Unto Pax, Disney and United Artists too
Give credit where credit is due,
I'd be writing something subtly different…
If not for all of you.
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Chapter 2: the Proposal
"Of course…I'll do what ever it takes." Siroc had said… the elder man winced visibly. It wasn't that he didn't want… need… the lad to agree to support his plan. He just did not expect him to do so easily. When Aramis rehearsed the conversation in his mind the young musketeer had exclaimed "You want us to WHAT!
Aramis had his reply all lined up… he was going to respond to with… "I am not expecting you to toss him in a sack and carry him off, lad. Spending some time in the country will only do the boy good." But Siroc's quick response cast doubt on a good many things. 'This is wrong.' Aramis shivered; knowing the young mans tone too well. 'He is not ready for this.'
"What ever it takes? …No… do not…" The would-be-priest shook his head… "Would you make ME your master now? I do not require blind obedience… nor do I want your actions motivated by some misplaced notion that you owe me something."
Siroc froze. In his heart he knew Emris was correct "I … I would obey you easily, too easily perhaps," he bit his lip. "Even to commit what amounts to treason. You saved me -- I trust you."
The inventor thought for a moment more… examining emotion and intention both to see how deep the roots of unreasoning obedience lay in the fiber of his soul… what he found gave him a measure of relief.
"My first instinct is still to obey those I think worthy… regardless. But, I would not (and likely could not) induce my companions to do the same. What's more, I would listen to their council on this matter as I do most everything else. You need our help… I will convey the facts to them and bow to their judgment in the matter." Siroc smiled then "I trust they would keep me from doing anything truly stupid."
Emris was relieved by the young man's thoughtful response. Though, the thought that this soft-spoken inventor trusted a D'Artagnan as a stopgap AGAINST rash action seemed almost an oxymoron.
"Tell me uncle… What is behind the urgency I hear in your request?"
"What will shortly befall the capital is only a symptom. Mazarin is consolidating his power. Do not be fooled by appearances to the contrary. After this little insurrection fades you will find his supporters have been well paid for their lost and damaged property and the Musketeer will long be nursing the hurts done to them during the unsettled time.
Noble and commoner alike will see Mazarin as hero bringing order out chaos. The ringleaders will be quickly executed before they can say who hired them. History will doubtlessly judge him a great man. Your boy king is in grave trouble; we must act before the Cardinal's power becomes too great."
"I made a mistake." Emris whispered, "I did not realize Richelieu's hold on our King Louis was such that one could not survive the other. This time we must make our move quickly else Little Louie will become too dependent and we will loose him as well."
It must be admitted that Emris told the young man nothing of what 'Plan B' entailed. As he slipped once again into revere Emris recalled the events…years ago when he'd still been both in thrall to his Master and oblivious to the fact.
The Queen was gravely ill and about to give birth. There was talk she might not survive. Athos and D'Artagnan were singularly drunk … too drunk to miss him. Aramis, recently elevated to Sergeant of the Guard… had access to the palace grounds.
Once inside he shed his tunic and donned a cassock and in that guise he made his way through hidden ways that honeycombed the palace walls.
The tightness in his chest urged him on. The hidden passage had been made for spying… he could hear the King's restless pacing outside the birthing chamber. "I will have a son…I will have an heir!" The Louis Raged.
"I can save them." A quiet voice said… One Emris knew well. He squinted into the crack to see the slim warrior maiden; auburn hair tied back, green eyes flashing. "I have skills. You know it Father. I will save your wife, the child…perhaps both of them."
-Crack- Louis struck her across the face "Do not call me that…not tonight, not ever! I did not choose to sire you!"
She wiped the blood off the corner of her mouth. "Be that as it may, I will save them…." She growled at the monarch "I have no need for a crown. But I claim one life for what I do tonight…You will pardon whom I ask. By virtue of my blood you can not deny me one life for those I give back to you now."
