Evening (Or very early morning) My Lovelies

Oh, I would FINALLY get the inspiration I needed to write this right as I was getting ready to go to bed wouldn't I lol :D Thankfully I'm fairly used to staying up late so writing until half 3 in the morning isn't going to impact me too much :D

Notes On Reviews:

Debbie (Guest): Thanks for the review - It's not a Savoy thing that's pissed him off, I've invented my own background mission that led to some trouble for our devious traitor which will be briefly explained tonight, though I did toy with it being a Savoy thing. Oh don't worry, D'Art's going to make Athos regret (even more than he already does) not telling D'Art about the traitor once he's well enough to do so. Enjoy the new chapter! x

pallysAramisRios: Thanks for the review - I didn't initially plan for Corneau to be so mouthy, it just kinda happened and I quite like it :D We'll get to learn a bit of what Treville did to cause him to have so much anger today. Enjoy the new chapter! x

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

Love you all!

Enjoy!

xxx

Chapter Sixty-Seven: Betrayal II

Oblivious of everything else around him Aramis ignored the shouting as his focus remained completely locked onto D'Artagnan's unconscious form, his concern for his baby brother rising as he listened to the boy struggle for every breath.

True, this had been the case for the younger man before Corneau had gotten to him but there was part of the frantic medic that was concerned that the boy's breathing was getting worse and the struggle for even the smallest amount of air was becoming harder.

He looked to Gaspard, desperate for the physician to dispel this thought as mere paranoia but the doctor had a troubled look on his face that only reinforced the fear the marksman felt as the two desperately tried to work out what had been done to the young musketeer.

Meanwhile, Corneau's outburst had drawn confused looks from several of the men now surrounding the group while others had an inkling of what the man was talking about and had looks of sympathy mixed in with their anger.

Treville on the other hand had a look of pure guilt and shame on his face which he made no effort to hide as he took a step forward.

"Corneau," he started only to be cut off by the irate musketeer.

"Save your excuses Captain," spat the traitorous musketeer as he, once again, ignored the sting of pain caused by Athos's sword at his throat as he instead focused on the anger he felt for the men standing in front of him. This encounter had been a long time coming and that time had done nothing but fan the flames of bitterness and betrayal he felt for the man he had once respected.

"You left me to die!" he bellowed, pain and betrayal saturating his words as he fought to restrain himself enough to speak, knowing he had the complete attention of the regiment right then. Pausing only to take a steadying breath he looked up at the Captain, allowing the man to see, for the first time, just how much he hated him for what he had done.

"Corneau," tried Treville once more, though his voice was firmer this time and his earlier expression of guilt and shame was slowly fading as an emotionless mask began to take its place. "You know that's not what happened!"

"I know!?" spat Corneau venomously as he glared daggers at the Captain, "What I know Captain, is that while my brothers and I were being mercilessly tortured for days you stayed comfortably in the city, playing the part of the King's loyal pet, having the men stand guard at garden parties instead of saving their own… All for one and one for all my arse!"

Murmurs began to spread across the gathered musketeers who now all remembered the mission Corneau was talking about, their eyes focused on the Captain as they waited for the man's explanation, only it wasn't him who spoke.

"If you think the Captain would have left you and the others to that fate if he had known what was going on then your more delusional than this whole ordeal has made you out to be," growled Porthos from where he stood, protectively in front of D'Artagnan, Aramis and Gaspard.

"Oh he knew," growled Corneau, his eyes never leaving Treville's face. "I watched our captors write their ransom note the day of our capture and I listened, during my bouts of consciousness, to their taunts of how he ignored it!"

"They lied!" bellowed Treville, a calmness of his face that didn't quite match their current high tension situation. "I only became aware something had gone wrong when your squad failed to return on time." Adopting a softer tone he added, "Corneau, King's orders or not I would not have left you to them had I known, doesn't my response to this prove that!"

To the surprise of most Corneau let out a bark of dark, mocking laughter, tilting his head to the side as he looked at the man, "Your response? You cowed to the King's restrictions and allowed red guards to go after our people… Red Guards!"

"He wouldn't have needed to send anyone if it hadn't been for you!" growled Athos, breaking his silence as he pressed ever so slightly harder on his blade, inwardly relishing at the small hiss of pain the action pulled from the traitorous musketeer… no, man in front of him, he flat out refused to refer to the man as a musketeer after all he had done.

For the first time since his initial outburst, Corneau allowed his gaze to move from Treville's face to Athos's, not at all fazed by the barely concealed rage and betrayal he saw there as he addressed the swordsman. "Had he learned the lesson the first time I wouldn't have needed to get involved," he stated, almost pleadingly before his earlier anger returned to his eyes.

"A lesson," breathed a voice that made Athos, Porthos and Treville straighten, though none reacted further as Issac stepped forward, his own blade drawn and grasped so tightly in his hand that the skin on his knuckles had turned stark white. "You did all of this… just to teach the Captain a lesson?"

Seemingly oblivious to the pure pain and rage practically emanating from the musketeer Corneau nodded, opening his mouth to speak only to be cut off by a sharp kick to his knee which sent his crumpling to the ground which a cry of pain as Athos blade cut through his skin from his throat to just below his eye as the swordsman had also been surprised by the assault and so had been unable to withdraw his weapon in time, though Corneau doubted he would have wanted to had he known.

The action caused all eyes to lock solely onto Issac's rage-filled form, Favier even stepping up to try and calm the furious man down, though his efforts were ignored as the musketeer, without a care to how those around his would react, thrusted his blade through the traitor's shoulder, not even flinching as the action caused shouts of both alarm and pain to fill the air.

"ISSAC!" exclaimed Treville, though he could hardly blame the man for how he was acting, nor, did it appear, could he chastise him as the musketeer flat out ignored his rebuke, his focus instead locked solely on the now bleeding man in front of him.

"You butchered my sister," he growled, his voice dark, deadly and full of venom that even made Corneau's smirk slip. "She was innocent, and you butchered her! All to teach some messed up kind of lesson!?"

"An unfortunate, but necessary sacrifice for the good of the regiment," stated Corneau with such honesty and surety in his voice that it made the others realize that he did honestly believe what he had done was for the greater good and that alone further ignited the already raging inferno inside Issac and it was only due to the timely intervention of Athos that stopped him from launching himself at the traitor and killing him where he knelt.

"We need him alive Issac," growled Athos, quietly so only the struggling musketeer now being restrained in his arms could hear. "He gave something to D'Artagnan, he could die if we don't learn what. For now Issac… For now, we need him alive."

For some time it looked like Athos's words would simply go unheeded, but to his, and everyone's, shock Issac slowly calmed enough that the lieutenant felt secure enough to release his hold on him, sending a clear look over the now heavily breathing musketeer's shoulder to Favier, who stepped up to his brother's side quickly, whispering rapidly in the man's ears.

After nodding once to whatever Favier had said to him Issac turned his now hard gaze to his Captain, who was watching him expectantly.

"Get whatever answers you need from him Captain, I won't interfere again," Treville nodded, gratitude in his eyes that quickly vanished with the furious man's next darkly spoken words. "But be quick. I have no intention of letting him see Paris once more."