Evening My Lovelies

No musky's tonight either I'm afraid but they will be back very soon promise!

Notes On Reviews:

pallysd'Artagnan: Thanks for the review - Haha yeah, well Athos had to learn it somewhere :D Don't worry there are about to be plenty people willing to do far worse than to smack him for you :D Ethan is definitely a bit of a sheep. Oh, how annoying it won't let you publish your stories. I have no idea what's going on with my update emails. Some of the stories I read I get one update email for then there are others where I get two, its annoying but I'll deal with it, thanks anyways though :D Enjoy the new chapter! x

beeblegirl: Thanks for the review - They're red guards, they're not the smartest tools in the shed lol :D Treville will learn the truth before too long but in the red guard's defence (and didn't that feel odd to write) as far as they're aware D'Art is dead, they don't know otherwise right now so they aren't technically lying on that front. Enjoy the new chapter! x

Debbie (Guest): Thanks for the review - Treville's the best :D I really enjoy writing him, though I am very much looking forward to reuniting him with our muskys :D Haha oh I love that quote, it perfectly fits the situation... I kinda want to make D'Art say it when they learn he's alive :D Enjoy the new chapter! x

As always much love and many thanks for following/favouriting/reviewing/reading

Love you all!

Enjoy!

xxx

Chapter Forty-One: A Captain's Anger

The effects of that one simple whistle were immediate and the red guards lost a great deal of their confidence as a relatively large contingent of musketeers emerged from the trees, making both men curse under their breaths for not having noticed the gathering before now.

"Captain?" enquired Ethan doing all he could to keep his voice calm and to appear nonchalant in the face of the overwhelming numbers.

To further shred the red guards nerves Treville let out a dark chuckle as he leaned against the side of the wagon, having decided the unconscious and injured occupant wasn't going to pose much of a threat. "Do you really expect me to believe that Athos asked this of you?"

Deciding to hope there was still a chance they could turn things to their advantage Marcus crossed his arms in front of his chest, "Believe what you want, it doesn't change the fact that he did ask us."

Treville shook his head, a knowing look on his face, "You say he not only harmed two musketeer allies but also murdered one of our own," he stated, his expression giving nothing away although he was aware of the fact that his men, who hadn't heard what had been discussed between the three men minutes earlier, were struggling not to react to the anger that ignited in each of them at the news of the attack on one of their brothers, though they all took some tiny amount of comfort in knowing that their lieutenant wasn't the one harmed.

Unease was beginning to show once again on Ethan's face as he nodded in response to the musketeer's question, he wasn't sure where the man was going with this but if they played it smart he was sure there was a way they could turn things to their advantage. "The man refused the chance to become minister to the King for heaven's sake," mused the red guard in the safety of his mind, confidence filling him as the thought progressed, "He can't be that smart then."

"Let's say," spoke Treville, his cold tone serving to not only further amp up the unease for the red guards but to also remind the musketeers to wait until his order to act. "That I believe your claim…" no one said anything as they waited, with bated breath, for Treville to continue.

Unable to help himself Treville felt his expression darken as he pushed himself off of the wagon and took several steps closer to the red guards, "There wouldn't be a force in heaven or earth that could have stopped Athos from ending Rochefort's life in the most painful way available to him had the man been within his reach."

This one statement caused the tension in the atmosphere to sky-rocket. The musketeers among the group felt their hearts shatter at the same time as rage flooded their veins as they immediately knew just whose death would have prompted such an aggressive reaction from their lieutenant… D'Artagnan…

Issac and Favier, who had been ordered to remain at the back of the group given their own injuries shared a look of pure sorrow, both men instinctively shifting to stand closer together whilst simultaneously thinking it was a good thing Alain wasn't among the group as the boy likely would have abandoned Treville's orders and launched an attack on the red guards or Rochefort out of pure rage and grief.

The Gascon had endeared himself to most in the regiment and they, as a whole would greatly mourn his loss if the red guards were indeed telling the truth but the men knew their lieutenant and the boy had bonded on a greater level, the young musketeer managing to get through the many walls Athos put up in record-breaking time, so much so there had been concerns in the beginning that the rest of the inseparables would be put out or jealous of the instant bond, but such concerns had quickly vanished when it became abundantly clear the men were, to put it mildly, thankful and appreciative of the boy's presence.

Had Aramis or Porthos been in the Gascon's fate the regiment was sure that Athos would have reacted similarly but likely with enough presence of mind to ensure his brother received the justice of the courts and so while he might have beaten Rochefort to within an inch of his life they were almost confident he would have left the man alive to be charged and to pay for his crime.

"Aramis and Porthos talked him down," retorted Marcus but he wasn't able to hide the slight stammer in his voice.

Unable to help himself Etienne stepped forward, speaking before Treville could respond. "Aramis and Porthos would have helped him," chuckled the musketeer darkly, none of them missing the glimmer of fear that flickered in the eyes of the pair. "I know brotherhood is a confusing concept to you read guards but it means something to us."

"At ease Etienne," ordered Treville although the musketeer in question could hear both the amusement and pride lining his words and so moved back with a nod.

Treville then let the red guards suffer for a moment or two before he spoke again "I'll make it simple for you." Treville was was ice cold, and the glare was enough to send shivers down the spines of the red guards. "Either you surrender now to the charges of treason laid against you." He could see the defiance slowly entering the eyes of the men and while he hoped they would choose the former he presented them with their second option. "Or… You can try your luck to get away from us here but know my men have been given leave to kill you should you attempt to escape."

Taking a single step forward Treville looked both men in the eye. "So. What will you choose?"