Emris had never heard such ice in her voice, not in the year-and-a-half they'd been cadets together. Or such passion. He'd never imagined the inagmatic 'Protector' to be of royal blood but seing her as she was now…undisguised, Emris could not deny the other She shared the blood of his master too. Richelieu sacrificed his own twin in an attempt to conceive a royal heir… In protector, he'd made something else altogether.
"I need some help here!" the British medic called in a tremulous voice.
"The queen is hemorrhaging… I need to get in there." Protector pushed past the king and into the birthing chamber. Emris moved further down the passage to stand by the next slit. There was a door here also…just like he'd been told.
Anne screamed; long curls plastered with sweat, her face like wax.
"You took your time getting here." The Brit frowned.
"Family trouble" she hissed unbuttoning her sleeve.
Julian drew a clear hose with a sharp silver tine at each end. One end went into Protector's arm… She flexed her hand to speed the blood flow and then the doctor placed the other end into that of the queen and bled into her.
Heresy! Dark arts… swapping humors from one to another just isn't done – but Julian was doing it. He mumbled something about wishing for some plasma and being grateful for a type-O donor but for all the care Emris had taken when he copied the works of Galen…he understood none of it.
The Contractions were coming faster now and with whatever Julian took from Protector the Queen had the strength to push. After one more heartrending scream the little blond Dauphin greeted the world with a wail of his own.
The medic washed him and the King was present immediately to wrap the babe in the blue blanket embroidered with the lilies of France "His name is Louis Dieudonne" the king said and prepared to whisk the child off to his first royal review.
"It's starting again" Ann screamed, Suddenly much to the King's chagrin a frail dark haired infant made his presence known moments later.
"I have my heir…blond like his mother…blond like me. He is premier fils de France. This one was likely spawned by that Guardsman's …I care not -- let it die." Louis growled unsympathetically and stalked out taking little Louis with him.
He entered as soon as the king had gone. Ann saw his priest's robes and smiled. "Louis may be the first son of France but he is not the only son…His…his name is Philippe Charles." She gasped breathlessly "Take him."
And so Emris took the child … and lost him just as easily. For the Master was waiting.
For the next 8 years he had no memory of the boy...or the events he witnessed that stunningly bright morning. And when the memory was returned to him he admittedly had other pressing matters on his mind.
O
"Are you certain things will be as dire as you predict?" Siroc asked.
"Without fail -- Believe me when I say our time is short … Come summer Paris will be lost to us. And if we do not move before then you can be sure we loose this Louis as we lost his father.
I have received reports from the length and breadth of the country… The unrest will focus in the capital but I fear not even the borders of Berry will be exempt. It is good Athos keeps the guard vigilant else there may be no safe place in all the realm."
That is why I contacted you. If you and your companions can find a way to get Louie out of the palace unseen…and out of the capital. I can handle things from there. Perhaps make him believe it is his idea: An unauthorized tour of his kingdom perhaps…
All I ask is that you bring him to me. The sooner the better else we'll have to take him once he's under guard in the middle of a war zone."
One of the more difficult obstacles I fear is going to be Charles de Batz himself. One thing he can be counted on is to protect Louis like a bear… In most cases that unflagging loyalty is to be commended. But for our cause, His lack of objectivity will be devastating.
As much as it grieves me we cannot bring him into our confidence. I do not speak like this simply because I know He will never indorse anything even remotely connected with me. Despite what Charles says; my loyalty is to God and France… And you can tell that to young Dart when he asks.
My reason for excluding his father is that He would be incapable of withholding any news of the boy's whereabouts from the queen. She will be dreadfully concerned I am sure but likewise cannot be trusted with such intelligence. She keeps nothing from her confessor, and I need not tell you of the necessity of keeping the king's whereabouts from Mazarin.
Siroc didn't know what he expected when he first received the unsigned note written in the 'oh so familiar' script. This certainly was not it.
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Chapter 3: Surprises -- what happens when Siroc returns to Paris? (Alternate telling of how Siroc and Jacque discover one another's secrets)
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