Thank you to all my Mighty Reviewing Mavens…
Angoliel… Glad you liked it! And keep making eyes at D'Artagnan my friend, he's quite flattered.
Utsuri & Evenstar Elanor… I like Christien, too. I'm glad you both like him so much.
Sweet A.K… Read on to find out what D'Artagnan wanted them for. Thanks for the wishes on the trip; it went very well.
Mercury Gray… Hmm, I hadn't considered this as the end. For me there are too many loose ends still. Some are fine, but not too many.
Chapter 28: Stitches and Secrets
In D'Artagnan's office, Porthos was leaning back in a chair with his feet up on D'Artagnan's desk. It was a testament to their friendship that D'Artagnan allowed that. No one else would be able to get away with such irreverence in the Captain's office.
"What is it that is so urgent?" asked Aramis.
"Did I say it was urgent?" said D'Artagnan.
"You implied it was important," answered Athos with just the mildest bit of ire coloring his voice.
"Important, yes. Urgent? Not really."
Athos and Aramis sat down and waited for D'Artagnan to reveal his secrets. Their old friend seemed to be enjoying his moment of mystery and they were inclined to indulge him. Finally, D'Artagnan said, "The King has given us a gift and he has asked me to present it. However, we cannot display our gifts in public until after Aramis is safely wed… pardon me. Only Aramis may show his in public. In fact the King hopes to see Aramis in it on his wedding day."
With a flourish, he pulled out a dark tabard from behind a screen and handed it to Aramis. It was a Musketeer's tabard, but it was unlike any they'd seen before. All of the other Musketeer's wore blue with silver trim and a silver cross in the center. The one Aramis held now was midnight black and made of a rich, velvety material. The trim was gold and the cross in the center of the tabard was gold with a thin silver edge around the gold.
"It is exquisite," said Aramis. "I would be honored to wear it."
"That is not all," said D'Artagnan. This time he handed Aramis a Musketeer's dress hat. Black like the uniform it sported three feathers: one black, one white, and one red.
"And when will the rest of us get these marvelous frocks?" asked Porthos.
"After the wedding," said D'Artagnan with a wry grin. "Besides, I would hate to put you in a position of choosing between your new tabard and the suit that your tailor has labored so long upon." A resounding round of laughter filled the room. Many rooms away, Natalie, Christine and the seamstresses working on Natalie's gown would never have guessed that such esteemed soldiers as the Musketeers would be laughing over suits and clothing.
Natalie tried to stifle a sigh. She had been standing on a pedestal for over two hours while the seamstresses pinned and stitched and fussed. Christine smiled up at her.
"Ladies," said Christine, "I think Mademoiselle Natalie has earned a rest. Perhaps we can continue with this tomorrow morning?"
"As you wish," said the head seamstress. "Why don't we do more tomorrow afternoon? The stitching we have to do will take us until then. After that, I believe we will have only two more sessions to complete the gown."
Natalie raised her arms and let the women help her out of the gown and into her regular dress. After the seamstress and her assistants left, Natalie sat down on a velvet-covered stool by the window. It was open just a crack, letting some of the crisp fall air flow into the room.
"Natalie?"
The young woman waved her hand. "Ah, Christine, pay no attention to me…"
"You look… almost sad," answered her friend.
"No, I would not say that I'm sad," Natalie said. "I am… I am nervous." The rest came out in a rush. "What if I am not a good wife? I am very young, and Aramis has much experience in life. What if I bore him? What if I do not please him when we… when we…" Her voice dropped to a whisper. "…when we are abed? I don't think I could bear it if he looked upon me with distain!"
Natalie looked so forlorn that Christine nearly laughed, but she refrained, knowing that would only make Natalie more self-conscious. Christine sat down on the wide windowsill, facing Natalie, and took the young woman's hands in her own.
"Natalie, you worry far too much. You will make a wonderful wife. You helped run your father's country house when you were very young, and so you will be able to manage your new home just as well. And has your father not always made sure you had good tutors?"
"Yes," said Natalie. "Probably more tutors than many young Mademoiselles…"
"So, you are most certainly able to carry on an intelligent conversation with your soon-to-be husband, are you not?"
"Well, yes…" Natalie was starting to feel a little chagrined. "But there is still…"
"Your wedding night?"
"Yes…"
"I cannot tell you exactly how it will be, but I don't think that Aramis will be anything other than gentle with you." Christine paused and carefully considered her next words. "Natalie, although I am not married, I have known a man…"
Natalie let out a little gasp. "You and Raoul?"
"No." Christine looked down, a stain of red upon her cheeks. "Not Raoul."
Natalie's eyes grew very, very wide and she stiffened. Christine had known a man – intimately – other than Raoul? Raoul had been Christine's fiancée!
"Before you judge me too harshly, Natalie, please let me explain. This did not happen until after Raoul was killed. I was so torn and wracked by grief; the King took pity on me. He brought me to Versailles and tried to ease my pain. I was so lost in my misery, I welcomed the comfort he offered and soon I became the King's lover…"
The overall story was a lie, for Natalie had no intention of revealing the secret of how the Musketeers – including Natalie's father, Athos – had replaced the real Louis with his brother, and now Philippe ruled as King. That was a tale perhaps one day Aramis would share with her, but Natalie would not hear it from Christine's lips.
"You are the King's mistress?" Natalie was stunned; she would never have guessed.
"No longer," said Christine with a smile. "But the King is generous. He understood what it would mean for me to remain his mistress and he was a gentleman. He even installed me as a lady of the court to make some recompense for what he had done. I bear him no ill-will, nor does he bear me any."
"But your reputation…"
"It was… difficult… for a time," said Christine, remembering some of the more vile gossip that had circulated through the court. "But it did not last forever." And it helped that the King threatened the most vicious tongues if they did not cease, and once he banished one from court the wagging tongues soon quieted.
"Do you think less of me, Natalie?"
Natalie was silent for a long while. Finally she said, "No, I could not think less of you, Christine. You have been a wonderful friend to me, and I know you truly did love my brother. I would guess that the King's affections would have been near impossible to refuse."
You have no idea, thought Christine. The real Louis would have ruined me. He almost did, but your father and the others spared me, and Philippe did what he could to make amends for his brother's sins. "I told you this for two reasons," said Christine. "One is because I thought you should know. The other is because you are so nervous about your wedding night. I may not have been married, but I have been with a man…"
"You have been with the King!" said Natalie. "Is he not more than a man?"
Christine could not help but laugh. "I do not know, as the King is the only man I have been with."
Natalie turned scarlet. "What… what is it like?"
"Well," said Christine thoughtfully. "It will hurt some the first time, but that won't last long…" And I can only imagine how much better it will be for you because you love Aramis, and he so clearly loves you. I envy you that, Natalie…
Hello! I'm sorry this took so long to post. All my work travels went well… and my seminar in Arizona was outstanding. I loved the desert! So, hope you've liked this chapter… I'm working on more but not sure when I'll post again. I'll try to do it sooner than this last time… Please read and review! Oh, and for those of you who are aspiring novelists, check out www. – National novel writing month starts on November 1!
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.