicked? No, I am not wicked, Natalie. I am a man in love, and you are irresistible, mon amour." Aramis pulled her back into his arms for one final kiss before returning her to her father's care.
Well… Originally, this is where I had been planning on ending this story. Now, before you start screaming and pelting me with vegetables… I'm very open to adding a few more chapters. I have a few ideas that are percolating in the back of my head, but I don't have anything written… and there is no grand sweeping plot line that I have in mind. Now, what I want to know from all of my intrepid readers/reviewers is… A – do you want more? B – what sort of plot points would you want to read about? I can't guarantee I'll use all of the ideas, or how quickly I'll get the next few chapters posted, but I need a few to get me started…
Disclaimer: The only things I can truly claim as my own are Natalie, Jacques, and Luc (and a few minor supporting characters). Everything else is borrowed with much respect and admiration for Dumas and the people who created various movie versions of the Musketeers.